روح همسایه فصل 25

The Ghost Next Door - Chapter 25

“Nooooooo!”

Hannah’s wail echoed in the darkness that surrounded her.

The ghost-Danny’s red eyes flared angrily as Hannah burst right through him.

A second later, she was raising her hands to the window ledge. “Oh!” The sill was hot from the fire.

Using all her strength, she pulled herself up toward the darting flames—and into the house. A curtain of thick, sour smoke rose up to greet her.

Ignoring the smoke and the bright wall of fire, Hannah lowered herself heavily onto the floor.

I’m a ghost, she told herself, stepping into the blazing room.

I’m a ghost. I can’t die again.

She rubbed her eyes with the sleeve of her T-shirt, struggling to see. “Danny?” she called, shouting as loudly as she could. “Danny—I can’t see you! Where are you?” Shielding her eyes with one hand, Hannah took another step into the room. Flames shot up like bright geysers. Wallpaper on one wall had curled down, the blackened corner covered with leaping flames.

“Danny—where are you?”

She heard a muffled shout from the next room. Dashing through the flame-encircled doorway, she saw him—trapped behind a tall wall of flames.

“Danny—!”

He was backed into a corner, his hands raised together in front of him, shielding his face from the smoke.

I can’t get through those thick flames, Hannah realized to her horror.

She took another step into the room, then held back.

No way.

No way I can save him.

But once again, she reminded herself: I am a ghost. I can do things that living people cannot do.

“Help me! Help me!”

Danny’s voice sounded tiny and far away behind the leaping waves of flame.

Without another second’s hesitation, Hannah sucked in a deep breath, held it—and leapt into the flames.

“Help me!” He stared at her, his eyes blank. He didn’t seem to see her. “Help!” “Come on!” She grabbed his hand and tugged. “Let’s go!” The flames bent toward them, like fiery arms reaching to grab them.

“Come on!”

She tugged again, but he held back. “We can’t make it!”

“Yes—we have to!” she shouted.

The heat burned her nostrils. She shut her eyes against the blinding yellow brightness. “We have to!” She grabbed his hand with both of hers and pulled.

Black smoke swirled around them. Choking, she shut her eyes and pulled him, pulled him into the searing, blistering heat of the flames.

Into the flames.

Through them.

Coughing and choking. Dripping with perspiration from the furnacelike heat.

Pulled him. Pulled blindly. Pulled with all her might.

She didn’t open her eyes until they were at the window.

She didn’t breathe until they had tumbled to the cool darkness of the ground.

Then, on her hands and knees, panting so loudly, gasping for clean air, she gazed up.

There was the shadow figure near the house, twisting in flames. As the fire consumed it, it raised its dark arms toward the sky—and vanished without making a sound.

With a relieved sigh, Hannah lowered her gaze to Danny.

He was lying sprawled on his back, a dazed expression on his face. “Hannah,” he whispered hoarsely. “Hannah, thanks.” She felt a smile start to cross her face.

Everything turned bright, as bright as the wall of flames.

Then everything went black.