The Legend of Annie Murphy by Frank Peretti Page B

enough to know the rest of her body was still attached, hiding inside.
    Lila saw Jay’s head sticking out of the desk and mouthed the words, “I’m okay.” She could still feel gravity tipping a little.
    It seemed Mrs. Crackerby was feeling the same thing. “Ohhh . . .” the big woman said with her hand to her forehead. “I still feel dizzy.”
    She turned from the window. Lila pulled her head inside the sofa like a turtle pulling into its shell.
    â€œWell it’s no surprise, the way you’ve been carrying on,” said the judge, sitting down at his desk and sliding his feet under it. His feet just about clipped Jay’s nose. “It’s high time you got control of yourself before you ruin everything!”
    Mrs. Crackerby settled onto the sofa. The cushions compressed under her weight, squishing down and exposing Lila’s head, which poked up right beside Mrs. Crackerby’s more-than-adequate posterior. Lila squirmed and struggled, trying to submerge herself again.
    â€œShe was looking across the street, Amos!” said Mrs. Crackerby. “She was looking at the roof of the mercantile. She was figuring it out!”
    The judge shuffled through the papers on his desk. “She isn’t going to figure out anything! I’m going to find her first!”
    â€œBut what could you do even if you did find her?”
    He muttered and stammered and then growled, “You ask too many questions.”
    Then Lila spotted Jay’s foot sticking out through the side of the judge’s desk. Jay, Jay, pull your foot in! she thought.
    â€œWell, at least you know I’m not crazy! You saw the ghosts of those two children yourself!”
    The judge looked up from his papers just as Lila finally managed to get her head down. “They were not ghosts, Beulah! They were tricksters and deceivers, and when Deputy Hatch rounds them up, they’re going to explain how they pulled off that clever little illusion!”
    Mrs. Crackerby’s voice took on an eerie tone. “Maybe Eloise is right. Maybe the spirits are seeking justice.”
    The judge slammed his papers down. “Beulah, you have no idea how foolish you sound, nor do you realize how far this hysteria of yours is going! John and Irma just came by—”
    â€œThey did?”
    â€œI told them you were in no condition to have visitors.”
    â€œAmos!”
    â€œBut they’ve already heard the ghost talk around town, and now they’re blaming ghosts for the rocks falling off the cliffs near their home. Hmmph! A rock slide blamed on ghosts, of all things!”
    â€œBut what about the Billings? They saw—”
    â€œThey think they saw something, that’s all!”
    â€œAmos, they saw Annie and Cyrus looking right at them from the cliffs above where the Murphys were building their cabin.”
    â€œBalderdash!”
    â€œIt’s her way of warning us that she’s watching! She’s watching and listening to everything we say!” Mrs. Crackerby’s voice fell to a hush. “There could be ghosts in this room right now, listening to our every word!”
    You’re not too far off , Lila thought.
    â€œI am not about to be intimidated,” said the judge. “The auction’s tonight at eight, and we are going to participate, ghosts or no ghosts, Sheriff Potter or no Sheriff Potter.”
    Lila gasped. Something had grabbed her.
    â€œWhat was that?” Mrs. Crackerby whispered.
    â€œWhat was what?” asked the judge.
    Lila saw she’d been grabbed by her brother. She mouthed, “How did you—”
    He motioned to her to follow him. They slipped through the wall behind the sofa and into the hallway outside.
    â€œHow did you do that without them seeing you?” Lila asked him in a hushed whisper.
    â€œI crawled outdoors first and circled around,” he answered. “Come on before we turn solid again and get trapped in