Going Where It's Dark Read Free Page B

didn’t have to make him famous. All he wanted was to be the one who found it. How many places were left on earth where no one else had ever been? Oh, yeah, mountains and the ocean floor, but somewhere he had a chance to get to, he meant. And he’d never had a chance to go far.
    Their discussion had even made David nervous, though.
    r u sure u can find it again? he asked.
    Of course, Buck told him. It was either the second or third outcropping of rock into the meadow, and he had counted off fifty-two paces from the sun-bleached skeleton of a dog or a fox, he wasn’t sure, to the Hole.
    a pile of bones? David had texted back. dude, any animal could come along and carry those off before u got there again
    Embarrassed, Buck punched in, don’t worry i’ll find it
    i’m making notes , David texted.
    Before they signed off, however, he wanted a promise: that when Buck went in the Hole again, he would leave a note in his room that if he didn’t come back, his folks should call David. That only David could tell them where to look.
    And Buck had promised.

U ncle Mel got back two hours after the family returned from church on Sunday. The big noon meal was over, and Buck sat at the kitchen table eating his second piece of butterscotch pie. Although his uncle usually knew before he started a long-distance trip just how many days it would take, there was always the possibility of mechanical problems with the big semi, or a delay in unloading at a docking station.
    “Well, look who’s just in time to do the dishes,” said Mom when Mel came through the back door. “Should have called and told us to keep a plate warm for you.”
    Her brother grinned as he set his thermos on the counter. “Don’t trouble yourself,” he told her. “I stopped at Holly’s for some fried chicken.”
    “You
what
?” Mom whirled about. “Ten minutes from home and you stop at a restaurant to eat?”
    Curly-haired Mel broke into laughter.
    “Don’t get your britches in a twist. Naw, I met up with a buddy of mine in Hanover and we had lunch. Even got my truck back on time. I’ll heat up your leftovers for supper. Be just as good then.”
    “Oh,
you
!” said Mom, and she gave him a swat with the dish towel.
    Buck smiled at his uncle as Mel hung his cap behind the door, where a faded assortment of jackets, raincoats, hoodies, and an apron or two dangled limply on painted white pegs, waiting to be claimed. Except for Mel’s dark curly hair and Mom’s straight, they looked a lot like each other. Both had eyes that squeezed into slits when they laughed, and both were slightly plump in the midsection. Because Mel was divorced and supporting an ex-wife and daughter in Cincinnati, he’d been glad to make his home with his sister and her family. And being a long-distance trucker meant he couldn’t have kept up a house and yard even if he’d had one.
    “How’s everyone here?” he asked. “Been away for five days. Anything exciting happen?”
    Yes!
Buck was thinking, but he couldn’t tell it.
    “Not much,” Mom answered. “Garden’s going good. Don and Gramps are watching the Nationals. Go on in.”
    “Naw. The Ford’s acting up. I’m gonna try cleaning the spark plugs. Then I need to look in on Jacob. Like to stay off my fanny for a while, anyway. Grab me a rag, will you, Buck?”
    Buck scraped his fork sideways across the plate to get the last of the butterscotch, then put his plate in the sink, got some old rags from the pantry, and followed his uncle outside. He liked to hang around when Mel worked on his car.
    “N…need any help?” he asked.
    “Not unless you got a batch of new spark plugs for this sucker,” Mel said, and opened the hood of the old green sedan. “So how you doin’?”
    “Doing okay,” Buck said, resting his hands on the side of the car and looking down into the belly of the Ford. More than okay, but he couldn’t say it. He watched as his uncle removed a spark plug, wrapped a rag around it, then stood,