Free Virginia Hamilton by Justice, Her Brothers: The Justice Cycle (Book One) Page B

with wheels they had scrounged. They picked up drop cloths to cover the kettledrums. Then they placed the drums on the dolly.
    She held the gate wide open for them as they strained to handle the dolly through. And surprised she was to see porch lights on at the house. Justice thought how sweet the lights looked, of safety, as her brothers struggled up the backyard.
    She took a last look at the field. Nothing much to see but night coming quickly on. A field of grass darkening. When she was older, she would take a turn mowing it—she would make them let her. Osage trees were one mass. Houses down there—Dorian’s, the Stevenson place next to his—were all of them lighted. She felt warm. The night had stayed hot.
    When is it gonna cool?
    She had a jumble of thoughts. Who would’ve thought the Pickle and Cream Gang was here minutes ago?
    And drums. And rolling noise.
    Loved it, too. Every minute. Hope it happens again.
    Good night, everybody, she thought to houses down the field.
    ’Night, Cottonwoman, see you tomorrow.
    Justice waited, but there was no real answer from the cottonwood tree.
    Already asleep, Justice thought. Vaguely, she wondered if the cottonwoman had heard her.
    Anyone can race a snake. Nothing to it.
    Pulling the gate closed, she reached the house in two leaps, it felt like, of her churning legs.
    Before darkness could trip her up and right after Thomas had closed the door in her face.

4
    S HE HAD A JUMP rope and had wound it around her wrists to shorten it. Already, she had jumped hundreds of times without missing, and she was still jumping.
    She was singing, “One-day. Stew-day. A bake-day, coming up,” but her lips didn’t move.
    In the field, the osage trees bowed down, waving at her with the slow motion of plants under water.
    “Four-day. Boil-day. Here’s a Fry-day.”
    It was night in the field. She could see as though it were day. Midday sun warmed her back, although there was no sun shining. The sun-night didn’t seem odd to her.
    Jumping rope made a noise—whum-uhk—each time the rope turned through the air and hit the ground. She jumped in an old pair of boots belonging to Thomas. They were too big and floppy, and half full of rainwater. Her socks were soaked through, but she didn’t mind. Everything around her, the whole field, was black and shiny with rain.
    Must’ve poured real hard.
    The field became a glistening river. Justice stopped the rope to get a better look at it. But she couldn’t stop jumping. With each jump, she came closer to the river water.
    Don’t fall in!
    She curled her toes, screaming, and made no sound. She held her breath to keep from jumping. Yet, in no time she was at the edge of the black river.
    The rope shivered in her hands. Cool and leathery, it wiggled and slithered. She let go of it and it dropped into her boot. Tightening around her ankle, the rope bit her toes.
    Justice fell into the river on her stomach. She held her breath until the need for air forced her to breathe water. Black water filled her nostrils and her mouth. She gulped it down eagerly, hoping to drink up the river before she had to become a fish.
    Something pounded and pounded as she woke up. Gasping for air, Justice sat straight up and nearly screamed out of fear. Slowly, she came to recognize her room. She was in bed, where she was supposed to be. The pounding was her own heart racing.
    The dream vanished completely in her warm, dry room, with the earliest morning light pressed against the windows.
    My nose is stuffed up. Maybe why I couldn’t breathe.
    She had kicked her covers into a ball at the foot of the bed. Her pillow was on the floor.
    I’m never going to sleep again.
    Frightened, she would’ve liked to call for her mom.
    Must be still very early.
    Instead of calling out, she managed to straighten the sheet and blanket and pull them over her. Leaning out over the edge of the bed, she snatched her pillow from the floor as if plucking a babe from water. And curled herself