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Back Came Back to Show You I Could Fly
Chapters (21)
  1. Cover
  2. Bio (Robin Klein)
  3. Bio (Simmone Howell) / Also By Robin Klein
  4. Title Page
  5. All the Bells Rangby Simmone Howell
  6. Dedication
  7. Came Back to Show You I Could Fly
  8. Chapter 1
  9. Chapter 2
  10. Chapter 3
  11. Chapter 4
  12. Chapter 5
  13. Chapter 6
  14. Chapter 7
  15. Chapter 8
  16. Chapter 9
  17. Chapter 10
  18. Chapter 11
  19. Chapter 12
  20. POSTSCRIPT
  21. Text Classics

The forbidden alley looked sinister enough, thick with shadow, bordered by tall graffiti-scribbled fences. His knuckles ached from supporting himself at precarious chin height, so he drew his other foot up to the crossbar and stood at waist level, shutting his eyes quickly. His mother suffered from vertigo and kept her eyes shut even on escalators. She’d passed that phobia on to Seymour, or at least he’d always thought she had, but now to his surprise he discovered that this wasn’t the case. He didn’t feel giddiness when he opened his eyes and looked down from such a height, just relief as coolness from the flagstones wafted damply up into his face. The ground didn’t swirl about below him; he didn’t lose his balance and splatter his brains gorily all over the paving below.

He felt rather pleased with himself, and even defiant—a rare sensation for him. He glanced back over his shoulder at Thelma’s unbearably smug little house, then craned forward to see what was at either end of the alleyway. There were two major roads, busy with passing traffic. He manoeuvred one leg right over the top of the gate, sat on the frame for a moment to gather his courage, then dropped down on to the flagstones. It was like escaping from a cage.

Chapter 2

Seymour headed towards the main road at his left, keeping in the exact centre of the alleyway, fearful of many things. Any of the gates in the tall ribbed fencing on either side, for instance, could be flung open to disgorge sudden terrors—large dogs who wouldn’t be calmed by the words of a peaceful stranger just passing through, or neighbours of Thelma (even though it was unlikely because she kept so much to herself) who might know that he wasn’t supposed to leave the house in her absence. Worst of all, there could be kids his own age—brash, tough kids who would give him a hard time, as they always did, because he was fair game. He knew very well that he was fair game, but hadn’t yet managed to figure out any defence mechanisms—only chameleon ones, which didn’t always work. Breathing anxiously through his mouth, he kept his eyes fastened on the whirl of colour and movement at the left end of the alley and hurried towards it as fast as he could.