Black's Creek Read Online Free

me.
    â€˜That pervert Not Normal’s the scum bastard who did this, by molesting Joey,’ Brent agreed, spitting into the fire. ‘Made poor Joey go and kill himself.’
    â€˜
Shhhhhhhhh!
’ I hissed, glancing nervously over my shoulder. ‘Only a few people know Not Normal’s a suspect. If my dad ever finds out we know, he’ll figure I’ve been listening to his private conversations in the hub. Then I’ll be in for it.’
    â€˜Don’t worry, Tommy,’ Horseshoe said. ‘Your dad’ll not hear a thing from us. Right, Brent?’
    â€˜Well, it doesn’t change a fucking thing,’ Brent said, ignoring Horseshoe’s assurance. ‘
We
know it was Not Normal.’
    Not Normal – Norman Armstrong – worked as a part-time janitor at the Strand movie theatre. Completely hairless, he suffered from alopecia universalis, the rapid-hair-loss ailment. The creepy loner acquired his unfortunate moniker due to his name being pronounced wrong by every kid in town.
    Normal, can you tell us if there’s a cartoon before the big movie today? Will there be ice cream for sale today, Normal? Will I be allowed to watch that horror movie, Normal, even though I won’t be thirteen ’till next month? Normal, can you tell me if –
    This went on for months, until one night, he had had enough.
I’m Norman!
he screamed, in utter frustration, before making himself a legend with the following classic statement:
You bunch of little rubber-mouth bastards! I’m not fucking Normal!
    â€˜His ugly face is like a
piñata
: should be whacked hard and often,’ Horseshoe now suggested.
    â€˜Never mind hitting him. They should shoot the bastard,’ Brent said.
    His fixation on the subject had become so relentless it was starting to scare me.
    â€˜Yeah,’ Horseshoe said, making an imaginary gun with finger and thumb. ‘Shooting him would be much better.’
    Brent nodded. ‘Right in the nuts. That would stop him, the perverted bastard.’
    â€˜Yeah. Pervert. In the nuts.
Bang
!’ Horseshoe nodded, before loudly belching out Coke gas. ‘He’s nuttier than a squirrel’sturd. Gives me the creeps. Have you ever seen that evil smile he has, with those rotten teeth of his?’
    â€˜We should make a pact, like they do in the movies,’ Brent said. He loved nothing better than a good murder movie, full of mystery and intrigue.
    â€˜Yeah, like in the movies.’
    â€˜Are you game, Tommy?’ Brent was looking hard into my eyes.
    I watched the flames flickering over Brent’s face, distorting his features. It made me think of Dr Jekyll morphing into Hyde. I shivered.
    â€˜Game for what?’ I finally said, knowing full well what he was hinting at.
    â€˜Justice for Joey. Pay that pervert Not Normal back for what he did. We take an oath, right here, right fucking now.’ He held out one hand, and with the other produced a penknife from his pocket. ‘A blood oath.’
    â€˜Blood …?’ Horseshoe said, his voice thinning.
    I thought Horseshoe was going to faint. Everyone knew he loathed the sight of blood – especially his own.
    â€˜Yes,
blood
,’ Brent said, never taking his eyes off mine, ignoring Horseshoe. ‘If the oath is betrayed, the traitor will go straight to Hell and be fucked in the ass by the devil’s flaming cock, forever and ever. Agreed?’
    Even though I knew this whole blood-oath thing was just bluster and talk, the hairs on the back of my neck began nippingmy skin. Night sounds whispered secretly behind me. I felt darkness on my mouth. ‘Okay …’ I finally said.
    Brent smiled and held out his thumb, curving the knife inwards. His skin tore. An inkblot of blood appeared. Even in the dull light, I would never forget its colour: deep crimson, like the bloodshot eye of a trapped animal.
    â€˜Here,’ Brent said, handing me the knife and