The Mystery of the U.F.O. Read Free Page A

the children and the older boy clearly. The lights from the car reflected off the aluminum foil. Cam held her hand over her eyes to shield them. She looked straight at the two children and said, “Click.”
    Cam heard a noise behind her. Then she felt something poke her in the back.
    Cam was afraid to move.

Chapter Six
     
     
     
    W ithout turning around, Cam reached behind her. Something thin and pointed poked her hand. Slowly Cam turned around. It was Eric. He had moved closer to the wall. He was hiding behind a big tree and was trying to get Cam’s attention by poking her with a branch.
    Cam crawled back to join him. The tree was almost wide enough to hide them both. When Cam looked out, she could clearly see the front of the handball court.
    “You were right,” Eric said. “They’re not from outer space.”
    Cam and Eric watched while Bobby took photographs. “Bend down,” Bobby told Cindy, “like you’re looking at something.”
    “I can’t bend. This foil is too tight. Let Steven bend.”
    Steven crouched down and picked up a leaf. The foil covering his knees ripped. His pants showed through.

    “See,” Cindy said. “I told you!”
    “All right,” Bobby said, “hold this newspaper. Hold it like you don’t know what it is.”
    Cindy held the newspaper upside down. Steven put a page into his mouth as if he were trying to eat it.
    “Good, very good,” Bobby said as he took another picture.
    “You know what,” Eric whispered to Cam. “I’ll bet he’s planning to enter the photography contest and win the hundred dollars.”
    Bobby continued to take photographs.
    “No one will believe him,” Eric went on. “No one will believe that creatures from outer space landed.”
    “We almost believed it,” Cam said. “After we saw those U.F.O.s take off, we were ready to believe it.”
    Cam sat behind the tree with her legs crossed and thought. While she sat there, Neptune crawled out of Cam’s pocket and into her lap.
    “But how could they have known,” Cam asked, “that we would see a U.F.O. tonight?” Cam thought for a minute. “Unless,” she said, “the U.F.O.s were a prank and they’re the ones who did it.”
    Eric looked at the handball court.
    “They’re taking off their masks. What do we do now?”
    Cam jumped up. Neptune fell off her lap and ran away.
    “Quick!” Cam said. “Take their pictures while they have their costumes half on and half off. A picture like that would prove they’re fakes.”
    Eric held his camera up and looked through it. He pressed the shutter. Nothing happened. Eric pressed it again. Again nothing.
    Eric looked at the back of the camera. “Oh, no!” he said. “I’m out of film. I took the last picture in the parking lot.”

    Eric opened his camera. He took out the roll of film and put it in his pocket.
    “Let’s go back,” Eric said, “and get someone to help.”
    Just as Cam and Eric were leaving, they heard Neptune.
    Meow.
    Neptune was standing on a branch that hung right over the handball court. The branch was shaking.
    “Neptune’s going to fall,” Eric said, “and right on top of Bobby!”

Chapter Seven
     
     
     
    M eow.
    Neptune raised her right paw. The branch shook.
    Neptune fell. She fell right onto Bobby’s shoulder. Then Neptune jumped into a pile of aluminum foil. She grabbed a silver mask in her mouth and ran off.
    “Get that cat!” Bobby yelled. “Get that mask!”
    Bobby dropped his camera and ran after Neptune. Steven and Cindy followed. They chased Neptune around the car, over low bushes, and between trees. They couldn’t keep up with Neptune.
    But Neptune wasn’t running away. She was playing a game. When she saw the others were far behind, she turned around and ran toward them. She ran close and then darted away.

    Then Neptune ran to Cam and Eric.
    “Quick, let’s hide,” Eric said. He dived into a pile of leaves.
    “No!” Cam yelled. “Let’s run.”
    Cam started to run. She didn’t get far. Steven and