Firestorm Read Free

sure.
Let’s go outside.”
    She opened the
back door and we ran down the back yard towards the lake, while Ali
caught up with us and Brad walked with Nana. When we got to the
water, everything was so quiet. No birds chirped. Nothing
moved.
    Then suddenly,
I jumped as a loud shrill from hundreds of birds broke the silence
and burst through the forest in the skies above, and flew off into
the unknown behind us. Squirrels were jumping from the trees and
running frantically past the house in the same direction as the
birds. The grass path was flooded with big and little ground
critters and they ran frantically in mixed groups towards the front
of the house.
    Nana screamed
and held her hands over her mouth.
    “I knew it. I
knew it. That stupid boat. They’re probably yelling for help and
scaring all the animals.”
    Suddenly, the
hairs on the nape of my neck tingled and sent a spike of fear up
and down my spine. It was the same icy chills that I felt when I
hugged Grandpa, and the same fear that hovered over me in my
dream.
     
     
     

Chapter
2
Lost
     
    Nana began to
cry uncontrollably into her apron as she repeated over and over
that she knew this would happen. Meagan put her arms around her and
kept telling her that everything would be all right, but I could
tell by the stressed look on her face that even Meagan was
struggling to believe her own words.
    The guys ran
ahead to the dock and were talking between themselves for a couple
of minutes as Meagan and I tried to keep Nana calm. A few minutes
later they ran back to where we were standing on the back lawn and
Ali shook his head.
    “The river
turns to the right just over there and becomes really wide. We have
no idea how far up the river they are and with so much brush all
around, it’s going to be impossible to get over there without a
boat. All we can do is to run the river bank and hope we spot them
from this side – if they’re on this side.”
    Brad agreed and
pointed to the house.
    “Why don’t we
just call for help? Someone around here must have a boat that we
can borrow or maybe they even know where they are.”
    Nana pushed
Meagan away and talked in between the tears.
    “Our phones
aren’t working and all I have is this walkie-talkie. You have to
go. Please, girls. You’re hikers, you can find him.”
    Ali interrupted
and pointed to the house.
    “Mrs. Davies,
we can use my cell phone to call for help.”
    “Anyone I know
will be at the fair today and they don’t carry portable phones like
that and we can’t wait for them to get home. You have to go in and
look for Grandpa now while it’s still light.”
    Nana had no
idea how intimidating these trails were for us. Meagan and I had
ventured out a bit each time we visited, but we’d never gone beyond
the first mile or so and we really didn’t know where the trails
went or what kind of challenges they carried. And what’s worse, we
had no idea where Grandpa and Don might be. But Nana stared at me
expecting me to say something.
    “Nana, we can
go along the trail over there, but it’s going to take us a while
and I’m not sure if……”
    Suddenly,
another flock of birds came screeching from the forest and flew
behind us. Ali looked at Brad and then at us and we all just
nodded. I pulled on Meagan’s arm and pulled her towards the
house.
    “Come on, Meg.
Let’s get our hiking boots on and at least try to find them.”
    They guys ran
with Nana who followed us as quickly as any elderly and stoutly
woman could, and by the time she got to the house Meagan and I had
already scooted upstairs and changed into our blue jean shorts and
t-shirts and had grabbed some clean socks. We were by the back door
pulling on our socks when she opened the back door and stared at us
with a very annoyed look.
    “Oh, girls,
this is not the time to be fashionable. You didn’t need to waste
time changing your clothes, you could just go the way you
were.”
    I understood
her frustration but I also knew that she’d