Nothing But Trouble by Betty R. Wright

Author:Betty R. Wright
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781504013369
Publisher: Holiday House

“It’s none of your business anyway,” April chimed in. “You’d better get out of here right now. We’re busy looking for Muffy, and we don’t have time to talk to you.”

Both boys laughed. “Funny way to look for a dog,” said the one called Matt. “Sitting in the creek! You know what I think?” He made a terrible face at Vannie. “I think that mean old witch you live with probably got rid of him. I bet she ate him!”

Vannie stared at him.

“I said get out!” April shouted. “Get out right now!” She reached down with both hands and swept a wave of water up on the shore.

The boys jumped back, laughing, and then shuffled away, poking each other as they walked. April shouted after them till they disappeared beyond the willows that lined the creek.

“Who are they?” Vannie asked when her friend stopped to catch her breath.

“Matt Engel’s the tall one,” April said. “His dad farms your aunt’s land. Billy Barker tags after Matt all the time.” She cocked her head at Vannie. “Hey, what’s the matter? You don’t believe what he said about your aunt, do you? She wouldn’t … she wouldn’t eat—”

“Of course she wouldn’t,” Vannie snapped. “But he called her a witch—why did he say that?”

“He was just teasing,” April assured her. “Matt always says dumb stuff. I might call your aunt a witch myself, but I wouldn’t mean it.”

Vannie didn’t argue. Muffy was still lost, and that was all she cared about. Suddenly, the water swirling around her knees made her shiver.

“I’d better go,” she said. “Thanks for helping me look.”

“We can do it again tomorrow,” April offered. “I’ll think of some more places.”

“Okay.” Vannie tried to sound hopeful, but it was no use. They weren’t going to find Muffy. He must have been dog-napped, or maybe he’d met a raccoon and he was dead! If he could have, he would have come back by now. She was sure of it.

As soon as supper was over, Vannie said she was going to bed. She felt numb—so numb that she hardly noticed the plate of fresh brownies in the center of the table. She wasn’t hungry, and she didn’t feel like watching television.

“Go ahead then,” Aunt Bert said. She helped herself to a second brownie, as if to show that she knew a good thing when she saw it, even if Vannie didn’t. “You’ll feel better after a night’s sleep.”

Vannie doubted it. Sleeping on the porch had been fun when she could put out her hand and feel Muffy beside her. Now, lying on the daybed and staring out at a zillion stars, she felt miserably small and lonely.

When sleep finally came, bad dreams came with it. First, she was standing alone in the dark when a prowler as big as a giant appeared at the corner of the barn. Vannie woke up, her heart pounding, and then slipped back into dreams again. She was at the side of the road as a car rattled by, with Muffy barking and leaping against the back window.

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