Cyrus LongBones Box Set

time ago. I don’t like talking about it. But you stayaway from that fence. And if you see glowing blue lights, you run.”
The blood seemed to have drained from Niels’ face. Glowing blue lights,hadn’t Edward mentioned something like that?
“I’m not going anywhere near that place,” Cyrus said.
“I hope you lie better than that if the Mayor’s men catch you. They’renot joking when they say they’ll hang you by the neck or worse.”
A small tremor shook the earth.
“An earthquake?” Cyrus gasped.
“It’s okay,” Niels said, “Mom’s been drilling a few new wells.Supposedly, they happened daily with all the well drilling during the Hoblkalf Water Works Project.”
Cyrus did not feel reassured.
“I’ll be back in time for dinner,” he said, turning in the direction ofthe nearby woods.
“Be careful,” Niels whispered after him.
Cyrus made his way quietly through the forest until he was out ofearshot of his home. Then, like a fugitive, he started to dash through the woods,springing over fences and ducking under fallen trees.
He passed a grey mill bordering the VirkelotRing Road and took cover behind ablue-leafed bush. To the left of the structure, a windmill resembling alarge, wooden dandelion spun in the wind, pumping water up from the earth, intoa nearby water tower.
Inside the mill, an old grey-haired man drank from a flask and mumbledto himself about the good old days as he tinkered with the mill saw’s motor.
The steam engine resembled a large tin drum resting on its side withbelts and pistons rising through its casing. Out the back, an exhaust pipedripped water into a small canal. The engine’s excess moisture, along with manyother village machines, helped feed tiny waterwheels, dams and other suchmechanisms before flowing out into the South River.
Cyrus hunched low. A twig snapped underfoot.
“Wha-, who’s out there?” the old man asked, lookingup from his work.
Cyrus’ senses spiked. He took a deep breath, then sped across the gravelstreet and plunged into Hekswood Forest.
“Wha- the Sea Zombie…” he heard from the oldman’s direction.
Cyrus ran so fast down the trail that he nearly crashed face first intothe Dead Fence. Ignoring his brother’s warning, and village law, he threw hislunch over the wall and climbed, struggling, to the other side. Then, withinthe forbidden part of the forest, he snatched up his bag and continued towardsthe seashore.
Dawn blanketed the coast in a dark blue hue. The setting moon rimmedrocks and trees with a silvery sheen. The stars glistened like gold dust, andthe breeze felt brisk and light. With time running out, Cyrus tucked his hairbehind his pointed ears and ran towards his best friend’s tree.
Cyrus found Edward snoozing in one of the silk hammocks he had taughtthe spider to make.
“Edward?”
The little hammock shifted and sagged.
“Cyrus?” the spider asked, through half-shut eyes.
“Get up. We’re going.”
Edward sat straight up and accidentally flipped out of his bed, landinglike a plump berry in Cyrus’ open hand.
“Right now?” Edward asked.
“Yes, quick, before sunrise,” Cyrus said, dashing towards the cave.
Within the cavern, Cyrus lit the lantern. The contours of the boatappeared out of the inky blackness.
“Secure the jib and mainsheet. I’ll go out and block the river,” he said, setting Edward down on the boat.
“What if it’s not safe over on the island?” Edward asked.
His two eyes grew moist, and hisseven legs began to tremble.
“That’s why we’re going over to explore it first, make sure it’s safe,”Cyrus said, “If it is, we’ll come back tonight, steal some supplies and leavetomorrow for good.”
The little spider nodded, took a deep breath, and began to spin silk tofasten the sails. Cyrus ran from under the waterfall and followed the SouthRiver over the stone tile, up into the forest.
He found the rope tied to the stone counterbalance and lowered the boardand ball down from the trees. Then, searching his pockets, he collected thethree pins of slightly varying thicknesses. Kneeling down, he slid the boardinto place, locked the lever and tried securing it with the first pin. The steelwas too thin. The lever unlocked. He tossed the pin aside and tried the second.The steel was too thick. Wrenching it free, he dropped the fat piece and triedthe third. It was even thicker.
“No…” he breathed.
His head grew light, and his blackenedeye ached. What was he going to do? He could not stand to be on that miserableisland a day longer than needed. And would Niels let him back into the shed?Why had he not grabbed a few more pins just in case? Keep your head; there’s got to be a way to fix this, hethought. Then it occurred to him. He fought back the panic, took the fattest ofthe three pins and began to work it into the hole. The wood bit and stiffenedaround the steel. He picked up a rock and started to hammer at the pin. He lookedup. Would someone hear? He decided he did not care. He was too close to escaping for good. He pounded the steel cleanthrough, forcing the hole wider. Then again, he tried the medium-sized piece.It jammed. He worked it around a few times until it fit perfectly. He fell to his seat, relieved and out of breath. Theriver had been dammed, and the waterfallwould not impede their craft’s voyage.
Back along the shore, he ran through the trickling fall and into the cave.Edward skittered across the boom and bit a loose thread from the mainsheet.
“That’s the last of it,” he said, springing onto Cyrus’ arm.
“Then this is it.”
It was time. Time to do what he had planned to do, dreamed of doing forso long. Cyrus grew hot and clammy. What if all the stories were true, the monsters,the Sea Zombie? He thought of the alternative, going home to his stepmother. Hemade up his mind. He walked to the ledge, collected the lantern and placed itin the boat. Then he moved to the bow and began to drag the craft out of thecave and towards the sea.
“Edward, hold on.”
He hauled the boat over the grating sand,through the pool where the waterfall had previously poured, and into the ocean.The cold water lashed at his legs as waves crashed over the