long.”
Aunt Marta sighed. “That’s why we haven’t seen you for so many years.” She
hugged me again.
“I was hoping maybe I could go out on a shoot with you,” I said. “I’ll bet
you two could teach me a lot!”
Uncle Colin laughed. “We’ll teach you all our secrets.”
“You’re staying for at least two weeks,” Aunt Marta added. “So we’ll have
plenty of time for photography lessons.”
“Not if we spend the whole time in this parking lot!” Uncle Colin declared.
With a groan, he hoisted my suitcase into the back of the van.
We climbed in. And a few seconds later, we pulled away from the bus station,
into town.
A post office whirred past. Then a small grocery and a dry cleaner. We
crossed a street, and thick woods surrounded us on both sides.
“Is that all there is?” I cried.
“Alex,” Aunt Marta replied, “you’ve just had the grand tour of Wolf Creek.”
“Hope you won’t be bored in such a tiny town,” Uncle Colin added, turning the
van sharply as the road curved through the trees.
“No way!” I cried. “I really want to explore the woods.”
I’m a city kid. I seldom even get to touch a tree. Going into the
woods, I thought, will be so interesting—like visiting another planet.
“I want to shoot a hundred rolls of film in the woods!” I declared.
The van bumped hard, sending my head bouncing against the van roof.
“Slow down, Colin!” Aunt Marta scolded. She turned back to me. “Your uncle
only knows one speed— light speed .”
“Speaking of light, we’ll show you some tricks for shooting outdoors,” Uncle
Colin said, pressing his foot even harder on the gas pedal.
“I’ve entered a photography contest back home,” I told them. “I want to snap
a great Halloween photo. Something really wild to win the contest.”
“Oh, that’s right. Halloween’s only a couple days off,” Aunt Marta said, glancing at my uncle. She turned back to me. “What do
you want to be for Halloween, Alex?”
I didn’t have to think about it. I’d already decided back home.
“A werewolf,” I told her.
“NO!” she screamed.
Uncle Colin also let out a cry.
The van plowed through a stop sign. I flew off the seat and hit the door
hard. And stared helplessly through the bouncing windshield—as we swerved into
the path of a roaring truck.
2
“AAAAAIIIII!”
Was that me screaming?
Our van rocked hard. I bounced again. Landed on my knees on the floor.
Uncle Colin swerved onto the grassy shoulder.
I saw a blur of red—and heard the truck roar past. Its horn blared angrily.
Uncle Colin slowed to a stop under the trees. His wrinkled face had turned
red. He swept both hands back over his thick gray hair.
“Colin, what happened?” Aunt Marta asked softly.
“Sorry,” he muttered. He took a deep breath. “Guess I just wasn’t
concentrating.”
Aunt Marta tsk-tsked. “Nearly got us killed.” She turned in the
passenger seat to gaze at me. “Alex—you okay?”
“Yes. I’m fine,” I told her. “I didn’t expect it to be so exciting here!” I
tried to make a joke. But my voice came out kind of shaky.
My camera case had fallen to the floor. I picked it up, opened it, and
checked out the camera. It seemed okay.
Uncle Colin shifted into Drive and pulled the van back onto the road. “Sorry
about that,” he murmured. “I’ll be more careful. Promise.”
“You were thinking about the Marlings again—weren’t you?” Aunt Marta
accused him. “When Alex said werewolf, you started thinking about them,
and—”
“Be quiet, Marta!” Uncle Colin snapped. “Don’t talk about them now. Alex just
arrived. Do you want to scare him before we even get home?”
“Huh? Who are the Marlings?” I demanded, leaning to the front.
“Never mind,” Uncle Colin replied sharply. “Sit back.”
“They’re not important,” Aunt Marta said. She turned to the windshield. “Hey—we’re almost home.”
The sky seemed to darken. The old
Aunt Marta sighed. “That’s why we haven’t seen you for so many years.” She
hugged me again.
“I was hoping maybe I could go out on a shoot with you,” I said. “I’ll bet
you two could teach me a lot!”
Uncle Colin laughed. “We’ll teach you all our secrets.”
“You’re staying for at least two weeks,” Aunt Marta added. “So we’ll have
plenty of time for photography lessons.”
“Not if we spend the whole time in this parking lot!” Uncle Colin declared.
With a groan, he hoisted my suitcase into the back of the van.
We climbed in. And a few seconds later, we pulled away from the bus station,
into town.
A post office whirred past. Then a small grocery and a dry cleaner. We
crossed a street, and thick woods surrounded us on both sides.
“Is that all there is?” I cried.
“Alex,” Aunt Marta replied, “you’ve just had the grand tour of Wolf Creek.”
“Hope you won’t be bored in such a tiny town,” Uncle Colin added, turning the
van sharply as the road curved through the trees.
“No way!” I cried. “I really want to explore the woods.”
I’m a city kid. I seldom even get to touch a tree. Going into the
woods, I thought, will be so interesting—like visiting another planet.
“I want to shoot a hundred rolls of film in the woods!” I declared.
The van bumped hard, sending my head bouncing against the van roof.
“Slow down, Colin!” Aunt Marta scolded. She turned back to me. “Your uncle
only knows one speed— light speed .”
“Speaking of light, we’ll show you some tricks for shooting outdoors,” Uncle
Colin said, pressing his foot even harder on the gas pedal.
“I’ve entered a photography contest back home,” I told them. “I want to snap
a great Halloween photo. Something really wild to win the contest.”
“Oh, that’s right. Halloween’s only a couple days off,” Aunt Marta said, glancing at my uncle. She turned back to me. “What do
you want to be for Halloween, Alex?”
I didn’t have to think about it. I’d already decided back home.
“A werewolf,” I told her.
“NO!” she screamed.
Uncle Colin also let out a cry.
The van plowed through a stop sign. I flew off the seat and hit the door
hard. And stared helplessly through the bouncing windshield—as we swerved into
the path of a roaring truck.
2
“AAAAAIIIII!”
Was that me screaming?
Our van rocked hard. I bounced again. Landed on my knees on the floor.
Uncle Colin swerved onto the grassy shoulder.
I saw a blur of red—and heard the truck roar past. Its horn blared angrily.
Uncle Colin slowed to a stop under the trees. His wrinkled face had turned
red. He swept both hands back over his thick gray hair.
“Colin, what happened?” Aunt Marta asked softly.
“Sorry,” he muttered. He took a deep breath. “Guess I just wasn’t
concentrating.”
Aunt Marta tsk-tsked. “Nearly got us killed.” She turned in the
passenger seat to gaze at me. “Alex—you okay?”
“Yes. I’m fine,” I told her. “I didn’t expect it to be so exciting here!” I
tried to make a joke. But my voice came out kind of shaky.
My camera case had fallen to the floor. I picked it up, opened it, and
checked out the camera. It seemed okay.
Uncle Colin shifted into Drive and pulled the van back onto the road. “Sorry
about that,” he murmured. “I’ll be more careful. Promise.”
“You were thinking about the Marlings again—weren’t you?” Aunt Marta
accused him. “When Alex said werewolf, you started thinking about them,
and—”
“Be quiet, Marta!” Uncle Colin snapped. “Don’t talk about them now. Alex just
arrived. Do you want to scare him before we even get home?”
“Huh? Who are the Marlings?” I demanded, leaning to the front.
“Never mind,” Uncle Colin replied sharply. “Sit back.”
“They’re not important,” Aunt Marta said. She turned to the windshield. “Hey—we’re almost home.”
The sky seemed to darken. The old
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