weeks here.
I’ve got to show my teammates that I’m not crazy.
The three teams were not supposed to explore together. So Marlin turned away from the caves, and led the way back into the trees.
Kristen and Anthony were talking together, still laughing about April’s voices. “Listen, guys—I said I was sorry,” April said. “I’ll shut up. I promise. I won’t say another word the rest of the night.”
“That’s okay,” Marlin said. “Come on, everyone. Let’s try to be a real team. It’s going to be a longnight. Let’s have some fun!”
He swung the machete— choppp —and made another slice mark in the smooth trunk of a tree.
“Hey, let me try that!” Anthony said. He grabbed the big knife from Marlin’s hands.
“Watch out—” Marlin cried.
Anthony swung the blade into a tree. Choppp . “Cool!” he cried. He pulled the blade back—and swung again. This time, he made an even deeper cut below the first cut.
“Hey—you’re hurting the tree!” Kristen protested.
She grabbed the handle of the machete and tried to tug it away from Anthony. The two of them wrestled with it until Marlin stepped up and took it away from them.
“Just one cut in a tree,” Marlin said. “It’s not for fun. It’s so we can get back.”
“Where are we?” April asked.
The leaves overhead had grown thicker until they blocked the sky from view. The pale moonlight couldn’t break through the thick tangle of trees.
It’s much darker here, April realized. And quiet. The insects had suddenly stopped chirping. April listened for the wash of the ocean waves on the shore. Silence.
“We must be somewhere in the middle of the island,” Marlin said. “If we just keep going straight…”
“But the path ends here,” Kristen said. She swept her flashlight over the trees. “Which way is straight?”
“We have to keep going north,” Marlin said. He pulled off his baseball cap and wiped his forehead with his hand. “Man, it’s hot tonight. Wish we could go for a swim.”
“Which way is the ocean?” April asked. “I—I’m all turned around.”
“I brought a compass,” Anthony said, pulling off his pack. “It’s supposed to point towards the north, right?” He squatted down and unzipped the pack.
Kristen leaned over Anthony and held her light on the pack while he searched through it. He pulled out a water bottle and took a long drink.
“Take your time,” Marlin said sarcastically. “We’re only lost here in the middle of the island.”
“Don’t worry. The other teams are probably even more lost,” Anthony said. “Hey—here it is.”
He pulled out a round object on a leather strap. “My grandfather gave me this compass when he came back from Alaska. He was a gold prospector in the Yukon and—”
“Save the family history for later,” Kristen said. She shone her light on the compass. “Well? Which way do we go? Which way is north?”
Anthony squinted hard at the compass dial. He turned it in his hand. Then he turned it again.
Suddenly, he jumped to his feet. “Whoa! I don’t believe this!”
He held the compass up so the others could see. April squeezed between Marlin and Kristen to get agood look at it.
Inside the dial, the arrow was spinning. Spinning rapidly, round and round.
“That’s impossible!” Anthony cried. “Why is it doing that?”
“Because it’s broken,” Marlin said, frowning.
“A compass can’t break,” Anthony cried. “It’s magnetic. That’s all. It’s just a magnet. What would make it spin like that?”
April stared at the spinning arrow. It looked like one of those crazy clocks in cartoons.
“Put it away,” Marlin muttered. He wiped sweat off his forehead again. “Ow!” He slapped his neck. “Did anyone bring mosquito spray?”
“What time is it?” Kristen asked.
Marlin shone his flashlight onto his wristwatch. He squinted at the watch for a long time. “You’re not going to believe this,” he whispered.
He shook his wrist
I’ve got to show my teammates that I’m not crazy.
The three teams were not supposed to explore together. So Marlin turned away from the caves, and led the way back into the trees.
Kristen and Anthony were talking together, still laughing about April’s voices. “Listen, guys—I said I was sorry,” April said. “I’ll shut up. I promise. I won’t say another word the rest of the night.”
“That’s okay,” Marlin said. “Come on, everyone. Let’s try to be a real team. It’s going to be a longnight. Let’s have some fun!”
He swung the machete— choppp —and made another slice mark in the smooth trunk of a tree.
“Hey, let me try that!” Anthony said. He grabbed the big knife from Marlin’s hands.
“Watch out—” Marlin cried.
Anthony swung the blade into a tree. Choppp . “Cool!” he cried. He pulled the blade back—and swung again. This time, he made an even deeper cut below the first cut.
“Hey—you’re hurting the tree!” Kristen protested.
She grabbed the handle of the machete and tried to tug it away from Anthony. The two of them wrestled with it until Marlin stepped up and took it away from them.
“Just one cut in a tree,” Marlin said. “It’s not for fun. It’s so we can get back.”
“Where are we?” April asked.
The leaves overhead had grown thicker until they blocked the sky from view. The pale moonlight couldn’t break through the thick tangle of trees.
It’s much darker here, April realized. And quiet. The insects had suddenly stopped chirping. April listened for the wash of the ocean waves on the shore. Silence.
“We must be somewhere in the middle of the island,” Marlin said. “If we just keep going straight…”
“But the path ends here,” Kristen said. She swept her flashlight over the trees. “Which way is straight?”
“We have to keep going north,” Marlin said. He pulled off his baseball cap and wiped his forehead with his hand. “Man, it’s hot tonight. Wish we could go for a swim.”
“Which way is the ocean?” April asked. “I—I’m all turned around.”
“I brought a compass,” Anthony said, pulling off his pack. “It’s supposed to point towards the north, right?” He squatted down and unzipped the pack.
Kristen leaned over Anthony and held her light on the pack while he searched through it. He pulled out a water bottle and took a long drink.
“Take your time,” Marlin said sarcastically. “We’re only lost here in the middle of the island.”
“Don’t worry. The other teams are probably even more lost,” Anthony said. “Hey—here it is.”
He pulled out a round object on a leather strap. “My grandfather gave me this compass when he came back from Alaska. He was a gold prospector in the Yukon and—”
“Save the family history for later,” Kristen said. She shone her light on the compass. “Well? Which way do we go? Which way is north?”
Anthony squinted hard at the compass dial. He turned it in his hand. Then he turned it again.
Suddenly, he jumped to his feet. “Whoa! I don’t believe this!”
He held the compass up so the others could see. April squeezed between Marlin and Kristen to get agood look at it.
Inside the dial, the arrow was spinning. Spinning rapidly, round and round.
“That’s impossible!” Anthony cried. “Why is it doing that?”
“Because it’s broken,” Marlin said, frowning.
“A compass can’t break,” Anthony cried. “It’s magnetic. That’s all. It’s just a magnet. What would make it spin like that?”
April stared at the spinning arrow. It looked like one of those crazy clocks in cartoons.
“Put it away,” Marlin muttered. He wiped sweat off his forehead again. “Ow!” He slapped his neck. “Did anyone bring mosquito spray?”
“What time is it?” Kristen asked.
Marlin shone his flashlight onto his wristwatch. He squinted at the watch for a long time. “You’re not going to believe this,” he whispered.
He shook his wrist
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