The Weird in the Wilds by Deb Caletti

Author:Deb Caletti [Caletti, Deb]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Penguin Young Readers Group
Published: 2020-09-08T00:00:00+00:00

“What?” the stinky gerenuk in question says. He tries to stand in the cave, but he’s too tall, and bonks his head. “Ow. I can’t hear back here. I don’t know why I always have to be in the back during this stupid field trip. And what do you mean, turn Jason Scrum back into a—”

Right then, Jason Scrum shrieks so loud, and the noise echoes so loud back again, that Henry feels like he’s the amazing Zazel, just shot from a cannon.

The gerenuk holds his two hairy arms with hooves for hands out in front of him. “What is this? What is going on here? Wait a sec. Maybe I read about this in that book my mom gave me, Welcome to Puberty. No, it can’t be! I’m still too young for that! And what are these?” He waves his hooves around. “Are these hooves? And why do I have this strange craving for vegetables when I hate vegetables? Oh no!” The gerenuk’s face is suddenly full of horror.

“Jason—” Jo begins gently.

“Something happened while I was sleeping! Some terrible spell for no reason at all, or maybe a bite from one of those awful ants!”

“This happened to you yesterday!” Apollo is losing his patience. “Let’s just hurry up and get outside again, and then we’ll explain everything.”

“I know! It was you! You weirdos did something to me! Where’s the rest of the class? Where’s Ms. Fortune? What have you creeps done?”

“You have mud on your face,” Jo says. “You big disgrace! Someone should put you in your place, you horrid boy.”

“I’d be happy to,” Pirate Girl says, glaring fiercely at the bully.

“I vote to leave him with the albino ants,” Apollo says.

But instead of leaving the bully behind, the children do another difficult and brave thing. They shake off the yucky feeling of being wrongly accused and continue winding and weaving and hopping from rock to rock toward the bright curve of an exit. Finally, that dark, magical cave is almost behind them, and the morning light is right there. Morning light, well, those are two of the most hopeful words that exist, so imagine the shock and horror and betrayal the children feel when they step out into it, and this is what they see.

It’s a land of gray rock, a land that stretches not only for miles out in front of them, but upward toward the sky, too. This is not just a tangle of exotic plants and trees, grasping vines, and monster insects. It’s a treacherous scene of your worst imagining—deadly towering pillars, and tall, jagged spires, and thin, rising needles. An endless labyrinth of pinnacles and peaks and summits of gray rock and more gray rock, all with edges and spikes sharp enough to slice you like a blade through a banana.

Henry gasps in horror. Button cowers near Henry’s legs.

“What is this?” Jo breathes.

“A forest of stone. A limestone forest.” Pirate Girl’s voice is a whisper.

Knife upon Knife upon Knife

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