Kid vs. Squid Read Online Free Page B

cat, and the jellies ducked and dodged, trying to avoid her slicing knife. The small space became an insane riot of flying fists and elbows and sharp objects. A jelly dove at me, and Shoal was there again, warding him off with slashing motions of her knife.
    â€œLeave the land-dwellers alone,” she said in a commanding voice. Unfortunately, in the crowded confines, her blade was just as much a threat to me as it was to the jelly, and I came within an inch of losing an ear. But at least she was trying to defend me.
    I caught a glimpse of Trudy from the corner of my eye. She faced off with the other jelly, brandishing her flashlight like a mighty club. I made a mental note: next time I went poking my nose into danger, I would come better prepared with a weapon of some kind and maybe some batarangs.
    I hurried to the drawer by the sink, anxious to get my hands on a steak knife, at least. Grabbing thefirst thing available, I spun to face my opponent. He shlurped a laugh. Looking down, I saw that I was trying to threaten him with a potato peeler.
    Abandoning the peeler, I found a rolling pin and brought it down on the jelly’s head.
    â€œHey!” he shlobbed. “Ow!”
    I bashed him again. He lunged away but then spun back toward me, his white palm coming at my face in an openhanded slap. Shoal was there in a blur, shoving me aside and taking the slap intended for me across her cheek. It didn’t seem like that strong of a blow, just a glancing strike, but Shoal dropped as if she’d been smashed by a hammer. She writhed on the ground, struggling for breath, her eyes rolling so far back that all I could see were the whites.
    She looked like she was dying.

CHAPTER 5
    Still wielding my rolling pin, I moved between Shoal and the jellyfish boy who’d slapped her. “What did you do to her?”
    His green white fingers jittered, ink black veins under the skin. “I stung her,” he said.
    â€œAnd now we’re taking the witch’s head with us,” said the other jelly. “Try to stop us, and we’ll sting you again and again and again. That’ll be fun.”
    Trudy knelt by Shoal, trying to keep her still as she flailed, clawing at the floor.
    I grabbed the
What-Is-It??
and shoved it at the jellies. “Here, take it and get lost.”
    One of the jellies snatched it away from me and cradled it in his weird hands. “We’ll see you again!” they gurgled, taking off through the hatch.
    â€œGo eat sand!” I shouted to their retreatingfootsteps. I wanted to chuck the rolling pin at their heads, but better to get them out of here so we could help Shoal. They could have the stupid head in a box, for all I cared. It seemed to be important to Shoal, but now her life was at stake.
    â€œHow is she?” I said, joining Trudy at Shoal’s side.
    â€œShe’s not breathing well, and her lips and tongue are swollen. I think she’s in anaphylactic shock.”
    Shoal’s breaths came in a high, weak whistle.
    Back home I had a friend who was allergic to fish, only he didn’t know it until Bring a Weird Snack to School Day. He had to be carted away by paramedics after taking a bite from a patty smelt. Anaphylactic shock became the unofficial vocabulary item of the day.
    I dug my phone out of my pocket to call 911. There were zero bars. “I’m not getting a signal.”
    â€œI’ll try mine,” said Trudy. But she didn’t have any better luck than me.
    â€œMaybe getting them wet fritzed them out.”
    â€œImpossible. My backpack’s waterproof.”
    Shoal’s hand shot out and grabbed my arm.
    â€œPantry,” she gasped. “Silver shell.”
    â€œWhat—”
    â€œSilver shell,” she croaked. “Cure.”
    I raced into the pantry and searched the shelves, passing up jars containing fish with tentacles, fishwith three heads, a sea horse with a human-looking face, a tiny creature that looked