Tom Sawyer and the Ghosts of Summer by Tim Champlin

Author:Tim Champlin [Champlin, Tim]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: General Fiction
Publisher: Crossroad Press
Published: 2013-07-07T04:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER 11

"Not much happened while you were gone," Rob Linehart said, flipping his baited hook into a shadowed patch of water near the bank.

"Seems like I been gone forever," Matt said, taking a slow stroke with the paddle, sending BOZO gliding across the still pond. Their little creek seemed dull and confining after plunging in the wild waves of Clear Lake, and cruising on the wide Mississippi. He'd been back a few days, and was feeling let down. Falling back into the same dull routine was not part of his plan. Thatcher, the tramp, had predicted something big would happen this month. But summer was fleeing, sunburned and mosquito-bit, into mid-July and nothing unusual had taken place. "You ever see that bum anymore?" he asked, shoving off the opposite bank with his paddle. This pond was really too small for a boat.

"Oh, yeah, I forgot to tell you. Ran into him last week and he asked about you."

"He did?"

"Yeah, called you by name, like you were old friends."

Matt grimaced and Rob smiled. "Yep. He asked if you were still ready for your great adventure."

"So it wasn't just talk earlier. He really believed what he said?"

"I reckon so. Remember, I wasn't there when he talked to you about all that stuff—stretching time, and torn places in the universe, and all that."

"Well, we both know the man is crazy."

"He said if you thought your exploring of a haunted old schoolhouse was a scary adventure, you hadn't seen nothing yet."

"What?" Matt jerked his head up. "How did he know I explored that old, boarded up schoolhouse in Iowa?"

"Beats me. He told me about it first, then you came home and told me about it second."

Matt was disturbed by this revelation. "Do you think this man could have some kind of supernatural powers? How could he possibly know what someone was doing in another state, unless he was there or somebody told him?"

Rob shook his head. "I hear tell that some crazy people have a kind of second sight."

"I mean, I know there were prophets in the Old Testament, but it was God Who gave them the power to predict the future, just like Christ gave his disciples the power to work miracles in His name and cure the sick and be immune from snakebites and stuff like that. But this…this…Thatcher, he calls himself. If he's gifted in some way, as you say, what's the reason for it?"

"Lots of things in this world I don't understand," Rob said, pulling up his hook to see something had taken his bait. "I'll just add this to the list of things that baffle me." He laid down his cane pole. "You wanta fish a little and let me try the boat?"

"Sure."

They changed places, and Matt took the final small hunk of crawdad tail and baited the hook.

"I don't reckon we'll have to worry about Mister Thatcher anymore," Rob said, pushing off and letting the boat drift in the hot sunshine.

"Why's that?"

"After I talked to him, I watched him take off down to the freight yards.

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