What a Ghoul Wants Read Online Free PDF Page B
Author: Victoria Laurie
if it was rattling on its hinges.
It was as if someone. . . or some
thing
had just launched itself right into the door at full force. The low rumble picked
up again, and I didn’t wait around for that door to break down and whatever was behind
it to come out and get me. I bolted.
Just as I reached the intersection to my hallway, I heard another tremendous crash
and the sound of splintering wood. Whatever had been in that room was now breaking
out of it.
I rounded the corner and ran like my life depended on it—which, let’s face it, it
probably did. I dashed down the hallway listening for the sound of that door giving
way, but all I heard was that terrible low growl, until one last crash and a tremendous
boom let me know the door had given way.
As I ran, the lights above me went out one at a time the moment I passed underneath
them, and I could feel that I was on the verge of being plunged into total darkness.
Ahead I could see our door; it was still slightly ajar and one light was still lit
in the hallway, drawing me like a beacon. I was just a few yards away when I heard
that terrible rumble again, followed by the sound of something
very
big giving chase.
I could hear the pounding of its feet charging toward me. It sounded as big as a tiger,
but I dared not look back. I kept my focus on making it to the door of our room and
used my arms to pump faster and faster. Even as I tore down the corridor, I could
feel a bone-chilling cold engulf me and its appearance was so startling that it almost
caused me to stumble.
Somehow I managed to keep my footing and ran as if my feet had wings.
“Heath!”
I cried as the bitter cold wrapped itself around me and threatened to freeze me from
the inside out.
“Heeeeeeeeeath!”
The pounding footfalls of the thing giving chase drew nearer and nearer. Whatever
it was, it was faster than I was. Abject terror seeped into my bones like that frigid
cold, and as I opened my mouth to scream, the last bulb went out overhead, enveloping
me into total darkness.
Behind me the footfalls sounded like they were right on top of me now, and just as
I was about to be tackled, a light inside our room came on and the door pushed open,
flooding the hallway with light, and Heath stood in the doorway looking at me as if
he could hardly believe his eyes.
I barreled into him, throwing us both into the room, and somehow reached back to slam
the door behind us. “What the. . . ?” he gasped as my momentum shoved him right onto
the bed.
“Shhhh!” I whispered, shivering while I whipped around to throw the dead bolt. A second
later whatever was giving chase slammed right into the door with such force that I
was knocked back off my feet.
Chapter 2
I fell right into Heath, who grabbed me around the waist, twisted on the mattress,
and pulled me to the floor. He then tugged me around the far side of the bed, positioning
me as close to the far corner as possible, before putting himself and the bed between
me and the door. I wrapped trembling arms around him, and from over his shoulder I
watched the door with thundering heart and heaving lungs, waiting for whatever had
slammed against the door to strike again.
I could see the wood had splintered from the force of whatever had hit it, and the
screws in one hinge appeared to have been compromised. Another solid slam and the
whole thing would give way.
But the seconds ticked by and nothing else happened. Still, we huddled in that half-crouched
position for many minutes, waiting and watching, but only silence filled the room
and the hallway beyond.
At last Heath turned to me with big wide eyes. “What the
hell
was that?”
I could only shake my head. I had no earthly idea.
Slowly he helped me to my feet and sat me down on the bed, where he ran a hand over
my cheek and studied me with grave concern as if he was looking for any sign of injury.
Finally he said, “Tell me
It was as if someone. . . or some
thing
had just launched itself right into the door at full force. The low rumble picked
up again, and I didn’t wait around for that door to break down and whatever was behind
it to come out and get me. I bolted.
Just as I reached the intersection to my hallway, I heard another tremendous crash
and the sound of splintering wood. Whatever had been in that room was now breaking
out of it.
I rounded the corner and ran like my life depended on it—which, let’s face it, it
probably did. I dashed down the hallway listening for the sound of that door giving
way, but all I heard was that terrible low growl, until one last crash and a tremendous
boom let me know the door had given way.
As I ran, the lights above me went out one at a time the moment I passed underneath
them, and I could feel that I was on the verge of being plunged into total darkness.
Ahead I could see our door; it was still slightly ajar and one light was still lit
in the hallway, drawing me like a beacon. I was just a few yards away when I heard
that terrible rumble again, followed by the sound of something
very
big giving chase.
I could hear the pounding of its feet charging toward me. It sounded as big as a tiger,
but I dared not look back. I kept my focus on making it to the door of our room and
used my arms to pump faster and faster. Even as I tore down the corridor, I could
feel a bone-chilling cold engulf me and its appearance was so startling that it almost
caused me to stumble.
Somehow I managed to keep my footing and ran as if my feet had wings.
“Heath!”
I cried as the bitter cold wrapped itself around me and threatened to freeze me from
the inside out.
“Heeeeeeeeeath!”
The pounding footfalls of the thing giving chase drew nearer and nearer. Whatever
it was, it was faster than I was. Abject terror seeped into my bones like that frigid
cold, and as I opened my mouth to scream, the last bulb went out overhead, enveloping
me into total darkness.
Behind me the footfalls sounded like they were right on top of me now, and just as
I was about to be tackled, a light inside our room came on and the door pushed open,
flooding the hallway with light, and Heath stood in the doorway looking at me as if
he could hardly believe his eyes.
I barreled into him, throwing us both into the room, and somehow reached back to slam
the door behind us. “What the. . . ?” he gasped as my momentum shoved him right onto
the bed.
“Shhhh!” I whispered, shivering while I whipped around to throw the dead bolt. A second
later whatever was giving chase slammed right into the door with such force that I
was knocked back off my feet.
Chapter 2
I fell right into Heath, who grabbed me around the waist, twisted on the mattress,
and pulled me to the floor. He then tugged me around the far side of the bed, positioning
me as close to the far corner as possible, before putting himself and the bed between
me and the door. I wrapped trembling arms around him, and from over his shoulder I
watched the door with thundering heart and heaving lungs, waiting for whatever had
slammed against the door to strike again.
I could see the wood had splintered from the force of whatever had hit it, and the
screws in one hinge appeared to have been compromised. Another solid slam and the
whole thing would give way.
But the seconds ticked by and nothing else happened. Still, we huddled in that half-crouched
position for many minutes, waiting and watching, but only silence filled the room
and the hallway beyond.
At last Heath turned to me with big wide eyes. “What the
hell
was that?”
I could only shake my head. I had no earthly idea.
Slowly he helped me to my feet and sat me down on the bed, where he ran a hand over
my cheek and studied me with grave concern as if he was looking for any sign of injury.
Finally he said, “Tell me