Read Online The Quillan Games by D.J. MacHale - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: D.J. MacHale
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âDrivers are needed for dislocation work. If you are working in sections four-four-two-seven through nine-seven-five-two, please report during the next work period. Have the best day ever.â
It went on and on like that. Every thirty seconds or so an announcer would come on to give some kind of report orannouncement and end it by saying: âHave the best day ever.â I expected a little yellow smiley face to pop on at the end. I hate little yellow smiley faces. Almost as much as I hate clowns.
The people walking along the street barely gave notice to the animated billboards. I didnât know why. I couldnât take my eyes off them. Not that they were all that exciting, but there was nothing else to look at! The city was so . . . gray. These billboards were the only sign of life. Okay, they were creepy, too, because it felt as if the people were being spoon-fed information by some grander force. But it was kind of cool looking down the long, straight street to see hundreds of the big TVs lined up for as far as I could see. It was like looking at a mirror, with another mirror to your back. You know how that makes it seem like you can see to infinity? Well, thatâs kind of the impression I got by looking down the street at these colorful TVs. If not for them, it would have seemed like a city populated by zombies. It was pretty depressing, but who was I to judge? Maybe these people were happy to be living this way.
Tweeeeeee!
A shrill whistle blast shattered the calm. Without thinking, I ducked back into the doorway of a store that sold soap. Across the street and a block to my right, I saw two big dado dudes run out from an alley, headed for the street, toward me. My first thought was How did they find me ? I was about to turn and run when I realized that I didnât have to worry. I wasnât the quarry. Directly down the sidewalk to my right was a young guy running to get away from the dados. He looked terrified as he desperately tried to get through the people on the sidewalk. I figured he must have been a thief or something, because the dados definitely looked like police, with their gold helmets and dark green uniforms. Nobodywould give the guy a break and get out of his way. Nor did they try to stop him. It was like he wasnât even there. Even when he banged into a woman, nearly knocking her down. She didnât say a word. All she did was put her head down and continue walking as if nothing had happened. It was like these people were brain-dead! On the other hand, about a half block behind him the people in the street parted to allow the dados a clear path. I didnât know if the people wanted the dados to catch the guy, or if they were just being smart, because if they didnât move, theyâd probably get bowled over. It looked like it would be only a matter of time before the dados caught the fugitive.
When the guy ran by me, I saw that the loop on his arm was glowing yellow, just like the guy whoâd gotten carted off inside the arcade. I wondered if the big crime this guy had committed was that he had lost a game. As he ran by, I saw the panic on his face. He was breathing hard and sweating. It wasnât just because he was tired either. No way. This guy was scared. I felt bad for him, but then again, maybe he really was a thief and deserved to get caught. Either way, it wasnât my business. The guy continued past me, dodging pedestrians. I looked back to the chasing dados, who would soon pass by. I stepped back into the shadow of the doorway. I didnât want them to give up on the scared guy and pick on somebody who wasnât moving so fast. Me. Everyone parted to let them pass. I crouched down, but peeked out from between two people to get a better look at these dado guys. I actually thought they looked strangely familiar, but couldnât imagine where I might have seen these thugs before. Still, there was something about them that I
It went on and on like that. Every thirty seconds or so an announcer would come on to give some kind of report orannouncement and end it by saying: âHave the best day ever.â I expected a little yellow smiley face to pop on at the end. I hate little yellow smiley faces. Almost as much as I hate clowns.
The people walking along the street barely gave notice to the animated billboards. I didnât know why. I couldnât take my eyes off them. Not that they were all that exciting, but there was nothing else to look at! The city was so . . . gray. These billboards were the only sign of life. Okay, they were creepy, too, because it felt as if the people were being spoon-fed information by some grander force. But it was kind of cool looking down the long, straight street to see hundreds of the big TVs lined up for as far as I could see. It was like looking at a mirror, with another mirror to your back. You know how that makes it seem like you can see to infinity? Well, thatâs kind of the impression I got by looking down the street at these colorful TVs. If not for them, it would have seemed like a city populated by zombies. It was pretty depressing, but who was I to judge? Maybe these people were happy to be living this way.
Tweeeeeee!
A shrill whistle blast shattered the calm. Without thinking, I ducked back into the doorway of a store that sold soap. Across the street and a block to my right, I saw two big dado dudes run out from an alley, headed for the street, toward me. My first thought was How did they find me ? I was about to turn and run when I realized that I didnât have to worry. I wasnât the quarry. Directly down the sidewalk to my right was a young guy running to get away from the dados. He looked terrified as he desperately tried to get through the people on the sidewalk. I figured he must have been a thief or something, because the dados definitely looked like police, with their gold helmets and dark green uniforms. Nobodywould give the guy a break and get out of his way. Nor did they try to stop him. It was like he wasnât even there. Even when he banged into a woman, nearly knocking her down. She didnât say a word. All she did was put her head down and continue walking as if nothing had happened. It was like these people were brain-dead! On the other hand, about a half block behind him the people in the street parted to allow the dados a clear path. I didnât know if the people wanted the dados to catch the guy, or if they were just being smart, because if they didnât move, theyâd probably get bowled over. It looked like it would be only a matter of time before the dados caught the fugitive.
When the guy ran by me, I saw that the loop on his arm was glowing yellow, just like the guy whoâd gotten carted off inside the arcade. I wondered if the big crime this guy had committed was that he had lost a game. As he ran by, I saw the panic on his face. He was breathing hard and sweating. It wasnât just because he was tired either. No way. This guy was scared. I felt bad for him, but then again, maybe he really was a thief and deserved to get caught. Either way, it wasnât my business. The guy continued past me, dodging pedestrians. I looked back to the chasing dados, who would soon pass by. I stepped back into the shadow of the doorway. I didnât want them to give up on the scared guy and pick on somebody who wasnât moving so fast. Me. Everyone parted to let them pass. I crouched down, but peeked out from between two people to get a better look at these dado guys. I actually thought they looked strangely familiar, but couldnât imagine where I might have seen these thugs before. Still, there was something about them that I
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