Witch Ball - BK 3 Read online

  I returned home, both physically and mentally exhausted. I longed to crawl in bed and hide under my covers for the next four days. I'd be safe in my room, and on Friday everything would be okay.

  Instead of heading for my room, I joined my sister and grandmother in the kitchen. Sweet aromas swirled around me like a warm hug. Amy and Nona sat at the table, enjoying conversation and blueberry waffles. They smiled up at me, and I thought how much I loved them and they loved me, too. It was impossible to imagine either of them ever doing anything to harm me.

  "We saved waffles for you." Amy gestured to a covered plate.

  "Thanks." I took the plate.

  "You didn't say much in your note," Nona pointed out. "Where have you been?"

  "With a friend."

  "Well I know it wasn't Josh," Amy said teasingly. "Because he called and asked where you were. I told him I didn't know but that you'd probably be back soon, and I was right."

  "Josh called!" I nearly dropped my plate.

  "Yes," my grandmother answered. "About twenty minutes ago."

  "I'll be right back." I moved for the phone, but Nona stopped me.

  "Don't bother, he's not there. He said he'd call when he returned from a fishing trip."

  A fishing trip? I didn't even know he liked to fish. But then he didn't know everything about me either-not yet. But I had to tell him soon or Evan would ruin everything.

  I didn't say much while Amy and Nona made plans to do something fun before Mom picked Amy up this evening. I didn't care if we went shopping, out to lunch, or saw a movie. My brain was stuck on worry. I didn't believe the prediction, but how could I ignore it? I really needed to talk with someone-and thought of Manny.

  Excusing myself, I left the table and went to the phone.

  "Hey, Beany," Manny greeted when he got on the line.

  I didn't waste any time, and without revealing personal details about Jill, I told Manny his prediction had come true.

  "Wow!" he said in awe. "My powers amaze even me.

  "It wasn't you," I chided. "It was the witch ball."

  "Can't a guy enjoy his moment of glory?"

  "Not when my life is at stake. Remember what you predicted for me?"

  "Oh ... the death thing." His tone grew serious. "That's not going to happen."

  "Jill didn't believe her prediction either."

  "But you're safe. You've got the other side on your side."

  "If you mean Opal, she doesn't know anything about the witch ball. And I don't want to wait till Thursday to find out what happens. I've got to take action now."

  "Is there anything I can do to help?"

  "I was hoping you'd say that."

  Then I told him what I wanted.

  The rest of the day passed quickly-too quickly considering it might be one of my last.

  Amy, Nona, and I had a picnic at a River Oaks Park. We goofed around on the playground, swooshing down a curved slide, then kicking high on swings. Nona challenged us to a game of hopscotch-and won. I felt embarrassed for acting like a kid, but none of my classmates were around, so I figured, why not?

  We finished the afternoon by going to Trick and Treats for dessert. The owner, Velvet, was delighted to see us and offered us free samples of fudge. We had yummy flavors like cheesecake, caramel pecan, butterscotch, and pumpkin swirl.

  Amy teased that she must be in heaven, and I told her she was right.

  While my sister examined glass cases full of delicious treats, I found myself studying Velvet. I didn't know her well, but she and my grandmother were close friends and shared an interest in otherworld topics. She had no wrinkles, so could be anywhere from thirty to fifty. She spoke in a lilting British accent and resembled a proper nanny in high heels, a tailored skirt, and jacket. But in my mind I saw her in flowing robes while she chanted healing spells. There was something almost magical about Velvet.

  While Amy and Nona sat on a small wicker table, sipping soda and sampling sweets, I whispered to Velvet that I wanted to speak to her privately. She made the pretense of needing my help lifting a box, then we slipped into the back room filled with New Age items like candles, potions, crystals, incense, books, charms, and more. Only select customers knew about this special room.

  "Tell me what's on your mind," Velvet said, her brow pinched with concern. "How is your grandmother? Has her condition grown worse?"

  "She's doing okay-but I'm not." I hung my head. "Do you know anything about witch balls?"

  "Of course." She turned to point at a cluster of delicate glass balls hanging in a display window. "I have several for sale."

  "Those are very pretty-but they're new. What do you know about really old ones?"

  "Just the superstitions about warding off evil spirits. Why do you ask?"

  "Because I sort of inherited an old witch balland its ghost."

  I explained that the witch ball was a gift from a distant relative who kept it in her attic for decades, how Nona called the ball "evil" and freaked when it moved from my room to the kitchen all by itself.

  "And that's not all it did," I added solemnly.

  Then I told her about the predictions.

  "Oh, my stars!" she exclaimed when I'd finished. "And one of these predictions has already come true?"

  "Yes." I shivered. "I was there when it happened."

  "So now you're afraid your prediction is real."

  "I don't want to believe that, but I can't help being scared."

  "Of course you are. This is clearly the work of a disturbed ghost."

  "Opal, my spirit guide, said the same thing. But she didn't know anything else, and though I can usually see ghosts, I couldn't see anything around the ball."

  "Not a good sign," she said, tapping her fingers against a glass counter. "That means the ghost has unusual powers."

  "Like what?" I bit my lip.

  "My customers often share peculiar tales, and this reminds me of a haunted, ornate hand mirror in a New Orleans antique shop. No one would buy the mirror because when they looked at it, their reflection distorted into something bloody awful. One lady suffered a heart attack after peering into the mirror."

  "How terrible! So what happened to the mirror?"

  "The owner of the antique shop decided to destroy it."

  "Did it work?" I asked hopefully.

  Velvet shook her head. "No. When he tried to break the glass, he felt hands on his throat and blacked out. So he gave up trying to destroy the mirror. He considered calling an exorcist, then had another idea."

  "What?"

  "He put the mirror and its ghost up on E-bay. Made a bundle and shipped his problem off to someone else."

  "Tempting idea." I gave a grim smile. "But I couldn't do that to someone else. Too bad the postal service doesn't ship to the other side."

  "More's the pity," she said half-seriously. "It seems to me you have a two-fold problem. You need to prevent the prediction from happening and also get rid of the ghost."

  "I can't reason with a ghost I can't see." This haunting was totally different than that ghost I'd encountered in Pine Peaks.

  "You'll need to protect yourself." Velvet stared around her room, then strode over to a shelf and picked up a small bottle and handed it to me. "Next time you're near the witch ball, dab on a small amount of this."

  I looked at the oblong green bottle with a label that said Chamo-Skull. "What is it?"

  "A fragrance used for relaxation."

  "To calm the ghost?"

  "No-you." She shook her head. "You'll need to be calm so you can perform a cleansing ceremony with holy water and prayers. Be firm when you speak, do not show any fear. Tell the ghost in no uncertain terms to leave you alone."

  "Will that keep me safe?" I asked hopefully.

  "I can't promise that." Velvet seemed worried, and her high heels click-clicked as she crossed to a cabinet with shelves of bottles, boxes, and potted plants. She pinched off a leaf from a blue-gray plant, sprinkled on a thick dark liquid, then tucked it inside a
small satchel, which she fastened with a ribbon around my neck.

  "What's this?" I asked, fingering the soft satchel.

  "Extra protection . . . just in case." Worry creased in her forehead as she slipped her arm around my shoulder. "Good luck, my dear. You'll need it."

  MONDAY

  Mom showed up promptly at six to pick up Amy. Her meeting with her old friend had gone well, putting her in a good mood. Still, I didn't want to set her off so I wore my satchel under my shirt. I'd show it to Manny at school tomorrow, then deal with the witch ball.

  While I was waving good-bye to Mom and Amy from the front porch, the phone rang. Fingers crossed, hopes leaping, I hurried inside and raced to answer. I played my mental guessing game, wanting so badly for it to be josh that I imagined I saw his face. And I was right.

  "How was the fishing trip?" I asked, curling into a cushioned chair, almost giddy with relief that he was still speaking to me.

  "I had a great time! Caught this monster fish, only the line snapped and it got away."

  "Likely story," I teased.

  "Truth! Then I fished for hours with only one little bite that I had to toss back because the fish was too small. But Evan had better luck."

  "Evan!" I nearly choked. "He was there?"

  "Yeah. Lucky guy caught four huge fish."

  Stay calm, Sabine, I warned myself. I took a deep breath and asked, "So Evan went fishing with you?" .

  "We went out in his dad's boat. Evan's got a real talent for fishing."

  And for stringing people along, I thought uneasily. "Did you guys talk about anything ... interesting?" I asked.

  "Sports and stuff."

  "What stuff?"

  "Nothing much."

  I could hear the shrug in his words. If I pushed too hard, he'd wonder why. Still I had to know more. "Did he mention his new girlfriend?"

  "If you mean the girl from San Jose, they were just friends. He's thinking of asking Eliza Sampson out."

  Figures, I thought in disgust. Once Evan Marshall got what he wanted, he moved on. That's why they called him "Moving on Marsh."

  Still, I was relieved josh didn't know what happened at my old school. Not yet anyway. I'd have to tell him myself-tonight. I wasn't comfortable having him come to my home, so I offered to go to his. But he said his parents had invited friends over, so it wasn't a good time.

  "I'll see you tomorrow," he told me.

  "No sooner? I really need to talk to you."

  "So talk now."

  "It's . . . uh . . . complicated." I paused. "I guess it can wait."

  "Just till tomorrow. During lunch, we'll sit outside, just you and me."

  "I'd like that."

  "Oh-the doorbell just rang-the Marshalls must be here."

  "The Marshalls?" I bit my lip. "As in Evan's parents?"

  "Yeah. They had us over last month, so it's our turn."

  "Including Evan?" I sucked in a quick breath.

  "He's got to eat, too." Josh chuckled. "Says he has some big news to tell me. Always something going on with him ... Oh, the doorbell again. My parents must be busy. Gotta go!"

  Then he hung up on me.

  Josh didn't show up at my locker the next morning.

  It probably has nothing to do with Evan, I assured myself. josh must be running late. He'll show up soon.

  When Josh was marked absent in our first period class, I told myself he must be sick. Lots of people had colds or the flu. Even our homeroom teacher was out sick and we had a substitute. Still, I worried.

  As I walked to my second-period class, I imagined Evan showing josh the newspaper clipping from Arcadia High, revealing my role in the tragedy. Josh would be skeptical at first, but Evan would repeat what he found out from his last girlfriend. Everyone at Arcadia High knew the rumors about me and avoided me.

  Is that what josh was doing-avoiding me?

  I moved on autopilot, clutching my books to my chest and hunched forward as if my backpack weighed me down. Without meeting anyone's gaze, I maneuvered through the crowded halls. As I turned a corner, I felt a sudden prickling on my neck-a sense of being watched.

  Slowing down, I cautiously peeked over my shoulder. Nothing unusual, just the usual mayhem of everyone hurrying to class. But I couldn't shake the being-watched feeling. Goosebumps raised on my arms. Should I hide or walk faster? I chose Plan B, and suddenly sprinted forward.

  Footsteps pounded behind me. I thought I heard a shout. Then there was a sharp yank on my backpack and I was stumbling backwards. I cried out and flailed my arms. Someone grabbed my arm and caught me before I fell.

  "Who? What?" I exclaimed as I whirled around.

  Manny let go of my arm and grinned. "Watch yourself, Beany. Almost had a nasty fall."

  "I-I was being chased." I looked around anxiously, still breathing fast. Then I noticed Manny was breathing fast, too. "You!" I accused. "It was you chasing me!"

  "I called your name but you didn't stop."

  "I never heard you."

  "That's cause you were going too fast. Ever consider trying out for the track team?"

  "Not even." I readjusted my backpack. "So what's up?"

  "I got that information you asked for."

  My brain blanked, then a light flashed on. Last time we talked, I'd asked him to look up information on K.C. and Jack.

  "What'd you find?" I asked eagerly.

  "Not as much as I expected." He handed me a paper. "Check it out."

  I looked down at the typed sheet:

  K. C. Myers-11th grade, 162 Third Avenue

  Apt. 34C

  Emergency contact-Felicia Margo Swann,

  209-555-1925

  Jack Carney-12th grade - NFI

  "What does NFI mean?" I asked

  "No further information-which is odd. All students are required to have contact numbers."

  "So what's the deal with Jack?"

  "Beats me. Why don't you ask your boyfriend."

  "Josh?" My heart jumped. "What's he have to do with this?"

  "I got a printout of Jack's schedule and noticed they have the same auto shop class. See if josh can set up a meeting."

  "Uh . . . " I glanced down, the paper shaking in my fingers. "I can't today."

  "How come?"

  "Josh isn't here."

  "So we'll save Jack for later. I'll talk to KC."

  "You have his class schedule, too?"

  "Yeah, but there's something odd." He bit his lip. "Apparently he's in my fourth period classbut I've never heard of him."

  "He might have switched classes."

  "Could be." Manny fell into step with me as I continued down the hall. "If we can't find him at school, we could go visit him at home tonight. You game?

  "Sure. It's a date ... I mean . . ." I blushed. "Not a date ... a planned outing together."

  "Which describes a date." Manny chuckled. "But we can call it a business appointment."

  I nodded, relieved. The last thing I needed was for josh to hear I was going out with another guy even if it was only Manny. Thinking about josh gave me a sinking sense of dread that stayed with me through my next classes. I even tried calling him on my cell, but no answer.

  At lunch, I sat alone in a crowd of my closest friends. I noticed how everyone was paired off except me. Jill with a guy from the student council, Penny-Love hugging onto her artsy beau Jacques, and best friends Kaitlyn and Catelyn were flirting with dark-haired twins named Dan and Derrick.

  Everyone asked the same question, "Where's Josh?"

  "Absent. Out sick," I explained.

  But if he was sick at home, why didn't anyone answer the phone? I tried again and again. If he was too sick to answer the phone, one of his parents would have stayed home with him. Since his brother died from cancer, his parents tended to be overprotective. So someone should have been home.

  Not looking good Sabine, I told myself grimly.

  And according to Manny's prediction I had only three days left to live. You'd think that would be
my biggest worry. But no, here I was stressing over Josh. Was that logical?

  "Sabine!" Penny-Love's sharp voice snapped me out of my thoughts.

  "Huh?"

  "Obviously you were zoned out and didn't hear a thing I just said." She gave an irritated flip of her red curls. "Tell Jacques how awful my brothers are. He wants to meet them, but I told him no way. My brothers aren't fit for decent company."

  "Well ... they are kind of rough," I admitted.

  "And I have the bruises to show it," PennyLove said with a groan. "They're like overgrown puppies and think it's funny to throw me around. Total animals!"

  Jacques chuckled. "I still want to meet them."

  "Not in this lifetime. Last night they played soccer with a pumpkin and smashed it through the living room window. I wasn't even there, but I had to help clean up the mess."

  "Tough," Jacques said, dipping a French fry in mustard. "But sounds like you have an interesting family. "

  "Insane, you mean."

  "I still want to meet them. I'm working late tonight, but tomorrow I'll pick you up and you can introduce me. Then we'll go someplace special."

  "I'd like that." She leaned against him and they kissed.

  Embarrassed and envious, I focused on my plate of some kind of mottled gravy over meat, fries, apple slices, and apple juice. But I didn't much feel like eating. I stood up and grabbed my backpack.

  "You leaving already?" Penny-Love asked, turning back to me. "How come?"

  "Not very hungry."

  "Oh, I get it." She offered a sympathetic look. "You're sad cause josh is absent, but that's no reason to leave."

  "I have to go to the computer lab," I lied. "To help Manny with this week's paper."

  "He works you too hard."

  "I like hard work."

  She eyed me like she didn't quite believe me, then shrugged. "Well, have fun."

  "You, too," I replied.

  "Oh, I will." She leaned close to Jacques, entwining her fingers through his.

  He seemed really into her, too, and they looked cute together. Not long ago Penny-Love had a thing for Dominic, but that never happenedthank goodness. They weren't at all suited. Jacques seemed more her type, kind of edgy but relaxed and friendly. Watching them made me feel sorry for myself