Read Online Darkness Creeping by Neal Shusterman - Free Book Online
Authors: Neal Shusterman
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this body soon, it would be too late.
I had to leap out of it. I had to give it up. If I stayed in this body a few minutes longer, I might not have been able to escape it—I might have been bound to it the way normal people are bound to their bodies. But my will was strong, and my skill at body-jumping well honed.
And so I tore myself from my new body, letting my spirit float to the surface like a buoy . . . while there, at the bottom of the dolphin tank, the soulless body of the great baseball player drowned.
I don’t know what happened after that, because I left and didn’t look back. I have heard tales, though, of a dolphin that leaped out of its tank so often that they had to put a fence over it. But who knows if stories like that are ever true?
And that brings me to you.
You see, I’ve been with you longer than you think. I’ve been sitting on your shoulder watching what you do, what you say, and even how you say it. I know the names of your relatives. I know your friends. We’ve already shared several hot-fudge sundaes together.
And if someday very soon, you wake up only to find yourself walking toward a dolphin pool in the dead of night . . . don’t worry.
Because I know you can swim.
BLACK BOX
There was this light switch in my house. It was in a weird place—a little too high, and in the middle of a wall. It didn’t turn off any lights, or turn on a disposal. As far as I knew it wasn’t connected to anything. I got to thinking about mysterious switches and buttons. What if you were told never to flick a switch, or press a button. Would you be able to resist? No matter what the consequences?
BLACK BOX
The old man wore a playful smile as he beckoned them closer. Karin and her cousin Randy stepped across the yellowing floor of the immense den, deep within their grandfather’s ancient house. They were paying their respects to the old man, as their parents had insisted.
On a cherrywood table rested a menagerie of colorful origami animals—a folded-paper zoo. Karin wondered whether her grandfather spent all his time making them or if he had folded the animals to impress her and Randy, the way he used to when they were five.
He always spoke to them in Chinese first, as if his speaking the language would magically make them understand it better. Karin understood a little bit, but she knew that Randy didn’t speak a word—he just squirmed and looked annoyed. For his sake she said, “You have to talk English, Grandfather.”
“English!” spat their grandfather, then waved his hand as if swatting the thought away. “Ah! You children lose everything. All the old ways, you lose. How can you call yourselves Chinese?”
“We’re not Chinese,” Randy said defiantly. “We’re American.”
Karin gave Randy a sharp elbow to the ribs.
“Don’t get him mad!” she whispered.
The old man looked at Randy with hardened eyes, and then he laughed. “Yes. American.” He chuckled. “Apple pie!” Then he laughed and Karin elbowed Randy again.
“Don’t you know not to say things like that to him?” she said. Randy never did learn how to deal with Grandfather. Still, her cousin was right. They were both born in America; even their parents had been born in America. How much more American could they get?
Grandfather laughed a little too long, and Karin began to feel uncomfortable.
Finally, he shook his head and wiped the tears from his eyes. “Yes. American.” He sighed. “The old world is gone. My world—gone. Soon nobody will be left to remember.”
“I’ll remember,” offered Karin
Grandfather smiled. “Sweet girl,” he said. “But stupid.”
Randy snickered.
“You should not laugh,” said Grandfather, wagging an arthritic finger at him. “Next to you, she looks like a genius.”
Karin smiled and gave Randy a smarter-than-you look, then she turned back to the old man. He looked very serious for a moment, then he glanced down at the dark cherrywood table and the collection of
I had to leap out of it. I had to give it up. If I stayed in this body a few minutes longer, I might not have been able to escape it—I might have been bound to it the way normal people are bound to their bodies. But my will was strong, and my skill at body-jumping well honed.
And so I tore myself from my new body, letting my spirit float to the surface like a buoy . . . while there, at the bottom of the dolphin tank, the soulless body of the great baseball player drowned.
I don’t know what happened after that, because I left and didn’t look back. I have heard tales, though, of a dolphin that leaped out of its tank so often that they had to put a fence over it. But who knows if stories like that are ever true?
And that brings me to you.
You see, I’ve been with you longer than you think. I’ve been sitting on your shoulder watching what you do, what you say, and even how you say it. I know the names of your relatives. I know your friends. We’ve already shared several hot-fudge sundaes together.
And if someday very soon, you wake up only to find yourself walking toward a dolphin pool in the dead of night . . . don’t worry.
Because I know you can swim.
BLACK BOX
There was this light switch in my house. It was in a weird place—a little too high, and in the middle of a wall. It didn’t turn off any lights, or turn on a disposal. As far as I knew it wasn’t connected to anything. I got to thinking about mysterious switches and buttons. What if you were told never to flick a switch, or press a button. Would you be able to resist? No matter what the consequences?
BLACK BOX
The old man wore a playful smile as he beckoned them closer. Karin and her cousin Randy stepped across the yellowing floor of the immense den, deep within their grandfather’s ancient house. They were paying their respects to the old man, as their parents had insisted.
On a cherrywood table rested a menagerie of colorful origami animals—a folded-paper zoo. Karin wondered whether her grandfather spent all his time making them or if he had folded the animals to impress her and Randy, the way he used to when they were five.
He always spoke to them in Chinese first, as if his speaking the language would magically make them understand it better. Karin understood a little bit, but she knew that Randy didn’t speak a word—he just squirmed and looked annoyed. For his sake she said, “You have to talk English, Grandfather.”
“English!” spat their grandfather, then waved his hand as if swatting the thought away. “Ah! You children lose everything. All the old ways, you lose. How can you call yourselves Chinese?”
“We’re not Chinese,” Randy said defiantly. “We’re American.”
Karin gave Randy a sharp elbow to the ribs.
“Don’t get him mad!” she whispered.
The old man looked at Randy with hardened eyes, and then he laughed. “Yes. American.” He chuckled. “Apple pie!” Then he laughed and Karin elbowed Randy again.
“Don’t you know not to say things like that to him?” she said. Randy never did learn how to deal with Grandfather. Still, her cousin was right. They were both born in America; even their parents had been born in America. How much more American could they get?
Grandfather laughed a little too long, and Karin began to feel uncomfortable.
Finally, he shook his head and wiped the tears from his eyes. “Yes. American.” He sighed. “The old world is gone. My world—gone. Soon nobody will be left to remember.”
“I’ll remember,” offered Karin
Grandfather smiled. “Sweet girl,” he said. “But stupid.”
Randy snickered.
“You should not laugh,” said Grandfather, wagging an arthritic finger at him. “Next to you, she looks like a genius.”
Karin smiled and gave Randy a smarter-than-you look, then she turned back to the old man. He looked very serious for a moment, then he glanced down at the dark cherrywood table and the collection of
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