a chair next to him, took off her shoes, and began to rub her sore feet.
"Where's your ma and pa?" Mr. McLaw asked Pip, but the boy only shook his head. Mr. McLaw stood still for a moment and cocked his head to one side, his eyebrows furrowed.
"Well then, I hope you don't mind me checkin'," he said. He began to search around the house.
Gail noticed that Pip was holding his arms across his chest, looking scared.
"What's wrong, Pip?" Gail finally asked.
Pip squeezed his eyes shut, shaking his head rapidly. Gail sighed and bent down in front of the boy.
"You can tell us, Pip," she said softly. "We're your friends."
Mrs. Travis only glanced at them both as she continued to massage her aching feet.
Pip peered at Gail, then opened his arms as if to embrace her.
"Bathroom," he whispered into her ear. "You need to come with me." Gail pushed her head back to look at Pip's pleading face. She glanced at Mrs. Travis and noticed that the lady was looking strangely at her. She returned to look at Pip again. He leaned forward toward her ear.
"Please," Pip whispered again. Gail wondered why, but she decided to accompany him and find out what he might want to tell her.
"I, I guess he needs to go to the bathroom first, Mrs. Travis," Gail said. "I should go with him, since he's scared to go alone."
"Whatever you say, dear." Mrs. Travis said in a somewhat tired voice.
Pip led her by the hand toward the Stanners' small bathroom. Gail wondered where Mr. McLaw had gone off to.
"Come inside with me," Pip whispered to her. As soon as they were inside the bathroom, Pip quietly shut the door and locked it. Moonlight was shining through the large glass window from above the toilet.
Before Gail could say anything, Pip approached her, immediately pulled her arm to bring her ear down toward his mouth.
"We need to escape. They're coming to get you," he whispered frantically.
Chapter 4 – Stone's Throw
"Who?" Gail whispered back. She felt the hairs on her arms beginning to stand on end, and her mind ached from all of what was happening. She walked toward Pip, who had already let go of her arm and had gotten himself up on the toilet seat. He was carefully pushing the window open.
"No time," he whispered to her. "Let's hurry!"
To Gail's frustration, he pushed himself up and out of the window.
All of a sudden, someone was banging on the bathroom door.
"Gail!"
It was Mr. McLaw.
"Gail, open the door! There's something we've gotta show you!"
The banging became more violent. Instinct told Gail to follow Pip. She scampered on top of the toilet seat and grabbed the window frame. The door began to shake as if two bodies were hitting themselves against it.
"Gail! Don't you listen to that boy!" Mrs. Travis shouted from the other side. She could hear Mrs. Travis hiss at Mr. McLaw, which sounded something like "the little snitch!"
Gail pulled herself through the window and fell down, rolling on the grass. Pip was standing next to her. He signaled her with his hand to follow him, quick! Then he began to run. She picked herself up and, half-blindly, followed him. She could hear shouts from behind her from her two former companions.
Pip was running toward the thick fields of wheat. Gail trailed along behind him as fast as she could. For a small boy, Pip was quite fast. She could hear the noisy rustling of the wheat stalks as she brushed past them. Run, just run, her thoughts focused on getting away, far from danger. Run as fast as your legs can carry you, Gail!
Mrs. Travis and Mr. McLaw certainly sounded like danger back there.She could hear them cursing and shouting.
They were now deep in the fields. She could barely see Pip in the midst of the tall wheat stalks. Pip had stopped in the middle of the field and was lying on his stomach on the ground. With his right hand, he sent a signal to her to approach him and do the same and she did.
He pushed his forefinger to his lips to signal her to stay quiet. He then held his palm against his
"Where's your ma and pa?" Mr. McLaw asked Pip, but the boy only shook his head. Mr. McLaw stood still for a moment and cocked his head to one side, his eyebrows furrowed.
"Well then, I hope you don't mind me checkin'," he said. He began to search around the house.
Gail noticed that Pip was holding his arms across his chest, looking scared.
"What's wrong, Pip?" Gail finally asked.
Pip squeezed his eyes shut, shaking his head rapidly. Gail sighed and bent down in front of the boy.
"You can tell us, Pip," she said softly. "We're your friends."
Mrs. Travis only glanced at them both as she continued to massage her aching feet.
Pip peered at Gail, then opened his arms as if to embrace her.
"Bathroom," he whispered into her ear. "You need to come with me." Gail pushed her head back to look at Pip's pleading face. She glanced at Mrs. Travis and noticed that the lady was looking strangely at her. She returned to look at Pip again. He leaned forward toward her ear.
"Please," Pip whispered again. Gail wondered why, but she decided to accompany him and find out what he might want to tell her.
"I, I guess he needs to go to the bathroom first, Mrs. Travis," Gail said. "I should go with him, since he's scared to go alone."
"Whatever you say, dear." Mrs. Travis said in a somewhat tired voice.
Pip led her by the hand toward the Stanners' small bathroom. Gail wondered where Mr. McLaw had gone off to.
"Come inside with me," Pip whispered to her. As soon as they were inside the bathroom, Pip quietly shut the door and locked it. Moonlight was shining through the large glass window from above the toilet.
Before Gail could say anything, Pip approached her, immediately pulled her arm to bring her ear down toward his mouth.
"We need to escape. They're coming to get you," he whispered frantically.
Chapter 4 – Stone's Throw
"Who?" Gail whispered back. She felt the hairs on her arms beginning to stand on end, and her mind ached from all of what was happening. She walked toward Pip, who had already let go of her arm and had gotten himself up on the toilet seat. He was carefully pushing the window open.
"No time," he whispered to her. "Let's hurry!"
To Gail's frustration, he pushed himself up and out of the window.
All of a sudden, someone was banging on the bathroom door.
"Gail!"
It was Mr. McLaw.
"Gail, open the door! There's something we've gotta show you!"
The banging became more violent. Instinct told Gail to follow Pip. She scampered on top of the toilet seat and grabbed the window frame. The door began to shake as if two bodies were hitting themselves against it.
"Gail! Don't you listen to that boy!" Mrs. Travis shouted from the other side. She could hear Mrs. Travis hiss at Mr. McLaw, which sounded something like "the little snitch!"
Gail pulled herself through the window and fell down, rolling on the grass. Pip was standing next to her. He signaled her with his hand to follow him, quick! Then he began to run. She picked herself up and, half-blindly, followed him. She could hear shouts from behind her from her two former companions.
Pip was running toward the thick fields of wheat. Gail trailed along behind him as fast as she could. For a small boy, Pip was quite fast. She could hear the noisy rustling of the wheat stalks as she brushed past them. Run, just run, her thoughts focused on getting away, far from danger. Run as fast as your legs can carry you, Gail!
Mrs. Travis and Mr. McLaw certainly sounded like danger back there.She could hear them cursing and shouting.
They were now deep in the fields. She could barely see Pip in the midst of the tall wheat stalks. Pip had stopped in the middle of the field and was lying on his stomach on the ground. With his right hand, he sent a signal to her to approach him and do the same and she did.
He pushed his forefinger to his lips to signal her to stay quiet. He then held his palm against his
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