can’t run. Give me the boy.”
Olga thrust Billy into Dr. Whittier’s arms, and Bonnie took off again. Olga chased her, sprinting like an Olympic athlete, much faster than Billy thought she’d be able to run. When Bonnie rounded the corner, it looked as though Olga was gaining on her, and Billy feared that the chase wouldn’t last long. They had gone around to the back of the cafeteria where an alley opened into an outdoor basketball court. If Bonnie tried to escape through the alley, hoping to go through the cafeteria, she would be trapped. They never unlocked those doors this early, and there was no other way out. Bonnie probably didn’t know that, being a new student.
They waited in silence for a moment, and Dr. Whittier loosened his grip, leaving his hands on Billy’s shoulders with just enough firmness to keep him in place. After another moment, Dr. Whittier began to speak. “I wonder what—,” but he was interrupted by Olga, who dashed from around the corner, holding her hands up in futility.
“She disappeared!”
Dr. Whittier limped toward her, pulling Billy along by his right arm. They followed Olga to the alley, where all they could see was a dumpster and bits of cafeteria trash lying around—old aluminum cans, an empty milk crate, and a few banana peels.
“Did you check the dumpster?” Dr. Whittier demanded.
Olga nodded. “It’s empty.”
Dr. Whittier gruffly pushed Billy toward Olga. “Hold him.” Billy thought about giving the woman another blast of his breath, but he wanted to wait around long enough to see what happened to Bonnie.
Dr. Whittier rose up on his tiptoes and peered through the opening of the dumpster. “Empty,” he grumbled.
“Didn’t you believe me?”
Dr. Whittier searched the blacktop surface in the alley, limping around like a wounded dog. “I wasn’t expecting to find her; I’m looking for . . . Ah! Here it is.” He bent over and picked up a large piece of blue and black denim. “Her backpack.” He unfolded the material and displayed a large hole in the fabric, a gap that had rested on Bonnie’s back.
Billy looked on with interest but wasn’t able to figure out Dr. Whittier’s point.
“So what do I do with this one?” the woman asked. “The little rascal bit me.”
Dr. Whittier extended his hand. “Let me see the wound.”
Olga let Billy go for a moment, but the two adults blocked the only way out of the alley. There was no escape.
The principal examined Olga’s arm for a few seconds and then glared at Billy with a maniacal stare. “That’s not a bite,” he snarled. “That’s a burn! No wonder you’re in cahoots with the little Demon Witch!”
Dr. Whittier reached toward Billy with raging fury in his eyes. Billy was about to try to run for it when he felt a sudden jolt of pain under his arms and a shove from behind as if he were being pushed to the ground. But instead of falling, he rose, surging higher and higher into the air, leaving his breath behind in a terrified shout. “Aaaahhhh!”
Billy tried to breathe again, huffing and puffing against tight pressure on his chest. He saw Dr. Whittier and Olga shrinking beneath him, the principal shaking his fist and Olga standing beside him with her jaw dropped open, but he couldn’t understand Dr. Whittier’s raging shouts. He felt like he’d been thrown into a dream as bits and pieces of his recent nightmare picked their way back into his memory.
Within seconds, the scene below disappeared in a cloud, and Billy noticed for the first time that two arms embraced him, each hand holding firmly to the wrist of the other, making an interlocking grip. The sleeves were pushed up to the elbows, exposing smooth, creamy white skin. The arms weren’t big and muscular, certainly not as impressive as the strength of their embrace.
The sudden shift in scenery gave Billy no time to feel any fear, but now a new queasy sensation brewed in his stomach. Maybe this isn’t a dream after all.
“Are you
Olga thrust Billy into Dr. Whittier’s arms, and Bonnie took off again. Olga chased her, sprinting like an Olympic athlete, much faster than Billy thought she’d be able to run. When Bonnie rounded the corner, it looked as though Olga was gaining on her, and Billy feared that the chase wouldn’t last long. They had gone around to the back of the cafeteria where an alley opened into an outdoor basketball court. If Bonnie tried to escape through the alley, hoping to go through the cafeteria, she would be trapped. They never unlocked those doors this early, and there was no other way out. Bonnie probably didn’t know that, being a new student.
They waited in silence for a moment, and Dr. Whittier loosened his grip, leaving his hands on Billy’s shoulders with just enough firmness to keep him in place. After another moment, Dr. Whittier began to speak. “I wonder what—,” but he was interrupted by Olga, who dashed from around the corner, holding her hands up in futility.
“She disappeared!”
Dr. Whittier limped toward her, pulling Billy along by his right arm. They followed Olga to the alley, where all they could see was a dumpster and bits of cafeteria trash lying around—old aluminum cans, an empty milk crate, and a few banana peels.
“Did you check the dumpster?” Dr. Whittier demanded.
Olga nodded. “It’s empty.”
Dr. Whittier gruffly pushed Billy toward Olga. “Hold him.” Billy thought about giving the woman another blast of his breath, but he wanted to wait around long enough to see what happened to Bonnie.
Dr. Whittier rose up on his tiptoes and peered through the opening of the dumpster. “Empty,” he grumbled.
“Didn’t you believe me?”
Dr. Whittier searched the blacktop surface in the alley, limping around like a wounded dog. “I wasn’t expecting to find her; I’m looking for . . . Ah! Here it is.” He bent over and picked up a large piece of blue and black denim. “Her backpack.” He unfolded the material and displayed a large hole in the fabric, a gap that had rested on Bonnie’s back.
Billy looked on with interest but wasn’t able to figure out Dr. Whittier’s point.
“So what do I do with this one?” the woman asked. “The little rascal bit me.”
Dr. Whittier extended his hand. “Let me see the wound.”
Olga let Billy go for a moment, but the two adults blocked the only way out of the alley. There was no escape.
The principal examined Olga’s arm for a few seconds and then glared at Billy with a maniacal stare. “That’s not a bite,” he snarled. “That’s a burn! No wonder you’re in cahoots with the little Demon Witch!”
Dr. Whittier reached toward Billy with raging fury in his eyes. Billy was about to try to run for it when he felt a sudden jolt of pain under his arms and a shove from behind as if he were being pushed to the ground. But instead of falling, he rose, surging higher and higher into the air, leaving his breath behind in a terrified shout. “Aaaahhhh!”
Billy tried to breathe again, huffing and puffing against tight pressure on his chest. He saw Dr. Whittier and Olga shrinking beneath him, the principal shaking his fist and Olga standing beside him with her jaw dropped open, but he couldn’t understand Dr. Whittier’s raging shouts. He felt like he’d been thrown into a dream as bits and pieces of his recent nightmare picked their way back into his memory.
Within seconds, the scene below disappeared in a cloud, and Billy noticed for the first time that two arms embraced him, each hand holding firmly to the wrist of the other, making an interlocking grip. The sleeves were pushed up to the elbows, exposing smooth, creamy white skin. The arms weren’t big and muscular, certainly not as impressive as the strength of their embrace.
The sudden shift in scenery gave Billy no time to feel any fear, but now a new queasy sensation brewed in his stomach. Maybe this isn’t a dream after all.
“Are you
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