Seven Wonders Book 1: The Colossus Rises
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About this ebook
New York Times Bestselling Series!
“A high-octane mix of modern adventure and ancient secrets. The Colossus Rises is Lerangis’s most gripping work yet. Young readers will love this story. I can’t wait to see what’s next in the Seven Wonders series!” —Rick Riordan, author of the Percy Jackson series
Young readers will learn all about the history and mysteries of the ancient world while savoring this unputdownable story from first page to last.
Percy Jackson meets Indiana Jones in master storyteller and 39 Clues author Peter Lerangis’s epic Seven Wonders series.
The Colossus Rises is the first installment of the bestselling five-book series chronicling the story of Jack McKinley, an ordinary kid with an extraordinary problem. In a few months, he’s going to die—unless he finds seven magic Loculi that have been hidden in the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World.
Peter Lerangis
Peter Lerangis is the author of more than one hundred and seventy books, which have sold more than six-and-a-half million copies and been translated into thirty-five different languages. These include the five books in the New York Times bestselling Seven Wonders series, The Colossus Rises, Lost in Babylon, The Tomb of Shadows, The Curse of the King, and The Legend of the Rift; two books in the 39 Clues series; and the Max Tilt and Throwback trilogies. He lives in New York City with his family.
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Titles in the series (5)
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Reviews for Seven Wonders Book 1
147 ratings12 reviews
- Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5So far this series appears pretty action packed. I liked that it was based on Atlantis and I like the seven wonders angle. It felt like a complete story but left me with a bunch of questions that will lead to me reading the next book in the series; such as whether the doctor and the institute are villains. The kids all seem likable and I'm hoping we get some of the following stories from the other kids perspectives.
- Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5This was the first book in the Seven Wonders series and I have had it to read for awhile. My son (8 years old) and I ended up reading it together. It was a very fun and well done middle grade adventure fantasy. My 8 year old son and I enjoyed it a ton. There are, ironically, five books in the Seven Wonders series. The final book in the series, The Legend of the Rift, will release in March of 2016.Jack McKinley is an ordinary kid with a desperate problem….he’s going to die any day now. Then he wakes up at the Karai Institute where he finds out he possesses a special gene that gives him superhuman powers...if he doesn’t die from it first. Jack, along with the other kids with this strange gene, need to find the seven loculi if they are going to cure their condition once and for all. The loculi just happen to be hidden in the Seven Wonders of the ancient world. Thus starts a crazy adventure full of danger and magic.My whole family really enjoyed this book. It’s written in a snappy and witty style that moves fast, has some humor in it, and is exciting. The book features four main characters: Jack, Marco, Aly, and Cass. All of them have different abilities and strengths.I really enjoyed that the kids have to search out the Seven Wonders and deal with some interesting magical characters. We get to learn some of the history behind the Seven Wonders as well. Parts of the book have a tomb raider type of feel to them as well which I enjoyed.The book ends at a good spot and wraps up nicely.Overall this was an entertaining and fun adventure fantasy read. Fans of Rick Riordan and Brandon Mull will enjoy this series as well. I enjoyed the snappy dialogue and history and that the book moved at a fast pace The characters are easy to relate to and the story is engaging and interesting. My son and I will definitely continue with the series. This is a series that both middle grade readers and adults can enjoy together!
- Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Although exciting and filled with adventure, I didn't like the idea that the adults are constantly withholding information from the select kids. There is a lot less historical information in this series so far compared to Rick Riodan's Percy Jackson series or 39 clues. Maybe Book 2 will go there.
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Read it in May 2016. OMG. the sleeper book of my year. thought it t was going to be eeehhh, but turned out to really captivate my attention rather quickly and seriously too. Can't wait to get into this series.
- Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Wow.
That's pretty much how I was left feeling after this book. To say that it ends on a cliffhanger is a gross understatement. Luckily, it's one that has me jonesing for the next book in the series. Fall 2013 can't come soon enough!
I had a completely different experience with this book. I chose it as a classroom read aloud for my fourth graders. The trick to picking a good read aloud is to get one that's the start of a series and one that will capture the students and make them demand more. A good read aloud can spark a love of reading in reluctant readers and get your casual readers to jump into more books.
This one was PERFECT.
It was really fantastic to read The Colossus Rises out loud and see the reactions of my students. To say that they enjoyed it would also be a gross understatement. They really love being read to, but with this one, they were begging me to keep going. I think they'd have gone for an all-day read aloud if we'd been able to swing it. They laughed, they cried (for real!), they shouted, they jumped out of their chairs...perfect reactions to this book, in my opinion!
For me, I loved how Peter Lerangis pulled a genius move on us with the way he ended his chapters. Brilliant. It definitely keeps you coming back for more. They were absolutely perfect for ending as read alouds too, because my students were irate that we stopped! They just HAD to know more! A book that captures the interest of ten year olds like that is pretty darn awesome.
I loved the story, and I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE that he incorporated the ancient wonders. See, I'm a huge geek, and the ancient wonders are all over my geekish radar. I love learning more about them, and I've actually toyed with the idea of writing a series myself. Well, now I don't need to, because this book is the start of a fantastic series. I know I couldn't do the wonders any more justice.
It's fast-paced, very appropriate for tweens, fun, and with characters that you'll come to love. I'm definitely ordering the next book in the series, and I may just read this one aloud again. My students will definitely thank me for it.
4 Eiffel Towers - Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Colossus Rises is the first of, presumably, seven books following the adventures of Jack McKinley and other "special" teenagers. How are these kids special? Well, apparently they have a hidden gene that unlocks special amazing and magical abilities inside them but also acts as a ticking time bomb to their own death in their mid-teens. This gene has been passed on through generations and links them to the highly advanced and magical inhabitants of the ancient city of Atlantis. The book series "Seven Wonders" refers to the 7 Wonders of the Ancient World with the "wonder" from the first book being the Colossus of Rhodes.From a high level summary the premise is reminiscent of Riordan's Percy Jackson or Kane Chronicles series or even similar to the Harry Potter storyline. Just as Percy Jackson or the Kane family are related to the mythical gods and goddesses from ancient Greece, Rome and Egypt, the Seven Wonders series involves kids who are descended from the mythical Atlanteans. This book has a feel that is definitely similar in some ways to the tone and feeling of the Percy Jackson series but it is also definitely distinct and stands on its own.With The Colossus Rises, we are introduced to Jack on a normal but problematic school day. Within hours, he finds himself passed out and being attended to by the school nurse but quickly a new set of doctors arrive on the scene and he blacks out only to awaken in a strange facility called Karai Institute on an island in the middle of nowhere. Jack rightly assumes that he's been kidnapped and he is highly skeptical of the facility director Professor Bhegad. A group of other kids similarly 'kidnapped' try to help convince Jack of the reality of their genetic "disease" though as time goes on it's clear that the other kids aren't entirely happy with being kept in the dark by Bhegad and his cronies.Each of the kids have their own super talents and abilities as a result of their genetic disorder. Aly is the only girl in the group and she is highly technical and super in touch with technology or anything electrical. Marco is the super athlete who is graced with amazing physical prowess…not "superhuman" per se (he can't fly), but he is definitely stronger and has greater endurance than even your average super athlete. Cass is blessed with an instant photographic memory and high intelligence which make him a super navigator and great problem solver. Jack spends large chunks of the book trying to determine his own talent. Having him as the narrator and central character in the book serves well to help relate to children and teenagers who are reading this book and perhaps trying to figure out their own place in the world. Jack is smart and quirky but he's never quite sure of himself or what he should do next. As the book progresses, it's clear that his talent is that of helping glue the group together and act as a sort of leader or innovator. He also alternates between being a bit reckless and headstrong and being a little scared and overly cautious. This also feels realistic since it grounds him and keeps him from always rushing thoughtlessly ahead and not always pulling the group back.The plot focuses on trying to help "cure" the genetic oddity that each of the kids posses. Professor Bhegad has a treatment which slows the fatal effects but cannot fully stop the progress towards death. He theorizes that if the kids can find the seven magical "Loculi" scattered around the world, he may be able to cure them. Even as the Kurai Institute hunts for the Loculi, another group is seeking out these magical items with their own agenda…to use their power and take over the world. Thus begins a race against time as the kids try to find the Loculi before they each die but also to stop the global disaster that will occur if they don't find them.The writing is whimsical and fun. It felt like a younger read than the early Percy Jackson or Harry Potter novels, but that may just be me projecting the darker and heavier novels later in each of those series. The language and tone should definitely be accessible to a middle grader, maybe even down as young as 7 or 8 depending on their reading level. There is a lot of very casual, conversational language as Jack describes some of the crazy characters and ridiculous situations. The lighthearted narrative should help keep kids interested even during the lengthier descriptions of the science and history leading up to the plot.The simple writing is quick and accessible and makes for an easy, page-turning read. To a degree it felt like some of the plot went a little too quickly for me. There were short stretches of exposition or description and then suddenly the plot would jump ahead by leaps and bounds very quickly. I think this breakneck pace is great especially for keeping kids interested and involved, but I worry that perhaps it loses some depth of plot or information as a result. I didn't feel confused or anything like that. I was just left wanting a little meat to the story.Overall this is a fun, kid-friendly adventure and a promising start to a new fantastic series. The quick pace and fun writing should appeal to younger readers and up through middle graders and teens. Adults may find some of the storytelling a bit light but it's definitely an enjoyable read and a good way to share reading time with your kids. I look forward to learning more about the Loculi and finding out how Jack and his friends find the other Wonders of the World.****3.5 out of 5 stars
- Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5I had already become a fan of Peter Lerangis after reading his contributions to the 39 Clues but it is so hard to come up with that next big thing in a kid's series. The Seven Wonders will be that next series! It has all the magic ingredients - action, quirky characters, witty dialogue that speaks to kids and an over the top mythical twist. Jack wakes up one morning and after a horrific accident ends up in a hospital in a secret location. With him are three other kids who share his upside down V tattoo and special talent. After an unsuccessful attempt at escaping the kids think that there may be something to what the professor has been telling them. The group must travel to the Seven Wonders of the world where mythical beasties await and danger looms large on every page. Fans of Percy Jackson and Lisa McMann's The Unwanteds this is your next book!
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Read it in May 2016. OMG. the sleeper book of my year. thought it t was going to be eeehhh, but turned out to really captivate my attention rather quickly and seriously too. Can't wait to get into this series.
- Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Percy Jackson fans will love the first book in this new series!Jack is living an ordinary life until the day he collapses and wakes up in a place that is isolated from the rest of the world. He has no chance of ever going home because it turns out that he's inherited a genetic trait that will kill him without regular treatments. His only hope - and the world's - is for he and his friends to find seven magic Loculi that were stolen and hidden all over the world before the wrong people find them and use them for evil purposes.I really enjoyed this fast-paced book and look forward to the second installment later this year. The characters were likeable, though I'm looking forward to learning more about them and seeing what their next adventure will be.Also great for fans of these series: Charlie Bone, Harry Potter, Children of the Lamp, Heroes of Olympus, and the Kane Chronicles.
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- Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5middlegrade/teen fiction (action/adventure/humor/fantasy-superpowers). 4th-9th grades; protagonists are 13 years old. This was recommended to me by a middle-schooler who really loves this series. Fans of Percy Jackson will probably enjoy this too; if you are looking for a plausible plot or characters with depth, maybe try something else.
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5k
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/59
Book preview
Seven Wonders Book 1 - Peter Lerangis
CHAPTER ONE
RED BEARD
ON THE MORNING I was scheduled to die, a large barefoot man with a bushy red beard waddled past my house. The thirty-degree temperature didn’t seem to bother him, but he must have had a lousy breakfast, because he let out a burp as loud as a tuba.
Belching barefoot giants who look like Vikings are not normal in Belleville, Indiana. But I didn’t really get a chance to see the guy closely.
At that moment, I, Jack McKinley, was under attack in my own bedroom. By a flying reptile.
I could have used an alarm clock. But I’d been up late studying for my first-period math test and I’m a deep sleeper. Dad couldn’t wake me because he was in Singapore on business. And Vanessa, the au pair I call my don’t-caregiver, always slept till noon.
I needed a big sound. Something I couldn’t possibly sleep through. That’s when I saw my papier-mâché volcano from last month’s science fair, still on my desk. It was full of baking soda. So I got my dad’s coffeemaker, filled it with vinegar, and rigged it to the volcano with a plastic tube. I set the timer for 6:30 A.M., when the coffeemaker would release the vinegar into the volcano, causing a goop explosion. I put a chute at the base of the volcano to capture that goop. In the chute was a billiard ball, which would roll down toward a spring-loaded catapult on my chair. The catapult would release a big old plastic Ugliosaurus™—a fanged eagle crossed with a lion, bright-red.
Bang—when that baby hit the wall I’d have to be dead not to wake up. Foolproof, right?
Not quite. Around 6:28, I was in the middle of a nightmare. I’d had this dream way too many times: me, running through the jungle in a toga, chased by snarling, drooling, piglike beasts, whose screeches fill the smoky sky. Nice, huh? Usually I awake from this dream when a gap in the earth opens beneath my feet.
But this time, I fell in. Down into the darkness. To my death.
At the moment of contact, the Gaseous Giant burped in real life. The sound woke me up.
The coffeemaker-volcano alarm went off. And the Ugliosaurus whacked me between the eyes.
Which, in a nutshell, is how the worst morning of my life began. The last morning I would awaken in my own bed.
@$%^&!
I screamed, which means I can’t tell you the actual words.
I sprang off my bed in agony. That was when I caught a glimpse of Red Beard on the sidewalk. Which caused me to drop to the floor, embarrassed to be seen, even by a wacked-out barefoot stranger. Unfortunately my butt landed squarely on a sharp Ugliosaurus wing, which made me scream again. That was way too much screaming for someone who just turned thirteen.
I lay there with gritted teeth, wishing I’d used the alarm clock. In my mind I saw Vanessa goading me: You think too much, Jack. Which she used to say about a hundred times a day. Maybe because I think too much. Always have.
I got off the floor, clutching my head. Red Beard was padding down the street, his feet slapping the pavement. Next time, close your mouth,
I grumbled under my breath as I staggered to the bathroom.
I should have wondered who he was and why he was here. But I couldn’t stop thinking of my nightmare, which still lingered like the taste of moldy cheese. I tried to replace it with thoughts of math. Unfortunately, it felt about the same.
Looking in the mirror, I saw that the Ugliosaurus had made a gash on my forehead. Not too deep, but it looked pretty bad, and it stung.
I turned on the tap, dampened a washcloth, and pushed aside a mass of rat-brown hair to uncover my wound. As I dabbed it, I noticed a little tuft of blond hairs sticking out from the back of my head.
Weird. I’d never seen them before. Without Dad around to bug me, I hadn’t had a haircut in a while, so those blond hairs looked like loose wires. As I leaned closer to look, a sharp creak made me spin around.
Vanessa?
I called out.
Aha. She’d heard my scream. I imagined her cowering behind the door, planning how not to be blamed for whatever happened. But she wasn’t there.
I glanced at the bathroom clock: 6:39. I had to leave the house by 6:45. But I wanted to see that little blond patch. I had enough time.
I pulled open the bathroom cabinet and reached for a hand mirror I hadn’t touched in years. Dad and I had bought it at CVS when I was in second grade, for an art project. Picking it up, I looked at the message I’d carved into the plastic frame.
I turned the mirror around. On the back I’d laminated a photo to the surface. In it, I was four years old and dressed in a puffy winter coat, sliding down a gentle hill on a sled. The white snow was tinged yellow-green with age. Mom was on the hilltop, laughing, wearing her favorite Smith College wool jacket. Dad was at the bottom, turned away. It was our game: Boom to Daddy. I’d slide into his legs and he would keel over, howling in pretend pain. Then he’d carry me back to the top and we’d do it all over again.
I smiled. Back then, I thought this game was hilarious. Every little thing we did was fun. Life was pretty perfect before Mom died. Before I started having those nightmares. Before Dad had decided home was a place to avoid.
Turning my back to the big bathroom mirror, I used the hand mirror to see behind my head. That was when I realized the blond hair wasn’t blond—it was white. And it wasn’t just a couple of hairs. I patted them down and noticed a pattern, an upside-down V. I tried to scrape it off with my fingernails, hoping it was some kind of weird stain. But nothing happened. My hair had just changed color—like in those cartoons where someone’s hair goes white with shock. Was that what the Ugliosaurus did to me? No way were the kids at school going to ignore this.
I thought about what Mom would say: Wear a hat.
Quickly I brushed my teeth. I dropped the mirror into my pack, in case I wanted to investigate further at school. Then I ran into my room and grabbed my peacoat off the floor. Peeking out from under a Wendy’s bag was my wool knit cap. I wiped off a crust of congealed ketchup and Chocolate Frosty from one side. It didn’t smell too bad, so I jammed it on my head, shoved my math notebook into my backpack, and bolted.
It was 6:43.
As I reached the top of the stairs, my cell phone beeped.
Dad!
Ugh. Our 6:30 Wednesday morning Skype session. I’d totally forgotten—and he was late! How could he do this on a test day?
I raced downstairs. Dad always insisted I take the call in the living room on the sofa—with the camera on, so he could make sure I hadn’t trashed anything.
He’s a neat freak. I’m a mess freak. And I had only five rings till the call went to voice mail. In the living room I shoved a pile of cables and joysticks to the center of the Turkish rug, along with two guitars, some comic books, three sweatshirts, a few pairs of socks, take-out containers from Wu Kitchen, a pizza box I was afraid to look into, and a half-eaten Kit Kat.
Beep…
From the middle of the pile I lifted a hook attached to four cables, which were linked to the corners of the carpet. I slipped the hook into a pulley I’d rigged to the ceiling chandelier support. A couple of strong tugs, and the rug rose like Santa’s toy sack, leaving a pristine wood floor below.
Beep…
6:44.
Plopping myself on the sofa, I accepted the call.
Hey, Dad! Um, I don’t have much time to—
"Five and a quarter! Tell them to sell at five and a half! Dad was shouting to someone in his office. All I saw was his arm.
And close the door. I’m on a conference call!"
Then he was grinning happily at me. Which made me grin, too. It was the end of his day in Singapore. He looked really tired, like he’d just run a marathon with a dead gorilla strapped to his back. I really missed him. I wished his job could keep him closer to home.
But why did he have to call now?
Heyyyy, Jackie, so sorry I’m late!
Dad said with a tight grin. Living room looks great! But…uh, where’s the rug?
Oops. I tilted the phone so only the wall would show in the background. I guess Vanessa took it to be cleaned. But, Dad, look, I have to go—
Did she spill something?
he asked.
I have this math test today…
You’ll do great!
Dad replied. Hey, what’s the McKinley family motto?
A problem is an answer waiting to be opened,
I recited.
Bravo! Hey, did you see the article I sent you about that poor kid, Cromarty? Died in the bowling alley near Chicago?
Ugh. Current events. This always involved sad stories about kids and tragedies. Followed by a lecture. Dad’s way of scaring me into being extra-careful.
I glanced at my watch. 6:46.
I think I skimmed it. Send me the link again. So. Wish me luck!
As I stood, my leg buckled beneath me and I almost dropped the phone. I had to clutch the sofa arm to keep from falling.
Jackie, are you okay?
Dad’s brow was all scrunched now. What’s that mark on your forehead? Is that a cut? Did you fall?
No!
I said. I just used a flying toy instead of an alarm.
That sounded a lot crazier coming out of my mouth than I expected. "You used a what?" Dad said.
I was feeling weak and light-headed. I took about three deep breaths and tried to stand tall, but I stumbled against the tied-up pulley rope.
Bad move. The rug hurtled downward. It sent up a cloud of dust as everything clanked to the floor. I swiveled away so Dad wouldn’t see it.
What was that?
Dad asked.
6:47. How much worse could this possibly get?
Nothing!
I snapped.
Dad’s eyes were wide. Okay, that’s it. Something’s not right. I’m booking the next flight home.
"What? This wasn’t like him. Usually he’s explaining left and right how important his job is. Usually he’s the one to cut the conversation short.
Really?"
Dad was looking at me funny. Stay safe until I get there. Do not let yourself out of Lorissa’s sight. Make her take you to school.
Vanessa,
I said. Lorissa quit. And so did Randi.
Okay, stay close to her, Jack,
Dad said. Be safe. And good luck on that math test.
Thanks!
I said. Bye, Dad! Love
—the image flickered off— you.
The screen was blank.
6:48. I had to book.
Vanessa!
I yelled, running into the kitchen. As I snatched two bags of fruit-flavored Skittles from the counter, I saw a note taped to the fridge.
I darted back to Vanessa’s bedroom door and pushed it open. The little room was tidy and neat. And totally empty.
One more catastrophe to explain when Dad got home.
Shutting it out of my mind, I bolted out the back door and got my bike from the garage. The air was cold and bracing, and I quickly buttoned my peacoat.
As I sped onto the sidewalk, I leaned right and headed toward school.
If Red Beard was there, I didn’t see him.
CHAPTER TWO
THE ACCIDENT
"YO, SPACE MAN, watch out!"
I didn’t hear the warning. I was at the end of my bike ride to school, which involves a sharp turn around the corner of the building. You’re supposed to walk your bike by that point, but I was in too much of a hurry. Not that it matters, because most people are too smart to stand close to that corner anyway.
But most people doesn’t include Barry Reese, the Blowhard of Mortimer P. Reese Middle School.
There was Barry’s hammy face, inches away, his eyes as big as softballs. As always, he was involved in his favorite hobby, making life miserable for littler kids. He was hunched menacingly over this tiny sixth-grader named Josh or George.
I slammed on the brakes. My front wheel jammed. The rear wheel bucked upward, flinging me over the handlebars. The bike slid out from under me. As I flew forward, Barry’s face loomed toward me at a zillion miles an hour. I could see three hairs sticking out of a mole on his cheek.
Then the worst conceivable thing happened.
He caught me.
When we stopped spinning around, I was hanging from him like a rag doll. Shall we dance?
he said.
All I could hear was cackling laughter. Kids were convulsing. Barry grinned proudly, but I pushed him away. His breath smelled like bananas and moldy feet.
Josh or George scrambled up off the ground. No one offered to help pick up his books, which had been scattered all over the playground.
I don’t know why Barry was a bully. He was rich. Our school was named after his great-great-grandfather, who’d made his fortune creating those little plastic thingies that protect the toilet lid from hitting the seat. Personally, if I were rich and the heir to a toilet-thingy fortune, I’d be pretty happy. I wouldn’t pick on smaller kids.
I don’t dance with apes,
I said, quickly stooping to pick up my bike to lock it to the rack.
I stole a look at my watch. The bell was going to ring in one minute.
My apologies.
Barry elbowed me aside and scooped up my bike with exaggerated politeness. Let me help you recover from your ride, Mario. From the cut on your head, I guess you had a few crashes already.
I tried to take back the handlebars, but he was too fast for me. He yanked the bike away and began walking fast toward the rack. Hey, by the way, did you finish the bio homework?
he said over his shoulder. ’Cause I was helping my dad with his business last night, and it got late. And, well, you can’t think about homework before profits. Not that I wouldn’t get all the answers perfect anyway—
I pushed him aside and grabbed the bike. No, Barry, you can’t copy my homework.
I just did save your life.
As I locked the bike to the rack, Barry leaned closer with a twisted, smilelike expression. Don’t think there won’t be some financial reward…
Before I could answer, he took two quick steps to the side. Josh or George was making a break for the safety of the school yard, clutching an unruly mass of papers and notebooks. Barry thrust his arm out as if yawning. He clipped the kid squarely in the chest and sent him flying, the papers scattering again.
The blood rushed to my head. I wasn’t sure if it was from the Ugliosaurus hit, the crazy bike ride, the near crash, or Barry’s extreme obnoxiousness. Math test or not, he couldn’t get away with this.
Here’s my homework!
I blurted, yanking a grocery list from my pocket. You get it if you pick up Josh’s stuff and say you’re sorry.
It’s George,
the kid said.
Barry looked at me as if I were speaking Mongolian. What did you say, McKinley?
I was shaking. Dizzy. Maybe this was fear. How could I be so afraid of this doofus?
Focus.
Barry reached toward my sheet, but I pulled it away, backing toward the street. Tell him you’ll never do it again,
I insisted. And don’t even think of saying no.
Balling and unballing his fists, Barry stepped closer. His white, fleshy face was taking on the color of rare roast beef. The bell rang. Or maybe it didn’t. I was having trouble hearing. What was happening to me?
How’d you get that little cut on your head, McKinley?
Barry’s voice was muffled, like he was speaking inside a long tunnel. Because I think you need a bigger one.
I barely heard him. I felt as if something had crawled into my head and was kickboxing with my brain.
I struggled to stay upright. I couldn’t even see Barry now. The back of my leg smacked against a parked car. I spun into the street, trying to keep my balance. The blacktop rushed toward me and I put out my hands to stop the fall.
The last thing I saw was the grille of a late-model Toyota speeding toward my face.
CHAPTER THREE
FLATLINING
BEEP…
Beep…
Harp strings? What was that noise?
The street was gone, and I could see nothing. I felt as if I were floating in a tunnel of cold air. I had dreamed my own death, and then it had really happened. I pried my eyes open briefly. It hurt to do it, but in that moment I had a horrifying realization.
The afterlife was beige.
I tried to cry out, but my body was frozen. Odd whistling sounds drifted around me like prairie winds.
Slowly I began making out voices, words.
Peering out again, I hoped to see cherubim and seraphim, or at least a few clouds. Instead I saw nostril hairs. Also, really dark eyebrows and blue eyes, attached to a man’s face that loomed closer.
I felt a hand push my head to the side. I tried to speak, to resist, but I couldn’t. It was as someone had turned the off switch on all my body functions. Extremely odd case,
the man said in a deep voice. No diabetes, you say? He had all inoculations? No history of concussion?
Correct, Dr. Saark,
came an answer. There’s nothing that would indicate these erratic vital signs. He’s a healthy boy. We haven’t a clue what’s wrong.
I knew the second voice. It was my family doctor, Dr. Flood. She’d been taking care of me since I was a baby.
So I was not dead, which was a big relief. But hearing your doctor’s voice is never a cheery thing. I was tilted away from the voices, and all I could see were an IV stand, electrical wires, and a metal wastebasket.
It had to be Belleville Hospital, where I hadn’t been since I was born. I must have been hit by a car.
The math test! I had visions of a blank sheet of paper with a big, fat zero. I willed myself to open my mouth. To tell them I was all right and had to get to school. But nothing moved.
A highly rare set of symptoms,
Dr. Saark said, but it fits exactly into the recent research I’ve been doing…
Dr. Flood exhaled loudly. We’re so lucky you were in town and could rush here at such short notice.
I felt fingers at the back of my head, poking around where the upside-down V was. I felt a rush of panic. I figured I was about to become the first kid in the world with a prescription for Grecian Formula.
Heavy footsteps plodded into the room. Excuse me?
Dr. Flood said. She sounded confused, maybe annoyed. What are you doing here?
Chaplain,
a gruff voice answered. New on job.
While Dr. Flood dealt with the chaplain, Dr. Saark pushed my head back and slipped something in my mouth. He held my mouth shut, forcing me to swallow. From under his sleeve, I could see a tattoo that looked like two winding snakes.
What did he just give me? Could he see my eyes were