The Stranger by K. A. Applegate Read Free Book Online Page A
Authors: K. A. Applegate
had been about to eat us. It was a monstrously big centipede, as big around as a concrete sewer pipe. It had a round, red mouth at the very top of its worm body. The long, red whip of a tongue stuck out and hung in the air.
âI have an idea,â Marco said. âEven if this is a dream ⦠letâs get OUT of here!â
âDefinitely,â I agreed.
âMOVE!â Jake said loudly.
We ran for the door of the lunchroom. Out into the vast, intimidating openness of the cavern.
Outside, the same freeze had occurred. The surface of the Yeerk pool was still. The humans and Hork-Bajir who were involuntary hosts were frozen in their cages, screaming and crying and shouting without a sound or a movement.
On the infestation pier, a woman was bent low over the water, held down by a Hork-Bajir. A Yeerk was halfway into her ear. She was crying. Her tears were motionless on her cheeks.
Then I saw something moving. One single thing in all that eerie stillness.
A boy. He was tall, a little gangly. He had hair that looked as if it had never been combed.
âOh â¦â I whispered. âOh ⦠look! Itâs Tobias!â
The others all turned to see.
Tobias shrugged his human shoulders. He held up his hands to stare at his own fingers. âIt is me,â he said, sounding like he doubted it. âMy old body. Here.â
I ran to him. I donât really know why, I just did. I wanted to touch him. To know he was real.
âAh! Ah! Ah!â he yelled. He jumped back and suddenly threw his arms up and down.
He was flapping, trying to get away. Trying to fly. I had scared him by rushing at him.
âSorry,â he whispered, terribly embarrassed. âSorry.â
I put my arms around him and hugged him tightly.
âTobias, whatâs going on?â I asked him.
âI donât know,â he said. âI was flying ⦠then suddenly, I was here. Like this.â
âI have an idea,â Marco said. âEven if this is a dream ⦠letâs get OUT of here!â
âDefinitely,â I agreed.
âMOVE!â Jake said loudly.
We ran for the door of the lunchroom. Out into the vast, intimidating openness of the cavern.
Outside, the same freeze had occurred. The surface of the Yeerk pool was still. The humans and Hork-Bajir who were involuntary hosts were frozen in their cages, screaming and crying and shouting without a sound or a movement.
On the infestation pier, a woman was bent low over the water, held down by a Hork-Bajir. A Yeerk was halfway into her ear. She was crying. Her tears were motionless on her cheeks.
Then I saw something moving. One single thing in all that eerie stillness.
A boy. He was tall, a little gangly. He had hair that looked as if it had never been combed.
âOh â¦â I whispered. âOh ⦠look! Itâs Tobias!â
The others all turned to see.
Tobias shrugged his human shoulders. He held up his hands to stare at his own fingers. âIt is me,â he said, sounding like he doubted it. âMy old body. Here.â
I ran to him. I donât really know why, I just did. I wanted to touch him. To know he was real.
âAh! Ah! Ah!â he yelled. He jumped back and suddenly threw his arms up and down.
He was flapping, trying to get away. Trying to fly. I had scared him by rushing at him.
âSorry,â he whispered, terribly embarrassed. âSorry.â
I put my arms around him and hugged him tightly.
âTobias, whatâs going on?â I asked him.
âI donât know,â he said. âI was flying ⦠then suddenly, I was here. Like this.â