Read Online Attack of the Shark-Headed Zombie by Bill Doyle - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Bill Doyle
Ads: Link
sorry. But how cool was that? Just like real stunt kids!”
Keats gave Henry’s arm a whack. “How are we going to get anywhere this summer? And what about now? It’s too far to walk home without bikes.”
Henry shrugged. “No problem. Our moms are still at work. We’ll just meet them at the store. They can buy us new bikes on the drive home.”
Keats wasn’t so sure. But Henry was already heading toward town. Keats rushed to catch up.
It took ten minutes for the cousins to walk to the Purple Rabbit Market, where their moms were cashiers. Like Keats and Henry, their moms were best friends and did everything together. In fact, they looked like twins in their purple uniforms.
Keats’s mom spotted the boys when they came into the store. She waved them over to her empty checkout aisle. “How’d you both get so dirty?” she asked.
Henry’s mom finished with a customer and joined them. “What’s the terrible twosome done now?” she asked, folding her arms.
“Let me do the talking, Keats,” Henry whispered. Then, scratching his chin, he started, “Mom and Aunt Marisol, our tale of thrills and chills all started back in—”
Henry’s mom held up a hand to stop him. “You better tell us, Keats. We’re more likely to get an answer without all the hoopla.”
So Keats told them about losing their bikes in the lake. At first their moms were angry. But then they laughed when the cousins asked for money for new bikes. They said the boys would have to find a way to earn the cash themselves.
“But how?” Keats asked.
“I don’t know,” Keats’s mom said sternly. “Now go outside until our shift is over. Without Webster, you’ll have to wait for me or Dad to drive you everywhere.”
Shuffling his feet, Keats took his time following Henry out of the store. He missed Webster already. Summer was going to be pretty boring without bikes. When Keats got outside, Henry was standing next to the community message board. It was full of signs that people had pinned up about lost dogs and bake sales.
Henry was smiling again.
“I’ve solved our problem!” he shouted. He ripped an ad off the board and showed it to Keats. The ad said:
HELP WANTED with ODD JOBS
My house is a disaster!
Looking for someone who can work
real
magic!
Will pay big $$$!
There was an address outside of town and a phone number to leave a message.
“We’ll have money for new bikes in no time!” Henry said. “There’s a pay phone right there. I’ll call and say we’ll take the job. It’s my new World’s Greatest Plan!”
Something about the help-wanted ad struck Keats as weird. He couldn’t put his finger on it. “I’ve got a bad feeling about this,” he said.
But, of course, it was too late to stop Henry. He was already dialing the phone.
THWACK! A BRANCH snapped back and smacked Keats in the face.
“Blech,” he said, wiping a slimy leaf off his cheek. He couldn’t believe he was following Henry on one of his shortcuts. Again.
It was the morning after their bikes had gone into the lake. The cousins were squishing around the swampy woods looking for 1313 Houdini Way. That was the address on the ad.
“Admit it, Henry,” Keats said as his sneaker splashed into a pool of muck. “Your
short
cut is a
long
cut. We are so lost. We never should have left the road.”
“I know exactly where we are,” Henry said. He was scratching his chin, so Keats knew he wasn’t telling the truth.
“Okay, where are we?” Keats challenged.
Just then Keats’s foot caught on something. He fell forward, his hands scraping on pavement. It was the road! When he looked up, he saw a massive iron gate on the other side. The address on the gate said 1313 Houdini Way.
“We’re here!” Henry shouted. He pulled Keats back onto his feet. “See? No problem.”
Keats had to smile. Sometimes Henry’s plans
did
actually work out.
Past the gate, a long gravel driveway curved around dead trees. A gray house with dark windows squatted on
Keats gave Henry’s arm a whack. “How are we going to get anywhere this summer? And what about now? It’s too far to walk home without bikes.”
Henry shrugged. “No problem. Our moms are still at work. We’ll just meet them at the store. They can buy us new bikes on the drive home.”
Keats wasn’t so sure. But Henry was already heading toward town. Keats rushed to catch up.
It took ten minutes for the cousins to walk to the Purple Rabbit Market, where their moms were cashiers. Like Keats and Henry, their moms were best friends and did everything together. In fact, they looked like twins in their purple uniforms.
Keats’s mom spotted the boys when they came into the store. She waved them over to her empty checkout aisle. “How’d you both get so dirty?” she asked.
Henry’s mom finished with a customer and joined them. “What’s the terrible twosome done now?” she asked, folding her arms.
“Let me do the talking, Keats,” Henry whispered. Then, scratching his chin, he started, “Mom and Aunt Marisol, our tale of thrills and chills all started back in—”
Henry’s mom held up a hand to stop him. “You better tell us, Keats. We’re more likely to get an answer without all the hoopla.”
So Keats told them about losing their bikes in the lake. At first their moms were angry. But then they laughed when the cousins asked for money for new bikes. They said the boys would have to find a way to earn the cash themselves.
“But how?” Keats asked.
“I don’t know,” Keats’s mom said sternly. “Now go outside until our shift is over. Without Webster, you’ll have to wait for me or Dad to drive you everywhere.”
Shuffling his feet, Keats took his time following Henry out of the store. He missed Webster already. Summer was going to be pretty boring without bikes. When Keats got outside, Henry was standing next to the community message board. It was full of signs that people had pinned up about lost dogs and bake sales.
Henry was smiling again.
“I’ve solved our problem!” he shouted. He ripped an ad off the board and showed it to Keats. The ad said:
HELP WANTED with ODD JOBS
My house is a disaster!
Looking for someone who can work
real
magic!
Will pay big $$$!
There was an address outside of town and a phone number to leave a message.
“We’ll have money for new bikes in no time!” Henry said. “There’s a pay phone right there. I’ll call and say we’ll take the job. It’s my new World’s Greatest Plan!”
Something about the help-wanted ad struck Keats as weird. He couldn’t put his finger on it. “I’ve got a bad feeling about this,” he said.
But, of course, it was too late to stop Henry. He was already dialing the phone.
THWACK! A BRANCH snapped back and smacked Keats in the face.
“Blech,” he said, wiping a slimy leaf off his cheek. He couldn’t believe he was following Henry on one of his shortcuts. Again.
It was the morning after their bikes had gone into the lake. The cousins were squishing around the swampy woods looking for 1313 Houdini Way. That was the address on the ad.
“Admit it, Henry,” Keats said as his sneaker splashed into a pool of muck. “Your
short
cut is a
long
cut. We are so lost. We never should have left the road.”
“I know exactly where we are,” Henry said. He was scratching his chin, so Keats knew he wasn’t telling the truth.
“Okay, where are we?” Keats challenged.
Just then Keats’s foot caught on something. He fell forward, his hands scraping on pavement. It was the road! When he looked up, he saw a massive iron gate on the other side. The address on the gate said 1313 Houdini Way.
“We’re here!” Henry shouted. He pulled Keats back onto his feet. “See? No problem.”
Keats had to smile. Sometimes Henry’s plans
did
actually work out.
Past the gate, a long gravel driveway curved around dead trees. A gray house with dark windows squatted on
Similar Books
