Haunted Hearts Read Online Free PDF

failing.
    Suzie said he blamed himself. It was his own guilt, his own fears keeping him trapped in this circle of strange noises and apparitions.
    But still, he was redeemed. That thought helped to resist the urge to turn his gaze to the mirror.
    He heard a scratch on the floor and knew that thing was coming closer. It didn’t have a form or body so how could it make a sound? Still the hairs on his arms and the back of his neck rose.
    “Yesssss. I am here.” The sibilant whisper made him shiver.
    You don’t belong here. Go away. Scott didn’t say the words out loud. He wasn’t that brave and besides, it felt as if that thing was right behind him, inches away, so close it could reach out and touch him.
    Determined not to turn around, Scott focused on the patch in front of him. Purposely stabbed his putty knife into the can. He patched the hole, and smoothed the putty over and over again. Finally, he gathered enough courage to move to the next hole and the next, never once giving in to the urge to look back. The sensation of something behind him eased.
    Soon he heard car keys fall off a table in the other room.
    “You’re not her,” he shouted without turning. No sound came back to him.
    He patched another hole. Soon he realized he was concentrating less on the sounds in the house and more on the job at hand. He wondered how long it would be before the holes dried so he could sand them down. Did he have enough crème colored paint? Should he make this room a different color?
    He’d seen a paint sample called pumpkin. The thought made him smile. The color was not too dark, not to light. Sort of like pumpkin cheesecake.
    He’d do it. This room would be pumpkin in honor of Suzy…and the first time he chased away the shadows.
     
     
     
     

5
     
    Suzy opened the door, and Scott had to take a second look. His little pixie had transformed. A dark brown skirt swirled around her legs, complementing a red and burnt orange shirt she wore tucked in. The fall colors of the shirt picked up the russet in her hair and made the tips glow. The girl with sunshine across her nose now had fire dancing around her.
    “Wow,” was all he could say.
    “I know,” she said, her hands sweeping down the skirt. “I’m overdressed for a simple trip to the store. But my pants don’t fit well over the bandage so the skirt is really more comfortable.”
    Scott couldn’t stop looking at her. Had her eyes always been that rich color of jade? Was her skin so creamy, like ripe peaches? He only realized he was staring when her hand shot to her face.
    “Is the scratch really that bad?”
    “What scratch? Oh…on your cheek. No.” He finally managed to look away. “No. I didn’t even notice it.”
    She gave him a look.
    “Really! I was looking at your eyes. Have they always been that color?”
    Suzy frowned and studied him. “Well, just since I was born.”
    Scott laughed. “Right. I mean are you wearing contacts or something?”
    “No, I don’t wear contacts. Why? Is something wrong?”
    “No…no. They just look really green today.” Like a Caribbean lagoon. He barely stopped himself from saying the words out loud. Where did that come from?
    “Oh.” Suzy tugged at one of her upturned locks. “It’s these colors. They always bring out the green.”
    Scott nodded. He was making her self-conscious…but he couldn’t seem to help himself. Finally, he gestured toward her bad knee. “How is it today?”
    “Much better. Still sore but I can get around. By Monday, I’ll be good as new.”
    “Great. Let me know if you get tired, and we’ll end this shopping session.”
    Yesterday, as they’d eaten Chinese take-out with chopsticks and discussed the paint samples Scott had brought with him, he asked Suzy if she felt strong enough to help him pick out the napkins she’d suggested on that first day. She’d agreed, and they made plans for this afternoon’s shopping expedition to Country Creations.
    Suzy grabbed her purse and a brown