[ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]

toward her . . . God sees those things as unrigh teous.
Scott stared at her incredulously.  After all the junk she s
pulled, you think a little practical joke is wrong?
0310715350_invisible.indd 880310715350_invisible.indd 88 2/25/08 5:30:54
PM
2/25/08 5:30:54 PM
Page 76
ABC Amber Palm Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abcpalm.html
Top
Page No 94
89
The Haunting
 It s not the joke, Scott. It s you. Inside. We re supposed to
forgive  you know that.
The throbbing increased. Scott took another breath, trying
to hold the pain at bay.  After all they ve done to us, you re tell-
ing me we can t . . .
She nodded.  If you re in it for revenge, if you haven t asked
God to forgive you for your wrong attitude, that s exactly what
I m  
She was suddenly interrupted by a terrified scream. It was
Krissi. They rushed around the arch and into the room. Krissi
was holding her right hand directly in front of her. It was trem-
bling.  My hand, she cried,  what s happening to my hand?
 Do not fight it. The Ascension Lady was also staring at it.
 Do not fight it, sweetheart, do not fight it.
 What s happening?!
 Let it have its way. The Ascension Lady dug into her coat
pocket.
Krissi continued staring.  What s happening? What s
happening?
The woman pulled a tablet and pencil from her pocket.
 Don t fight it, she repeated.  It s Juanita, she s wanting to
communicate.
The group watched, wide-eyed, as the woman took Krissi s
shaking hand and shoved a pencil into it. Then, placing the pad
in Krissi s other hand, she commanded,  Write.
 What?
 Let her write through you. She s using your hand to com-
municate with us.
 Please, Krissi was starting to whimper,  I don t want
this  
 Let yourself go. I promise you, you will be safe. Just let your
hand go; let her write.
Krissi threw a frightened look at Philip. For a moment he was
0310715350_invisible.indd 890310715350_invisible.indd 89 2/25/08 5:30:54
PM
2/25/08 5:30:54 PM
Top
Page No 95
90
Bill Myers
Page 77
ABC Amber Palm Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abcpalm.html
unsure. Finally he nodded.  It ll be okay, Kriss, we re right here
with you. Go ahead and do what she says.
Keeping her eyes glued to Philip for support, Krissi lowered
her right hand to the pad. As soon as the pencil made contact,
the writing began. It was wild and erratic, but she was definitely
writing letters.
Julie moved for a better look.  It s Spanish! She s writing in
Spanish.
 But . . . Krissi stared at her hand in unbelief.  I don t know
Spanish!
 Let her have her way, the Ascension Lady kept coaching.
 Just relax and don t fight it.
The letters formed quickly and sloppily until an entire sen-
tence was finished. And then the writing stopped. Just like that.
Krissi released the pencil and began rubbing her hand.
 What s it say? Julie demanded.  Does anyone know
Spanish?
Becka stepped farther into the room.  I do.
The Ascension Lady looked up and saw her for the first time.
 I knew you would come. She smiled.
 What s it say, Becka? Krissi asked anxiously.  What did I
write? She turned the tablet around so Rebecca could see.
Becka felt that old familiar chill. It read:  Ustedes son míos.
 What s that mean? Krissi asked.  Translate it for us.
Becka fought to keep her voice from shaking.   You are
mine. 
Everyone grew silent. Everyone but Krissi.   You are mine ?
That s stupid. What s that supposed to mean,  You are mine ?
The group turned to the Ascension Lady. But even in the dim
light it was possible to see that most of the color had drained
from her face.
 Are you all right? Julie asked.
The woman stared straight ahead as though she saw some-
thing no one else could see. Suddenly she cried out in alarm.
0310715350_invisible.indd 900310715350_invisible.indd 90 2/25/08 5:30:54
PM
2/25/08 5:30:54 PM
Top
Page No 96
91
The Haunting
 Stay away! Stay away!
 Priscilla? Ms. Bantini? Julie reached out to touch her, but
the woman paid no attention to her. Her eyes were wide with
horror.
 No! she shouted.  Not the children! Get away! Get away!
She threw up her arms just as the camping lantern exploded,
sending shards of glass in all directions, plunging the room into
darkness and chaos. Everyone shouted and screamed  but none
so loudly as the Ascension Lady.  Stay away! I am here to help!
Stay away!
Page 78
ABC Amber Palm Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abcpalm.html
 Turn on a flashlight, Philip shouted.  Someone turn on
your flashlight.
 Mine s dead, Darryl yelled.
 Mine too, Julie cried.
 No, please! Get away! Get away . . .
The floor began to shake. Instantly. Hard and violent.
 It s an earthquake! Ryan yelled.
But this was no earthquake. It was more like a roller coaster
gone berserk. The floor rolled and pitched in every direction.
Everyone screamed. Unable to stand, unable to crawl, they were
bounced and tossed across the room like rubber balls, smashing
into walls, hitting doorframes, screaming against the terror and
chaos.
 Nooooo! The Ascension Lady wailed. Her voice rose above
their heads.  Put me down! Put me down!
0310715350_invisible.indd 910310715350_invisible.indd 91 2/25/08 5:30:54
PM
2/25/08 5:30:54 PM
Top
Page No 97
031020755X_relation_fm.qxp 9/8/06 2:21 PM Page 1
This page is intentionally left blank
Top
Page No 98
93
9
8:57 p.m.
L
et me go! Oh, please, put me down!
The woman s voice seemed to be rising higher and higher.
Something was lifting her above their heads! The floor contin-
ued to buck and pitch, and a howling wind filled the room. Just
when it seemed the noise had reached its peak, the Ascension
Lady was hurled through the arches, toward the entry hall, and
up the stairs.
 NOOOOoooo!
The shaking stopped. So did the wind. There was only silence
. . . and the quiet groaning and sobbing of kids.
Then smoke seeped into the room  a freezing, impenetrable
fog that filled the darkness. With the smoke came an even stron-
ger smell of sulfur. It was overwhelming, burning the back of
Becka s throat, making her eyes water. The voices around her
grew louder  coughing, groaning, weeping.
 Help me . . . please . . . The cry was weak, but Becka immedi-
Page 79
ABC Amber Palm Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abcpalm.html
ately recognized the whine. It was Krissi. She sounded as though
she were just a few feet to the right.
0310715350_invisible.indd 930310715350_invisible.indd 93 2/25/08 5:30:54
PM
2/25/08 5:30:54 PM
Top
Page No 99
94
Bill Myers
 Krissi, Krissi, are you all right?
 My face . . . what happened . . . to my face?
Becka rose to her knees and crawled blindly in the fog and
darkness toward the voice.  Krissi, what s wrong? She reached
the girl s leg, then felt her way up her body toward her head.
 My face . . . Becka . . .
 It s okay, Krissi. I m right here, I m right here.
At last Becka felt the girl s shoulders. The fog was so thick
she had to bring her eyes in very close to see. Krissi had both
hands covering her face. Becka pried them away. And then she
gasped.
The beauty queen s face was shriveled like a piece of old
dried-up fruit. The sagging eyes and drooping mouth belonged
on a two-hundred-year-old hag, not a seventeen-year-old
beauty.
Krissi saw the horror in Becka s eyes, and her hands instinc- [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]