even with the window of the cab when movement caught his eye. He looked to the left along the edge of the woods and said to Eli, “We’ve got company.”
CHAPTER 10
Hunter, Eli & Bug
B ug was standing at the edge of the clearing. She was thinking what a super dumb idea it had been to follow the boys into the woods. She knew she should have stayed at home after Shasta dropped her off, but she had been curious about the boys going into the woods with a backpack. She had wanted to follow them to see what they were up to, but she also wanted to pop out at just the right time and scare them. That would have been super funny!
Now she was hot, dirty and had a headache. Her dark hair was stuck to her head with sweat and her stomach was growling. She just wanted to go home, but she didn’t want to go by herself, that was the problem.
Getting there was kind of an adventure. She had heard the boys up ahead most of the way. They couldn’t hear her, though. Her featherweight frame barely disturbed the ground as she walked. Then, almost at once, everything had gone quiet. No animal’s scurrying, no boy’s voices, no leaves crunching underfoot up ahead, nothing. That was creepy. Then the headache had started. She had been on the lookout for those migraine headaches ever since she had read in a national health magazine that females are three times more likely to suffer from them than males. She was on the lookout for a few other maladies as well. Never can be too careful. Knowledge is power.
When she had made it to the clearing, she didn’t see Hunter or Eli, and she became nervous. She expected them to be there doing whatever it was that brought them out in the first place. It never occurred to her that she wouldn’t be able to find them. Alone and feeling sick, she had sat down on a fallen tree to rub her temples and cool down some. Wow! It’s super hot out here! While she sat, she saw the boys emerge from the other side of the clearing by a big bulldozer. Relief flooded over her with the knowledge that she had an escort home. She watched as Hunter jumped up to the side of the dozer and started to climb up to the driver’s door. Then he suddenly turned and looked right at her. He said something to Eli who turned and looked at her, too. They talked back and forth until Eli got up and started walking over to where she sat. He was carrying a big silver box. Did they have that with them when they started out? No, she remembered, just the backpack that Hunter was wearing. She was sure she would have noticed it because it was super shiny .
She looked back at Hunter who was climbing back up the side of the Caterpillar.
“We’ve got company,” Hunter said to Eli from atop the Caterpillar.
“What? Who?” Eli looked around and saw Bug sitting on the other side of the clearing. “Damn! What’s she doing here?”
“Don’t know,” replied Hunter climbing down from the rig. “But I do know she’s going to ask a lot of questions about that thing.” He nodded toward the box.
“That’s no big deal,” said Eli. “I’ll go talk to her and if she asks, I’ll tell her it’s our tool box. That we came out here to do experiments or something.”
“Right. A tool box covered with chains and locks. She’ll catch on to that lie before it’s all the way out of your mouth. Just tell her to mind her own business.” He started to crawl up the side of the rig again. “I’ll be over as soon as I check inside this thing.” Hunter bent over once again to spit out more stomach acid.
Eli turned, taking the silver box with him, and walked toward Bug. He was feeling grumpy because his headache was worse than ever and he was getting tired of being in the woods. “Great,” he grumbled to himself, “now I get to deal with a precocious twelve year old.” He felt like this was all taking too much time. It was getting late and he still wanted to make it to the game.
Hunter went back to the task at hand and started to climb up to
CHAPTER 10
Hunter, Eli & Bug
B ug was standing at the edge of the clearing. She was thinking what a super dumb idea it had been to follow the boys into the woods. She knew she should have stayed at home after Shasta dropped her off, but she had been curious about the boys going into the woods with a backpack. She had wanted to follow them to see what they were up to, but she also wanted to pop out at just the right time and scare them. That would have been super funny!
Now she was hot, dirty and had a headache. Her dark hair was stuck to her head with sweat and her stomach was growling. She just wanted to go home, but she didn’t want to go by herself, that was the problem.
Getting there was kind of an adventure. She had heard the boys up ahead most of the way. They couldn’t hear her, though. Her featherweight frame barely disturbed the ground as she walked. Then, almost at once, everything had gone quiet. No animal’s scurrying, no boy’s voices, no leaves crunching underfoot up ahead, nothing. That was creepy. Then the headache had started. She had been on the lookout for those migraine headaches ever since she had read in a national health magazine that females are three times more likely to suffer from them than males. She was on the lookout for a few other maladies as well. Never can be too careful. Knowledge is power.
When she had made it to the clearing, she didn’t see Hunter or Eli, and she became nervous. She expected them to be there doing whatever it was that brought them out in the first place. It never occurred to her that she wouldn’t be able to find them. Alone and feeling sick, she had sat down on a fallen tree to rub her temples and cool down some. Wow! It’s super hot out here! While she sat, she saw the boys emerge from the other side of the clearing by a big bulldozer. Relief flooded over her with the knowledge that she had an escort home. She watched as Hunter jumped up to the side of the dozer and started to climb up to the driver’s door. Then he suddenly turned and looked right at her. He said something to Eli who turned and looked at her, too. They talked back and forth until Eli got up and started walking over to where she sat. He was carrying a big silver box. Did they have that with them when they started out? No, she remembered, just the backpack that Hunter was wearing. She was sure she would have noticed it because it was super shiny .
She looked back at Hunter who was climbing back up the side of the Caterpillar.
“We’ve got company,” Hunter said to Eli from atop the Caterpillar.
“What? Who?” Eli looked around and saw Bug sitting on the other side of the clearing. “Damn! What’s she doing here?”
“Don’t know,” replied Hunter climbing down from the rig. “But I do know she’s going to ask a lot of questions about that thing.” He nodded toward the box.
“That’s no big deal,” said Eli. “I’ll go talk to her and if she asks, I’ll tell her it’s our tool box. That we came out here to do experiments or something.”
“Right. A tool box covered with chains and locks. She’ll catch on to that lie before it’s all the way out of your mouth. Just tell her to mind her own business.” He started to crawl up the side of the rig again. “I’ll be over as soon as I check inside this thing.” Hunter bent over once again to spit out more stomach acid.
Eli turned, taking the silver box with him, and walked toward Bug. He was feeling grumpy because his headache was worse than ever and he was getting tired of being in the woods. “Great,” he grumbled to himself, “now I get to deal with a precocious twelve year old.” He felt like this was all taking too much time. It was getting late and he still wanted to make it to the game.
Hunter went back to the task at hand and started to climb up to
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