Read Online Sammy Keyes and the Skeleton Man by Wendelin Van Draanen - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Wendelin Van Draanen
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one thing and pretty soon you’re finding all sorts of other neat stuff that can keep you busy for hours. And being in someone else’sattic—everything’s a sidetrack because you’ve never seen any of it before.
Anyhow, Dot’s way ahead of me, saying, “I know it’s here someplace. I remember helping Dad label it. I thought it was back here.” Then I come across an open box just crammed full of stuff. And maybe I should’ve been polite and just ignored it—I mean, going through someone’s attic is kind of like going through their dresser drawers. But there it was, and there I was, and I couldn’t help it—I started nosing.
One of the first things I found was a strange-looking metal funnel with a handle on it. I held it up and said, “Hey, Dot! What’s this?”
She looks up from her rooting around. “A meat grinder.” She pushes some hair out of her face and says, “Hey, get over here and help me find the box. I think it says ‘Halloween’ on it.”
So I put it back and make my way over to Dot. We look around for a while, but I sure don’t see any box marked HALLOWEEN , so I start opening up unmarked boxes, looking for anything that seems vaguely spooky.
I was finding toys and clothes and dishes and stuff, but there wasn’t a bat or a witch in sight. And I was starting to feel like I was looking for snow in the desert when Dot calls out, “Here it is!” and yanks open a big box.
As she’s pulling out miles of pink and lavender skirts, something in the box I’d been looking through catches my eye. It’s kind of like a walkie-talkie, only I’d never seen a pink and white walkie-talkie before. And the two parts didn’t look anything alike. One part looked just like you’dexpect a little girl’s walkie-talkie to look—only I couldn’t see where you would
talk
into it. The other part was about twice as big, and it rested in a base with a plug.
Dot’s all excited about finding the princess costume, and she’s holding it up saying, “Isn’t it terrific? This is going to be great!” but by now I
have
to know what this pink and white contraption is. So I ask, “Dot, what
is
this thing?”
She looks over and says, “Oh, that’s just a baby monitor.”
I’ve spent zero time around babies, so I don’t know what a baby monitor is. I stare at it, and finally I just come out and ask, “What’s it
do?
”
Dot picks up all the parts of the princess costume and says, “My mom used to use it when my sister was napping. You know—she could do the dishes and stuff downstairs while my sister was asleep upstairs, and she could hear when my sister gagged or woke up or something.”
I sat there staring at it, thinking, and I could feel my heart speed up a little. “Did she ever take it outside? Like when she was gardening or something?”
Dot looks at me like she can’t believe I’m still asking questions about a stupid baby monitor. “Sure. All the time.”
“Do you think your mom would mind if I borrowed this?”
She shrugs. “Not a bit.”
Then I remembered the Louis d’Foo-Foo disaster sitting in a bag downstairs. “What if something happens to it? Is she going to be upset?”
“Hmm … I don’t think so. She was saying at dinner theother night how she should really get up here and take all the baby stuff down to the Salvation Army. I’ll ask her, but I’m sure it’s okay.” She looks at me and says, “What do you want it for, anyway? You know someone who’s going to have a baby?”
I laugh. “No, but I’ve got a plan and if it works, I know someone who’s gonna have a cow!”
* * *
Marissa
had
forgotten about going over to the Bush House. At least she’d forgotten until her mother asked her if she’d brought the Marsh Monster sweater home. And when she joined Dot and me in the Land of Yellow, the first thing she asked was, “Did you get it?”
“Oh, I got it all right.” I held it up for her to see.
She practically cried. “What are we going
Anyhow, Dot’s way ahead of me, saying, “I know it’s here someplace. I remember helping Dad label it. I thought it was back here.” Then I come across an open box just crammed full of stuff. And maybe I should’ve been polite and just ignored it—I mean, going through someone’s attic is kind of like going through their dresser drawers. But there it was, and there I was, and I couldn’t help it—I started nosing.
One of the first things I found was a strange-looking metal funnel with a handle on it. I held it up and said, “Hey, Dot! What’s this?”
She looks up from her rooting around. “A meat grinder.” She pushes some hair out of her face and says, “Hey, get over here and help me find the box. I think it says ‘Halloween’ on it.”
So I put it back and make my way over to Dot. We look around for a while, but I sure don’t see any box marked HALLOWEEN , so I start opening up unmarked boxes, looking for anything that seems vaguely spooky.
I was finding toys and clothes and dishes and stuff, but there wasn’t a bat or a witch in sight. And I was starting to feel like I was looking for snow in the desert when Dot calls out, “Here it is!” and yanks open a big box.
As she’s pulling out miles of pink and lavender skirts, something in the box I’d been looking through catches my eye. It’s kind of like a walkie-talkie, only I’d never seen a pink and white walkie-talkie before. And the two parts didn’t look anything alike. One part looked just like you’dexpect a little girl’s walkie-talkie to look—only I couldn’t see where you would
talk
into it. The other part was about twice as big, and it rested in a base with a plug.
Dot’s all excited about finding the princess costume, and she’s holding it up saying, “Isn’t it terrific? This is going to be great!” but by now I
have
to know what this pink and white contraption is. So I ask, “Dot, what
is
this thing?”
She looks over and says, “Oh, that’s just a baby monitor.”
I’ve spent zero time around babies, so I don’t know what a baby monitor is. I stare at it, and finally I just come out and ask, “What’s it
do?
”
Dot picks up all the parts of the princess costume and says, “My mom used to use it when my sister was napping. You know—she could do the dishes and stuff downstairs while my sister was asleep upstairs, and she could hear when my sister gagged or woke up or something.”
I sat there staring at it, thinking, and I could feel my heart speed up a little. “Did she ever take it outside? Like when she was gardening or something?”
Dot looks at me like she can’t believe I’m still asking questions about a stupid baby monitor. “Sure. All the time.”
“Do you think your mom would mind if I borrowed this?”
She shrugs. “Not a bit.”
Then I remembered the Louis d’Foo-Foo disaster sitting in a bag downstairs. “What if something happens to it? Is she going to be upset?”
“Hmm … I don’t think so. She was saying at dinner theother night how she should really get up here and take all the baby stuff down to the Salvation Army. I’ll ask her, but I’m sure it’s okay.” She looks at me and says, “What do you want it for, anyway? You know someone who’s going to have a baby?”
I laugh. “No, but I’ve got a plan and if it works, I know someone who’s gonna have a cow!”
* * *
Marissa
had
forgotten about going over to the Bush House. At least she’d forgotten until her mother asked her if she’d brought the Marsh Monster sweater home. And when she joined Dot and me in the Land of Yellow, the first thing she asked was, “Did you get it?”
“Oh, I got it all right.” I held it up for her to see.
She practically cried. “What are we going
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