disaster had settled into numb acceptance But for now and for many years to come the forest was left to the birds the squirrels the deer and the lonely whistle of the wind through the trees
The Low Road
HE MUD SPATTERED BULLDOZER rested on its crawler tracks a sleeping giant on a rumpled blanket of dirt Less than a quarter of a mile away stood the five mighty oaks of Alfheim Fourteen-year-old Matt McCormack dashed across the construction site He bent down to squirm through a length of plastic pipe that lay stretched over the soil Then he raced toward the excavating machine Matt’s father Charlie stood at the edge of the forest with a roll of blueprints under his arm Matt he shouted This isn’t an obstacle course I hope you’re not going to do what I think you’re going to do Matt ran past the wide-toothed bucket and the jointed arm of the steel behemoth and scaled the bumper Matt had brown sparkling eyes like his mom a round face like his dad and a pair of oversized ears which he hoped he would grow into Growing was something that Matt had thought a lot about lately as he was a little shorter than many boys his own age Windmilling his arms Matt leapt into the air He landed on his heels in the dirt Dirt Glorious filthy incomparable dirty dusty dirt Sorry Dad he yelled What did you say Nothing I just want you to set a good example for Becky Don’t give her any ideas Becky the older of Matt’s sisters was nine She brushed straw-colored hair from her high forehead and squinted into the sun Then she frowned apprehension flickering in her pale eyes She lingered nervously on the concrete walkway that led to the McCormacks new house Up and down the short block were ten new houses all nearing completion waiting to be sold Tiny spears of grass sprouted from the straw that covered the yard Becky eyed the grass cautiously It would take a lot more than her brother’s ideas to get her to play in the dirt Dad Becky called Mom says you can come in and make
