Thanks for pointing out two chapters were the same as the first. For some reason it kept showing this document as the first one.
Grady continued to visit the swamp hermit. John was a very interesting person, and knew everything there was to know about the swamp. Grady told his dad some things about it, but not too much, so he didn't get suspicious.
"Huh, that's interesting," said Mr. Tucker. "I didn't know corkscrew plants grew here. But how do you know so much, Grady?"
"I'd be surprised if he didn't know," quipped Emily. "He's such a geek. He probably read all about swamps before coming here."
"At least I read something other than all of my boyfriend's messages," retorted Grady.
Mr. Tucker's expression turned serious. "Grady, I hope you aren't spending too much time with that swamp hermit."
"No," Grady lied. He had bumped into his dad after leaving the shack once, and they had gone through the swamp together, his dad telling him everything he had collected. Grady had enjoyed it, but couldn't help thinking that it wasn't as interesting as his talks with John.
Emily opened her mouth, but Grady nudged her so hard in the shin that she squealed.
"Don't kick your sister," scolded Mr. Tucker. Then Mrs. Tucker called to him from the kitchen and he left.
Emily glared at Grady, rubbing her leg. "What's your problem, geek?"
"Please don't tell Dad," pleaded Grady.
"It's for your own good," said Emily with an air of self-righteousness. "It can't be good for you, spending all your time with a weird, creepy old guy. In fact, it should raise alarm bells. He's so weird and disgusting looking."
"He really is nice when you get to know him," insisted Grady. "Besides, not everyone can spend ages in front of the mirror brushing their hair or talking to their boyfriend, Em."
Emily shoved him so hard he fell over, knocking over her makeup. Their parents came in and scolded them for fighting. Then they forgot all about the swamp hermit.
"Oh, Grady, I have something to tell you."
Grady looked up from the cracked mug he was drinking tea from. It was made from cranberries collected from a marshy bog. It had a sweet, tangy aftertaste. Grady still marveled at everything John was able to make in the swamp. "What is it?"
John's expression turned serious. His dark green eyes flashed. He suddenly looked very old and weary, the calluses in his face becoming more defined. "Stay away from the swamp tonight," he warned.
"Huh?" Grady hadn't been expecting to hear that."
"Stay away," John warned, so firmly that Grady was almost scared.
"I've never gone into the swamp at night," Grady pointed out.
"Oh, right," said John, going back to normal. He seemed embarrassed by his sudden warning. "I just meant, you should never go into the swamp at night. It's dangerous then. It's so dark, you can barely see anything."
Grady had a feeling he meant specifically that night. He had never warned him before. Suddenly, he remembered. Tonight was the night of the full moon.
But that didn't have anything to do with it, did it? John had just forgotten to warn him before. Grady smiled and thanked him.
That night, Grady lay awake in his bed. He couldn't get to sleep, even though the curtains were closed and not a sliver of moonlight was peeking onto his bed. There was something bothering him, nagging at him at the back of his mind.
Suddenly, his wrist pressed down on the pillow, and he realized how bare and weird it felt. He glanced at it, and saw that his watch was missing. He almost expected to see a red stripe around his wrist. He wore it so much, his arm felt empty without it. He was surprised he hadn't noticed it was missing before.
He sat up in bed, rubbing his wrist. He knew it was dumb, but he couldn't get to sleep until he knew where it was. Before leaving his bed to search for it, he wracked his mind. Suddenly, he remembered. He had dropped it in the swamp. It had slipped off his wrist while he was chasing Will and Cassie through the swamp.
He started to panic as he imagined it lying in the swamp, covered in moss and debris, being taken away by animals and getting wet and dirty. He knew it was stupid, but the watch was very special to him. It was the last thing he had left from his grandfather. Grady had always been close to him, and loved visiting him when they traveled to India. He had handed it down to him, telling him to always keep it with him.
He had to find the watch. He just had to. He abruptly got out of bed and pulled open the windows, staring at Fever Swamp. What captured his attention more was the pale, eerie moon hanging in the sky, seeming to cast the dark swamp in an ominous glow. But unlike last time, he didn't hear any howls. Maybe Will and Cassie were wrong, and the howls were just a coincidence.
He had to go to Fever Swamp and get his watch. He was already starting to grab a jacket and flashlight, though he wasn't sure whether he was really going to. He'd search for a few minutes and be back as quickly as possible. And if he didn't find it, he'd search again in the morning. As he headed into the kitchen to get a flashlight (and a sandwich), he hesitated. Was it really necessary to do this just for a watch?
Yes, it was. He pictured his grandfather's face when he found out he had lost his watch. It was the last thing he had given to him. It wasn't that hard, anyway. He just had to search for a little while.
It was only when he was walking down town, staring at the swamp, that he remembered John's warning earlier that day. Stay away from the swamp this night. How his face had darkened and grown serious.
But John didn't understand. It was too late to back out now, anyway. The houses looked so different under the moonlight. Shadows danced and overlapped over them. Grady looked up at the dark, velvety night sky. The moon seemed huge, right above him. As he closed his eyes, he seemed to feel the moonlight wash over him. It made him shudder, sending strange chills down his body.
Then he brushed it off. He was being ridiculous. It was probably just the night. He pulled the collar of his jacket closer to him and raised his flashlight higher as he stepped up to the swamp.
Suddenly, he heard footsteps behind him. He nearly jumped out of his skin and nearly dropped his flashlight, his heart catching in his throat. He only relaxed slightly as he heard a familiar voice behind him.
"Grady!" Grady turned around to see Will, his cheeks flushed and a strange look on his face. Grady was surprised to see that he was still wearing light clothing and his bike shorts in the cold night.
"I'm glad to see you," he said in a hoarse, excited whisper. His eyes gleamed excitedly. Maybe it was just Grady's imagination.
"Uh, me too," said Grady. "Uh, what are you doing out here?"
Will ignored his question, turning his gaze to the dark mass of trees. "Are you going into the swamp?"
"No," Grady lied.
"If you are, go ahead," urged Will, looking excited again.
"Uh, sure," said Grady. That was odd. Didn't Will and Cassie warn him to stay away from the swamp during the daytime?
As Will continued to stare at him expectantly, Grady blushed and turned to the swamp. He stepped forward and passed through the trees. To his surprise, it was as humid as it was in the morning. It was strange to step into it after the coldness of the night. His flashlight revealed that it looked almost the same as it did in the daytime as well, only slightly darker.
He heard Will step in after him. "Do you like this swamp, Grady?" He could almost feel his breath on the back of his neck.
"Uh, I guess," said Grady, waving his flashlight around. "It's very interesting and mysterious."
Grady suddenly flashed the light right in Will's face. "Sorry," he apologized.
Before he could pull it away, he froze as he took a look at the boy's face. His mouth was open, revealing his teeth. Had they always been so sharp? They started to extend and grow down his face, overtaking his lower lip, sharp, shiny, and yellowed. Grady's voice caught in his throat. He was unable to scream. Then he watched as his spiky brown hair started to expand and grow onto his face, covering his forehead and cheeks as a low growl escaped his throat.
The growl was what spurred Grady into action. He let out as scream and turned off his flashlight, turning around and starting to run blindly through the swamp. He should've turned on his flashlight again, but he was too scared to, only focused on making sure he didn't have to see Will's hideous, terrifying face. He suddenly tripped and landed hard on his knees, still gripping the flashlight so tightly his fingers ached. He felt himself shaking and shivering all over.
The terror increased as he heard footsteps behind him. His blood froze and he tried desperately to scramble up, but he couldn't. He was frozen in fear from what he had seen. Suddenly, he heard a voice call to him. "Run, Grady!"
It was a girl's voice. Grady turned to see Cassie, her freckled face almost as scared as his and her green eyes shining with concern as they stared at him. "Run!" she urged, her voice hoarse and scratchy.
Grady didn't need to be told twice. He got to his feet and continued to run down the swamp.