The Sign of Seven Trilogy Read Online Free Page A

grin on Gage’s face faded. Eyes narrowed on Cal, he gripped Fox by the arm when Fox surfaced laughing.
    â€œWe’re getting out.”
    â€œCome on . He’s just being spaz because I dunked him.”
    â€œHe’s not bullshitting.”
    The tone got through, or when he bothered to look, the expression on Cal’s face tripped a chord. Fox shot off toward the edge, spooked enough to send a couple of wary looks over his shoulder.
    Gage followed, a careless dog paddle that made Cal think he was daring something to happen.
    When his friends hauled themselves out, Cal sank back down to the ground. Drawing his knees up, he pressed his forehead to them and began to shake.
    â€œMan.” Dripping in his underwear, Fox shifted from foot to foot. “I just gave you a tug, and you freak out. We were just fooling around.”
    â€œI saw her.”
    Crouching, Fox shoved his sopping hair back from his face. “Dude, you can’t see squat without those Coke bottles.”
    â€œShut up, O’Dell.” Gage squatted down. “What did you see, Cal?”
    â€œ Her . She had all this hair swimming around her, and her eyes, oh man, her eyes were black like the shark in Jaws . She had this long dress on, long sleeves and all, and she reached out like she was going to grab me—”
    â€œWith her bony fingers,” Fox put in, falling well short of his target of disdain.
    â€œThey weren’t bony.” Cal lifted his head now, and behind the lenses his eyes were fierce and frightened. “I thought they would be, but she looked, all of her, looked just…real. Not like a ghost or a skeleton. Oh man, oh God, I saw her. I’m not making it up.”
    â€œWell Jee-sus.” Fox crab-walked another foot away from the pond, then cursed breathlessly when he tore his forearm on berry thorns. “Shit, now I’m bleeding.” Fox yanked a handful of weedy grass, swiped at the blood seeping from the scratches.
    â€œDon’t even think about it.” Cal saw the way Gage was studying the water—that thoughtful, wonder-what’ll-happen gleam in his eye. “Nobody’s going in there. You don’t swim well enough to try it anyway.”
    â€œHow come you’re the only one who saw her?”
    â€œI don’t know and I don’t care. I just want to get away from here.”
    Cal leaped up, grabbed his pants. Before he could wiggle into them, he saw Gage from behind. “Holy cow. Your back is messed up bad.”
    â€œThe old man got wasted last night. It’s no big deal.”
    â€œDude.” Fox walked around to get a look. “That’s gotta hurt.”
    â€œThe water cooled it off.”
    â€œI’ve got my first aid kit—” Cal began, but Gage cut him off.
    â€œI said no big deal.” He grabbed his shirt, pulled it on. “If you two don’t have the balls to go back in and see what happens, we might as well move on.”
    â€œI don’t have the balls,” Cal said in such a deadpan, Gage snorted out a laugh.
    â€œThen put your pants on so I don’t have to wonder what that is hanging between your legs.”
    Fox broke out the Little Debbies, and one of the six-pack of Coke he’d bought at the market. Because the incident in the pond and the welts on Gage’s back were too important, they didn’t speak of them. Instead, hair still dripping, they resumed the hike, gobbling snack cakes and sharing a can of warm soda.
    But with Bon Jovi claiming they were halfway there, Cal thought of what he’d seen. Why had he been the only one? How had her face been so clear in the murky water, and with his glasses tucked in his shoe? How could he have seen her? With every step he took away from the pond, it was easier to convince himself he’d just imagined it.
    Not that he’d ever, ever admit that maybe he’d just freaked out.
    The heat dried his damp skin and brought on the sweat.