The Secret of the Scarab Beetle (Horace j. Edwards and the Time Keepers #1)
The Secret of the Scarab Beetle Horace watched the pieces fall to the ground Please please stop What do you want from me Seth smiled and tore a second page in half I don’t want anything Horace I asked nicely for your homework this morning but I guess you were too busy drawing More pages fell to the ground Horace tried to get up again but Seth’s two friends continued to pin him to the ground with their feet His fingers were starting to turn purple from the pressure One of the kids shouted to Seth I think Horace is crying The other snickered Seth threw the remains of the sketch pad onto the ground Pick him up The two boys stepped off Horace’s wrists and yanked him into the air They pulled his arms behind his back Now Horace Seth was rolling up his sleeves I’m going to teach you a little lesson The next time I want to copy your homework you better let me Or else Or else what You’re going to beat me up just like you do to everyone else I’m sure that’s going to be really tough with both my arms pinned behind my back If you’re 4
The Secret of the Scarab Beetle Seth sent his first punch flying toward his head By luck Horace dropped his shoulder and felt it graze his right ear Seth who never missed and had thrown his full weight into the punch was surprised by the sudden movement and stumbled forward Horace used the extra second to spin around and prepare for the next attack This one came higher and Horace easily ducked again Out of the corner of his eye he could see kids starting to gather in lines by the far doors He wondered if he just might get out of this mess alive Probably another minute or two before the lunch bell rang Unfortunately his momentary distraction left him open to Seth’s next punch a powerful uppercut to his stomach A sucking sound followed as Horace gasped for breath and the remains of his peanut butter sandwich came rushing into his mouth He swallowed the acidic mixture and hunched over his knees in pain Seth seized the opportunity and wasted no time sending another punch into Horace’s temple Now Horace’s stomach was no longer the only aching 6
Chapter One part of his body the side of his head was throbbing Through blurred vision he could see Seth readying for the knockout But just as Seth cocked his arm backward one of the other boys called out What is that What Seth stopped mid-punch fearful it was Ms Shackles Look Up there An object was circling above them That’s just a bird you idiot Seth replied It let out a sharp cry a perfectly timed response but Seth turned back to his wounded victim angered by the interruption That’s not just a bird someone else added I think that’s a hawk or a falcon What are you talking about We don’t have time for this The bell is going to ring any second snapped Seth Grab him But no one did Watch out yelled the boy behind Horace Run shouted another What the Seth answered in confusion 7
