Free House of Dark Shadows by Robert Liparulo Page B

locker?”
    â€œYeah, that’s how I got this.” He pointed to the gash above his eyebrow.
    The two of them rounded the corner and headed toward a set of double doors at the far end. Every forty feet or so, the lockers gave way to windowed classroom doors. The lights were off in each one. Soon, the place would be full of kids and teachers with hardly a moment of inactivity. Schools were not meant to be empty. At times like this they seemed lonely and forlorn. Almost sacred, like empty churches.
    Ooh , Xander thought. School . . . sacred . . . Two words that did not belong together .
    He felt like a trespasser. Which, he guessed, they were. He had not asked to come here. In fact, you could say, he came by force. Besides, his dad was the principal. What were they going to do to him? This was one of those times he’d rather not find out.
    David asked, “Why the school, do you think?”
    â€œI don’t know.”
    â€œDo you think it was an accident, or did somebody plan it?”
    â€œI don’t know,” Xander said again.
    â€œDo you think other people know about it?”
    â€œDavid, I don’t know. I don’t know any more than you do.
    Anything else?”
    â€œYeah, do you think all the lockers lead somewhere?”
    Xander stopped.
    David took three more steps before realizing Xander was no longer by his side. He looked back inquisitively.
    â€œOne way to find out,” Xander said.
    David took in the lockers nearest them. “Really?” he said, unsure.
    â€œHow else are we going to know?”
    â€œDo we have to know?”
    Xander thought knowledge was like candy: you never turned it down, especially if you didn’t have to work too hard to get it. And especially cool knowledge: how to assemble and fire an M16, how to get your movies to play at Sundance, which lockers were really teleportation devices.
    â€œYou don’t want to know?” Xander asked.
    David thought about it. His face slowly twisted into an I’m-gonna-eat-it-but-I-know-I’m-not-gonna-like-it expression. “Yeah . . . I kinda do.”
    Xander stepped to the nearest locker, number 76. “You or me?” he asked.
    David did not approach. “Um . . . why not both of us?”
    â€œBecause in The Fly , two life forms teleported at the same time and ended up all mixed together. As much as I love you and all that, I don’t want to be you.”
    â€œI think I saw something like that in SpongeBob . It was pretty gross.”
    â€œSo . . . you or me?”
    â€œYou?” David said, closing one eye.
    Xander shrugged. He put his foot in the locker.
    David stopped him. “No, no, wait. I’ll do it. I did it the first time; I can do it again.”
    Hey, if Dae wanted to. “You sure?”
    David climbed in without a word. Xander started to shut the door. David stopped it with his hand. “What if I end up in somebody else’s linen closet . . . or worse?”
    â€œWhat’s worse? Like on their dining room table while they’re eating? A trash compactor? You want me to go?”
    David closed his eyes. “Shut the door.”
    Xander pushed it until the latch clicked tight.
    The scream was hideous. For the first time Xander understood the meaning of the term “bloodcurdling.” He pulled up on the latch. His fingers slipped off. The scream went on. He pulled again. Got it. He opened the door. David was hunched over in the tight space.
    Laughing.
    â€œDid I get you?” he said.
    Xander half-yelled, “You and Dad! What’s with you?”
    David looked around. “I didn’t go anywhere.”
    â€œUnfortunately.” Xander slammed the door. He stormed toward the double doors at the end of the hall, then pulled up.
    He turned back to the closed locker door, said, “David, don’t keep it up. Don’t make me come open that door.” The latch rose by itself and the door opened. David popped his head