روح همسایه فصل 15

The Ghost Next Door - Chapter 15

Danny leaned close to Hannah. She could see that his red hair was matted to his forehead by perspiration. His eyes burned into hers.

“There’s a good reason why my mother didn’t answer the door,” Danny told her.

Because she’s a ghost, Hannah thought. She felt a cold shiver roll down her back. A tremor of fear.

She swallowed hard. Am I afraid of Danny? she asked herself.

Yes. A little, she realized. Her scary dream about him flashed into her mind. Yes. A little.

“You see,” Danny started, then hesitated. He cleared his throat. He shifted his weight nervously. “You see, my mom is deaf.” “Huh?” Hannah wasn’t sure she had heard correctly. It wasn’t at all what she was expecting.

“She got this inner-ear infection,” Danny explained in a low voice, keeping his eyes trained on Hannah. “In both ears. A couple of years ago. The doctors treated it, but the infection spread. They thought they could save one ear, but they couldn’t. It made her completely deaf.” “You—you mean—?” Hannah stammered.

“That’s why she couldn’t hear you knocking,” Danny explained. “She can’t hear anything at all.” He lowered his eyes to the ground.

“I see,” Hannah replied awkwardly. “I’m sorry, Danny. I didn’t know. I thought… well, I didn’t know what to think.” “Mom doesn’t like people to know,” Danny continued, backing toward his house. “She thinks people will feel sorry for her if they know. She hates to have people feeling sorry for her. She’s a really good lip-reader. She usually fools people.” “Well, I won’t say anything,” Hannah replied. “I mean, I won’t tell anyone. I—” She suddenly felt very stupid.

Her head lowered, she made her way up the driveway toward her front walk.

“See you tomorrow,” Danny called.

“Yeah. Okay,” she replied, thinking about what he had just told her.

She looked up to wave good-night to him.

But he had vanished.

Hannah turned and began jogging around the side of the house toward the back door. Danny’s words troubled her. She realized all of her thoughts about ghosts may have been a big mistake.

Her parents were always predicting that some day her imagination would run away with her.

Now maybe it has, Hannah thought unhappily.

Maybe I’ve totally lost it.

She turned the corner of the house and started toward the back door, her sneakers squishing on the soft, wet ground.

The light over the porch sent a narrow cone of white light onto the concrete stoop.

Hannah was nearly to the door when the dark figure, wrapped in black shadow, its red eyes glowing like hot coals, stepped into the light, blocking her path.

“Hannah—stay away!” It whispered, pointing menacingly at her with one long, shadowy finger.