Chapter 1: Trouble is Brewing
"Maybelle. I'm going to go visit Leslie's grave. Go home and tell mom that I'll be home by 6," Jess called out to his sister as they crossed the bridge out of Terabithia.
"Ok. I'll see you in a little bit," Maybelle responded before taking off down the dirt road.
Jess walked by himself through the woods and the meadow until he reached the town's cemetery. He slowly wandered down the familiar path and sat down on Leslie's grave. After sitting a few minutes in silence, he lay down next to her grave and pretended as though she was right there and could hear him. He proceeded to stare up into the sky and tell her about his day and everything that had been happening in school. He told her about how Janice was really nice to him and how she had even punched a boy in the nose who had been bullying a 3rd grader.
After he had run out of things to talk about that was school-related, he started talking about Terabithia and how the kingdom was flourishing. He told how she would never be forgotten, and how the Darkmaster was making a rise.
He told her all about the mysterious prisoner who seemed to have control over whether Terabithia conquered or fell to the Darkmaster, and how if this prisoner gave up on life, the Terabithians would have to fight one of the hardest battles ever fought.
Once he had told her everything he could think of and had been lying there for a while in silence, checked his watch…
And got up to race back to his house. When he finally made it through the front door, it was 6:02.
"Where have you been, Jess?" his mother questioned. "We've been waiting for you!"
"Sorry. Didn't Maybelle tell you I'd be home at 6?" Jess asked.
"Yes, and that was 2 minutes ago! We were starting to get worried! Never mind. Dinner is on the table. You can have a word with your father about this later."
"Sorry. I was visiting Leslie's grave and lost track of time. I'll be more careful about the time next time," Jess responded with his head down.
Maybelle was looking at him as if he were crazy for allowing himself to earn a lecture from their father for being late by 2 minutes. She tried to catch his eye to ask what was wrong but he wouldn't look up from the table.
She tried to catch him after dinner was over, but when she asked her mom where he'd went, her mom told her that Jess had already gone to the barn with his father and that she was not to disturb them.
Maybelle knew trouble was brewing. Adam's report of the Darkmaster rising was just the beginning of it. She just didn't know how right she was. If she had known, she would've been scared out of her mind by the events that were to come.