Uncovering You: The Contract Read Free Page B

stop right in front of the structure.
    It’s big. And scary-looking. I don’t think anyone’s been here for years. The stones make up three solid walls, kind of like a house. The fourth has collapsed inward with a fallen tree. I don’t see a roof.
    What kind of people would live in a place with no roof? Wouldn’t they get wet when it rains?
    I walk around it once. There’s a heavy door on the other side. It’s rotten, and doesn’t budge when I give it a shove. That’s okay—I never expected getting in to be easy.
    I look at the plastic toy watch I got at my best friend’s birthday party. It shows twelve minutes to six. Mom told me to be back by eight. I still have lots of time.
    I stand and face the collapsed wall. My eyes run up the trunk of the tree. If I climb on, maybe I can drop in. Who knows what real treasure might be waiting for me?
    I use the unearthed roots as footholds and climb on top of the trunk. It’s wide, and pretty easy to walk on—even in sandals. I always thought sandals were bad for exploring until I realized I could cross creeks without getting my socks wet.
    “Cool,” I mutter when I see over the wall for the first time. The house has a dirt floor and an old table in one corner. There’s one chair with a missing leg. Along the opposite wall is a small mat about the size of a bed. I see the remains of a fireplace right where the tree fell.
    I squat down and catch a branch. Unlike other girls, I’ve never been afraid of scraping my knee or getting a few bumps. Heights are no big challenge for me. My mom says I get that fearlessness from my dad. I guess it must be true, even though I don’t know him, because she always freaks out when I come home dirty and bruised after hours of playing with the neighborhood boys.
    Mom asked me once why I didn’t play more with Carrie, her friend’s daughter.
    “Boys do all the fun things,” I told her. “Girls my age are so boring.”
    She laughed and tussled my hair.
    I hop from my perch and swing down. My feet dangle high above the floor, but I’m not afraid. I let go. After the rush of free fall, I hit the ground with a thud .
    A cloud of loose dirt rises where I land. Twigs and dry leaves crack under my feet as I take my first few steps. The place smells musty, kind of like the shelves of an old library.
    I go to the doors and check to see why they wouldn’t open. I discover them blocked by a fallen branch. I press my shoulder against it and heave it aside. It’s dry and not very heavy. I try the door, and give a laugh of delight when it moves.
    Happy that I won’t have to climb the tree again to get out, I set about investigating the place. I go to the table first. There’s an old sack underneath.
    Treasure ? I wonder.
    I bend down and crawl under to take a look.
    A flutter of wings startles me. I jump and hit my head.
    Caw! Caw!
    I look back at the black bird that’s landed on one of the walls.
    Caw! Caw!
    “Shoo!” I yell. My head hurts and I want to lash out. “Get out of here, you stupid bird!” I pick up a stone and chuck it at the raven.
    The bird takes off before my rock rebounds off the wall.
    Caw! Caw! Caw! it complains as it flies away.
    “Good riddance,” I mutter. I turn my attention back to the sack. I retrieve it and untie the top.
    The most vile stench ever greets me. It’s like rotting onions and week old garbage left in the sun. I gag and throw it away. A rotten black… something … rolls out. Maybe it used to be a potato. Or an apple? It’s crawling with tiny white worms.
    “Disgusting!” I wipe my hand across my shorts. So much for treasure.
    Disappointed, I get up. The old mat catches my eye.
    I stop and look over. It’s not flat on the ground like I would expect. There’s a lumpy shape underneath.
    Intrigued, I make my way to it. This time, I remember to shield my nose and turn a little to the side as I pick up one corner of the mat and fling it back.
    A scream of blind terror erupts from my throat.