Wuftoom Read Online Free

like,” the bug replied. Its fangs pulled up slightly and then extended down again.
    Evan’s mind raced. He could be anyone! He could walk around outside. Go to school. Go wherever he wanted! “For how long?” he asked. “Is there a limit?”
    â€œFor as long as you are human,” said the bug. This sobered Evan up. Two years ago it would have been a joke. It would have meant forever.
    â€œAnd how long is that?” Evan asked fiercely. “You know what I am, so you must know how long I have.”
    â€œI do not know for sure, proem,” the bug said. “Longer than tomorrow, but not more than a year.”
    â€œA year?” Evan cried. He was sure it was much less. “Don’t you know better than that? Look at my hands!” He held them in front of the bug’s eyes. “Can’t you tell me what this means?”
    â€œAll proems are different,” said the bug. “But you have been human a long time.”
    Seeing he could get nothing better from it, Evan clenched his fists and pulled them back. The membranes liked the clenching. They tightened happily around his fingers.
    â€œMy name isn’t proem,” said Evan. “It’s Evan. Do you have a name?”
    The bug screeched, a high-pitched, wailing, awful sound.
    Evan covered his ears.
    The bug opened its mouth in a wide grin, making the hairy part above its fangs nearly rub into its yellow eyes. “That’s how we say it,” it said. “You may call me what you want.”
    â€œFoul,” said Evan, without thinking.
    â€œI like it,” the bug hissed.
    â€œBut what do you want?” Evan asked, remembering, turning his head away. “You said you wanted a deal. That you’d help me if I helped you.”
    â€œWe are a race that lives in the dark,” Foul said. “We are one of many races. There are things that crawl and things that fly. Things that talk and things that only mutter. The worms are another race like us.” Foul’s fangs moved up and down a little as it talked. Its shrill voice was quiet and serious.
    Evan sat silently. His heart pumped.
    â€œWe eat them,” Foul said. “And they would eat us—if they could.” The thing let out a screeching chuckle.
    Evan shrank back from it and pulled his hands under the blankets.
    â€œDon’t worry, proem,” it hissed. “We do not eat proems. They are still human in their way.”
    â€œDo you want to eat me when I change? Give me my life back in exchange for taking it later?” Evan cried. “I won’t do it! Take it back!” He picked up the square of wood and held it out so that it nearly touched the bug’s face.
    â€œOh no, proem. You shall walk away a free worm if I have anything to do with it. If you perform the little service that we ask.” Its wings flapped. Evan set the object down again and pushed himself backward, as far as he could, into the wall.
    â€œWhat little service?” he asked, his voice barely coming out.
    â€œWhen you change over, they will come for you. They will lead you to their home. It is down in the sewers, guarded by falling water, which they know we cannot pass through. Yet we are sure there is a dry route in. Or, if not, a way to force them to come out. You will help us find it. You will help us eat them.”
    Evan stared at the bug, speechless. “You want me to help you eat them?” he asked finally.
    Foul slowly blinked again. “Help us destroy them, proem,” it said. “There will be no more like you. No more children stolen. You will be free.”
    â€œIf there are no more of them, won’t you starve?” asked Evan. He thought the creature was trying to trick him, to make him feel like he would save others when it wasn’t true.
    Foul chuckled, a strange vibration of its belly that came out as several squeaks. “There are other creatures in the darkness who taste just as good.