Odds Are Good Read Free Page B

we would have somewhere to run. Inside—well, who knew what might happen if the thing found us inside.
    We went into the kitchen.
    I heard the front door open.
    â€œLet’s get out of here!” I hissed.
    We scooted out the back door. “What now?” I wondered, looking around frantically.
    â€œThe barn,” whispered Duffy. “We can hide in the barn.”
    â€œGood idea,” I said. Holding Marie by the hand, I led the way to the barn. But the door was held shut by a huge padlock.
    The wind was blowing harder, but not hard enough to hide the sound of the back door of the house opening, and then slamming shut.
    â€œQuick!” I whispered. “It knows we’re out here. Let’s sneak around front. It will never expect us to go back into the house.”
    Duffy and Marie followed me as I led them behind a hedge. I caught a glimpse of something heading toward the barn and swallowed nervously. It was big. Very big.
    â€œI’m scared,” whispered Marie.
    â€œShhhh!”
I hissed. “We can’t let it know where we are.”
    We slipped through the front door. We locked it, just like people always do in the movies, though what good that would do I couldn’t figure, since if something really wanted to get at us, it would just break the window and come in.
    â€œUpstairs,” I whispered.
    We tiptoed up the stairs. Once we were in our bedroom, I thought we were safe. Crawling over the floor, I raised my head just enough to peek out the window. My heart almost stopped. Standing in the moonlight was an enormous, manlike creature. It had a scrap of cloth in its hands. It was looking around—looking for us. I saw it lift its head and sniff the wind. To my horror, it started back toward the house.
    â€œIt’s coming back!” I yelped, more frightened than ever.
    â€œHow does it know where we are?” asked Marie.
    I knew how. It had Duffy’s jacket. It was tracking us down, like some giant bloodhound.
    We huddled together in the middle of the room, trying to think, of what to do.
    A minute later we heard it.
    Scratch, scratch.
    None of us moved.
    Scratch, scratch.
    We stopped breathing, then jumped up in alarm at a terrible crashing sound.
    The door was down.
    We hunched back against the wall as heavy footsteps came clomping up the stairs.
    I wondered what our mothers would think when they got back. Would they find our bodies? Or would there be nothing left of us at all?
    Thump. Thump. Thump.
    It was getting closer.
    Thump. Thump. Thump.
    It was outside the door.
    Knock, knock.
    â€œDon’t answer!” hissed Duffy.
    Like I said, he doesn’t have the brains of a turnip.
    It didn’t matter. The door wasn’t locked. It came swinging open. In the shaft of light I saw a huge figure. The Sentinel of the Woods! It had to be. I thought I was going to die.
    The figure stepped into the room. Its head nearly touched the ceiling.
    Marie squeezed against my side, tighter than a tick in a dog’s ear.
    The huge creature sniffed the air. It turned in our direction. Its eyes seemed to glow. Moonlight glittered on its fangs.
    Slowly the Sentinel raised its arm. I could see Duffy’s jacket dangling from its fingertips.
    And then it spoke.
    â€œYou forgot your jacket, stupid.”
    It threw the jacket at Duffy, turned around, and stomped down the stairs.
    Â 
    Which is why, I suppose, no one has had to remind Duffy to remember his jacket, or his glasses, or his math book, for at least a year now.
    After all, when you leave stuff lying around, you never can be sure just who might bring it back.

Homeward Bound
    Jamie stood on the steps of his uncle’s house and looked up. The place was tall and bleak. With its windows closed and shuttered, as they were now, it was easy to imagine the building was actually trying to keep him out.
    â€œThis isn’t home,” he thought rebelliously. “It’s not home, and it never will