Spirit’s Key by Edith Cohn

riding and rub Sky’s tag. I wonder if all the wild ghost baldies will appear again. They disappeared when I threw up. But it’s just Sky, wagging his tail, wanting to play Fetch the Pheasant. He sticks his rear end in the air and grins.
    I frown. “Something horrible is going on, buddy. Baldies dead all over town. Fires in our futures. Can you tell me what’s happening? Why did you die? Were you sick? Were your friends sick? Why are people sick?”
    I walk beside my bike so he and I can talk.
    â€œYou were the first one, boy. The first that I know of. It started with you. Do you know things? You must. You’re here to tell me, aren’t you?”
    But Sky only picks up the pheasant and drops it at my feet. I sigh and toss it for him.
    The pheasant sails through the air. Sky leaps toward it and raises his nose, like he wants to make sure I’m watching his big blue namesake. He’s right, something’s up. Real birds appear. They form a V shape, an arrow that points to an eagle. My eagle, the one from Mrs. Borse’s house! She’s carrying something in her mouth. She drops it, and it falls from the heavens and knocks the pheasant out of the air. I run over to see what it is.
    It’s a thick, heavy rope with a note pinned to it. Sky sniffs the rope while I unpin the piece of paper.
    A great rope for a great moment
    A great hope you’ll know when
    To unlock the magic
    Of this great rope
    Granted you by the Greats
    Another gift from the Holden Spirits! “Look, boy. A rope!” I pick up the eagle’s gift.
    But Sky is already bored with it.
    â€œHuh. You’re right, buddy. Looks like any old rope to me, too.”
    Sky walks away like, even though he wanted me to find it, he doesn’t know what it’s for either.
    A great hope you’ll know when
    Well, all righty, then. I stuff the rope in my backpack for later. “Thanks!” I yell to the eagle. She dips down as if to say You’re welcome , then flies away.
    Sky wags his tail, drops the pheasant at my feet, and then grins up at me for a treat.
    â€œYou think you should be rewarded for helping me find this rope, huh? I suppose that’s fair.” I pull the bag of kibble from my backpack and feed him a piece.
    We ride toward home playing Fetch the Pheasant until Sky suddenly stops. He won’t bring the pheasant back.
    â€œCome on, boy. Bring it here for your treat,” I call.
    But he won’t come. He barks and circles under something posted on a tree. Sky’s ability to spot something new or different about his surroundings is amazing. There’s a sign on the tree that reads:
    BEWARE OF BALDIES
    Baldies have transmitted an unknown
    sickness to our beloved island.
    Those contaminated have been quarantined.
    Anyone with symptoms of illness
    should contact Dr. Wade.
    I don’t need a key to tell me this means bad news for the future. I drop my bike in the road and grab my walkie-talkie to call Dad.
    â€œZookeeper calling Big Panda.” My radio spits static in response. I try again. “Come in, Big Panda.” More static.
    I keep trying to call Dad on the radio, but he doesn’t answer. He always answers.
    â€œZookeeper? Red Baron here.” Nector’s voice garbles through the radio instead of Dad’s.
    â€œYour dad is with Dr. Wade,” Nector says. “Mr. Selnick burned that baldie. Did your dad help? Both of them are really sick. Copy that?”
    â€œBut…” Dad is sick because of the gift, not because of a baldie. He said so.
    â€œZookeeper, do you copy?”
    â€œNo, you’re wrong. Dad—”
    â€œMeet me at your house in five?”
    I agree. “Over and out.”
    I pick up my bike and hop on. Sky runs beside me with a new urgency. Something terrible is going to happen. I feel it, and I think Sky does, too.
    When I skid up to the house, the Hatterask kids are waiting for me on the front steps.
    Yasmine stands.