Read Online May Bird and the Ever After by Jodi Lynn Anderson - Free Book Online Page B

already leaped against it many times, hoping that his brute strength wouldopen it. This was a rare tactic for Somber Kitty, more doglike than a cat would care to admit, and now he licked his shoulders and back in an ashamed and embarrassed way. Then he meowed desperately at the gap above, hoping May would hear him.
    Though he was too distraught to notice it, the lake had begun to glow behind him and a figure—stretched out into eight points—was visible just below the surface, watching him. It seemed to be waiting for the right moment to strike.
    Bubble. Bubble.
    Somber Kitty’s ears perked up, and he straightened his whiskers, though he did not look behind him. He stared at the door in a deceptively calm manner as his muscles began to coil. Behind him something else was coiling too, ready to launch itself out of the water.
    Somber Kitty leaped at the same time the water demon did, its long wet arm whipping at the ground where, a second before, the cat had crouched. With a yowl Somber Kitty went hurtling through the gap above the door, scraping his belly and dragging his legs as he came tumbling down on the other side.
    When he landed, he was in a dark hallway.
    He was also on all fours.
    May took a few running steps and crashed into solid brick wall.
    â€œOw.” She threw a hand to her aching forehead and backed up, staring at the graffiti-covered bricks that had appeared before her.
    Glowing spray paint scrawled words across the wall: BO CLEEVIL IS WATCHING, ANTONY LOVES CLEO. Across the top, up several stories above May’s head, in giant, glowing blue letters, asign read SPECTROPLEX. May pushed on the bricks, then pounded on them.
    â€œNo,” May cried, the tears finally spilling onto her cheeks. “I don’t want to be dead, I don’t want to be dead.”
    â€œOh, don’t do that! You’re being too loud!” Pumpkin grabbed her by the waist, sending another cold zap through her. He looked over his shoulder at a group of skeletons that lingered by the edge of the water, guiding people into the boats. They all wore exactly the same long robe and each held a staff. It was too much. May’s head swam.
    â€œHere,” Pumpkin slid out of his jacket and placed it over her shoulders. “M-M-Maybe it’ll tone you down. We have to get out of here.” The jacket felt light as air, and when May tried to touch it, her hands went right through it. But it stayed on and gave her a glow that was, she noticed, pretty flimsy compared to the other spirits on the beach. “Oh, thank goodness. There’s a boat over there, see?” May looked. On a deserted stretch of beach far to the left, a tiny boat clung to the edge of the sand, lifting gently with the ripples of the water. “Um, you should probably keep your head down and stay next to me.” Pumpkin froze, flinging his hands up over his eyes. “Oh no, I can’t do it.”
    He shrank back against the wall. “This is just too much to ask of one spirit. If Arista was here . . .”
    May sucked in breaths, wiping her eyes. “Who’s Arista?”
    â€œIt doesn’t matter. We’re doomed for sure. I think . . . oh, yes . . . I’m having an asthma attack.” Pumpkin started wheezing.
    â€œGhosts have asthma?” May asked doubtfully.
    Pumpkin looked at her, startled, and the wheezing came to anabrupt stop. “Good point.” He crouched deeper against the wall and chewed on his fingers.
    May looked out across the sand at the boat and slumped against the bricks. She turned to rest her head against the wall, but seeing something there, she backed up.
    It was only one word, and the paint looked so old and faded that it could have been there forever. It simply read: HELP.
    May dipped into her pocket, and her hands closed around the soggy ball of her letter. It was still there. If this was all real, then her letter was real too. Help. She traced the word on the bricks with her