Free Jack Staples and the Ring of Time by Mark Batterson Page A

the doctor. “Alexia,” she said sternly, “we don’t throw things at people when we disagree with them.”
    Fire flashed in Alexia’s eyes, but when she looked at Jack’s mother, she nodded sharply. Without a word she stalked from the kitchen. Both Jack and Doctor Falvey watched her go with a look of incredulity.
    “And you, Patrick Falvey,” Jack’s mother said, “might want to work on your manners as well.”
    Doctor Falvey shook his head angrily. “That girl almost killed me, and you tell me to mind my manners?”
    Jack’s mother let the doctor’s comment pass, and instead reminded him of the circus fire from a week earlier. “Everyone keeps talking about this beast in the woods. What else do you think it is, if not a lion?”
    Doctor Falvey grudgingly agreed it was “possible that a lion was roaming the woods of Ballylesson.” After admitting this, he stalked out of the house.
    He paused on the porch, turned back, and said, “If there is a lion in these woods, we’ll get him. We’ll hang the beast’s hide in the center of town for everyone to see.”
    Jack and his mother both turned to see if Alexia was there. There would be no stopping her if she’d heard. Fortunately for Doctor Falvey, Alexia was nowhere to be found.
     
    Every day contained at least one unbelievable outburst from Alexia. And with each eruption, Jack’s mother gave her new instructions. “Alexia,” she would say in a firm, yet loving voice, “you shouldn’t punch or kick people.” Or, “Alexia, it’s not nice to scream at someone just because you don’t like them.” Or, “Alexia, my dear. You really shouldn’t threaten to feed people to lions. It’s better to sit and talk things through when someone does something you don’t like.”
    Besides Alexia’s constant craziness, her table manners were absolutely dreadful. She slurped her food, rarely said “thank you,” and used her hands as often as her fork or spoon. If a piece of meat needed to be cut, she was just as likely to grab it with her fingers and tear at it with her teeth as she was to pick up a knife and fork.
    In these moments, Jack would give his mother a disbelieving look. Yet his mother would say nothing of it. And more than once she had joined Alexia and began eating with her hands as well! The whole thing confused Jack.
    He couldn’t wait for his brother to return. He needed to talk to someone about it all. He never quite knew what to say to Alexia, so for the moment, he decided to say nothing. Any time they found themselves it the same room, Jack quickly found a reason to be elsewhere. Only at meals did they spend any time together. And other than when he’d asked her to pass the potatoes, not a word had passed between them.
    Except for the fact that his father and brother had been away far too long and they had a crazy girl living with them, except for the fact that the town of Ballylesson was still living in fear of the beast in the woods, and except for his school being closed, life began to once again feel normal. It wasn’t the normal Jack was used to, but even insanity, if experienced long enough, can start to feel like a certain kind of normal.
    After waiting another five days for Parker to return, Jack began to feel as if he would explode if he didn’t talk to someone. Late on the evening of the fifth night, he walked into the kitchen to find his mother washing up. Alexia had gone up to her room a few minutes earlier.
    “Mother, I need to tell you something,” Jack said fearfully.
    “I know,” she answered with a smile. “It’s been obvious something has been on your mind for days now. But I knew you would tell me when you were good and ready. Come, let’s go out to the yard and talk there.” She held out her hand and waited for Jack to take it.
    Once outside, his mother lay on the grass and patted the ground next to her. “Come, my boy. Lie down and tell me what’s been on your mind.”
    Jack took his position in the grass, then