Chapter 4 - Cabin “X”

Slogging through thick mud that did its best to suck their boots off, Chip and Evvie finally arrived at their destination. It looked like nothing more than a large shed with a few boards swinging off the side. Eucalyptus trees ringed around it, and fog hung in their branches like ripped sails from a ghost ship.
“Tell me this isn’t it,” Evvie said shivering in the rain.

“Beggars can’t be choosers,” Chip quipped and warily opened the door. “Hello?” he called out. A grey silence greeted him. “Come on,” he whispered, and they tiptoed inside. It was just one room with a wood stove in one corner and plenty of dust in the other. As his eyes grew accustomed to the darkness, Chip looked around and spotted a pile of split logs. He pulled out his tool belt and wrestled inside to find matches wrapped in plastic.

“Here,” Evvie said handing him some crumpled newspapers from a stack in the corner. “These will get it going.” Before long, the tiny room was filled with warmth.

Chip took the bandana from around his neck and stepped out on the front porch. Rain was sheeting off the tin roof as the storm continued to wring itself out. He paused a moment, standing behind the makeshift waterfall to watch the trees dip and sashay in the wind. After rinsing out the bandana, he handed it to Evvie.
“Exactly what am I supposed to do with this?” she asked, wrinkling her nose in distaste.

He pulled a finger across her cheek and wagged it in front of her eyes.

“You’ve got some color.”

Evvie’s dip in the puddle had left her covered in Mariposa mud - the richest, stickiest, gooiest muck ever created. All Chip could see of her face were those butterscotch eyes, and that was okay by him. Being this close to one of the most mysterious girls in school was like being in a pressure-cooker. You never knew when it might blow up.

“Yeah, well you look like you already went over Mud Falls,” she grumbled.

“Fine,” he sighed, plucking the cloth out of her hand. “If you want to look like the creature from the black lagoon go ahead. I’m cleaning up.”

Evvie snatched it back.
“Girls first.”

“Hello?” he said throwing up his arms. “That’s what I was doing!” But Evvie had already turned her back, effectively ignoring him as she slowly began wiping away the dirt and grime.

“Unbelievable,” he muttered and moved as far away from her as possible. He needed Mud Falls done and Goth Girl gone.

With nothing better to do, he wandered the room, amazed at the accumulation of dust that clung to everything like a dusting of snow. While the wind tossed and turned outside, the quiet in the cabin was spooky, as if the little shack was holding its breath, waiting… for something. Chip shook off the uneasy feeling, and was on his second rotation around the room when his muddy boot caught the edge of the newspaper stack. Papers spilled everywhere.
“That’s just great,” he griped, bending over to clean up the mess when he spied a crumpled piece of paper covered in something that wasn’t the news. Curious, he picked it up. Despite the crudely drawn lines, Chip recognized the markings of Mariposa Grove. There was the town square, the school and the bank - even Foggy Bottom Road. The furrows of a frown gathered between his eyes as something else came into focus. Smack dab in the middle was a big X. Next to it read the words: MUD FALLS.
Chip quickly looked over his shoulder, but Evvie was curled into a ball by the fire with her eyes closed. A feeling of deja vous set in, like he’d been here before. Outside, the storm-tossed trees scraped against the window, startling him from his mental wandering. He blinked a couple of times, forcing the tiredness away. Sleep would have to wait.

He carefully smoothed out the paper and returned his attention to the map, squinting at the only color on the page – a big red X. It was surrounded by thin sticks that looked ragged and weepy. A peculiar awareness flooded his body, and Chip slowly looked out the window. Blowing in the wind were the ghostly thin branches of eucalyptus trees. The X was the cabin.

Chip crouched down and urgently shook Evvie’s shoulders.

“What?” she groaned eyes still closed.

“Evvie, wake up. I found something.”

With a big yawn, she leaned up on one elbow.

“You’re still muddy,” she remarked with a raised eyebrow.
“I’ve been busy.” He flopped down beside her and with a flourish, spread out the map.
“Where’d you get that?” she asked sitting up.

Chip nodded absently toward the stove, while he assessed the room with new interest. A gum wrapper lay crumpled on the floor. A chipped coffee cup sat on the hearth. Fingerprints left a dirty trail on the windows. He wrapped his arms around his chest as a chill swept through his narrow frame. This wasn’t some forgotten cabin in the woods after all. He jumped up and urgently began tapping the wood floor with his boots.

“What are you doing now?” Evvie asked impatiently. When there was no answer, a loud exaggerated sigh filled the air.

Chip’s concentration was so strong, all he heard was his own heart beating. Little beads of sweat ran down his nose as he approached the stack of newspapers. And then, there it was. A hollow clunk.

“I don’t think we’re in an abandoned cabin Evvie,” he whispered. In the heartbeat of an instant, everything changed.

Evvie rubbed her tingling arms, attempting to flatten the hairs that were standing on end.

“Okay,” she answered faintly. “Then where are we?”

“I think we’re standing right on top of Mud Falls.” Chip got down on his knees and starting prying the hollow board loose. It came free with a jolt, and he stumbled back on the floor. Cool air gushed into the cabin from an opening just large enough to allow a man to pass through. Disappearing into the inky blackness was a passage of stairs. Chip turned to Evvie with a look she was beginning to recognize.

“No way, Chip Cooley,” she said backing away from the opening. “We are NOT going down there.”
“Of course we are!”
“No, we’re not,” Evvie said with her hands on her hips.
Excitement at finding a trap door to some unknown destination buzzed through Chip like a massive sugar rush. What could possibly be under a cabin, in the woods by a waterfall he couldn’t even see? He had to find out.
“What’s the problem?” he challenged. “Not ready for a real adventure?”

Evvie’s face darkened.

“That’s not adventure,” she said pointing a finger into the unending darkness. “That’s a black hole with who knows what down there.”

“C’mon Ev,” Chip coaxed. “It’s just a dinky underground passage. It’s drier there than up here,” he reasoned.
“No. And don’t call me Ev.”
Deflated but unwilling to give up, Chip inched a little closer and leveled his blue eyes on her.
“Haven’t you ever read a great story like Tom Sawyer and wished something like that could happen to you?” he asked, giving her a hopeful smile. He nodded toward the trap door. “That’s what this is! We could be just like Tom Sawyer and Becky Thatcher, hunting for lost treasure. It doesn’t get any better than this!” he exclaimed, throwing his arms wide.
“You forgot about Injun Joe,” Evvie said blackly. “Remember the bad guy who almost killed them? Uh, uh. No way.”
Chip’s face fell along with his arms. A trap door was like a big welcome mat to a boy. Apparently it wasn’t the same for a girl.
“Why not? Just tell me.”
“I don’t have to tell you anything,” she answered through tight lips.
Chip settled a calculating look on her.
“I think someone is afraid of the dark.”
“I think someone is short on brain cells,” Evvie bit back.
A tense silence filled the room and the two stared each other down.
“Well, I guess this is it then,” Chip said scratching a phantom itch behind his ear. “I’ll just have to go on my own. I never needed help anyhow. Especially from a girl.”
Evvie thrust out her chin.
“Fine,” she tossed back. “Go into that black hole and never come out for all I care. You’re just a stupid boy with worms for brains.”
“And you’re just a silly girl with rubber for knees,” he shot back. “I can’t believe you almost fooled me into thinking you might have what it takes!”
“Oh I have what it takes, and I’m taking it all for myself!” She pulled the chocolate bar from her coat pocket.
“You wouldn’t,” he warned.
Evvie gamely tossed the candy bar back and forth in her hands like a football.
“It’s a shame really,” she taunted. “You never even had a bite.” The motion stopped abruptly. Chip watched hypnotized as Evvie slowly unwrapped a piece, broke it off and placed a square right on her tongue.
“Mmm…” she gushed and closed her eyes. “Heavenly.” Her lashes fluttered open and her golden gaze held him captive. “Ever tasted chocolate, Chip?”
He looked at the bar in agony, knowing this was his chance to break the cardinal Cooley rule. To find out once and for all if the Cooley Curse was real.
“You’re evil, you know that?” he sputtered.
“I’ve been called worse,” she deadpanned and swallowed the chocolate with a smug smirk.
“I’ll bet.”
Evvie prepared to eat another piece.
“Okay, okay!” he cried. “I won’t go down there. Happy now?”
“As a clam.” She tossed him the chocolate, which he caught in midair. “Now what?” she asked.
Chip sent her a defiant look and broke off a piece. The shock of chocolate touching his skin made him gasp. It wasn’t painful or pleasant. It was electric.
Apprehension coiled up in his stomach. What would happen when he ate it? Would the Third Eye show him the future? Be thrilling? Frightening? He’d dreamt of having the Third Eye since he was five-years old. He inhaled deeply, realizing he’d been holding his breath.
“I think,” he said with a shaky voice, “I’ll have a bite.”
Evvie gnawed her lower lip.
“Are you sure Chip? Your Mom doesn’t allow you to eat chocolate for a reason. What if you’re allergic?”
Oh, I’m allergic alright, Chip thought. Just not the way you think.
“Listen Evvie,” he said unsteadily. “Once I eat this, I’m pretty sure something is going to happen.” Evvie’s eyes widened, and Chip shook his head at the silent question they held. “I don’t know what,” he spoke quietly. “Try not to freak out, okay?”
Evvie twisted her hands together.
“What if you stop breathing or something?”
“Well, you can always give me mouth-to-mouth,” he said with a snort.
Evvie’s face flooded a delicate pink.
“Not gonna happen.” Her glance dropped to Chip’s lips and her cheeks grew redder.
“I don’t have coodies you know,” he said clearing his throat. “Anyway, I’m sure you won’t have to do anything so disgusting.” He had the satisfaction of watching Evvie’s flush travel down to her neck. He tossed the bangs out of his eyes and they stared at each other for a long minute. The gravity of the situation settled on them, and they both knew nothing would be the same once he took the bite.
“Stay?” Chip asked simply. Evvie nodded. He looked down at the chocolate resting in his palm. “Here goes nothing,” he whispered, and it disappeared into his mouth. Instantly, tiny rivers of lightening coursed through his arms and down his legs to his feet. All feeling was lost, and his body sank to the floor. He vaguely heard Evvie shout his name, but he was already gone, floating above her and the cabin, weightless.
He drifted through the weeping trees, dodging the flailing branches with ease. The wind and rain still wreaked havoc, but Chip was untouched by cold or wet. He soared through the sky over the school, his family’s fig farm, even Evvie’s big mansion. He was flying! He made a sharp turn down a dirt road, past a broken fence and flew right into Rolo McGregor’s house.
The bully’s bedroom was a surprise. It was very spare, holding only a single bed, a rickety chair and a closet containing a couple of lonely t-shirts. No toys scattered over the floor. No computer or video games. No posters on the walls. It was as if a kid didn’t live here at all. He floated over to the bed. Rolo was sleeping fitfully. He rolled over and Chip rocketed back. A nasty black and blue shiner ringed Rolo’s left eye. Someone had thrown a punch at the bully, and Chip knew it was no one at school. They wouldn’t dare. His mouth disappeared in a grim line. He left Rolo, gliding into the adjacent bedroom to investigate. The bed was rumpled but no one was in it. Frowning, Chip continued down a dark hall until he came into the kitchen.

Rolo's Mom was at the table, her head buried in her arms. Chip could tell from the black streak marks on her cheek that she’d been crying. A light snore wheezed from her nose and Chip wondered what had happened in this house. One thing was for sure―Rolo's Dad wasn't home.

Everyone in Mariposa Grove knew Dusty McGregor and did their best to stay out of his way. He was trouble with a capital "T." He slept most days and spent most nights gambling, drinking and committing the occasional petty crime. It was no secret that Dusty spent more time sleeping in the local jail cell than he did in his own bed at home.

Chip looked down at poor Doris McGregor and wondered if her arms sheltered another black eye. He leaned over and gave her a light kiss on the cheek. No one deserved to be treated like this. He looked back to Rolo’s room but the sky outside the kitchen window was beginning to lighten. It was time to get back. He flew over Foggy Bottom Road, but instead of going back to the cabin as he intended, his body took a detour down the opposite fork in the road.
"What the heck..." he muttered. Then he saw them. Unshaven and filthy, three soaked and cursing men were headed straight for him. Chip could hear every word as if they were standing right by his side. He bolted behind a tree but the men strode past, unseeing.

"I tell ya, this safe is about to break my wrist off it's so heavy."

Chip knew that voice. Dusty McGregor.

"Stop complaining and keep moving," a tall man snapped. "Soon enough you'll be wanting what's inside and happy it weighed so much."

A short, stocky man helping Dusty just grunted.

"What was that Gino? Remember, we speak English here not Sicilian."

"Italian," Gino growled. "What iffa we get caught?"

The tall one laughed.

"They're not going to find us or our loot. I have a secret hiding place that no one in Mariposa Grove knows about."

"What? That sorry little cabin?" Dusty scoffed. "They'll find it soon enough."

"Maybe," the tall one answered. "But they'll never guess that their precious bank money is right beneath their feet."

They reached the fork in the road that Evvie and Chip had just traveled.
"Alright Dusty, hand me the map,” commanded the tall one. “I always forget which way it is."

Uh... I don't have it."

"For the love of Mary, what do you mean you don't have it?" the tall one spewed angrily. "I gave it to you right before we blew the vault. We can't afford to go the wrong way you idiot! Now where is it?!"

Chip didn't wait to see how the argument would end. He knew exactly where the map was, and it wouldn't be long before they found the cabin. He had to get to Evvie and fast.

He woke up to the sting of two slaps on his face.

"Chip Cooley, you come back right now," Evvie demanded.

He looked up and realized his head was in Evvie's lap. Her hand was coming in for another landing and he blocked her with his arm. "Oww! What the heck are you doing?"

"Saving your life!" she snapped.

"By slapping me?" he asked incredulously.

"You wouldn't wake up. I thought you were dying!" A hot tear rolled down her cheek, which she brushed aside furiously.

Chip never felt better in his life. With the Third Eye, he could fly! He could even see without being seen! The last thought sobered him quickly. It wouldn't be long before the three bank robbers came bursting through the door. He bolted out of her lap.

"Evvie, we need to put out the fire and get outta here, now."
“What happened?” she demanded. “One minute you were here, the next you were gone!”
“No time to explain,” he said looking out the window. “Just believe me when I tell you some bad guys are coming our way, and they won’t be happy to see us.” He closed the door on the wood stove and hoped it would stop smoking soon. “C’mon, let’s go.”

The rain had let up to a light drizzle, and Chip figured they could go around the back of the cabin, looping around the property to the front road. Voices could be heard outside, rapidly approaching the porch. The two exchanged glances, panic clearly written on each other’s face.

“Chip, we can’t leave by the front door. They’ll see us,” she whispered frantically. “We’re trapped!”

“No we’re not,” he said looking at the black hole. “We have an escape route.”

A small groan left Evvie as she looked down into the blackness.

“Chip, I can’t go down there!”

“Yes, you can,” he urged. Footsteps could be heard crunching through leaves outside. “It’s either this or them,” he said taking her hand. “They’re bank robbers Evvie. We don’t stand a chance.”

She shook her head again, and Chip grabbed both her hands and squeezed hard.
“Evvie, this is the only way. I won’t let you out of my sight, promise.”

She swallowed hard.

“Okay. But I hate you right now.”

“Hurry!” Chip said handing her his mini flashlight. “And, whatever you do, don’t turn this on until I give the word.”

Evvie forced her shaking legs to descend the stairs.

“Okay, your turn.” Her voice sounded thin in the heavy black void.
Chip pulled the floorboard over his head when he remembered the map.
“Shoot!” he exclaimed.

“What?” she hissed.

“The map! It’s still in my pocket.” Chip lifted the board.

“No Chip!” Evvie exclaimed. “Don’t go back up there. You’ll get caught!”

Chip quickly pulled the crumpled paper from his pocket and threw it on the floor. He just hoped they wouldn’t remember where they last left it. He dropped the board just as the front door flew open.

Copyright © 2000 by Nina Martin.  All rights reserved. This book is a work of fiction. Any resemblance to actual events or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental. No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written permission. For information, address: info@cooleyscurse.com