Shadow Girl (6 page)

Stan and I both dove for the door. We reached it at the same time and bumped each other hard.

I heard Jada’s footsteps on the stairs.

“Hurry—go!” I gave Stan a push. Then I stumbled out of the little room behind him.

“Selena—are you home?” Jada called.

“Yes. I’m up here!” I shouted.

I turned to the shelf and pushed the lever up. Would the bookcase slide closed before Jada saw us?

Stan ran down the hall and stopped Jada at the top of the stairs. “Hey—what’s up?” he asked. He was trying to sound normal and calm, but his voice cracked.

The bookcase slid shut.

I breathed a sigh of relief and hurried to join them.

“What are
you
doing here?” Jada asked Stan. Her blond hair was a mess, standing up all around her face. Her cheeks were bright red.

“He—he came to see you,” I chimed in.

“That’s right,” Stan agreed. “I forgot you were going ice-skating with Cindy.”

“What happened?” I asked. “How come you’re home so early?”

“Too windy,” Jada replied. She tried to brush down her hair with both hands. “Too windy and too cold. We’re going to try again Saturday afternoon.”

She and Stan disappeared downstairs. I went into the bedroom and started up the computer.

The night before, I had emailed Mom and Aunt Rose. I wrote that I couldn’t reach them on the phone. I pleaded with them to call me as soon as possible. I emailed Beth too, asking her why she had acted so weird.

Now I stared at the monitor screen. All three messages had been returned.
Undeliverable
, the computer said.

“What is going on?” I cried. I could feel tears brimming behind my eyes.

I picked up the phone and called Information. I asked for my mom’s number. I was desperate. It couldn’t be disconnected. It couldn’t!

The operator said the listing had been removed. I made her check three times.

Removed.

I can’t take this, I thought. I can’t take this anymore. This is
Crazy
!

I was frantic to talk to my aunt and uncle. But
they didn’t come home. Jada told me Aunt Janet had called to say that she and Uncle Will were having dinner in town and going to a movie.

Jada and I shared a frozen pizza. She talked to friends on the phone as we ate. She didn’t say a word to me. Then she disappeared to her room.

Later, I watched a sitcom on TV for a while, a rerun of
Sabrina
. Anything to take my mind off things. But I couldn’t concentrate on it.

Go upstairs and ask Jada about the secret room!
I ordered myself.
Just do it!

I took a deep breath. All day, I had been practicing what I’d say. But I ran through it in my mind one more time:

“Jada, I don’t want you to think I’m a horrible snoop or anything. But I found out about the secret room. And I saw the costume inside. I’m really sorry if it’s a big secret. But I have to know. What is it all about?”

With those words repeating in my head, I pulled myself up the stairs. And stepped into our room.

“Jada, I have to talk to you,” I said.

“Jada?”

She was gone.

I stood in the doorway, my eyes searching the room. The beds were unmade. The computer had been left on. A pile of Jada’s clothes blocked the door to the closet.

I stepped back into the hall. “Jada? Are you up here?” I shouted.

No reply.

She didn’t say she was going out. And I hadn’t heard her leave the house.

“Jada?”

I trotted down the hall to the bookcase. I put my ear against it and listened. No sound from the tiny room.

I hurried back downstairs. Checked the living room. Then made my way to the kitchen.

No sign of her.

I cupped my hands around my mouth and called one more time.

No. Jada had left.

“Weird,” I muttered. I pulled a Coke from the fridge and returned to my chair in front of the TV. The show clattered on, lots of shouting voices and loud audience laughter.

It was all a blur to me.

I don’t know how much time passed. Finally, I realized I had to snap myself out of my daze. “Maybe I’ll read a book,” I decided.

I clicked off the TV and climbed out of my chair. I started up the stairs to find a book—when the phone rang.

I darted into our room and picked up the phone. “Hello?”

“Selena? Oh, thank goodness!” Jada’s voice at the other end. But she sounded so strange.

“Jada? What’s wrong?” I asked, pressing the phone to my ear.

“I—I can’t answer any questions,” she replied. “I’m desperate. You’ve just got to listen to me!”

“Okay, okay,” I murmured. My heart started to thud. “Go ahead.”

“I have only a second, Selena,” she whispered. “They—they’re coming back.”

“Who?” I cried. “Jada—are you in trouble?”

“I can’t explain.” She was whispering so low, I could barely hear her. “I’m in terrible trouble. I’m being held prisoner.”

“
What?
” I shrieked.

“You’ve got to hurry,” Jada whispered. “You’re the only one who can help.
Listen to me!
”

My throat was suddenly so dry, I couldn’t swallow. “I am,” I choked out. “I’m listening.”

“Upstairs,” Jada said. “There’s a secret room. At the end of the hall. It’s hidden behind the bookshelf.”

I don’t believe it! I thought. She’s telling me about the hidden room.

But why?

“There’s a lever behind the big atlas,” she continued breathlessly. “Pull the book out, and you’ll see it.”

“Okay,” I said. “Then what?”

“The shelf will slide open. Go inside the room. Can you hear me?”

“Yes. Just barely,” I replied.

“I have to whisper,” she said. “I can’t let them hear me. They’re so dangerous. I—I don’t know what they plan to do with me.”

“Who?” I cried. “Who is it?”

“Listen. Go into the room,” Jada continued. “You’ll see a costume on a shelf. Put it on.”

“Huh?” I cried.

“Please—don’t ask questions. They’re coming back any second,” Jada whispered. “Put on the costume. The mask and everything. Put it on and hurry over here as fast as you can.”

She whispered an address.

My mind was spinning. I felt dizzy and sick.

“But how can I help?” I asked. “How can I rescue you?”

“Just walk into the house, Selena. When they see you in the costume, they’ll run. Trust me. You can do this. Just hurry.”

Jada gasped. “I hear them coming back.
Hurry!
I’m so scared!”

I stood for a long while with the phone still pressed against my ear, staring at the wall. Then I dropped the phone to the desk.

I’m not going to fall for this, I decided.

I’ve fallen for every one of Jada’s tricks. But not this time.

I know what this is about. She wants me to put on the costume and come running over to one of her friend’s houses. When I come bursting in, they’ll all have a big laugh at the geek in the stupid costume.

Well…no way. No way, Jada. How dumb do you think I am?

I gazed down at the phone. Once again I heard Jada’s whispered voice in my ear. So terrified. So desperate.

I shuddered. Was Jada that good an actress?

She really did sound scared.

What if this was real? What if it wasn’t a joke?

Jada had been sneaking out in the middle of the
night. What if she had gotten herself into some major trouble?

“Maybe Jada was telling the truth,” I told myself.

Yes. There was a chance that she really was being held prisoner. And that she was counting on me to rescue her. A chance that I was her last hope.

I have to follow her instructions, I decided. I can’t let something awful happen to Jada just because I didn’t believe her.

My legs felt as wobbly as Jell-O. But I forced myself down the hall to the bookcase. I tugged the big atlas off the shelf. It fell from my trembling hands and thudded to the floor.

I didn’t bother to pick it up. I pressed the lever down. Heard the hum start up—and watched the bookshelf slide away.

I didn’t wait for it to move all the way. I pulled open the hidden door and burst into the tiny room.

My hand fumbled for the light switch. I found it and clicked on the light.

“Hurry, Selena. Hurry,” I urged myself on.

I grabbed the costume off the shelf. The black tights fell to the floor. I picked them up and started to pull them on.

No. Oh, no. They’re not going to fit, I realized.

These are Jada’s, and she’s six inches taller than me, and so skinny.

I tugged them up. They were twisted, and I had to turn them as I pulled. To my surprise, they fit perfectly.

I grabbed the cloak and slid it over my shoulders. My hands were trembling so hard, it took me four tries to fasten the laces around my throat.

Hurry. Hurry
.

The oval pendant was heavier than I’d imagined. I slid the chain over my head and pulled the pendant into place.

The silky black mask slid from my hands. I picked it up and turned it until I found the front.

The eye holes were cut so narrow, shaped like cat eyes. Would I be able to see?

I tugged the mask down over my face. I struggled to adjust it over my hair. Then I twisted it until the eye holes were in front of my eyes.

The long black gloves were still on the shelf. I pulled them down and started to slide one on.

They’re probably way too small, I thought. Jada has such tiny, slender hands.

But to my surprise, the gloves also fit perfectly.

Done. The costume was complete.

There was no mirror in the little room. So I couldn’t see how I looked. But it didn’t matter. Jada’s whispered words repeated in my ear.

“
Just walk into the house, Selena. When they see you in the costume, they’ll run
.”

I pushed the long cape behind me and ran out of the hidden room. I pressed the lever, sliding the bookcase back into place.

I tore through the hall, then down the stairs. The
TV was still on in the living room. I pulled open the front door and leaped out.

A dark, moonless night. The cold air hit my face as I started to run to the street. Trees swayed in the strong gusts. A few doors down, I heard a baby crying. The lights went off in the house across the street.

Dead leaves crackled under my thudding boots. I stayed along the hedges, in the shadows, away from the street. I didn’t want anyone to see me in this weird costume.

What would they think?

I was breathing noisily, wheezing as I ran. I struggled to force back my panic. But I’d never been so terrified in all my life.

Who was holding Jada prisoner? Why did Jada think this costume would scare them away?

A thousand questions flew through my head, all of them frightening. I knew I wouldn’t have answers to any of them until Jada was rescued.

Rescued…

Rescued…

What if I didn’t get there in time?

The address Jada had whispered was a few blocks from the ice-skating pond.

I reached the house and stopped at the curb. I grabbed onto the mailbox. Held on to it with both hands as if it were a life preserver.

Leaning on it, I struggled to catch my breath. Struggled to slow my racing heartbeats. And waited
for my legs to stop throbbing.

Finally, I let go and stared across the small front lawn at the house. A low, ranch-style house. Completely dark. No lights anywhere.

No car in the driveway. No sign of life.

Could this be the right house? I squinted at the address on the mailbox.

Yes.

I started up the lawn. My long cape swirled behind me in the wind. It tangled around my legs, and I had to pull it loose.

My face was sweating under the mask. The mask made my cheeks itch. It stuck to my forehead.

I sucked in deep breaths, one after another. Forced my legs to move.

I stepped up to the front door.

Silence inside. The wind whispered behind me. Trees creaked and groaned.

My hand went up to push the bell. But I stopped myself in time.

I grabbed the doorknob. Inside the glove, my hand was wet and colder than the metal.

Was the door locked? I turned the knob. And pushed.

The door slid open silently.

I stared into more darkness. Blacker than the night.

Still not a sound.

I held my breath. Forced one leg forward. Then the other.

I stepped into the dark house. Warm inside.

I waited for my eyes to adjust. But I couldn’t see a thing.

Pulling the cloak around me, I took a trembling step. Another.

Another.

Into a dark hallway. My boots thudded heavily on the wooden floor. The only other sound was the shallow wheezing of my breaths.

I stepped into a room, darker and warmer. My eyes squinted into the blackness.

Jada, where are you?
I asked silently.
Are you here? Is anyone here?

A terrifying thought made me gasp: What if I’m too late?

I bumped into something hard. A table?

I heard a clattering sound. Scraping footsteps.

The ceiling light flashed on.

“Oh—!” I cried out as someone moved quickly toward me.

A figure in a bright red costume. A red mask over the face. A red cape, tight-fitting red tights and top.

I staggered back. “Who—who are you?” I cried.

“Shadow Girl, don’t you recognize me?” she sneered. “I’m Red Raven. I’m your archenemy!”

I backed into the wall. I stared in shock as the red-caped figure moved toward me. I recognized her voice at once.

“Jada—why are you in that costume?” I demanded angrily. “I don’t believe this! Is this another one of your mean tricks?”

She stopped and swung the cape behind her. “It’s not a joke,” she replied softly. Behind the red mask, her blue eyes lit up like jewels. “I’m not Jada when I wear this costume. I’m Red Raven. And you—”

“Stop it!” I shouted. “Give me a break. Why did you make me put on your other costume? Why did you make me come here?”

“It’s not my costume,” Jada replied sharply. “Can’t you figure it out, Selena? Look at the pendant.”

“Huh?” I lifted the oval pendant from my throat.

“Go ahead. Look at it carefully,” Jada urged.

Squinting through the eye holes of the mask, I
studied the oval pendant. I saw a face inside the glass. A photograph.

My
face.

“It’s not my costume,” Jada said, hands on her waist. “It’s yours. Didn’t you wonder why it fit so well?”

I swallowed hard. “Well…”

“It’s your costume, Selena,” Jada said. “It has always been here, waiting for you.”

“But—” I started.

Jada’s blue eyes flashed again. “And I really am your archenemy.”

I leaped across the room. And grabbed my cousin by the shoulders. “But that’s crazy!” I screamed. “Archenemy? What are you
saying
? We live in the real world. We don’t live in a comic book!”

She brushed my hands away. “There are all kinds of worlds in the real world,” she said softly. “Most people don’t know that.”

My head was throbbing. I stared at my cousin, trying to make sense of what she was saying.

“Don’t try to fight it, Selena,” Jada said. “This is your fate. This is what you were born to do.”

I saw sadness in Jada’s eyes. Or was it anger? “No! I—I don’t like this,” I stammered.

She sighed. “Now maybe you understand why I have always been so jealous of you.”

My mouth dropped open. “Jealous?”

Her voice broke. “Why do you think I’ve always
been so mean to you? Why do you think I played all those awful jokes to embarrass you?”

“You’re…jealous?” I repeated.

Jada sighed. “I wish that costume were mine. I’d give anything—
anything
—to be Shadow Girl. But that’s not my fate. Not my job.”

“Shadow Girl?” I repeated. “What are you talking about?”

“My job is to toughen you up,” Jada continued. “To harden you. To test you. To make you angry. To prepare you to be Shadow Girl. And then…to destroy you!”

“No!” I cried. “You’re crazy! You need help! You’re totally nuts!”

I pulled off the black mask and heaved it at her. “I won’t do this! I won’t! This is a joke! A stupid joke! I want to talk to my mother! I want to see her! I want to see her right away!”

Jada picked up the mask and began to fold it between her hands. “You can’t fight your fate,” she said softly.

“No! This doesn’t make any sense!” I screamed. “I’m twelve years old. I’m not a superhero!”

Jada sighed. She placed a hand on my trembling shoulder. “I wish I could help you,” she whispered. “But it is your destiny.”

“No—” I wailed. “I hate fighting! I hate superheroes! I don’t believe any of this! It can’t be true! It can’t!”

“Calm down, Shadow Girl,” a voice said from the doorway behind me. “You have to toss away your old life and accept the new.”

I spun around. “Aunt Janet!” I cried. “What are
you
doing here?”