Fangboy by Jeff Strand Read Free Book Online

Steamspell grab the back of his shirt.
    Fortunately, Nathan was wearing the official orphanage garb, which consisted of clothes that were purchased because they were very, very cheap. (The clothing that the boys were wearing when they were admitted was taken away from them and sold to better orphanages.)
    So his shirt tore off in Steamspell’s hand as Nathan darted across the room toward the front door.
    Did he really want to do this? Did he really want to rush out into a world of traps and wolves and hunters?
    Yes. It was better than being strangled.
    He reached the front door and turned the knob.
    It was locked!
    He changed direction and ran toward the kitchen. As he ran, it occurred to him that the front door would have been locked from the inside, and he would have been much better off taking the half a second to turn the lock.
    Behind him, Steamspell was beginning to wheeze. The constant beatings had given him superior arm strength, but did little to assist with a chase.
    They ran in a circle around the kitchen. Though Nathan saw many items that he could grab and throw, there wasn’t time to do so. After their second circle around the kitchen, Nathan hurried back into the main room,
    “Go Fangboy!” shouted one of the boys, momentarily forgetting himself. He quickly fell silent and stepped behind a taller boy.
    “That’s right! Go Fangboy!” shouted another boy, who was so into the moment that he didn’t care if Steamspell beat him later. It wasn’t as if he’d thought that his most recent beating would be his last. Why not enjoy a few seconds of exuberance?
    Nathan raced back to the front door, twisted the lock, turned the handle, opened the door…and felt Steamspell’s hand clamp tightly on the back of his neck. Steamspell kicked the door closed again.
    “Well, well, well, thought you could get away, did you? Not so tough when your victim is awake, are you? Give me one good reason why I shouldn’t squeeze right now and pop your head off?”
    Nathan couldn’t speak.
    “I should make an example of you right here. If there’s one thing I won’t tolerate, it’s attempts to kill me in my sleep. Get ready to join your parents, boy! Have you come up with your reason yet?”
    Nathan still couldn’t speak.
    “My God, are you so pathetic that you cannot even think of one reason that I should not pop your head off? What about the fact that it will hurt? That’s a good reason right there, one I came up with on the spot.”
    “Please—” Nathan finally managed to say.
    “Please what?”
    “Please don’t kill me.”
    Steamspell loosened his grip on Nathan’s neck. “I’m not going to kill you, you disgraceful ingrate. I’m going to give you what you want. You want to be free of me and the shelter I provide? Have at it. Who do you think will help somebody like you on the outside? Nobody, that’s who!”
    Steamspell opened the front door and beckoned with exaggerated grace.
    “You’ll see how it is. Your mommy and daddy may have protected you from the world, but in real life, people are afraid of monsters. They hate them. When people see you, first they’ll shriek, then they’ll shove a shotgun in your face, and then they’ll pull the trigger, and that’s a promise!”
    “I don’t believe you.”
    Steamspell grinned. “Well, Fangboy, then you won’t live much longer. You can live like an animal or die like one, but either way, you’re going to be an animal. Get out.”
    Nathan ran out the door, and then he kept on running. He was scared of traps and goblins, but he was more scared of Steamspell changing his mind. He ran and ran and ran, fleeing deep into the forest.

SIX
    After ten or fifteen minutes of running, Nathan took a moment to reflect upon his good fortune. He’d somehow avoided every landmine, every bear trap, every ravenous wolf, every quicksand pit, and every other trap that Steamspell had set up to keep little boys from escaping the orphanage. He was blessed!
    Now he just had to