turned to me, his expression puzzled. “What’s going on, Spencer?”
Ed’s eyes were wide with fear. “I—I don’t get it,” he murmured.
“Ohhhhh!” I let out a startled cry as a blast of freezing air shot out of the closet.
Scott’s hand flew off the door handle, and he stumbled back. Another powerful blast sent Vanessa, Ed, and me staggering back across the attic.
“Ohhh, the smell!” I moaned. The cold air smelled like rotting meat.
Justin had stopped in the middle of the room. “What’s up?” he called. “Did you start without me?”
And then his expression changed, and he started to gag as the cold, putrid air swirled around him.
“Shut the door!” Scott shouted. “Hurry! Shut the closet door!”
I pinched two fingers over my nose to keep the disgusting odor out. Then I lowered my head into the swirling wind and took a few steps toward the closet.
But a high, shrill scream made me stop.
The scream rose up from the closet like a police siren. And rose and rose—until it became a deafening screech.
My eardrums felt about to burst. I slapped my hands over my ears. But I couldn’t keep out the horrifying, painfully shrill wail.
Holding my head, I struggled toward the closet. But the putrid wind swirled, pushing me back…back.
I stumbled. Fell to my knees. The wind raged over me.
And over its howl, I heard voices. Chattering, excited whispers.
“ Free… ”
“ We are free…At last we have been set free! ”
“ Make them pay! Make them pay! ”
I raised my head and saw Vanessa down on her knees too. Bent under the rushing blasts of wind.
Ed lay flat on the floor. He didn’t move.
Scott hunched in a corner, holding his head.
Another siren cry tore through me. The crushing pain shot over me. Violent streaks of yellow lightning exploded across the attic. I shut my eyes tight but couldn’t close out the blinding light.
When I opened my eyes, I saw Justin bent over, puking his guts out near the stairs. Vanessa sprawled facedown on the floor, her head buried beneath her hands.
The sickening wind spun around us. Held us in place.
The raspy, ugly voices hissed and whispered and laughed. And another long, high shriek made me cry out in agony.
“Oh, no!” I wailed. “What have we done? What have we done?”
22
“ Pay them back! Pay them back! ”
The voices rasped on the swirling, freezing winds.
“ A hundred years—but now we’re FREE! ”
I uttered a terrified moan. My stomach churned from the thick, sour odor. Pushing against the wind, I forced myself to my feet.
Shut the closet door.
I’ve got to shut the door.
The howling wind roared over me. I lowered my shoulder into it. I shut my eyes. And pushed forward with all my strength.
Pushed…
It felt as if I were trying to shove my way through a solid wall.
The thick, sour odor made my stomach churn. I held my breath, but I couldn’t shut out the smell.
One step forward…another…
I can’t get there, I realized. The wind is too strong.
Can’t…can’t…
“Ohhhh!” I cried out as I fell. Fell forward.
I staggered into the closet door. Raised both hands—and slammed it shut.
Yes!
The roaring wind stopped. Silence now. A heavy, eerie silence. The sour smell lingered in my nose. I could taste it when I swallowed.
I blinked, gazing at the closet door, feeling dizzy and dazed.
Did I do it? Did I lock those ghosts in?
The room spinning, I turned to my friends. “Hurry! We’ve got to get out of here!”
I grabbed Vanessa’s hand and tried to pull her to her feet. “Come on! Move!” I dragged her up. I pulled her toward the attic stairs.
Justin sat up, shaking his head, blinking, looking very confused. Ed lay beside him, on his back on the floor, groaning, holding his stomach.
“Hurry!” I shouted. “Get downstairs! We’ve got to get away from here!”
I pulled Vanessa another few steps, stumbling over small cartons and piles of newspapers. Scott was already running down the stairs.
Ed’s eyes were wide with fear. “I—I don’t get it,” he murmured.
“Ohhhhh!” I let out a startled cry as a blast of freezing air shot out of the closet.
Scott’s hand flew off the door handle, and he stumbled back. Another powerful blast sent Vanessa, Ed, and me staggering back across the attic.
“Ohhh, the smell!” I moaned. The cold air smelled like rotting meat.
Justin had stopped in the middle of the room. “What’s up?” he called. “Did you start without me?”
And then his expression changed, and he started to gag as the cold, putrid air swirled around him.
“Shut the door!” Scott shouted. “Hurry! Shut the closet door!”
I pinched two fingers over my nose to keep the disgusting odor out. Then I lowered my head into the swirling wind and took a few steps toward the closet.
But a high, shrill scream made me stop.
The scream rose up from the closet like a police siren. And rose and rose—until it became a deafening screech.
My eardrums felt about to burst. I slapped my hands over my ears. But I couldn’t keep out the horrifying, painfully shrill wail.
Holding my head, I struggled toward the closet. But the putrid wind swirled, pushing me back…back.
I stumbled. Fell to my knees. The wind raged over me.
And over its howl, I heard voices. Chattering, excited whispers.
“ Free… ”
“ We are free…At last we have been set free! ”
“ Make them pay! Make them pay! ”
I raised my head and saw Vanessa down on her knees too. Bent under the rushing blasts of wind.
Ed lay flat on the floor. He didn’t move.
Scott hunched in a corner, holding his head.
Another siren cry tore through me. The crushing pain shot over me. Violent streaks of yellow lightning exploded across the attic. I shut my eyes tight but couldn’t close out the blinding light.
When I opened my eyes, I saw Justin bent over, puking his guts out near the stairs. Vanessa sprawled facedown on the floor, her head buried beneath her hands.
The sickening wind spun around us. Held us in place.
The raspy, ugly voices hissed and whispered and laughed. And another long, high shriek made me cry out in agony.
“Oh, no!” I wailed. “What have we done? What have we done?”
22
“ Pay them back! Pay them back! ”
The voices rasped on the swirling, freezing winds.
“ A hundred years—but now we’re FREE! ”
I uttered a terrified moan. My stomach churned from the thick, sour odor. Pushing against the wind, I forced myself to my feet.
Shut the closet door.
I’ve got to shut the door.
The howling wind roared over me. I lowered my shoulder into it. I shut my eyes. And pushed forward with all my strength.
Pushed…
It felt as if I were trying to shove my way through a solid wall.
The thick, sour odor made my stomach churn. I held my breath, but I couldn’t shut out the smell.
One step forward…another…
I can’t get there, I realized. The wind is too strong.
Can’t…can’t…
“Ohhhh!” I cried out as I fell. Fell forward.
I staggered into the closet door. Raised both hands—and slammed it shut.
Yes!
The roaring wind stopped. Silence now. A heavy, eerie silence. The sour smell lingered in my nose. I could taste it when I swallowed.
I blinked, gazing at the closet door, feeling dizzy and dazed.
Did I do it? Did I lock those ghosts in?
The room spinning, I turned to my friends. “Hurry! We’ve got to get out of here!”
I grabbed Vanessa’s hand and tried to pull her to her feet. “Come on! Move!” I dragged her up. I pulled her toward the attic stairs.
Justin sat up, shaking his head, blinking, looking very confused. Ed lay beside him, on his back on the floor, groaning, holding his stomach.
“Hurry!” I shouted. “Get downstairs! We’ve got to get away from here!”
I pulled Vanessa another few steps, stumbling over small cartons and piles of newspapers. Scott was already running down the stairs.
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