Upstate Uproar Read Online Free PDF

corn with the flashlight as she and Vivian
tromped through the maze. The stalks rose above both of their heads
and Vivian wished she was holding their single source of
illumination rather than Lucy.
    “This giant corn makes me feel shorter than I
usually do,” Lucy said, shining the light left and right, then up
and down the stalks. At 5-foot-3 she was the shortest of the four
friends.
    “I know. Me, too,” Vivian said. She stood 5-5
and couldn’t see over the corn, either. “Can I be in charge of the
flashlight?”
    “Negative, no way, un-uh. I’ve got this bad
boy,” Lucy replied.
    They walked along, making twists and turns,
not worrying which way they were going. Occasionally Vivian would
see the dim glow of another flashlight through the swaying stalks,
but it always disappeared quickly.
    Chatter and whispers swept across the corn.
Vivian couldn’t tell from which direction the sounds were coming.
The wind increased, and she pulled up the neck of her sweater.
    “My nose is cold,” Lucy said. “Let’s find our
way outta here before we freeze or get beamed up on a
spaceship.”
    “I agree, but not because I’m worried about
beaming,” Vivian said. She looked up to the sky anyway.
    They followed the maze going toward what they
thought was the direction of the house, but after a few minutes
they turned around.
    “How long before they send out a search
party, I wonder,” Lucy said. “They probably should have given us
rescue flares, with our luck.”
    “What do you mean by that?” Vivian asked. “
‘With our luck?’ ”
    “Oh, come on! We can’t take a trip that
doesn’t tank, at least temporarily.”
    “We have fun, though.”
    “We do, but someone’s always ending up in the
back of a police car or in handcuffs. Even you, Viv.”
    “And not the kinky, fun kind!” Vivian said,
but Lucy wasn’t joking.
    “And now look at Jake. He’s still missing
from his last trip.” Just then, the flashlight flickered and went
out. Lucy smacked it with the palm of her hand, but nothing
changed. “Oh my god!” She jumped up and down. “The aliens are
coming! This is what happens, they take all energy from stuff!”
    “Let me see it,” Vivian said and took the
flashlight from the bouncing Lucy. She whacked it on her leg but
still no flicker or flash. “Guess we’ll be mazing by
moonlight.”
    “I need to pee,” Lucy squealed, still
imitating a kangaroo.
    “No one will see you now, go for it. Trail
pee.” Vivian laughed.
    Lucy reached for her pants but paused. “I
can’t do it out here.”
    “Come on.” Vivian pushed her forward but
stayed close, holding onto the back of Lucy’s jacket.
    “Why don’t you lead the way?” Lucy asked.
    “Nope! You broke the flashlight, you go
first.”
    They went along the maze for several minutes,
Vivian occasionally jumping up and yelling, trying to see lights
from the house. “Hello? Anyone? Our flashlight died! Helllooo?”
    A big gust of wind rustled the stalks around
them and they both stopped.
    A crunch behind her about caused Vivian’s
heart to jump out of her chest. She turned around in time to see a
dark figure rush toward her making a crazy sound.
    “Aaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!” Vivian
yelled.
    The figure grabbed her, pushing her into the
corn stalks. Vivian tripped and fell back, the figure falling on
top of her.
    “E.T., phone home!” Wendy yelled, laughing.
“Poke her! Prod her!”
    Vivian kicked and shoved Wendy off of her.
“Not funny! Not funny!”
    Wendy rolled over, cracking up, holding her
stomach. “So funny!”
    A flashlight flicked on and Kate appeared
from between the stalks. “Y’all are hilarious. We’ve been following
you for about five minutes. We were prepared to take pictures of
Lucy’s trail pee!”
    Wendy rolled around on the ground, snorting
with laughter. “Aliens taking the energy out of your flashlight!
That was classic.”
    Vivian picked straw out of her blonde curls.
“You’ll pay for that one, Wendy.