Star

by Jennifer Li Shotz

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  Julian and Bryan scraped the dirt away from the edges of the box, trying to loosen it enough to lift it out of the hole. It wouldn’t move, even after they had all four corners of the top exposed. It had been buried for a hundred years, with countless people and animals walking over it, tamping down the dirt. Julian hoped it wasn’t so packed in there that it would take them another hundred years to dig it out.

  It was getting harder and harder to see what they were doing. Something rustled in the woods near the clearing. Julian glanced at Star. She wasn’t worried at all. She was focused on the hole in the ground, her head tilted, as if she too were impatient to find out what was in the box. Bryan stopped digging. He flicked on his flashlight and nervously swept the beam across the trees. Julian could tell that his friend was spooked by being out in the wild so late. He wondered if the bear had gone to bed. But now that Julian’s hands were on the treasure, nothing would stop him from bringing it back.

  “Come on, get it out of there,” Bryan urged him, aiming the beam of his flashlight onto the box.

  “I’m trying!” Julian dug and scraped. His arms were getting tired and his hands were caked with dirt.

  Julian finally dislodged enough dirt to wiggle the box around. He got a grip on the edges and freed it from the earth, hefting it awkwardly up and onto the sandy ground. It looked like it had been made of a dark greenish metal, but now it was covered in dirt and rust. Julian stood up and walked in a circle around the box, studying it from all sides. It was smaller than the treasure chest he’d imagined—a little smaller than his dad’s toolbox—and a lot lighter. Maybe it was stuffed with cash instead of gold bricks or coins. The bills would be old and brittle, but he was sure the bank would still take them, as long as they hadn’t been eaten by bugs. Maybe they’d even be worth more, like his grandpa’s coin collection.

  Julian wiped his sweaty palms on his jeans, squatted down, and reached for the thin metal latch on the front of the metal container.

  It wouldn’t budge. It was rusted shut.

  Julian tried to pry it open with the butt of his flashlight. But the latch was frozen in place.

  “Let me try.” Bryan set down his flashlight and took the box from Julian. He placed it on the ground and banged a rock against the rusty latch until it broke off. The dented lid gaped like an open mouth. Julian and Bryan looked at each other. They took a deep breath and opened the lid the rest of the way. The weathered hinges creaked in the quiet clearing. The boys leaned forward to peer inside.

  It was empty.

  Julian picked up the box and shook it. Maybe there was a small diamond or ruby left behind in one of the corners. But nothing rattled. He reached into the box and swept his fingertips across every surface. He felt for a false bottom, like he’d seen in a movie once. He held the box upside down and shook it. Nothing came out. Not even a money-eating beetle. He let the empty box fall to the ground. Star sniffed at it and quickly lost interest.

  Bryan shone his flashlight into the box. He leaped to his feet. He checked where they’d been sitting. He searched the hole and all around the stumps. Star chased the beam as he moved it over the ground. Then he put the flashlight away and pushed both hands into his hair. “Nothing! There’s nothing here!”

  “That’s impossible.” Julian picked up the metal box again, as if something might have magically appeared inside. It was still empty. Everything they’d been through had been for nothing. He didn’t want to believe it. They needed this treasure. They couldn’t go back empty-handed. He’d never be allowed out of the house again, and Star would be sent off to a distant shelter. This felt like his biggest failure ever.

  “There has to be a different one. This isn’t it. It’s just someone’s old lunch box or something. I bet if we keep digging . . .” Julian trailed off. Deep down, he knew this was it. He and Bryan had put their heads together and figured out where the long-lost treasure was hidden. His map had led them right to it. Except someone else had gotten there first.

  “Why didn’t whoever found it post it online?” Bryan said. “It’s not fair to everyone else!”

  “Maybe the bandits came back for it and never told anyone. Maybe it hasn’t been here for a hundred years.” Julian imagined thieves sneaking back into these woods, digging up their gold, then burying the empty box as a big joke. He was crushed. They’d come all this way and risked everything with Star for nothing. The treasure wasn’t real. They’d never even had a chance.

  Finding the box empty was almost worse than not finding it at all. Both boys’ faces were smudged with dirt, and their shoulders were slumped with disappointment as they trudged back over the land bridge, leaving Western Island and the empty box behind them. They hadn’t reburied it or filled in the hole. If any other treasure hunters came along after them, they’d know it was a dead end right away. When they got to the opposite shore, Bryan stopped short. The woods were pitch-black. “Is there another way?” he asked. “Maybe one without bears?”

  Julian wasn’t looking forward to the trek through the dark woods either. He was exhausted. Even without the treasure, his backpack seemed heavier than when they’d started. He wished he was already at home in his warm pajamas. He took out his flashlight and checked the map. “We can cut through this edge of the woods. Then it looks like there are old railroad tracks we can follow back to the main road. This should keep us off that farm, too.”

  “Let’s go that way,” Bryan said.

  The three of them started walking home in silence. The snacks were long gone, and the boys hadn’t thought to bring jackets. They zipped their hoodies against the cool night breeze. It would be long after dark when they got home, and they knew they’d both be in big trouble. But they were so cold, hungry, and disappointed that they couldn’t even get upset about being grounded for the rest of their lives. Julian just hoped he’d be allowed to see Star again. He reached down to pet her soft, warm fur. She rubbed against his leg, then pulled ahead, her tail wagging. As far as she was concerned, they were still on a great adventure.

  They found the train tracks right where Julian’s map said they would be. The moon had started to rise, casting a warm light over the rails, which seemed to stretch on forever. They were overgrown with weeds, and the wooden ties looked old and split. They walked down the middle of the tracks toward home.

  The boys didn’t talk much, as if all conversation had been drained out of them. Star could tell that they were bummed, and she nuzzled their hands as if trying to cheer them up.

  After they’d been walking for what felt like an hour, they stopped at the edge of an old steel rail bridge that carried the tracks across the river. According to Julian’s map, the road was just on the other side of it.

  Bryan paused to take a drink of water. Julian took out his water bottle, too, and offered some to Star in her bowl. But Star wouldn’t even look at the water. She seemed agitated, pacing back and forth. Julian understood. He was eager to get home too.

  The boys put their water bottles away and surveyed the journey ahead. The bridge was just wide enough for one train to pass. There was no walkway. They would have to walk right down the tracks.

  “What if a train comes while we’re on the bridge?” Bryan asked quietly.

  Julian swallowed hard. “It looks so old—do you think any trains still go over it?”

  Bryan shook his head. “I really hope not.”

  With a solemn nod, Julian stepped out onto the bridge and began to make his way across. Star trotted close by his side, but the farther along they got, the more the dog tried to pull them back the way they had come.

  “I think she’s afraid of crossing,” Julian said over his shoulder to Bryan, who marched right behind him.

  “That makes two of us,” Bryan said. “Do you think this is safe?”

  “Just be careful where you step,” Julian said. “I’m sure it’s fine.”

  Bryan craned his neck to look over the bridge railing without getting too
close. Moonlight shone on the dark water churning far below. “It’s a long way down.”

  Julian stepped carefully over a big gap in the wood beneath their feet. Star leaped gracefully over it, but as soon as she landed, she froze. Julian stopped short, and Bryan nearly bumped into him.

  “Hang on.” Julian squatted down and signaled to Star. She came to him for a second, but then tried to pull him back in the other direction. When he didn’t budge, she looked him square in the eye, held his gaze, and whined, as if she were desperate to tell him something.

  Julian sighed. “I know it’s scary,” he said soothingly. “But it’s the only way home. I promise we’ll be over the bridge before you know it.”

  “The sooner the better,” Bryan said. “Come on, Star—I don’t like this any more than you do.”

  Julian wrapped the leash around his hand so he could keep Star close. She walked with him, but her ears were pinned back against her head and she kept glancing around with big, worried eyes. Julian gave her lots of thumbs-up signs to encourage her. He thought about his grandpa and Liberty and all the scary situations they must have gone through together. “You’re being so brave, girl. Look—we’re almost halfway there.”

  “Julian?” This time, Bryan had stopped short.

  “Wha—” Before Julian could get the rest of the sentence out, he felt something that made him fall silent. It was . . . what was it? He focused on the strange sensation rising up from his feet—a faint vibration through the soles of his shoes. At first it felt like pins and needles, but then it became more of a rumble than a tingle. He and Bryan locked eyes, both boys realizing what was happening at the exact same time. They suddenly understood what Star had been trying to tell them: She wasn’t afraid of the bridge. She was afraid of the train!

  “Run!” Julian and Bryan screamed in unison.

  The train was getting closer. They heard it clearly in the distance, and they raced ahead as quickly as they could, leaping over bumpy boards and missing planks. Star led the way. She might not be able to hear it, but she’d felt it coming long before they did. The rumbling beneath their feet grew more intense. Julian glanced over his shoulder and saw the moonlight glinting off the front of the train, which was now bearing down on them in the darkness. The engine roared through the woods behind them.

  In another second, it would reach the bridge. They weren’t going to make it across in time.

  Julian kept his eyes on the tracks, too scared to look behind him again. The rails vibrated as the train got closer and closer, and soon the whole bridge felt as if it were being shaken by a giant. Right behind Julian, Bryan stumbled over a crack and barely managed to keep his footing. Julian reached out to steady his friend. With one hand holding the leash and the other on Bryan’s arm, he pulled Bryan forward, both of them breathing hard. They had to keep moving, even though there was no way they could outrun a train. Maybe Star could if she wasn’t on her leash, but she didn’t try to pull away. She wasn’t going to leave the boys behind.

  Suddenly Star stopped short, and to Julian’s horror, she dove through a gaping hole in the wood at their feet, disappearing from view. Julian’s heart leaped into his throat. Where was she? Did Star just jump into the water? But the bridge was way too high—she would never survive! He looked up at Bryan, who was staring with wide, shocked eyes at the place where Star had disappeared. Behind him, Julian saw the train barreling toward them, a huge black shadow against the night sky.

  Julian’s mind spiraled through a thousand terrified and heartbreaking thoughts at once, but one was more urgent than all the others: They had to keep moving. But no way would he leave without Star. He looked down at the leash wrapped around his wrist, and that’s when it hit him—the leash hadn’t gone taut! Star hadn’t fallen—she had to be right below them!

  “Down!” Julian shouted at Bryan. With not a half second to waste, the boys dropped down into a gap in the boards just wide enough for them to slip through. They landed on the wide steel beams of the trestle below and crawled over to where Star crouched, waiting for them.

  They had followed her blindly, trusting her with their lives for the second time that day, and they had made it to safety just in time. The steel shook around them as the train thundered overhead. Julian felt like his heart was beating louder than the train itself. He tried not to think about how old and rickety the bridge felt. Bryan covered his ears with his hands.

  Star panted as she cowered against Julian. She might not be able to hear the train, but she was feeling it as it passed—it was as if the whole world were rumbling around them. Julian wrapped his arms around the trembling dog to comfort her. His hand touched something wet, and Star flinched. Julian looked down. In the bars of moonlight shining through the gaps in the boards above, he could see that the pattern on her back had changed. The white fur on Star’s side was soaked and matted with blood.

  ★ Chapter 20 ★

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  Julian held Star as close as he could without hurting her. Between the booming train and his worry that she was badly hurt, Julian was shaking too. She pressed against him, whining softly. In the cramped space below the tracks, it was impossible to get a better look. All he knew was that she was in pain.

  The last car of the train passed overhead, sucking the air along with it. The sound of the churning wheels faded quickly, and they were left in silence. Julian sat still, his arm around Star, until her shaking—and the pounding of his heart—began to subside.

  Julian looked around. The opening they’d dived into to escape the train was a narrow, awkward space set between two steel pillars. It was barely enough room to hold them all, and it was dangerous in its own right. There were shards of broken wood and bent steel rods scattered around. It was a miracle they had made it down there safely. Or mostly had. Not Star.

  “She’s bleeding,” Julian said.

  “Is she okay?” Bryan gasped.

  “I think so. But we need to get her out of here.”

  Bryan stood up as much as he could in the low space and poked his head out by the tracks, like a groundhog making sure the coast was clear. He scrambled up the trestle and lay down on the walkway above, then reached back down for Star. Julian held the dog up to Bryan and climbed up after her.

  Star cried out as Julian carried her, as gently as he could, to solid ground at the end of the bridge. Each howl pierced through Julian. They set her down in the grass, and she took a few steps before lying down with a whimper.

  “She’s really hurt.” Julian’s voice was shaking. “She’s bleeding pretty bad.”

  “She must have cut herself on one of the beams or something.” Bryan knelt beside Star and took a red nylon pouch out of his backpack. His first-aid kit had bandages, gauze, and little packets of antibiotic cream. He shone his flashlight on Star, but with her thick fur darkened by blood, they couldn’t tell exactly where the injury was or how badly she was hurt. They didn’t think any of the bandages were big enough to help her, and they didn’t know how they’d get the gauze to stick to her fur anyway. All they knew for sure was that they had to get her to the vet.

  “Maybe we can call for help.” Bryan took out his phone. He stared at the screen longer than necessary before putting it away, looking defeated. “Still no signal. We must be too far from town.”

  “We need to carry her.” Julian took off his sweatshirt and wrapped it around the shaking dog. The cool night air raised goose bumps on his bare arms. Bryan put away his useless first-aid kit and helped Julian tie the sweatshirt around Star. As carefully as he could, Julian lifted her into his arms and started walking. She was so much lighter than he expected. With all her energy and personality, he’d thought she’d weigh a ton, but it was like carrying a basket of laundry.

  “You’ll be okay,” he whispered into her soft ear. Even though she couldn’t hear him, she felt his breath and whined in response.

  Bryan kept the flashlight trained on the ground in front of Julian so he wouldn’t tri
p on anything. They made sure to walk as far away from the train tracks as they could without losing sight of them. The tracks felt unlucky now. The whole adventure had turned unlucky. Bryan kept up a steady chatter about trains, warning Julian about rocks and reassuring him that they were close to the road. Bryan insisted that he could hear cars in the distance. Julian wasn’t sure he believed him, but he appreciated Bryan’s encouragement as he carried Star through the night. Bryan even made sure to give Star plenty of thumbs-ups and scratches on the head to help comfort her.

  “She’s shivering,” Julian said, his voice cracking with emotion. It was heartbreaking to think that Star was suffering right there in his arms and there was nothing he could do about it. He could feel her blood soaking through his sweatshirt. Bryan stopped walking and sacrificed his own sweatshirt. Julian set Star down so they could wrap the second layer around her, bundling her up as best as they could.

  “Do you want me to carry her?” Bryan offered.

  “No. I’ve got her.” Julian shook out the tired muscles of his arms. He lifted Star and kept going.

  “We’re not far,” Bryan promised, shining the flashlight ahead of them.

  Julian began to doubt his estimate of how far it was from the bridge to the road. He was really good at reading maps, but maybe he’d gotten it wrong this time. Maybe they weren’t anywhere near the road and would just keep walking until they reached Canada. He was just about to stop to check the map and rest his arms when he heard the soft whoosh of tires on pavement. A tiny bit of hope flared inside him, giving him the energy to cross the last fifty feet through the underbrush. They’d made it out of the wilderness. They could get help for Star now.

  Julian gently laid the dog in the grass by the side of the road. He sat beside her, stroking the fur on her head. Her breaths were quick and shallow, her eyes half closed. Julian wished he had a way to tell her she’d be okay. Even though he wasn’t sure if she was really seeing him, he gave her a shaky thumbs-up as he fought back tears.