TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD Chapter 28
Chapter 28
The night is very dark and windy. The wind is so loud that Jem and Scout can hardly hear anything else. They are walking home from the school pageant. Scout is wearing her big, round ham costume, which is made of cloth and wire. She cannot see well and she has trouble moving.
Jem helps her walk. The path is muddy because of the wind and rain. They are near the big oak tree, the darkest place on the road. Jem tells Scout to stop and listen because he hears something. “Did you hear that?” Jem asks. “I thought I heard something behind us.” Scout says, “It’s probably just Cecil Jacobs trying to scare us.” Cecil is a boy from school.
They walk a little farther. Jem stops again. He is sure he hears someone running behind them. The sound is a heavy, uneven shuffle-shuffle noise. “Run, Scout! Run!” Jem yells. Scout tries to run, but her ham costume is too big. She trips and falls down in the mud. She hears a sound next to her: Jem is fighting someone.
Scout hears a terrible noise, the sound of wood breaking, a loud crack! and then Jem screaming. The sound is not like a boy’s scream; it is a sound of real fear and pain.
Scout tries to get up. She swings her arms, still inside the thick, wire costume. She bumps into the attacker. She realizes the person is big and strong. She hears a heavy breathing sound near her. The attacker does not seem to see her inside the costume. The person is focused only on Jem. Scout hears Jem falling again.
She screams and starts running toward the direction of their house. She is still inside the ham costume. She cannot stop the fight, but she wants to get help. Then, a strange thing happens. As she is running, she sees another person near the fight. This second person is also big, but they are moving quickly. This person is not the attacker.
Scout sees a struggle. She hears the sound of one body falling heavily to the ground. The attacker is knocked down. The second person picks up Jem. Scout sees the person carrying Jem toward their house. The person walks slowly and carefully, holding Jem close.
Scout starts running after the second person and Jem. She can see a small light from her house. When Scout finally reaches their front porch, she is crying and shaking. The door opens, and Aunt Alexandra screams when she sees Jem.
Later, Jem is lying on the bed. His arm is broken badly. He is not awake. Atticus calls the Sheriff immediately. Sheriff Heck Tate arrives quickly.
Scout looks at the corner of the room. She sees the second person, the person who saved them and carried Jem home. This person is standing very quietly in the shadows. He is a man she does not know, but he has wide shoulders and looks pale.
The full truth is now clear: Bob Ewell has finally carried out his threat. He has attacked the children. But someone else, a mysterious stranger, has come to their aid.
