Sabina looked at the old piece of paper again. “It says, ‘Think of someone who has wronged you.’ I’d say we whisper the name of the person and the spell and then concentrate on them in our minds.”
Josh nodded. It probably didn’t matter how they played the game. It wasn’t like it was going to do anything.
“I’ll start,” Sabina said, shuffling through the deck and finally fishing out a card. “Lindsey Steele,” she whispered. “Transformation.”
Jackson went next. “Miles Danforth . . . Voice of Steel.”
“Mark Nelson . . . Fantasy Maker,” said Dan.
“That’s his stepdad,” Sabina whispered to Josh.
Finally, it was Josh’s turn. He looked through the remaining cards and chose one. “Ned Onger . . . Dark Mirror,” he whispered. No one deserved to be hexed more than that guy.
Josh put the crystal in the middle of the board. Suddenly, the crystal began to glow brighter and brighter.
“What the—?” Josh heard Dan say. The crystal flashed brightly. Then it went dark, and a terrified scream filled the room. It reminded Josh of when his brother’s cat had been hit by a car and dragged for a couple of blocks.
“What was that?” Dan yelled. He was groping for the light on the wall. Sabina got to it first, and light flooded the room.
“I don’t know!” she said. Josh could tell she was trying to act calm. “Maybe there are batteries in the game or something?”
“It’s way too old for that,” said Jackson. He looked even paler than usual.
“Something outside then?” Sabina offered.
“Yeah,” Josh agreed. He was trying to stay as cool as Sabina. “Like an animal being attacked. Maybe it was a rabbit?”
“A rabbit? That was no rabbit!” Dan argued.
“Is it cold in here?” Sabina asked. Josh could feel her shivering next to him. It had gotten cold. So cold, in fact, that Josh could see Sabina’s breath. “This house is so old and the insulation is so bad that it’s always either too hot or too cold in here,” she complained.
“It’s almost seventy degrees outside! How can it be this cold in here?” Dan asked.
Sabina shrugged. Josh looked down at the crystal in the center of the board again. He could still see the girl. Only now it looked like she was crying.
7
That night, Josh could not stop thinking about Black Magic. He could still picture the crying girl inside the crystal. The whole thing was freaky. But still, Josh felt a strong desire to play the game again. What was that about?
Right before he went to bed, he got a call from Sabina. “Hey,” she said. “The guys want to play the game again tomorrow. Are you in?”
“Sure!” Josh was surprised to hear himself agree.
“Okay.” She lowered her voice. “But don’t bring anyone else . . . just the four of us, okay?”
Josh agreed. For some reason, he didn’t want anyone else to be in on the game, either.
For the rest of the week Sabina, Josh, Dan, and Jackson met almost every day after school to play Black Magic. They never tried out any other spell cards. Instead they repeated the ritual exactly as they had the first time. Josh didn’t know why he never felt like trying another spell. He just didn’t. Josh also started to enjoy the eerie feeling that the game always gave him. He still saw the girl’s face in the crystal every time they played, but it bothered him less and less. In fact, if Josh missed even a day of hanging out to play Black Magic, he couldn’t stop thinking about it until he played again. The others didn’t like playing unless all four players could attend. The four of them started referring to themselves as “The Club.”
Sabina slammed her lunch tray down on the table, making Josh and the other guys jump.
“Jeez, Sabina,” complained Dan. “What’s wrong?”
But Josh knew nothing was wrong at all. In fact, Sabina was smiling broadly. She laughed at Dan and gave him a playful punch in the shoulder.
“Nothing!” Sabina exclaimed. Josh noticed that Sabina could barely sit still. “Guess what?” She beamed at them.
“You killed Lindsey?” Dan joked.
“No, better!”
“Well, hurry up and tell us,” Dan said. “Because I have some pretty awesome news to share too!”
“Let’s hear it!” Jackson suddenly piped up. Josh nearly fell out of his chair. He’d never heard Jackson speak so loudly.
“My mom got a promotion! She’ll make twice her salary!” Sabina exclaimed. “I’m going to get to go to Harvard. In fact, they sent me a letter yesterday practically begging me to apply. Can you believe that? I got letters from Yale and Cornell too!”
“That’s awesome!” Josh exclaimed. It was great to see her so happy. If anyone deserved to go to Harvard, it was Sabina.
“So, Dan,” Sabina asked after she’d calmed down a little bit. “What’s your news?”
“I got an e-mail last night from Video Arts,” Dan said. His grin was so big it looked like it was about to escape from his face.
Sabina gasped. “The video game developer?”
“The very one. One of their lead designers read my video game blog on ‘The Game Guide.’ I wrote about my idea for a new game called Speed Attack. Trickedout cars shoot at each other while racing around different kinds of tracks.”
“And?” Sabina leaned across the table.
“He loved it so much he convinced his manager to buy the concept! They’re going to produce my video game!”
Sabina shrieked and ran around to give Dan a hug.
“That’s amazing, Dan. I can’t wait to play it,” Josh said.
“Awesome!” exclaimed Jackson.
“Well,” Josh said as they finished up their lunches. “I hope your good luck rubs off on me. I have football tryouts tonight.”
“Good luck!” Sabina said. Josh smiled. He was pretty sure he wasn’t going to make the team, but it was nice to have friends who would cheer him on.
“Club meeting tonight?” asked Dan.
“Sure,” Josh said. He’d been thinking about playing Black Magic all day. The others nodded eagerly.
As Josh got up to head to class, Lindsey Steele glided over to the table. Lindsey always walked like she had wheels instead of feet.
“Hey, Sabrina,” Lindsey said as she approached.
Josh could tell Sabina was trying not to roll her eyes. “It’s Sabina,” she said.
Lindsey scratched at her arm a little bit. Josh noticed that she looked different today, but he couldn’t figure out what it was at first. Then he realized—she was wearing a heavy turtleneck sweater. Usually her shirts were much more revealing. Then Josh noticed angry red welts just under her collar. Dan must have noticed them too.
“What’s the matter, Lindsey? Got fleas?” Dan asked.
She shot him an evil look. “I’m having an allergic reaction, as if it’s any of your business.” She turned to Sabina, “I just wanted to ask you if chemistry is in the lab today.”
“Yes, it is,” Sabina said.
“Okay, thanks.” As Lindsey reached up to scratch her neck, Josh noticed welts on her hands too. There were also a few red spots on the sides of her face, which looked flushed. She shot one more annoyed look at Dan and hurried away.
“Feel better, Lindsey!” Sabina shouted after her. Then Sabina turned to the guys. “I’ve been her lab partner all semester. . . . You’d think she’d know my name!”
8
As Josh stepped off the football field Friday afternoon, he felt like he might just take off into the sky. He’d made the football team! He’d kicked his best field goal ever. Coach Tyree had been just as amazed as Josh. Coach even said that Josh might have a chance to play for a college team someday. Ned Onger had looked like he was going to faint right there on the field. Josh had to admit that it felt pretty great to make Ned look like an amateur, especially after all the crap Ned put him through.
Josh went to his car, picturing himself snagging college football scholarships and playing in
the NFL, when a loud voice interrupted him.
“Wait up, Josh!” Josh turned to see Jackson running after him. Jackson was breathless when he caught up with Josh.
“Are you okay, Jackson?” Josh asked. Josh felt a sinking feeling in his stomach. Jackson’s face looked more pale than usual. Maybe he’d run too hard.
“I’m . . . great . . . ,” Jackson said between gasps of air. “Well, at least . . . I think I’m great. I’m not sure. Can I ride with you to Sabina’s?”
“Sure,” Josh said.
In the car, Jackson kept fidgeting.
“So, what’s up, Jackson?” Josh was actually dying to tell him about his football triumph, but Jackson still looked kind of woozy around the eyes.
“Do you hear me?” Jackson asked. “My voice . . . it’s loud.”
Jackson did sound a lot louder today than he had at the beginning of the week. Josh just thought Jackson was getting more comfortable around him.
“I didn’t do anything,” Jackson said. “I’m not trying to talk louder. I mean, I’m rocking at debate . . . it’s like my voice just completely changed.”
“Dude, maybe you’re finally going through puberty,” Josh teased. But Jackson didn’t seem to think it was funny.
“Everyone in my family is soft-spoken.” Jackson lowered his head a little. “And there’s something else too.”
“What?” Josh asked.
“It’s Miles Danforth.” Jackson swallowed. “Something is wrong with his voice.”
By the time they reached Sabina’s house, Josh had heard the whole story from Jackson. Apparently, Miles and Jackson had been opponents during a practice debate that afternoon. Miles had completely choked. While Jackson spoke loudly and clearly, Miles had been unable to speak at all. He was clutching his throat and coughing. No one could figure out what had happened. Miles was the school’s top debater. In the end, Miles’s mother had had to come pick him up from school.
“Let’s just play Black Magic,” Josh said, walking up Sabina’s front steps. “I mean, I’m sure a doctor will figure out what’s wrong with Miles.”
“Yeah.” Jackson followed reluctantly. “It’s just weird. I gained a voice. . . . He lost his.”
“I think it’s called irony,” Josh replied. Jackson didn’t look convinced.
“And Lindsey has that rash . . . ,” Jackson muttered.
Just then Sabina burst through the front door. She had her purse in hand and a pile of chemistry textbooks under the other arm. Her pink hair was sticking out in all directions, and she had only one arm inside her coat.
“Josh!” she exclaimed, seeing him and Jackson on the steps. “I’m glad you guys are here. Can you drive me to the hospital?”
“Yeah, sure,” Josh said. “What’s wrong?”
“It’s nothing really,” Sabina said. But Josh could tell something was up. “Lindsey Steele is in the hospital. I have to bring her some chemistry homework.”
“What’s wrong with her? Is it the rash?” Jackson asked as Sabina fumbled to lock the front door.
“I . . . I don’t know,” Sabina answered.
“Where’s Dan? Wasn’t he going to meet here earlier?” Josh asked. He just realized that Dan was late.
“I don’t know! He never showed up.” Sabina shrugged to balance the pile of books in her arm. She ran to Josh’s car. “Let’s go!”
9
Sabina rode shotgun, telling Josh where to turn during the fifteen-minute ride to County Hospital. Jackson was quiet for most of the ride. When they got there, Sabina asked at the front desk for Lindsey’s room number—560—and they headed for the elevator.
The elevator door was just about to close. Josh stuck a hand inside the doors. The door opened up again to reveal Miles Danforth standing with a woman who must have been his mother.
“Hey, Miles,” said Jackson. Josh felt shaky looking at Miles. Miles’s face was pale, with a green tint to it. His eyes were sunken into their sockets. His neck looked red and swollen.
Miles just glared at Jackson.
“Are you a friend of Miles’s?” asked Mrs. Danforth.
“Sort of,” Jackson murmured.
“Miles has lost his voice,” Mrs. Danforth explained. Jackson shot a look at Josh that said I told you so. “We’ve been passed around from doctor to doctor all afternoon, but no one knows what’s wrong. It’s so odd, but when they tested his throat, they found this strange, metallic substance. The doctors have absolutely no idea what it is. They’ve never seen anything like it before.”
Now, Sabina looked worried. “Well, we hope you get better soon, Miles,” she said. As Miles and his mother got off the elevator, Sabina rubbed her eyes. Josh knew she had to be thinking about Lindsey.
When they arrived at Lindsey’s room, they found her door guarded by a man in a hazmat suit. The thick yellow suit covered his entire body. He wore a face mask and thick goggles. What the hell was going on? Josh glanced at Sabina, but she was focusing in on the guard.
“Whoa! Whoa!” the hazmat guy called out as they approached. “No visitors!”
“It’s okay,” Sabina said. “Lindsey knows me. I just have homework for her.”
“Family only,” the man answered. “Trust me. You don’t want to get what she has.”
Just then, a woman emerged from the room. She was wearing a hazmat suit too. When she removed her goggles and mask, Josh could see that she was weeping. When she saw Jackson, Josh, and Sabina, more tears spilled down her cheeks.
“Are you Lindsey’s friends?” she asked. “I’m her mother.” Mrs. Steele looked like an older version of her daughter—tall, brunette, and with the same perfect, upturned nose.
Sabina just stared at Mrs. Steele. Josh could feel her shaking next to him.
“Um,” Josh managed. “Sort of. We brought her homework.”
“The doctors don’t know what’s wrong with her,” Mrs. Steele croaked. “They think it’s some kind of virus, but they’ve never seen anything like it.” Her chest heaved with the sobs she was trying to hold inside. “It’s tearing holes through her. I could see almost all the way inside her.” She put a hand to her mouth and gagged slightly.
The door opened again, and a doctor came out wearing the same kind of head-to-toe protective suit as Mrs. Steele. He looked grim.
Josh couldn’t help himself. In the few seconds that the door was open, he craned his head to get a look inside. Immediately he wished he hadn’t. From the terrified look on Sabina’s face, he knew that she had seen what he’d seen too.
The right side of Lindsey’s face looked as perfect as ever. But when she turned her head toward Josh, all he could see was a mess of raw, rotting flesh. It looked like something was eating her—from the inside out.
On the ride home from the hospital everyone was really quiet. Josh knew that they did not want to admit what they were thinking. Was it their fault? Had Sabina’s and Jackson’s hexes on Lindsey and Miles actually worked? And what about all the amazing stuff they’d been experiencing? Did the game cause that too? Then there was the guilt. All Josh wanted to do was play the game even more.
When they drove up to Sabina’s house, Sabina gasped. A large, shadowy figure loomed in the darkness. Josh turned into the driveway. It was Dan, standing in the glare of the headlights like an angry ghost.
10
Where the hell have you guys been?” Dan asked as they were getting out of the car.
“The hospital,” Sabina murmured. “Where have you been?”
“I was late because I had to call the cops!” Dan yelled. Josh suddenly felt his blood run cold. “I found Ned Onger bleeding on the sidewalk on my way home from school. I guess some thugs really beat him down. Had some major stab wounds too. Don’t know if he’ll live.”
Josh felt dizzy. He leaned over, bracing his hands on his knees. What have I done? he thought.
“This is getting way too creepy,” Sabina said.
“What’s way too creepy?” Dan asked. Josh had to feel for the guy. H
e had no idea what the game had set in motion. They explained what had happened to Lindsey and Miles and now Ned. Dan looked sort of surprised, but he didn’t look as worried as Josh felt. Josh could tell Dan craved to play the game the same way he did.
“It’s just coincidence,” Dan said with a shrug. “We know it isn’t real magic. I mean, who believes in that stuff? You guys aren’t seriously telling me you think we did this? Come on.” Dan was almost laughing.
“I know it sounds crazy, but it’s just . . .” Tears were filling Sabina’s eyes.
“Dan,” Josh tried. “You didn’t see Lindsey. . . . It was awful.”
“Yeah, well, I saw Ned,” Dan reasoned. “Sometimes bad stuff just happens to people. It’s not our fault. Plus, I hexed Mark and not a thing has happened to that jerk!”
“Not yet,” Jackson mumbled.
“Do you guys want to play Black Magic tonight or what?” Dan crossed his arms over his chest.
Jackson, Sabina, and Josh stood motionless in the driveway. Josh knew that Jackson and Sabina were dealing with the same problem he was. They wanted to play. The game pulled them in, but now they were too afraid.
Just then the cell phone in Dan’s pocket started to ring. He dug it out. “It’s my mom,” he said and flipped it open. “Hello?”
Josh saw Dan’s face turn from flushed with frustration to dead white in about three seconds.
“Okay, I’ll come home,” Dan mumbled and hung up the phone. “I’ve gotta . . . I’ve gotta go.” He stared at them in disbelief. “Something happened to Mark.”
11
The next morning Josh tried texting Dan to see if everything was okay with his stepdad. Josh waited, but there was no response. A few hours later Sabina and Jackson arrived at Josh’s house. Neither of them looked like they’d slept much the night before. Josh knew he hadn’t. Sabina’s pink hair was standing on end, and Jackson had dark circles under his eyes. Josh figured he didn’t look much better.
“Got a call from Dan,” Sabina said. “He wants us to meet him at his house.”
The Club (Night Fall ™) Page 2
