she disappeared?
18
Four rings.
No answer.
“She’s gone,” I murmured aloud, a chill running down my back.
Before the fifth ring could begin, I heard a clicking sound. Someone had picked up the receiver.
“Hello?”
Judith!
“Hello? Who
is
this?” she demanded.
I slammed the receiver down.
My heart was pounding. My hands were ice-cold.
I breathed a sigh of relief. Judith was there. She was definitely there. She hadn’t vanished from the face of the earth.
And I realized her voice had returned to normal.
She didn’t sound hoarse or weak. She sounded as nasty as ever.
What did this mean? I jumped to my feet and began to pace back and forth, trying to figure it all out.
Of course, I
couldn’t
figure it out.
I only knew that the second wish hadn’t been granted.
Feeling a little relieved, I went to bed and quickly fell into a heavy, dreamless sleep.
I opened one eye, then the other. Pale morning sunlight was shining through my bedroom window. With a sleepy groan, I pushed down the covers and started to sit up.
My eye went to the clock above my desk and I gasped.
Nearly ten after eight?
I rubbed my eyes and looked again. Yes. Ten after eight.
“Huh?” I cried, trying to clear the sleep from my voice. Mom wakes me every morning at seven so I can get to school by eight-thirty.
What happened?
There was no way I’d be on time now.
“Hey — Mom!” I shouted. “Mom!” I jumped out of bed. My long legs got tangled up in the covers, and I nearly fell over.
Great way to start the day — with a typical Samantha klutz move!
“Hey, Mom —” I shouted out the bedroom door. “What happened? I’m late!”
Not hearing a reply, I pulled off my nightshirt and quickly searched through the closet for some clean clothes to wear. Today was Friday, laundry day. So I was down to the bottom of the pile.
“Hey, Mom? Ron? Anybody up?”
Dad leaves the house for work every morning at seven. Usually I hear him moving around. This morning I hadn’t heard a sound.
I pulled on a pair of faded jeans and a pale green sweater. Then I brushed my hair, staring at my still-sleepy face in the mirror.
“Anybody up?” I shouted. “How come no one woke me today? It’s not a holiday — is it?”
I listened carefully as I tugged on my Doc Martens.
No radio on down in the kitchen.
How weird
, I thought.
Mom has that radio tuned to the all-news station every morning. We fight about it every morning. She wants news, and I want music.
But today I couldn’t hear a sound down there.
What’s going on?
“Hey — I’m going to have to skip breakfast!” I shouted down the stairs. “I’m late.”
No reply.
I took one last look in the mirror, brushed a strand of hair off my forehead, and hurried out into the hall.
My brother’s room is next door to mine. His door was closed.
Uh-oh, Ron,
I thought.
Did you sleep late, too?
I pounded on the door. “Ron? Ron, are you awake?”
Silence.
“Ron?” I pushed open the door. His room was dark, except for the pale light from the window. The bed was made.
Had Ron already left? Why had he made his bed? It would be the first time in his life he ever did!
“Hey, Mom!” Confused, I hurried down the stairs. Halfway down, I stumbled and nearly fell. Klutz Move Number Two. Pretty good for so early in the morning.
“What’s going on down here? Is it the weekend? Did I sleep through Friday?”
The kitchen was empty. No Mom. No Ron. No breakfast.
Did they have to go somewhere early? I checked the refrigerator for a note.
Nothing.
Puzzled, I glanced at the clock. Nearly eight-thirty. I was already late for school.
Why didn’t anyone wake me up? Why were they all gone so early in the morning?
I pinched myself. I really did. I thought maybe I was dreaming.
But no such luck.
“Hey — anyone?” I called. My voice rang through the empty house.
I ran to the front closet to get my coat. I had to get to school. I was sure this mystery would be cleared up
18
Four rings.
No answer.
“She’s gone,” I murmured aloud, a chill running down my back.
Before the fifth ring could begin, I heard a clicking sound. Someone had picked up the receiver.
“Hello?”
Judith!
“Hello? Who
is
this?” she demanded.
I slammed the receiver down.
My heart was pounding. My hands were ice-cold.
I breathed a sigh of relief. Judith was there. She was definitely there. She hadn’t vanished from the face of the earth.
And I realized her voice had returned to normal.
She didn’t sound hoarse or weak. She sounded as nasty as ever.
What did this mean? I jumped to my feet and began to pace back and forth, trying to figure it all out.
Of course, I
couldn’t
figure it out.
I only knew that the second wish hadn’t been granted.
Feeling a little relieved, I went to bed and quickly fell into a heavy, dreamless sleep.
I opened one eye, then the other. Pale morning sunlight was shining through my bedroom window. With a sleepy groan, I pushed down the covers and started to sit up.
My eye went to the clock above my desk and I gasped.
Nearly ten after eight?
I rubbed my eyes and looked again. Yes. Ten after eight.
“Huh?” I cried, trying to clear the sleep from my voice. Mom wakes me every morning at seven so I can get to school by eight-thirty.
What happened?
There was no way I’d be on time now.
“Hey — Mom!” I shouted. “Mom!” I jumped out of bed. My long legs got tangled up in the covers, and I nearly fell over.
Great way to start the day — with a typical Samantha klutz move!
“Hey, Mom —” I shouted out the bedroom door. “What happened? I’m late!”
Not hearing a reply, I pulled off my nightshirt and quickly searched through the closet for some clean clothes to wear. Today was Friday, laundry day. So I was down to the bottom of the pile.
“Hey, Mom? Ron? Anybody up?”
Dad leaves the house for work every morning at seven. Usually I hear him moving around. This morning I hadn’t heard a sound.
I pulled on a pair of faded jeans and a pale green sweater. Then I brushed my hair, staring at my still-sleepy face in the mirror.
“Anybody up?” I shouted. “How come no one woke me today? It’s not a holiday — is it?”
I listened carefully as I tugged on my Doc Martens.
No radio on down in the kitchen.
How weird
, I thought.
Mom has that radio tuned to the all-news station every morning. We fight about it every morning. She wants news, and I want music.
But today I couldn’t hear a sound down there.
What’s going on?
“Hey — I’m going to have to skip breakfast!” I shouted down the stairs. “I’m late.”
No reply.
I took one last look in the mirror, brushed a strand of hair off my forehead, and hurried out into the hall.
My brother’s room is next door to mine. His door was closed.
Uh-oh, Ron,
I thought.
Did you sleep late, too?
I pounded on the door. “Ron? Ron, are you awake?”
Silence.
“Ron?” I pushed open the door. His room was dark, except for the pale light from the window. The bed was made.
Had Ron already left? Why had he made his bed? It would be the first time in his life he ever did!
“Hey, Mom!” Confused, I hurried down the stairs. Halfway down, I stumbled and nearly fell. Klutz Move Number Two. Pretty good for so early in the morning.
“What’s going on down here? Is it the weekend? Did I sleep through Friday?”
The kitchen was empty. No Mom. No Ron. No breakfast.
Did they have to go somewhere early? I checked the refrigerator for a note.
Nothing.
Puzzled, I glanced at the clock. Nearly eight-thirty. I was already late for school.
Why didn’t anyone wake me up? Why were they all gone so early in the morning?
I pinched myself. I really did. I thought maybe I was dreaming.
But no such luck.
“Hey — anyone?” I called. My voice rang through the empty house.
I ran to the front closet to get my coat. I had to get to school. I was sure this mystery would be cleared up
Similar Books
