Stranded by Nikki Shannon Smith

Author:Nikki Shannon Smith
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Scholastic Inc.

I woke up exhausted and feeling guilty. My little attitude problem had created a big problem. My parents didn’t know I was alone and neither did Auntie Raven. As far as my parents knew, I was busy with school. Plus, I had hoped to help Mama and Auntie Raven make up and act like actual sisters again. How was that going to happen now? I had ruined everything for everybody.

I could already hear the argument. Mama would blame Auntie Raven for not getting in touch again to confirm the plans. She’d be mad that Auntie Raven assumed she was giving her the silent treatment. Auntie Raven would be mad that Mama had acted in a way that would make her assume that in the first place. She’d feel like this was Mama blaming her, just like always. I had started a war.

And they’d both be mad at me. I was about to be on punishment for the rest of my life. I had one choice: Postpone the inevitable and survive my butt off so there was nothing they could blame each other for. It was the only way to make peace.

Rain pounded on the cabin roof. This was a much harder rain than any we’d had so far. I’d been trying to ignore what was happening in the Adirondacks: grayer skies and drizzles, early nightfall, dropping temperatures, and nights so cold I stayed inside. In the mornings, the garden was frosty.

This is the beginning of the end, I thought. Winter is coming and I better get myself in gear today or die alone in the Adirondack Mountains. I got the fire going and headed to the kitchen. Without thinking, I took my Nasty Patties out of the garbage. I was going to have to eat them. I took everything out of the cabinets to see if I could make anything else.

I found grits so old the white part of the box was yellow. The date stamped on the bottom was a year ago. Mama always threw expired food away, and Daddy always laughed at her and said those dates were really just suggestions to keep the company from getting sued. I cooked the grits, and when they were cool I formed patties to fry, which is what Daddy always did with leftover grits. Now I had Nasty Patties and grit cakes.

I put on Auntie Raven’s too-big rain gear, packed the Mega Mountain backpack, grabbed the bow and arrows and the fishing pole, and set out. I wasn’t coming back until I had enough food to wait out the storm.

I looked up as I walked, hoping to find a nest, and headed toward the stream where Auntie Raven had taught me to fish. I made it to the stream without finding a nest, so I cast my line and waited. I didn’t want to waste all day fishing and getting nothing, and I was about to give up when I felt a little tug. I reeled in the line. At the end was a tiny fish.

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