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The Boy With the Spider Face Chapter 16
CHAPTER 16The gas pedalwouldn’t press any further. Each speed bump the old man hit caused the truck to bottom out, sending loose items flying through the cab. Chapstick, pennies, an empty coffee cup. Everything rattled in chaos. He leaned from the window and hollered, praying she would hear. “Lily!” The wind whipped the top of his bald head and dried his eyes. But rather than slow for a response, he kept on the accelerator. His gut told him where she was.A photograph of his partner Craig, cradling Lily against his chest the day their son brought her home from the hospital, blew from between the console and passenger seat, then stuck to the dash before it could get sucked out the window. The man looked at his granddaughter’s innocent face and prayed she’d still be alive when he found her.***The day had been warm, but when the sun hid behind a cloud, the early fall air sent a shiver through Lily, reminding her it was toward the end of the year rather than the middle. Not
The Boy With the Spider Face Chapter 1
CHAPTER 1Morning sun filteredthrough shear curtains and across carpet to reflect off the mirror. The boy squinted his human eyes, while the six surrounding arachnid lenses gave little reaction. Detecting light wasn’t their strong suit. But the jointed appendages by his mouth (or pedipalps, as Mr. Drake, the science teacher, taught him) were sensitive enough to detect dust motes riding the September breeze through the cracked window. It sucks, having feelers, Jeff thought, and used his hands to fan away minute particles traveling through the air. Why can’t I be normal like Mom and Dad? He pulled blue jeans from a faux wooden dresser and stuck his finger through a hole in the knee he hadn’t noticed before. “Great.” He yanked a loose thread. “Haven’t even had these a month.” Thatasshole could have at least waited until I was off the gravel before pushing me down.Jeff combed through what little hair he had on his legs, checking for bruising and scratches in case they ne
The Boy With the Spider Face Chapter 2
CHAPTER 2First and secondperiod passed as usual. Jeff kept his head down while those around him whispered and passed notes back and forth. By third period, he’d deduced there were about eighteen thousand seconds left in the school day and was eagerly counting them down, until a curveball appeared in the form of a new student. “Class,” Mr. Drake put his hand on the newcomer’s shoulder. “I’d like you to meet Aarav Jain.” A boy, not much different from any other boy in the class (except Jeff for obvious reasons), stood at the front of the room. His open flannel shirt showcased a faded black tee underneath, and his Converse shoes squeaked as he shifted in place. The noise made a few students grimace, but Jeff’s unease came from the fact that the room’s only vacant seat was next to him.“Aarav just transferred here from ... ” Mr. Drake looked at him. “Apologies. Where did you say you moved from?”Aarav brushed a few strands of dark wavy hair across his forehead. “O
The Boy With the Spider Face Chapter 3
CHAPTER 3Jeff spent thenext period writing questions he wanted to ask Aarav over lunch. Where do you live?What do you like to do on weekends?Do you have any pets?He was busy thinking of a fourth question when the bell dismissed the students for lunch. After gathering his things, Jeff decided the whole questionnaire idea seemed forced, and he crumpled the piece of paper before tossing it in the garbage on the way out.“Aarav!” He spotted him at the head of the line.Aarav motioned for him to come join, but Preston’s arm shot out and blocked his path. “Don’t even think about cutting, freak.”The other students inched forward. Aarav finished paying for his lunch and glanced back at Jeff.“I’ll catch up with you in a bit,” Jeff called to him. “Save me a seat.” He retreated to the back.“Nice shirt, princess,” Preston said as Jeff walked away. “Did you steal it from your mom’s closet?”Jeff remembered what his dad had said to him earlier about fighting. No, he thought.
The Boy With the Spider Face Chapter 4
CHAPTER 4“Someone’s in agood mood.” Lori shook a sizzling pan full of potatoes and cauliflower over the gas burner as Jeff entered the kitchen, humming. “I don’t remember the last time I heard you sing.”“It’s called humming, Mom.” Jeff sat and rested his elbows on the table, knocking over a saltshaker.“Elbows off, please.” Lori gave him a disapproving look. “I raised you better than that. I hope you don’t do that in public.”Jeff rolled his eyes and obliged. “Of course not. Wouldn’t want anyone to think I’m a monster.”“Exactly!” Sarcasm never was her strong suit.He held back a retort.Lori turned back to the stove. “So, you had a good day then?”“It was okay.” Jeff brushed salt granules off the table, then threw some over his shoulder for luck. What could it hurt, right? “What’s for dinner?”“Aloo Gobi.” She added fresh chopped tomatoes, using her wooden spoon to burst them in the pan.Jeff craned his neck to see. “Come again?”She giggled. Jeff sometimes th
The Boy With the Spider Face Chapter 5
CHAPTER 5Half an hour later, Jeff found himself in front of Aarav’s house. The yard smelled of cut grass, which came as no surprise since Mr. Jain hedged it earlier. But aside from the kept lawn, the house differed vastly from any of those in Jeff’s neighborhood. It stood on its own with unique features—flaws, even. One gutter sank a little too low, and the eaves were weathered from the elements. Jeff appreciated the shortcomings. It adds character. Though the year was getting late, most of the flowers remained in bloom, providing a sense of vibrancy to the area even in twilight. Thanks to a nearby streetlamp, it was easy for Jeff to make his way toward the house, though what he’d do when he got there, he wasn’t sure.Why did I come here? He stopped in the yard. The bungalow had two stories and a sizeable patio. The top story had one room with a window looking out, which looked to Jeff to be the master bedroom. A painted porch swing creaked as the breeze picked up.I wonder where
The Boy With the Spider Face Chapter 6
CHAPTER 6Though he rarelyroamed the streets this late, Jeff couldn’t help but think the neighborhood was unusually quiet. He had no watch to check the time, but he doubted it could have been past ten. Mrs. Brannigan, Mr. Leery—hell, even mid-forties Mr. Cooper—he expected their houses to be dark; but the Loft’s should have been awake. They were recent college graduates, and it was Friday night. Maybe they’re at a friend’s.He crossed the walkway to his house.Climbing the lattice up to his bedroom proved impossible with his injury. His dad’s outburst at dinner replayed in his mind as he searched beneath the front-door welcome mat for the hide-a-key. A welcome mat—how ironic. I guess only if you’re not foreign. The key scraped the porch, and Jeff held still, not wanting to make another sound. They’ll ground me to graduation! The crunch of leaves made him flashback to his encounter with Mr. Jain, but when he spun around, he saw it was Pakora—not a middle-aged man—who’d
The Boy With the Spider Face Chapter 7
CHAPTER 7Though sleep waschallenging, Jeff managed to doze, but the dreams that followed seared his subconscious like a fire poker. In one, the dead fly in his vomit came to life and buzzed from the wastebasket, landing on his lips. He tried to blow it away, to spit it out when it crept down his throat, but the insect forced itself into his stomach where he could feel its vibrating hums as it laid batches of eggs. His gut grew heavy and bloated, swelling to twice its normal size as hundreds of maggots burst forth, eating their way out from the inside. He fought to scream, but larvae filled his lungs, suffocating him. Then he was upright in bed, disoriented, panicked. After blinking crust from his eyes, his surroundings became clear, and he was grateful he’d forgotten to turn off his alarm though it was the weekend. It was just a nightmare. Calm down, everything will be okay. He silenced the beeping and threw back the covers, disappointed to find yesterday’s transformation was
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