Secrets in the Dark Read Online Free Page A

your
phones.”
    They stared at me like I’d
grown a second head. Olivia snorted. “You want us to look at our
phones? Now?”
    “ Just let me see
them!”
    With identical shrugs,
they held out their phones. Faith held hers carefully, touching as
little of it as possible.
    “ Yeooow!” Olivia looked at
me like I should have an answer. “Why’s my phone so
hot?”
    I held my phone out and
said, “Mine’s dead.” I watched as they tried to turn theirs on. My
stomach felt like it was doing a long slow roll. “Looks like all of
them are dead.”
    Faith shook her head. “No
way, I charged it last night.”
    I could hear panic growing
in her voice. That was one thing to remember about Faith — although
the thought of monsters didn’t scare her, real life could really
freak her out.
    Not that I could blame her
today. Not after dealing with Andrew at school. Worrying about what
his friends were going to do to us on the way home. Playing creepy
hide and seek in the cemetery. Going through that dark, disgusting
place after leaning against the tree.
    Another shudder worked its
way up my spine. That made twice in one day.
    Faith babbled, “What’re we
gonna do? How’re we gonna get out of here?” She held out her phone,
“We can’t even call anyone—”
    Olivia interrupted in a
high sing-song voice, “Who ya gonna call? Ghostbusters!” I almost
stuffed my fingers in my ears. Olivia really shouldn’t sing. She couldn’t
carry a tune if someone gift boxed it for her.
    I interrupted, “I’ve got a
better question.” I took a deep breath then raised my head, looking
only at Faith and Olivia. “How can we get ourselve s back?”
    We all turned to look at
the tree. This was not the cemetery, but the massive fig tree was
exactly the same.
    I gave a quick glance
around, so fast I didn’t really see anything. Just an impression of
strange colors, plants, and trees. I felt the hair on the back of
my neck stand on end as I realized the only thing recognizable
was the fig tree.
    “ I’ve got an idea,” I
blurted. “Come on!”
    I grabbed their hands and
dragged them back to the tree. Taking a deep breath, I started to
lean against the grey bark, while Faith moved next to me. Before my
shoulder could make contact, Olivia threw herself against the trunk
yelling, “Send us back!”
    Olivia fell through first,
pulling us after her. Going through the tree felt even worse the
second time.
    I’m stuck in a tree. I
can’t breathe.
    My lungs screamed as I
tried to inhale the thick clammy air.
    I can’t see anything. I
can’t feel my arms or legs.
    My head spun
dizzily.
    Are Faith and Olivia still
with me? They wouldn’t really leave me…not like my dream. Would
they?
    I yelled their names — well
shrieked really — but still couldn’t hear myself. That’s when I
began plunging down.
    We went down before,
shouldn’t we be going up now? What if we aren’t going
back!
    I stumbled several steps
before I realized we were out. And definitely back home. The salty
air and gloomy cemetery made me want to do a happy
dance.
    “ Wow,” I said, “did that
really happen?” I scrubbed my hands over my face, then shook my
head. No way. It couldn’t be real. Things like that only happened in books
and movies…or dreams. That was it, I
was dreaming. This whole day must be part
of my nightmare! I grinned in relief and pinched my arm.
    “ Ouch!” I scrubbed at the
place on my arm that was throbbing and stinging. I’d been way too
enthusiastic. Not that it would have mattered if I’d been
asleep.
    So, not a nightmare. Maybe
I’d gone crazy. That would suck, but at least it would explain
things. I turned to the others. “Did you notice anything…odd just
now?”
    They both gaped at me.
Like I was speaking Greek. Backwards.
Olivia said impatiently, “Of course we noticed something odd . Are you
nuts?”
    Note to self - Apparently
I’m not crazy.
    Faith ran her hands
through her hair, her gaze blank. She started to lean