Billy Hooten Read Free Page A

comic into his hands.
    The comic book was old, really old, and Billy's eyes immediately absorbed the cover image, reading the title aloud.
“Owlboy.”
Despite his surroundings,he found himself studying the hero running toward him into action on the cover. He'd heard of Owlboy before but had never seen one of the comics. There was actually something appealing about the superhero with his brown and green costume, funky cape that sort of looked like feathers, and cool helmet with goggles.
    “I don't get it,” Billy said, looking up.
    “Can't think of any other way to say it.” Archebold moved to stand beside him, and Billy quickly stepped back. The goblin ignored him and jabbed at the book's title with a stubby finger. “You are the Owlboy.”
    Billy vigorously shook his head as he laughed nervously. “Nope, sorry, you got the wrong guy. I … I'm just a kid.” He tried to give the comic back, but Archebold wouldn't take it.
    “You're joking, right?” the goblin asked.
    “Do I look like I'm joking?” Billy put on his most serious face.
    “Oh my,” Archebold said in shock. “Then when you arrived to rescue me, it was just… an accident?”
    Billy shrugged. “I heard somebody calling for help and decided to see what I could do.”
    The goblin stroked his chin, slowly nodding. “Yes, that's it. And even though you didn't realize it, you ran straight into the arms of your destiny.”
    “Whose arms?” Billy asked, wrinkling his nose, still confused.
    Archebold again leaned in close, pointing a sausage-like finger at the comic Billy held. “Destiny's arms,” he repeated. “This is your destiny … to be the next Owlboy.”
    “Me?” Billy asked, his voice coming out like a squawk.
    Taking hold of his arm just below the elbow, Archebold started to explain. “You are to be the next protector of Monstros City.”
    “Where?” Billy asked.
    Archebold rolled his eyes. “Monstros City,” he said slowly. “The world beneath this one.” The goblin pointed to the floor, his shaggy eyebrows going up and down.
    “There's… a world … beneath the cemetery?” Billy began to panic. This was nuts. He was standing in a mausoleum talking to a goblin about a city under the cemetery after being attacked by a pig-man.
    Check, please!
    “Beneath this human cemetery, there exists a fabulous place—a vast city populated by monsters of every shape and size.”
    “There are monsters underneath the cemetery?” Billy asked in a whisper, nearly certain that his parents had been right. Was this what brain damage was like?
    “What else would live in a place called MonstrosCity?” The goblin looked a bit annoyed as it shook its oddly shaped head. “Circus clowns?” Archebold started to pull Billy toward the back of the mausoleum. “Don't tell me you've never heard of Monstros City. It's been voted scariest place to live by
NewsShriek
magazine five hundred years in a row. I can't wait for you to see it ….”
    Inside his head, Billy heard the sound of screeching brakes. No way. He had zero intention of going anywhere near a place called Monstros City … especially with a goblin. Without another thought, he yanked his arm from the goblin's grip.
    And bolted for the door.
    This is nuts,
Billy thought, slamming through the mausoleum door, the crazy alarm going off in his head big-time.
    The cool air helped to clear his mind, but it didn't make the craziness of the situation go away.
    The creepy little creature dressed like he was going to a wedding had said Billy was the next Owlboy. Billy's thoughts raced as he ran down one of the winding paths through Pine Hill Cemetery, his brain going a million miles a minute. Did Archebold know Randy? Could he and Billy's mortal enemy have cooked up a plan to make Billy think he was losing his marbles? Naw, this wasn't Randy's style. Randy was more physical; hewould've preferred to beat Billy's head until the marbles just fell out, none of this subtlety stuff.
    And then it hit him: what