No Survivors Read Online Free

her face.
    Kristen leaned over and pressed her hands against her knees. “It’s too hot for a race,” she said. “We should be swimming.”
    April sighed. “How much do you want to bet that Pam is already at the finish line?”
    â€œYour friend really likes to win, huh?”
    â€œShe’s not my friend,” April said. “I’m just stuck with her. Pam is really—”
    A flash of red in a tree made April stop. Squinting into sunlight, she saw a large bright-red bird.
    â€œIs that a parrot or a macaw?” she asked Kristen.
    The bird uttered a squawk, as if answering April’s question.
    Then another shrill squawk.
    Then it clearly spoke. “No survivors!”
    April gasped.
    Kristen let out a startled laugh. She stepped closer to the tree and peered at the bird.
    â€œAwwwwk. No survivors,” the bird said again.
    Kristen turned back to April. “This can’t be happening.”
    April raised her eyes to the tree limb. She cried out as the large bird suddenly swayed—and toppled from the tree.
    It landed headfirst with a hard thud in a pile of dead leaves.
    April and Kristen both froze.
    April waited for the bird to move, to stand up.
    But it lay on its side. Its round black eye stared blankly at April.
    Kristen dropped beside it in the pile of brown leaves. She reached out to touch it—but pulled her hand back. “It—it’s dead,” she whispered.
    Then her expression changed. Her eyes narrowed. She reached out with both hands and lifted the bird from the ground.
    â€œI…don’t believe this!” Kristen cried. “What is it?” April demanded.
    Kristen didn’t reply. Instead, she tossed the bird to April.

    The macaw bounced off April’s chest into her hands. She uttered a cry of surprise. “It’s a fake!”
    Kristen nodded. “Some kind of robot puppet.”
    April turned the bird upside down. It had a tiny speaker under its tail feathers. “Marks again,” she said angrily. “The whole island is booby-trapped with his tricks!”

6
    April examined the robot bird in her hands. “That snake last night—do you think it was a fake too? Just one of Marks’s special effects?”
    Kristen nodded. “Probably.”
    â€œBut how did Marks know anyone would come past this tree?” April asked.
    â€œAnyone who comes through the forest has to use this path,” Kristen replied.
    â€œBut other kids came this way before us,” April said. “Why didn’t the bird talk to them? How come it fell on us?”
    Kristen shrugged. “Just lucky, I guess. Or maybe Marks thinks we’re easy to scare.”
    April tossed the macaw to the ground. She bit her bottom lip. “Don’t you see what Marks is doing, Kristen?” she asked. “With all of these fake scares for the TV cameras? He’s rigged it so there’s no way to tell what is real and what isn’t.”
    â€œMaybe,” Kristen said. “But that means he knowsthe truth about the witch. Whatever that is.”
    April thought it through. “Well, Marks lied about Marlin. He said Marlin never answered the invite to the reunion. He made a joke when I told him what Marlin’s mother said. I think he’s definitely covering up something.”
    â€œBut what is the truth?” Kristen asked.
    â€œGood question,” April said. “I wish I had the answer.”
    They heard shouts up ahead.
    â€œWe must be near the dock on the other side of the island,” Kristen said.
    April wiped sweat from her forehead. “We forgot all about the race. We’d better catch up to the others.”
    They turned and started jogging once again along the twisting dirt path. “We’re going to finish last,” Kristen said. She turned to April. “Do you care?”
    â€œI just want to finish alive!” April replied.
    The trees ended at a sandy clearing. As