Read Project Lazarus for Free Online Page B

retorted.
     
    The boys sat on the curb inches from their house.  The danger was far away now but felt somehow close.
     
    “Yeah, what’s that?”
     
    “The truth? Don’t know.”
     
    “How we gonna explain our hearing?” Gilbert asked, now scared, “They’ll want to take us to a doctor.
     
    “We lie.”
     
    “First the truth…now the lie,” Gilbert shook his head.  “None of this seems right.  Wish we hadn’t gone out there.”
     
    “Why?  It was a great adventure.  Bet none of the kids have stories like us.  We can tell everyone at school now.”
     
    “No,” Gilbert demanded, “you promise.”
     
    Ivan always gave into his older brother’s requests and his threats.
     
    He shrugged, “Okay.”
     
    “Nobody can know we were out there,” Gilbert told him, “It’s too dangerous.”
     
    “You think they’ll come after us?” Ivan was scared.
     
    “Maybe.  I think something happened out there Ivan.”
     
    “Best we keep it to ourselves then brother,” Ivan agreed.
     
    “Yes, brother, let’s do that.”
     
    Silence for a moment.
     
    “For how long?” Ivan asked.
     
    “I think forever,” Gilbert answered somberly. Secrets were hard to hide it didn’t take age or wisdom to know this was a secret for life.
     
    “Who do you think that man was in the woods?”
     
    “Somebody I don’t want to ever see again,” Gilbert explained, his eyes widening.
     
    There was a shadowy figure approaching them quickly.  It was dark outside and it was getting difficult to tell who it was.
     
    Gilbert strained his eyes, at least one of his senses remained in perfect condition.  He always maintained twenty- twenty vision, to the point of perfection that several eye doctors in Cotter recommended he think about becoming a pilot.  He did spend a lot of time considering being a pilot. Last summer, before the woods, Gilbert began his study of the sky by collecting model airplanes, the books on the history of airplanes and just about anything to do with flight in general.
     
    “You believe in hell?” Ivan asked.  
     
    Gilbert grabbed his brother’s arm.
     
    “Hey,” Ivan yelped, he was getting tired of this routine.
     
    “Let’s go,” Gilbert commanded.
     
    “Okay,” Ivan said, knowing his brother meant it.
     
    The shadowy figure crept up on them so fast and whizzed by, Gilbert didn’t have the chance to complete the escape route to their house planned in his head.
     
    Glen Stickler scooted past them on his skateboard.
     
    “What’s up guys?”
     
    “Geeze Glen, why do you have to sneak up on people like that?” Gilbert asked, annoyed.
     
    “What’s with you?”  Glen retorted.
     
    “Nothing,” Ivan mumbled.
     
    “Wanna see my new skateboard?” He asked, pointing to the shiny black object beneath his feet with wheels both boys envied if not coveted that very moment.
     
    “Cool,” Gilbert managed, knowing fully well the Chuttle family was not as wealthy as the Stickler family. Glen only wanted to brag about his new toy.          
     
    “Sorry, maybe later,” Gilbert told him.
     
    “Jealous, huh?”
     
    “No way,” Ivan retorted, “I got a new bike just last year.  It was red and it has a horn and everything.”
     
    “Yeah? But this is the newest coolest skateboard in the store,” Glen said twirling around on it, “I’m gonna be pro one day.”
     
    “Good for you.  No big deal Glen,” Gilbert said, straining his eyes again, there were more shadows approaching in the dark, as night began to fall.
     
    “Look Glen, we just don’t have the time now.  We’ve got to get home,” he leaned in closer to Glen, “And I think you should go home too.”
     
    “Why?  I’m not some baby with a curfew.”
     
    Ivan stared at his brother.  Usually, a comment like that from Glen would get Gilbert worked up into a fist fight.
     
    Gilbert remained stoic and quiet.
     
    Ivan glanced around.  He saw the shadows.
     
    Did Glen see them