Billy Hooten by Tom Sniegoski Read Free Book Online Page B

it. It's all I have,” he said, placing the small pile of paper and change in the skeleton's bony hand.
    The change fell through the bones and clattered to the countertop.
    “That's it?” the skeleton asked angrily, his gravelly voice muffled by the plastic mask that covered his face. He showed what little money he had to his companions.
    “I think he's holding out on us,” the second skeleton said.
    “Yeah,” agreed the third. “Maybe we should give his head a few squirts and then ask him again.”
    Billy had believed that the three skeleton robbers were carrying guns, but now he realized that they were actually water pistols.
    The shopkeeper backed away from the counter, covering the flames of his burning head. “Please … I'm telling the truth, that's all I have. Please don't put me out.”
    They might only have been squirt guns, but it was obvious that they still terrified the poor guy. And that was just wrong.
    Billy's anger took over. He remembered all the times Randy Kulkowski had picked on him while his friends sat quietly, hoping Randy wouldn't notice them.
    “Leave him alone,” Billy said, stepping out of the aisle, not exactly sure what he planned to do, and wishing his mouth wouldn't always get the better of his brain.
    The skeletons spun toward the sound of his voice, pointing their water pistols at him menacingly.
    “Who the heck are you?” one of them asked Billy.
    “Who the heck is he?” another asked the storekeeper.
    Flamehead looked just as confused, shrugging in an
I don't have a clue
gesture.
    The skeletons grouped together, water guns still aimed at Billy.
    “Stick 'em up,” one of the three barked, jabbing the gun in Billy's direction, “and you won't get hurt.”
    At first, Billy was sort of scared, but then it hit him and he started to chuckle. “You're gonna hurt me with that?” he asked. “I don't think so.”
    The skeletons looked startled.
    “Did he just laugh at us, Tibia?” one of the skeletal criminals asked.
    “I think he did, Fibula,” Tibia replied.
    The third skeleton was looking at his water-filled weapon as he stroked his mask-covered chin with a bony hand. “He's got a point, though. These water pistols ain't gonna do nothing to him.”
    “Then what do you suggest, Patella?” Fibula asked.
    Patella tossed the squirt gun over his shoulder. “I suggest we use our hands.” The skeleton flexed his segmented fingers menacingly.
    Fibula and Tibia disposed of their water weapons in the same fashion. “Sounds like a plan,” they said in unison, joining Patella to creep toward Billy.
    You've done it now, Hooten,
Billy scolded himself, watching in horror as the skeletons advanced. They were almost upon him, their bony hands reaching to grab him, when he instinctively reacted.
    He leaped back, out of their reach, but instead of jumping a few feet to avoid the skeletons’ clutches, hefound himself airborne, flying backward, bouncing off the ceiling and into the next aisle over.
    “Whoa!” he exclaimed, landing in a crouch and falling on his butt. “How the heck did I do that?”
    “Hey, where'd the kid go?” he heard one of the skeletons ask.
    “He made like a hop-frog and jumped over into the next aisle.”
    “He ain't gonna get away from us that easy,” the third growled.
    Billy could hear their bony feet clicking and clacking on the grocery store floor as they hurried to get him. Quickly, he got to his feet.
    The skeletons came around the corner. “There's the little creep!” Fibula shrieked.
    Tensing his legs, Billy jumped again and found himself hurtling through the air across the length of the store.
If I wasn't being chased by skeletons who want to beat me within an inch of my life, this would probably be fun,
he thought, getting ready to land in what looked like the produce department.
    Billy touched down with little difficulty this time, and actually had to wait a while for the skeletons to catch up. While he waited, he took a closer look at the