Sally Singletary's Curiosity (The Sally Singletary Book 1) Read Online Free

too pale. The others were just annoyed at his attempt to squeeze into the already full elevator.
    What was he doing there? She stared at his image in the mirrored surface as if she could read his life history from the reflection. Was this mere coincidence that he lived in the same building as her mother? The thought made Sally shudder.
    The doors closed again and the elevator began its upward journey, leaving Sally’s stomach on the first floor. It stopped several times, people sliding around as one by one they exited. Sally couldn’t take her gaze off the man.
    At floor fourteen, the doors slid open and the man stepped off. Just before passing out of view, he turned and glanced at Sally—a subtle look? It could have been just a passing glimpse, but it was enough to send chills up her spine. She wrapped her arms around her bag, pulling it close to her body as though it would protect her from harm. For no reason other than her own irrational fear, her heart pumped like mad. By the time she arrived on the twentieth floor, only three passengers remained, but her nerves still buzzed with fear.
    Sally stepped out of the lift, moving quickly down the long hall toward her mother’s apartment, her gaze darting back and forth as though she expected Mr. Top Hat to pop out from each and every doorway. She jabbed the doorbell with her finger, shifting nervously on her feet. An echo from the opposite end of the hall made her scream out. To her embarrassment, it turned out to be an old man with a cane entering the hall.
    “Calm down,” she said aloud. “Why are you being so stupid?” Pausing to take a deep breath, she remembered her keycard and wondered why she’d bothered with the doorbell in the first place. Swiping her card, she pushed the door open and swooped inside. For the moment, she was safe.
     
     

CHAPTER FIVE
    “WELCOME HOME!” Her mother’s voice rang out.
    Sally let out a yelp, grabbing her chest in fright. She could feel the pounding of her heart along with the embarrassment over being afraid of an empty hall. She took deep breaths to calm her nerves.
    “What a way to greet your mother!” The woman smiled and held out her arms.
    “I’m sorry, Mom, it’s been a really weird day.” Sally dropped her bag and embraced her mother.
    “We can talk about it over some nice hot chocolate.” Her mother looked old—older than she should have, anyway. It was clear she still wasn’t sleeping well.
    “Are you okay?” Sally asked.
    “Of course, dear.” She put on a big smile. “You know me.”
    Sally knew. Her mother spent most nights watching television or reading magazines—not doing the thing most people did at night, sleep.
    “I’m so glad to see you, honey! I wish you’d come by more often.” She had been smoking again, the rasp in her voice more defined. Sally caught herself before commenting; now wasn’t the time.
    “I know, Mother. I have a lot of responsibilities with the Hi-Li and I’m graduating soon, remember?”
    Her mother put her hands on her face and started crying. “My little girl!”
    “Please, Mom! I’ve had a really rough day.” She kissed her mother on the cheek and then escaped to her bedroom, not in the mood for hysterics. As soon as her bag hit the floor, she fell onto the bed, letting her mind relax for the first time since she had left the school.
    She stared up at the ceiling for a while, trying to force the strange things she’d seen from her mind. She kept expecting the guy with the top hat to show up any second.
    She didn’t know what to make of the man or the disappearances. How could something as ridiculous as a shape-changing cat exist? She felt insane. How would she tell Yasif? He barely believed her about the disappearances.
    After a time, Sally felt ready to face her mother and made her way back into the living room. Darkness had consumed the city visible through the large windows behind the couch. As expected, her mother was buried in the cushions, watching TV.