Alice Isn't Well (Death Herself Book 1) Read Online Free Page A

Matthew said after a moment. “That's the only reason a Spitfire would ever crash. He'd probably been on a bombing raid and got hit, and he was trying to get home. I bet he was on a secret mission to destroy one of Hitler's secret bases. He must've risked his life for the war effort, he's probably a hero!”
    Instead of replying, Wendy simply stared at the heart of the burning plane and listened to the sound of roaring flames. She shuddered slightly as she imagined the poor man in there, although she figured he was most likely dead by now. Still, she was certain it must have been an agonizing, painful death, unless he'd been killed during the impact. She knew Matthew was right, that the pilot was a hero, but she still didn't quite understand why a hero should have to die in such a horrible way.
    “I hope he got lots of them,” Matthew continued with a frown. “I hope he shot down a hundred of their planes before they hit him. I bet he did. That's what heroes do.”
    “I know,” Wendy replied, “but -”
    Before she could finish, she saw that something was moving inside the burning plane, a dark shape struggling in the heart of the flames. While everyone else was trying to get people out of the damaged houses, Wendy took a step forward, watching as a few sections of twisted metal fell from the plane's cockpit area. A moment later, she watched in horror as a human figure fell out and landed hard against the cobbles, with flames covering his entire body.
    “He's still alive!” she shouted.
    “What should we do?” Matthew asked. “Should we -”
    Without waiting for him to reply, Wendy ran across the cobbles until she was as close to the burning plane as she dared to get. She paused for a moment, before ducking down under the damaged wing and crawling even closer, while keeping her eyes fixed on the burning pilot.
    “Get help!” she shouted, looking back at Matthew for a moment. She couldn't hear her own voice over the sound of the inferno, and the heat made the air seem to shimmer all around. “Get a doctor!”
    She turned and saw that the pilot was trying to haul himself up, even as flames roared from his body. He was barely visible in the heart of the fire, except as a dark, vaguely human shape that tried again and again to drag itself away from the wreck. He seemed able to only pull himself along for a few seconds at a time, before stopping for a moment and then trying again.
    Reaching out, Wendy knew she had to help him, even if she got hurt in the process.
    “This way!” she shouted, trying to grab his hand before pulling back as she felt her palm burning. She tried again and again, but each time the pain was too great. Looking at the skin on the palm of her own hand, she saw it was already blistered.
    Nearby, Matthew was shouting something at her, but she couldn't hear him over the roar of the fire.
    Trying to crawl toward her, the pilot tilted his head. For a moment, the flames seemed to clear slightly and his melted face was briefly visible. Most of the skin on one side had been completely burned away, revealing fragments of muscle still clinging to his skull, while a few sections of hair were still visible. He stared straight at Wendy for a few seconds, and finally his mouth began to open, as if he was going to say something. For a moment, a faint orange flame seemed to burst from his face and rush toward her.
    She waited, unable to take her eyes off the horrific sight.
    “You're a hero,” she whispered. “You are !”
    Slowly, the pilot leaned down toward the ground, as if he was going to sleep. He rested his burning head on the elbow of his right arm, and then he shifted his position a little, almost as if he was trying to get comfortable. After that he didn't move again.
    “Come on!” Wendy said to him, trying to make herself heard over the roar of the flames. “You have to get away from the -”
    Before she could finish, she heard a loud creaking sound above. When she looked up, she realized