Ghost of a Shadow Read online

  Since their falling out, Melanie had become glued to her new best friends, Ronnie and Jade. She’d turned hostile, and those two had been more than willing to be her backup. Sadie couldn’t speak; it broke her heart every time she saw Melanie. She knew it was her own fault but couldn’t think of any way to fix what had happened between them.

  “Come on, girls. She’s useless. Let’s go back to my house. My dad promised he’d set up the movie screen for us tonight.”

  Their voices trailed down the hallway. Sadie worked to block out the rest of their conversation as best she could until they were gone, all the while biting her lip to keep the tears at bay.

  CHAPTER FIFTEEN

  Take Your Medicine Like a Good Boy

  Strapped to a gurney in a too-white room with the now-familiar instruments of invasion, Finn still managed to fidget. He was more than halfway through the dozen shock treatments demanded by the screaming orange chart that hung from the end of his transport. It taunted him, but he didn’t care. They always made him wait like this until Demon Doctor, his Royal Highness, Dr. Llewellyn, deigned to make an appearance. As always, his simpering servants in blue caps and long uniforms accompanied him.

  Fine. Let them take forever. He tried to shield his eyes from the bright light, which focused its white beam on his face. There was no escape, even with his lids closed, as the horrid thing never requested permission.

  That freaking burns. I’m not sure whether I’ll live through this, but somehow I’ll get my revenge. In this world or the next, I will have it.

  Stay focused on the here and now, Finn. Remember everything you can, warned the familiar Voice in his head, who’d advised him when he’d first arrived.

  Some advice, No Name. Soon they’ll come in and make me fall into that black pit of theirs so they can perform their evil electric waltz.

  Finn recalled being dragged from the police station and tossed into the back of a nondescript white van. He’d waited alone for someone to tell him what was going on, but when they had come for him, they hadn’t said a single word. He had tried screaming and spitting and kicking, but he was outnumbered and alone. They were large brutes, and he was a lanky fourteen-year-old.

  He remembered the pain in his arm, and how he’d screamed for a full minute as it worsened. “What are you doing to me? I demand to know!”

  The fools looked at each other. Maybe they were expecting a different response? Wasn’t I entitled to ask questions?

  “Calm down now. You’re beginning to feel sleepy a bit, yes?” one of the blue-sleeved trolls had asked.

  “No. Are you?” And he had spat once more while imagining what it would feel like to kick her in the teeth.

  That had resulted in extra-thick straps for his arms and legs, as well as a gag to cover his mouth. Finn smiled when he thought about it. It had taken six of them to accomplish the feat.

  Then he had been on a moving trestle of some sort. It had squeaked as it rolled him along. He had turned his head and had seen the nasty tiles and grouting go by. He’d wound up in the too-white room. They left him alone then. He wondered what would come next.

  But that was the beginning, and he’d since learned the score.

  He heard the footsteps now, coming down the hall. He could identify each person by his or her own set, those imposters.

  “Hello again, Finn. How are we feeling today?” Dr. Llewellyn boomed.

  The doctor reminded Finn of one of the lunatic doctors in the black-and-white movies he’d watched with Marj and Frank. The ones wielding their scalpels in the air and pulling down levers as they created their monsters.

  From behind his gag, Finn tried to hurl swear words regarding his hate and their ineptitude, but it came out sounding muffled even to his ears. What a shame. They really should hear this. It might teach them a thing or two.

  “Mfff mmmm bwnllll.”

  I know all about what you’re trying to do, you ants! Do you really think you’ve helped me with what you call the “violence and compulsions”? You should get to know me better before making hasty decisions like that. Ironically you’re helping me but not in the way you imagine.

  “Okay, Finn,” the doctor said, “here’s a little prick, and then you won’t feel anything more for a while. You’re in good hands, as you already know.”

  The Voice spoke to him. Hey, kiddo. There’s some serious stuff going down here. I’ll protect you, but we have to work together. Whatever they think they’re doing, I’ll make sure it comes out to your advantage. I’ll see you on the other side, but be prepared to go back into “performance mode.” This will have to be your best yet.

  There wasn’t enough time to answer. Finn began his descent into the abyss…into the cold, bright water where he couldn’t breathe at all.

  CHAPTER SIXTEEN

  When David Met Sadie

  “Hey, Sadie. Wait up.”

  Oh, no, not Dave. Sadie walked faster down the hall.

  She had done a good job of avoiding him all day, but he’d finally found her.

  “Saaaaydeeeee. Come on, Sadie. Slow down. I just want to have a little chat.”

  Sadie kept walking as Dave finally caught up to her. He was now at her side.

  Dave Jablonsky was at least twice the size of Sadie, in every direction. He had wavy hair that refused to behave, like its owner. It barely hid the nastiness behind his almond-colored eyes.

  “So, Sadie, I heard there was a little problem at school yesterday. I heard you took something from my girl. You know we can’t have that.”

  “Leave me alone, Dave. Go away.”

  “I heard someone saw you taking my girl’s favorite thing—well, aside from me, that is.”

  “Kylie isn’t your girl.”

  Dave shrugged. “Not yet, but one day she will be.”

  “Whatever. No one saw anything.”

  “Sadie, just confess, and I’ll make it real easy on you. Give Kylie back her pin, and it’ll be ‘end of story.’ You can give it to me, and I’ll tell everyone I found it, or you can leave it in the classroom, and I’ll make sure someone finds it. No one will ever know. The whole incident will go away like it never happened.”

  Sadie kept walking past the endless line of lockers. “Dave, you’d never just drop it. You never drop anything.”

  “No, seriously, Sadie, if the pin is returned, I swear this matter will be dropped. We can just go on ignoring you as usual. We’ll completely leave you alone. If you choose to refuse my generosity, however”—Dave stepped in front of Sadie, blocking her path, his determined eyes locked on hers—“things will get real hard for you around here, Myers. By the time we’re done with you, you’ll wish you lived two thousand miles away.”

  Sadie shrugged. “I already wish that, Dave.”

  “I’m serious. This is your only warning. You have until the end of school tomorrow. Do you understand?”

  Sadie tried to ignore him.

  “I asked if you understood me, Myers,” he sneered, more forcefully now. “Do you?”

  Sadie nodded to end her discomfort.

  “Good, I’m glad we settled the rules here. Just so you remember: until the end of school tomorrow, last bell. I hope you make the right choice and make my girl happy again. When she’s not happy, I’m not happy, and believe me, I like to be happy. Got it?”

  “Yes. I got it. Loud and clear.”

  “Good, Myers.” Dave started to walk away. “There may be hope for you yet…on Mars.”

  Sadie, relieved he was gone, couldn’t move for a few moments. “Come on, Sadie,” she coaxed herself aloud. “Get it together.” This rallied her enough to finally exit the building.

  On her way home, the scene with Dave replayed in her mind. His threats, his beady eyes staring at her. It was hard to shake off. She increased her pace, looking over her shoulder every now and then to make sure he wasn’t following her. School was supposed to be a respite from the misery at home; now it felt more like a second prison.

  CHAPTER SEVENTEEN


  Are We There Yet?

  The sun set over the eastern mountains. The cloffuls were larger and more colorful than usual, with many varieties of blues, purples, and then warm yellows toward the horizon.

  “Should we step in yet, Thelonious?

  “It is almost time, Let us hold out a little longer and see what happens. What do you say?”

  “Think of the possible consequences, Thelonious. You saw what is coming.”

  “I remember my oath. It is almost time but not yet.”

  “Well, if you are certain, Thelonious, then I will agree with you. I do not think it can be too much longer, but we will see.”

  “Yes. We will wait a little longer, my friend. Keep your eyes open. We have to be able to make those impossible decisions this time.”

  CHAPTER EIGHTEEN

  My Name Is Mud

  “Hey, guys. There she is. Let’s help her home.” Dave and his followers, Kenny and Alex, surrounded Sadie.

  “Oh, come on. Just leave me alone.” As brutal as they’d become in the classes they shared, Sadie had managed to avoid them after school for longer than she’d expected. She’d made it all the way to Friday, but her time was up.

  “We can’t do that, Sadie. I have to keep my promise, or else who am I? Once you make up your mind not to do what I say, there are repercussions. You know that.”

  Sadie shrugged. “I don’t know what you expect me to do about your promises.”

  “Now we have to make sure all our stuff is safe from you, Sticky Fingers Sadie.”

  Are there any names they haven’t called me?

  She lowered her head and kept walking.

  “We’re giving you an escort home.” Dave smirked. “You should feel honored. Better than walking alone. By the way, when was the last time you weren’t alone? Been a long time, huh? Wouldn’t you like some company?”

  “Not from you jerks.”

  “Aww, come on. Don’t do us like that, Sadie.”

  Dave took a step in front of her and stopped short. She shifted her weight and tried to step around him, but a quick push from behind sent her sprawling to the ground, face first off the sidewalk and into a giant mud puddle.

  “Yug! Threally?” She pushed up onto her hands and knees and spat out a mouthful of mud. A dark-brown slobbery trickle added to the stain on her once-white T-shirt. Oh, my God! This really happened.

  Sadie sat awhile longer in the mud as her tormentors loomed and laughed all around her.

  “Nice lil piggy. Right in the mud where you belong. You should be happy and comfortable there. Have a fun bath. We’ll see you Monday, if not sooner,” Dave jeered, as he blew her a kiss good-bye.

  Sadie couldn’t imagine what other terrific things Dave and his buddies had in store for her.

  She continued to sit there, knees in the mud, stewing in her misery until long after the boys had gone. It took all her remaining energy to extract herself from the sticky clay. I heard people pay a lot of money for mud baths, but I’m not impressed.

  Looking down at her ruined shirt, she saw the first hint of light. Then another. She held up her mud-caked hands as sparks, the colors of soap bubbles, flitted from finger to finger, leaving trails like fireworks on the Fourth of July. Eventually their lights dimmed, and Sadie was finally able to blink and close her mouth. She came back to herself, amused by the encouraging light show. She slung her backpack over her shoulder and headed home.

  She sighed. Should be fun showing up at home looking like this. I wonder what Mom will say this time, she thought, as she pushed open the front door.

  “Sadie? Is that you?”

  “Yes, Mom,” she answered quietly. She tried to sneak down the hallway to the bathroom, but her mother caught her halfway there.

  “Sadie Ann Myers, what in the world have you been up to?”

  “Oh, nothing. Thought I’d go for a swim. Then I realized we don’t have a pool.”

  “Not funny. You’re dragging mud all over the place. What really happened, missy?”

  “Just the cheerful neighborhood welcoming committee walking me home and showing me the sights, face first.”

  “What did you do to them?”

  “What? Me do to them? Really, Mom?”

  “Why can’t you be more like your friend Melanie? I haven’t seen her in ages. She was always so nice. Where’s she been?”

  Sadie shrugged. “I think she moved to Albuquerque.”

  “Albuquerque, huh? Why can’t I ever get a straight answer out of you? Maybe if you tried to make friends and not be such a smart aleck, you’d have a better chance of getting along with people.”

  “Uh…thanks, Mom. Thanks for all your support.” Sadie wanted nothing more than to wash away the dried mud, which made her skin itch. Just let me go, Mom. You don’t understand what it’s like. Sadie couldn’t get away fast enough.

  Her mother ran a hand through her dark-brown curls. “What? What did I do this time?”

  “Never mind. Just drop it. I’ll clean up and be out of the bathroom soon.”

  “Yes, you’d better be out soon. We have a ton of things to go over.”

  Sadie rolled her eyes. “Great. I can’t wait.”

  She hurried into the bathroom and locked the door behind her. She couldn’t believe what she saw in the mirror. The mud had dried, and her hair felt like straw.

  The dirt on her face and hair reminded her of another time. A time when she wasn’t alone. A time when she had someone who protected her.

  “Isn’t it terrible, Christopher?” Sadie had asked. “I’m so upset. I don’t understand it, and I can’t get it out of my head.”

  Some neighbors had found the mutilated body of a little black-and-white cat by the storm drain at the end of Sadie’s street.

  “I know, Sadie. How anyone can hurt an animal, or anything for that matter, is beyond me.”

  “That poor cat. I don’t even want to think about it.”

  “I know a way to get your mind off it.” He reached out and took her hand. Her knitted brow softened, and she started to relax. “Let’s take a walk,” Christopher suggested. “We can look at the trees and watch the birds. That always helps me.”

  “Sounds good.”

  They strolled around the block. When they were almost at the creek, they ran into Jeremy Stevens, the neighborhood bully. He was older than them by two years and must have been at least six foot tall. He’d never grown out of his towhead coloring. Sadie had no proof, but something in her gut told her he was responsible for the cat’s death.

  “What are you two doing in my neighborhood?” Jeremy demanded. His voice sounded as if he always had a cold.

  Sadie rolled her eyes. “Last I heard, no one owns neighborhoods.”

  “Well, you heard wrong. You’re in my space, and if you don’t turn around, there’s going to be trouble.”

  “The only trouble will be for you,” Sadie fired back. She stared up into his nearly transparent eyes, which had an unearthly glow. “Why don’t you just crawl back inside that hole you live in?”

  “What did you say?” Jeremy grabbed the front of Sadie’s jacket and knocked her down. He pushed her face hard into the dirt with one hand.

  As Jeremy stood up, Christopher rushed him. He swung his right leg around, sweeping Jeremy at the knees.

  The bully crumpled to the ground, and Christopher jumped him, his forearm pressing against his throat. “You’d better get the hell out of here so I don’t have to really hurt you.”

  Jeremy put his hands up in surrender. Sadie didn’t think he’d ever been challenged before. He scrambled to his feet and ran away.

  Christopher held out a hand to help her up. “You okay, m’lady?”

  “I am now.” She brushed a bit of dirt off her sleeve. “How did you know what to do?”

  Christopher picked the bits of grass and dried leaves from Sadie’s braids then took her hand. He shrugged. “My dad taught me how to take care of myself.”

  “Yeah, I can see that,” Sa
die said admiringly.

  She let him lead her back toward the street. “Can we walk for a little while longer?” she asked. “I don’t think I’m going to feel okay for a while. He’s so rotten. I’ve heard stories at school about what he’s done to some of the other kids. I can’t imagine how they must feel.”

  Christopher squeezed her hand. Her nerves started to settle, but the more she thought about Jeremy’s other victims, the sadder she felt for them. “I hope someone sticks up for those kids like you did for me. I hope one day no one has to deal with his crap ever again.”

  “Me too.”

  “I’ll never forget what you did for me, Christopher.” She let go of his hand and reached up to hug him. She smelled spruce in his hair and felt the warmth from his ear. He always made her feel safe. “I’ll never forget you either.”

  “Forget me? Why would you forget me? I’m right here. I’m never leaving you, m’lady.”

  Sadie smiled. He was perfect. He smiled in return and touched her cheek, and then he kissed her softly.

  She sighed. “I never want this to end.”

  “It never will, m’lady.”

  “Promise?”

  “Cross my heart.”

  Those words haunted her now. Sadie stared at her mud-caked reflection and blinked away the tears. She was alone, truly alone. She had no one.

  I guess there’s no getting around a shower. When she turned on the water, she heard yelling on the other side of the door.

  “You’d better clean up that mess when you’re done. And don’t clog the tub. I don’t want to see any evidence of dirt anywhere.”

  Sadie tried to ignore her.

  “Did you hear me, Sadie?” her mom yelled louder.

  “Yes, yes! I heard you. I’ll clean it up!” Geez. Can I please be transported anywhere but here? Anywhere? I hear Albuquerque is phenomenal.

  CHAPTER NINETEEN

  A Shocking Reminder

  Darkness faded. Light stabbed through Finn’s eyelids. No matter how tightly he squeezed them, he couldn’t shut it out. He placed his hands over them, but they did nothing. The penetrating rays worked through every crack between his fingers. They tortured him, trying to scald his brain. They came from everywhere. He was certain once the blazing light gained entry, it would tear through his entire being.