Nadia Knox and the Eye of Zinnia by Jessica McDougle

Author:Jessica McDougle
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Plum Street Press

Chapter Seven

We ended the rest of the trip without too much chaos. Charlotte complained the rest of the way that she smelled like fish, but at least no one else fell into the river. Even though Charlotte kept paddling like everything was okay, I could see her shaking in the canoe in front of me, and I knew it wasn’t from the cold.

After pulling the canoes on land and tying them to nearby bushes, we had a five-mile hike uphill to get to the caves, with Bantu in the lead once again. There wasn't much to see as we walked. Small bits of dried grass and hornbills flying overhead were our only view. The early-morning gray of the sky had turned into a mid-afternoon blue, leaving us completely exposed to the sun's heat.

Under Bantu's direction, we made it to the caves. By then, I'd stopped doubting his gift of where. My dad, Bantu, and Mr. Haynes pitched the tent near the cave's entrance where we would start searching first, while my mom and Mrs. Haynes got the cameras ready. Charlotte changed into dry clothes and went with me to get water while the boys collected firewood. I still couldn't figure out why the Guardian Soul had shown up the night before, not to mention the crocodiles, and I wanted to see what Charlotte thought about the whole thing. As we walked, I filled her in on my thoughts and waited for her to say something.

“I don’t know, Nadia, it could be that we were in the wrong place at the wrong time,” Charlotte said, flinging her wet braid over her shoulder. “Bantu said the Guardian Souls don’t hurt you if they don’t think you’re dangerous, and it didn’t do anything.”

“But what if that was just the beginning? What if he’s following us now? Didn’t you hear that scream on the river? Don’t you realize those crocodiles weren’t normal?”

“Remember, you were the only one who saw the Guardian Soul,” Charlotte said, looking at me doubtfully.

“What’s that supposed to mean? Bantu believes I saw one,” I said, dropping my canteen on the ground.

"Well, are you sure you weren't dreaming? I just find it hard to believe that the Guardian Soul, or whatever it is, was right outside the tent and no one heard it but you."

I couldn’t believe that Charlotte didn’t believe me. My fists clenched in anger. Everyone knew I wasn’t the one who made things up. If Teddy had come up with that story, I could understand why it would be hard to believe. I was the person people trusted. It was hurtful that Charlotte thought I was making the whole thing up, especially given her swim with the crocodiles. Without another word, I took my cooler and canteen and walked ahead of Charlotte before I had the chance to say something mean.

Once I got to the small brook that stemmed from the river, I saw what looked like a small net floating in the water. Stuck in the dirt near the brook was a small knife with a wooden handle.

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