Buried Alive! Read Free

offends nature. This is elimination of the weak, survival of the fittest.”
    Olivia rubbed Ashley’s back between her shoulder blades, her glove making a slipping sound against the parka. “The mother wolves will be having babies in the first part of May. The females need to eat for their pups. You wouldn’t want the wolves to starve, would you?
    Just think of the little wolf pups.”
    â€œI know, I know, but…the caribou is still dead.”
    No one knew how to answer that. Finally, Nicky spoke, his voice both deep and quiet. “I know what it’s like to be left behind. I know what it’s like to be ripped to pieces. No one should ever get used to it.”
    With that, he turned and walked toward the Jeep.

CHAPTER TWO
    â€œJ ack, wake up,” Ashley hissed in his ear. Her hands clamped onto his shoulder, and she rocked him so hard his teeth chattered. “There’s a moose outside in the back woods. She’s huge! I’ve never seen such long, spindly legs. It’s amazing. Come on!”
    â€œWhat—what time is it?” Jack asked groggily. It was way too early for this much chatter.
    â€œSix fifty-seven in the morning, which means it’s really 8:57 Jackson Hole time. Get up, lazy bum.”
    Jack tried to open his eyes, but his lids refused to cooperate. He’d had a hard time sleeping in the ranger family’s house, probably because he kept hearing sounds all night. Since most hotels that served the park were closed until mid-May, the Landons had relied on the generosity of the park for a place to stay during this first week of April. It had been a real stroke of luck that one of the ranger families was spending some time in Utah, so they’d offered the Landons their home while they were away. Their house was furnished with three bedrooms on the main floor and one in the basement, plus a living room, two bathrooms, and a small, sunny kitchen. Nicky had asked for the room in the basement, which gave Jack and Ashley, in addition to their parents, rooms of their own. Perfect, except that the mysterious night noises had kept Jack restless. The digital clock had registered 3:42 before he finally figured out that the thuds were nothing but clumps of snow sliding off the pitched roof.
    â€œMust…sleep,” Jack groaned now, hugging his pillow over his ears.
    He saw a streak of yellow light as his sister yanked the pillow away from his face, but he jerked it back harder, practically smashing his nose into his face.
    â€œDon’t be such a weenie.” Ashley’s words were muffled by the pillow. One by one, she tried to pry away his fingers.
    Jack clamped his pillow in a death grip. “Show the moose to Nicky,” he croaked.
    â€œI knocked, but he didn’t answer. I can’t just go into his room. What if he doesn’t wear pajamas?”
    Pulling the pillow off his face, Jack tried to focus. His sister’s cheeks and nose had pinked up from the cold, and her hair billowed out from the bottom of her hat in an inverted mushroom cloud. She had on a pair of jeans and an unzipped parka with a single glove shoved in each pocket. Underneath she wore a blue nightshirt spangled with moons and stars, which hung loosely over her jeans to her knees. The tongues of her boots stuck out, and the laces dragged against the floor like whiskers. In her odd getup, she looked like a cartoon.
    He could hear his sister stomp her foot. “Hurry up!”
    â€œGo away!” Jack moaned.
    â€œOK, fine. Miss the moose.”
    Her footsteps clomped on the wooden floor as she flounced off, and then Jack heard the creak of an outside door. He lay there for a minute, then flipped the covers off and rolled out the rest of the way. He rubbed his eyes with the heels of his hands, but it was no use fighting it. He was awake. Well, he sighed, he might as well see the animal that cost him an extra hour of sleep. Grabbing his parka and camera, he