Mischief Night

by Phoebe Rivers

  The moon was full in the dark sky. The blue moon. I glanced at Knitting Woman. Was the blue moon affecting her? Was she knitting faster?

  The rising notes of a creepy melody floated from the house. I shivered and wrapped my arms around myself. The cold air smelled of danger. Something was about to happen. Every nerve in my body told me so. Brittle leaves rustled as the wind swept through the branches. White figures fluttered from the tree across the street.

  Toilet paper, I knew. I’d seen two of Lily’s brothers draping the neighborhood trees earlier.

  A faint but insistent tapping echoed from above. The spirit of the sailor rattled the tall windows. All the spirits inside were agitated. The man with the mustache paced the second floor, emphasizing each step. If the music and chatter hadn’t been so loud downstairs, everyone could have heard the creaking of the old floorboards.

  Lily, Tamara, and Miranda were inside. Dad had run out to get pizza, but he’d be back soon. The street-lights illuminated sections of the dark pavement. I glimpsed Lily’s aunt Angela heading toward our house with a tall man I guessed was her husband. I peered past her into the darkness. Still waiting. Hoping.

  Jayden hadn’t shown up.

  “Sara!” Angela wore black skinny jeans and high heels, and her dark hair fell in waves all the way down her back. “Take us inside.” She reached for my hand.

  I walked them into the house. The front sitting room was packed with people. Others lined up outside Lady Azura’s velvet curtain, waiting for their glimpse of the future.

  “Oh, I love it!” Angela squealed. “Robby, do you hear those moans? So spooky!”

  And so real, I thought.

  The spirit’s pacing had grown more frantic upstairs. Pound, pound, pound. His steps synched with the beating of my heart.

  Bad, bad, the voice repeated in my head. This is bad. But what could I do? I couldn’t kick all these people out, and I couldn’t hide on the porch all night.

  “Wild, right?” Lily slid beside me. Her eyelids glittered with a sparkly silver shadow. She wore a black sequined top. I’d gone to the opposite extreme. Bright pink and green. Anti-scary. Anti-death.

  “Who are all these people?” I asked.

  “See, advertising works!” She grinned. “Listen, it’s too crazy down here. I sent the group to the third floor to hang out. Let’s bring food up.”

  “The third floor?” I squeaked in disbelief. She couldn’t have!

  “Your craft room. There’s way more room up there. Plus, there are too many old people down here. I turned off all the lights and just flicked on the twinkly ones around the window. Great vibe.” Lily reached for a bowl of chips.

  Bad, bad, rapped my internal DJ. I had to get everyone back downstairs. I followed Lily in a daze as we climbed to my craft room. What would I find?

  Miranda, Tamara, Marlee, Luke, Garrett, both Jacks, and two girls whose names I wasn’t sure of were hanging out. I stole a glance at the closet door. Still shut. I crossed my fingers that Henry stayed inside.

  “Maybe we should go back—” I started.

  Lily wouldn’t hear of it. “This is the perfect spot for ghost stories. I can scare everyone!”

  Lily had the boys push the large table to one side and close the door. We sat on the floor in a circle. I sat too. I wasn’t going downstairs by myself. Maybe if I stayed here nothing weird would happen, I reasoned. This made no sense, I knew, but I couldn’t think straight.

  Maybe the moon was getting to me, too.

  I sat between Tamara and Luke, but I could barely make out their faces in the darkness. I gnawed the hangnail on my thumb and stared at the closet door, scarcely listening to Lily’s story. If it opened, I’d jump into action, I decided. I’d scream fire or something and get everyone out.

  “He traveled down the wet, wet highway, feeling as if someone were watching him. He glanced into the rear-view mirror and checked the backseat. He was alone. He turned off the highway, starting down a deserted side road.…” Lily spoke in an eerie monotone.

  I shivered. Not from the story.

  “And he approached a crossroads. A woman appeared on the road in front of his car. He slammed on the brakes, praying he wouldn’t hit her. The car stopped and he looked around for the woman.…”

  The creaking of floorboards. I strained my ears, listening to ghostly footsteps. Footsteps only I could hear.

  “And then her face pressed against his window. Her eyes glowed red. Her pointy teeth dripped saliva.…”

  The footsteps drew closer. Up the stairs. Heading toward us. I watched the closet door. Could it be?

  “Her clawed hand grabbed the door handle. She pulled, rattling the car. He screamed as the door—”

  The door swung open. Not the closet door, but the door to the room. I whirled around. Had Henry gotten out of the closet?

  A shadow filled the doorway.

  Tamara gasped. So did another girl. They saw him too!

  I dug my fingernails into my palms and waited for them to scream.

  “What’s with circle time in the dark?” the shadow asked. He stepped into the room.

  “Jayden! You made it!” Jack L. cheered.

  I stared. Not a spirit. Jayden.

  “I thought you weren’t coming,” Lily said.

  “I wasn’t.” Jayden never looked at me. Maybe he didn’t see me in the dark. “Your aunt Angela convinced my mom to come. Mom dragged me and my dad. So here I am.”

  I remembered Angela once saying she lived near Jayden’s family. I hadn’t known she and his mom were friends. Jayden didn’t look unhappy to be here. That was good.

  He peered around the circle the best he could in the light of the small blinking bulbs. “What are you doing?” He scanned the group without stopping at me. Purposely not looking at me.

  “Scary stories.” Tamara scooted to her right, pushing against Lily with her thigh. “Sit here,” she commanded.

  Jayden hesitated, and my muscles stiffened. Would he refuse to sit next to me?

  Everyone waited. He had no choice. He lowered himself into the small space between me and Tamara.

  He smelled wonderfully like Jayden. I kept my eyes on the closet door, content for now to just be near him.

  Lily started a new story. Something about a headless horseman. I couldn’t concentrate with Jayden so close.

  So close. What would Marco do?

  I stole a sideways glance. Confused, I twisted my head about. I couldn’t see him, but more important, I couldn’t feel him. Marco wasn’t here.

  Had he left? I’d never seen him not by Jayden’s side. My minded sorted through the possibilities. Had Jayden discovered Marco? Could Lady Azura have stopped Marco?

  Jayden leaned anxiously toward the open door to the hall. The pale light and muffled voices from downstairs filtered up.

  “You okay?” I whispered.

  “No.” He sounded angry. Maybe scared.

  I shot him a questioning look.

  “Lady Azura took my parents in to give them a reading,” he whispered over Lily’s storytelling. “Lily’s aunt’s brilliant idea.”

  That explained it. There was no way Marco was missing that. He was downstairs.

  Then it hit me. I was alone with Jayden for the very first time. Alone with ten other kids but no Marco.

  Lily spoke on. As I sat next to Jayden, trying to think of what to say, I heard the whispers to my left.

  “When are we going to Dina’s?”

  “Dina keeps texting me. She wants us to come over now.”

  “So can we leave yet?”

  Part of me was happy. I wanted everyone to clear out and go to Dina’s, so I could hide under a comforter and deal the way I always had with the dead creaking about. Then I thought of Lily and Lady Azura. They’d talked of nothing but this party for days. If everyone left, they’d be so sad.

  I glanced at Jayden. Would he go to Dina’s too?

  Spots of lights began to dance before my eyes. I tensed. Was Marco back? I some
times saw spots before the spirits came.

  “What’s with the lights?” Tamara whispered.

  “So spooky!” Miranda gave a witchlike cackle for effect.

  The Christmas lights sputtered, no longer blinking rhythmically. The closet door swung on its hinges. Back and forth, as if being pulled by an invisible string.

  Or hand.

  I saw Henry’s hand. As I stared frozen in horror, Henry’s full body materialized. He scampered about, clearly excited by such a captive audience. In seconds he was at the bookcase behind me. He lifted an oversize photography book high above his head. But no one else saw him. They all just saw a huge book floating toward the ceiling.

  “D-do you see that?” Marlee’s voice shook.

  “Wicked cool,” Garrett whispered.

  Everyone watched in wide-eyed wonder.

  Henry dropped the book, and it smashed against the floor. Then he grabbed three small paint containers. Red, yellow, orange. Up and around the paint pots flew as he juggled them. Joy radiated from his slight form as everyone sucked in their breath, staring at the swirling colors in mute fascination.

  For now.

  Soon it would unravel before my eyes-—my new friends freaking out, terrified of my haunted house, realizing I could see the ghosts, laughing and whispering about me in school.

  No! screamed a voice in my head. You can’t let that happen.

  Before I knew it I was standing. “My dad rigged this all up. Did it scare you?” My voice rang out with a confidence I didn’t know I had.

  “Oh, wow, so much!” Lily breathed, as the floating paint pots dropped to the floor.

  “I was never scared,” Luke boasted.

  Marlee looked terrified but nodded in shaky agreement.

  “How did he do that?” Jayden asked as he stood. “I don’t see any wires.”

  “I promised never to reveal his special effects secrets,” I said.

  Everyone was talking at once. Not scared, but amazed. Now no one whispered about leaving.

  Henry leaned against the bookcase, smirking.

  “There’s, uh, pizza downstairs. We should eat it while it’s hot.” I tried to lead them toward the door.

  But no one moved. In fact, Lily had everyone sit again for more spooky stories. Nothing I said could convince them. After the supernatural jolt from the floating objects, they were more intent than ever on scaring one another.

  I couldn’t sit. I couldn’t stand still. I balanced on the balls of my feet, eyeing Henry, my heart hammering. Henry turned toward the corner, his back to me. What was he doing? When he moved toward the circle, I moved too.

  “Sara, sit down,” Miranda said. “You’re ruining the mood.”

  I couldn’t. Henry’s form shimmered with an unearthly glow. He moved like a cat in search of prey. Here one moment, across the room the next. His dark eyes gleamed, calculating where to strike.

  My heart pounded even louder. I didn’t know what to do.

  Henry paused before Tamara. She sat cross-legged, listening to Luke describe a flesh-eating zombie, totally unaware of the big spider Henry held. Its long, thin legs kicked the air as Henry lowered it toward Tamara’s reddish-brown waves. Her hair would soon be a nest for an enormous spider!

  I lunged toward them, pushing Henry, but there was nothing to push. My arms sliced through the air. My body propelled forward, leaving me splayed on my hands and knees.

  “What the—?” Tamara stared in astonishment, as I lay on the floor next to her, having seemingly launched myself from across the room. I couldn’t explain. There was no time.

  Henry was laughing.

  Laughing at me.

  At my friends.

  I scrambled to my feet. I had to stop him. The spider scurried across the floor unseen, back to its corner. Henry ran about the room, tossing things as he went. Chips, napkins, Garrett’s cell phone. I raced after him, not thinking about how crazy I looked.

  He dodged to the left and right, always just out of reach, giggling like a little boy. But I was fast. I backed him up against the wall. I tried to calm my rasping breaths so I could focus. Focus on Henry.

  Stop. Stop, I tried to command him with my mind.

  Henry smirked at my lame attempt. Then, with surprising strength, he pushed the heavy wooden bookcase. As if in slow motion, I watched the bookcase rock and then tip, heading for Jayden, who sat with his back turned.

  “No!” I screamed. I threw myself at Jayden.

  My hands pushed his shoulder. He moved with more ease than I’d expected. I stared at Jayden’s shirt. At my hands and at the pair of hands next to mine.

  There were two of us, pushing him out of danger.

  Chapter 14

  Jayden tumbled to his side. The heavy bookcase banged to the floor, narrowly missing him. Fear and confusion flashed across his face.

  Anger like I’d never felt filled my head, making it hard to think. If that bookcase had fallen on Jayden, he would have been seriously hurt. My body shook with emotion. All I could think about was getting this spirit out of my room and away from my friends.

  “No!” I screamed again. My anger mixed with terror at the realization of what Henry could do. “Stop it! Stop it now!” I pushed my face close to Henry’s undulating form. “Go away!”

  Henry gave a slight whimper, then began to fade. The closet door creaked eerily on its hinges as it closed.

  Gone. He was gone.

  I did it, I thought. I was strong. I got rid of him. I wanted to be happy, but I felt numb. The room was silent. Everyone stared at me. I examined my shoelaces, too exhausted to create another lie.

  “Are you okay?” Lily hurried to my side.

  “Yeah. Those ghost stories got to me.” I shot her a pleading look.

  She didn’t miss a beat. “Zombies freak me out too. When that bookcase tumbled, I totally thought it was a zombie.”

  “I told you it was an excellent story!” Luke beamed.

  “But Sara was running all around,” Marlee murmured. “The chips were—”

  She didn’t get to finish. My father burst through the door, Lily’s mother and aunt right behind him. “What happened? Is everyone all right? We heard a crash!” Dad flicked on the light switch.

  “The bookcase fell,” Lily explained. She squinted in the sudden brightness.

  “Awesome special effects, Mr. Collins!” Garrett exclaimed. He moved close to my dad. “Seriously, I’ve got to know how you did it.”

  Dad raised his eyebrows at me.

  I shrugged and forced my biggest smile.

  Garrett talked on, telling my dad about his dream to go to Hollywood and do special effects for the movies. Dad just nodded.

  Mrs. Randazzo surveyed the mess. “You kids did enough damage up here. Time to get downstairs for pizza.”

  “But—” Miranda began.

  “No buts,” Lily’s mom replied. “Downstairs. Now. All of you.”

  Unlike with me, everyone listened to her. Lily led the way to the kitchen.

  “I’m just going to clean up a bit,” I told Dad. He lingered in the doorway with Garrett, who now described the special effects he’d designed on the computer.

  “Fine, don’t be long.” Dad clapped a hand on Garrett’s back to move him forward. “We can discuss this over pizza.” They headed toward the kitchen.

  I turned to face the empty room. I’d come really close to disaster, but I’d done what Lady Azura had told me to do. I’d asserted myself and made Henry go away.

  Then I realized that the room wasn’t empty.

  “I’ll help.” His voice was soft. He held some of the books that had nearly clobbered him. Jayden had stayed behind.

  And so had Marco.

  Marco shimmered beside his brother.

  I remembered the hands. The hands beside mine. They were Marco’s. Marco had appeared to keep Jayden from danger.

  Danger caused by me.

  The realization made my legs weak.

  “Thank you.” Jayden’s vo
ice jolted me. “If you hadn’t gone for the dive tackle, that bookcase would’ve pancaked me.”

  “You’re welcome.” I wasn’t sure what else to say. I felt calmer than I’d ever felt near him. The nervous, fluttery feeling was gone. “I’m glad you came, even though I guess this party isn’t so great.”

  “You’re wrong. It’s fun.” He grinned. “And dangerous.”

  “It is Mischief Night,” I said, returning his smile. “A blue moon, too.”

  Together we righted the bookcase and replaced the books. “I shouldn’t have yelled like that the other day.”

  “It’s okay,” I said. I picked up the paint pots. Luckily, the lids had stayed tight. “I was butting in. I need to mind my own—”

  “No, you don’t,” Jayden said quickly. “It’s nice you care. I mean, it’s nice to talk to someone about it. To you, about it.” He seemed embarrassed.

  “You must really miss your brother.” I spoke to Marco now as much as Jayden. “I can tell that he meant a lot to you.”

  Jayden nodded and leaned against the table. “I do. We all do. My mom . . . she was wrecked when Marco died. She couldn’t bear to live in our house without him. That’s why we moved up here.” He brushed off some potato chip crumbs. “She thought leaving would help, but it didn’t. Now she’s up here alone and the rest of our family is still down in Atlanta.”

  “That must be rough for her,” I said. “And lonely.”

  Jayden nodded. “She worries, too. About me. A lot.” He paused. “It hurts her so much that Marco is gone.”

  “He’s not, though,” I said softly. “He’s always with you.”

  “Yeah, I know,” he scoffed. “People say that all the time. That his memory lives on and all.”

  “No, really.” I eyed Marco. He stood, listening, but strangely, for once, did not come between us. “Your brother still watches over you. Don’t ask me how I know, but I do. He’s there for you when you need him.”

  Jayden rolled his eyes “I’ve heard that before. You know, I’ve never told anyone this, but I actually hope he’s not. I hope Marco’s soul, spirit, whatever, is far, far away from here. On a tropical beach. He loved the beach. It sounds horrible, but we need to be free of him.”