Wilderness Read Online Free

hugged
    them. It was kind of sad that he wasn’t coming, but
    Tom was happy they were going with just their
    mother. It was special, and she was always a bit
    crazier when their dad wasn’t around. She’d let them
    run up the down escalator if it wasn’t too crowded,
    and push each other on trolleys. But not this time;
    they had to go straight to the departure gate after
    they’d checked in. And then they were in the plane
    and in the air, and down again, in Manchester Airport,
    and straight to the next plane and in the air again.
    Nothing happened, except Johnny had to open his bag
    for a security man who searched inside and found no
    guns or weapons.
    They had to wait for an hour and a half in Helsinki
    Airport, for the plane to Lapland, and Sandra went to
    the toilet three times.
    â€œFor a smoke,” said Tom, as they watched her cross
    the wide corridor.
    â€œYeah,” said Johnny.
    â€œWhat’s in the women’s toilets that isn’t in the
    men’s?”
    â€œDon’t know. What?”
    â€œWomen.”
    â€œThick.”
    â€œMuppet.”
    â€œThick.”
    Then they were up again, their third flight in one
    day. Johnny had the window seat.
    â€œIt’s not fair,” said Tom.
    â€œI’m the oldest,” said Johnny.
    â€œSo?”
    â€œShut up.”
    â€œNow, now, lads,” said Sandra. “You can swap
    halfway.”
    But they didn’t, because the plane began its
    descent while they were still arguing – they were less
    than half an hour in the air. They could see big snow
    at the side of the runway. And the snow, small
    mountains of it, the deep tyre tracks, the whiteness,
    and the airport lights made them forget about the row
    and everything else. There was only the next six days.
    There was a man standing at the arrivals gate with
    a sign, WINTER SAFARIS , held to his chest. Sandra and
    the boys walked up to him.
    â€œWinter safaris?” said Sandra.
    â€œWinter safaris,” said the man. “Yes. Come, please.”
    They followed the man through the tiny airport to a
    minibus. It was right outside the exit. He opened the
    rear door, and took their bags, and shoved them in with
    other bags. Then he opened the side door and stood
    back. They got in, and there were three other people in
    there, at the back. Sandra, Tom and Johnny squeezed
    into the seat right behind the driver’s seat, and the
    driver slid the side door behind them, and disappeared.
    They sat there for half an hour, watching their
    breath and saying very little.
    â€œCold?”
    â€œYeah; no.”
    Tom looked back at the three people behind them.
    The one in the middle was asleep, and the other two
    were whispering to each other, across the sleeping
    woman’s face. They were a boy and a girl, in big
    padded clothes and hats. They leaned over the
    sleeping face and kissed, and Tom stopped looking.
    They heard the rear door being opened, a grunt,
    and the door slammed shut. Then there was a blast of
    very cold air. The driver’s door was open and he was
    getting in.
    He looked over his seat at them.
    â€œApology for lateness. I must see a man about a
    dog.”
    And then they heard it.
    A bark.
    There was a dog in the back. They looked. The
    woman still slept; the other two whispered. Johnny
    couldn’t see the dog. But it barked again, and let out
    a howl. And barked again, and stopped when the
    driver started the minibus.
    â€œWelcome to Lapland,” he said.
    â€œThank you,” said Sandra.
    â€œYou are welcome.”
    â€œHow long is it to the camp?”
    The driver shrugged, and took a big right turn that
    sent the boys pushing into Sandra, and they kept
    pushing long after the driver had straightened up,
    Johnny into Tom, both of them into Sandra, until she
    told them to stop. They were excited again now that
    they were moving, and they could see lines of trees
    made fat with snow – joined by snow, as if the