by James Ponti
The mayor motions to someone off to his side and asks him to join him on camera. The man moves awkwardly, as though he’s not fully coordinated. The mayor puts his arm around him and talks directly into the camera. “Here’s someone that you’re really going to hear from in the upcoming year. He’s amazing, and his name is Marek Blackwell.”
As he steps into the light from the camera, I see that it really is Marek. He seems bent and broken, but there’s no denying that it’s him. The blood drains from my face, and I feel like I might faint.
“Now, I’ve got to take care of some business,” the mayor says with a laugh as he walks off camera.
There’s less than a minute until midnight, and the entire crowd is counting down the final seconds of the year. Alex, Grayson, and Milton all look to me, and I have no answer. I have no idea how Marek is standing before us.
“Do you have anything you want to say?” Brock asks him as he puts the microphone in front of him.
“I will in a few seconds,” Marek replies as the countdown reaches ten.
He turns our way and seems genuinely surprised that we’re there. He smiles a wicked grin, and I see that his teeth have yellowed even more.
Then I notice his left hand. It’s missing the ring finger, just like his brother Cornelius. I see that he has trouble using the hand, and it dawns on me that it isn’t just like Cornelius’s hand. It actually is Cornelius’s hand. As the countdown reaches five, he tries to pose for the camera, and I can tell that his leg is bent in an unnatural direction.
I think about the body parts we discovered in the freezer and realize what’s happened. He has Cornelius’s hand . . . and Orville’s leg . . . and Jacob’s arm. I turn to the others.
“They’ve rebuilt him,” I say, trying to be heard over the crowd. I look right at Milton and shake my head. “They’ve rebuilt him with the body parts of your brothers and cousins.”
The countdown reaches zero, and a million people scream, blow horns, cheer, and make noise.
Calmly on the stage, Marek looks right at me and winks. Then he turns to the camera and says, “Happy New Year,” verifying his still-strong hold on the world of the undead.
JAMES PONTI
was born in Italy, was raised in Florida, and went to college in California. After receiving a degree in screenwriting from the USC School of Cinematic Arts, he began a career writing and producing television shows for the likes of Nickelodeon, Disney Channel, PBS, Spike TV, History Channel, and Golf Channel. James loves writing, travel, and the Boston Red Sox. He is married to his college sweetheart, and they live in Florida with their two sons.
Authors.SimonandSchuster.com/James-Ponti
Authors.SimonandSchuster.com/Nigel-Quarless
ALADDIN
SIMON & SCHUSTER, NEW YORK
Meet the author,
watch videos, and get extras at
KIDS.SIMONANDSCHUSTER.COM
This book is a work of fiction. Any references to historical events, real people, or real places are used fictitiously. Other names, characters, places, and events are the product of the author’s imagination, and any resemblance to actual events or places or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.
An imprint of Simon & Schuster Children’s Publishing Division
1230 Avenue of the Americas, New York, NY 10020
www.SimonandSchuster.com
First Aladdin hardcover edition October 2013
Copyright © 2013 by James Ponti
All rights reserved, including the right of reproduction in whole or in part in any form.
ALADDIN is a trademark of Simon & Schuster, Inc., and related logo is a registered trademark of Simon & Schuster, Inc.
Simon & Schuster Special Sales at 1-866-506-1949 or [email protected].
The Simon & Schuster Speakers Bureau can bring authors to your live event. For more information or to book an event contact the Simon & Schuster Speakers Bureau at 1-866-248-3049 or visit our website at www.simonspeakers.com.
Designed by Lisa Vega
Jacket Designed by Jessica Handelman,
Based on a Previous Design by Lisa Vega
Jacket Illustration By Nigel Quarless
The text of this book was set in Adobe Garamond Pro.
Full CIP data is available from the Library of Congress
ISBN 978-1-4424-4131-6
ISBN 978-1-4424-4133-0 (eBook)
