Jack Staples and the Ring of Time Read Online Free PDF

in the forest. Arthur had hoped to ask Mrs. Dumphry for help, but she’d left the schoolhouse as soon as the chalkboard had been erased.
    He had then tried to tell Doctor Falvey about it, but the doctor refused to listen. “I am sure young Jack is safe at home, dear boy. No need to worry,” he’d said as he patted Arthur on the head like a dog. So, with no other options that Arthur could see, he’d sneaked away to warn his friend of the monster lurking in the woods.
    Arthur could hear the sounds of birds chirping and the wind blowing, and these sounds were okay; they were normal. But every now and then, he thought he heard a twig break or a whisper from somewhere in the trees. Each time this happened, he dropped to the ground or hid behind a bush, too afraid to move.
    “No!” a voice screamed.
    Arthur froze. The scream had come from somewhere deep in the woods. It hadn’t sounded like Jack, but could he be sure?
    “No! Why won’t you listen to me?” the voice screamed again.
    Arthur couldn’t move. He wanted to run, to hide; but he knew he should try to help whoever was screaming. Besides that, he still needed to make sure Jack wasn’t waiting at the fort. Just as he was about to step forward, a muddy hand shot out of the earth directly next to his foot. Screaming at the top of his lungs, Arthur turned to run and promptly tripped over his own feet.
    He looked back in horror as the hand quickly resolved into an arm. Before he could move, the hand shot out and gripped Arthur’s ankle, causing him to scream even louder as he tried to scramble away. Horrified, he watched the earth around the arm shift and swell. He nearly fainted when a terrible, beastly shape rose from the ground. Dirt and leaves fell everywhere, and the monster grew ever taller.
    “Don’t eat me!” Arthur shrieked.
    The beast let go of his leg and shook a head that seemed to be made entirely of mud and tree limbs. Dirt and branches fell everywhere. Arthur squeezed his eyes shut. He had no doubt he would soon feel razor-sharp fangs sinking into him.
    “What are you doing?” a voice called out.
    Arthur didn’t hear the voice; he was too busy begging. “Please, don’t eat me. Please, I’m sure I don’t taste very good.”
    “Arthur! It’s me. What are you doing here? Why would I eat you?”
    Arthur opened his eyes to see Jack kneeling beside him. He was covered in mud, with leaves and twigs sticking out of his hair and clothing.
    “That wasn’t funny!” Arthur shouted. “You scared me half to death!”
    “I wasn’t trying to scare you,” Jack replied. “I just woke up this instant. It was the dark fog that put me here.” He rubbed at his neck as if it were sore. “Did you see it? The black fog … or … or the other … boy?”
    Arthur was confused. “What do you mean you woke up here? What black fog?”
    Before Jack could answer, a beastly roar resounded through the forest.
    “The beast!” Arthur cried.
    “The fog!” Jack said as a second roar sounded, and this time it was closer. Without another word, the boys shared a fearful look, turned, and ran toward the schoolhouse. Not far behind, Arthur could hear the loud crashing of branches.
    Arthur half ran, half stumbled through the forest, yet he wasn’t as fast as his friend, and he began to fall behind.
    “We’re almost there!” Jack yelled encouragingly.
    The beast was closer now, so close that Arthur was sure it would be on him at any moment. As he ran, something high up in the trees caught his eye. When he glanced upward, he saw a flash of deep red passing between trees. Whatever it was, it easily kept pace with them.
    As his eyes were focused upward, Arthur’s foot caught on a root, causing him to fall flat on his face. He gasped for breath, frantically rolling onto his back. Before he could think to stand, the beast arrived and skidded to a stop less than twenty paces away. Although it was hidden in the shadows of the sinking sun, Arthur could tell it was