the local general store But someone had built that boat inside the bottle piece by piece Bug was right How did a shell get inside this one But I want to see said Bug He grabbed at the bottle I lost my grip and the bottle fell out of my hands It smashed against the rocky shore Glass shot everywhere like sparks at a campfire The shell slid between two rocks just out of reach Bug I yelled Look what you did Bug stepped back crossing his arms again and pinching his lips together I’m going to tell Mom you’re not being nice I’ll tell her you smashed a bottle I said trying to dig out the shell And here of all places Right on cue a screech came from the front porch of the cabin What are you kids doing down there Old Lady Wilson stood there shaking her cane at us Run I pulled the shell free threw it in my bag and jumped on my bike 6
I didn’t wait for Bug or Sam I kicked down the pedal and took off I didn’t stop until I got to the top of Crow’s Hill Soon Sam caught up to me both of us huffing and puffing We had escaped We had the shell Everything was perfect Wait I said Where’s Bug 7
Chapter Two I can’t see him I said scanning Old Lady Wilson’s yard from the top of the hill You should be happy Now we’re Bug-free Sam said He had taken out his soccer ball and was bouncing it on his knees Sam doesn’t have a little brother All he babysits is his soccer ball He carries it in his backpack all the time 8
We have to go find him I said We walked our bikes back down the hill and hid them in the ditch by Old Lady Wilson’s place Then Sam and I crept up to the long line of bushes that separated the beach from her yard making our way to the shore We could see Old Lady Wilson on the other side of the bushes poking around the rocks with a stick Her back was to us and her long silver braid peeked out under her hat She was muttering to herself What’s she doing Sam whispered louder than he should have I brought a finger to my lips Shh The old woman’s voice drifted between the leaves The beast she mumbled I can’t let the beast find it What was she looking for I leaned forward to try to hear better but something startled me in the bushes beside us I froze Was it the beast The leaves stirred again and then Bug stumbled out What were you doing in there I asked relieved 9
