Hey guys! I read To Kill a Mockingbird for English class and fell in love. I finished it in the first few days it was assigned , and then i decided to read it again. But i didn't want the story to end. So my goal is to keep writing it until...i don't know. Just what i want to happen. It's going to be really dramatic, and Scout and Jem's relationship is going to be very much there. Probably because no brother is like that, but i sure would kill to have one as nice as Jem. I typed part of this in email, so please forgive any mistakes and feel free to tell me. If you have any suggestions, please tell me. So without further adieu, here ya go!

It had been three days since Jem's injury. Three, long boring days. I didn't realize how dull life was without Jem to play with and talk to. Even if he didn't play with me much no more. Atticus had gone back to the firm today for the first time since the incident. Uncle Jimmy had called last night and wanted Aunt Alexandra to come back to Finches Landing for a while until the hatred and excitement had died down. It almost felt like old times again. Just me, Jem and Calpurnia at home. Like the long summers before I started school and grew up. 'cept Jem had to go and break his arm and all he did was stay in bed all day and whine and read and sleep. Calpurnia bustled around him all day like a mother hen. She brought him pieces of all the cakes that seemed like half the town was still bringin over. She brought him the medicine that made him sleep when his arm was hurtin too bad. She would hardly let me see Jem and when I did, I had to act like I was in church. Still and quiet. Jem seemed...distant. Like he was tryin not to show he hurt. "You might excite Mister Jem. Doc Reynolds for him to stay quiet for a good long while. So don't you be botherin him." Cal told me. I snuck into his room to talk to him any way. He was reading when I crept in. "Jem? Hey Jem!" I whispered as loudly as I could. He looked up and put down his book. "'Ey Scout. Whatcha need?"

"Nothin" Jem knew me too well.

"No, ain't nuthin. What's wrong?"

"Jem are you gonna die?" he looked at me for a moment.

"Course not Scout! Haven't you been through this with Doc Reynolds? And Atticus? And me? Twice?"

"Well, you just lay in bed all day like you was sick. And Calpurnia gives you all this stuff fer pain."

"Yeah she does, but don't you worry scout. Can't get rid of me that easy."

"You sure? I don't want you to die. I'd miss you too much. Yer my brother, ya know?" I said. Jem didn't say anything for a second.

"Love you too Scout." He said. I opened my mouth to say something, but we heard Calpurnia comin down the hall and calling me. I darted back through him connecting door into my room and opened my door.

"Yes Cal?"

"I'm going to give Mister Jem his medicine to make him sleep and then I gotta go to town and get some extra food for dinner. We've run out of a couple things. Don't you excite him. Just sit quietly and don't eat any of the cake. It's Jem's. I'll be back as soon as I can. Don't ya get into any trouble, hear?" she told me.

"Yesum" I said obediently. I stretched out on my bed and pretended to read. As she came in and out of Jem's room with all his 'medicines, she murmured about why did it have to be this day she had to go and get groceries, of all the days on God's green earth, she had to leave Jem and me alone, and why did Mister Finch have to go to work and Miss Alexandra had to go home was the day everything was all riled up about the death of Mr. Ewell just happened to be the day Jem had a broken arm. The minute she bustled out the door, I jumped up and cut a giant slice of the chocolate cake Miss Maudie had sent over for Jem. He wouldn't mind. I happily took my plunder outside on the front porch and dug in. It was a typical Autumn Saturday. Quiet, warm, not too many people about. Only two people were walking down our street. I stuffed the last giant chunk of cake in my mouth and tried to chew it without spilling crumbs on myself. I swallowed and licked the crumbs of my lips. Lazily, I stared up at the clouds, thinking. Inside, Jem was asleep. His arm would get to hurtin to bad and he would have to drink the stuff the stuff that made him sleep. I could see him in my head. His light brown hair would be scattered over his eyes. He usually slept on his side, but he was supposed to sleep on his back because of his arm. His good arm would be folded back under his head and his broke arm would be close to his side. My thoughts wondered to Dill. Somewhere in Meridian, he was with his foster parents. He was probably bored and miserable without me. He still hadn't grown too much, but his hair had gotten darker last time I'd seen him. He had developed quite a talent for telling lies. Atticus. I imagined him sitting at his desk, thinking about Jem and wondering if he was okay. His dark head was graying at his ears and starting get sparse at the back. His glasses would be on. I thought of Calpurnia, bustling around the grocery as fast as she could, trying to get back before I broke Jem's other arm. Miss Maudie across the street opened her door, hedge clippers in hand. Her sunhat shaded her face from the weak November sun. "Scout Finch! How's your brother?" She called. "He's doin fine Miss Maudie. He sleeps a lot though." She laughed and waved before going around the side of her house and kneeling over her late summer flowers. I smiled and remembered Jem's and mine snowman. I propped my arms up on the step beside me and tilted my head back. I closed my eyes and smiled as I remembered building the snowman. I heard approaching footsteps and I sat up. The two people walking down our street turned down our drive. The smaller one looked familiar. He was filthy too. It dawned on me. It was Burris Ewell. He was with what looked like an older brother. Deep in my mind, I remembered Atticus tell Jem and me about Rob Ewell, the oldest son. I got shivers up my back. My heart jumped a mile when I saw they were carrying canisters or whatever they were called. I didn't have no idea what was in em, but something 'bout them gave me the creepers. I got up to try and be polite and walked down to the yard. I wasn't to keen on what was goin' to happen, after Mr. Ewell had tried to kill us and now he was dead. Burris's grubby face was practically on fire he looked so mad. I reck oned he was about eleven or twelve now. Rob looked more like and adult and he scared me. He had a shank of black hair that covered one eye. They exposed one was bloodshot. I gulped. "H-Hey Burris. Didn't see you at school this year." My knees were shaking. Them Ewells were bad news. Burris's face was all screwed up and he was practically spittin. He balled his hands into fists and leaned forward.

"You killed my father!" He screamed. "You 'n yer bruther. Yer father shamed us in frent of the 'tire town. I-" His brother grabbed his shoulder. I was glad because it looked like Burris was gonna swing his fists on me. I sure wished Jem were besides me.

"Haven't you heard?" I said "Bob Ewell fell on his own knife accidently.'E almost kilt us. We didn't kill him. We just kids." I didn't know which was shaking more, my voice or my hands.

"Shut up girl and get in the house." Rob yelled at me. "You-" a string of profanities followed that. "...Finches are gonna pay for that." My heart was jumpin' outa my chest. I dashed inside of the house to get help. My knees were knockin' together. But then I remembered none of the adults were there. Just me. Outside, I heard Rob Ewell's deep voice yell to Burris. I peeked out of the kitchen window. It looked like they were dumpin water on the front porch and the front of the house. All the sudden, Rob wiped out one of them fancy lighter and the porch burst into flames. Kerosene. They were gonna burn the house! Growing flames leapt at the wooden porch. For a moment, I watched in complete terror. Then I screamed and grabbed the phone.

"Miss Eula May Help! This ain't a joke. Them Ewells are burnin our house. They done poured kerosene on it and lit it. Call Atticus at his office. Help Please! I cried, tears trickling down my cheeks.

"You sure this ain't a joke, Jean Louise?" She responded curtly.

"Nome it aint!" The fire shattered the front window. I screamed and dropped the phone. I ran towards the back door to get out. Jem. Oh Jem, he was drugged asleep upstairs. I ran down the hall as fast as I could.

"Jem! Jem!" I yelled as I ran. But that stuff knocked him out good. I threw open the door to his room. He was still asleep, just like I imagined. I ran to his bed. "Jem!" I shrieked I shook him hard, trying to be careful of his arm. "Oh Jem please wake up!" I screamed as another window shattered in the extreme heat. "Please Jem! You gotta wake up!" I sobbed. "The Ewells set our house on fire. Jem!" Groggily, he opened his eyes.

"Go 'way Scout. Didn't Cal tell you not t' bother me? I'm tryin to sleep." He didn't know. He closed his eyes again. My hands made a fist around his shirt.

"Jem Please!" I begged. He opened his eyes and focused. After a second he spoke.

"Scout? What's wrong Are you okay? Yer cryin'" I brushed the tears out of my face.

"Oh Jem we gotta get out of here! The Ewells came and lit the house on fire. We're gonna die! Look!" I pushed back the curtains on his window facing the front part of the house. Great columns of black smoke of black smoke rose from our yard. Crimson flames ate the front porch. Jem set up immediately and got out of bed. "Calpurnia's in town." I said breathlessly.

"We gotta get out of here." I said.

"Open the window, Scout." He said and winced. He held his arm close. "Scout you gotta 'elp me out. I only got one arm. We'll go out on the roof." I pushed his chair under his window and climbed on. I opened the window and clambered out .Behind me, Jem stood on the chair and I grabbed his good arm and helped him through. The roof was flat, so we didn't have to balance. I had always wanted a two story house, but now I was glad it was only one. I looked behind me at Jem. His face was white, and he was breathing funny.

"You ok?" I asked.

"It's the medicine. I'm not supposed to be awake." He held his cast close to his chest.

"How are we gonna git down?" I asked. There was no way Jem could jump down with his arm broke. Panic crept through me. "HELP! Somebody help us!" I screamed. The Ewells were nowhere to be seen. I saw Miss Maudie run around from her back lot to her font lot and cover her mouth with her hand. She hurried inside, probably to call for help. The fire roared in the front of the house. "Jem, we're gonna die!" I shrieked.

"Jump, Scout! It'll hurt bad when you land, but you'll survive. Jump!"

"No! I'm not goin' without you, Jem."

"I can't jump down with arm busted, but you can. Jump, Scout, jump!"

A/N:Well? How'd ya like it? Please review! Cookies...erm, this is the TKAM archive, so...cracklin' bread for anyone who gets the VERY vague reference 'bout kerosene! Special thanks to all the singers who helped me while I wrote/typed this! Especially Luke Bryan *fan girl sigh*. By the way, for anyone who posted anything in this archive, i probably read it and thanks for the inspiration. Squee! Finding Bigfoot comes on soon! Happy Presidents Day everyone...though personally, each president should individually be honor