“Did you not hear me？”he demanded.“I asked where your sisters are going.”
Janey，the youngest in the family，the one known for tattling，stepped forward.
“They told me they were going to the high school. They said they were running away and never coming back. They said they can，t stand you or your rules，”she reported with glee .
The November sun was sinking，and Julie and Jill huddled together under the football bleachers trying to stay warm. Hunger had set in，and Julie searched the pockets of her Levi，s denim jacket for the Snickers bars she had stowed. She passed one to her sister.
“It，s cold，”Jill cried.“It，s getting windy，and it looks like it might rain. I want to go home.”
“No！”Julie snapped.“We agreed we were leaving，and we did. We are never going back.”
Jill hung her head as the sun finally sank. As they sat together in silence，neither one noticed the man in a red jacket who was quietly perched on the bench above them. Finally，drowsiness overcame them，and they lay down to sleep.
The next morning as the sun rose，Jill wept softly.“I want to go home. I don，t like this.” Exhausted，Julie reached for Jill，s hand. The two stood up，brushed the grass and dirt off their jeans，and started their journey toward home. As they trudged along holding hands，the man in the red jacket followed them always maintaining a distance of at least a block.
When the girls finally reached their home，they knocked on the door. Their mother，who had been waiting for this knock，opened it up and let them in. Without saying a word，she led them to the kitchen table where a breakfast of waffles，eggs，and orange juice awaited. After they finished eating，their mother directed them to shower and get to bed. Once they were asleep，she went to the door and opened it. Their father entered，removed his red jacket，and went to the couch and slept.
“我们要离开这儿！我们受不了这里了！你的规定不公平！”十三岁的朱莉朝着她的爸爸大吼大叫，妹妹吉尔 则站在她的旁边，眼睛凝视着地面。朱莉抓起吉尔的手，猛地把她从门廊拉了过来，她俩就开始沿着附近的街 区跑着。
爸爸看着她俩消失在转角处，叹了口气，接着往回走回家了。
“你们当中有谁知道姐姐到哪儿去了吗？”爸爸问他的另外三个女儿，她们正站在客厅的窗边，透过窗户目睹 到刚才的一幕。但是，没有人回答他的问题。
“你们没听到我的话吗？”他厉声道，“我问你们的姐姐去哪儿了。”
家里最小的孩子简妮出了名的爱打小报告，她站了出来。
“她们告诉我要去高中学校。她们说她们要离家出走，再也不回来了。她们还说再也受不了您和您的规定。”她欢欣雀跃地汇报道。
十一月的太阳正在落山，朱莉和吉尔为了取暖偎依在足球露天看台的下面。朱莉饿了，她搜了搜那件李维斯牛 仔外套的口袋，找出了几块自己之前藏起来的士力架巧克力。她递了一块给妹妹。
“好冷啊。”吉尔哭泣道，“开始刮风了，看起来可能要下雨了，我想回家。”
“不行！”朱莉打断她的话，“我们一致赞成要离家出走，既然我们都已经这么做了，就再也不回去。”
当太阳完全落山时，吉尔垂下了头。她俩一言不发地坐在一起，谁也没有注意到一个穿着红夹克的男人正安静 地坐在她们上方的长凳上。最终，她们困倦得不行了，躺下来睡着了。
第二天早上，太阳升起来了，吉尔轻声啜泣道：“我想回家，我不喜欢这样。”朱莉感到筋疲力尽，去拉吉尔 的手。两人站了起来，拂去她们牛仔裤上的杂草和灰尘，然后就开始了回家的旅途。她们手牵手，步履艰难地 沿路走着，而那个身穿红夹克的男人一直跟在她们的身后，但始终和她们保持着至少一个街区的距离。
两个女孩终于到家了，敲了敲门。她们的妈妈一直在等待着这个敲门声，她打开门让她们进屋。妈妈一言不发，领着她们走到厨房餐桌前，由蛋奶烘饼、鸡蛋和橙汁搭配的早餐在那儿等候着她俩。她们吃完早餐后，妈妈 指挥她们去洗澡睡觉。当她俩入睡之后，妈妈朝门走去，打开门。爸爸走进来了，脱下红夹克，倒在沙发上睡 着了。
yank
【释义】n. 突然的猛拉 vt. 猛拉 vi. 猛地一拉
【短语】yank sb，s chain 使某人信以为真
porch
【释义】n. 门廊；走廊
tattle
【释义】vi. 闲谈；泄露秘密 n. 闲谈
【短语】tattle on sb. 打小报告
glee
【释义】n. 快乐；欢欣；重唱歌曲
bleacher
【释义】n. 漂白剂；漂白业者；露天看台
【短语】bleach out 漂白、消除
denim
【释义】n. 斜纹粗棉布，丁尼布
stow
【释义】vt. 装载；收藏；使暂留；堆装
【短语】stow it 安静，别干了 ；stow away 贪婪地吃
drowsiness
【释义】n. 睡意；困倦；假寐
Restart/ 再续前缘
“And the weekend promises sunshine and southerly breezes. Make the most of it！”
The weatherman，s cheery voice came from the TV，precariously perched on a pile of books，the only way she，d yet found for its cable to reach the socket . Like the TV，it was a delicate balance in her. To the outside world，she seemed cool and collected ； inside she felt deeply vulnerable. Strategies had been adopted for coping，new routines found，places that would stir painful memories strictly avoided.
However，this was a small town and some places could not be ignored. Like the moor which looked down on her every time she opened her front door. Over the years，she and Mike had spent many hours walking on it，marking the changing seasons，content in each other，s company. Late summer had always been a busy time as they gathered in the harvest for jam.
The forecast helped Maggie to make up her mind. Despite misgivings，the attraction of the moor in the late summer sun was too strong. The time had come to lay this ghost to rest and picking a few berries would keep her mind occupied.
Saturday dawned bright and clear. Maggie drove along the familiar lanes that lead to the parking bay at the foot of the hill. The walk to the top seemed longer，steeper. But at last the path emerged from the trees and stretched away in the sun. On either side，the brambles clambered over heather and gorse，laden with clusters of fruit，ripe for picking； a riot of black and green， purple and yellow.
The moor seemed to welcome her back like a long-lost friend and her spirits rose. Taking a deep breath of the clear air，Maggie deftly took a bag from her pocket and started to pick，stopping every now and then to enjoy the familiar view.
After a while，a solitary figure appeared on the path behind her，pausing and stooping occasionally，yet catching up quickly.
“Do you want to add these，then？”