There was a booming in the distance.
Jack opened his eyes and caught his breath. Is that cannonfire? he wondered. Are we still back in the Civil War?
"We're home," said Annie. "Home, sweet home.""Oh, man," Jack whispered.
They were home. They were back in the Frog Creek woods.
They were wearing their own comfortable clothes again.
The cannon fire was really only thunder. At that moment,Jack loved the thunder.
Raindrops tapped against the tree house.
"We better hurry," said Jack.
"Wait. Leave the list in the tree house," said Annie. "It's thefirst special writing for Morgan's library. Something to follow."Jack took the list of Clara Barton's rules out of his pack. Heput it on the floor next to Morgan's letter.
"I wonder how that list will help save Camelot?" he said.
"I don't know," said Annie. "But you know what's weird aboutgetting that list? I think we couldn't just have taken it homewhen we first got it. We had to live it first."Jack nodded. Annie was completely right, he thought. Hepicked up his backpack.
"Wait! I see another note!" said Annie.
She picked a piece of paper off the tree-house floor. On it waswritten: Come back on Wednesday.
"I guess that's when Morgan wants us to look for the nextspecial writing," said Annie.
"That's in three days," said Jack. "Let's go home and rest."He started down the rope ladder. Annie followed.
When they stepped onto the ground, the rain began to pourdown.
"Run!" said Jack.
They ran through the Frog Creek woods, then down theirstreet. They ran to their porch and dashed into their dry, cozyhouse.
They found their parents reading in the living room.
"Dad! Mom!" Annie cried. "We're so glad to see you!""Well, we're--we're glad to see you, too," their dad said,sounding a little puzzled.
"Go put on dry clothes," said their mom.
Jack and Annie started up to their rooms. Halfway up thestairs, Jack stopped.
"Oh, I have a question," he called to his parents. "Did anyonein our family fight in the Civil War?"Their dad looked surprised. "Yes," he said. "One of your greatgreat-great-grandfathers was a drummer boy.""Oh, man," whispered Jack.
"What was his name, Dad?" asked Annie. "John," their dadsaid.
Jack and Annie gasped.
"And--and what happened to John?" Jack asked. "Was he hurtin the war?""No, he grew up to be a schoolteacher," their mom said. "Hehad five children." Jack and Annie whooped with joy. "That's great news!" saidAnnie.
"Really great news!" said Jack. "Thanks for telling us!""Sure." Their dad smiled, looked puzzled again.
As Jack hurried up to his words from the Civil War song hismind:
Give us a song to cheer Our weary hearts, a song of home...
The End. |