North to Benjamin by Alan Cumyn

Author:Alan Cumyn
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Atheneum/Caitlyn Dlouhy Books

The dog did not know anything about temperatures. Possibly in its brain there was no understanding of a condition of very cold, such as was in the man’s brain. But the animal sensed the danger. Its fear made it question eagerly every movement of the man as if expecting him to go into camp or to seek shelter somewhere and build a fire. The dog had learned about fire, and it wanted fire. Otherwise, it would dig itself into the snow and find shelter from the cold air.

“Hey, you. Where’s your camera?”

Edgar looked up. He was sitting with his back to the wall of the school building, in a blob of sunshine, reading during afternoon recess. At first he could not tell who had called after him, but then it became obvious—Jason Crumley was standing opposite him, a water bottle in his hand. The sun was high in the sky behind his face. It was hard to see him clearly.

Edgar would not, could not speak.

Suddenly the book was in Crumley’s hands. “What’s this crap?” He read aloud, “The frozen moistness of its breathing had settled on its fur in a fine powder of frost.”

The sun was so bright behind his face. He just looked like a shadow.

“This a library book?” Crumley held the pages split open in his hands, like he was going to rip it by its spine.

Edgar heard himself growling.

“That supposed to be scary?” Jason Crumley’s bulky jacket was open. He was probably used to hitting people into the boards in hockey games.

That feeling again, that the hair on the back of Edgar’s neck was standing up. He squatted now, ready to spring, growled harder. Showed his teeth. Maybe that was why Crumley flipped the book back to him and stepped a few paces off.

Edgar fumbled the catch. The book dropped to the frozen ground. He bent over to pick it up. He knew Crumley could just charge at him—push him over. Edgar felt a strange, quivering ruggedness inside. If that boy got near, he’d just bite his leg.

But when Edgar looked up again, Crumley was gone, disappeared to some other part of the playground.

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