Earthquake Terror Read Online Free PDF Page B

you don’t have to walk any more. And when Mom and Dad come, they’ll take us home and they’ll get you a brand new walker, even better than your other one.”
    Abby opened her bag of broken cookies and started lickingthe crumbs. “When we get to the camper, I’m going to take a little nap,” she said.
    It was the first time he had ever heard his sister voluntarily suggest that she go to sleep. Usually, she insisted she wasn’t tired, even while she rubbed at her half-closed eyes.
    “I’ll rest, too,” he said, “and listen to the ball game.” Maybe cheering for the Giants would keep his mind off the fact that he and Abby were alone in an isolated campground, and he had no clue how soon his parents would arrive to take them home.
    When they finished eating, Jonathan said, “Let’s go, Abby.”
    “No. I’m tired. I want to stay here.”
    “After we get to the camper, you can rest as long as you want. You’ll be more comfortable on your bed than you are here, and you’ll have Raggedy to sleep with.”
    When they got back to the camper, he would feel safe again. He would get out the first aid kit and put some disinfectant on Abby’s scrapes, and on his own scratched arms and legs. He could get Abby settled in her bed, lock the door, ice his knee, and wait for Dad to come for them.
    “I’m thirsty,” Abby said.
    “You can have a drink of water as soon as we reach the camper.”
    “I don’t want water.”
    “Milk, then.”
    “I don’t want milk, either.”
    “Okay. You can have whatever you want.” Jonathan was determined not to argue.
    “What if I want coffee?” Abby said and then giggled. “What if I want a pineapple milk shake?”
    “There’s no ice cream in the camper. I’ll make some lemonade.”
    “You said I can have anything I want and I want a pineapple milk shake.”
    He knew she was just being ornery. She loved lemonade. “You can have a pineapple milk shake when we get home. You can have three pineapple milk shakes, all in one day.”
    “Okay. I’ll have lemonade now.”
    Jonathan cleared more branches from what used to be the trail and hoisted Abby over yet another fallen tree. Moose clambered over, too.
    “We’re almost there,” Jonathan said. “When we get to the oak tree, we curve to the right and our camper will be there waiting for us.”
    “When we get there, can I have a chocolate cupcake?”
    “Yes. And you can lick the wrapper all you want.”
    Lemonade and chocolate cupcakes. Jonathan could imagine what his mother would think of such a snack. She always urged them to eat apples or bananas if they were hungry, and when they were thirsty, she suggested water or orange juice.
    Well, this was an emergency and if sweet food would keep Abby happy until their parents returned, that’s what he would give her. He might have a chocolate cupcake himself. He might even lick the wrapper.
    Near the oak tree, there were fewer branches down. The original trail was almost clear and Jonathan’s spirits rose. Hehad
thought
they were going the right direction but now he was sure of it.
    Anticipating the end of their struggle, he walked faster.
    Moose ran forward until the leash was taut and then doubled back, as if urging them to hurry. Abby clutched Jonathan’s arm and managed to keep up with him. They followed the trail as it curved to the right. Around the bend, they stopped.
    The trail was completely blocked by roots. An enormous redwood tree had been torn from the ground. Clumps of dirt clung to its roots, which stretched twenty feet across and twenty feet high. There was no way they could climb over this; they would have to go around it.
    “Wait here,” Jonathan said. “I’ll find the best way for us to get around this tree.” He helped Abby sit on the ground and then, climbing through underbrush and fallen branches, he made his way around the huge root system. He wondered how many years the redwood had stood in this spot. He marveled that any force, even an