ماسک روح زده فصل 29

The Haunted Mask - Chapter 29

“No!” Carly Beth cried in horror.

The mask must have changed her face, she realized.

“No! Oh, no!”

She pushed past her brother, tossed down the head and the mask, and ran to the hallway mirror.

Her face stared back at her.

Perfectly normal. Her old face. Her good old face.

Her dark brown eyes. Her broad forehead. Her snip of a nose, which she had always wished was longer.

I’ll never complain about my nose again, she thought happily.

Her face was normal again. All normal.

As she stared at herself, she could hear Noah laughing at the doorway.

She spun around angrily. “Noah—how could you?”

He laughed harder. “It was just a joke. I can’t believe you fell for it.”

“It was no joke to me!” Carly Beth exclaimed angrily.

Her mother appeared at the end of the hall. “Carly Beth, where have you been? I expected you back an hour ago.”

“Sorry, Mom,” Carly Beth replied, grinning.

I’m so happy, I may never stop grinning! she thought.

“It’s sort of a long story,” she told her mother. “Sort of a long, weird story.”

“But you’re okay?” Mrs. Caldwell’s eyes narrowed as she studied her daughter.

“Yeah. I’m okay,” Carly Beth said.

“Come into the kitchen,” Mrs. Caldwell instructed her. “I have some nice hot cider for you.”

Carly Beth obediently followed her mother to the kitchen. The kitchen was warm and bright. The sweet cider aroma filled the room.

Carly Beth had never been so glad to be home in all her life. She hugged her mother, then took a seat at the counter.

“Why didn’t you wear your duck costume?” Mrs. Caldwell asked, pouring out a cup of steaming cider. “Where have you been? Why weren’t you with Sabrina? Sabrina has called twice already, wondering what happened to you.”

“Well…” Carly Beth began. “It’s sort of a long story, Mom.”

“I’m not going anywhere,” her mother said, setting the cup of cider down in front of Carly Beth. She leaned against the counter, resting her chin in one hand. “Go ahead. Talk.”

“Well…” Carly Beth hesitated. “Everything is fine now, Mom. Perfectly fine. But—”

Before she could say another word, Noah burst into the room.

“Hey, Carly Beth—” he called in a deep, raspy voice. “Look at me! How do I look in your mask?”