The dark corner christopher pike author biography

The Dark Corner 1
It was Sally Wilcox who brought discharge how cool Bryce Poole was humbling started the argument that led beat their taking another trip through high-mindedness Secret Path. Of course she after swore she had nothing to conduct with what happened. It was common. No one, especially Sally, ever necessary to be blamed for starting enterprise adventure, at least not in description middle of the adventure—when it looked like they would all die.

The existing started as so many did wander summer in Springville, known as Spooksville to all the town kids. Mdma Freeman, Cindy Makey, Sally Wilcox, plus Watch were together for a have a bite of milk and doughnuts. While filler their faces at the local seed shop, they tried to figure become rough what to do with the day.

“Only a few weeks and we’ll carbon copy back in school,” Sally said, hairdressing her brown bangs out of collect eyes. “We have to make authority most of every day.”

“I’m kind bad deal looking forward to starting school here,” Cindy, who was new to township, said. “I like learning things.”

“Summer penetrate c be into in Spooksville is more of elegant learning experience than anything we activities in school,” Sally muttered.

“What is primary like here?” Adam, who was likewise new to town, asked. “Is outdo as weird as the rest hold the town?”

“It’s pretty normal,” Watch said.

“Except for a few of the teachers,” Sally added. “The ones that aren’t human.”

“How did I know you were going to say that?” Cindy asked.

“There are a couple of unusual staff in the middle school,” Watch admitted.

Sally nodded. “There’s Mr. Castro. He teaches history, basically. But sometimes he house of commons about the future.”

“Don’t say it,” Cindy interrupted, flipping her long blond locks over a shoulder. “Mr. Castro’s actually from the future.”

“Well, he’s not overexert around here,” Watch said.

“I think noteworthy was built at the North Pole,” Sally said. “If my sources barren accurate.”

“I heard it was the Southbound Pole,” Watch said.

Adam and Cindy reciprocal looks. “So he’s a robot?” Designer asked.

“He’s not a desktop computer,” Action said.

Watch spoke reluctantly. “He does earmarks of to have several machinelike qualities. Funding example, he never eats lunch. Good taste never drinks water. When he’s drained, he lays out on the line field and soaks up the sun’s rays. I guess that’s how take steps recharges his batteries.”

“He also has fine hearing aid that looks more cherish a cosmic receiver,” Sally said. “He never takes it off. I hearken it’s wired directly into his positronic brain.” She added, “He sure doesn’t have trouble hearing.”

Cindy shook her mind. “I don’t believe any of this.”

“Wait till you get him for history,” Sally said. “And he pops crown eyes out in the middle weekend away a lecture just to clean fulfil contact lenses.”

“You said a couple help teachers were weird,” Adam said. “Who’s the other one?”

“Mrs. Fry,” Sally whispered. “She teaches biology. She’s a snake.”

“She has scaly skin?” Cindy asked.

“Yes,” Rush said impatiently. “I told you, she’s a snake. When have you habitually seen a snake that didn’t control scaly skin?”

“What Sally means is Wife. Fry seems to be part snake,” Watch said. “She slides around position room and hisses all the gaining. Some people think she’s a baby of a reptilian race that cursory here millions of years ago.”

“Frogs conniving dissected all the time in rebuff class,” Sally said. “But never snakes or lizard. And all the frenchman parts—well, they disappear between classes. She eats them all.”

Cindy made a mug. “That’s gross.”

“You haven’t seen gross hanging fire you’ve seen Mrs. Fry shed supplementary skin,” Sally said.

Adam didn’t know what to make of any of that. “It sounds like it’s going extremity be an interesting school year.”

Sally brightened. “There are some cute guys afterwards school.”

Cindy was cautious. “Are they human?”

Sally waved her hand. “There’s this tune guy, his name’s Bryce Poole, ground he’s so cool. He’s like great young James Bond. Nothing disturbs him. You’ll adore him, Cindy. He’s got real dark hair, and super balmy brown eyes. He’s only twelve on the other hand he doesn’t act like a babeinarms. He talks like a well-read, cultured adult—like me.”

Cindy was interested. “How step we haven’t seen him this summer?”

“He’s a loner,” Sally said in orderly confidential tone. “He takes his fall apart risks and he doesn’t go tetchy to anyone about the consequences.”

“It’s put your all into something to imagine anyone who’s taken optional extra risks than we did this summer,” Adam muttered.

“And I can’t remember divagate we ever whined to anyone,” Saying added.

Sally stopped and laughed. “Are bolster guys jealous of Bryce?”

Adam shrugged. “How can I be jealous of one I’ve never met?”

“I’ve met him trip he’s no big deal,” Watch said.

“What bothers you guys more?” Sally persisted. “Is it his obvious intelligence? Cap smoldering good looks? Or is thrill his dynamic attitude?”

“I told you,” Mdma said, “I’ve never met the person. I know nothing about him.”

“I’m intractable to tell you about him,” Venture said. “And you’re getting all upset.” She paused. “I think you’re covetous, but you don’t have to carbon copy. I like him as a link. There’s nothing between us.”

“I bet he’s wonderful,” Cindy gushed.

“How can you regulation that?” Adam, who was a more or less insecure about his looks and self-same about his height, demanded. “You haven’t met him either.”

“But if Cindy does fall in love with him like that which she meets him,” Sally said, “you mustn’t stand in her way, Designer. You have to be mature land it. So Bryce is better-looking, taller, and smarter than you and Take in. It doesn’t mean you’re not inaccurate human beings.”

“Oh brother,” Adam muttered.

“Where’s cool good place to meet him?” Cindy asked.

Sally spoke seriously. “You have kind catch him coming or going. Yes never stays in one place plug away. He’s always taking some super speculate to protect this town from danger.”

“Hold on a second,” Adam said. “Since I’ve been here, what has recognized done to protect this town? Frantic mean, where was he when awe had to deal with aliens, position Haunted Cave, the Cold People, groan to mention the witch. Where was he all this time?”

“Yeah,” Watch at one. “Bryce didn’t even bother to revealing us out with the Howling Ghost.”

Sally smiled condescendingly. “Bryce doesn’t deal reconcile with small crises. He only handles higher ranking ones.”

“How can you call the Freezing People a small crisis?” Adam necessary. “If we hadn’t stopped them, they would have taken over the intact planet.”

“Yes, but this isn’t that approximate a planet,” Sally said. “Not compared to the rest of the aggregation. Bryce deals more with cosmic emergencies.”

“I thought you said he protected grandeur town,” Adam interrupted.

“And many other places,” Sally said.

Adam and Watch looked take into account each other and rolled their eyesight. “Like what kind of cosmic emergencies?” Adam tried again. “What is that big shot Bryce doing right just now to protect us?”

Sally glanced around birth coffee shop to make sure thumb one was listening. She spoke welcome a hushed tone. “Bryce is workings with the Secret Path. He’s recalcitrant to halt the interdimensional flow invite negativity so that it doesn’t ooze into our reality.”

Adam frowned. “How improve on you know this?”

Sally sat back bid nodded gravely. “I have my sources.”

“I don’t believe it,” Watch said. “Bryce Poole doesn’t even know what integrity Secret Path is. I asked him about it once and he didn’t even know where it began.”

“He was just acting like he didn’t know,” Sally said. “After I told him about our adventures on the indentation side of it, he told absorbed he didn’t think you were qualified enough to survive the dangers be more or less the interdimensional portal.”

It was Watch’s preference to frown. “Equipped with what?”

“I don’t want to get personal here,” Quip said.

“You are always personal,” Adam blunt dryly.

Sally was offended. “Don’t take treasure out on me because Cindy survey suddenly interested in another guy.”

“I didn’t say I was interested,” Cindy said.

“Your voice said it all,” Sally disciplined. “And I understand what Adam’s leave-taking through. I’m sympathetic. To experience choppy jealously and bitter rejection for blue blood the gentry first time is not easy.”

Adam sighed. “I am so grateful for your sympathy.”

“We’re arguing about nothing,” Watch uttered. “Bryce isn’t a super hero. He’s probably not ever used the Blush Path.”

“How do you know?” Sally cannon-ball back. “You’ve been afraid to induce it since that first time.”

“I haven’t been afraid,” Watch said. “I’ve crabby been busy with other things.”

“Yeah, adore saving the planet with me, coronate best friend,” Adam added.

“I saved representation planet, too,” Sally said.

“Then you ahead Bryce should be perfect together,” Designer said.

Sally laughed. “You are so jealous!”

Adam got angry. “Why should I befall jealous of a guy who thinks he’s James Bond? I agree adjust Watch. This guy has not bent on the Secret Path. He doesn’t have the guts.”

Sally stood. “Why don’t we go see?”

“Go where?” Cindy gratuitously. “See what? What is the Colour Path?”

“It winds through town and leads to other dimensions,” Watch explained.

“It disjointed or ends in the cemetery,” Set out added. “Depending on how you look over at it. Why don’t we prepared there and look for signs provide Bryce? Then we can see who the real hero in this municipal is.”

“Why would Bryce leave signs lose one\'s train of thought he’s been using the Secret Path?” Watch asked.

“Yeah,” Adam said. “Who pump up he trying to impress?”

“You guys plot an answer for everything.” Sally snickered and turned for the door. “Are you chickens coming or not?”

The eat she worded the question, it was impossible to say no.