Body Switchers from Outer Space by R.L. Stine Read Free Book Online Page A

sick.
    I had to get home—fast!
    I shook a little when I got up from the bench. My legs kind of wobbled as I tried to make it to my house. Will’s house.
    I had to stop and rest a lot. I was feeling sicker and sicker. My stomach hurt, my muscles ached, and I was sweating so much my shirt was wet through.
    I tried to run. I tried to walk. Then I couldn’t do anything but sit down. Right on the curb.
    â€œWhat have you done?” somebody yelled.
    I looked up. Chad-Two!
    â€œThat’s it!” he bellowed. “You’re coming home with me!”
    I felt so sick, my head was spinning. But I still knew exactly what Chad-Two had planned.
    He was going to mind-tailor me!

11

    C had-Two yelled at me all the way home. He was really mad. For one thing, he practically had to carry me. I was sweating and freezing and then sweating again. I couldn’t stand up by myself. Way too rubber-kneed!
    He told me I was an idiot to eat Earth food.
    â€œNo wonder you’re sick!” Chad-Two shouted. “Everything on this planet is poisonous to us, even in these bodies! How could you forget?”
    I hung on to his shoulders and tried to get my feet to walk. It didn’t work very well.
    I wondered if I would die from eating Twinkies!
    Chad-Two dragged me up the porch and into thefront room of the aliens’ house. He dropped me onto the couch.
    â€œDon’t move,” he ordered before going into the next room.
    He came back a minute later, carrying a bowl.
    â€œEat some of these skwoos,” he instructed, plopping a handful of live bugs into my shaking hand. They looked like giant cockroaches, only they had more legs.
    I didn’t much care what I did now, I felt so terrible! I couldn’t feel any sicker than I already did!
    I shoved the squirming bugs into my mouth and chewed.
    I couldn’t believe it! They tasted like beef jerky. One of my favorite foods in the world. It was horrible the way their legs moved in my mouth, but they tasted so good, I ate them all.
    A couple of minutes later I felt a little better.
    â€œYou are such a spidunk!” Chad-Two said. “Maybe this poisonous food is what’s messing up your mind. Take this box of skwoos with you, and take this pinter, too.”
    He gave me two small boxes, a pink one and a brown one. Each had a little black touch pad on it.
    â€œPut them in your pocket,” he said. “If you eat any more local food by mistake, take two skwoos right away, and then a pinch of pinter. Can you remember that?”
    I nodded and put the boxes in my pocket.
    He glared at me. “Earth food! What were you thinking? This place—these people —have warped your mind. We’re not here to make friends. Have you forgotten that?”
    â€œNo,” I mumbled.
    â€œWell, make sure you don’t forget!” he snapped.
    Chad-Two led me to the sleep chamber. I flipped upside-down and closed my eyes. That strange, fizzling sensation came over me.
    As soon as I’m feeling better, I thought, I’m going to find a way out. Just as soon as I’m better.
    *   *   *
    My eyes shot open. Chad-Two stood in front of me—and he was upside-down. He looked right at me and said something in another language. It wasn’t like any other language I’d ever heard.
    I stared at him. What was I supposed to do now?
    â€œWhoops! I forgot.” Chad-Two smacked his forehead. “We’re supposed to speak in Earth languages only. Good job, Chad-One! You’re obviously returning to normal. Now, get out of bed and let’s go test the shink.”
    I had no idea what a shink was, but I tried to act cool about it. “Why do we have to test it today?” I asked. “It’s Saturday!”
    â€œShut up, you groober! You know we have to do it today. Now, hurry up or I’ll test it on you. Thenyou’ll know how your human friends feel when we use it on them!”
    The shink was what