a sweatshirt, and pulled out a flashlight from his desk drawer.
Opening his bedroom door as quietly as he could, he tiptoed through the hallway and down the stairs. The house was super quiet, and he could have heard a pin drop. Still moving ever so slowly, Cody walked toward the back door. The boy grabbed his shoes off the floor and held them in his left hand. Like he was in slow motion, he twisted the dead bolt on the door then turned the knob.
Cody’s heart began to race as he took a step outside into the drafty cold air. He put on his shoes quickly and walked toward the fence. The crickets were loud, and the night was pitch-black. Turning on his flashlight, Cody pointed it through the slits of the fence toward his neighbor’s garage. It was tough to see anything.
He needed a better look.
Cody walked behind his garage where there was a stack of firewood that would be a good boost to hop over the wooden fence. The boy placed his right foot on the stack then his left and grabbed the top of the fence. He peeked over. Mr. Durkbridge’s house was completely dark.
He pulled himself over the fence and dropped down to the yard. Cody looked around to see if anyone had heard the thud. He turned the flashlight back on, cupping it in his hand. With his heart still beating fast, he crept over to the garage. There was a padlock on the door. There were two dirty windows on the wooden garage. Cody got up on his tippy-toes and shined the light through the windows. There was a car in the garage, but that’s all the boy could tell. The tarp was once again covering it. As Cody peered closer through the window, he noticed something.
The tarp had some sort of lettering on it. He couldn’t make out what it said. Cody got off his toes and looked around by the fence. He found a cinder block that would give him a step stool to see better. He placed the block in front of the garage and stepped up. Peering through again, Cody shined the light at a better spot on the tarp in the garage.
The first letter was C as he moved the flashlight down the line of letters. The tarp was hard to read. He tried to make out the second letter. It looked like either an H or an A . He wasn’t sure. Cody tried to lean in closer to make out the letters. Losing his balance, the block slipped from under him, and he tumbled to the ground. Cody let out a painful scream as his ankle twisted against the concrete.
A light turned on in his neighbor’s house on the top floor. Cody grabbed his ankle and sprang to his feet. It hurt, but the boy’s adrenaline was flowing. He pushed the block back over to the fence and hobbled out of the backyard and down the front driveway. The upstairs light in the house turned off.
Cody walked on the sidewalk and back up the driveway of his house. He opened the wooden gate and rushed to the back door he’d left unlocked. He quietly opened the door and removed his shoes as he was safely back in his home. The boy returned to his room and passed out on his bed.
CHAPTE R IX A Missin g Girl
M onday morning came quickly. Cody did not get a decent night’s sleep, and it was filled with weird dreams. He remembered a few dreams but didn’t recall the realistic nightmares he had been having for the last couple of weeks. He did, however, recall the dream about Olive. He also had a very sore ankle.
After getting ready for school, Cody grabbed his book bag, hobbled gingerly downstairs, and sat at the kitchen table. Olive was eating a bowl of cereal, and Phyllis had just walked through the front door.
The babysitter always arrived in the morning so Cody’s mom could catch the bus for work. Phyllis acted so fake in front of the kids’ mother.
Cody pulled his math homework out of his book bag and started working on it.
His mother looked at him with disbelief.
“Tell me that’s not homework that was supposed to be done already?” Georgiana said to her son as she grabbed her purse and brief bag.
“Um, not really. Most of it’s done,
Opening his bedroom door as quietly as he could, he tiptoed through the hallway and down the stairs. The house was super quiet, and he could have heard a pin drop. Still moving ever so slowly, Cody walked toward the back door. The boy grabbed his shoes off the floor and held them in his left hand. Like he was in slow motion, he twisted the dead bolt on the door then turned the knob.
Cody’s heart began to race as he took a step outside into the drafty cold air. He put on his shoes quickly and walked toward the fence. The crickets were loud, and the night was pitch-black. Turning on his flashlight, Cody pointed it through the slits of the fence toward his neighbor’s garage. It was tough to see anything.
He needed a better look.
Cody walked behind his garage where there was a stack of firewood that would be a good boost to hop over the wooden fence. The boy placed his right foot on the stack then his left and grabbed the top of the fence. He peeked over. Mr. Durkbridge’s house was completely dark.
He pulled himself over the fence and dropped down to the yard. Cody looked around to see if anyone had heard the thud. He turned the flashlight back on, cupping it in his hand. With his heart still beating fast, he crept over to the garage. There was a padlock on the door. There were two dirty windows on the wooden garage. Cody got up on his tippy-toes and shined the light through the windows. There was a car in the garage, but that’s all the boy could tell. The tarp was once again covering it. As Cody peered closer through the window, he noticed something.
The tarp had some sort of lettering on it. He couldn’t make out what it said. Cody got off his toes and looked around by the fence. He found a cinder block that would give him a step stool to see better. He placed the block in front of the garage and stepped up. Peering through again, Cody shined the light at a better spot on the tarp in the garage.
The first letter was C as he moved the flashlight down the line of letters. The tarp was hard to read. He tried to make out the second letter. It looked like either an H or an A . He wasn’t sure. Cody tried to lean in closer to make out the letters. Losing his balance, the block slipped from under him, and he tumbled to the ground. Cody let out a painful scream as his ankle twisted against the concrete.
A light turned on in his neighbor’s house on the top floor. Cody grabbed his ankle and sprang to his feet. It hurt, but the boy’s adrenaline was flowing. He pushed the block back over to the fence and hobbled out of the backyard and down the front driveway. The upstairs light in the house turned off.
Cody walked on the sidewalk and back up the driveway of his house. He opened the wooden gate and rushed to the back door he’d left unlocked. He quietly opened the door and removed his shoes as he was safely back in his home. The boy returned to his room and passed out on his bed.
CHAPTE R IX A Missin g Girl
M onday morning came quickly. Cody did not get a decent night’s sleep, and it was filled with weird dreams. He remembered a few dreams but didn’t recall the realistic nightmares he had been having for the last couple of weeks. He did, however, recall the dream about Olive. He also had a very sore ankle.
After getting ready for school, Cody grabbed his book bag, hobbled gingerly downstairs, and sat at the kitchen table. Olive was eating a bowl of cereal, and Phyllis had just walked through the front door.
The babysitter always arrived in the morning so Cody’s mom could catch the bus for work. Phyllis acted so fake in front of the kids’ mother.
Cody pulled his math homework out of his book bag and started working on it.
His mother looked at him with disbelief.
“Tell me that’s not homework that was supposed to be done already?” Georgiana said to her son as she grabbed her purse and brief bag.
“Um, not really. Most of it’s done,
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