Page 4

CHAPTER 4

A little later that morning .

“Mom?”

Shivering, David Phillips sat up and blinked hard. What was he doing on the ground? The trees around him looked like the ones in the grove behind his house but how did he get here? He was stiff and cold but mostly he was hungry. He scratched his neck, and his fingers came back dirty. His heavy jacket was dirty too. At least he’d remembered to grab it from the back of his chair. But why was he here? Where was his mom?

Then he remembered hearing his mother crying, begging someone to stop, please stop and a funny voice telling her to shut up. He remembered calling Suze Bennett too and then crawling out his bedroom window onto the deck outside and running down the stairs and into the woods like Mom had always told him to do if someone broke into the house.

But he couldn’t remember where he and Mom were supposed to meet up when something like this happened. Back at the house? At Suze’s place? No, that was way too far, even if he had his bicycle. And if Mom were still at the house, why hadn’t she come to look for him?

His sudden trembling was not from being cold, even though he was. Something bad had happened to his mom. Something really bad.

Crunching leaves, a sneeze and a loud curse had David pulling on his backpack and scurrying deeper into the grove towards what the kids on the block called “The Big Tree.” It was huge with large fat branches that led higher and higher until you got to the fattest one almost at the top. David was the only one that could climb all the way up there, earning him the nickname “Monkey” from his friends.

He took his gloves from his coat pocket and pulled them on, glad he’d shoved his feet into his best sneakers. Otherwise, he’d never be able to make the climb. He pulled himself up to the first branch, then the next, hoping whoever it was, couldn’t hear the chattering of his teeth ‘cause it sounded like ice cubes falling out of the front of the ‘fridge.

He reached the biggest, fattest branch and pulled himself up. Leaning against the trunk, he sat and drew his legs to his chest, planted his feet firmly on the branch and wrapped his arms around his legs. When he was sure he was steady, he looked at the ground.

Whoever it was wore a big black jacket, jeans and a UT knitted cap. He might be tall but from up here, it was kinda hard to be sure. After a moment, the dude took off his hat and rubbed his head. Even up here, David could see he was a white guy, and he was bald. But what was that funny thing on his head? Looked like a big red bird.

“Dude” leaned against the tree, head down, as if listening for something. He stood there a long, long time. Finally, he spoke, and David forced himself not to breathe. He sure didn’t want Dude to hear that.

“Where the hell are you, kid?” he asked, putting on his cap again. “Too damn cold to be outside, so you must have gone to ground somewhere.”

Gone to ground . David remembered that from the English detective stories he and Mom sometimes watched with Suzanne. It meant hiding in a place where no one could find you. If Dude didn’t look up, David would be okay. Maybe.

But he couldn’t stay up here all day, and he was really, really hungry.

After what seemed like seven forever’s, the man pushed himself off the tree and headed back into the grove. David waited another seven forever’s before climbing down again.

Gone to ground, he repeated. Going home didn’t seem like a good idea, so, he’d have to find some place to hide until he could figure out how to get word to Mom that he was okay and to please come and get him. If she’d only bought him a cell phone for Christmas, he could just call her.

But for now, he needed to find a place to hide.