Author’s Note:  Trixie Belden® is the registered trademark of Golden Books (Western Publishing).  This story is not for profit. 

I was so tired I hadn’t noticed the hunger.  Now I waited for two girls I hardly knew to bring me food.

Could I trust them?  It was hard to trust anyone after Jonesy.  What if they had gone to the police or told their parents?  I’ve already told them too much.

My heart began to pound.  Blood rushing into my head.  Get your stuff together.  Go!  Leave while you can.

Breathe, breathe. 
Don’t forget your christening mug. 
Keep the gun close by, anyone could arrive at any moment.

All done. 
You’ve got everything – leave. 
Leave now. 
Jump through the window and run. 

Pause. 
Breathe. 
Blue eyes burnt into my mind. 
What was it about her?  The way she looked at me. 
Her eyes…  they reminded me of…

Could I trust them? 
I felt the window sill under my hand.  
I rocked back and forward – half of me wanting to vault through it, half of me wanting to stay.

Could I trust them?

I saw her smile again.  Exhale….

“Jim!  It’s okay, it’s Trixie and Honey.”

It was her.  It was okay.  There was that smile again.

They were here, they brought food, I had to trust them. 
Relax. 
Breathe.

Bob, Bob-White. 
The whistle. 
Now I would know it was them. 
I can trust them, can’t I? 
Breathe.

And the food. 
They watched me eat.  Chicken, cold milk and lemon meringue pie. 
How long had it been since I ate pie?  Not since…

“I think we ought to start right now searching for the hidden treasure.”

There was excitement in her voice. 
Her eyes sparkled. 
Those blue eyes that looked into me, not just at me.

“How do you know there is any hidden treasure, Trixie?”

I said her name for the first time, my tone teasing.  And she smiled at me like she’d known me forever.

“What’s the idea, Jim, of scaring Honey half to death with crazy stories about mad animals?”

Lump rising in my throat.
Ignore her tone, she’s just teasing. 
This is serious. 

“They’re not crazy.  I saw a mad weasel once, and I’ll never forget it…  I killed it with a rock and saved the body to show Dad, who was a naturalist, you know…  Dad said an infected dog had probably bitten the weasel.”

She sniffed.  I froze, then she said it.

“I never heard of such a thing.  I’ll bet you made the whole thing up.”

BANG!  The gun went off inside my head. 
Blood rushing, anger forcing out words I had no chance to consider.

“There’s one thing you’d better find out right now, Trixie Belden.  I never make things up.”

Anger.  Shame.  Embarrassment.  RUN!

Through the window... 
Feet pounding, lungs burning, running until I could no longer see.

Collapsing, falling, choking…   sobbing.

It scared me.  My anger. 
I was beginning to trust her, how could she not trust me? 
Is that why I…   

Breathe.  
Breathe. 
I don’t like seeing that look in her eyes.  I thought maybe she…

Maybe I should go.  How can I face her again? 

So alone. 
I have no one, except maybe them… 
Did she mean it? 
Was she serious? 
Oh, why did I react like that?

I can’t let myself rely on them. 
You’ve got to figure out what you’re going to do.   

You can’t stay here Jim.  You can’t fall for her…