Yesterday's Gone (Season 5): Episodes 25-30 Read Online Free Page A

jump.”
    “Or what?” 
    “I’m gonna throw you off.”
    Luca’s heart raced as Shovel Face’s dead eyes narrowed in sincerity.
    “One … ” Shovel Face started the countdown.
    Luca braced his body. 
    “Two … ”
    Luca carefully took a single step back, looking down to make sure his feet moved from platform to diving board without misstepping.
    “Three … ”
    Luca turned around and walked to the end of the diving board like a sailor forced to walk the plank.
    “Four … ”
    Luca looked down just long enough to make sure he was lined up correctly and that no one was beneath him. 
    “Fi —” 
    He closed his eyes and jumped.
    Luca’s second dive was far better than his first. He didn’t dive hands first like he saw other people doing, but did manage to avoid a belly flop, keeping his feet pointed down as he sliced through the water.
    As Luca’s feet touched the pool’s bottom he looked up to see two dark shapes growing larger. Shovel Face and one of the others had dived immediately after him.
    Luca pushed off the bottom of the pool, hoping the boys wouldn’t hit him before he reached the edge.
    He broke through the surface and swallowed a deep lungful of air, bracing for impact. The jerks landed milliseconds apart on either side of Luca, sending up giant waves.
    He made another attempt for the pool’s edge. The last thing he wanted was to stay in the water with sharks.
    He made it just inches before hands wrapped his torso and dragged him under the surface.
    Luca gasped, swallowing and choking as he kicked off whichever of the two assholes was trying to drown him.
    He managed to squirm free and grab some air. He looked around to see where the kids were, his eyes blurred. Monobrow was swimming in front of him, but Luca couldn’t see Shovel Face.
    He felt movement behind him, but was too late to react before Shovel Face’s arms wrapped around his neck and yanked him into a choke hold.
    “Where ya goin’? We’re just getting started.”
    Shovel Face shoved Luca back under, squeezing his arms tight around Luca’s neck. He couldn’t break free.
    They’re actually trying to drown me!
    Luca couldn’t believe how quickly they’d escalated from a scare on the diving board to attempted murder.
    What kind of monsters are these?
    He squirmed, kicked, and flailed, attempting to break free, but Shovel Face held his grip tight. 
    Luca begged The Darkness to help him.
    Kick his knee.
    Luca kicked back hard to where he thought the boy’s knee might be. He struck, hard and felt something crack.
    Shovel Face screamed and let go of Luca.
    He didn’t bother to look back at Shovel Face, or to search for Monobrow and Jerk Number Three. Luca raced for the side of the pool.
    As he neared the edge Luca heard someone behind him, swimming fast. He could still hear Shovel Face crying; it had to be one of the others.
    He didn’t dare look back.
    Luca pulled himself up and out of the pool.
    Go to the diving board.
    He didn’t understand the logic of climbing back up the ladder, but couldn’t question The Darkness, who had far superior instincts.
    “Hey, faggot!” Monobrow yelled.
    Luca ignored him, grabbing rungs and climbing up.
    The lifeguard whistled, repeatedly and seemingly shriller each time. Luca didn’t look to see if he was whistling at him or just now noticing the injured Shovel Face in the pool.
    “Stop right there!” the lifeguard yelled.
    Luca paused, halfway up the ladder, and looked down to see Monobrow halted just as he was about to follow Luca onto the ladder.
    “He just attacked my friend!” Monobrow said.
    The lifeguard looked up at Luca, “Come down.”
    “No, they tried to drown me!” Luca cried. 
    He started climbing again, eager to put more distance between himself and Monobrow. While the lifeguard appeared to be around eighteen or nineteen and looked like he could fight, Luca couldn’t imagine that he would listen long before chasing Luca up the ladder to extract revenge. 
    The