Crystal (Silver Hills #2)

by Gardner, Jacqueline

  "I guess," I agreed. But only because I was put on the spot and desperate to walk away from Amber's judgmental eye. "Saturday. Same place. Same time."

  "I'll be there," Brett said as he bit the inside of his cheek.

  "And I'm invited?" Amber giggled, directing all her attention at Brett. "How nice of you to bring me along." She has no idea what she's been invited to, I thought. What an idiot.

  "Oh," I added. "And don't ruin the surprise. Otherwise, the results will be biased."

  "You got it," Brett chuckled, looking mischievously to Amber.

  * * *

  I only had two days to plan the perfect scare. I dug through our freezer, rubbing my fingers together when the ice made them tingle. Alexa tapped her foot while she waited for the vital info I'd kept from her on our chilly walk home. My mind was running a million miles a minute and I couldn't afford to lose track of my thoughts before I was certain of how to play this.

  "Crystal, I'm gonna start screaming." Alexa hit the kitchen table as she plopped down in a chair.

  "What do you want first?" I asked - my head deep in the freezer. "The good news or the bad news?"

  "The bad news," she responded. "Give me the bad news first. I know it has to do with that freak from NY."

  "Correct," I chortled as I pulled a frozen ham from the back of our frosty meat selection. It made a loud bang as I set it on the counter. The tips of my fingers were red and frozen.

  "Ham? I think I'd rather go for pizza."

  "It's not to eat dummy," I said, taking a breath. "It's for Saturday."

  "You're going to serve up some baked ham?" she laughed. "Romantic." I rolled my eyes.

  "The plan worked," I went on. "He's meeting me at the old school house. But . . . he's bringing Amber." I braced myself for a storm of shouting but instead Alexa looked confused.

  "To scare? I don't get it."

  "So this is how the game works," I explained. "Whoever scares the crap out of the other is the winner. Though sometimes the best gauge of who should win comes from a third party. Brett and I both agreed to bring a friend along - a friend that isn't supposed to know what's going on."

  "I'm an excellent actor," Alexa smiled.

  "So the bad news: Amber will be there. And the good news: Amber will be there." I smirked as I imagined Amber screaming and running into the neighboring forest.

  "Sorry," Alexa responded. "How is that good news?"

  "Amber won't know what's going on."

  "Ohhhh," Alexa blurted out - her eyes widening. "That's brilliant, C! So what do you have in mind?"

  "A nasty accident," I answered. "Using this." I touched the frozen ham as it made tiny puddles of water on the table.

  "Like staged gore?" Alexa looked more and more pleased. Gore was her thing. I knew she'd fall in love with my plan.

  "You said you were a good actor," I replied. "This'll be all you. Think you can pull it off?"

  "Trust me," she laughed. "This'll be my best performance yet."

  "I was thinking we'd fake an accident before things even get started. Make it look like flesh is protruding from your wound?"

  "I thought you wanted to win," Alexa snidely commented. "You gotta go bigger than that. My gut needs to burst open or something." My face cringed as I thought of Alexa doubling over due to organ slippage.

  "Sick," I muttered.

  "That will freak them out more than anything."

  "You don't think it's too much?" I asked. "We don't want to give away that that's our prank. What if Brett doesn't buy it?"

  "That idiot Amber will," she replied. "Isn't that all that matters? Besides, we want her out of the way."

  "True." My chest jolted at the sound of tiny footsteps in the hall. The floorboards creaked and Alexa quickly turned her head.

  "Troy isn't here," Alexa shook her head. My little sister Jade peeked around the corner. Her long hair was darker than mine - almost black.

  "It's all clear," I sniggered. "Mom ran to the grocery store like ten minutes ago and Dad isn't home yet." She tossed aside her stealthy demeanor and skipped towards the freezer for a Popsicle.

  "What's that?" Jade asked, pointing to the frozen ham. She was six years younger and a full head shorter than me.

  "It's called a ham," I joked.

  "Obviously," Jade replied as she reached for her grape flavored treat. "What's it doing on the counter?"

  "Why are you sneaking popsicles before dinner?" I retaliated.

  "Who eats popsicles when it's like minus fifty degrees outside?" Alexa added. Jade shot her a fierce look. She would've picked fights with Alexa every time she came over, but luckily Troy usually tagged along to keep her occupied.

  "Understood," Jade turned to me, ignoring Alexa's comment. "Whatever you plan on doing with an entire ham is none of my business."

  "And what you sneak from the freezer is none of mine," I finished.

  "We might need more than that ham though," Alexa commented.

  "I can't just take half the freezer you know," I answered. "I'm pretty sure my mom might notice."

  "Might," Jade murmured, taking a lick of her Popsicle. "She will notice. You planning on making her think she never bought a ham? Good luck."

  "Troy's home," Alexa interrupted. "Why don't you skip down the street and out of our conversation?"

  "Well why don't you -" Jade's little cheeks went pink.

  "Cool it," I interrupted, looking at Alexa. "Both of you."

  "She started it," Jade argued. She took another lick before letting a drop of melted grape drip to the floor.

  "Alexa," I nodded. "My room?" She sighed, letting her chair grind against the tile floor as she stood up and stomped down the hallway.

  "I know you have cooler friends," Jade said quietly. "That girl is a train wreck waiting to explode."

  "How would you know," I chuckled. "You're ten." She shrugged, neglecting to wipe the dried purple around her lips.

  "I dunno," she shrugged. I rubbed the top of her messy head. She hated it when Grandma Nettie did that.

  "You know Jade," I laughed. "You're sort of a weirdo."

  "Well . . . we are related." She smirked, biting off the top of her grape Popsicle. "That means you're a weirdo too."

  Chapter Three

  The Keeper's Curse

  The air was cool in my bedroom as I jumped out of bed and slid my feet into a pair of warm snow boots. The windows were foggy and the harsh winter winds shook the window panes. A full moon hung in the night sky. I hadn't slept at all. Saturday was here and I'd stared at the alarm clock on my nightstand waiting for midnight to come. A faint light appeared through the open curtains. It blinked once. Then twice. It was Alexa. I could see her blurry outline through the window, shivering in the cold. It was time to go.

  I'd laid a few things out on my dresser – silver earrings, my grandmother's ring, pink lipstick, and of course a spray of Mom's expensive perfume. A subtle smile crossed my face as I changed into a pair of blue jeans and grabbed my pink ski coat. My chest beat uncontrollably as I crept along the upstairs hallway, careful not to wake my parents. I tiptoed down the staircase, opening the front door just a crack and letting snowflakes escape from the cold. A few frozen flakes stuck to my eyelashes.

  "Crystal? Where are you going?" The quiet whisper from the top of the stairs made my entire torso freeze. I turned around to see my wide-eyed little sister. Jade rubbed her eyes and brushed a strand of tangled hair from her face.

  "Go back to bed," I whispered, shooing her away. But Jade stood staring. "I'll be back soon. Just go back to sleep."

  "You're meeting Alexa, aren't you?" she questioned.

  "Don't worry about that," I said quietly. "I'll see you in the morning, okay?"

  "But," she hesitated.

  "If you rat me out, I'll tell Mom that you and Troy were t
he ones who broke the lawnmower."

  "Fine," Jade nodded. She gave me a disappointed look (the same face Mom made) before dragging her feet back to bed. Here I come, Brett. I forced myself to transition into the cold, quietly shutting the front door behind me. The wind was getting worse but trudging through the snow to meet Brett seemed worth it. I ran through falling powder towards Alexa's red, puffy coat as my teeth chattered.

  Alexa jumped up and down, shivering in her brown snow boots - a ridiculous looking attempt to stay warm. She nervously giggled as I kicked aside piles of snow, trying not to get my favorite pair of jeans get wet. Street lights lit our neighborhood, revealing a snowy path leading towards the woods. Alexa stuffed her flashlight in her pocket.

  "Dang," she whispered. "I could probably smell you from Main Street."

  "Huh?" I grabbed her by the arm as my thoughts wandered in and out of Brett-themed fantasies.

  "Well at least you don't smell like a vat of cotton candy," Alexa chided.

  "Why are you so picky about perfumes?" I questioned. I could see the steam of my breath as it left my mouth. "Let's go over the plan one more time."

  "I'm pretty sure I've got it." Alexa shook the snowflakes from her ponytail.

  "We can't mess this up," I whispered. The street was silent and even the sound of our boots pushing through the snow echoed down the drive. "Who knows what Brett has planned?"

  "Fine," Alexa sighed. She patted the lining of her coat. "You got the pocket knife?"

  "Right here." I nodded, pulling a small pocket knife from my coat. It had a light sketch of a bald eagle on the handle.

  "Good," Alexa continued. "Have it out when we run into the school house. We'll both yell something about an angry bear -"

  "I thought it was a wolf?" I interrupted.

  "Okay," she muttered. "We start freaking out about a wolf and when I poke the middle of your back -"

  "I turn around and 'accidentally' cut your stomach," I finished. A mischievous look crossed Alexa's face as she patted the bulge in her coat again.

  "And underneath this is a pile of fake guts," she chuckled, her breath forming a cloud of steam around her face.

  "You better deliver a fab performance," I said, touching the warm spot on her belly. I could feel thick padding and a squishy mess under the fabric.

  "Oh it'll be top notch . . . Oscar worthy." She walked faster past the last street lamp and pulled out her flashlight again. My arms were shaky as we dragged our feet through the snowy forest, moving more quickly the deeper we got. The evergreens swayed in the brisk breeze and the harsh air grew colder.

  My stomach felt like jelly as the old school house came into sight. The wooden walls of the one room cabin were covered in frost. Thick icicles hung from the part of the roof that was still standing and through the cracked window, the entire inside looked black. Alexa switched off her flashlight, letting the moon illuminate the treetops.

  "You think they're inside?" I whispered. Alexa nodded, pointing to a tiny trail of tracks that was almost fully covered by snowfall.

  "You ready to make some noise?" Alexa quietly asked. I peered up at the snowy peaks that looked like black rocks under the moon. Every sound the trees made in the breeze echoed through my ears along with the beat of my own heart. I hadn't done this in years and I was nervous. The only reason I beat Brett every time . . . well, I'm pretty sure he'd been letting me win for some reason. I doubted he'd pull the same stunt this time.

  "As ready as I'll ever be," I sighed.

  "When I count to three," Alexa whispered. "We start yelling." My chest thudded and my forehead felt prickly.

  "They're not going to buy it," I said shaking my head.

  "Maybe not," she agreed. "But they won't be expecting what happens next. Open up your knife." My fingers shook as I reached for my pocket knife. I grasped the handle, letting the blade shine in the moonlight. "Oh and make sure you cry and stuff."

  "Cry?"

  "Uh, your best friend has just been gutted?" Alexa responded. "You should make yourself cry."

  "Fine," I gulped.

  Alexa held up three fingers, beginning the countdown to uncontrollable madness. My spine felt sweaty under my ski coat. One, Alexa mouthed. My chest drummed like I was at a rock concert. Two. I was having second thoughts. Maybe this wasn't the best way to freak Brett and Amber out. Three. Alexa's eyes bulged as she took off running. She nearly tripped as the sound of her screams burst through the quiet woods.

  I followed her lead, letting a burst of yells vibrate through my throat. Cold air filled my lungs and made me cough as I stumbled closer to the school house. I ran towards the entrance with my pocket knife in front of me. My tense muscles trembled as I leaped into the small log cabin. My entire face felt like it was on fire. The school house was empty. Shadowy corners were overtaken by the silence and moonlight spilled through cracks of fallen roof.

  I stopped, feeling Alexa's warm torso come to a halt behind me.

  "Where are they?" she whispered. I shrugged as the room felt strangely quiet. I could hear the light tapping of snowfall and the sound of my lungs gulping down air. My hands and fingers felt tingly as I whirled around, expecting Brett to leap out from the shadows. The fact that he didn't made me even more nervous.

  "Shhh," Alexa quietly hushed, holding a finger to her lips. She carefully stepped backwards, trying to make her footsteps sound proof. I forced myself to swallow the lump in my throat as my eyes scanned the blurry darkness.

  Shadows seemed to dance in the corners. I was so anxious that I was seeing things. I briefly closed my eyes and focused on breathing normally. When I opened them again, Alexa had disappeared back outside leaving me alone in the crumbling one room cabin. I clutched my chest, waiting for a sudden noise that was supposed to make me shriek. I couldn't let on that I was scared.

  My heart jolted as Alexa's shrill scream cracked through the sky like a jet plane. I jumped closer to the door, keeping my knife at the ready as she came skidding around the corner. She fell face first into the snow as laughter replaced the horrifying cries. Amber's smug face made me want to charge at her full speed.

  "And that wasn't even planned," Brett chuckled. The fabric of his cocoa snowboarding coat stretched across his firm shoulders. Alexa stood up, rolling her eyes as she spit snow from her mouth.

  "Let's get on with it then," I said calmly, suppressing that fact that my heart had slightly collided with my brain. Alexa and I would have to improvise. I quickly hid the knife behind my back.

  "Oh don't pretend you weren't scared," Amber giggled. The red streaks in her hair matched her scarf.

  "You told her?" I asked, looking at Brett. He shrugged.

  "She pried it out of me," he responded. "I promise."

  "More like hustled it out of you," Alexa commented, wiping the snow from her pants. I watched as she discreetly placed at hand on her stomach to make sure her fake guts were still secure.

  "Hey," Amber shouted. "We're ahead! Fair and square."

  "We'll see," I responded. "Come on then. You guys go first."

  "We already made our splash," Amber continued. "You guys go first."

  "Is she serious?" Alexa chimed in. "Honey, you ain't the boss." Amber put her hands on her hips and looked at Brett.

  "Brett," I said, taking a deep breath. "You go first." He grinned as his gaze met mine.

  "Okay," he agreed. He pulled a folded piece of paper from his pocket. "I need a volunteer. A fearless volunteer." He meant me. Crap.

  "I'll do it." I stepped forward as Brett stared down at his paper. He hesitated for a moment but quickly cleared his throat and instructed us all to stand forming a triangle with me at the center.

  "Are you ready?" Brett's voice sounded a tad raspy.

  "What exactly are you going to do?" I asked.

  "Put a curse on you," he playfully replied. Alexa laughed.r />
  "Wow," Alexa sniggered. "A curse. You must've spent all week thinking up this one!"

  "Shhhh," Brett responded. "Come on Alexa, I almost died trying to get it."

  "Whatever." Alexa cupped her hand around her mouth, giving Amber a dirty look.

  "You almost died?" I repeated. "You're making that up." A cold breeze blasted across my back, making the hairs on the back of my head stand straight up.

  "Haven't you heard of the Keeper's Curse?" he said quietly. I'd heard those words before. Grandma Nettie mentioned it once. She even went as far as to claim that it had ruined her life until Dad told her to stop talking about it.

  "Maybe?" I answered. "I doubt it'll scare me."

  "Are you sure?" Brett said staring quizzically at my forehead. "Once I say the words you're supposed to be haunted for life."

  "A bunch of bull," Alexa added.

  "Do it," I agreed. I clenched my fists together, a little relieved that all Brett had prepared was a few pointless words on piece of paper. He smirked as he opened his mouth and uttered the first line.

  My head buzzed as I craned my neck to hear more clearly. I could barely make out the words he was saying. A sharp prick poked the edge of my ankle and made its way up my calves. I grimaced from the uncomfortable stings and tried to grab my legs, but I couldn't move. My entire body was frozen.

  I bit the side of my cheek so hard I could taste blood oozing towards my gums. My hand was throbbing and a burning sensation pierced my entire arm. My vision went blurry and that's when I screamed. I still couldn't move but my shrieking cries were able to burst from my throat. A cloud of green smoke surrounded me as my hand continued to burn like it was stuck in a blazing fireplace. My heart pounded against the bones in my chest and my blood felt like it was boiling through my veins. I let out one last scream, panicking as I yelled for my feet to move. They wouldn't.

  A raspy breath beside me gave me goose bumps. I could feel the presence of something else, but I couldn't see. I screamed again, letting tears flood over my eyes. The heavy breathing came closer. My chest was slamming against my rib cage so violently I could've sworn I was having a heart attack. The tears cleared from my eyes and my throat froze like a block of ice as all the air escaped from my lungs. I was breathless, in excruciating pain, and standing in front of a pair of angry red eyes. The raspy breathing quickened as the owner of the blood red eyes boomed its voice through my entire being. "NO!"