8 Run for Your Lives!

8 RUN FOR YOUR LIVES! It was still hot and muggy in the Frog Creek woods. Jack and Annie were wearing their own clothes again. Ben's clothes hadn't changed. He had on the same outfit he'd worn in Old Philadelphia—from his white ruffled collar to his buckle shoes. "What…what happened?" he asked Jack and Annie. He looked a bit dazed. "Where are we? What are you wearing?" "These are the clothes we wear in our time, in 2019," said Annie. "The tree house brought you to our time and our hometown —Frog Creek, Pennsylvania." "I—I don't understand," said Ben. He

seemed to have difficulty breathing. "Try to relax," Annie said softly. "I promise you're safe." Ben closed his eyes. His breathing slowly returned to normal. "All right, I feel better now," he said. Ben reached out the window and plucked a leaf from a branch of the oak tree. "Well, this is real," he said. "But it is all very strange. I wonder what science would have to say about this." "I think we have to forget about science for now," said Jack. "Think of your journey to the future as a—" "A big mystery," said Annie. "A big mystery," Ben whispered. "Yes. There are many things science cannot explain. Time itself is a mystery." "Exactly," said Jack. "Time is a mystery." Ben shook his head. He looked troubled. Then he clapped his hands. "So be it! Time is a mystery!" He grinned. "Show me my future

country!" "Okay!" said Jack, relieved. "We'll go first and hold the ladder for you again." Jack and Annie hurried down the rope ladder. Annie carried Ben's walking stick under her arm. Then she and Jack held the ladder steady for Ben. Ben climbed down slowly. When he reached the ground, he looked around with amazement. "Ready to take a walk?" said Annie. "Yes, yes!" said Ben. "Lead the way!" Annie handed Ben his walking stick. Then they all started through the woods. As they walked, Ben smiled at the trees and birds. "Maple, oak, beech, robin, wren, woodpecker," he said. "No different from the ones at home…" Jack stopped at the edge of the woods. "Okay. Some things outside the woods will be different," he said to Ben. "I just want to warn you."

"Don't be afraid," said Annie. "Oh, my dear, I have been all over the world," Ben said. "I have lived in France and England. I have spent time with kings and queens. I even helped fight a revolution. I fear nothing." "Great. Let's go," said Jack. He and Annie led Ben out of the woods. "What is that?" said Ben, startled. He pointed his walking stick at the road. "Your roadway—it is smooth and black!" "It's paved with asphalt," said Jack. Ben stooped to feel the road. "Oh, my…so flat and clean!" he said. "Yeah, I guess," said Jack. He'd never thought much about a smoothly paved road. But at this moment, it did seem special, compared to the dirty, bumpy cobblestone streets in Ben's city. A green station wagon came around the corner. The driver honked her horn.

"Ahhh!" Ben said, jumping back. He stared after the car as it drove down the road. "What—what was that?" "A car," said Annie. "Cars are like carts and buggies," Jack said quickly, "except they have engines instead of horses. They move much faster." "They won't hurt you," said Annie, "if you don't step into the street in front of them."

Ben pulled out his handkerchief. "Oh my goodness. All right…," he murmured, wiping his face. "That was truly amazing." "It's pretty ordinary to us," said Annie. "Really?" said Ben. "Then let us proceed." They started up the sidewalk. Jack was relieved that Frog Creek was an old- fashioned-looking town. Most houses were not that different from the ones in Ben's time. But Ben pointed to a sprinkler spraying a lawn. "What is that?" he said. "It waters the grass," said Jack. "Ah," said Ben. He pointed at the power lines alongside the road. "I don't understand —why are your clotheslines so high?" Annie laughed. "Those aren't clotheslines! They're power lines and telephone lines," she said. "The power lines carry electricity into all the buildings," said Jack. "And—"