In
a wheelchair since birth, his freakish ability has gotten him kicked out of ten
foster homes since the age of four. Now saddled with a sadistic housemother who
uses his spinning to heal the kids she physically abuses, Alex and his misfit
group of learning disabled classmates are the only ones who can solve the
mystery of his birth before more people meet a gruesome end.
They
need to find out who murdered their beloved teacher, and why the hot young
substitute acts like she’s flirting with them. Then there’s the mysterious
medallion that seems to have unleashed something malevolent, and an ancient
prophecy suggesting Alex has the power to destroy humanity.
The
boys break into homes, dig up graves, elude kidnappers, fight for their lives
against feral cats, and ultimately confront an evil as old as humankind. Friendships
are tested, secrets uncovered, love spoken, and destiny revealed.
The
kid who’s always been a loner will finally learn the value of friends, family,
and loyalty.
If
he survives…
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Alex
pushed open the door and rolled in. Mrs. Davis sat at her desk. Two men
occupied the chairs in front of her. The men stood when he entered, but Mrs.
Davis remained seated. As usual, she was dressed in a bland-looking dress with
her hair styled up around her head in a way that made it look like an animal
was sleeping there.
“Come
in, Alex, and close the door,” she said, her face and voice giving nothing
away. Alex had heard the word “cool” used for some people, not like kids used
it, but to mean someone who was kind of cold and didn’t show their feelings
much. That was Mrs. Davis every time he’d seen her - cool.
Alex
stopped before the two men, both of whom wore suits. They reached into their
jacket pockets and pulled out badges. Police badges.
What
did the cops want with him? He and Roy had gotten in trouble last summer when
Roy was driving his truck and pulling Alex along by a rope behind him. It was
the fastest Alex had ever gone in his chair, and the rush was more than worth
the “warning” he’d gotten from the police.
“This
is Detective Cole and Detective Gordon,” Mrs. Davis announced. “They have some
questions for you.”
Alex
immediately felt scared and small, and wished Roy was with him. “I ain’t been
racing my chair in the street no more,” he said quickly.
The
one named Cole smiled, while the other one mad-dogged him. “That’s not why
we’re here, Alex. We’re homicide.”
“Homa-what?”
The
younger one, Gordon, rolled his eyes and muttered, “Sheesh,” but Cole, who
looked older because he had some grey hair near the ears, glared at his partner
and said, “Homicide. We investigate murders, Alex.”
Alex’s
heart revved up. They were here about Ms. Ashley! But what did they want with
him? “I don’ know nuthin’ ’bout no murders.” His voice trembled slightly,
despite his best efforts to keep it steady.
Cole
smiled. It was a warm, friendly smile, which made Alex distrust him even more
than the guy mean-mugging him. At least that guy was being straight up. “That’s
what we’re here to find out, Alex. It seems a student overheard you yesterday
talking about the death of your teacher.”
Alex
shifted nervously. He was sure no one had overheard him. No one but Tami. She’d
never call the cops on him.
“She
was a good teacher,” Alex offered, sadness at her death welling up again within
him. “Ain’t we allowed to talk about her?”
Cole
nodded, and Alex felt Mrs. Davis watching him expectantly. “Of course you are,
Alex, and we don’t want to upset you more. It’s just that, well, you gave your
friends information that wasn’t on the news. About the cats?”
Mrs.
Davis looked startled. “What cats? It was my understanding Ms. Ashley was
struck and killed by a truck.”
Gordon
turned to her and shrugged. “That’s the official story. But your kid here knows
more than he should.” He turned and squinted at Alex, as though trying to spin
him.
Cole
cast a warning look at his partner. “I got this, Joe.” The other man shrugged
and went back to glaring. Alex felt like a bug in a jar.
“Alex,
you told your friends Ms. Ashley was attacked by cats and then pushed in front
of the truck. Is that right?” Cole asked calmly.
Mrs.
Davis gasped and put a hand to her mouth in shock.
Knowing
there was no way he could lie his way out of this, Alex nodded hesitantly, but
said nothing.
Cole
appeared unruffled by the admission. “Can you tell us how you knew that?”
Alex
shivered as the images flooded in on him yet again. “I dreamed it.”
Gordon
grunted. “Bullshit!”
Mrs.
Davis normally hated swearing, but she looked ghostly white behind her desk,
and Alex figured she was too upset to care.
Cole
remained calm and steady. “And you actually saw someone push her in front of
the truck?”
Alex
nodded again.
Gordon
opened his mouth, but Cole raised a hand to silence him. “What did this person
look like?”
Alex
shrugged. “All dressed in black, some kinda mask over the face, like for skiing
or a ninja or something. That’s all I could see.”
Gordon
expelled a heady breath of disgust. “Bill, you’re not gonna–”
Cole
again cut him off with a raised hand. To Alex’s surprise, the other guy shut
up. Cole must be the boss, he decided.
“Are
you in the habit, Alex, of dreaming things before they happen?”
“Yes.”
Michael J. Bowler is an
award-winning author of eight novels––A Boy and His Dragon, A Matter of Time
(Silver Medalist from Reader’s Favorite), and The Knight Cycle, comprised of
five books: Children of the Knight (Gold Award Winner in the Wishing Shelf Book
Awards), Running Through A Dark Place, There Is No Fear, And The Children Shall
Lead, Once Upon A Time In America, and Spinner.
His horror screenplay, “Healer,” was a Semi-Finalist, and his urban fantasy
script, “Like A Hero,” was a Finalist in the Shriekfest Film Festival and
Screenplay Competition.
He grew up in San Rafael, California, and majored in English and Theatre at
Santa Clara University. He went on to earn a master’s in film production from
Loyola Marymount University, a teaching credential in English from LMU, and
another master’s in Special Education from Cal State University Dominguez
Hills.
He partnered with two friends as producer, writer, and/or director on several
ultra-low-budget horror films, including “Fatal Images,” “Club Dead,” and
“Things II,” the reviews of which are much more fun than the actual movies.
He taught high school in Hawthorne, California for twenty-five years, both in
general education and to students with learning disabilities, in subjects
ranging from English and Strength Training to Algebra, Biology, and Yearbook.
He has also been a volunteer Big Brother to eight different boys with the
Catholic Big Brothers Big Sisters program and a thirty-year volunteer within
the juvenile justice system in Los Angeles.
He has been honored as Probation Volunteer of the Year, YMCA Volunteer of the
Year, California Big Brother of the Year, and 2000 National Big Brother of the
Year. The “National” honor allowed him and three of his Little Brothers to
visit the White House and meet the president in the Oval Office.
He is currently working on a sequel to Spinner.
His goal as a YA author is for teens to experience empowerment and hope; to see
themselves in his diverse characters; to read about kids who face real-life
challenges; and to see how kids like them can remain decent people in an
indecent world.
