Chapter 9

CHAPTER 9 As Danny hurried past his house, he barely recognized his new neighborhood. Cars sped by. People were running through the streets, shouting. A truck rumbled past with a man hanging out the passenger window. He was yelling through a bullhorn. "All military personnel! Report to your posts! We are under attack! We are under attack! This is not a drill! America is under attack by Japan!"

Military men were rushing out of their front doors, buttoning their uniform shirts as they ran, calling out good-byes to their wives and children. "Take the kids up to the cane fields!" one yelled. "Hide if you have to! I'll find you when this is over!" Some of the ladies stood in the doorways and cried. Danny ran across the street to the beach. Through a curtain of smoke across the harbor, Danny could see the planes pummeling the battleships, flying low, firing their guns, and then circling back for another attack. The noises pounded in Danny's ears. Boom. Boom. Boom. BOOM! Rat, tat, tat, tat. Keeeee POW! Where was Ma? Was she safe in the hospital, or were the Japanese trying to blow that up too? How would he get to her? Tears came into Danny's eyes. And then suddenly something appeared through the smoke. One of the planes had peeled

away and was heading his way. Danny expected it to loop around and head back to the harbor. But it was coming toward the beach. Straight for Danny. Danny stood there, frozen by fear. He watched as the plane got closer and closer, until he could see the pilot. The man looked very young. He had a white rag tied around his head. He wore goggles. His plane had big red circles on both sides. Danny remembered Mrs. Mills's classroom. She had pictures of all the flags of the world lined up. Japan's was a white flag with a red ball in the middle. The red ball was supposed to be the rising sun, Mrs. Mills said. But now all Danny could think of was a ball of fire.

There was a terrible roaring sound. Rat, tat, tat, tat. Rat tat tat tat. Sand flew up all around Danny. Machine-gun fire! Why was the pilot shooting at Danny? Danny ran across the sand. But there was nowhere to hide.

The roar of the plane got louder as Danny ran. Rat, tat, tat, tat. Rat tat tat tat. Behind him, there was an explosion so enormous that the ground beneath Danny seemed to rise up. His head smashed against the sand. And then he couldn't see anything at all.