Read Online The Land of the Dead: Book Four of the Oz Chronicles by R.W. Ridley - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: R.W. Ridley
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sitting in the empty pool grabbed my leg and pulled her body in next to me as close as she could. “Go away! Go away! Go away!” She pleaded.
The old man narrowed his gaze. “Jeremiah is my favorite!” Spittle flew from his mouth.
I reached down and forced Mimic-April to her feet. “We have to get out of here.”
The old man moved closer. “Do you know Jeremiah?”
“No,” I barked. I wasn’t angry. I was scared out of my mind. I could feel goose bumps forming on my arm. “I don’t know who Jeremiah is.”
“Grace knows Jeremiah,” the old man responded.
“I don’t know Grace or Jeremiah.” I said.
“Nineteen nine,” the old man said. “Jeremiah is my favorite.”
“I…”
The old man looked past me. “You can’t be here! This is mine!”
I was about to volunteer to leave when I realized he wasn’t talking to me. I turned to see who he was talking to.
I was filled with relief and anxiety when I saw the dead that used to watch me sleep in the… facility. They were my connection to the Land of the Dead, and more importantly, they were distracting the old man. He stomped past us and headed for them in a huff. The dead backed away. The willowy boy in front looked as frightened as I felt.
I pulled Mimic-April to the ladder and quietly encouraged her to climb. She hesitated. I gritted my teeth and, slightly more animated, encouraged her to climb again. She finally did. I took one last look at the group of dead and the old man before I followed. The dead were slipping into the darkest end of the pool one at a time. The willowy boy gave me one last pleading look before being the last of them to disappear.
The old man turned his attention back to us and flashed a yellow-toothed grin. I scooted up the ladder without any further hesitation. In my haste, I dropped the flashlight and heard it crash to the ground.
“Go, go, go,” I yelled.
Mimic-April clumsily climbed to the top and a split second later I did as well. I could hear the old man clomping up the ladder. He was grunting like a madman. I grabbed Mimic-April’s hand and pulled her toward the entrance to the pool. I decided to go back through the bowling alley and Halloween room. It was familiar and I knew that it would take me to the stairs. I was done with the basement and had no interest in ever seeing it again.
I navigated the dark corridors recklessly. Mimic-April and I crashed into walls and doors. The old man was having a much easier time of it. We heard him huff and puff as he pursued us, but there was no evidence that he was having trouble seeing in the dark like we were.
As we entered the bowling alley, I could swear I felt his cold breath on the back of my neck. I pumped my legs faster and practically dragged Mimic-April to the Halloween room.
As we raced through the room, I noticed an easing of the feeling of dread I’d felt since we first saw the old man. He was no longer chasing us. I could feel it. But, I didn’t slow down and turn to verify my theory. I just ran and ran and ran.
***
We saw Gordy first. He approached wide-eyed when he saw our distressed faces. “You okay?’
I shook my head, struggling not to go into shock.
“What happened?”
I pointed down. “The basement,” I said looking at Mimic-April in the better lighting of the main floor. She was not April. It was easy to see the difference. She was a faded copy of April. The coloring wasn’t quite right. The facial features weren’t quite complete. Mimic was a good imitation of April, but that’s it. That’s when it struck me. “Where’s April?” I asked sounding panicked.
“Dude,” Gordy said, “she’s right there…” He stopped short when he got a better look at Mimic. Stepping back in fear or disgust or both, he said, “What is that?”
“A Throwaway,” I said. “She became April… kind of.”
He clenched his jaw. “How?”
“I don’t know,” I said moving past him. “It’s not important. Help me find April.”
He
The old man narrowed his gaze. “Jeremiah is my favorite!” Spittle flew from his mouth.
I reached down and forced Mimic-April to her feet. “We have to get out of here.”
The old man moved closer. “Do you know Jeremiah?”
“No,” I barked. I wasn’t angry. I was scared out of my mind. I could feel goose bumps forming on my arm. “I don’t know who Jeremiah is.”
“Grace knows Jeremiah,” the old man responded.
“I don’t know Grace or Jeremiah.” I said.
“Nineteen nine,” the old man said. “Jeremiah is my favorite.”
“I…”
The old man looked past me. “You can’t be here! This is mine!”
I was about to volunteer to leave when I realized he wasn’t talking to me. I turned to see who he was talking to.
I was filled with relief and anxiety when I saw the dead that used to watch me sleep in the… facility. They were my connection to the Land of the Dead, and more importantly, they were distracting the old man. He stomped past us and headed for them in a huff. The dead backed away. The willowy boy in front looked as frightened as I felt.
I pulled Mimic-April to the ladder and quietly encouraged her to climb. She hesitated. I gritted my teeth and, slightly more animated, encouraged her to climb again. She finally did. I took one last look at the group of dead and the old man before I followed. The dead were slipping into the darkest end of the pool one at a time. The willowy boy gave me one last pleading look before being the last of them to disappear.
The old man turned his attention back to us and flashed a yellow-toothed grin. I scooted up the ladder without any further hesitation. In my haste, I dropped the flashlight and heard it crash to the ground.
“Go, go, go,” I yelled.
Mimic-April clumsily climbed to the top and a split second later I did as well. I could hear the old man clomping up the ladder. He was grunting like a madman. I grabbed Mimic-April’s hand and pulled her toward the entrance to the pool. I decided to go back through the bowling alley and Halloween room. It was familiar and I knew that it would take me to the stairs. I was done with the basement and had no interest in ever seeing it again.
I navigated the dark corridors recklessly. Mimic-April and I crashed into walls and doors. The old man was having a much easier time of it. We heard him huff and puff as he pursued us, but there was no evidence that he was having trouble seeing in the dark like we were.
As we entered the bowling alley, I could swear I felt his cold breath on the back of my neck. I pumped my legs faster and practically dragged Mimic-April to the Halloween room.
As we raced through the room, I noticed an easing of the feeling of dread I’d felt since we first saw the old man. He was no longer chasing us. I could feel it. But, I didn’t slow down and turn to verify my theory. I just ran and ran and ran.
***
We saw Gordy first. He approached wide-eyed when he saw our distressed faces. “You okay?’
I shook my head, struggling not to go into shock.
“What happened?”
I pointed down. “The basement,” I said looking at Mimic-April in the better lighting of the main floor. She was not April. It was easy to see the difference. She was a faded copy of April. The coloring wasn’t quite right. The facial features weren’t quite complete. Mimic was a good imitation of April, but that’s it. That’s when it struck me. “Where’s April?” I asked sounding panicked.
“Dude,” Gordy said, “she’s right there…” He stopped short when he got a better look at Mimic. Stepping back in fear or disgust or both, he said, “What is that?”
“A Throwaway,” I said. “She became April… kind of.”
He clenched his jaw. “How?”
“I don’t know,” I said moving past him. “It’s not important. Help me find April.”
He
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