Skeletal Read Online Free
Author: Katherine Hayton
idea starting to gain traction in my brain.
It was within a metre of the fence. If I could manage to prop my back against it I could shimmy up the shed by my legs, then use pressure to move my back up again, and so on.
I didn’t think about it for too long, otherwise I wouldn’t be able to try it. I pressed my hands and back against the fence, and placed my foot a metre up on the side of the bike shed. I closed my eyes and brought my other leg up as well. It felt like I was laughing in the face of gravity, but for the moment it worked. Now I just had to get up another couple of feet, and manage to wriggle over the top and I was home free.
‘What the fuck are you doing?’
My eyes popped open, and I saw Michelle advancing upon me, with an entourage following close behind. Elvira, if my memory from home-room roll-call served me okay, and Alicia, also from Mr Bond’s English class. In panic I pressed hard back against the fence and stepped up the wall to raise myself another foot.
‘Oh, dear god,’ Michelle snorted at my attempts. ‘You know there’s a road out front you can just walk down?’
I tried to hitch myself up again, but the constant pressure required was already making my arms shake, and my back twitch. I didn’t get much further upwards, but at least I didn’t fall.
‘What are you going to do if I do this?’ Michelle lunged for my feet, and I made another desperate move upwards, trying to get up and over before she could catch me.
I was still short of the top of the fence, but I avoided Michelle’s outstretched hands.Her smile, and the tense line of her body let me know she was about to make another attack.
I pushed back hard against the fence, freed one of my legs, and as Michelle came at me again instead of placing it back on the shed wall I placed it firm in the middle of her chest and shoved myself back and up. Twisting I caught the top of the fence, pulled myself up to my middle, and swung my legs over. I held for a moment to try to ascertain I wasn’t about to land in anything life-threatening. But my arms shook so much I couldn’t hold for long and I dropped down, turning my ankle slightly on the soft bark, and scratching the side of my arm on some overgrown lavender, but otherwise safe.
‘You fucking bitch!’
Michelle’s head popped up over the side of the fence. For a moment I thought she would be on me in a second, and I stepped back. But then I heard the frantic scrabble of thick rubber soles failing to make purchase on the lichen-slippery wood, her elbow slipped from the top of the fence, and she disappeared with the thump of a hard landing.
I didn’t need a repeat performance. I ran for the mall entrance.
***
I stopped outside the bank and waited until my breath had returned to normal before entering. There was a queue of people waiting for the tellers, but I stayed in the lobby and used one of the automatic teller machines.
I entered my mother’s card and then typed in the pin. The hand around the keypad was a bit theatrical maybe, but there was someone in line behind me and I kept seeing news stories about people shoulder-surfing their way into your bank account.
There was a beep and the screen registered ‘PIN incorrect – try again.’
I entered the number again. Fast fingers must have got it wrong.
The same message appeared, and I heard an impatient grunt from the line forming behind me. I should’ve stayed outside and used that machine instead. There was only the one user there.
My heart was thumping noticeably in my chest. I told myself that was simply due to my exertions, and entered the PIN for the third time.
And watched as my bank card was swallowed.
The man behind me in line laughed. I turned, cheeks burning, shoulder bumping him as I walked by. Arsehole.
‘Steal it, did you?’ he shot back at me as I reached the door.
I carried on without looking back.
My mother must have cancelled the card. So either I’d have to steal her replacement
It was within a metre of the fence. If I could manage to prop my back against it I could shimmy up the shed by my legs, then use pressure to move my back up again, and so on.
I didn’t think about it for too long, otherwise I wouldn’t be able to try it. I pressed my hands and back against the fence, and placed my foot a metre up on the side of the bike shed. I closed my eyes and brought my other leg up as well. It felt like I was laughing in the face of gravity, but for the moment it worked. Now I just had to get up another couple of feet, and manage to wriggle over the top and I was home free.
‘What the fuck are you doing?’
My eyes popped open, and I saw Michelle advancing upon me, with an entourage following close behind. Elvira, if my memory from home-room roll-call served me okay, and Alicia, also from Mr Bond’s English class. In panic I pressed hard back against the fence and stepped up the wall to raise myself another foot.
‘Oh, dear god,’ Michelle snorted at my attempts. ‘You know there’s a road out front you can just walk down?’
I tried to hitch myself up again, but the constant pressure required was already making my arms shake, and my back twitch. I didn’t get much further upwards, but at least I didn’t fall.
‘What are you going to do if I do this?’ Michelle lunged for my feet, and I made another desperate move upwards, trying to get up and over before she could catch me.
I was still short of the top of the fence, but I avoided Michelle’s outstretched hands.Her smile, and the tense line of her body let me know she was about to make another attack.
I pushed back hard against the fence, freed one of my legs, and as Michelle came at me again instead of placing it back on the shed wall I placed it firm in the middle of her chest and shoved myself back and up. Twisting I caught the top of the fence, pulled myself up to my middle, and swung my legs over. I held for a moment to try to ascertain I wasn’t about to land in anything life-threatening. But my arms shook so much I couldn’t hold for long and I dropped down, turning my ankle slightly on the soft bark, and scratching the side of my arm on some overgrown lavender, but otherwise safe.
‘You fucking bitch!’
Michelle’s head popped up over the side of the fence. For a moment I thought she would be on me in a second, and I stepped back. But then I heard the frantic scrabble of thick rubber soles failing to make purchase on the lichen-slippery wood, her elbow slipped from the top of the fence, and she disappeared with the thump of a hard landing.
I didn’t need a repeat performance. I ran for the mall entrance.
***
I stopped outside the bank and waited until my breath had returned to normal before entering. There was a queue of people waiting for the tellers, but I stayed in the lobby and used one of the automatic teller machines.
I entered my mother’s card and then typed in the pin. The hand around the keypad was a bit theatrical maybe, but there was someone in line behind me and I kept seeing news stories about people shoulder-surfing their way into your bank account.
There was a beep and the screen registered ‘PIN incorrect – try again.’
I entered the number again. Fast fingers must have got it wrong.
The same message appeared, and I heard an impatient grunt from the line forming behind me. I should’ve stayed outside and used that machine instead. There was only the one user there.
My heart was thumping noticeably in my chest. I told myself that was simply due to my exertions, and entered the PIN for the third time.
And watched as my bank card was swallowed.
The man behind me in line laughed. I turned, cheeks burning, shoulder bumping him as I walked by. Arsehole.
‘Steal it, did you?’ he shot back at me as I reached the door.
I carried on without looking back.
My mother must have cancelled the card. So either I’d have to steal her replacement