Summer of the Woods by Steven K. Smith

Author:Steven K. Smith [Smith, Steven K.]
Language: eng
Format: epub, azw3
Tags: Action & Adventure, Boys, Brothers, Family, Friendship, History, Mystery & Detective Stories, Siblings, Young Adult
ISBN: 9780989341417
Publisher: MyBoys3 Press
Published: 2013-05-11T04:00:00+00:00

Derek’s eyes opened wide. What was that sound? He looked down and felt his brother’s legs draped over the bottom of his sleeping bag and remembered that they were camping. He shoved Sam’s legs back over to his sleeping bag and they fell with a thud. Sound asleep as always, marveled Derek.

Then another blood-curdling screech poured out of the darkness. It sounded like a whistle or a weird rooster. Derek had never heard anything like it. It was really loud! Like it was almost inside the tent.

“Whoooo, whoo, whoo, whoooooo!”

Derek sat up in his sleeping bag and looked over for Dad. He could make out his sleeping figure still lying next to Sam. Derek pulled his watch from the side pocket of the tent and pushed the light button. 4:00 AM. Still the middle of the night. But what was that sound?

“Whoooo, whoo, whoo, whoooo!” There it was again. It was right on top of them.

“Dad?” whispered Derek, but he still seemed to be sound asleep. Maybe that’s where Sam got it from, thought Derek.

Scared by the noise but even more curious, Derek eased out of his sleeping bag. The air had grown cool, so he pulled on his sweatshirt and sneakers. He picked up a flashlight, slipped out of the tent, and tiptoed over to the logs around the fire pit and listened. The night was so quiet. The crickets and tree frogs had stopped singing their songs and everything was completely still.

“Whooooo, whoo, whoo, whoooo!” Derek flipped his flashlight on and his eyes followed the beam ten feet up a tree branch above their tent. He found himself staring into two huge bright eyes. It was an owl.

“Whoa,” muttered Derek. It looked like a great horned owl. He’d seen a picture of one in the animal book that Uncle Drew had given him on his birthday. He thought about waking up Dad and Sam but decided it would be too hard to stir them out of their slumber.

For a few seconds, they both sat there – the boy looking at the owl who was looking back at the boy. Derek was almost afraid to exhale, as if breathing would send the owl away, or perhaps make it swoop down and grab him with its sharp talons. All that would be left of him would be a pair of empty sneakers.

The owl’s feathery neck swiveled quickly to the side as if it read Derek’s mind, and it spread its giant wings out wide. With one great thrust, it lifted into the air and flew right over Derek’s head. He could hear the feathers pushing against the air, and he ducked down even though the owl was well above him. He tried to follow the bird with his light, but it was gone, eaten up by the trees, and he was alone again in the night.

Derek looked around at the woods in the glow of the moonlight. He reached his hands into the pockets of his sweatshirt to stay warm and realized that something was in there.

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