Read Online Crazy Dangerous by Andrew Klavan - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Andrew Klavan
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pin-wheeling, until he tripped and sat down hard on the ground.
“Run, Jennifer!” I shouted. “Run now!”
But she didn’t—not at first. At first she just backed slowly away, gaping at me in wild-eyed terror.
“Run!” I shouted again.
“I don’t want to leave-you-believe-you!” she cried out wildly.
“Believe me, leave me!” I shouted back. If I was going to get beaten up, I didn’t want it to be for nothing.
Before I could say anything else, Harry Mac grabbed hold of me from behind, wrapping his powerful arms around me in a bear hug. Without thinking, I forced my elbow back into his belly. His belly felt like it was made of steel, but I guess I hit him in a good spot because the blow made him grunt and his grip on me loosened. With the strength of crazy panic, I yanked myself free of him.
“Run, Jennifer!” I shouted one more time.
Finally—finally!—Jennifer ran; at least she tried to. But just as she started to turn away, Ed P. went after her. You wouldn’t have thought the lumbering thug could move so fast, but his arm snapped out like a whip and his big hand wrapped around her elbow.
I leapt onto his back. I put a stranglehold on him with one arm while I pummeled him with my free fist.
He lost his grip on Jennifer and she tore off into the woods. I caught a final glimpse of her, dodging through the trees at full speed, her coat spreading out around her like wings, her brown hair flying out behind her.
I was still clinging to Ed P. and he was reeling around, trying to throw me off. And now Jeff was on his feet and he and Harry Mac came at me at once. Jeff grabbed me from one side and Harry Mac grabbed me from the other. They pulled me off Ed P.’s back, and as I fell away, Ed P. took a blind, furious swing with his fist that caught me like a hammer blow on the side of the head.
I saw lights flash in front of my eyes. My knees went weak. Jeff and Harry Mac hurled me down hard onto the broken road.
The impact of the fall knocked the wind out of me. For a moment all I could do was lie there on my back, dazed. I saw the three thugs standing over me, looking down at me. Blood was pouring out of Jeff’s nose from where I’d decked him. He wiped the thick stream away with his sweatshirt sleeve.
Then he grinned down at me, his teeth bloodstained. “Oh,” he said. “Oh, punk. You are really going to get it now.”
So that’s how I ended up just about dead, lying in a pool of blood by the side of the road.
But that’s only the beginning of the story.
PART TWO
THE THING IN
THE COFFIN
JENNIFER HID IN HER ROOM, BUT SHE KNEW THEY WERE out there. The demon things, the shadow things. She could sense them, feel them, gathering on the other side of her closed door. She could hear them whispering, plotting together. She could feel them secretly changing the house so that no one could see the change but her.
She lay on her bed, on her side, clutching her pillow over her head so she wouldn’t hear them. But she heard them anyway. Their whispers reached for her under the pillow like a skeleton’s fingers . . .
Come out, Jennifer .
Come out, come out .
Come out and see .
The whispers crept over her, crawled over her like bugs, skittering into her ears like bugs, into her brain like bugs.
Come and see .
That’s what the Winger creature had said. There were bugs in her brain, like bugs in a computer, whisper bugs sent by the devil because the devil wasn’t on the level.
Come and see, Jennifer .
Don’t try to hide .
You can’t hide from us .
The bug-whispers crawled into her brain and took hold of her like skeleton fingers and the finger-whispers pulled at her—they pulled and pulled at her mind.
Come out, Jennifer .
Come out, come out, wherever you are .
Come and see how we changed everything .
You’re the only one who can see it, Jennifer .
Come and see .
Under the pillow, Jennifer shook her head no no no. But she knew she couldn’t resist for long. She had to get up.
“Run, Jennifer!” I shouted. “Run now!”
But she didn’t—not at first. At first she just backed slowly away, gaping at me in wild-eyed terror.
“Run!” I shouted again.
“I don’t want to leave-you-believe-you!” she cried out wildly.
“Believe me, leave me!” I shouted back. If I was going to get beaten up, I didn’t want it to be for nothing.
Before I could say anything else, Harry Mac grabbed hold of me from behind, wrapping his powerful arms around me in a bear hug. Without thinking, I forced my elbow back into his belly. His belly felt like it was made of steel, but I guess I hit him in a good spot because the blow made him grunt and his grip on me loosened. With the strength of crazy panic, I yanked myself free of him.
“Run, Jennifer!” I shouted one more time.
Finally—finally!—Jennifer ran; at least she tried to. But just as she started to turn away, Ed P. went after her. You wouldn’t have thought the lumbering thug could move so fast, but his arm snapped out like a whip and his big hand wrapped around her elbow.
I leapt onto his back. I put a stranglehold on him with one arm while I pummeled him with my free fist.
He lost his grip on Jennifer and she tore off into the woods. I caught a final glimpse of her, dodging through the trees at full speed, her coat spreading out around her like wings, her brown hair flying out behind her.
I was still clinging to Ed P. and he was reeling around, trying to throw me off. And now Jeff was on his feet and he and Harry Mac came at me at once. Jeff grabbed me from one side and Harry Mac grabbed me from the other. They pulled me off Ed P.’s back, and as I fell away, Ed P. took a blind, furious swing with his fist that caught me like a hammer blow on the side of the head.
I saw lights flash in front of my eyes. My knees went weak. Jeff and Harry Mac hurled me down hard onto the broken road.
The impact of the fall knocked the wind out of me. For a moment all I could do was lie there on my back, dazed. I saw the three thugs standing over me, looking down at me. Blood was pouring out of Jeff’s nose from where I’d decked him. He wiped the thick stream away with his sweatshirt sleeve.
Then he grinned down at me, his teeth bloodstained. “Oh,” he said. “Oh, punk. You are really going to get it now.”
So that’s how I ended up just about dead, lying in a pool of blood by the side of the road.
But that’s only the beginning of the story.
PART TWO
THE THING IN
THE COFFIN
JENNIFER HID IN HER ROOM, BUT SHE KNEW THEY WERE out there. The demon things, the shadow things. She could sense them, feel them, gathering on the other side of her closed door. She could hear them whispering, plotting together. She could feel them secretly changing the house so that no one could see the change but her.
She lay on her bed, on her side, clutching her pillow over her head so she wouldn’t hear them. But she heard them anyway. Their whispers reached for her under the pillow like a skeleton’s fingers . . .
Come out, Jennifer .
Come out, come out .
Come out and see .
The whispers crept over her, crawled over her like bugs, skittering into her ears like bugs, into her brain like bugs.
Come and see .
That’s what the Winger creature had said. There were bugs in her brain, like bugs in a computer, whisper bugs sent by the devil because the devil wasn’t on the level.
Come and see, Jennifer .
Don’t try to hide .
You can’t hide from us .
The bug-whispers crawled into her brain and took hold of her like skeleton fingers and the finger-whispers pulled at her—they pulled and pulled at her mind.
Come out, Jennifer .
Come out, come out, wherever you are .
Come and see how we changed everything .
You’re the only one who can see it, Jennifer .
Come and see .
Under the pillow, Jennifer shook her head no no no. But she knew she couldn’t resist for long. She had to get up.
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