Odds Are Good Read Free Page A

for frightening Marie.
    Marie wasn’t the only one who was frightened.
    We decided to go out for another walk. (“Your lunch, Duffy.”) We went deep into the woods, following a faint trail that kept threatening to disappear but never actually faded away altogether. It was a hot day, even in the deep woods, and after a while we decided to take off our coats.
    When we got back and Duffy didn’t have his jacket, did they get mad at him? My mother actually had the nerve to say, “Why didn’t you remind him? You know he forgets things like that.”
    What do I look like, a walking memo pad?
    Anyway, I had other things on my mind—like the fact that I was convinced someone had been following us while we were in the woods.
    I tried to tell my mother about it, but first she said I was being ridiculous, and then she accused me of trying to sabotage the trip.
    So I shut up. But I was pretty nervous, especially when Mom and Aunt Elise announced that they were going into town—which was twenty miles away—to pick up some supplies (like lightbulbs).
    â€œYou kids will be fine on your own,” said Mom cheerfully. “You can make popcorn and play Monopoly. And there’s enough soda here for you to make yourselves sick on.”
    And with that they were gone.
    It got dark.
    We played Monopoly.
    They didn’t come back. That didn’t surprise me. Since Duffy and I were both fifteen they felt it was okay to leave us on our own, and Mom had warned us they might decide to have dinner at the little inn we had seen on the way up.
    But I would have been happier if they had been there.
    Especially when something started scratching on the door.
    â€œWhat was that?” said Marie.
    â€œWhat was what?” asked Duffy.
    â€œThat!” she said, and this time I heard it, too. My stomach rolled over, and the skin at the back of my neck started to prickle.
    â€œMaybe it’s the Sentinel!” I hissed.
    â€œAndrew!” yelled Marie. “Mom told you not to say that.”
    â€œShe said not to try to scare you,” I said. “I’m not.
I’m
scared! I told you I heard something following us in the woods today.”
    Scratch, scratch.
    â€œBut you said it stopped,” said Duffy. “So how would it know where we are now?”
    â€œI don’t know. I don’t know what it is. Maybe it tracked us, like a bloodhound.”
    Scratch, scratch.
    â€œDon’t bloodhounds have to have something to give them a scent?” asked Marie. “Like a piece of clothing, or—”
    We both looked at Duffy.
    â€œYour jacket, Duffy!”
    Duffy turned white.
    â€œThat’s silly,” he said after a moment.
    â€œThere’s something at the door,” I said frantically. “Maybe it’s been lurking around all day, waiting for our mothers to leave. Maybe it’s been waiting for years for someone to come back here.”
    Scratch, scratch.
    â€œI don’t believe it,” said Duffy. “It’s just the wind moving a branch. I’ll prove it.”
    He got up and headed for the door. But he didn’t open it. Instead he peeked through the window next to it. When he turned back, his eyes looked as big as the hard-boiled eggs we had eaten for supper.
    â€œ
There’s something out there!”
he hissed. “
Something big!
”
    â€œI told you,” I cried. “Oh, I knew there was something there.”
    â€œAndrew, are you doing this just to scare me?” said Marie. “Because if you are—”
    Scratch, scratch.
    â€œCome on,” I said, grabbing her by the hand. “Let’s get out of here.”
    I started to lead her up the stairs.
    â€œNot there!” said Duffy. “If we go up there, we’ll be trapped.”
    â€œYou’re right,” I said. “Let’s go out the back way!”
    The thought of going outside scared the daylights out of me. But at least out there