Chapter 1 Butcher Mountain I had an uneasy feeling about spending two days at Aunt Ida’s house She’s strange Always pinching my ears and telling me what a handsome boy I am She’s totally harmless my father said You’ll be fine We’d left our house only a few minutes earlier My parents had already told me at least five times I’d be fine Of course that made me more certain I wouldn’t be I looked out the car window as we passed the bank and the frozen yogurt shop In one more minute we were out of town
You’ll be in good hands Max Dad said It’s only for a couple of days Mom giggled I admit Aunt Ida is a little odd But Dad and I will be there at night You’ll have nothing to worry about during the day right I nodded Neither of them saw that though since I was in the backseat We were already in the woods driving toward the state park Mom had decided this bird-watching trip was urgent Some of their birding friends had spotted a rare little songbird in the forest on Butcher Mountain Or at least someone thought they had My parents couldn’t resist checking for themselves They also kept assuring me I had nothing to worry about You’ve been to Aunt Ida’s house Dad said It’s very peaceful The stream the forest and that incredible view of the mountain
I did not recall that I’d ever been to Aunt Ida’s home She lives way outside of town She’s my grandma’s oldest sister but we only see her a few times a year She always comes to our house for Thanksgiving birthdays or cookouts We never go there She’s very excited to see you Mom said Look she sent me this e-mail to show you Mom handed me her tablet and I read the message Dear Max I am delighted that we’ll be spending a couple of days together You’ll share Woe’s room while you are here Fondly Aunt Ida Who is Woe I asked No one had ever mentioned him
Mom and Dad looked at each other Then Dad fixed his gaze on the road Worthington was my cousin Mom said He was quite a lot older than me I never knew him He died before I was born Then why does he have a room at Aunt Ida’s house Well Mom said Ida only had one child So I guess no one else ever needed the room She kept it the way it was She just calls it Woe’s room Dad said trying to explain Because it was his Mom smiled and said something she probably thought would sound exciting but she just made it worse You’ll probably be the first kid to sleep there since I knew what she was about to say Dad let out his breath in a big sigh He finished Mom’s thought for her You’ll be the first to sleep there in a long time he said
