روح همسایه فصل 12

The Ghost Next Door - Chapter 12

The car stopped.

Hannah peered out from behind the shrub.

“Hey, you kids—” the driver called to the boys in a gruff voice. He poked his head out the car window.

It isn’t the police, Hannah realized, breathing a long sigh of relief.

The boys froze against the hedge. In the dim light from the streetlamp, Hannah could see that the driver was an elderly man, white-haired, wearing glasses.

“We’re not doing anything. Just talking,” Fred called to the man.

“Do any of you know how to get to Route 112?” the man asked. The light went on inside the car. Hannah could see a roadmap in the man’s hand.

Fred and Alan laughed, relieved laughter. Danny continued to stare at the driver, his expression still frightened.

“Route 112?” the man repeated.

“Main Street turns into Route 112,” Alan told the man, pointing in the direction the car was heading. “Go up two blocks. Then turn right.” The light went out in the car. The man thanked them and drove off.

The boys watched until the car had disappeared in the darkness. Fred and Alan slapped each other high-fives. Then Fred shoved Alan into the hedge. They all laughed giddily.

“Hey, look where we are,” Alan said, surprised.

The boys turned toward the driveway. From her hiding place across the street, Hannah followed their gaze.

At the end of the hedge stood a tall wooden mailbox on a pole. A hand-carved swan’s head perched on top of the box, which had graceful wings jutting out from its sides.

“It’s Chesney’s house,” Alan said, making his way along the hedge toward the mailbox. He grabbed the wings with both hands. “Do you believe this mailbox?” “Chesney carved it himself,” Fred said, snickering. “What a dork.” “It’s his pride and joy,” Alan sneered. He pulled open the lid and peered inside. “Empty.” “Who would write to him?” Danny declared, trying to sound as tough as his two friends.

“Hey, I’ve got an idea, Danny,” Fred said. He stepped behind Danny and started shoving him toward the mailbox.

“Whoa,” Danny protested.

But Fred pushed him up to the mailbox. “Let’s see how strong you are,” Fred said.

“Hey, wait—” Danny cried.

Hannah leaned out from behind the low shrub. “Oh, wow,” she muttered to herself. “Now what are they going to do?” “Take the mailbox,” she heard Alan order Danny. “I dare you.”

“We dare you,” Fred added. “Remember what you told us about dares, Danny? How you never turn one down?” “Yeah. You told us you never turn down a dare,” Alan said, grinning.

Danny hesitated. “Well, I—”

A heavy feeling of dread formed in the pit of Hannah’s stomach. Watching Danny step toward Mr. Chesney’s hand-carved mailbox, she suddenly had a premonition—a feeling that something really terrible was about to happen.

I’ve got to stop them, she decided.

Taking a deep breath, she stepped out from behind the bush.

As she started to call to them, everything went black.

“Hey—!” she cried aloud.

What had happened?

Her first thought was that the streetlamp had gone out.

But then Hannah saw the two red circles glowing in front of her.

The two glowing eyes surrounded by darkness.

The shadow figure rose up inches in front of her.

She tried to scream, but her voice was muffled in its heavy darkness.

She tried to run, but it blocked her path.

The red eyes burned into hers.

Closer. Closer.

It’s got me now, Hannah knew.