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Struggling, she pulled him until he was on the ground. When I went to help, she reached out and slapped at my hands.

"Get away!' she screamed. "Get away!"

I stood aside and sobbed, my legs growing weaker and weaker until I could no longer stand and sat hard on the ground. Mommy hacked and coughed over Noble's body. Finally, I managed to look at his face.

His eyes were open with an expression of surprise. There was a trickle of blood leaking from a gash in his right temple. His mouth was open just enough to show his tongue, which looked blue, but other than that, he looked like he could get up and start complaining about me pulling on his fishing pole and ruining his fishing.

"Its her fault. All of this is her fault!" he would shout and point at me with a finger of accusation.

I truly expected it and waited with my throat tight, my breath trapped below what felt like a rock in my gullet. Mommy would hate me. She would hate me forever a

nd ever.

I stood up when she tried to lift him to his feet, but he was too heavy for her now. She was exhausted, her coughing relentless. Finally, she sat back again,

"Will he be all right. Mommy?" I asked.

She just stared up at me, then she held him against her breasts again and rocked back and forth. coughing.

I felt as if I had run out of tears. I wiped my face and waited.

"Go back and get the wheelbarrow," she said in a voice without any emotion, a dry, dark voice that didn't at all sound like hers.

I got up quickly and ran through the woods again, taking care to remember exactly where I had left Mommy and Noble. By the time I got to the meadow. I was exhausted, but I found the strength to run to the barn. The wheelbarrow was just inside and to the right. Leaning against it was Noble's magic wand. It stunned me to see it there for a moment because it looked like it was pointing directly at me like that finger of accusation I feared at the creek. I took it away and gently laid it down before pulling the wheelbarrow out of the barn.

It wasn't easy manipulating it through the forest. I got stuck a few times and had to break through brush and saplings, but finally, after what seemed like hours and hours to me, but was probably only ten or fifteen minutes. I broke out on the shore of the creek.

I saw that Mommy had dragged Noble up farther.

"Here!" she screamed. and I rolled the wheelbarrow to her.

She scooped Noble under his arms and lifted. I went to lift his legs.

"Don't touch him!" she shouted at me.

I practically fell over backward jerking myself away. She coughed and struggled, but managed to get him into the wheelbarrow. Then she turned toward the forest and grabbed the handles. I stood there, waiting for her instructions.

"Go in front," she said. "Find the clearest way. Quickly!" she screamed.

I rushed into the woods and waited. It was very, very hard for her to roll that wheelbarrow over the rough ground, the stumps. and the tree roots. She never stopped coughing. Once she let me help her push the wheelbarrow over a ridge, but then she ripped me away from it.

"Just lead," she ordered. and I continued, searching for every opening.

Finally we managed to battle our way through until we had reached the edge of the meadow.

"Go get the wheelchair,- she told me in a coarse whisper. It will be more comfortable for him. Hurry."

I ran to the rear of the house, where she had stored it in the pantry. It had to be unfolded, and then I wheeled it as fast as I could to where she waited in the meadow. Noble's legs dangled over the end of the wheelbarrow. Mommy tipped it slowly toward her and again scooped him under his arms. She held him up enough to turn and lower him into the wheelchair. Then she carefully arranged for his legs and feet to fit. His head fell to the side, his eyes still open and now, it seemed, fixed on me. He looked like he was smiling madly, happy that I would bear the blame for all of this. I had to turn away.

"Put the wheelbarrow back." Mommy told inc and started for the house.

I grabbed the wheelbarrow handles and followed her across the meadow.

I could hear her talking now between her coughs.

"Why did you go fishing when I told you not to? I'm going to have to lock you in your room again. You disobeyed me. I told you I would keep you locked up all summer. I might just do that now. How can I trust you ever again?

"Fishing," she continued and coughed. "Why is fishing so important? Boys are so foolish. Your father is going to be very upset with you and very, very upset with Celeste. He may never appear for her again," she added, which brought me to a complete stop.