Hades Read Online Free PDF Page B

very
    serious.
    “Beth!” Mol y clutched my arm when I joined them. “I’m
    glad you’re here; we’re about to get started.”
    “Get started with what?” I asked with curiosity.
    “The seance, of course.”
    I groaned inwardly. So they hadn’t forgotten about it. I’d
    hoped the plan would be abandoned once the girls started
    having fun.
    “You guys can’t be serious?” I said, but they were looking
    at me with complete sincerity. I tried a different technique.
    “Hey, Abby, Hank Hunt is out back. He looked like he could
    real y use some company.”
    Abigail had been crazy about Hank Hunt since junior high
    and hadn’t stopped going on about him al term. But tonight,
    not even he could distract her from the plan at hand.
    “Who cares about him,” Abigail scoffed. “This is heaps
    more important—let’s go find an empty room.”
    “No,” I said firmly, shaking my head. “C’mon, guys, can’t
    we find something else to do?”
    “But it’s Hal oween,” Hal ie said, pouting like a child. “We
    want to talk to ghosts.”
    “The dead should stay that way,” I snapped. “Can’t you
    go and bob for apples or something?”
    “Don’t be such a party pooper,” Savannah said. She got
    up and began to drag me up the stairs after her. The others
    fol owed eagerly. “What could go wrong?”
    “Is that a rhetorical question?” I said, pul ing away. “What
    couldn’t go wrong?”
    “You don’t actual y believe in ghosts, do you, Bethie?”
    Madison asked. “We’re only trying to have some fun.”
    “I just don’t think we should play around with this stuff.” I
    sighed.
    “Fine, don’t come,” Hal ie snapped. “Stay down here by
    yourself and wait for Xavier like you always do. We knew
    you’d bail anyway. We’l have fun without you.” She shot me
    a betrayed look and the others nodded in support of her. I
    wasn’t having any luck impressing upon them the danger
    associated with their plan. How could you tel children they
    were playing with fire if they’d never had the experience of
    being burned? I wished Gabriel were here. He radiated
    authority and he’d know exactly what to say to change their
    minds. He had that effect on people. Here I was sounding
    like nothing more than a wet blanket. Some ministering
    angel I was turning out to be. I knew it wasn’t within my
    powers to stop them, but I couldn’t let them go without me. If
    anything happened, at least I could be there to deal with
    whatever they encountered on the other side. They were
    already climbing the stairs, clutching one another’s arms as
    they whispered in excitement.
    “Guys,” I cal ed out. “Wait up … I’m coming.”

    4
    Crossing the Line
    UPSTAIRS the house smel ed musty and stale. On the
    landing the striped ivory wal paper was peeling away in
    sheets from the rising damp. Although we could hear the
    party raging on below us, it was preternatural y stil on the
    second floor as if in anticipation of some paranormal
    experience. The girls lapped it up.
    “This is the perfect setting,” said Hal ie.
    “I’l bet this place is already haunted,” added Savannah,
    her face flushed with enthusiasm.
    Suddenly my concerns seemed disproportionate to the
    situation. Was it possible that I was overreacting? Why was
    I always assuming the worst and letting my conservative
    nature bring down the mood of everyone around me? I
    scolded myself mental y for always jumping to dire
    conclusions—what were the chances of these fun-loving
    girls actual y making a connection with the other side? It
    had been known to happen, but it usual y required the
    guidance of a trained medium. Lost spirits general y didn’t
    appreciate being cal ed on as a source of teenage
    entertainment. Anyway, the girls would probably get bored
    when they failed to get the results they anticipated.
    I fol owed Mol y and the others into what had once been
    the guest bedroom. Its tal windows were opaque from a
    fine layer of accumulated dust