nodded and looked back at the picture. He could see the faint outline of the red shirts the boys were wearing over their clothes.
“They had them too?” Sam wondered aloud.
There was a loud crash from below, and Mike jumped to his feet. “What was that?” he asked.
Amy and Sam rose slowly as a distinct rumbling began to build. “That doesn’t sound good,” said Sam.
“Maybe we should go,” added Amy.
The house shook fiercely, and a beam crashed from the ceiling and through the floor.
Amy looked up as the beam above her fell. Sam leapt across the room and caught the beam with one hand before it hit her.
“Thanks, Sam,” she said, giving him a hug.
Sam smiled.
“Come on!” yelled Mike as the shaking became more violent and the house began to crumble.
Sam grabbed Amy by the hand and followed Mike as they rushed for the stairs, debris crashing all around them. Sam half dragged, half carried Amy down the attic stairs and followed Mike to the main staircase.
They raced down the stairs as the house collapsed in on itself. They saw a clear path to the door and raced toward it. Amy stumbled, and Sam flung her onto his shoulder in one motion and kept running.
Mike jumped backwards as a piece of the ceiling crashed in front of them, blocking their pathway to the door.
Sam set Amy down gently. “Look out, Mikey,” he said calmly.
Sam strode forward and lifted the large chunk of ceiling so that Mike and Amy could pass through. Mike held Amy’s hand as they jumped through the open doorway and into the night.
Mike looked back at Sam, who still held the chunk of ceiling in the air. “Come on, Sam!” Mike screamed.
Sam tossed the debris aside and turned to the door. There was an ear-piercing screech, and the house buckled, engulfing Sam with charred wood and cement.
“Sam!” Mike cried.
Mike and Amy were flung to the ground as the house fell in on itself. There was a giant sucking sound as the ground seemed to inhale the house.
Amy got to her feet in an instant. “Sam!” she screamed as she ran for the house.
Mike grabbed her arm. “No.”
They watched as the house completed its crash to the ground. Then there was silence as the destroyed home settled. Pieces of wood, glass, and cement were all that remained. Amy started to cry.
They sat in front of the house, staring for what seemed like ages. Then Mike heard something. “Wait,” Mike whispered, putting a hand on Amy’s back to quiet her sobs.
The sound was barely perceptible at first; then it grew louder as the wreckage of the home began to move. Wood rose into the night, and walls, doors, and debris were flung into the air as Sam rose from the ashes. He tossed beams aside like they were toothpicks and doors as if they were nothing more than playing cards in his hands. His red shirt glimmered brilliantly in the moonlight as he stepped out of the wreckage and dusted off his pants.
Mike and Amy both laughed, giddy with relief.
“Sam!” Amy shouted and ran to him. She hugged him tightly. Mike put his arm on Sam’s back. “Way to go, big guy!”
Amy held onto Sam a little longer, then released him with a shy gaze. “I’m glad you’re okay, Sam,” Amy said.
“Me too,” said Sam, beaming. “I should get trapped in charred houses more often.”
Mike laughed and rolled his eyes, but the smile on his face vanished and was replaced by terror. Before he could say anything, he quickly stripped off his flannel shirt and disappeared.
Amy turned her head in the direction Mike had been looking and screamed. Sam followed her horrified gaze to see the man in the cloak gliding towards them.
Sam moved protectively in front of Amy.
The man in the cloak came within two feet of them, his hood concealing his face. “So nice of you to visit,” he said in a raspy voice.
The man in the cloak raised his hands, and the trees began to sway. Liquid amber dripped from his fingertips.
26
KATHY MAYFIELD FLIPPED through a magazine as she sat on a couch
“They had them too?” Sam wondered aloud.
There was a loud crash from below, and Mike jumped to his feet. “What was that?” he asked.
Amy and Sam rose slowly as a distinct rumbling began to build. “That doesn’t sound good,” said Sam.
“Maybe we should go,” added Amy.
The house shook fiercely, and a beam crashed from the ceiling and through the floor.
Amy looked up as the beam above her fell. Sam leapt across the room and caught the beam with one hand before it hit her.
“Thanks, Sam,” she said, giving him a hug.
Sam smiled.
“Come on!” yelled Mike as the shaking became more violent and the house began to crumble.
Sam grabbed Amy by the hand and followed Mike as they rushed for the stairs, debris crashing all around them. Sam half dragged, half carried Amy down the attic stairs and followed Mike to the main staircase.
They raced down the stairs as the house collapsed in on itself. They saw a clear path to the door and raced toward it. Amy stumbled, and Sam flung her onto his shoulder in one motion and kept running.
Mike jumped backwards as a piece of the ceiling crashed in front of them, blocking their pathway to the door.
Sam set Amy down gently. “Look out, Mikey,” he said calmly.
Sam strode forward and lifted the large chunk of ceiling so that Mike and Amy could pass through. Mike held Amy’s hand as they jumped through the open doorway and into the night.
Mike looked back at Sam, who still held the chunk of ceiling in the air. “Come on, Sam!” Mike screamed.
Sam tossed the debris aside and turned to the door. There was an ear-piercing screech, and the house buckled, engulfing Sam with charred wood and cement.
“Sam!” Mike cried.
Mike and Amy were flung to the ground as the house fell in on itself. There was a giant sucking sound as the ground seemed to inhale the house.
Amy got to her feet in an instant. “Sam!” she screamed as she ran for the house.
Mike grabbed her arm. “No.”
They watched as the house completed its crash to the ground. Then there was silence as the destroyed home settled. Pieces of wood, glass, and cement were all that remained. Amy started to cry.
They sat in front of the house, staring for what seemed like ages. Then Mike heard something. “Wait,” Mike whispered, putting a hand on Amy’s back to quiet her sobs.
The sound was barely perceptible at first; then it grew louder as the wreckage of the home began to move. Wood rose into the night, and walls, doors, and debris were flung into the air as Sam rose from the ashes. He tossed beams aside like they were toothpicks and doors as if they were nothing more than playing cards in his hands. His red shirt glimmered brilliantly in the moonlight as he stepped out of the wreckage and dusted off his pants.
Mike and Amy both laughed, giddy with relief.
“Sam!” Amy shouted and ran to him. She hugged him tightly. Mike put his arm on Sam’s back. “Way to go, big guy!”
Amy held onto Sam a little longer, then released him with a shy gaze. “I’m glad you’re okay, Sam,” Amy said.
“Me too,” said Sam, beaming. “I should get trapped in charred houses more often.”
Mike laughed and rolled his eyes, but the smile on his face vanished and was replaced by terror. Before he could say anything, he quickly stripped off his flannel shirt and disappeared.
Amy turned her head in the direction Mike had been looking and screamed. Sam followed her horrified gaze to see the man in the cloak gliding towards them.
Sam moved protectively in front of Amy.
The man in the cloak came within two feet of them, his hood concealing his face. “So nice of you to visit,” he said in a raspy voice.
The man in the cloak raised his hands, and the trees began to sway. Liquid amber dripped from his fingertips.
26
KATHY MAYFIELD FLIPPED through a magazine as she sat on a couch
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