Free WIREMAN by Billie Sue Mosiman

behind red clouds, he parked his car and began his search for a victim.
    #

    Willie should not have been roaming the streets at sunset. His father forbade it, and Mrs. Lawrence strictly enforced Jack's rules. But Willie had wandered too far from home, and though he raced against approaching night, he knew when he got home he would be in serious trouble.
    His friends had caused his delay. Willie tried to discourage the four boys tagging along behind him because he intended to go to a secret place. But it was not so easy to get free from boys who had selected him as a leader.
    "Why can't we go with you?" Marv asked in exasperation.
    "Yeah , can't we go too? Where you going so special anyway?" Jo-Jo added, skipping into place beside Willie and grabbing his arm. "I bet you're up to somethin' and you don't want us to know."
    Willie frowned at how close Jo-Jo had come to the truth. But he had found the block of old houses that were being demolished to make way for a new Safeway store, and he had not finished exploring the area yet. He did not want to share his adventure. The others did not have to do everything with him. Sometimes he felt he was hobbled with five pairs of arms and legs.
    For several minutes the other boys speculated on Willie's reason for shunning them. Everyone knew if your father was a policeman you had a duty to prove that you were just as normal as the son of a baker, a machinist, or a dock-worker. Otherwise you would be called names, if anyone bothered to play with you at all.
    "He's gonna take to stealing Hersheys from the Totem store," one boy guessed.
    "Nah, uh-uh. He'd get skinned alive if he was caught. He's probably doin' crazy stuff like peeking in old ladies' windows."
    "Bet he's got a hideout he don't want us to find," ventured Randolph, the youngest of their group. "You got a hide-out, Willie?"
    "What's he supposed to hide from, dummy?" asked Jo-Jo.
    During the jeering Willie kept his mouth shut. He knew if he tried to defend himself it would only get worse.
    "Leave off,” he muttered. "I think I'll go home."
    Marv sneered. "Aw, let's leave him alone. We don't need this aggravation." That's what his mom always said. Who needs this aggravation?
    "Marv's right." Jo-Jo slowed and the other three boys automatically fell out of step with Willie. They looked at one another reluctantly. Giving up on any pursuit was thought cowardly. They looked to Marv to take the blame. He had given up first.
    "We can go jump on my trampoline. Willie won't get to." Jo-Jo raised his voice so that Willie would be sure to hear him. "He might not get to jump on my trampoline ever again."
    Willie dug his hands deeper into his jeans' pockets and turned a corner without a backward glance. "Nerds," he whispered. "Buncha stupid nerds."
    He liked the boys all right. They had played together for years and they were friends, but a person needed to explore some things by himself.
    Besides, Marv would get destructive in the old houses being torn down. He would start breaking windows and then what would happen? They would get run off. And Jo-Jo would not want to go in. Randolph would no doubt get hurt. He would be the only one to fall through a rotting floor and bust his leg. He was always getting hurt. And Brucey, the silent studious follower who dogged their steps, would get that look in his eyes that said, "Hey, we're gonna get in real bad trouble for this, you know." Then they'd all feel guilty and have no fun at all.
    Long shadows were moving across the brick-and-board littered yards by the time Willie got to them. The entire block was deserted, and two houses had already been destroyed. Willie thought of a movie he had seen on TV about the bombing raids on London during World War II. That's what this place looked like.
    Willie ran a zigzag pattern, dodging imaginary falling bombs that whistled through the air. Ka-boom! The three-story got it right through the roof. Willie threw up his arms to protect his face. Boards, chunks of