our feet added to the creepiness of this place. Dodging trees, Logan kept glancing back to make sure I was okay. As we rounded the corner of the forest and stepped out into the clearing, I felt something rip into my back.
Wincing in pain, I fell and somersaulted before landing a couple of feet from the pile of Aunt Vine’s baby dolls. Logan jumped through the portal and stuck his hand through as I stood and leapt through, headfirst into his arms. As everything faded to black, we both tumbled down what felt like a rabbit hole until we landed on my bed. It took us a few moments to gain perspective of our whereabouts.
“What happened?” Logan asked. “Why did you fall?”
“Something scratched my back.”
“What the—? Let me see.” He moved behind me and gently lifted my shirt. “It’s not bleeding, but there are definitely four fingernail marks across your back. Do you know what it was?”
“I bet it was that Simon guy, Logan. He wants to kill me.” My heart jolted at the thought of some angry ghost on Spirit Mountain wanting to end my life. “We have to figure this out and fast.”
At those words, we heard loud knocking on my door. “Beth? Are you awake?” Aunt Vine’s voice sounded off on the other side.
Logan gasped, but I covered his mouth with my hand. I whispered, “My door’s locked.” I turned my attention to my aunt at my door. “Yes, Aunt Vine. I’m awake.”
“Good. I need you to help your cousin shovel the driveway and clear the rocks.”
I narrowed my eyes before glancing at Logan. “Okay, Aunt Vine. Let me get dressed and I’ll be right there.”
“Rocks?” Logan narrowed his eyes, following me as I moved to the window balcony and parted my drapes.
Noticing the rocks spread out all over the driveway, I frowned. “What the hell…” I ran to my closet and threw on my snow gear. “Logan, go out that window and meet in the front, right away.”
“What’s going on, Beth? Why are those rocks there?”
“Just meet me down there.”
I ran out my bedroom door while Logan threw on his jacket and shimmied down the balcony. When I stepped outside, our driveway was full of the same type of black and gold rocks Simon had wrapped into a snowball and thrown at me. I couldn’t believe my eyes. There had to have been at least two hundred of them.
Aunt Vine sighed and turned toward me. “I’m not sure where these came from, but we need them shoveled at once. Luckily, your uncle parked on the street last night.” She huffed and went back inside the house.
Teddy, my little cousin, stuck his tongue out at me and stormed back inside the house behind his mother.
“Hey, Beth,” Logan whispered, walking up to me with his hands in his pockets. “This is bad.” He scanned the driveway of layered rocks.
Stopping. I picked one up, breaking it the way Ty had earlier. Green dust floated in the air and formed the words, Help me . I dropped the two halves and picked up another, cracking it open as Logan and I watched the green dust float into the air. This time, the message said, Hiding, help Beth.
I whipped my head toward Logan, a sad expression coming over my face. “These aren’t from Simon. They’re a cry for help from Ty. Logan, we have to help him.”
He nodded, his eyes widening. “It’s time to get to the bottom of this, New York. Let’s shovel these out of your driveway and head straight to the public library. Someone’s gotta know something.”
“Should we read the rest of these?”
“Get a large, black trash bag and let’s put them in your bedroom closet for safekeeping. There may be important information inside them to help us figure this out.”
I nodded as we did that, my heart aching for Ty. Alone and hiding from that raging spirit, Simon, it was definitely time to get answers, for his spirit’s sake, and for my life.
Chapter Fourteen
In the tranquility of the quiet public library, Logan and I sat across from each other, searching microfiche for
Wincing in pain, I fell and somersaulted before landing a couple of feet from the pile of Aunt Vine’s baby dolls. Logan jumped through the portal and stuck his hand through as I stood and leapt through, headfirst into his arms. As everything faded to black, we both tumbled down what felt like a rabbit hole until we landed on my bed. It took us a few moments to gain perspective of our whereabouts.
“What happened?” Logan asked. “Why did you fall?”
“Something scratched my back.”
“What the—? Let me see.” He moved behind me and gently lifted my shirt. “It’s not bleeding, but there are definitely four fingernail marks across your back. Do you know what it was?”
“I bet it was that Simon guy, Logan. He wants to kill me.” My heart jolted at the thought of some angry ghost on Spirit Mountain wanting to end my life. “We have to figure this out and fast.”
At those words, we heard loud knocking on my door. “Beth? Are you awake?” Aunt Vine’s voice sounded off on the other side.
Logan gasped, but I covered his mouth with my hand. I whispered, “My door’s locked.” I turned my attention to my aunt at my door. “Yes, Aunt Vine. I’m awake.”
“Good. I need you to help your cousin shovel the driveway and clear the rocks.”
I narrowed my eyes before glancing at Logan. “Okay, Aunt Vine. Let me get dressed and I’ll be right there.”
“Rocks?” Logan narrowed his eyes, following me as I moved to the window balcony and parted my drapes.
Noticing the rocks spread out all over the driveway, I frowned. “What the hell…” I ran to my closet and threw on my snow gear. “Logan, go out that window and meet in the front, right away.”
“What’s going on, Beth? Why are those rocks there?”
“Just meet me down there.”
I ran out my bedroom door while Logan threw on his jacket and shimmied down the balcony. When I stepped outside, our driveway was full of the same type of black and gold rocks Simon had wrapped into a snowball and thrown at me. I couldn’t believe my eyes. There had to have been at least two hundred of them.
Aunt Vine sighed and turned toward me. “I’m not sure where these came from, but we need them shoveled at once. Luckily, your uncle parked on the street last night.” She huffed and went back inside the house.
Teddy, my little cousin, stuck his tongue out at me and stormed back inside the house behind his mother.
“Hey, Beth,” Logan whispered, walking up to me with his hands in his pockets. “This is bad.” He scanned the driveway of layered rocks.
Stopping. I picked one up, breaking it the way Ty had earlier. Green dust floated in the air and formed the words, Help me . I dropped the two halves and picked up another, cracking it open as Logan and I watched the green dust float into the air. This time, the message said, Hiding, help Beth.
I whipped my head toward Logan, a sad expression coming over my face. “These aren’t from Simon. They’re a cry for help from Ty. Logan, we have to help him.”
He nodded, his eyes widening. “It’s time to get to the bottom of this, New York. Let’s shovel these out of your driveway and head straight to the public library. Someone’s gotta know something.”
“Should we read the rest of these?”
“Get a large, black trash bag and let’s put them in your bedroom closet for safekeeping. There may be important information inside them to help us figure this out.”
I nodded as we did that, my heart aching for Ty. Alone and hiding from that raging spirit, Simon, it was definitely time to get answers, for his spirit’s sake, and for my life.
Chapter Fourteen
In the tranquility of the quiet public library, Logan and I sat across from each other, searching microfiche for
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