Epic Escape

Epic Escape by Emily Evans Read Free Book Online Page B

Book: Epic Escape by Emily Evans Read Free Book Online
Authors: Emily Evans
Dingo!”
    Ducking and weaving, Riley reached the midway mark. A rubber octopus flew his way, larger than some of the other projectiles with greater extensions. At least, Megan hoped the thing was rubber.
    “Octopus!”
    Riley dodged, but a stray tentacle grazed him. He swerved backward, swayed for a moment, caught himself, and started forward too swiftly. Wobbling, he struggled to stay up.
    Chase caught up to him and extended a single finger. Poke.
    Riley went down.
    “Gelatin! Gelatin!”
    Riley hit the bottom, bent his knees, and jumped. His hands fell short of the plank. He jumped again. Chase watched and laughed.
    Could he even breathe?
    Riley grasped the board and swung his body up toward the plank.
    The gelatin fought back, then relinquished its prey. Plop. Riley released the board long enough to swipe a hand over his face and green blobs dripped from his black hair, giving him an alien appearance.
    Megan relaxed and bet herself he’d get a haircut after this.
    Chase sauntered forward.
    Riley rested a moment then attempted to rise to his knees. His arm stayed down because the bandage around his earlier injury caught underneath the plank. He struggled against the snare, using his free hand to fight the knot.
    Chase said, “Your pink scarf get stuck?” Riley stretched his leg out and kicked Chase’s walkway. Chase went over backwards, arms pin wheeling. He grabbed the misaligned board before his head submerged.
    Quick reflexes.
    “Gelatin! Gelatin!” the audience chanted.
    “I’m really stuck,” Riley said, “Get back here and help.”
    Chase monkey barred his way back to Riley and reached over to un-snare the bandage. “It’s like you’re mating with that board.”
    Whatever had snared Riley caught Chase’s watch. Chase was trapped too, stretched between two planks. “Crap.”
    Riley said, “Megan, we’re stuck.”
    Megan, almost to the end, bit her lip and stared longingly at the end zone and the solid platform: victory, dryness, two feet away. She was so close. Could she touch it, win, then go back and help? She glanced back at her competition. A projectile flew by her head and clung to her hair.
    “Sea urchin!”
    Lifting a hand, she knocked the repellant creature loose. The urchin sank into its new lime green home. She worked her way back to the trapped guys and assessed the difference between the planks. There was no way she could reach them from her board. She took a big step and landed on Chase’s plank. Wobble. She corrected her balance, knelt, and stretched across. Bracing on Riley’s board, she reached under. Her fingers brushed fabric. The wetness seemed to have made the knot tighter. Megan leaned further. She still couldn’t get it. Taking a deep breath, she swung off her board. The gelatin offered no resistance against the force of her weight, and her body sliced through the cold wet mass. The scent of too-sweet lime rushed up her nostrils.
    “Gelatin! Gelatin!”
    OMG, they sucked. Clinging to Riley’s board with one arm, Megan searched under the plank. She spotted the slivers of wood restraining the guys and freed them.
    Chase jumped back to his board, rubbing his wrist.
    Riley moved slower and helped pull her up behind him.
    Once she was upright, clumps of the gelatin slithered down her body, fighting between clinging to her skin and rejoining their home. She shoved at the wet blobs. Chase stared while she lost the battle to get clean.
    One of the bimbos shimmied closer, aiming for a good shot with an open-jawed crocodile. Megan flicked the goo at her until she retreated. Awesome. Sucking in a breath, she moved to return to her board. Her attempt caused Riley’s walkway to sway and dip. Riley froze, his arms stretched straight out as he tried to maintain his balance, and said, “Just stay.”
    Megan stopped. “Okay.” They progressed along the walkways, Chase on his original plank, Riley and Megan sharing one. This time, Chase proceeded with more caution, and anytime an object

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