Beasts & Geeks by Joe Ballarini

Author:Joe Ballarini
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: HarperCollins
Published: 2018-06-20T00:00:00+00:00

25

I grabbed a fork and jabbed it over my shoulder, pinning the spider to a wall.

“Nice try,” I said. But it just came out as “AAAAHHHHHH!!!”

I picked up my knife, slicing three more spiders that had lunged down from the ceiling.

“My babies!” Serena shrieked.

I flicked her diamond beetle ring across the table. She hissed and scrambled desperately for it.

A spider landed in the salad bowl. Snap! I slapped a plate over the salad bowl, trapping the spider inside.

“Catch her, my darlings!” Serena bellowed.

She stamped her foot, and her leather boots exploded into a fury of enormous spider legs. The bottom of her gown flared up, revealing an armored abdominal plate. Her eight black limbs smashed into the walls and the floor.

“Spuh-spuh-spuh . . . ,” I mumbled in total shock.

“Spider!” Serena squealed with glee.

Clutching the salad bowl, I ran into the hallway.

“Kelly, don’t be rude!” my mother said, charging after me.

“Little girl, come back here!” my father howled.

A horrible rumble shook the house. My parents’ bedroom door burst open, and a wave of spiders spilled out, blanketing the hallway.

Spiders. Why did it have to be spiders?

The walls darkened with the hideous swarm. My feet were frozen. I was so overcome with fear I couldn’t move.

Get off your tuffet and move it, Miss Muffet—that kid needs you!

I dove into my bedroom and slammed the door. WHAM! WHAM! The wave of beasties crashed against it.

In his little sleeper, Theo screamed.

I snatched a roll of duct tape and wound it around the salad bowl and plate to keep the spider trapped inside.

“Maybe Berna can use its venom to make an antidote to help your mommy and my mommy,” I said to Theo as I shoved it into my backpack.

Crack! Wood splintered behind me. Hundreds of spider legs scratched below the doorframe.

There was only one way out: the window above my desk. Luckily, my room was on the first floor. I buckled Theo into the Lone Wolf, flipped up the hidden panel on the stroller’s handlebar, and pressed a button. The entire buggy went flat with all four wheels splayed out to the sides. I hoisted Theo and the compact L-Five outside.

The stroller came down hard on the grass, and then sprang up, locking back into position. Theo bounced in his seat. Stunned for a moment, he stopped crying.

I jumped out my window, rolling beside the Lone Wolf. Yanking on the handlebar, I snapped the hidden sword out of place—SHINK! The katana blade flashed in the moonlight.

“Surrender, Kelly,” moaned my mother as she stumbled from the front door after me.

“Mom. Dad. I love you. But I gotta go.”

My parents shrieked and chased after me.

“Hang on, T-Dog,” I said, pressing the remote key.

The L-Five buzzed to life. I leaped onto the running boards and throttled the engine. With a high-pitched whine, the stroller took off more fast-and-furious than I expected.

The headlights of a black Rolls-Royce blinded me. Two small, squashy trolls wearing weird medieval carnival masks were pointing out of the windshield. They were next to the ghost-faced chauffeur who was driving toward me.

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