Free B005N8ZFUO EBOK by David Lubar Page A

ladder,” Torchie said. “Lucky found some broomsticks in a closet. And we borrowed a bunch of rope from Mr. Briggs’s supplies. I tied the knots myself. I was a Cub Scout. I would have been a Boy Scout, too, but I got kicked out because of this fire in my tent. Man, canvas really burns a lot faster than you’d think. But that’s not important.” He stood up and said, “Come on, let’s get ready.”
    Torchie showed me how to stuff clothes under my blanket to make it look like I was asleep in bed. That was just in case anyone checked the rooms. It probably wasn’t necessary. Once classes were over, nobody seemed to care all that much what we did, as long as it didn’t involve too much violence or vandalism. The teachers went home in the evening, except whoever had gotten stuck with night duty, which just meant sleeping in that room on the second floor in case there was an emergency.
    “One more thing,” Torchie whispered as we cracked open our door. “Remember, don’t ever mention stealing to Lucky. Okay?”
    “Sure. No problem.”
    I followed Torchie down the hall to meet Lucky. True to his name, he had the room to himself. The rope ladder was already dangling out the window. A long stick tied to the top kept it from falling through. From the sharp chill in the room, it felt like the window had been open for a while. I watched as the others climbed down one at a time. When my turn came, I wasn’t sure I could do it. I got my left leg out the window fine, but it took three tries before I managed to swing the other leg past the ledge.
    The ladder swayed like a funhouse floor and I had to dig with my toes to get each rung away from the wall. Halfway down, my hands started to grow numb from the cold. I hurried to reach the ground before I lost my grip. Despite visions of splattering myself into a huge pile of roadkill, I made it without any real slips.
    “What if we get caught?” I asked after I’d stepped away from the ladder.
    Lucky shrugged. “What can they do? Shoot us?”
    I saw his point. We were already at the end of the line as far as getting in trouble.
    It’s a good thing I wasn’t afraid of the dark. Torchie had forgotten the flashlight and nobody felt like going back for it. We walked in total blackness through the pipe. It was a darkness so complete it made me feel I no longer existed except as a bundle of thoughts. Even though I wasn’t scared, I didn’t like the experience. It’s weird what visions the mind can create when the eyes can’t see. But I got through it.
    The pipe spilled us out on the side of a wooded hill, about fifty yards from the road. We followed the road into town and headed for the arcade.
    The thought of video games made me realize I had a problem. “I don’t have any money,” I told them.
    “No big deal,” Lucky said. He reached in his pocket and pulled out a handful of quarters.
    I hesitated. It felt funny taking money from him.
    “Go ahead. Help yourself. I didn’t steal it.” He shook his hand, jangling the coins in his palm.
    “I never said you did. It’s just that I don’t know when I can pay you back.” I figured I could ask my folks for some money, but they probably wouldn’t send me any.
    “Don’t worry about it,” Lucky said. “It’s my treat. You want it or not?”
    “Thanks.” I took the coins from him and put them in my pocket.
    The town of Edgeview wasn’t very big. Actually, the main part was across the interstate. The side we could reach was only about seven blocks from the school, but traveling through town felt like walking into a different world—a world of houses, homes, and families.
    It didn’t take long to figure out that I was marked. Groups of kids, standing and horsing around in the streets, got quiet when we went past. Some of them crossed the street when we came near. A couple little kids even ran away from us.
    “What’s going on?” I asked Torchie.
    “Huh?” He looked around as if he didn’t know what I meant.