Free The Wicked Cat by Christopher Pike

Jessie grinned. “You can help me carry the cement.”
    As it grew dark outside, it became almost pitch-black in the cave. Still Adam could make out some shapes. Not that there was much to see. His aching arms and hands were already beginning to occupy most of his attention. Jessie had pinned them above his head, and his heart was having trouble pumping the blood to his fingertips. The cramping in his muscles was extraordinary. He wondered how long he could last before he would begin to cry out in pain. Of course he knew no one would hear him, with or without the brick wall. He wondered if Jessie really was coming back, or if she would wait until he was dead to wall him in. Neither alternative sounded pleasant.
    Adam glanced around.
    â€œI hate this place,” he muttered.
    â€œYou get used to it,” a soft voice replied.
    Adam would have jumped out of his skin if he hadn’t been chained.
    â€œWho’s there?” he gasped.
    â€œJust me,” the voice replied.
    Adam had to take a breath. “Who is me?”
    â€œJack. I’m right here.”
    Adam blinked and stared at the skeleton on his right. He thought he noticed a faint movement.
    â€œJack,” he whispered. “Are you Jack the skeleton?”
    There was definite movement on his right. A bony hand raised up.
    Adam did scream.
    â€œShh,” Jack said. “Don’t get excited. I know I’ve lost weight, but I’m not that bad looking.”
    Adam bit his lip and tried to catch his breath.
    â€œYou’re alive?” Adam whispered.
    â€œSure. But I only wake up at night. What’s your name?”
    â€œAdam.”
    A bony hand brushed Adam’s side and Adam screamed again.
    â€œI just wanted to shake,” Jack said, quickly withdrawing his bony fingers.
    Adam was still trying to get a handle on the situation. A talking skeleton in a black cave was not his idea of fun company. He closed his eyes for a moment and took several long, deep breaths. Whenhe opened his eyes again, Jack was still there, still staring at him with his empty eye sockets.
    â€œJack,” Adam said carefully, “do you know you’re a skeleton?”
    Jack sounded offended. “Well, you’d be a skeleton, too, if you’d hung here as long as I have with nothing to eat.”
    Adam nodded, his heart still pounding in his chest.
    â€œI understand that,” he said. “But because you are a skeleton, you’re not supposed to be alive.”
    Now Jack was definitely insulted. “Are you saying I should be dead? Is that what you mean?”
    â€œYes. Most skeletons are dead. All the ones I know about have been.”
    Jack sighed. “You don’t like me. Here we’re chained together in the same cave and you don’t even want to be friends. You know it gets lonely in here without anyone to talk to.”
    â€œJack,” Adam said patiently. “My reaction to you has nothing to do with whether I like you or not. I’m just stunned that you can talk at all.”
    â€œWell, get over it then and we can talk about something. I haven’t had anyone to talk to in a long time.”
    â€œHow about Jessie?”
    â€œWhat about her?”
    â€œHasn’t she been coming to talk to you over the years?”
    â€œNo. She was a cat. Cats can’t talk. You should know that.”
    â€œI suppose I should,” Adam said dryly.
    Jack continued. “Besides, she only knocked down the wall this morning. That was the first time I saw her as a human in I don’t know how long. I did hear her purring outside the wall, if she happened by at night, which didn’t happen too often. Usually she would come in the day when I couldn’t move or talk.”
    â€œWhy do you sleep during the day?”
    â€œI don’t know. I just got on a late schedule and found it hard to break.”
    â€œSo what you’re saying is that Jessie doesn’t even know you’re