Promise (32 page)

Back at his cabin, Kaden took a piece of plywood. He thickly spread glue all over it. Then on the board, Kaden looped the rope into the shape of a large crow. Still attached to the rope, the friendship rock sat under the bird as if the bird were standing on it. Kaden went to the bag on his bed and pulled out the box of matches. He took out a matchstick and glued it to the rope beak. When the glue dried, he would
walk back to the tower and leave it as a headstone at Kubla's grave.

Kaden emptied the rest of the paper bag on his bed. He was putting the binoculars on his dresser when suddenly the sound of guitars and drums came through the intercom. In a second, several trumpets joined in. Kaden looked at his clock. It was exactly five minutes after the last class ended at school. Gram's voice came over the intercom.

“Your cell phone is making a racket,” she stated.

“It's Yo-Yo calling,” Kaden said. “He downloaded that ringtone for me so I would know who's calling.” The song was repeating for the third time.

“Well, you better come answer it,” Gram said.

Surprised at Gram's statement, Kaden ran from his cabin. The song had stopped playing by the time he got in Gram's door.

“I can call him back,” Kaden said as he reached up and got the phone Gram had put on top of the refrigerator Saturday night. When he turned around, Gram held her hand out, empty palm up.

“Give it to me,” she said.

Confused, Kaden put the phone in her palm. Gram put the phone on the table beside the backpack, glove, ball, MP3 player, and TV remote. Then she went into her bedroom.
Kaden heard her dresser drawer open and close. Soon Gram returned to the living room. She had another phone in her hand.

“You'll have to give that one to the sheriff when he gets here,” Gram said. “Have Yo-Yo put his song on this one.” She handed her phone to Kaden. “I don't want a phone, but you do.”

“Thanks, Gram,” Kaden said. He gave her a quick peck on the cheek, then raced back to his cabin. When he sat down at his desk, something didn't seem right. At first, Kaden couldn't put his finger on it but then it dawned on him. He couldn't hear Gram in her cabin. Not her humming, not her footsteps, not even the sound of her fan. Kaden looked at the intercoms. Neither of the little red lights was lit up. Gram had turned off both intercoms.

Kaden started to punch in Yo-Yo's number but then he stopped and hung up. He would call Yo-Yo later and tell him all about what had happened. But first he had another call to make. Kaden pushed the number and put the phone to his ear.

“Emmett,” Kaden said, “do you need any help?”

JUDY YOUNG

Judy Young is the award-winning author of eighteen picture books, including
R is for Rhyme: A Poetry Alphabet
(Mom's Choice Gold Recipient);
A Book for Black-Eyed Susan
(WILLA Literary Award Finalist and NAPPA Gold Recipient); and
A Pet for Miss Wright
(IRA-CBC Children's Choice List). She resides in the foothills of the Bear River Range near Mink Creek, Idaho, with her husband, Ross, who once befriended a crow he named Kubla. Kubla often sat on Judy's shoulder, pecked at her hair, and gurgled into her ear, possibly instilling ideas and inspiration for
Promise
, Judy's first novel. Visit Judy at
www.judyyoungpoetry.com
.