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Authors: Sierra Harimann
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stumbled through her mom’s house, searching desperately for Icky. She felt a rising panic in her chest as she followed the crying sound from room to room. But every time Hannah got close to Icky, the crying stopped and began again a few seconds later, but from somewhere else.
Just as she was looking for her cat in another room, Hannah woke with a start. Her book slipped off her lap and crashed to the ground. As she leaneddown to pick it up, she heard a soft meow behind her. Hannah jumped up and whirled around. Had she really just heard a meow, or had it been part of her dream?
Sure enough, there was another soft meow, and it definitely sounded like it was coming from the other side of the bench. Hannah pinched her arm hard to make sure she was awake. It sounded just like Icky had in her dream! Could he have made it all the way across town to the cemetery?
Hannah leaped up and moved instinctively toward the sound. She took a few steps forward and then stopped to listen. The meow came again, but it sounded even farther away and in the opposite direction. She took off after it.
Hannah continued to follow the sound to the edge of the cemetery and into the surrounding trees. Every time she thought she was getting closer to the cat, though, the meowing shifted and moved farther away.
And then she saw it — a shadowy black tail with what looked like a white patch on the tip.
“Icky!” Hannah cried. She dashed after the shadow, but her toe caught on the gnarled root of anearby tree. Hannah tumbled forward and landed hard, scraping her palms and skinning her knee against the rough tree root.
Hannah winced in pain as she stood up and brushed off her clothes. She wasn’t badly hurt, but she felt silly for chasing after a cat that had probably been just one of the cemetery strays. She turned to head back to her little arbor, but she didn’t see tombstones anywhere. All she saw around her were trees.
That’s when it hit her.
She was alone in the woods. Alone and completely lost.
Chapter Eleven
Hannah felt her chest tighten with fear. She recalled Madison’s story about the little boy who had wandered the woods for three days. Hannah’s head began to spin, and she thought she might pass out. She took a deep breath.
“Calm down, Hannah,” she told herself aloud. “This is no big deal.”
She was a pretty experienced hiker, and she hadn’t gone
that
far into the woods. It couldn’t be that difficult to find her way back to the cemetery.
Hannah sat down on a nearby tree stump for a moment to collect her thoughts. She closed her eyes and breathed deeply, getting her nerves under control. The woods were quiet except for the breezerustling the trees and the chirping of a few birds. But then Hannah heard something else. It was a soft swishing sound.
A car!
Hannah realized. She jumped up and her eyes flew open. It was the rushing sound of a car on asphalt. A second later, Hannah heard the strains of a faraway police siren. Both sounds were coming from just up ahead. It had to be a road.
Hannah began to move slowly through the woods. Every few steps, the road sounds grew louder and louder. After just a few minutes, she could see the cars through the trees.
“Yes!” Hannah yelled out loud. She pushed aside some vines and squeezed between two small bushes until she was standing on the side of an unfamiliar-looking stretch of road. She didn’t see the cemetery anywhere, and there was only one house within view. Hannah headed toward it. She hoped someone could tell her what street she was on so she could find her way home.
As Hannah walked toward the house, she saw a boy and a girl playing basketball in the driveway.
“No way!” the boy yelled. “You were over the line, Taylor.”
Hannah stopped short. The boy’s voice soundedfamiliar. He dribbled the basketball twice and then lobbed it toward the basket. It sliced through the net silently, a perfect shot.
“Yeah!” he yelled as he did a funny jig. “Nothing
Just as she was looking for her cat in another room, Hannah woke with a start. Her book slipped off her lap and crashed to the ground. As she leaneddown to pick it up, she heard a soft meow behind her. Hannah jumped up and whirled around. Had she really just heard a meow, or had it been part of her dream?
Sure enough, there was another soft meow, and it definitely sounded like it was coming from the other side of the bench. Hannah pinched her arm hard to make sure she was awake. It sounded just like Icky had in her dream! Could he have made it all the way across town to the cemetery?
Hannah leaped up and moved instinctively toward the sound. She took a few steps forward and then stopped to listen. The meow came again, but it sounded even farther away and in the opposite direction. She took off after it.
Hannah continued to follow the sound to the edge of the cemetery and into the surrounding trees. Every time she thought she was getting closer to the cat, though, the meowing shifted and moved farther away.
And then she saw it — a shadowy black tail with what looked like a white patch on the tip.
“Icky!” Hannah cried. She dashed after the shadow, but her toe caught on the gnarled root of anearby tree. Hannah tumbled forward and landed hard, scraping her palms and skinning her knee against the rough tree root.
Hannah winced in pain as she stood up and brushed off her clothes. She wasn’t badly hurt, but she felt silly for chasing after a cat that had probably been just one of the cemetery strays. She turned to head back to her little arbor, but she didn’t see tombstones anywhere. All she saw around her were trees.
That’s when it hit her.
She was alone in the woods. Alone and completely lost.
Chapter Eleven
Hannah felt her chest tighten with fear. She recalled Madison’s story about the little boy who had wandered the woods for three days. Hannah’s head began to spin, and she thought she might pass out. She took a deep breath.
“Calm down, Hannah,” she told herself aloud. “This is no big deal.”
She was a pretty experienced hiker, and she hadn’t gone
that
far into the woods. It couldn’t be that difficult to find her way back to the cemetery.
Hannah sat down on a nearby tree stump for a moment to collect her thoughts. She closed her eyes and breathed deeply, getting her nerves under control. The woods were quiet except for the breezerustling the trees and the chirping of a few birds. But then Hannah heard something else. It was a soft swishing sound.
A car!
Hannah realized. She jumped up and her eyes flew open. It was the rushing sound of a car on asphalt. A second later, Hannah heard the strains of a faraway police siren. Both sounds were coming from just up ahead. It had to be a road.
Hannah began to move slowly through the woods. Every few steps, the road sounds grew louder and louder. After just a few minutes, she could see the cars through the trees.
“Yes!” Hannah yelled out loud. She pushed aside some vines and squeezed between two small bushes until she was standing on the side of an unfamiliar-looking stretch of road. She didn’t see the cemetery anywhere, and there was only one house within view. Hannah headed toward it. She hoped someone could tell her what street she was on so she could find her way home.
As Hannah walked toward the house, she saw a boy and a girl playing basketball in the driveway.
“No way!” the boy yelled. “You were over the line, Taylor.”
Hannah stopped short. The boy’s voice soundedfamiliar. He dribbled the basketball twice and then lobbed it toward the basket. It sliced through the net silently, a perfect shot.
“Yeah!” he yelled as he did a funny jig. “Nothing
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