Shivers 7 Read Online Free Page A

want my daughter to be all alone out here, would you?”
    Mr. Rose waits for an answer, but he doesn’t get one.
    A moment later he wipes a hand over one cheek, just below his sunglasses.
    The boys can’t believe it. Mr. Rose has started to cry.
    Bill doesn’t know what to say to that. Neither does Jason. He bends down and picks up Red Rover and cradles him under one arm. Then he turns his back on Mr. Rose and starts walking. Mr. Rose doesn’t make a move. After a minute, Bill follows Jason. They start along a dirt trail that traces the edge of the lake. The trail that leads back to town begins where Mr. Rose is standing, but they can’t take that one yet. First they have to go back to the other side of the lake, to the spot where they were looking for frogs. That’s where they left their camping stuff and, more importantly, their shoes. It’s a mile from the lake back to the country road that leads to town, another mile from there to their neighborhood. They’ll never make it that far barefoot.
    They walk fast. It’s rough going, though. The path is rocky, and they have to watch their step. While they walk, Bill keeps glancing over his shoulder, watching Mr. Rose, all alone on that little scab of a beach.
    It’s dusk now, and soon it will be dark.
    Mr. Rose just stands there, not doing a thing.
    Bill steps on a sharp rock and winces. He looks down. He’d better watch where he’s going. There are lots of rocks on this part of the path. If he remembers right, there are a few broken beer bottles, too.
    Right now, a hunk of broken glass in his foot is the last thing he needs.
    What happens next, Bill doesn’t need, either.
    The next time he looks over his shoulder, he sees Mr. Rose coming after them.
    And he’s running.

    * * *

    Bill yells a warning, and Jason turns to look.
    “Jesus Chrysler!” he yells. He turns to run, the dog still cradled in his arms. Bill’s right behind him, picking up steam. A couple more steps and Bill’s shot past him. Rover’s clawing Jason’s chest, trying to break free, but Jason holds on, trying to keep his eyes on the dog and the trail at the same time. The rocks are killing his feet. Jason hates going barefoot and never does it. Bill’s always teasing him, saying that for a guy who wants to join the U. S. Marines someday he sure has tender baby feet—
    Jason sees the broken beer bottle a second too late, just in time to hear a thick shard crunch under his right foot. The pain explodes up his ankle, turns his knee to jelly, and drops him as surely as if he’d been hit by a hammer. He lays there on the path, and he’s still got Rover in his arms—he’d pulled the dog to his chest like it was a football when he fell—but he can’t hold on and the terrier scrambles away and charges up the path toward Bill, who doesn’t even know that his friend has fallen.
    Jason looks in the other direction and sees Mr. Rose running up the path, coming straight for him.
    “Bill,” Jason shouts. “Hold up!”
    Bill breaks stride. Stops and turns. Red Rover shoots past him like a rocket, and Bill swears.
    Jason gets up as quick as he can. He tries putting weight on his cut foot, but suddenly it’s like his foot has grown a mouth, and it lets go with a scream of bloodcurdling proportions.
    Jason grimaces. Gotta be he’s sliced up pretty good, but that’s the least of his worries. Mr. Rose is still coming down the path, running hard. Jason stands there, waiting, trying to brace himself. There’s not much else he can do.
    He closes his eyes, just for a second.
    He hears Mr. Rose’s footsteps in front of him.
    And Bill’s footsteps coming from behind.
    He takes a deep breath.
    He opens his eyes.

    * * *

    Bill watches as Mr. Rose barrels into Jason. The big kid doesn’t stand much of a chance. He’s unsteady on his feet to begin with, like he twisted his ankle or something, and he starts to go down as soon as Cheryl Ann’s father hits him.
    At least Jason manages to grab Mr. Rose