get out of here!” he heard Brian’s voice yell from
inside the room with Scott. But he didn’t see Brian.
Then there was the sound of wood splintering.
And then there was a sharp Crraack as though a flimsy
bedroom door had suddenly given way and the strangers pounding at it from the
other side had rushed in through the place where it once was. That kind of
sharp crack.
And then Brian was screaming, “Stay away from my brother!”
And Scott was yelling. And then screaming.
All the dark figures inside the house were shambling up the
stairs toward Scott and Brian Chung’s bedroom.
Cory circled the pool, staying well away from its edge. At
the back fence he looked up, trying to see inside the room where Scott and
Brian weren’t screaming anymore. He only heard low growling now. Growling
like the growling of the mean dogs that lived in a yard on the other side of
the neighborhood. The yard of the mean man who always told Cory his dogs would
bite Cory if he tried to pet them. So Cory never did. Even though he wanted
to.
The stranger from the street appeared from the dark side of
the yard that led back to the side gate. He reached out for Cory and snarled,
stumbling across the landscaping of the back yard. Cory turned to the fence at
his back.
I’m Batman, he reminded himself as fear closed in about him.
He shot his right arm upward and made a “Bhuuuwwuush!” sound
with his lips. This is what he does when he simulates Batman’s rocket-powered
grappling hook. What he did when he wanted to climb things like trees or
fences.
“Bhuuuwwuush!”
When his imagination confirmed that the hook had gone up
into the dark trees beyond the backyard, Cory, satisfied, climbed the back
fence, then dropped down into the dark undergrowth that bordered the back of
the neighborhood.
Chapter Eleven
Cory stood, breathing heavily in the
thick darkness beyond the fence. The night-scent of the pine trees was heavy
all about him. He was on the side of a hill that led down to the main road
outside his neighborhood.
His head darted this way and that, looking for something,
anything, familiar. He followed the slope of the ground downward, the trees
and brush clutching at him, scratching him, pulling at his cape. His mask felt
hot around his eyes. He pulled it aside and quickly wiped sweat away. Then he
donned it again so no one would know he was just Cory.
He was breathing heavily.
“I’m Batman,” he whispered.
“I’m Batman.”
He turned on his flashlight. Shining it around, he could
see nothing but the close trees rising off into the night above him. Stars
shone up there in the empty spaces beyond the tips of the pines.
“I’m Batman,” he said one last time and then continued
downhill, weaving in and out of the brush until he tumbled down a sudden steep
drop and landed on a wide cracked sidewalk.
He was on the main road leading downhill from the
neighborhood to the shopping center where the pharmacy waited.
“Go get the bag from Dr. Liu,” he reminded himself as he
began to wonder why he was out in the night all by himself. Then he thought of
Mrs. Sheinman who seemed very sick.
He looked at the wide curving street. He had never been
allowed to cross it alone. Only if he went with someone else. And only at
crosswalks.
“When the man turns green then walk across and don’t stop,
Cory.”
The crosswalk was way back up the hill, and the streetlights
were out along the street. No cars passed him in the darkness.
“Mrs. Sheinman is sick so I have to hurry, Daddy,” he said
aloud to the stillness of the empty road. Besides, he thought, I’m Batman.
Batman can do things Cory can’t. He shot his right hand into the air, aiming
it at a tall house rising from behind the wall of a neighborhood on the far
side of the street.
“ Bhuuuwwuush !”
Then he leapt out into the street and dashed across, arm
upraised and holding onto his
inside the room with Scott. But he didn’t see Brian.
Then there was the sound of wood splintering.
And then there was a sharp Crraack as though a flimsy
bedroom door had suddenly given way and the strangers pounding at it from the
other side had rushed in through the place where it once was. That kind of
sharp crack.
And then Brian was screaming, “Stay away from my brother!”
And Scott was yelling. And then screaming.
All the dark figures inside the house were shambling up the
stairs toward Scott and Brian Chung’s bedroom.
Cory circled the pool, staying well away from its edge. At
the back fence he looked up, trying to see inside the room where Scott and
Brian weren’t screaming anymore. He only heard low growling now. Growling
like the growling of the mean dogs that lived in a yard on the other side of
the neighborhood. The yard of the mean man who always told Cory his dogs would
bite Cory if he tried to pet them. So Cory never did. Even though he wanted
to.
The stranger from the street appeared from the dark side of
the yard that led back to the side gate. He reached out for Cory and snarled,
stumbling across the landscaping of the back yard. Cory turned to the fence at
his back.
I’m Batman, he reminded himself as fear closed in about him.
He shot his right arm upward and made a “Bhuuuwwuush!” sound
with his lips. This is what he does when he simulates Batman’s rocket-powered
grappling hook. What he did when he wanted to climb things like trees or
fences.
“Bhuuuwwuush!”
When his imagination confirmed that the hook had gone up
into the dark trees beyond the backyard, Cory, satisfied, climbed the back
fence, then dropped down into the dark undergrowth that bordered the back of
the neighborhood.
Chapter Eleven
Cory stood, breathing heavily in the
thick darkness beyond the fence. The night-scent of the pine trees was heavy
all about him. He was on the side of a hill that led down to the main road
outside his neighborhood.
His head darted this way and that, looking for something,
anything, familiar. He followed the slope of the ground downward, the trees
and brush clutching at him, scratching him, pulling at his cape. His mask felt
hot around his eyes. He pulled it aside and quickly wiped sweat away. Then he
donned it again so no one would know he was just Cory.
He was breathing heavily.
“I’m Batman,” he whispered.
“I’m Batman.”
He turned on his flashlight. Shining it around, he could
see nothing but the close trees rising off into the night above him. Stars
shone up there in the empty spaces beyond the tips of the pines.
“I’m Batman,” he said one last time and then continued
downhill, weaving in and out of the brush until he tumbled down a sudden steep
drop and landed on a wide cracked sidewalk.
He was on the main road leading downhill from the
neighborhood to the shopping center where the pharmacy waited.
“Go get the bag from Dr. Liu,” he reminded himself as he
began to wonder why he was out in the night all by himself. Then he thought of
Mrs. Sheinman who seemed very sick.
He looked at the wide curving street. He had never been
allowed to cross it alone. Only if he went with someone else. And only at
crosswalks.
“When the man turns green then walk across and don’t stop,
Cory.”
The crosswalk was way back up the hill, and the streetlights
were out along the street. No cars passed him in the darkness.
“Mrs. Sheinman is sick so I have to hurry, Daddy,” he said
aloud to the stillness of the empty road. Besides, he thought, I’m Batman.
Batman can do things Cory can’t. He shot his right hand into the air, aiming
it at a tall house rising from behind the wall of a neighborhood on the far
side of the street.
“ Bhuuuwwuush !”
Then he leapt out into the street and dashed across, arm
upraised and holding onto his
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