Signal Read Online Free PDF Page B

“So, there I was. There was no phone in that lousy motel room. Nobody else was crazy enough to be staying there. I thought about screaming, but the office is in the old lady’s house, which is up the hill behind the motel, and she’d never have heard me. I tried to stay calm. My head was bleeding, so I tied a towel around it and finally it stopped. Then it got dark and I got scared and hungry. When morning came and they still weren’t back, I banged and banged on the door, and finally I gave up on that and broke the window and climbed out. I cut my arms and legs doing that, and the effort made my head start to bleed again. When I got out, I started walking.
    “I was afraid they’d come back before I could get away. I was also afraid somebody would see me and see I was hurt and call the cops. So I got off the highway and went into the woods, and then I found the trail. Once when I looked back, I saw Josie. I didn’t see you, but I figured there was probably a person with the dogand I was afraid whoever it was would see me, and that’s when I climbed the hill and hid in the cornfield.”
    “Wow,” I mumble. “Why do you think they won’t just let you go?”
    “I bet Ray’s afraid I’ll tell someone what he did and get him in trouble.”
    Cam looks at me then and smiles, which is about the last thing you’d think she’d do after the terrible story she just told. She says, “Anyway, I’m glad it worked out this way.”
    “What?”
I say, feeling, as I usually do with this girl, one step behind. “Why?”
    “Because I met you.”
    I feel strangely pleased—and somewhat confused— by this remark.
    “With you helping me to signal them, my parents will find me and I’ll never have to see Ray or Bobbi again.”
    Before I can say anything, she points to the bag of Tootsie Rolls and her eyes fill with tears.
    Now I’m really confused. I can’t imagine why a half-eaten bag of candy would make a person cry.
    After a minute she sniffles and says, “Thanks for the Tootsie Rolls. That’s the nicest thing anybody’s done for me since I’ve been on Earth.”
    That does it. When she says that, I know that I’m going to do whatever I can to help her. I don’t know what to believe, but I understand suddenly how much she needs
somebody
. And I’m the only one around.

6
    A T FIRST C AM HAD ACTED SO SURE OF HERSELF , Bossy, even. But now, after telling that awful story, she seems small and scared.
    “Your parents …” I say. “They must be pretty worried about you.”
    “I’m sure they are,” she says.
    “How long has it been? Since you’ve been on Earth, I mean.”
    “Three weeks,” she pauses, “and three days. Which means my parents will be coming back in four days.”
    “Why four days?”
    “The moon will be full again in four days. And that’s the best time to make contact. The trouble is, they’re sure to return to the same place to look for me and now, because of Ray, I won’t be there. That’s why I have to make a signal, so they can find me.”
    So many questions are crowding into my brain it’shard to know where to start. “Well, in the meantime, why don’t we go to the police and tell them what Ray did to you? People can’t just hit kids and lock them up and leave them.”
    Cam gives me a tired glance. “Owen, you’re not thinking. I can’t risk going to the police. They might find out who I am. Remember the soldiers? And the guns? I can’t risk getting taken into custody by your government. They’d probably want to do tests on me and who knows what else? It could put my parents and everybody on my planet in danger. No way.”
    I can see her point.
    “I just need four days, and I’ll be out of here,” Cam presses.
    “Four days,” I repeat. “It shouldn’t be too hard to keep your secret for four days.”
    “And that gives us a little time,” she says.
    “For what?” I ask cautiously.
    She smiles, and looks both shy and excited at the same time. “To plan how