running through the fields i saw the sun rising in the east and knew the day was approaching. but i still hadn't found harvey, and i was beginning to worry. why did mom have to let him out? what if he had gotten into old man river's yard? what if he ran off and never came back? what if he ran off and never wanted to come back? i tripped and fell down right next to a giant hole; it was a good thing i tripped or i would have ran right into it. ordown it, as the case may be. my first thought was of harvery, hurting, down at the bottom of the hole. i called out his name; nothing. i heard the birds in the trees to the west, and i heard the rustle of the early morning breze through the tall grass. then i heard something faint. something small, something far away. something down in the hole. or maybe it was my imagination. i called out harvey's name again, and thought about the sight of my dog, falling down the hole, hurt, or...even worse. i needed to get down there. standing up i walked around frantically looking for some way to get down there. no way...there was no way i could get into this hole...but then i my heart skiddered as i heard something coming from it again, something a little louder, like a whisper. but then i heard a bark over my shoulder and saw harvey standing by the trees. i instantly forgot the hole and called out to him, and he was there wagging his tail, his tongue sticking out. he barked, and i started running after him, although this time i minded the ground to make sure i didn't find any more holes. when i got about thirty feet from him he trotted off to the nearest tree and disappeared behind it. i started running faster, and got to the tree. i looked around and saw another hole. and harvey's tracks going right into it. the birds chirped in the tree, the sun was now starting to feel warm. i looked down in the hole and called out for harvey. then i noticed something else on the ground -- blood. harveys? A bird...or crooks? using this as a hideout, maybe? there was that bank robbery...last week. i called out to Harvey nervously and then heard the rumblings of a truck behind me. i instantly crouched down and looked around. driving into the field was a truck. beat up, rusty, old, like grandpa old. i watched as they drove to the first hole i found, stopped, and got out. the men were disturbingly frail-looking, sallow, grey, and the morning sun did nothing but make them look as if they wanted nothing to do with sunlight. they wore old, ragged, black clothes and then i saw a shimmer of light as the sun ricocheted off a gun that the one man was carrying under his shoulder in a holster. they pulled out what looked like a small sandbags from the back and threw them into the hole then turned. they started walking. they started walking towards me. i was behind the tree and couldn't see anything else to hide behind. i couldn't run; the nearest tree was about twenty feet off, and then i heard the sound -- a whisper, maybe -- coming from the hole i was half in. Harvey, i thought. they were getting closer and i started to hear their voices clearer, although i couldn't make out the words. they spoke like barbed wire. i looked down the hole and, heart racing, let it swallow me up so i could try and
escape.
escape.