Read The Identical Boy for Free Online Page B

bad.'
    'Got to be taught a lesson, Sam.'
    'Yes, Sam. A hard lesson.'
    'Please … don't do anything to me. I'm sorry, okay? I'm sorry!’
    The two Sams stopped in their approach and surveyed Mark with cool eyes.
    'He's lying, Sam.'
    ‘I know, Sam.’
    'I'm not! Promise. I'll stop! I will! Please—‘
    'He won't stop.'
    'You won't stop.'
    ‘I will! I will stop. I have! Look, look at me, I’ve stopped, I have.’ Mark looked at the two Sams, desperate for a sign that they would let him go, that he could escape this cold, clammy wrongness.
    The two Sams shook their heads.
    ‘No.’
    ‘No, no, no.’
    'We're going to have to use our magic on you, Mark. Our black, wrong magic. Get rid of you for good. Isn't that right, Sam?'
    'That's right, Sam.'
    'Please don't … please don't … my Mum needs me. My Mum….'
    Mark had dropped to his knees, only his head visible above the weeds. He thought about his Mum. About his sister. Even his Dad.
    'What d'you think, Sam?'
    'I think he gets one last chance, Sam.'
    Mark wiped his nose with the back of his hand, 'Yes! I won’t bother you no more; I really won't. And I won't let any of the others bother you, neither. I’ll tell them. Tell them all. You’re off limits. Under my protection. Nothing can ever happen to you again, right? Just, please, don’t hurt me or disappear me. Please.'
    The two Sams looked at each other, smiling.
    'How about this, if you can make it out of this field and over the fence before we count to twenty—'
    '—I won't kill you—'
    ‘—And neither will I.’
    Mark’s heart fluttered. 'Yes, yes, thank you, I—'
    'One.'
    Mark staggered back and shoved himself to his feet.
    'Two.'
    Avoiding passing either Sam, Mark headed to his left. It was the longer way out of the field, but he didn't want to risk passing close to either of them, he didn’t want to be anywhere near their wrongness—
    'Three.'
    'Four.'
    Marks eyes streamed and his lungs burned; he could feel a stitch begin to scream in his stomach, but he ignored it—
    'Five-'
    'Six.'
    'Seven.'
    Mark didn't know if he was going to make it. He could hear the two Sams starting to laugh as they counted. Were they coming after him? Would they break their promise? He would have. He wouldn’t even have given them a chance.
    'Eight.'
    'Nine.'
    'Ten.'
    Mark stumbled and fell as his foot caught under something. He yelped and swore and cried as he hit hard, his knee a sudden burst of pain as it struck something solid—
    'Eleven.'
    'Twelve.'
    'Thirteen.'
    Mark staggered up, almost falling again as his injured knee tried to give way beneath him, but he wouldn't let it fail. He pushed on, he would make it, he would make it—
    'Fourteen.'
    'Fifteen.'
    'Sixteen.'
    So close now, so close. He couldn't quite catch his breath anymore and it felt as though his vision was going cloudy around the edges. The stitch ached, his knee stabbed, and his boot-injured side yelled in pain—
    'Seventeen.'
    'Eighteen.'
    'Nineteen.'
    Mark's desperate hands found the fence and he heaved himself upwards, collapsing over and falling to the hard road on the other side.
    'Twenty!'
    Laughter. It rolled out of the field as Mark lay on his back, chest convulsing. He’d made it. He’d got away. He was going to be okay. As soon as he was able, he scrabbled up, looking back into the field. As he gasped and wheezed, and his nose whistled and whined, he searched for any sign of the two Sams. The field was empty of people. The tall, thick grasses and weeds swung back and forth lazily in the breeze, but there was no sign of his tormentors.
    Mark clutched his side and shivered, half in relief, half in fear. He turned and limped away as fast as his injured body would take him.

~Chapter Thirteen~
     
     
    Mar k paused at the school gates. He stood, heart knocking against his chest, as he peered into the scrum of kids in the playground, trying to see if Sam was in there. Waiting.
    It was Friday. He’d skipped Thursday. After what had happened, he