Lost on Brier Island Read Online Free Page A

can’t compete with malls and movie theatres from the big city. Don’t blame you, I s’pose. We old folks kind of like the peace and quiet.”
    â€œIt’s okay.” Alex shrugged. She eventually made her escape after several more questions and hand waves.
    Was there anyone Aunt Sophie didn’t know? It was a bizarre feeling, like spies were watching her every move. In Halifax, no one knew who anyone was or cared what they did. Here, everyone knew each other and talked to each other, and waved to each other—all the time. Too weird.
    Alex was anxious to get off the street and out of sight in case Rachel tried to follow her. She veered onto an old dock, to wards one of the garages on stilts she’d passed by earlier. It looked abandoned. She carefully stepped over broken boards and walked behind the tiny building. A faded and peeling sign, Robichaud Fishing , leaned against the back wall. Alex sat down beside it and draped her legs over the edge of the wharf. Her loose sneakers dangled from the tips of her toes as she rocked her legs back and forth a nd gazed out to sea.
    The tide was coming in. Fog was again crawling across the harbour, erasing land and water. The silence thickened and settled on her skin along with the cool foggy mist. She was finally alone. Alex let out a deep breath and felt her body start to relax.
    It didn’t last.
    The girl whose brother died. Images of Adam flickered in her head: laughing, riding his bike with no hands down the hill, teasing her, pulling her up the tree behind him, skateboarding, and then lying pale and still in that hospital bed.
    Alex shuddered. She could feel it rising again. Rising up from her gut like the high tide. Guilt.
    It was relentless—eroding her like the waves crashing against the rocks, only from the inside out. It had all been her fault. If only she had been more like him, less of a chicken. She was transported away from the dock and back in time, lost inside her memories.
    â€œAlex? Where are you?” Aunt Sophie’s panicked yell echoed through the fog.
    â€œDon’t worry, she can’t have gone far,” Gus said. “I’ll check Robichaud’s here, Soph. Why don’t you check the next one?”
    Alex heard the creak of boards behind her. She didn’t turn around as she felt Gus sit down beside her, his long legs stretching out over the edge of the wharf.
    He pushed a large folded white cloth into her hand.
    Alex held it away from her and looked up.
    â€œDon’t worry, it’s clean,” Gus laughed, seeming to read her mind.
    Alex wiped the tears from her cheeks and eyes. Sniffing, she handed it back to Gus and continued to stare out at the wall of white.
    â€œFascinating, isn’t it? The fog here is like a living thing,” Gus said.
    Alex nodded.
    â€œMany a sailor have lost their way in fog like this. I’ve been tricked by the old girl myself on occasion—always found my way back, though, eventually.” Gus’s deep gravelly voice was soothing.
    They sat in silence for a bit longer.
    â€œWe can’t stay here, Alex. Your aunt is worried about you.” Gus stood up and held out his hand.
    Reluctantly, she reached up and let him tug her to her feet. “Thanks,” she muttered.
    He smiled and patted her shoulder. “Why don’t you come out again tomorrow? Rachel speaks her mind, but she’s a good kid. Besides, you might see your little whale buddy again.”
    So he had seen her after all. Well, she guessed she wouldn’t mind seeing Daredevil again. And maybe she could ignore Rachel—she ignored lots of other things.

Chapter Seven
    â€œAlexandra—I mean, Alex—you can’t run off like that!”
    Alex sat on the couch while Aunt Sophie paced back and forth.
    â€œIt’s not that I don’t trust you, but you know your mother. If anything happened to you…”
    â€œI had to get away from