Free The Line by Teri Hall

but nothing like that of the long-ago college instructor. This voice sounded friendlier and sad. The words were hard to understand, and parts of the recording were nothing but static. Rachel hit the rewind button and played it again.
    “Hello,” the voice said, followed by some static. Then, “indigo . . . forgive . . . we are desperate . . . help.” More static, then, “. . . if you live . . . danger . . . would not ask if . . . choice. Our . . . die if we cannot get medicine . . . he will wait near the edge . . . green house each day at sunset . . . this message . . . will explain. Please help us.”
    Rachel stared at the corder. She rewound it again and played the message, straining to hear more words through the static. When she realized she wouldn’t be able to, she walked back to her book near the stump and sat down to think. A message. But from whom, and why? Rachel shook the corder hard to get more water out. She set it on a rock in the sun and ate some of her picnic food while she waited for the corder to dry out a bit more. Soon she would have to go back home, because she had promised to go to Bensen with her mother that afternoon.
    After a while she tried the corder again, but the message was no more understandable than before. The words that struck her most were “wait near the edge,” “green house,” and “please help us.” The green house had to mean their greenhouse, the greenhouse on The Property. Someone wanted to meet near the greenhouse. They needed help. And that thing about “indigo”; what was that? The person said it twice, but she couldn’t figure out what it meant. The corder looked pretty old and beat-up, but the date stamp on the message was only two weeks ago.
    She gathered her book and picnic things and slipped the corder into her pocket. She would make it back just in time to meet Vivian if she hurried. The message would have to wait. Who could the person be? Whom did he want to meet? Rachel wondered if she should show Vivian, but she didn’t think she would. It was a mystery, a sort of adventure, and she wanted to keep it to herself for a while longer. Her mom thought everything was dangerous. If she told Vivian about the corder, Rachel knew that she would never see it again.
    She studied the pool for a moment, watching the water from the stream spill into it. Where did the stream come from? She imagined the tiny corder tumbling along on its way to the pool. On its way to her. Then she turned and walked quickly toward home.

CHAPTER 8
    V IVIAN AND RACHEL took the greenhouse utility vehicle to Bensen when they went for supplies. A fine, almost luxurious passenger vehicle was kept charged in the garage next to the main house, but it was covered in a thick layer of dust. Ms. Moore had used it when she still went to town. She had not been to town even once since Vivian and Rachel had come to The Property. So the beautiful vehicle slumbered, a softly glowing red light on the charging meter the only indication it still had any life in it. The utility vehicle was dirty and dinged, but the seats were comfortable. It had ferried Rachel and her mother back and forth to Bensen many times, bouncing over the rough roads dependably.
    The long drive to Bensen was always fun for Rachel. Her mother was usually in a good mood, feeling free and laughing. Today was no different. Vivian asked how Rachel’s first day off had been, and Rachel said it was fine. She told her mother about reading by the stream and having a picnic, but she didn’t mention the corder. Vivian had her read the list of supplies out loud, so she could make sure there was nothing missing that they might need during the next week. By the time they pulled into Bensen, they had added two items; some honey for Ms. Moore’s breakfast muffins and some fresh fish for their own dinner. Fresh fish was pricey, and they rarely indulged.
    “What’s the occasion?” Rachel asked, wondering at the extravagance.
    “We’ll have a little