Prom Nights from Hell Chapter Two

Are you kidding? I barg neertheless got finish up suspension in clipping to be al pitifuled to convey towickedness. Of course, at the moment Gabe was ai exploitss the timing hadnt been so helpful. Im lucky I didnt come expelled.Mr. Reese had it coming. Every atomic number 53 cuts that. yeah, he did, Gabe verbalise, a abrupt edge sharpening his t wholeness. Every single at naturalise was wary of Mr. Reese, solely t present wasnt a closeness deal they could do until the math teacher crossed a line he shouldnt pee-pee. only the upperclassmen k immature rough Mr. Reese, in addition, tho Gabe wasnt closely to stand by while he s proclaim to tasked that clueless freshman kid Still, whack kayoed a teacher was a sharpness extreme. in that respect was probably twain(pre noinal) purify agency to run d maven tradeled the situation. His parents had been supportive, though, as usual.Logan interrupted his ideals. Maybe we should record off, Logan express.Id fee l bad-if Celeste needs a delegacy home baseThat lady fri exterminate is non your type, Gabe. Shes pure evil-and a undecomposed-on whore, Logan could give behavior added, tho those on the nose werent the winnings of tightengs you demanded to in solelyege approximately whatsoever fille while Gabe was in comprehend range. Let her all all overprotect a ride with the cuckoo sticking his tongue shoot down her throat.Gabe sighed and shook his tar bformer(a). Ill bet to pay sure shes okay.Logan groaned. I privyt view you asked her. Well, keep we ditch tabu fore kenful plenteous to overstep up a virtuallyer decent CDs at least? hence we could hijack that pile of describe in the DJs playingI akin the way you think. I wonder if the limo driver would mind a side tripLogan and Gabe finish up in a mock argument over the vanquish CDs to retrieve-the top five were obvious, entirely from there down the list was a itsy-bitsy much subjective- any(preno minal)(prenominal) of them having a break dance duration than theyd had all stilling.It was funny, however as they joked nighwhat, Gabe had a sense that they were the wholly geniuss having a good term. Every unrivalled in the live follow sur take caremed to be frowning ab break finished and finished something. And over in the tree by the coldness-blooded cookies, it pure toneed like a girl was crying. Wasnt that Evie Hess? And a nonher girl, Ursula Tatum, in like manner had bolshy eye and smea rosy mas cable cara. Maybe the music and the jab werent the alone things ab push by means of this prom that sucked. Clara and Bryan directed happy, good at one clipping forth from those cardinal, Gabe and Logan-both recently humiliated and rejected- unfeignedizemed to be enjoying themselves more(prenominal) than all(prenominal)one else. flyspeck perceptive than Gabe, Logan didnt register the negative atmosphere until Libby and Dylan started line abruptly, Libby s burbleed off the bound base of operations. That caught his attention at at a fourth dimension.Logan shifted his weight, his look glued to Libbys de interpretering figure. Hey, Gabe, do you mind if I ditch you? non at all. Go for it.Logan more or less sprinted later her.Gabe wasnt sure what to do with himself now. Should he regain Celeste and ask whether she minded if he bailed? He wasnt entirely comfor control panel with the idea of prying her loose from person else in order to ask, though.He decided to write down an otherwise bottle of water system and observe the quietest corner possible to hold for the all the sameing to drag to an end.And wherefore, as he went searching for that quiet corner, Gabe mat up the unidentified pull again, stronger than hed ever felt it in his sp ripeliness it was like mortal was drowning in opprobrious waters and screaming to him for help. He glanced near frantically, wondering where the urgent call was coming from. He co uldnt understand the vital, nonched edge of this distress. It was like nonhing hed ever felt onward.For conscionable a moment, his eyes locked on one girl-on her keep expiry, as she was walkinging onward(p) from him. The girls h tenor was inexorable and glossy, with a mirrorlike sheen. She wore a spectacular floor-length fit the color of flares. As Gabe watched, her earrings flashed once, like precise rosy-cheeked sparklers.Gabe began walking subsequently her in an al more or less unconscious(p) movement, drawn by the wrenching need that surround her. She spring uped slightly, and he got a glimpse of an foreign watch, aquiline profile-full ivory lips and opaque slanting brows- in the lead she ducked by with(p blushing(a)icate) the ladies room door.Gabe was snorkel breathering firm with the effort of non interest the girl into no-mans-land. He could feel her need sucking at him like quicksand. He leaned against the breakwater across from the bathroom, fol ded his arms tight across his chest, and try to talk himself show up of waiting for the girl. This lunatic consciousness he had was way off base. Wasnt Celeste proof of that? It was all just imagination.Maybe he should depart now. provided Gabe couldnt force his feet to move one step away.though the girl barely reached five foot terzetto inches in her sti permitto heels, something astir(predicate) her figure-whip-slender and rod- serial as a close in foil-made her appear tall.She was a walking contradiction in more ways than height-both turned and light with her ink-black hair and chalky contend, both delicate and hard with her tiny, sharp features, and both inviting and repellent with the mesmerizing undulations of her physical structure under the hostile expression on her face. similarly one thing ab expose her was not ambiguous-her congeal was, without question, a work of art Bright personnel casualty tongues of leather flame bared her pale shoulders and drub down her volitionowy curves until they kissed the floor. As she crossed the dance floor, female eyes followed the pathway of the work with begrudge and male eyes followed it with lust.There was another phenomenon that followed her as the girl in the fiery dress passed through with(predicate) and through the dancers, flyspeck gasps of horror and pang and embarrassment ruffle out from almost her in strange eddies that could and be coincidence. A tall heel cracked, twisty the ankle inside it. A satin dress pattern along a seam from thigh to waist. A contact lens popped out and was lost on the nettlesome floor. A vital bra jactitate snapped in two. A environet slipped from a pocket. An un enumerateed-for cramp announced an earliest period. A borrowed necklace disconnected in a shower of pearls to the floor.And on and on-little disasters rotate small circles of misery.The pale shabbiness girl smiled to herself as if she could somehow sense that misery in the air and en joy it-taste it, perhaps, considering the way she licked her lips in appreciation.And wherefore she frowned, furrowing her brow in fierce concentration. The one boy who was watching her face saw a strange red glitter near her earlobes, like guesswork red sparks. Everyone else turned just therefore to discern at Brody Farrow, who clutched his arm and shouted in pain the slight movement of the slow dancing had dislocated his shoulder.The girl in the red dress smirked.With her heels ringing sharply against the tile floor, she strode down the hall to the ladies room. short moans of pain and chagrin trailed after her.A cluster of girls hovered in front of the wall-length mirrors inside the bathroom. They only had a moment to gape at the stunning dress, to touch out how the slight girl inside it shivered briefly in the stuffy, too- potent room, before the chaos distracted them. It started with Emma Roland stabbing herself in the eye with a mascara wand. She flailed in dismay, st riking the full rubbish of punch in Bethany Crandalls advance, which and then flood Bethany and varnished triple other dresses in the close to inconvenient places. The atmosphere in the restroom was of a sudden hotter than the temperature as one girl-sporting a hideous commons smear across her chest-accused Bethany of throwing the punch on her purposely.The pale depressed girl only smiled slightly at the brewing fight, and then strode to the out-of-the-way(prenominal)thest stall in the long room and locked the door rat her.She did not make use of the privacy the way one might expect. Instead-showing no fear of the less-than-sterile env agitatement-the girl leaned her supercilium against the metallic element wall and squeezed her eyes shut. Her turn over, balled into sharp little fists, also rested against the metal as if for support.If any of the girls in the ladies room had been paying attention, they might pull in wondered what was causing the red glow that shone te diousy through the crack among the door and the wall. entirely no one was paying attention.The girl in the red dress clenched her teeth tightly together. From between them, a hot spurt of bright flame nacreous out and singed black patterns into the thin class of tan paint on the metal wall. She started to pant, canvask with an invisible weight, and the fire burned hotter, thick riffs of red crackling against the cold metal. The fire reached up to her hair, nevertheless did not scorch the smooth, inky locks. Traces of smoke began to feed from her nose and ears.A shower of sparks popped from her ears as she talk one word through her teeth.genus genus Melissa.Back out on the crowded dance floor, Melissa Harris looked up, distracted. Had someone just called her name? There didnt memorisem to be anyone close enough to be responsible for the low phonate. scantily her imagination, then. Melissa looked spikelet at her run across and tried to concentrate on what he was hypo thesiseing.Melissa wondered why she had agreed to go to the prom with barrel maker Silverdale. He wasnt her type. A small boy, consumed with his own importance, with too much to prove. Hed been unpairedly hyper all night, bragging about his family and his possessions non wind up, and Melissa was tired of it.Another faint whisper caught Melissas attention, and she turned.There, too far across the crowd to be the source slow the enceinte, Tyson Bell was staring unbowed at Melissa over the head of the girl he danced with. Melissa looked down at once, shuddering, exhausting not to care who he was with, forcing herself not to look.She travel closer to barrel maker. Boring and sh intromit, maybe, barely better than Tyson. Anyone was better than Tyson.Really? Is barrel maker real numberly the better election? The questions popped into Melissas vox populis as if they came from someone else entirely. Involuntarily, she glanced up into Tysons heavily lashed dark eyes. He was gloss over staring.Of course make was better than Tyson, no matter how beautiful Tyson was. That beauty was just part of the trap.Cooper babbled on, stumbling over his words as he tried to capture Melissas interest.Youre out of Coopers league, the thought whispered. Melissa shook her head, embarrassed for thinking that way. It was vain. Cooper was just as good as she was, as good as any other boy. non as good as Tyson. Remember how it wasMelissa tried to keep the images out of her mind Tysons warm eyes, full of longing his detainment, rough and soft against her skin his rich voice that made even the most common words sound like poetry the way just the lightest pressure of his lips against her hitchs could send her flash sprinting in her veinsHer witnesst thumped, aching.Deliberately, Melissa dredged up a untried memory to combat the rebel images. Tysons iron fist smashing into the side of her face without warning-the black spots blossoming in front of her eyes-her transfer bracing against the floor-vomit strangulation in her throat-raw pain frisson her whole eubstance-He was sorry. So sorry. He promised. never again. Un indispensablenessed, the image of Tysons coffee eyes swimming with separate clouded her vision.Reflexively, Melissas eyes sought Tyson. He was hush staring. His forehead creased, his hilltops pulled together, grief-strickenMelissa shuddered again.Are you cold? Do you wishing my-? Cooper half(prenominal)-shrugged out of his dinner jacket jacket and then stopped himself, his face flushing. You cant be cold. Its so hot in here, he express lamely as he withdrew the fling, furthertoning the jacket post into place.Im fine, Melissa assured him. She forced herself to look only at his sallow, boyish face.This place sooner sucks, Cooper tell, and Melissa n ridiculoused, happy to agree with him. We could go to my risquehers unsophisticated club. Theres an incredible restaurant, if youre in the mood for dessert. We wont develop to wait for a table. As curtly as I mention my nameMelissas attention wandered again.why am I here with this little snob? asked the thought that was so strangely unfamiliar in her head, though it came in her own voice. Hes a light-headedling. So what if he couldnt hurt a kitten? Isnt there more to love than safety? I dont feel the identical need in my stomach when I look at Cooper-when I look at anyone besides Tyson I cant lie to myself. I lull wish him. So much. Isnt that love, that wanting?Melissa wished she hadnt drunk so much of that vile, burning punch. It was impossible to think clearly.She watched as Tyson go away his partner stranded and crossed the floor until he stood right in front of her-the do broad-shouldered football hero cliche. It was as if Cooper didnt exist there between them.Melissa? he asked in his melting voice, sorrow twisting his features. Melissa, amuse He held his hand out toward her, ignoring Coopers wordless spluttering.Yes yes yes yes yes sing in her head. A thousand memories of desire stoneed through her. Her clouded mind buckled.Hesitantly, Melissa nodded.Tyson smiled in relief, in joy, and pulled her around Cooper and into his arms.It was just so easy handout to go with him. Melissas blood ran through her veins like fire. mall Nights from Hell Chapter TwoThe mist of nothing slipped belatedly from me in a painful series of prickles and the sound of two volume rock. I felt sick, not from my entire back tingling so painfully I could hardly stand to breathe, tho from the picture of helpless fear that the hushed, back-and-forth voices pulled from my early(prenominal). I could almost tonicity the moldy fluff of my stuffed rabbit as I had curled into a ball and listened to the two race who were my entire world frighten me beyond belief. That they had both told me it hadnt been my fault hadnt lessened my grief at all. grief I had to hold inside until it became a part of me. Pain that adhered to my grind aways. To cry in my moth ers arms would hypothesize I loved her more. To cry into my dads shoulder would say I loved him best. It was a crappy way to grow up. that this this wasnt my parents arguing. It sounded like two kids.I took a breath to ferret out it came easier. The delay of the overcast started to fade with the tingles, and my lungs moved, aching as if someone were session on them. Realizing my eyes were shut, I opened them to find a hidery black just before my nose. There was a heavy, plasticky fume.She was xvi when she got in that car. Its your fault, a unseasoned but masculine voice tell hotly, oddly muffled. I was getting the distinct sentiment that the argument had been waiver on for some time, but I only remembered snatches of it amid uneasy thoughts of nothing.You are not going to frame up this on me, a girl said, her voice just as hushed and determined. She was seventeen when he flipped her coin. This is your screwup, not mine. God save you, she was right in front of you How c ould you miss it?I helpless it because she wasnt seventeen he shot back. She was sixteen when he cracked her up. How was I hypothetical to know he was after her? How come you werent there? You slipped up big time.The girl gasped in affront. I was cold. Taking a deeper breath, I felt a surge of strength. Fewer tingles, more aches. It was stuffy, my breath coming back warm to me. It wasnt dark I was in something.You little piss-ant the girl snapped. Dont discover me I slipped up. She died at seventeen. Thats why I wasnt there. I was never notified. that I dont do sixteen, he said, his voice going nasty. I thought he was flipping the boy.I suddenly realized the black blur throwing back my breath was a sheet of plastic. My hands came up, and my nails pushed through it in a stab of fear. more or less panicking, I sat up.Im on a table? It sure felt hard enough for one. I shoved the plastic off me. Two kids were rest by a set of dirty washrag swingy doors, and they spun in surprise . The girls pale face went red, and the guy endorse up as if embarrassed to withdraw been caught arguing with her.Oh the girl said, tossing her long dark braid tail her. Youre up. Uh, hi. Im Lucy, and this is Barnabas.The guy dropped his eyes and waved sheepishly. Hey, he said. How you doing?You were with Josh, I said, my finger shaking as I pointed, and he nodded, still not flavour at me. His costume looked odd adjacent to her shorts and tank top. Both of them wore a black oppose pendant around their necks. They were dull and insignificant, but my eye went to them because they were the only thing the two dual-lane. Other than their anger at each other and their surprise at me.Where am I? I said, and Barnabas winced, a tall form scuffing his feet against the tile. Wheres Josh? I hesitated, realizing I was in a hospital, but hold in a minute. I was in a freaking body bag? Im in the morgue? I blurted. What am I doing in the morgue?Moving wildly, I got my legs out of the plasti c bag and slid to the floor, heels clicking in some uncanny counterpoint as I caught my balance. There was a tag on a synthetic rubber band around my wrist, and I yanked it off, taking some hair along with it. I had a long rip in my skirt, and heavy grease tag it. Dirt and grass were plastered to me, and I stank of field of honor and antiseptic. So much for getting my deposit back.somebody made a mistake, I said as I shoved the tag in a pocket, and Lucy snorted.Barnabas, she said, and he stiffened.This is not my fault he exclaimed, rounding on her. She was sixteen when she got in that car. I dont do sixteen How was I supposed to know it was her birthday?Yeah? Well, she was seventeen when she died, so it is your problemDead? Were they trick? You know what? I said, spirit more smasher the longer I stood here. You two can manage till the sun goes nova, but I have to find someone and range them Im okay. Heels clicking, I headed for the dirty w fixe twin doors.Madison, wait, the guy said. You cant.Watch me, I said. My dad is going to be so-o-o-o ticked.I strode ultimo them, getting twenty feet before a feeling of disconnection hit me. Dizzy, I dress a hand to an untenanted table as the odd sensation roared from nowhere. My hand cramped where it rested, and I pulled it away as if burned when it seemed the coldness of metal had stirred my bone. I felt boggy. Thin. The soft hum of the jail cellular respiration grew muffled. Even the pounding of my heart became distant. I turned, hand to my chest to try and make it feel median(prenominal) again. WhatFrom across the room, Barnabas shrugged his thin shoulders. Youre exanimate, Madison. Sorry. You get too far from our amulets, and you start to lose substance.He gestured to the gurney, and I looked.My breath slammed out of me. Knees buckling, I half degenerate against the empty table. I was still there. I mean, I was still on the gurney. I was lying on the puff in a torn body bag, face far too small an d pale, my elaborate dress bunched up around me in an elegant exhibit of forgotten grace out of time.I was dead? exclusively I could feel my heart beat.Limbs going weak, I started to crumple.Swell. Shes a fainter, the girl said run dryly.Barnabas lurched onward to catch me. His arms slid around me and my head lolled. At his striking, everything rushed back sounds, sapiditys, and even my pulse. My lids fluttered. Inches from me, Barnabass lips pressed tight. He was so close, and I thought I could smell sunflowers.Why dont you shut up? he said to Lucy as he eased me to the floor. Show a little com heating system? Thats your job, you know.The cold from the tile buckram into me, seeming to clear the gray about my sight. How could I be dead? Did the dead pass out? Im not dead, I said unsteadily, and Barnabas helped me sit up and put my back to a table leg.Yes, you are. He crouched beside me, his brown eyes wide and refer. Sincere. Im really sorry. I thought he was going to flip J osh. They unremarkably dont leave evidence like a car behind like that. You must really be a broken feather in their wing.My thoughts flashed to the crash, and I put a hand to my stomach. Josh had been there. I remember that. He thinks Im dead. Josh, I mean.From across the room came Lucys caustic You are dead.I sent my view to the gurney, and Barnabas shifted to block my view. Who are you? I asked as the giddiness slipped away.Barnabas stood. We, ah, are Reconnaissance Error Acquisitions Personnel. Evaluation and Recovery.I thought about that. Reconnaissance Error Acquisitions R.E.A.P.E.R.? sanctified crap A surge of adrenaline shot through me. I scrambled up, eyes frosty on me on the gurney. I was here. I was subsisting That might be me, but I was standing here, too. Youre grim reapers I exclaimed, feeling my way around the table and putting it between us. My toes started to go numb, and I stopped, my gaze darting to the amulet around Barnabass neck. Oh my God, Im dead, I whi spered. I cant be dead. Im not ready to be dead. Im not done yet Im only seventeenWere not grim reapers. Lucy had her arms crossed defensively as if it were a sore spot. Were white reapers. Black reapers vote down people before their coin should be flipped, white reapers try to save them, and grim reapers are dangerous betrayers who brag too much and wont survive to see the sun turn back to dust.Barnabas looked embarrassed as he shuffled his feet. Grim reapers are white reapers who were tricked into works for the other side. They dont do much culling since black reapers dont let them, but if there is a sudden, massive remnant toll, you know theyll show to pull a few instincts early, in as dramatic playtic a way as possible. Theyre hacks. No class at all.This last was said with a bitter voice, and I wondered at the rivalry, backing up until I started going spongy again. Eyeing their amulets, I edged forward until the feeling went away. You devour people. Thats what crumpled s aid. He said something about culling my soul You do kill peopleBarnabas ran a hand across the back of his neck. Ah, we dont. Most of the time. He glanced at Lucy. exercise set is a black reaper, a dark reaper. We only show up when they target someone out of time, or theres been a mistake.Mistake? My head swung up in hope. Did that mean they could put me back?Lucy came forward. You werent supposed to die, see. A dark reaper took you out before your coin should have been flipped. Its our job to stop them, but we cant sometimes. Were here to make a baronial apology and get you where youre going. Frowning, she looked at Barnabas. And as soon as he admits it was his fault, I can get out of here.I stiffened, refusing to look at me on the gurney. Im not going anywhere. If you made a mistake, fine. Just put me back Im right there. I took a step forward, scared out of my mind. You can, right?Barnabas winced. Its kinda too late. Everyone knows youre dead.I dont care I shouted. thence my fac e went cold in a sudden thought. Dad. He thought I was Dad I whispered, panicking. Taking a breath, I turned to the baseball swing doors and broke into a run.Wait Madison Barnabas shouted, but I hit the doors hard, stumbling through them even though they only swung three inches. but I was in the next room. I had motley of passed through them. As if I werent even there.There was a fat guy at a desk, and he looked up at the tiny squeak the doors made shifting. His little piggy eyes widened, and he took a broad breath. babble open, he pointed.Theres been a mistake, I blurted, head to the open archway and the dimly lit hall. Im not dead. and I was feeling really weird again. Misty and thin. Stretched. nonhing sounded right, either, and the gray was edging my sight to make a tunnel-like vision.Behind me, Barnabas pushed through the doors. without delay the world shifted to normal. It was the amulet he wore that unplowed me solid. I had to get me one of those.Yes, she is, he said, never lessen down until he grabbed my wrist. Youre hallucinating. Shes not really here. incomplete am I.Where did you come from? the guy managed, staring. How did you get in there?Lucy shoved in, the swinging door banging against the wall to make me and Desk Guy jump. Madison, quit being a stiff. You gotta go.This was too much for the technician, and he reached for the hollo.I wriggle my wrist, but Barnabas wouldnt release me. I have to talk to my dad I exclaimed, and he yanked me off balance.Were leaving, he said, a new threat in his eyes. rectify now.Frantic, I stomped on his foot. Barnabas howled, his gangly form crimp double as he let go. Lucy laughed at him, and I darted for the hallway. Try to stop me, I thought, then ran right into something big, warm, and smelling of silk. I backed up, neat scared when I saw it was hardening. He had killed me with a sword that left no mark when driving me off a cliff failed to do it. He was a dark reaper. He was my death.Why are th ere two of you? he asked as he looked at Barnabas and Lucy. The cadence of his voice was familiar, but the sound of it hit my ears wrong. And the scent of sea now smelled like rot. Thats right, he added, pulling his gaze back to me, and I shuddered. You died on the anniversary of your birth. Two reapers. My, my, my. Such the drama queen, Madison. Im glad youre up. Its time to go.Hunched and afraid, I retreated. Dont touch me.Madison Barnabas shouted. RunBut there was only the morgue to run to. Lucy got in front of me, hands spread wide as if she could stop Seth with her will alone. What are you doing here? she said, voice shaking. Shes already dead. You cant flip her twice.Seth scuffed his shoes confidently. As you said, I flipped her coin. Shes mine if I want her.Barnabas paled. You never come back for them. Youre His eyes darted to the mark about Seths neck. Youre not a black reaper, are you?Seth grinned as if it was a big joke. No. Im not. Im a little bit more. More than you can handle. Leave, Barnabas. Just walk away. It wont hurt if you do.I stared at Barnabas, helpless. His brown eyes met mine, saw my fear. I watched him visibly gather his courage.Barnabas Lucy shouted, terrified. DontBut Barnabas launched himself at the dark figure in black silk. In a motion so everyday it was frightening, Seth turned to smack him with the back of his hand. accouterments and legs flailing, Barnabas flew backward, hitting the wall and slumping to the floor, out cold.Run Lucy shouted, button me toward the morgue. Stay in the sun. Dont let the black move touch you. Well get help. soul will find you. Get out of hereHow? I exclaimed. Hes in front of the only door.Seth moved again, this time backhanding Lucy. She crumpled where she stood, leaving only me since the technician had either passed out or was hiding under the desk. Jaw trembling, I stood to my full height-such as it was-and tugged my dress uncoiled. Deeper in it yet, apparently.She meant, Seth said, his voic e both familiar and strange, to run through the walls. You had a better chance against the black travel in the sun than with me under the ground.But I cant I started, then looked at the swinging doors. I went through them, having shifted them open only a few inches. What the heck was I? A ghost?Seth smiled, scary me. Nice to see you, Madison, now that I can really see you. He took off his conceal and let it drop. His face was beautiful, like chiseled rock and roll made soft.I licked my lips and went cold to the bone when I remembered him kissing me. Holding one arm to myself, I backed away, trying to get out of Barnabass and Lucys influence so I could run through the walls. Hey, if Mr. Creepy thought I could do it, then maybe I could.Seth followed, step for step. We leave together. No one will believe I culled you unless I throw you at their feet.Heels clicking, I kept moving. My gaze darted to Barnabas and Lucy, both still sprawled on the tile. Id instead stay, thanks. My hear t pounded, and my back hit the wall. A little yelp slipped from me. I was far enough away from them that I should be misty, but I wasnt. I stared at Seth, then at that black stone about his neck. It was the same. Damn itYou dont have a choice, he said. Im the one that killed you. Youre mine.He reached out, grabbing my wrist. Adrenaline surged, and I twisted.The funny farm I am, I said, then kicked him in the shins. He clearly felt it, grunting as he bent in pain, but didnt let go. He had put his face in my reach, though, and grabbing his hair, I slammed his nose against my procession knee. I felt cartilage snap, and my stomach turned. vow in a language that hurt my head, he let go and fell back.I had to get out of here. I had to be solid or Id never make it. Heart pounding, I grabbed the stone about his neck, pulling the necklace over his ears and off him. It tingled in my hand like fire, and I clenched my fingers around it, willing to suffer if it meant I would be whole.Seth hit the floor, gaping up at me with red blood covering his face. He looked as surprise as if he had run into a glass wall.Madison Barnabas rasped from the floor.I turned, seeing him stare at me with pain-laced, unfocused eyes.Run, he gasped.Seths amulet in my hand, I turned to the open hallway and I ran. saunter Nights from Hell Chapter TwoEIGHT HOURS EARLIER silky girls know that silence may be metal(prenominal)en-but only for four seconds. Anything longer and you re heading for ill at ease(p) Avenue, Miranda read, then frowned at the bind. If you feel the countdown creeping, make him an offer A simple Would you like some garner? said with a smile can break the silence stagnation in a snap. Remember, ingenious is as dodgy does.Miranda was starting to deeply suspiciousness How to Get-And Kiss Your Guy.Leaning against the side of the black townsfolk Car parked in the loading zona at the Santa Barbara Municipal Airport that June evening, she thought of how exclusively thrilled shed been when shed fix it at the book investment commit. It looked like an and-they-all-lived-happily-ever-after ambition come true in book form-who wouldnt want to learn The Five Facial Expressions That volition qualifying Your Life or The Secrets of the Tongue Tantra Only Da Pros exist? but having done all the exercises, she wasnt win over of the transformative powers of the Winsome Smile or spending half an hour a day sucking on a grape. It wasnt the initiative time a self-help book had let her down-Procrastinate No More and Make Friends with YOU had both been total disasters-but it was depressing because shed had such high hopes this time. And because, as her best friend, Kenzi, recently pointed out, any senior in high school who acted like Miranda did around her rack really, really needed help.She tried another passage. repeat one of his questions back to him, adding that hint of suggestion with a raised eyebrow. Or pick up the confabulation with a pickup line Y ou Are we in the mainland China section? Him No, why? You Because you are fine. If china isnt your thing, this one never fails to launch-You Are you wearing office pants? Him No, why? You Because your butt is-Hello, drop off Kiss.Miranda looked up and found herself staring up at the crevice chin and tanned face of police lieutenant serjeant Caleb Reynolds.She must have been really distracted to not even have heard his heartbeat when he approached. It was distinctive, with a little echo at the end, kind of like a one-two-three dance beat (shed learn about the cha-cha beat from You Can dance another massively unfortunate self-help experience). Hed probably have trouble with that when he got old, but at 22 it didnt seem to be stopping him from going to the gym, at least from the looks of his pecs, biceps, shoulders, forearms, wrists-Stop staring.Since she had an attack of Crazy babble whenever she tried to talk to a cute guy-let alone Santa Barbaras youngest sheriffs deputy, who was only four years older than she and who surfed every morning before work and who was cool enough to get away with wearing shades even though it was almost 800 p.m.-she said, Hi, deputy. Come here oftentimes?Causing him to frown. No.No, you wouldnt, why would you? Me either. Well, not that often. Maybe once a week. not often enough to know where the bathrooms are. Ha-ha Thinking, not for the first time, that life should come with a trapdoor. Just a little exit hatch you could disappear through when youd utterly and completely mortified yourself. Or when you had oral zit eruptions.Good book? he asked, taking it from her and indicant the subtitle, A Guide for Good Girls Who (sometimes) pauperization to Be Bad out loud.But life did not come with a trapdoor.Its for a school project. Homework. On, um, copulate rituals.Thought crime was more your thing. He hit her with one of his half smiles, too cool to pull out a big grin. You planning on foiling any more convenience store h eists any time soon?That had been a mistake. Not stopping the guys whod held up Rons 24-Hour Open Market 3, but sticking around long enough to let the police see her. For some reason theyd found it hard to believe that shed just been leaning against the lamppost when it fell across the front of the robbers car as it sped through the intersection. It was sad how suspicious people were, especially people in law enforcement. And school administration. But shed learned a lot since then.Im trying to keep it to one heist a month, she said, hoping for a light, ha-ha-Im-just-kidding-foxy-is-as-foxy-does tone. Today its just my regular job, VIP airport pickup. Miranda heard his cha-cha heartbeat speed up slightly. Maybe he thought VIPs were cool.That boarding school you go to, Chatsworth honorary society? They let you off campus any time you want or only certain days?Wednesday and Saturday afternoons, if youre a senior. We dont have classes then, she said and heard his heartbeat pick up more .Wednesday and Saturday afternoons free. What do you do for fun?Was he asking her out? No. Way. NOWAYNOWAYNOWAY Flirt she staged herself. Winsome Smile Say something Anything Be foxy outrightWhat do you do for fun? she ingeminate his question back to him, raising one eyebrow for that hint of suggestion.He seemed taken aback for a second, then said very formally, I work, Miss Kiss.Please give a warm invite to Miranda Kiss, our new Miss Idiot Girl of the year, she thought. say Of course. Me too. I mean, Im either driving clients or at aggroup practice. Im one of Tony Bosuns Bee Girls? The Roller Derby team? Thats why I do this, meaning to point to the Town Car but bashing it with her hand instead. You have to be a driver for Tonys company, 5Bs Luxury Transport, to be on the team. We usually only have games on the weekends, but we practice on Wednesdays, sometimes on other days Crazy Mouth trailed off.Ive seen the Bees play. Thats a professional team, isnt it? They let a high sch ool student play?Miranda swallowed. Oh, sure. Of course.He looked at her over the top of his sunglasses.Okay, I had to lie to get on the team. Tony thinks Im twenty. You wont tell him, will you?He believed you were twenty?He needed a new jammer.Deputy Reynolds chuckled. So youre the jammer? Youre good. I can see why he might have made an exception. Eyeing her some more. I never would have recognized you.Well, you know, we wear those wigs and the gold masks over our eyes so we all look the same. It was one of the things she liked about Roller Derby, the anonymity, the position that no one knew who you were, what your skills were. It made her feel invulnerable, safe. No one could single you out for anything.Deputy Reynolds took his sunglasses all the way off now to look at her. So you put on one of those red, white, and blue satin outfits? The ones with the short skirts and that cute cape? Id like to see that sometime.He smiled at her, right into her eyes, and her knees went weak and her mind started playing out a scenario involving him without his raiment but with a pitcher of maple syrup and a big-Well, theres my lady, he said. Catch you. And then walked away. stack of pancakes. Miranda watched him go up to a muliebrity in her early twenties-thick blond hair, thin but muscular-put his arm around her, and kiss her neck. The kind of woman whose bras had tags that said, SIZE 36c, not MADE BY SANRIO in them. Heard him aspect excitedly, Wait until we get to the house. Ive got some amazing new toys, something special just for you, his voice husky, heart racing.As he passed Miranda, he lifted his chin in her direction and said, You stay out of trouble.Yeah, you too, Crazy Mouth told him. Miranda wanted to bang her head against the top of the car at how idiotic she was. She tried to give a Lite Laff (expression number four from the book) but terminate up making herself choke instead.When they were across the pose lot, she heard the woman asking who she was and heard Deputy Reynolds say, The local Town Car driver.Shes the driver? the woman said. Looks like one of those girls from Hawaiian Airlines you used to date, but younger. And cuter. You know how your judgment gets around cute young girls. Youre sure I dont need to be concerned?Miranda heard him laugh, the genuine amusement in his voice as he said, Her? Baby, shes just a high school student who has a crush on me. Trust me, youve got nothing to worry about.And thought Trap. Door. Now. Please.Sometimes having superhearing supersucked.Prom Nights from Hell Chapter TwoAnd he wants me to know that hes coming. Hes playing with me now just like his grow played with Mom, before he well, did what he did to her.Then I hear a strange sound-a sort of whoosh-followed by another DammitWhat is happening?Sebastian. Lilas voice sounds bemused. Someone is snap catsup at youWhat? Did she just say ketchup?.And then, as I carefully turn to try to get a look past the towboat to see what Lila is talking about, I see him.Not Sebastian. His shooter.And I can hardly believe my eyes.Whats he doing here?AdamIts all Teds fault. Hes the one who said we should follow them on their date.I was like, Why? Cause the dudes trouble, man, Ted said.Except theres no way Ted could have known that. Drake had basically turned up from out of nowhere outside Lilas Park Avenue flat tire building just the night before. Ted had never even met him. How could he know anything about the guy? Anything at all?But when I mentioned this, Ted said, Dude, have you looked at him?I have to admit, the T Man has a point. I mean, the guy looks like he walked straight out of an Abercrombie & Fitch catalog or something. You cant trust a guy whos that, well, perfect.Still, Im not down with following other guys around. Its not cool. Even if, like Ted said, it was just to make sure Lila didnt get into trouble. I know Lila is Teds lady-ex-lady now, thanks to Drake.And okay, shes never been the shiniest fork in the drawer.But following her on this date with the dude shes dependent up with? That just seemed like a bigger waste of time than-well, that two thousand-word, double-spaced analyze Ive got due in Mrs. Gregorys U.S. History class on Monday.Then Ted had to go and suggest I transmit the Beretta 9mm.The thing is, even though its just a water pistol, toy guns that look as real as that are illegal in Manhattan.So I havent really had an opportunity to use mine much. Which Ted knows.And is probably why he kept going on about how freaking hilarious it would be if we mingy the guy. Because he knew I wouldnt be able to resist.The ketchup was my idea.And, yeah, it is evenhandedly juvenile.But what the hell else am I going to do on a Friday night? It beats a U.S. History paper.Anyway, I told the T Man I guessed Id be down with his plan. So long as I was the one who got to do the shooting. Which was fine with Ted.I just gotta know, man, hed said, shaking his head.Know what?What this Sebastian dudes got, he said, that I dont.I couldve told him, of course. I mean, its pretty obvious to anyone who freaking looks at Drake what hes got that Ted doesnt. Teds a decent-looking guy and all, but Abercrombie material he is not. Still, I didnt say anything. Because the T Man was really hurtin over this one. And I could sort of understand why. Lilas just one of those girls, you know? All big brown eyes and big, well, other parts, too.But I wont go there on accountancy of my sister, Veronica, who says I need to stop thinking of women as sex objects and start thinking of them as next partners in the inevitable struggle to survive in postapocalyptic America (which Veronicas writing her senior thesis on because she feels the apocalypse is going to occur sometime in the next decade, due to the countrys current state of phantasmal fanaticism and environmental recklessness, both of which were present at the fall of Rome and various other societies that no longer exist).So thats how me and the T Man ended up at Swig-fortunately, Teds uncle Vinnie is their liquor distributor, which is how we got in, and without having to go through the metal detector like everybody else-shooting ketchup at Sebastian Drake with my Beretta 9mm water pistol. I know I was supposed to be home doing that paper for Mrs. Gregory, but a guys got to have some fun, right?And it was fun to see those red stains spurting all over the guys chest. The T Man was actually laughing for the first time since Lila sent him that text depicted object during lunch, telling him that he was on his own for the prom, because she was going with Drake.Everything was going not bad(p) until I saw Drake staring at that pillar over to one side of the dance floor. Which didnt make any sense. Youd have thought hed have been looking over at us, in our VIP stalling (thanks, Uncle Vinnie), considering thats the direction the ketchup assault was coming from.Thats when I noticed there was somebody hiding behind it. The pillar, I mea n.Not just any somebody, either, but Mary, that new girl from my U.S. History class, the one who never talks to anybody but Lila.And she was holding a crossbow.A crossbow.How the hell did she get a crossbow through the metal detector? No way does she know Teds uncle Vinnie.Not that it matters. All that matters is that Drakes staring at the pillar Marys crouched behind like he can see straight through it. Theres something about the way hes looking over at her that makes me well, all I know is that is not where I want that guy looking.Moron, I mutter. broadly about Drake. But also about myself, a little. And then I aim and shoot once more.Oh, snap, Ted shouts happily. Did you see that? Right in the assThat gets Drakes attention, all right. He turns and suddenly, I get what they mean about blazing eyes. You know, in Stephen King books, or any(prenominal)? I never thought Id actually see a pair.But thats exactly what Drakes got, as he stares at us. Eyes that are most unimpeachably bl azing.Come on, I find myself thinking in Drakes direction. Thats right. Come on over here, Drake. You wanna fight? Ive got a lot more than just ketchup, dude.Which isnt exactly true. But it doesnt end up mattering, because Drake doesnt come over anyway.Instead, he disappears.I dont mean that he turns around and leaves the club.I mean that one minute hes standing there, and the next hes well, hes just departed. For a second the fog from the dry ice seems to get thicker-and when it clears, Lila is dancing by herself.Here, I say, thrusting the Beretta into Teds hand.What the- Ted scans the dance floor. Whered he go?But Ive already taken off.Grab Lila, I yell back at Ted. And meet me out front.Ted utters some pretty choice expletives after that, but no one even notices. The musics too loud, and everyones having too good a time. I mean, if they didnt notice us shooting at some dude with a ketchup-filled water gun-or a few seconds later, that dude literally vanishing into thin air-theyre hardly likely to notice Ted shouting the F word.I reach the pillar and look down.Shes there, blow as if shes just run a endurance contest or something. Shes got the crossbow clutched to her chest like a kids aegis blanket. Her face is as white as notebook computer paper.Hey, I say to her, gently. I dont want to jump out her.But I do anyway. She practically jumps out of her skin at the sound of my voice and turns wide, shake eyes up at me.Hey, take it easy, I say. Hes gone. Okay?Hes gone? Her eyes-green as the Great Lawn in Central Park in May-stare up at me. And theres no missing the terror in them. How-what?He just vanished, I say with a shrug. I saw him looking at you. So I shot him.You what?Prom Nights from Hell Chapter TwoGee, thanks, Madame Z, I thought. Could we dig a little deeper here? devote me something to work with?But is he-I mean, the person-going to act on his passion? I was brazen, despite my knotted stomach.To act or not to act that is the question? Madame Z s aid.Yes, that is the question.Ahhh. That is of all time the question. And what one must always ask oneself- She broke off. Her eyes flew to Will, and she paled.What? I demanded.Nothing, she said.Something, I said. Her message-from-the-spirits performance wasnt casual me. She wanted us to think shed been suddenly possess? That shed had a stark and powerful vision? handsome Just get to the bloody answerMadame Z made a show of pulling herself together, complete with a long, shaky draw on her cigarette. expression dead at me, she said, If a tree travel in a plant, and no ones there to hear it, does it still make a sound?Huh? I said.Thats all Ive got. Take it or leave it. She seemed agitated, so I took it. Although I made cuckoo eyes at Yun fair weather when Madame Z wasnt watching.Will claimed not to have a specific question, but Madame Z was oddly insistent on relaying a message to him anyhow. She waved her hands over his aura and warned him sternly of heights, which was queerly appropriate as Will was an avid rock climber. What was more curious was Wills reaction. First his eyebrows shot up, and then a different emotion took over, like some secret anticipatory pleasure. He glanced at me and blushed.Whats going on? I asked. You have your sneaky face on.Exsqueeze me? he said.What are you not telling us, Will Goodman?Nothing, I swearDont be stupid, boy Madame Z harped. Listen to what Im saying.Oh, you dont have to worry about him, I said. Hes a total Mr. Safety. I turned back to Will. For real. Do you have a fabulous new climbing spot? A brand-new hopeful carabiner?Its Yun sunninesss turn, Will said. Yun Sun, go.Can you read palms? Yun Sun asked Madame Z.Madame Z exhaled, and she was barely engaged as she traced her finger over the plump pad below Yun Suns thumb. You will be as beautiful as you allow yourself to be, she told her. That was it. Those were her pearls of wisdom.Yun Sun seemed as underwhelmed as I was, and I felt like protesting on all our beha lves. I mean, seriously A tree in the forest? Be careful of heights? You will be as beautiful as you allow yourself to be? Even with her somewhat convincing touches of atmospheric creepiness, the three of us were getting cheated. Me in particular.But before I could say anything, a cell phone on the desk rang. Madame Z picked it up and used a long orange nail to punch the talk button.Madame Zanzibar, at your service, she said. Her expression changed as she listened to whoever was on the other end. She grew brisk and annoyed. No, Silas. Its called a yes, you can say it, a yeast infection. Yeast infection.Yun Sun and I shared a glance of horror, although-I couldnt help it-I was also delighted. Not that Madame Z had a yeast infection. I mean, ick. But that she was discussing it with Silas, whoever he was, while all of us listened in. Now we were getting our moneys worth.Tell the pharmacist its the second time this month, Madame Z groused. I need something stronger. What? For the itching , you idiot Unless he wants to scratch it for me She twisted on her swivel chair, pumping one Juicy Coutured leg over the other.Will looked up at me, his brown eyes wide with alarm. I will not be scratching it for her, he stage-whispered. I refuseI laughed, thinking it a good sign that he was showing off for me. The Madame Z experience hadnt gone as intended, but who knew? Maybe it would end up having the desired payoff after all.Madame Z pointed at me with the lit end of her cigarette, and I ducked my chin contritely, like Sorry, sorry. To distract myself, I focused on the strange and varied fuddle on her shelves. A book called Magic of the cut-and-dry and another titled What to Do When the Dead Speak-But You Dont Want to Listen. I nudged Will with my knee and pointed. He mimed choking the poor deceased bastard, and I snortled.Above the books I saw a bottle of rat poison, an demode monocle, a jar of what looked like fingernail clippings, a stained Starbucks cup, and a rabbits f oot, claws attached. And on the shelf above that was oh, lovely.Is that a skull? I asked Will. Will whistled. Holy cannoli.Okey-doke, Yun Sun said, avoid her eyes. If there really is a skull, I dont want to know about it. Can we leave now?I took her head in my hands and pointed her in the right direction. Look. It still has hairMadame Z snapped her cell phone shut. Fools, every one of them, she said. Her pallor was gone apparently talking to Silas had shaken her out of her funk.Ahh I see you found FernandoIs that whose skull that is? I asked. Fernandos?Oh God, Yun Sun moaned.Wormed his way to the surface after a gully washer, out in Chapel Hill Cemetery, Madame Z told us. His coffin, that is. Crappy woody thing, musta been from the early nineteen hundreds. No one left to care for him, so I took pity on him and brought him here.You opened the coffin? I said.Yep. She seemed proud. I wondered if shed wasted her Juicy Couture during the grave robbing.Thats gross that it still has hai r, I said.He still has hair, Madame Z said. Show some respect.I didnt know dead bodies had hair, thats all. flake off, no, Madame Z said. Skin starts to rot right away, and believe me, you dont want to smell it when it goes. But hair? Sometimes it keeps growing for weeks after the deceased has made his crossing.Wowzers. I reached down and dishevelled Wills honey-colored curls. Hear that, Will? Sometimes the hair keeps growing.Amazing, he said.What about that? Yun Sun asked, pointing to a clear Tupperware container in which something reddish and organlike floated in clear liquid. Please tell me it didnt come from Fernando, too. Please.Madame Z waved her hand, like Dont be ridiculous. Thats my uterus. Had the medical student give it to me after my hysterectomy.Your uterus? Yun Sun looked ill.Im going to let em toss it in the incinerator? Madame Z said. round chanceAnd that? I pointed to a clump of wizen something on the highest shelf. This show-and-tell was proving far more enjoyab le than our actual readings.Madame Z followed my gaze. She opened her mouth, then closed it. Thats nothing, she said firmly, although I noticed she had a hard time tearing her eyes from it. Now. Are we done here?Come on. I made praying hands. Tell us what it is.You dont want to know, she said.I do, I said.I dont, Yun Sun said.Yes, she does, I said. And so does Will. Right, Will?It cant be worse than the uterus, he said.Madame Z pressed her lips together.Please? I begged.She muttered something under her breath about idiot teenagers and how she refused to take the blame, whatever came of it. Then she stood up, pawing the top shelf. Her bosom didnt jiggle, but stayed firm and rigid beneath her top. She retrieved the clump and put it in front of us.Oh, I breathed. A corsage. brickly rosebuds, their edges brown and papery. Sprigs of graying babys breath, so desiccated that puffs of fiber dusted the table. A limp red ribbon holding it all together.A peasant woman in France put a spell on it, Madame Z said in a tone that was hard to decipher. It was as if she were compelled to speak the words, even though she didnt want to. Or, no. More like she did want to but was try to resist. She wanted to show that true love is command by fate, and that anyone who tries to interfere does so at her own peril.She moved to return the corsage.