Jack by Liesl Shurtliff

Author:Liesl Shurtliff
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Random House Children's Books
Published: 2015-04-14T04:00:00+00:00

As we walked away from the stream, the land got more solid and started to slope upward. The castle looked miles and miles away—at least a full day’s walk. It was evening now, and the sky was cloudy and gray. Soon it would be full dark, and the bats and owls and other night creatures would be searching for their supper.

I kept my sling and axe at the ready. Annabella picked up a few stones for herself, but with the night coming on, we wouldn’t be able to spot a predator so easily.

A wind swept through, and Annabella shivered uncontrollably in her wet clothes. I took off my jacket, which was only partially dry but still better than nothing, and draped it around her shoulders. She clutched it to her. “Th-thank you,” she stammered through blue lips.

We walked on, slipping and tripping as we made our way up the hill. I no longer knew which way the road was. I just kept going toward the castle, using the glowing tower windows like guiding stars.

Suddenly Annabella screamed. I whipped around expecting some frightful beast, but there was none. Annabella just stood in shock, dripping wet again, as though someone had emptied a bucket of water on her head. Another bucketful splashed at my feet and then to my side and all around. It was giant rain. Each raindrop was like a jug of water. Within thirty seconds the ground beneath us was a muddy river, and we began to slide back down the hill.

“Jack! I can’t hold on!”

I grabbed Annabella’s arm and pulled her up, digging into the mud. Lightning flashed in the sky and lit the hillside in a cold white light.

“Let’s head for that fallen tree,” I said. “We can find cover beneath the branches. Can you make it?”

Annabella nodded, and we slogged through the mud as well as we could. When we reached the tree, Annabella slumped beneath a branch. I tried to find any kind of opening, but the tree did not appear to be hollow.

“Jack! I found something!” Annabella cried.

I turned back toward Annabella. Amid the leafless branches she had found a nest woven tightly with grass and twigs so it formed a round little shelter. “It’s empty,” she said.

“Are you sure?” I said. “What if it belongs to a rat or a giant bird?”

“It must have been abandoned when the tree fell. The animal probably found a better shelter.”

The rain fell harder, and Annabella shivered. She needed to dry off soon or she was going to catch cold. I stepped inside the nest, holding my axe over my shoulder. Everything was still and quiet and—miraculously—dry and warm. It was lined with leaves and feathers and fluff. An old bird’s nest, I guessed.

I shouted for Annabella to come inside. She smiled at the little fort and curled up in a pile of fluff. I stood by the hole awhile to make sure no one was coming. Finally satisfied that we would be left alone, I dropped my axe and sank down into the nest, ready for a long sleep after a long day.

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