Kid vs. Squid by Greg van Eekhout Read Free Book Online Page B

Blood seeped from under the fish’s scales, and its lips parted in a silent scream, its tentacles kicking up water as they thrashed in agonized fury.
    Shoal’s assault worked. The monster dropped both Trudy and the backpack and retreated toward the safety of deeper waters.
    â€œTo shore!” Shoal called, scooping up the backpack and hugging it to her chest while I helped drag Trudy onto land.
    On the beach, with our wet hair glued to our heads, we all looked like sodden rag mops. But we were alive, and we’d kept Skalla’s head out of enemy hands. The only sounds were our panting breaths and the strangely calm lapping waves.
    â€œCome on,” I said. “Let’s get some distance from the—”
    Shoal’s legs went out from under her, long tentacles wrapped around her ankles and dragging her across the sand. Several yards offshore, the fish stared at us with its dumb, glassy eyes.
    Trudy and I each grabbed one of Shoal’s arms, her hands still gripping the backpack.
    â€œLet it go!” I screamed, my heels dragging across sand and rocks as the fish pulled her backward.
    â€œNo! It wants the head!”
    â€œIt’ll take you
and
the head!”
    Trudy released her hold of Shoal, but only to take a folding knife from her pocket and slash away at the tentacles. The fish moaned in a hornlike baritone but kept pulling Shoal away.
    We were losing her. I dug into her wrists with my fingers, fearing her arms would pop from their sockets. But my grip gave first, and Shoal slid away. In a last, desperate effort, I dove to the ground, hoping to grab Shoal by her hair, her ears, her throat—anything to keep her away from the gawping fish. Landing face-first, I reached out, my nails scraping her arms. Two more tentacles whipped out and attached themselves to the back of her head.
    â€œTake it,” Shoal said, shockingly calm. She tossed me the backpack. I caught it on reflex. Then, “Seek my father!” she called. “Neptune House! The summer palace! After midnight! He cannot help you before then! The curse… I am still alive! I am still—”
    And she was still saying that when the fish lifted her into the air and deposited her in its bathtub mouth. It closed its rubbery lips, and Shoal was gone.
    The fish sank below the surface.
    Waves gently rolled ashore.
    I ran back into the water, feeling beneath thefoam and gravel with my hands, looking across the waves for any sign of her. Every moment she was gone stretched into a new forever. I scanned the shoreline up and down, searching. When enough time had passed, I realized I wasn’t looking for a fish or a drowning girl.
    I was looking for a body.

CHAPTER 8
    We need to notify the authorities,” Trudy said, getting her phone out.
    â€œYou don’t think it’s too late?”
    â€œThe last thing Shoal said was she was still alive. If that fish was one of Skalla’s creatures—and considering it was the size of all three of us put together and walked on two legs and, ack, tentacles, then I’m pretty sure it
was
one of the witch’s pets—I don’t think it wants her drowned. It wants her alive. For … I don’t know what. So I’m going to assume we can still help Shoal.”
    That made sense. I got out my own phone and punched numbers.
    â€œEmergency 911 operator, state your emergency,” said a bored voice on the other end.
    â€œA fish ate my friend!” I bellowed.
    â€œLouie, I told you not to call here when you’re drunk.” There was a click, and the line went dead.
    I immediately hit redial.
    â€œEmergency 911 operator,” the same voice said with a tired sigh. “State your emergency.”
    â€œI’m not drunk! My friend got eaten by a fish!”
    â€œThat can happen when incompatible fish share an aquarium. It’s not an emergency.”
    â€œMy friend isn’t a fish, she’s a girl, and a fish ate her and we