Page 61 of Crazy House (Crazy House 1)

“Okay, everyone scout around as much as possible,” Cassie said. “Tomorrow we’ll meet back here and compare notes.”

“I know a way out,” the Kid said more insistently.

“Did you ever see them in the mess hall?” Cassie asked me.

“I know a way out!” The Kid’s small, pointy chin stuck out aggressively, and he wedged himself between me and Cassie. “’Cause I know

how them bugs got in!”

78

CASSIE

I HAD NO IDEA WHERE Nate had found this boy, but he was a character. I’d barely paid attention to him before now—my senses were still all squirrelly over seeing Nate again. On the one hand, I was so, so glad to see him. On the other hand, I was so, so, so bummed that he was in here, and was praying that I wouldn’t have to watch him die.

Now I looked down at the Kid in his heinous yellow jumpsuit—way too big for him, rolled up at the sleeves and ankles.

“Yes?” I said politely, figuring we’d humor him for a minute so we could get back to business.

“Yeah,” he said, sticking his chin higher in the air.

“Okay, I’ll bite,” Becca said, crossing her arms over her chest. “How did the dragonflies get in?”

“There’s a tunnel,” the Kid said.

“A tunnel,” Becca repeated, obviously not believing him.

“Yeah. I live around here, see? And when I was little, this is where they put crazy people.”

I didn’t point out that in fact he was still little. At least comparatively.

“Crazy people?” Cassie asked.

“Yeah. Nowadays they do them mood-adjusts,” the Kid said, not knowing that the three of us all had firsthand knowledge of that. “But back then they just locked crazy people up. People who talked bad about the cell and all. There was a guy who was crazy, and they put him in here, and he dug his way out.”

“Wait… what?” I asked. Guess I was right—it really is a crazy house.

“He dug hisself a tunnel,” the Kid said, glancing over his shoulder to make sure no one was around. “From in here to out there.” The Kid pointed to the scrubby pines about fifty yards outside the prison fence.

“You’re… almost making sense,” Nate said, frowning.

“So what happened?” I asked.

“He got out, didn’t he?” said the Kid, shrugging.

“He escaped?” Cassie said.

“Well, nah, not really,” the Kid amended. “Like, he got out, but they caught him. And then the tunnel sort of fell in, at least partly.”

“What happened to the guy?” I couldn’t help asking.

“Oh, they shot ’im,” the Kid said, and snapped his fingers. “Just like that.”

“How do you even know this?” Nate asked.

“’Cause it was my dad,” the Kid said.

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