ماسک روح زده فصل 19

The Haunted Mask - Chapter 19

In her horror, Carly Beth let go of the broomstick. It hit the ground beside Chuck. The head rolled under the hedge.

“It—it talked!” Steve cried.

Chuck uttered a low whimper.

Without another word, both boys dropped their candy bags and took off, their sneakers thudding loudly on the sidewalk.

The wind swirled around Carly Beth as if holding her in place.

She felt like tossing her head back and howling.

She felt like tearing off her coat and flying through the night.

She felt like climbing a tree, leaping onto a roof, roaring up at the starless, black sky.

She stood frozen for a long moment, letting the wind sweep around her. The boys were gone. They had fled in terror.

Terror!

Carly Beth had succeeded. She had scared them nearly to death.

She knew she’d never forget the horrified looks on their faces, the fear and disbelief that glowed in their dark eyes.

And she would never forget her feeling of triumph. The thrilling sweetness of revenge.

For a brief moment, she realized, she had felt the fear, too.

She had imagined that the head on the stick had come to life, had blinked its eyes, had spoken silently to them.

For a brief moment, she had caught the fear. She had fallen under the spell of her own trickery.

But, of course, the head hadn’t come alive, she assured herself now. Of course the lips hadn’t moved, hadn’t made their silent plea: “Help me. Help me.”

It had to be shadows, she knew. Shadows cast by the light of the moon, floating out from behind the shifting, black clouds.

Where was the head?

Where was the broomstick she had dropped?

It didn’t matter now. They were no longer of any use to her.

Carly Beth had won her victory.

And now she was running. Running wildly over the front lawns. Jumping over shrubs and hedges. Flying over the dark, hard ground.

She was running blindly, the houses whirring past on both sides. The blustery wind swirled, and she swirled with it, rising over the sidewalks, rushing through tall weeds, blowing with the wind like a helpless leaf.

Holding her bulging candy bag, she ran past startled trick or treaters, past glowing pumpkins, past rattling skeletons.

She ran until her breath gave out.

Then she stopped, panting loudly, and shut her eyes, waiting for her heart to stop pounding, for the blood to stop pulsing at her temples.

And a hand grabbed her shoulder roughly from behind.