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The shrill scream of Piper’s tiny voice boomeranging off the ridges filled her ears as she flew across the thin sheet of ice, grabbing and screaming and flailing to reach her. Ice popped and broke beneath her, and her boots hit the cold water, the freezing sludge swallowing her.
The light dimmed and dark surrounded her, but she kicked and pummeled her arms and hands, searching for her baby. But the cold and dark had trapped her, and Piper was lost as the frigid, swirling water dragged her away.
Ninety-Eight
Somewhere on the AT
Ava ran as fast as her legs could carry her. Down the steps and across the big backyard and into the scary woods. But the ground was damp, and she kept sliding, her sneakers sinking into the mud. Big balls of sleet stung her cheeks.
Tears burned her throat and she blinked, wiping at the rain running into her eyes.
She ducked beneath the cover of a giant tree. Then she peered down the hill to the place she’d seen through the upstairs window. She thought she’d seen a light down there in the middle of the trees out back. If she could make it there, maybe someone would help her. She hated the lady who lied to her and made her sing and smile for pictures and wear stupid dresses and drink her milk.
The cold wind just about knocked her over, and she wanted to scream. But if she did the lady might hear her and drag her back to the house. And she didn’t want to go back there. She wanted to go home.
She’d seen the calendar counting down the days until Christmas. Two more days and Santa would come. She had to be home or he wouldn’t know where to find her. And she’d never get her puppy.
A sob clogged her throat. On Christmas Eve, she and Mommy always set out a plate of sugar cookies and milk for Santa, and carrots for the reindeer. They would starve if she didn’t feed them.
What was Mommy doing now? Did she miss her?
She shivered as the wind cut into her, her breath puffing out in a big cloud as she stumbled forward.
The ground was slick, and she fell and skidded down a hill, bumping over bushes and thorns. But she couldn’t stop herself. She clawed at the ground and a tree as she whizzed by it on her bottom.
What if there was a bear? Or a mountain lion?
Weeds scratched at her arms and legs as she kept sliding, past a briar patch then finally skidding into a muddy hole and stopping. Tears pricked her eyes as her hand scraped the bark. She wished she had gloves and a coat. But the lady had taken them. She was a bad mommy.
Her real mommy always bundled her up before she went out in the snow.
She had to get back to her.
A light flickered through the trees. A voice yelling her name.
Run, Ava, run.
She pushed up to her feet, wiping her muddy hands on her pants, and took off again. She rubbed her side where a stitch grabbed at her. The big trees stood as tall as towers. She couldn’t push past them. Rain and sleet burned her eyes. She couldn’t see where she was going.
A noise boomed through the woods, and she ducked behind a big bush looking for the light. Down the hill somewhere. Where?
She heard the voices again. “Ava! Come back, Ava!”
Her feet dug into the slushy ground. Cold water and ice soaked into her socks. Her toes tingled. Holding onto the trees to keep from getting stuck, she pushed ahead. She couldn’t go back to that place. Not to the lady.
The wind knocked at her and made it hard to stand. Clumps of ice fell from the trees and hit her shoulders. Tears streaked her cheeks, freezing on her skin, and she finally found the light again. She darted toward it, down another hill and around a curve, then stopped. She knew where she was—Spruce Tree Farm, where they grew the Christmas trees. She and mommy had come here to cut down their tree a couple of weeks ago! Maybe there would be people here to help her!
Ava remembered a hut where they sold Christmas wreaths and garlands. And they’d had hot chocolate with the little marshmallows floating on top. There were kids and mommies and daddies picking their trees. She and Mommy took silly pictures by the big sleigh. Then they’d cut down the biggest tree ever and carried it home. It was so tall they had to lay it sideways to get it in the house and Mommy laughed and laughed and so did Ava.
Wiping blood from her scratched hands on her shirt, she ran down the hill toward the shack. But she looked around and the parking lot was empty. There weren’t any people here tonight. Where was everybody?
Tears filled her throat. They were home with their families. She wanted that too.
Her feet hurt and her arms ached as she ducked underneath the roof of the shack. Hay was stacked in one corner. She huddled behind it for a minute to get warm, then looked out at the miles of trees and the empty road. Closing her eyes, she tried to remember which way was home. When she and Mommy came here, they drove a long way. She remembered farms and old houses and a barn that had burned. And a few houses, but they were far, far, far away.
Her feet and hands were numb. Her eyes felt heavy, and she was so tired, she couldn’t run anymore.
She pressed her hands over her eyes and tried to think. Even if she ran down that road, it would take her forever to find another house. It was dark, too, the wind colder. Night-time.
