The Ooze by Tash McAdam

Author:Tash McAdam [McAdam, Tash]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Orca Book Publishers
Published: 2022-01-29T20:00:00+00:00

Chapter Six

“Whoa,” Bran says. “Do you all see that?”

“It’s the electricity from the lines,” Mo says. “It’s doing something to the meteor.”

“Maybe it’s hurt by fire,” Aisha suggests. “It looks like the sparks are burning it.”

“But it came from space, right?” Mo says. “It had to come through the atmosphere. It would have burned up already if it could be damaged by fire.”

“I guess.” Aisha bites her lip. “Or maybe it had one of those external shell things that burns up on entry. Or maybe it’s reacting to our atmosphere. There’s all sorts of stuff here that isn’t in space.”

Mo gives her a look and raises an eyebrow. “When did you get so smart?”

“We read,” Aisha says, standing a little taller.

Bran thinks about this. “So here’s an idea,” he says. “Do you think maybe we can direct the power line onto the thing? Or put it in the water to electrocute it?”

Mo rubs his hand over his short hair. He looks exhausted. “I don’t know, dude. Trying to get to that line…wouldn’t all those things get us? Then we’d be the same as them. It’s way too close. And what about the people inside the rock?”

“What about them?” Bran knows what Mo means, but the words still tumble out. “They’re done. We’re it. And for all we know, there are things like this all over the world! Even if it’s just here, if we don’t do something now…” Bran can’t finish the sentence.

Bran wishes his dad were here. He doesn’t want to be standing here looking at this horrific black mass. Wondering if somehow the four of them can stop it. They’re hardly the dream team, but they’re all there is. They didn’t see anyone else on the way here. Some people could be hiding, sure, but if they’re hiding, what good are they? They’ll just be found and turned into things eventually. Bran shakes his head. He needs to focus. They think the power line may be hurting the meteor, spaceship, whatever it is. But what if they’re wrong? What if the power line isn’t doing anything at all? Bran wishes he had binoculars so he could get a closer look.

He screws up his face. “Maybe if I creep over there, out onto one of the cargo-ship loading docks, I could see better.”

Mo spins to look at him. The dawn sky gives Bran his first good look at Mo’s face. He’s got kind eyes and a solid, determined set to his jaw. He looks very worried. “How old are you?”

“Fifteen,” Bran replies.

“Aw, man.” Bran knows Mo had hoped Bran was older. He looks torn.

“You have to stay with your sisters.” Bran looks out at the port. The sky is getting brighter. “It’ll be light soon. You should get somewhere safe.”

“Good one.” Aisha frowns at him. “We’ll be right here when you get back.”

Zey nods too, her small face stern.

“Well, okay.” Bran shuffles his feet. He wishes he was wearing real running shoes instead of the sneakers he slipped on to take out the trash.

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