Spark a Story by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt

Author:Houghton Mifflin Harcourt
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt

RUSHALEE NIRODI

The Cabin

SHE AWOKE WITH A START, her heart pounding as if she had just outrun a storm. It was dark all around her, and for a moment she began to panic, thinking she was still dreaming. She sat bolt upright, gasping in cooling breaths, and jumped when a soft hand landed on her arm.

“Shh . . . just relax. You hit your head pretty hard.”

She squinted in the darkness, but all she could see was the vague silhouette of a man. He had an amiable sort of voice, light and mellow, the kind that you instantly wanted to trust.

“Who are you?” she whispered.

“My name is Mark,” said the voice, and she could hear the reassurance in it. “I found you out in the woods, unconscious. I think maybe you slipped and hit your head on a rock.”

She lifted a hand and raised it to her forehead, wincing as she found a lump the size of an egg. “I don’t even remember falling.”

“Don’t worry about it too much,” Mark said, patting her arm. “The heat probably got to you. You’ll be just fine.” She heard a shuffling noise, and then felt something soft slide into place behind her back. “What’s your name?” said Mark gently, fluffing the pillow up.

“Eleanor,” she said, swallowing as her heartbeat began to regulate again. “Ellie.”

“It’s nice to meet you, Ellie,” he said. “Why don’t we get a bit of light in here, what do you say?”

She heard him get up (he must have had a chair by the bed) and move to the other side of the room. There was the noise of a drawer opening, the scratch of the match, and then light erupted from the tiny pinprick. He picked up a candle and lit it, shaking out the match as the flame fizzled out. “That’s better,” he said, raising the candle up to light up his face.

All at once, Ellie felt a sickening lurch in her stomach, something she couldn’t quite place. All she knew was that something didn’t feel right. Mark looked at her curiously, the candlelight illuminating his dark brown, almost black eyes and sandy blond hair that fell across his forehead in chunks.

“Is something wrong?” he said, watching her closely.

“No,” said Ellie uncertainly. “I don’t—have we met before?”

He looked puzzled. “I don’t believe so. Why?”

“I just . . .” she said, hesitating. “I just thought I recognized you.”

He shook his head. “I think I’d remember meeting you,” he said, smiling.

“Oh?” said Ellie, arching an eyebrow as she struggled to get off the bed. “And why is that?”

He didn’t reply, just smiled shyly. “Here, let me help.”

He strode across the room and let her hold on to his arm as she heaved herself up. “Thank you,” said Ellie, swaying slightly, “for that and for letting me rest here. But I really should get going.”

“Got a boyfriend to get back to?” he said innocently enough, but she caught the connotation underneath.

“No boyfriend,” she clarified, “just a cat who will be very angry with me if I don’t get home in time to feed her.

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