Home: A Stranded Novel by Theresa Shaver Page A

started to search the ground for the cellar doors. Alex spent ten frustrating minutes walking back and forth looking for the doors. She wouldn’t have found them at all if she hadn’t heard the slight creak of boards when she stepped on one area of grass. Dropping to her knees, she felt around the area and found a small depression that her fingers followed. Hooking her fingers under it she heaved up and almost laughed when she saw the flat square board that was covered in soil and grass. She lifted it enough to see the actual doors and padlock before dropping it back down. There was no need to go into the cellar at this time and she didn’t want to disturb the hiding place any more than she already had.
    After making sure the grass covering the doors looked natural , she turned and went into the trees. Directly behind the shed at the tree line was a large evergreen. She went to it and searched the forest floor for a thick stick. She found what she was looking for and took it to the evergreen. Parting the lower branches, she got on her hands and knees and crawled between them. Behind the long draping branches was a large opening around the trunk. These were Alex’s favorite types of trees and they made the best hiding spots. She and Emily had outwitted the boys in many games by slipping into the openings before popping out to ambush them.
    Using the stick , she dug a hole between two of the thick roots and took the key for the cellar out of her pocket and put it into the jar. Making sure the lid was on tight she put the jar into the hole and refilled it. Now if anything happened to Mrs. Moore’s house she would have access to the cellar. Satisfied that her work at the teacher’s home was done, she crawled back out between the branches and settled her pack more firmly onto her back. After tightening the straps and repositioning her rifle, she slowly started to backtrack around the property and headed deeper into the woods. She definitely could feel the extra weight she had added to her pack but was determined to get the small amount of nourishment to her neighbours.
    The sun was slowly setting as she crossed the road and made her way through the trees that lined her property. The light filtering through the trees became dimmer and she placed her feet with care until she came to the area the men had been cutting trees in. There were no longer any chopping sounds and the forest was empty. Alex circled around the cleared area and made her way to a large tree closer to the field. She dropped her pack in relief before removing her binoculars. She studied the branches before jumping to the lowest branch and hauling herself up. When she was high enough to see the field between her and the barn she settled into a crook against the trunk and started to scan the barnyard. With the sun behind her she didn’t have to worry about it reflecting off the glass and giving her position away like earlier in the day.
    A line of smoke coming from the yard made her heart clench before she realized that it was a cooking fire. A table had been set up and two large pots were resting on it. The workers were lined up holding bowls and as each one stepped up, they received a single ladleful of whatever they were eating for supper. After each man left the line they made their way to the barn and disappeared inside.
    Alex thought about the long day of labour her neighbours had just put in and the small amount of food they had been rewarded with. It was not something that could go on. Their bodies would get weaker and weaker before breaking down and she wondered what the guards would do once that happened. She felt immense sorrow when she realized that this was bound to happen soon , after living like this for a month. She clenched her jaw in anger. They needed to free their people and it had to happen soon.
    She stayed in the tree for the next forty five minutes and watched as the yard emptied of men. The food table was taken away after some of the