CHAPTER 23

"Ok, let's go to the top of the mountain to rest. The tent was set up." Edmund Johnson spoke softly to them.

Hearing that they were going up to the top of the mountain, Tina puckered up and said, "Mr. Johnson, are we going to stay on the mountain tonight?"

"Yes. When Madelyn told me you guys were going on a field trip this morning, I checked the weather forecast, and there was a meteor shower tonight."

Edmund Johnson took Madelyn to a makeshift camp on the hill. "Madelyn, you and Tina take a break, and I'll call you later."

Madelyn nodded and drilled into the tent with Tina.

The sun was setting slowly, and a bright moon had crept silently up the hill.

Tents were scattered on top of the mountain. Maybe because of the meteor shower, there were more people here tonight than usual.

Edmund took out the barbecue rack he had prepared early in the morning, set up the iron rack on a flat spot, and took out charcoal to make a fire.

Madelyn woke up and heard Edmund playing with a barbecue. She watched as the sky slowly darkened, then sat up and walked outside

"Edmund, that's very thoughtful of you." Madelyn smiled slightly, like the breeze in March, making a person feel particularly comfortable.

Edmund saw Madelyn woke up and asked, "Did you sleep well?"

"Yes. I didn't expect it to be late afternoon." Madelyn said, stepping forward to help him.

Edmund didn't stop Madelyn from helping, but rather liked the feeling that she was there to help him.

Madelyn saw the charcoal had burned red, so she said to Edmund, "Edmund, we can start now, where is the food?"

Edmund Johnson turned to take food out of the car's refrigerator. He came over with a few strings of each on a plate.

Madelyn put the food on the shelf to grease and paint it, and it could told by her skill that she did a lot of barbecues.

"Madelyn, did you use to grill a lot?" Madelyn's hand gently shook, she smiled and said, "I used to have a barbecue with my classmates in high school, so I leaned it."

John Sawyer used to love barbecues, but he didn't think they were clean, so Madelyn learned how to cook barbecue for John Sawyer, which was kind of silly.

Edmund smiled at her skilled grilling skills, "Then I can be a little lazy tonight." Then he took a stool and sat down beside it.

Edmund just looked at Madelyn in silence. The night of the mountain was particularly quiet, occasionally came a worm song or a bird call.

Madelyn's head was down and she was flipping the barbecue. A hot look was fixed on her face, which made her feel uncomfortable.

"Okay, you can go and tell Tina to wake up, or the barbecue will be cold." Madelyn said, staring at the barbecue on the shelf.

Edmund Johnson looked at Madelyn and got up and headed for the tent.

Madelyn took a deep breath and kept cooking.

Tina smelled the smell of barbecue and her stomach growled. She was about to get up when Edmund came and asked her to eat.

"Tina, Madelyn asked you over for a barbecue." Edmund stood outside the tent and said.

Tina answered and went out of the tent to Madelyn.

Tina was surprised to see Madelyn cooking a barbecue. She rubbed her eyes hard with her hands, unable to believe it.

"What's the matter?" Madelyn looked at Tina's exaggerated expression, "Are you awake?"

"Madelyn, I love you so much, I finally get to eat Madelyn's own barbecue."

Tina put her hands on her chest as if she had found the treasure.

"What do you mean? You've had them before." Madelyn glared at her and laughed.

Tina picked up a skewer of barbecue and mumbled, "I've had your barbecue many times!"

Madelyn's hands stopped there, staring blankly at the grill.

Tina realized what she had said. She lowered her head and slowly ate the chicken wing.

Edmund took Madelyn's wings and tried them, "Wow, Madelyn, you're really good at grilling!"

"Eat more if you like." Madelyn also took a string of barbecue slowly began to eat it.

Madelyn thought she had lost her cool. She couldn't let her mood get in the way of everyone else's.

Madelyn smiled and looked at Tina, "Tina, help yourself. I'll make more for you."

"Okay!" Tina didn't want Madelyn to think about John Sawyer again, so she pretend to be a foodie to deflect the conversation.

"Mr. Johnson, did you often come for an outing before?" Tina asked, digressing.

Edmund smiled. "Not very often," he said. "We just come out once in a while to relax."

Tina seemed surprised by Edmund's answer. She mumbled something and went back to eating her barbecue.

Madelyn suddenly felt a little bored and said to Edmund, "Edmund, I'm going for a walk."

"Do you want me to go with you?" Edmund stood up and looked at Madelyn.

Madelyn shook her head, "I want to walk alone, you can eat with Tina!"

"All right! Pay more attention to your safety and don't stray too far." Edmund urged.

Madelyn walked over to a big rock and sat down. Listening to the happy chirping of insects, she felt she was in a new world.

Madelyn heard something nearby. Before she could turn, she saw a pair of hands pushing her to the bottom of the valley.

Ouch…

Madelyn rolled a few times and found a man standing a short distance ahead. Before he could dodge, she hit him and they rolled down to the bottom.

"Ouch…" Nathaniel Meyer lifted his foot and realized that he couldn't feel it. He tried to sit up, but found a man lying on top of him.

Nathaniel Meyer was so angry that he gave the Madelyn a shove, and she tumbled sideways.

Madelyn woke up when Nathaniel Meyer shoved her. A thrill ran through her as she looked at the darkness in front of her.

"Tina, Edmund, are you there?" Madelyn exclaimed with a look of horror on her face.

Nathaniel Meyer was in a very bad mood. He was standing in the middle of the mountain enjoying the full moon when he was pushed down to the dark valley floor.

Madelyn staggered to her feet. But she had only taken a few steps when she stumbled over something, "Ouch!" And bam, she was all over Nathaniel Meyer.

Nathaniel Meyer wanted to rip the woman off his back. She was on top of him! Twice!

Madelyn felt as if she had fallen on something squishy. And it was like…

"A ghost!"