HOLLY WAS GETTING TIRED OF WAITING. Her face was still on the rough rug of Mr. Addison's truck, and it stank of icky feet and that perfume her mom put on the furniture sometimes. But mostly it smelled like feet. "Are we there yet?" she whined.
"Almost there." Mr. Addison promised.
"But you said that last time."
"Stop whining!" Mr. Addison barked. Holly flinched.
They drove in silence until the truck stopped. "We're here." Mr. Addison announced.
Finally. Holly thought. She sat up and felt her face. The pattern of the rug had left little red imprints on her cheek. Mr. Addison opened the door for her and she jumped out. Holly finally got a good look at where they were the woods. "Awesome! The woods!" she exclaimed, jumping up and down.
Mr. Addison smiled and opened the trunk of the truck. "I need you to carry some things for me. Can you do that?" he asked. He plopped a sleeping bag, backpack, and camp stove onto the ground. "Put the backpack on." he instructed. Holly did as told. She staggered under the weight.
"It's too heavy." she said.
Mr. Addison calmly put two straps across Holly's waist. "Waist straps are good for heavy loads." he told her. He strapped the sleeping bag onto the back of the backpack. Then he thrust the camp stove into Holly's arms. After everything was unloaded, Holly and Mr. Addison tramped through the woods.
Holly wished Mr. Addison had let her get on some clothes that were better for walking through the woods. She was wearing a white shirt with a purple butterfly on it, blue shorts, and a plastic pink barette with flowers on it that kept falling out. At least she was wearing boots. They were hiking boots, ones that her father had bought for her for one of the Clarks' few camping trips, and she loved them.
Holly remembered that Mr. Addison had lent them equipment for these trips.
"Where are we going?" Holly asked.
"You'll see." Mr. Addison replied.
Holly frowned. "Why are you being so mysterious, Mr. Addison?" she asked.
"It's a surprise trip. The final destination is a secret until you see it."
Holly was starting to get uneasy, but she wasn't quite sure why. They hiked for a long time, until Holly's feet started to hurt. "Are we there yet?" she whined, like seven year-olds do when they begin to get tired.
"Almost there." Mr. Addison replied. Holly sighed and rolled her eyes.
He led her to a cabin. A little house in the big woods! Like in the book! she thought excitedly. Mr. Addison opened the door. That was when Holly realized how dark it was. "Mr. Addison? I have to go home now. Mom and Dad get angry when I'm not in before dark." Holly said.
"Oh, Holly, I forgot to tell you. You can't go home." Mr. Addison told her.
"But I have to go home." Holly insisted.
"No." Mr. Addison said sternly. He put down his stuff. Then, without warning, he ran over and grabbed her.