Moon Crossed

Chapter 2

"AAAAAIII"!
Was that me screaming ?
Our van rocked hard.I bounced again.Landed on my knees on the floor.

Uncle Collin swerved onto the grassy shoulder.I saw a blur of red--and heard the truck roar past. It's horn blared angrily.
Uncle Collin slowed to a stop under the trees. His wrinkled face had turned red. He swept both hands back over his thick grey hair.

"Collin, what happened ?" Aunt Martha asked softly.
"Sorry, he muttered". He took a deep breath.
"Guess I just wasn't concentrating"
Aunt Martha asked. "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 Collin 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 the Marlings again-- weren't you ? "
Aunt Martha accused him. When Alex said werewolf , you started thinking about them,  and --"
“Be quite, Martha !" Uncle Collin snapped. Don't talk about them now. Alex just arrived. Do you want to scare her before we even get home ?"
“Huh? Who are the Marlings?" I demanded, leaving to the front.
“Nevermind," Uncle Collin replied sharply. “Sit back ".
“They're not important," Aunt Martha said. She turned to the windshield. “Hey-- we are almost home ".
The sky seemed to darken. The old trees grew over the narrow road, their leaves blocking the sunlight.

Watching the blur of red and yellow as the woods swept past, I thought hard. My aunt and uncle were certainly acting sketchy.  I decided. I wondered why uncle Collin had snapped at my aunt so angrily when she'd mentioned the Marlings.
“Why do they call it Alaska ?" I asked.
“Because the name Chicago was already taken!"  Aunt Martha joked.
“There used to be wolves in the woods," Uncle Collin explained softly. 
“Used to be!" My aunt exclaimed.
She lowered her voice to a whisper, but I could still hear her.
“Why don't you tell Alex the truth,Collin ?"
“Be quiet !" he repeated through clenched teeth .
“Why do you want to scare her ?"
Aunt Martha turned to passenger window. We drove on in silence for a while.
T

he road curved, and a small circle came into view. Three houses stood nearly side by side on the circle. I could see the woods stretching on behind the houses.
“That's our house -- in the middle Uncle Collin announced,pointing". I gazed out at it. A small, square white house on top of a neat, recently mowed front line.  A long,low ranch-style house  -- gray with black shutters -- stood to the right.  
The house on the left was nearly  hidden by overgrown bushes. Tall weeds rose up over the patchy front yard. A broken tree branch lay in the middle of the driveway to middle house. “It's small -- but we're not here that often, " he said. 
Aunt Martha sighed. “Always traveling." She turned to me again. “There's a nice girl who lives next door." She pointed to the ranch-style house on the right. “She's eighteen, Your age, right ?".
I nodded.
“Her name is Hannah. She's very cute. You should make friends with her so you won't be lonely."
Cute!
“Any boys in the neighborhood ?" I asked. 
“I don't think so" Aunt Martha replied. “Sorry."
My uncle stopped the van at the top of the driver way. We climbed out. I stretched my arms over my head. All my muscles ached. I'd been sitting for six hours !
I glanced at the gray shingle house on the right. Hannah's house. I wondered if she and I would become friends.
Uncle Collin unloaded my suitcase from the back of the van.
I turned to the house on the left. What a wreck! The house was totally dark. Some shutters had fallen off.  Part of the front porch had caved in.
I crossed the driveway and took a few steps closer to the weird, run-down house. “Who lives there ?" I asked my aunt.
“Stay away from there , Alex ! " Uncle Collin screamed. “Don't ask questions about them ! Just stay away from the house!"

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