Midnight on the Moon (3 page)

Jack and Annie put the helmets on. They locked each other's into place.

“I can't move my head right or left,” said Annie.

“Me neither,” said Jack. “Let's try walking.”

Jack and Annie moved clumsily around the room. Jack felt like a fat snowman.

“Close your visor,” said Annie.

They both closed their see-through visors. Cool air filled Jack's helmet.

“I CAN BREATHE!” Annie yelled. Her voice boomed in Jack's ears.

“Ow! Talk quietly,” Jack said. “We have two-way radios inside our helmets.”

“Sorry,” whispered Annie.

Jack put the moon book back in his pack. Then he slung the pack over his shoulder.

“Okay!” he said. “Remember, we only have two hours of air in our tanks. So we need to find the fourth M thing really fast.”

“I hope we can find it,” said Annie.

“Me too,” said Jack. He knew they could not go home until they did.

“Let's go,” said Annie. She gave Jack a little push.

“Watch it. No goofing off,” he said. “We don't want to fall over in these suits.”

“Just go—go!” said Annie. She pushed him out of the room. They walked back to the airlock.

“Ready?” said Annie. “Open sesame!” She pressed the
OPEN
button. A door slowly slid closed behind them. A door opened in front of them.

And Jack and Annie stepped out onto the moon.

“Oh, wow!” said Annie. She took a step forward.

But Jack stood frozen. He wanted to get a good look at everything first.

He stared at the ground. He was standing in a layer of gray dust as fine as powder.

Footprints were everywhere. Jack wondered who had made them.

He reached into his pack for the moon book. To his surprise, it was as light as a feather!

He found a picture of footprints on the moon. He read:

“Oh, man,” Jack said.

The moon was the stillest place he had ever,
ever
been. It was as still as a picture. And its stillness would never, ever end.

Jack stared at the ink-black sky. A lovely blue-and-white ball glowed far away.

Earth
.

For the first time, it really hit Jack. They were in outer space.

“Look!” Annie cried, laughing.

She bounded past Jack—almost flying through the air. She landed on her feet. Then she jumped again.

“I'm a moon rabbit,” she called.

Jack laughed. How does she do that? he wondered. He turned a page and read:

“Don't just stand there reading!” said Annie, grabbing the book from Jack's gloved hand. She tossed it into space.

It flew far away.

Jack started after it.

He bounded up and down.
Boing! Boing! Boing!
Now
he
felt as light as a feather.

“Look!” he called to Annie. “I'm a moon rabbit, too.”

Where Jack's boots hit the ground, moondust gracefully sprayed into space.

The book had landed at the edge of a shallow crater.

When Jack reached it, he tried to stop. But his feet slipped.

He fell right over and lay on his side. He tried to stand. But he was off-balance.

He tried again. But the dust was just too deep. And his spacesuit was too clumsy.

“You okay?” asked Annie.

“I can't get up,” said Jack.

“You shouldn't have been goofing off,” said Annie wisely.

“You goofed off first,” said Jack. “Now, help me up, please.”

Annie started toward him.

“Don't fall, too,” warned Jack.

“I won't.” Annie moved very slowly. She half floated, half walked.

“Give me your hand,” she said.

Annie grabbed Jack's hand. She pressed her boot against his and pulled him up.

“Thanks,” he said.

“No problem,” she said. “It was easy. You were really light.”

“Thank goodness,” said Jack. “It's impossible to get up alone.”

He picked up the moon book. It was covered with dust. He brushed it off.

“Oh, wow! Look!” said Annie. She stood at the edge of the crater.

“What is it?” said Jack.

“A moon buggy!” said Annie.

The buggy was parked in the crater. It had four huge wheels.

“Let's go for a ride,” said Annie.

“We can't,” said Jack. “We just have two hours of air in our tanks. Remember?”

“I bet we'll find the M thing faster if we take the moon buggy!” Annie bounded into the crater.

“But we can't drive!” said Jack.

“I bet I can drive
this
,” said Annie. “It looks easy. Come on!”

She jumped into the driver's seat.

“But you don't have a license!” said Jack.

“Who cares?” said Annie. “There aren't any roads on the moon, or stoplights, or policemen either.”

She was right, Jack thought.

“Well, go slow,” he said. And he climbed in beside her.

Annie pushed a button labeled
ON
.

The moon buggy lurched backward.

“Yikes!” said Annie.

“Step on the brake!” said Jack.

Annie pressed a pedal on the floor. The buggy stopped with a jerk.

“Whew,” she said.

“It must be in reverse,” said Jack. “Let me study this—”

But before he could study anything, Annie pushed another button.

The buggy tilted back. Its front wheels started to rise into the air.

“Let me out of here!” said Jack.

Annie pushed more buttons.

The buggy's front wheels landed back on the ground. And the buggy leaped forward.

“
Slower!
” said Jack.

“I can't,” said Annie. “I don't know how!”

Annie steered the buggy over the tracks on the ground. The wide wheels kept it from sinking into the deep dust.

“Careful!” said Jack.

The buggy zoomed out of the crater.

Gray clouds of dust rose behind them as they took off across the moon.

Annie drove the moon buggy over bumps and hollows. It bucked like a bronco.

“I'm going through
there
!” She pointed to an opening between two mountains.

Jack held on to the dashboard.

The buggy bumped toward the opening and shot through.

On the other side, the ground was even rockier.

“Look for the fo-fourth M thing!” said Annie, bouncing up and down.

Jack groaned. Looking for anything on this wild ride was impossible.

“Sl-slow d-down!” he said.

“How?”

“Try pressing on the b-brake pedal. On the f-floor—slowly!”

Annie pressed on the brake.

The buggy slowed down. Jack sighed with relief. The ride was still bumpy. But now, at least, he could take a good look at the moon.

He had never been to such a colorless, barren place. There was no green, no blue, no red.

No water, no trees, no clouds.

Only giant gray rocks and craters—
and an American flag
.

“Oh, man,” said Jack. “That's from the first astronauts who landed on the moon!”

“And look—a telescope!” said Annie.

She drove near the flag and telescope. Then she put her foot on the brake until the buggy stopped.

She pressed a button that said
OFF
. Then she and Jack hopped out.

They took slow giant steps to the site of the first moon landing.

Beside the flag was a sign. Annie read it aloud:

“That's a good message,” said Jack.

He handed the moon book to Annie. Then he took out his notebook and pencil to copy the sign.

“Let's leave our own message,” said Annie.

“What should we say?” said Jack.

“The same thing,” said Annie. “But say we are the first kids.”

Jack turned to a new page in his notebook. In big letters he wrote their message.

“Now we have to sign it,” Annie said.

Jack signed his name.

Then he passed the notebook and pencil to Annie. She signed her name and passed the notebook back.

Jack tore out the piece of paper. He put it by the flag.

No wind would ever blow the message away. No rain would ever fall on it.

It would be there forever, unless someone moved it.

Thinking of “forever” made Jack feel dizzy. He shook his head to clear his thoughts. Then he remembered the time. Had two hours passed yet?

“I wish I had a watch,” he said, standing up. “We might be running out of time.”

“Oh, wow. A moon man!” said Annie.