An Excerpt from The 25th Hour (Book One in The Adventures of Mackenzie Mortimer):
That afternoon, Tucker walked Brooke home from school. He glanced behind his shoulder. “It’s weird. He could be anywhere. My stepfather might be watching me now.”
Brooke grasped his hand. “Don’t worry. He wouldn’t dare come near you before the trial. And once you tell the court all the terrible things he did to you, they’ll put him away for a long, long time.”
Tucker sighed. “I don’t know if I can. It’s not easy to talk about, especially to a courtroom filled with strangers.”
Brooke gazed into his eyes. “You can do it. I know you can. You told me.”
“That was different. I felt comfortable with you. We were sharing our lives; you told me about your suicide attempt and all your problems at home. You were like a sparrow with a broken wing and I wanted to protect you and help you fly again.”
She smiled. “A sparrow with a broken wing?”
“I found one in the woods, once. I brought it home and kept it in a shoebox. I fed it seeds and worms.”
Brooke frowned. “Eww, worms.” She laughed. “That was sweet of you, though. Did its wing mend?”
Tucker turned sullen and gazed down. “No. My stepfather found the shoebox in my room and…” He swallowed. “He didn’t think I should have pets.”
A horrified look crossed Brooke’s face. “He didn’t…?”
Tucker nodded. “I buried it in the woods where I had found it.” He brushed a tear from his eye. “It seemed like the right thing to do.”
Brooke grasped his hand. “Don’t worry. He wouldn’t dare come near you before the trial. And once you tell the court all the terrible things he did to you, they’ll put him away for a long, long time.”
Tucker sighed. “I don’t know if I can. It’s not easy to talk about, especially to a courtroom filled with strangers.”
Brooke gazed into his eyes. “You can do it. I know you can. You told me.”
“That was different. I felt comfortable with you. We were sharing our lives; you told me about your suicide attempt and all your problems at home. You were like a sparrow with a broken wing and I wanted to protect you and help you fly again.”
She smiled. “A sparrow with a broken wing?”
“I found one in the woods, once. I brought it home and kept it in a shoebox. I fed it seeds and worms.”
Brooke frowned. “Eww, worms.” She laughed. “That was sweet of you, though. Did its wing mend?”
Tucker turned sullen and gazed down. “No. My stepfather found the shoebox in my room and…” He swallowed. “He didn’t think I should have pets.”
A horrified look crossed Brooke’s face. “He didn’t…?”
Tucker nodded. “I buried it in the woods where I had found it.” He brushed a tear from his eye. “It seemed like the right thing to do.”
Time is running out… fortunately, Mackenzie Mortimer has a few more minutes than anyone else!
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