The Tori Trilogy Read Online Free PDF Page A

closer to where I’m pretty sure the wall is, groping for the light switch with my hand.
    â€œTori?” Gina says. “Where are you?”
    â€œOver by the wall. I’m looking for the light.”
    â€œIt’s so dark,” my cousin half-whispers.
    â€œDon’t worry,” I say, sounding braver than I feel. “Just stay right where you are so you don’t trip over anything. I’ll find the switch, I’m sure.” But after what feels like an eternity of patting down the wall, I still haven’t met with any luck.
    I hear Gina moving closer now. “You can’t find it?” she asks in a small voice. “What if the attic is haunted, Tori?”
    â€œHaunted!” I cry. “Don’t be ridiculous.” But deep down, though I hate to admit it, I’ve always had a touch of that same silly fear.
    â€œMaybe we should call for help,” suggests Gina. “Somebody’ll hear us and--”
    â€œNo,” I say firmly. “Believe me, that’s just what they want us to do.”
    â€œWhat who wants us to do?”
    I sigh. “Whichever one of my dumb brothers did this to us.”
    â€œYour brothers?” she asks in surprise.
    â€œWelcome to my life, Gina.”
    â€œWell, what are we going to do then?”
    I think for a second. “Let’s find the top of the stairs, and then sit and scoot down them. That way, we can’t trip and fall.”
    â€œOkay,” Gina agrees slowly. “I guess.”
    It doesn’t take me long to figure out where the stairs are, and then I hold my hand out for Gina. She finds me and squeezes my palm, and we sit down together, side by side.
    Thump, bump, thump, bump. We make our way cautiously down the staircase, scooting like toddlers and probably getting the seats of our jeans all gross and dusty.
    At last, we reach the bottom, and I jump up, grateful to see the crack of light coming through the door there. I reach for the doorknob and twist it, but it doesn’t fall open the way I expect. I twist it again, harder this time and shift my weight against the door, but it doesn’t budge. “Gina,” I hiss, “we’re locked in!”
    â€œOh, no,” she moans. “I just want to get out of here. We have to call for help now.”
    I agree. I lift my fists above my head and bang loudly and insistently on the door. “Somebody unlock the door!” I shout. “Me and Gina are in here!”
    Gina joins me, pounding on the wood with her arms. “Help us!” she yells. “Let us out!”
    After what feels like a few hours of banging and shouting, but what is probably only several minutes, we hear the click of the door being unlocked, and then it swings open, and my cousin and I tumble out into the hallway, straight into Dad.
    â€œGirls,” he says in surprise, “what were you two doing up in the attic and how--”
    â€œWe were trying on Mom’s old clothes to use for our Halloween costumes,” I explain in a rush. “And then suddenly the light went out and someone locked the door, and--”
    I am interrupted by the jarring sound of Joey snickering. He’s appeared in the doorway of his bedroom and is watching us with amused interest.
    I stab a finger through the air at him. “Joey did it!” I cry. “He sneaked upstairs and turned off the light and then locked us in the attic, Dad!”
    Dad turns to look at Joey, disappointment showing on his face. “Is that true, son?”
    My brother stares down at his gym-socked feet.
    That’s all the answer Dad needs. “You owe Tori and Gina an apology,” he says steadily. “It’s very dark up there, Joey. Without any light, the girls could have fallen--maybe even down the stairs--and gotten seriously hurt.”
    â€œYeah, Joey,” I add nastily.
    Dad gives me a look that says, “Let me handle this.”
    â€œI knew they wouldn’t get