1Jack froze.

2“It’s him,” Annie whispered.

3The knight held out his gloved hand.

4“Come on, Jack,” Annie said.

5“Where are you going?” said Jack.

6“He wants to help us,” said Annie.

7“How do you know?”

8“I can just tell,” said Annie.

9Annie stepped toward the horse. The knight dismounted.

10The knight picked Annie up and put her on the back of his horse.

11“Come on, Jack,” she called.

12Jack moved slowly toward the knight. It was like a dream.

13The knight picked him up, too. He placed Jack on the horse, behind Annie.

14The knight got on behind them. He slapped the reins.

15The black horse cantered beside the moonlit water of the moat.

16Jack rocked back and forth in the saddle. The wind blew his hair.

17He felt very brave and very powerful.

18He felt as if he could ride forever on this horse, with this mysterious knight. Over the ocean. Over the world. Over the moon.

19A hawk shrieked in the darkness.

20“There’s the tree house,” said Annie. She pointed toward a grove of trees.

21The knight steered the horse toward the trees.

22“See. There it is,” Annie said, pointing to the ladder.

23The knight brought his horse to a stop. He dismounted and helped Annie down.

24“Thank you, sir,” she said. And she bowed.

25Then Jack. “Thank you,” he said. And he bowed also.

26The knight got back on his horse. He raised his gloved hand. Then he slapped the reins and rode off through the mist.

27Annie started up the tall ladder, and Jack followed. They climbed into the dark tree house and looked out the window.

28The knight was riding toward the outer wall. They saw him go through the outer gate.

29Clouds started to cover the moon again. For a brief moment, Jack thought he saw the knight’s armor gleaming on the top of a hill beyond the castle.

30The clouds covered the moon completely. And a black mist swallowed the land.

31“He’s gone,” whispered Annie.

32Jack shivered in his wet clothes as he kept staring at the blackness.

33“I’m cold,” said Annie. “Where’s the Pennsylvania book?” Jack heard Annie fumble in the darkness. He kept looking out the window.

34“I think this is it,” said Annie. “I feel a silk bookmark.” Jack was only half-listening. He was hoping to see the knight’s armor gleam again in the distance.

35“Okay. I’m going to use this,” said Annie. “Because I think it’s the right one. Here goes. Okay. I’m pointing. I’m going to wish. I wish we could go to Frog Creek!”

36Jack heard the wind begin to blow. Softly at first.

37“I hope I pointed to the right picture in the right book,” said Annie.

38“What?” Jack looked back at her. “Right picture? Right book?” The tree house began to rock. The wind got louder and louder.

39“I hope it wasn’t the dinosaur book!” said Annie.

40“Stop!” Jack shouted at the tree house.

41Too late.

42The tree house started to spin. It was spinning and spinning!

43The wind was screaming.

44Then suddenly there was silence.

45Absolute silence.