The Haunting Read Online Free PDF Page B

another way down.”
    Cody raised his eyebrows at me and said plainly, “I really don’t see another way down. We don’t have a lot of time. I mean, Phoebe’s been poisoned…”
    Phoebe’s lip curled. “You mean dead.”
    “What?!” Robin’s whisper exploded, losing all sense of secrecy.
    “…and Joel needs someone to look at his hand. I’m not about to let one of you girls take the jump in case it isn’t safe,” Cody said.
    He started to look back to the couch before twisting with a snap. His blood-blistered eyes focused on Phoebe. “What do you mean, dead?”
    Phoebe nodded to me without looking at me. “Ask her.”
    Everyone’s attention shifted, and I shrank back, letting Cody go.
    “You knew all this time,” she accused.
    “No,” I whispered. “I didn’t.”
    “After that…” Phoebe swallowed, “…it was dark. Until I woke up to find Read and Robin.”
    “By the hotel,” Robin confirmed. “We found you in the dumpster.”
    “After that,” Phoebe continued, “parts of me didn’t work right.” She looked to her hands, squeezing them tight as if to make sure they were still functional.
    “You died?” Joel asked, staring at Phoebe in awe. “Are you sure?”
    Phoebe jutted her chin toward me. “I overheard her talking to Damien. When I leave, I’m leaving as a corpse.”
    Feeling the intensity of their gazes again, I felt the warmth in my stomach churn on defense. “I don’t know what happened,” I lied. “Damien happened to tell me.” A loose lie. He told me I brought her back with my powers. I pressed my hand just below my breasts to calm the warmth within. Glancing from confused to accusing face, I felt my mouth go dry.
    “And you didn’t say anything.” Phoebe’s eyes narrowed. “Who else is dead?”
    I shook my head. “I don’t know. Just you, I think.”
    Joel took a step forward as if to block Phoebe from me.
    My eyebrows furrowed, and I felt a surge of betrayal. “It’s not like I killed you.”
    “She’s right,” Robin said, her voice loud enough to get their attention. “It’s not her fault. You opened that door…CODY!”
    Seeing that his girlfriend had been distracted, Cody took the opportunity to drop over the side. Robin nearly flipped over the rail when she slammed into it. Phoebe took one big step and swooped one arm around Robin’s waist, as if she thought Robin might jump.
    To my utter astonishment, Cody landed on the sofa, on his back. If he’d missed, he would have splattered all over the dusty hardwood. Cody bounced once on the sofa and rolled onto the floor with athletic grace, landing on his knees. He tilted his head up to see the four of us slack-jawed and shrugged. The ghosts continued their waltz, ignoring his presence as he raised both hands and gave us a thumbs-up.
    “That lucky bastard,” Joel rumbled.
    “Why did he just do that?” Phoebe wondered.
    “To stop us from arguing,” Robin said, sounding numb. “He hates that.”
    I shook my head, bewildered. Cody had always played it safe and quiet at Robin’s side. Robin could draw the attention and hold a conversation so Cody didn’t have to. For him to just leap over the edge of a balcony and trust the fall enough to land on a sofa backwards was insane.
    Worry edged my mind. It wasn’t completely disturbing to know that this place changed us; it was just realizing how much.
    Cody gestured frantically for us to follow.
    Robin quivered as she lifted a curvy leg over the railing.
    “Let someone else go second,” I urged her.
    She didn’t look at me; her knees were shaking so hard I thought they’d collapse and send her cartwheeling over the side. Phoebe’s arm, though still around her waist, wasn’t restraining her.
    “I can do this.” Robin glared at Phoebe.
    Robin let go of the railing and teetered on the tiny edge outside of the railing. “Let me go, Phoebe,” she urged. “I’m not leaving him down there alone.”
    Phoebe glanced at Joel.
    Glanced at Joel instead of