spoke to him. Maybe he had never met any humans at night. Maybe he thought he was a watchdog—but whatever it was, he started pawing the ground, then lowered his head as if in anticipation of something to come.
“Run!” Olivia whispered. I didn’t need to hear that twice. We ran down the rest of the driveway and onto the road, with Spotty charging behind us. When we reached the gatehe simply stopped, turned around, and headed back to the house. Olivia started giggling. “That’s one weird goat,” she commented, shaking her head.
I didn’t think it was funny, but we didn’t have time to talk about Spotty the Psycho Goat. We set off, this time almost jogging. We really wanted to get this over with. Talk about dark and creepy! Once, we heard a car coming and hid in the bushes, with me praying there were no more Spottys around.
Finally we reached the bakery and crept past on the other side of the road, where the shadows hid us from view. There was a dim light coming from Selvin’s house. As we turned onto the lane to Ol’ Madda Bird’s house, I had a sudden thought that made my belly flip-flop.
“What about her crazy old dog?” I asked Olivia.
“I’m ready for him,” she replied, and took something out of the bag she was carrying. From the smell, I realized it was cooked meat. I heard the grin in her voice. That girl was a born spy. She thought of everything! Olivia was actually enjoying this, while I was feeling almost faint from anxiety!
We could barely see without the flashlight, but she didn’t turn it on. We held hands and walked quickly. As bad as it felt to be doing this, there was something special about sharing this secret together. And then we were in front of Ol’ Madda Bird’s yard, which, like the others on the road, was in total darkness.
“Good! She’s gone to bed,” Olivia confirmed.
We cautiously lifted the latch on her gate. No sound from the dog. Phew. All of a sudden I breathed a huge sigh of relief. I hadn’t even realized that I had been holding my breath. Quietly we crept up the little walkway, which wasmostly grass. We reached the steps, and Olivia shone the light where we had last seen the necklace. It wasn’t there! I looked at Olivia. “Okay, we’re done here,” I whispered. What would we do now?
But that girl Olivia went closer and shone the light over the veranda. We both froze when her light ran over Ol’ Madda Bird, fast asleep in her chair, her head leaning to one side, her shades halfway off her face, and a piece of wood that she must have been carving lying on the floor beside her. I don’t know why neither of us had thought earlier that since she was blind, Madda Bird didn’t need to have a light on even if she hadn’t gone to bed.
Her mangy dog was also asleep not far from her. My eyes bugged out of my head, and I grabbed Olivia’s arm. The necklace was right beside him! Olivia stepped toward him carefully.
Creeeeeeeeak! Disaster! The dog opened one eye, then the other, and began to growl. Ol’ Madda Bird sat up. “Who’s it?” she asked loudly. I could hear that she was afraid. I suddenly felt sick to my stomach. What were we doing here? Olivia waved the meat around, then threw it to the other side of the veranda and whispered hoarsely, “Fetch.” The dog got confused for a moment, then it went for the meat. Olivia ran up the steps, grabbed the necklace, raced back down, grabbed my hand, and whispered, “Run!”
As we sped away, I heard Ol’ Madda Bird screeching, “Thief! Thief!”
“Dear God,” I whispered a quick prayer, “please, help us out of this jam! I promise I’ll never do anything bad again. I’ll even be really, really nice to Patrice.” Patrice was my bossy older sister, so that was a big promise. I kept repeating, “I’m sorry, I’m sorry,” the whole time we ran. I couldn’t even beginto imagine what Grandma would say about this if she ever found out.
Who’s There?
When we reached the bakery, we paused to catch
“Run!” Olivia whispered. I didn’t need to hear that twice. We ran down the rest of the driveway and onto the road, with Spotty charging behind us. When we reached the gatehe simply stopped, turned around, and headed back to the house. Olivia started giggling. “That’s one weird goat,” she commented, shaking her head.
I didn’t think it was funny, but we didn’t have time to talk about Spotty the Psycho Goat. We set off, this time almost jogging. We really wanted to get this over with. Talk about dark and creepy! Once, we heard a car coming and hid in the bushes, with me praying there were no more Spottys around.
Finally we reached the bakery and crept past on the other side of the road, where the shadows hid us from view. There was a dim light coming from Selvin’s house. As we turned onto the lane to Ol’ Madda Bird’s house, I had a sudden thought that made my belly flip-flop.
“What about her crazy old dog?” I asked Olivia.
“I’m ready for him,” she replied, and took something out of the bag she was carrying. From the smell, I realized it was cooked meat. I heard the grin in her voice. That girl was a born spy. She thought of everything! Olivia was actually enjoying this, while I was feeling almost faint from anxiety!
We could barely see without the flashlight, but she didn’t turn it on. We held hands and walked quickly. As bad as it felt to be doing this, there was something special about sharing this secret together. And then we were in front of Ol’ Madda Bird’s yard, which, like the others on the road, was in total darkness.
“Good! She’s gone to bed,” Olivia confirmed.
We cautiously lifted the latch on her gate. No sound from the dog. Phew. All of a sudden I breathed a huge sigh of relief. I hadn’t even realized that I had been holding my breath. Quietly we crept up the little walkway, which wasmostly grass. We reached the steps, and Olivia shone the light where we had last seen the necklace. It wasn’t there! I looked at Olivia. “Okay, we’re done here,” I whispered. What would we do now?
But that girl Olivia went closer and shone the light over the veranda. We both froze when her light ran over Ol’ Madda Bird, fast asleep in her chair, her head leaning to one side, her shades halfway off her face, and a piece of wood that she must have been carving lying on the floor beside her. I don’t know why neither of us had thought earlier that since she was blind, Madda Bird didn’t need to have a light on even if she hadn’t gone to bed.
Her mangy dog was also asleep not far from her. My eyes bugged out of my head, and I grabbed Olivia’s arm. The necklace was right beside him! Olivia stepped toward him carefully.
Creeeeeeeeak! Disaster! The dog opened one eye, then the other, and began to growl. Ol’ Madda Bird sat up. “Who’s it?” she asked loudly. I could hear that she was afraid. I suddenly felt sick to my stomach. What were we doing here? Olivia waved the meat around, then threw it to the other side of the veranda and whispered hoarsely, “Fetch.” The dog got confused for a moment, then it went for the meat. Olivia ran up the steps, grabbed the necklace, raced back down, grabbed my hand, and whispered, “Run!”
As we sped away, I heard Ol’ Madda Bird screeching, “Thief! Thief!”
“Dear God,” I whispered a quick prayer, “please, help us out of this jam! I promise I’ll never do anything bad again. I’ll even be really, really nice to Patrice.” Patrice was my bossy older sister, so that was a big promise. I kept repeating, “I’m sorry, I’m sorry,” the whole time we ran. I couldn’t even beginto imagine what Grandma would say about this if she ever found out.
Who’s There?
When we reached the bakery, we paused to catch
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