Disappearance in Dread Hollow by Debra Webb

Author:Debra Webb
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Harlequin
Published: 2023-03-29T16:44:25+00:00

Chapter Ten

Jacob ran as fast as he could.

Even though it had been a while since he was here, he remembered the way.

Mr. D and Deputy Tara were calling for him. He felt bad for running like this, but he’d made a promise to his dad.

His dad had showed him this place but made him promise never to tell anyone about it.

Jacob ran harder. He couldn’t let them catch up with him. They would make him go back to Ms. Wright’s house. He liked Ms. Wright, but he wanted to be with his mama and dad.

They could be waiting for him. He hadn’t thought of that until today when Mr. D mentioned driving around to look for the places his dad did work. Jacob realized then that maybe his mama and dad were here waiting for him to come so they could all be together again. Maybe they had escaped the bad men and hidden.

Limbs from the bushes slapped him in the face and dragged at his legs, but he had to keep going. Almost there.

The ground disappeared from under his feet, and he pitched forward.

Jacob bit down hard to stop from crying out, pinching his tongue. The sting brought tears to his eyes. He hit the leaf-covered ground and rolled a good way before he could stop himself.

He jumped up. Steadied himself. The woods spun round and round. His heart beat against his chest so hard he was sure it would pop out any second like that alien in that movie he watched one night when his parents were working late.

He sucked in more air. Tried to figure out where he was.

Then he saw it. The old dead tree that stood near the cave opening—the mouth, his dad had called it.

He started that way. He heard his friends calling for him. They were going the wrong way.

He felt bad. They were his friends. They were taking care of him and trying to help him.

Jacob stared up at the sky. It was almost dark. He had to hurry.

He picked his way through the bushes and between the trees until he reached the dead one. A big, tall oak that, his dad said, had probably been struck by lightning a long time ago. He said it was probably just a shell now, waiting for the right gust of wind to take it down.

Jacob’s heart started pumping hard again as he peered into the cave. The opening was as tall as him and a lot wider. For a grown-up it didn’t look that big, but to him it was good sized. It was pretty dark in there and he didn’t have a flashlight.

Didn’t matter. All he had to do was call out to them, and if they were here, they would come get him. He eased deeper into the cave and called out as loudly as he dared, “Mama! Dad! Are you here?”

There was a sound...dripping. Water dripping. His dad said that was normal in caves. It was a lot cooler in here. He moved slowly, remembering the uneven rocks on the floor.

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