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BANG!

Meeka’s giggle carried to Jackson. He tried to follow her voice, but wouldn’t you know it? The cedar hedge was a maze. Do you know of any big cedar hedges outside of secret houses that aren’t mazes?

So now Jackson was in a maze.

BANG!

Jackson decided to run. But there were so many twists and turns that Jackson’s head began to twist and turn.

Stay focused.

He was very tired of running in circles, and he was very, very thirsty.

BANG!

Jackson ran around a corner and…

Chapter 25

In Which There Is a Bathroom Break

I am going to take a bathroom break, so I suggest you do so as well. Holding your bladder for a long time is not very good for you. Make sure you are very quiet, though. Your mom might hear that you are upstairs reading, and she might remember that she has housework for you to do. If you’re in bed reading this under the covers with a flashlight, be quiet when you tiptoe to the bathroom. If your parents are reading this to you, and it’s past your bedtime, perhaps they will be the BEST PARENTS IN THE WORLD! and let you stay up to finish. And then, being the BEST PARENTS IN THE WORLD, they’ll let you stay home tomorrow to sleep in. And when you wake up at noon, you’ll get to reread the book with hot buttered toast and a cup of hot chocolate in bed. There are some parents like that.

If you happen to know any, please email me.

Chapter 26

In Which Jackson Cannot Believe His Eyes

Jackson could not believe his eyes.

Actually, he could believe his eyes, because he was looking at what he saw. What I meant to say is that what he saw was just simply amazing. So maybe I should just write that instead.

So here it is, rewritten:

Jackson saw something simply amazing.

It was the most beautiful birdcage in the world.

It was about the size of a shed. A regular shed. Not the crazy “I’m building an ark in my backyard!” shed that so many dads dream about building.

The cage had long, golden spindles weaving around the frame. Carvings of moons and stars hung in between the spindles. Golden perches swung to and fro and shining silver bells tinkled as the wind blew.

And the cage was filled with the most amazing birds.

There were so many different kinds! It was like a psycho-bird aviary. But they were birds that Jackson had never seen before. There were birds that looked like robins, but they were the size of footballs. There were finches, but they were neon pink. There were fluorescent-green wrens. And gold-and-blue-striped chickens. And the songs they were singing! The pink finch opened his beak and the sweetest sound came out as the rest joined in harmony.

The sound filled Jackson with such a longing, he couldn’t explain it. It reminded him of a place he knew but had never seen. A place where he was loved. A place where nothing could ever go wrong. A place where he would always be happy. A place with never-ending cups of hot chocolate with extra whipped cream and chocolate sprinkles.

Jackson wanted to climb into that song and just stay there forever.

BANG!

“I got him!”

Chapter 27

A Very Sticky Chapter

Jackson jumped, snatched out of his reverie. He ran around a corner of the hedge. A little, furry, striped animal lay on the ground. His head was shaped like an aardvark’s, but his nose was the color of a bright blueberry.

Rayaa sauntered over, picked him up, and shook him. A piece of pink bubble gum fell out of his mouth. Rayaa pulled the furry creature’s face to her own and said, rather sternly, “Stop chewing gum around the birds! It’s mean!”

The creature nodded solemnly, and she set him down gently. He waddled off, his fluffy tail tucked between his legs. Rayaa picked up the gum, wadded it into some tissue, and put it in her pocket.

“What was that?” Jackson asked.

“Crubbie!” Rayaa said, tucking her hair behind her ears. “Don’t you listen? It’s my job to protect the birds, the poor things.”

Jackson didn’t understand. “I don’t understand.”

“It’s my job to protect the birds from…”

“…the crubbies, yes, I know,” finished Jackson. “But