The Burning Swift by Joseph Elliott

Author:Joseph Elliott [Elliott, Joseph]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781536222586
Publisher: Candlewick Press
Published: 2021-02-15T00:00:00+00:00

THE SKAP CRITTERS ARE ALL AROUND ME, FILLIN UP THE sewer with their deathly squeaks. I’m still lyin in the wet, still can’t move no part of me to get away. The death-rats’ noses are sniffin, and their big berry eyes catch what little light there is down here. They’re tryin to work out whether I’m a threat or whether they can eat me easy. I’m sure not a threat right now, with the venom from that skittin stick freezin me solid.

The death-rats were the reason I came down here, but I wasn’t plannin on my body bein locked solid when they arrived. They creep a few steps closer, movin as one. Their squealin is really batterin my ears now. I answer their shrieks with ones of my own. At least my voice is still workin. I scream and hiss, which makes them jolt back a speck, but it won’t hold them off for long.

Come on, body, move. Move! Or you’re gunna be rat chew and no mistakin.

The fingers on my left hand twitch, or was that just my imaginin? No, they’re movin. They curl around the stick what’s still in my palm. The death-rats sneak forward again, their nashers twitchin. I’ve got just enough movement in my hand now to jerk the stick a little. I do it in the direction of the nearest death-rats. The arm’s still full of numb, so the swings are weak and erratic. A couple of rats scutter back, but the rest hold their ground, starin fire at me. I jolt again and again, willin my body back to life with all my might. A little more feelin returns to my arm — enough for me to swing the stick behind my back and above my head, threatenin the rats I can’t see not to come closer. The venom is tricklin outta my face now too. I can blink and twist my neck, but my feet and my other arm are still stuck deep.

The rope’s danglin where I left it. I heave myself toward it usin my one good arm, stoppin evry two blinks to swing the stick wild at any death-rats what get too close.

There’s enough strength in me now to creak up onto my knees. My legs are comin back to life, though they’re full of cramps and tingles. The arm I stabbed still hangs limp by my side. I’m gunna have to climb the rope with only one hand, and there isn’t no way I can do that while still holdin the stick, meanin I gotta ditch my only weapon.

With one last swipe to keep them back, I throw the stick at the nearest rats and pull myself off the ground. My good arm burns; I gotta be quick. I wrap my flailin legs around the rope and heave myself a little higher. The rats are squeakin thunder, hek skapped that their chew’s escapin. They dash to the sides of the sewer and start crawlin up its walls, hopin to get to the top before I do.

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