I'll Stop the World (91)

Sheer surprise gave him a few seconds’ head start, but soon Robbie and the others were chasing him, screaming taunts and insults. Karl didn’t listen or look back, watching only the ground in front of him, knowing that if he tripped, he’d never get away.

Soon, the shimmering blue of the river appeared through the trees. How far was he from the bridge? He’d never make it all the way across, but maybe if he could get there without Robbie and the others seeing him, he could hide underneath.

As he burst out of the woods onto the rocky bank of the Stone River, the bridge loomed high up to his left. Karl scrambled toward it, thinking he’d take refuge behind one of the thick concrete supports.

He was more than halfway there when the toe of his sneaker caught on a piece of driftwood, and he went sprawling onto the ground. He managed to avoid hitting his sprained wrist this time, but his chin bounced off the stones, and when Karl touched it with his hand, it came away bloody.

“Grab him!” he heard Robbie yell from behind him, and an instant later, two sets of hands wrapped around his arms, hauling him to his feet.

“Stop it! Stop it!” Karl kicked helplessly as Steve and Kevin dragged him toward the water. His heart was hammering so hard his whole body shook.

“Stop whining, Derrin,” Robbie said, supervising with a smirk. He plucked a strand of spiderweb from Karl’s shirt and twisted his mouth in disgust. “We’re just gonna give you a bath. You’re gross.”

With that, Steve and Kevin threw him down on his back at the river’s edge, pushing his shoulders below the surface of the icy water. Karl screamed, but all that escaped his mouth was a stream of bubbles.

After a few seconds, they pulled him back up. He spit out a mouthful of river water, sputtering and coughing, his lungs burning. “Please stop,” he begged, tears streaming from his eyes. “Please.”

This time, when they pushed him under, he didn’t scream. He tried to hold his breath, squeezing his eyes shut, but his body still needed to cough. He fought it as best he could, but then the urge was too strong, and he gave in. Water forced its way into his lungs like greedy fingers, choking him.

They brought him back up, but he couldn’t even find the air to plead. He coughed and hacked, straining for oxygen, his gut churning with a bellyful of water.

He didn’t know how much more of this he could take. Was this it? Was Robbie actually going to kill him this time?

Suddenly, his right arm was free. Beside him, Kevin took a few stumbling steps down the bank, clutching at his arm. “Hey!” Kevin yelled toward the bridge.

This time, Karl saw the rock strike Steve in the shoulder, and Karl’s other arm was released. He scrambled through the shallow water on all fours, until he was back on the bank. His stomach heaved, and he vomited up a sour stream of river water onto the rocks.

Robbie’s gang was distracted now, scooping up rocks of their own. “Get him!” Robbie yelled as the trio hurled rocks toward the base of the bridge.

Karl blinked his water-reddened eyes, trying to focus on his rescuer. “Gonna have to do better than that, you pathetic little freaks,” the guy yelled, ducking one of Robbie’s rocks and then flinging back one of his own, which caught Robbie in the calf.

It was Justin, the same guy who had saved him on Wednesday. He scooped up rocks from the bank and hurled them at Karl’s attackers, sending them dodging and scrambling back, away from where Karl knelt by the water. Most of the rocks they sent flying his way missed, but Justin stumbled and fell as one smacked into his leg, sending him to his knees on the rocky ground.

“Shit!” he growled, trying to stand and then falling again as his leg seemed to buckle beneath him. For a second, he stayed there, braced on all fours, panting as his eyes met Karl’s. His face was pale, his blue eyes wide, and suddenly Karl realized—he was scared, too.

Karl’s stomach dropped. Was this it? Had Robbie and his goons won? Already, they were moving toward Justin; any second, they’d be on him. Karl’s eyes darted around, searching for a way out.

But then Justin rose up on his knees and chucked another stone with all his might, gritting his teeth.

This one whizzed right by Robbie’s ear, causing him to stumble to a stop midstride. “You’re dead!” he yelled at Justin, who already had another rock in his hand, ready to go.

Karl held his breath, wondering whether he meant that literally. And after they finished with Justin, of course Karl would be next. Sweat clung to the thin hair around Justin’s face, and his fingertips were white against the stone in his hand.

But instead of charging, Robbie led his crew away down the bank, limping slightly from where Justin had hit him in the leg. Karl could hardly believe his good luck.

Once they were gone, Justin let out a breath, allowing the rock to slip from his fingers. Slowly, he pushed himself to his feet, his legs trembling slightly under his weight. He limped over to Karl and squatted down gingerly, blood seeping through a rip in the knee of his jeans where he’d hit the rocks. “You again, huh?”

“Thank you,” Karl managed to gasp, shivering, his voice coming out raw.

Justin sighed, taking in Karl’s soaked clothing and bleeding chin. He reached out a hand, helping him up. “Okay, buddy. Let’s get you home.”





Chapter Fifty-Five


JUSTIN

I don’t know what it is about this kid that makes me keep abandoning all sense to try to rescue him. He’s not exactly the endearing type, and he grows up to sire Dave, of all people. Maybe Rose is rubbing off on me; I feel like I wouldn’t keep showing up in the same places where those little asswipes are trying to murder him if there weren’t a reason for it.