Out of Season by Kari Jones Page A

riddle before the stranger—or the weather—destroys their chances.

Chapter One
    Today is going to be great. I head down to the dock to wave goodbye to Mom and Dad. They’re going to Victoria for the day. That means that apart from my sister Ellen, who doesn’t really count, I am totally alone on the island for the whole day.
    On my way back to the house, I plan my day. I can do whatever in the world I want. I’ve lived on this island all twelve years of my life, and this is the first time I have been alone on it for an entire day. If it warms up, I’m going to swim in the water hole. Then I want to check out the spring salmon run off Rudlin Bay.
    First I need a couple of sandwiches, one for right now and one to take with me. I’m going to start the day with a hike to the midden on the other side of the island. A midden is basically an ancient First Nations garbage dump. That sounds gross, but it’s actually really cool. All the gross stuff has decomposed by now, and all that’s left are shells and bones covering a long stretch of beach. I go over there sometimes and sift through it. I have a good collection of bones from that site. But first things first, it’s time to head inside for a snack.
    Unfortunately, as I pull the ham and cheese out of the fridge, Ellen walks in.
    â€œWhat are you doing?” she asks.
    Ellen’s voice has this mocking edge that would normally tick me off, but the last thing I want today is to fight with her, so I answer simply, “Making a sandwich.”
    â€œI can see that, Simon, but why?” Ellen says. This time there’s no ignoring the you-are-so-stupid tone in her voice.
    â€œI’m hungry.” Duh! I don’t say that out loud. I don’t want to risk my day of freedom, after all.
    â€œ That hungry?” she points to the huge amount of food.
    You’d think she could figure it out, but I patiently explain that I’m making food to last a while.
    â€œWhat about your chores?” she says.
    â€œWhat about them?” I ask.
    Ellen puts her hands on her hips and stands between me and the fridge. I’m uncomfortable with where this conversation is going. I don’t want to fight with Ellen today, but I can see my plans for the day disappearing if I let her tell me what to do.
    â€œMom and Dad expect the chores to be done. We’re the keepers while they’re away. They’ve got enough to worry about. You are not going anywhere until you’ve done your chores.”
    I hate it when Ellen speaks to me like that. But I have to admit it’s true. Mom and Dad have a hard day ahead of them. The government’s been closing lighthouses all around here. Dad is sure Discovery Island Lighthouse Station is next. He and Mom are going to tell the people at the ministry about all the things they do: rescue boaters, keep weather records and help the biologists collect data on waves and currents. Man, I hope they can convince them that the lighthouse station should stay open. This is my home !
    â€œI’ll have lots of time for chores,” I say. I start spreading mustard on the bread. Ellen stands there and watches me. She looks so much like Mom right now. Mom doesn’t have to say anything. She has this look. Ellen has it too. Someday my sister is going to make one scary mother. I look back at her, trying to ignore the Mom look, but it’s useless. The look is working. I can feel it.
    â€œOkay, okay, I’ll do my chores first,” I say.
    â€œYou’d better. Then you can do whatever you want.” Ellen smiles sweetly.
    Ha.
    My main job is the boat shed. I keep it tidy so we can pull the boats in quickly during storms. I was rummaging in the shed looking for my fishing rod yesterday, so I know exactly how messy it is. This is going to take forever, half an hour at least!
    I start with the ropes. I coil them properly and hang them in their spot on the wall. Then I organize the crab