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But then, something else.
Thump. Thump.
Heavy footsteps. Coming f
rom the shadows.
Hook was coming for him.
Feeling a jolt of adrenaline, Barrie tensed up and skated faster. He sped across the cul-de-sac. The shadows cast by the fading sunlight seemed to stretch as if to grab him, but then their dark tendrils passed over him harmlessly. He strained his ears for those heavy footsteps.
A few minutes later—but what felt like an eternity—he pulled up in front of his house, then kicked up his board, snagging it by the end. His backpack hung on his shoulders. The hook was nestled inside, as always.
He hurried up to the front door, but then he reeled back in shock. A dagger stuck out of the wood panel in the center of the door, spearing an old piece of parchment paper.
His eyes scanned the letter. It was printed with jagged cursive.
Return my hook—or your family will perish!
Barrie tore the parchment down, his hands shaking. The dagger remained stuck in the front door. It looked ancient, like something that would’ve belonged to a pirate.
Barrie stared at the jagged cursive. He knew one thing with certainty.
It wasn’t just about him anymore. Now his family was in danger, too.
He didn’t have much time left.
“No way, Goober,” Rita said, not even looking up from her SAT prep workbook. “Carpool is torture enough.”
“Pretty please?” Barrie begged. “With a cherry on top? Just this one time. I need your help. I need a lift out to the marina to meet my friends.”
He wrung his hands. He’d stuffed the parchment letter in his pocket, but the words were seared into his brain.
“It’s late,” Rita said with a sigh. “Mom and Dad are working late. That means I’m in charge, and I’m not budging. I gotta finish this stupid exercise.”
“But I really need a ride,” Barrie said, trying to think fast. “I’ll make it up to you. I wouldn’t ask if it wasn’t important.”
Finally, she lifted her head. She frowned when she actually saw him.
“What’s got you so jumpy? You look like you’ve just seen a ghost.”
“Uh, I just really need a ride,” he said. “Come on, please just help me out.”
He couldn’t tell her about Captain Hook. There was no way that she’d believe him. He remembered his mom’s reaction at the museum. Rita would be worse.
“Why do you wanna go out to the marina so bad anyway?” she asked, giving him a suspicious look. “I don’t buy it. My sibling radar is on high alert. What aren’t you telling me? Spit it out already.”
Her eyes bore into him. Sibling radar was no joke. His sister could be super psychic when she wanted to be.
“Fine, there’s this cute girl,” Barrie said, his cheeks burning. “And she texted me that she’ll be hanging out by the marina with her friends today.”
Rita giggled. “Ah, talking to girls. No wonder you look like you’ve seen a ghost. That’s, like, the scariest thing ever, right?’
“Don’t rub it in,” Barrie mumbled, even though it was a lie. Just the concept of discussing girls with his sister freaked him out almost as bad as Captain Hook did. And it was certainly far more embarrassing.
“Wow, it’s almost worth giving you a ride just to watch you squirm,” Rita said. “Does this girl have an actual name?”
Barrie glared at his sister. “No way, I’m not telling you. You’ll never let me live it down. I know how you operate.”
