Wanted (8 page)

I had to stop to catch my breath. Where was I? I didn't recognize the houses. The moon was still behind the clouds. Darkness covered the street signs.

Got to get control.

Got to do an act of kindness before I completely disappear and become this evil creature forever.

Up ahead, I heard a car door slam. I turned and saw a young man standing beside a small SUV. He was shaking his head and muttering under his breath.

I took a few steps toward him. As I came closer, I saw that he was staring down at a flat tire. Angrily, he slammed his fist on the car hood.

I walked closer. He gasped when he saw me. My face must have scared him.

“That's a really frightening mask,” he said. “You startled me.”

“Happy Halloween,” I grunted.

“Not too happy for me,” he said. “I'm miles from home and look.” He pointed to the flat tire.

I nodded. What did he want me to say?

He waved a cell phone in front of me. “My phone is out of power. I can't call anyone to come change the tire.” He squinted at me. “Do you have a phone I can use?”

I shrugged. “Sorry.”

“Hey, how old are you? Aren't you out awfully late by yourself?”

Why was this guy asking me so many questions? The anger started to build up inside me.

Stay calm. Stay in control.

“I'm going to a party,” I lied in my raspy voice. “A few blocks from here. My parents know where I am.”

He thought for a moment. “Would you do me a big favor?”

“Do you mean an act of kindness?” I asked.

That made him laugh. “Yeah, I guess. Could you stay here and watch my car? I've got a lot of valuable things in the trunk.”

“Stay here?” I said.

“Just for a minute or two. I'm going to run over to those houses over there and see if anyone will let me use their phone. I can't lock the car. The locks are broken.”

“No problem,” I grunted. “I'll wait here. It's an act of kindness, right?”

He nodded. “Yes. Thank you.” He squinted at me. “Isn't that mask really
tight
?”

“It's okay,” I said. “Really.”

“Okay. Be right back.” He took off running. I spotted a house with its lights on about half a block away.

I leaned my back against the SUV. I shut my eyes.

I'm doing an act of kindness.

If only I could fight off the evil power from the mask. The evil power that invaded my mind. I could feel it now, waves of evil, red-hot anger, muscle-gripping fury.

I gritted my teeth. I tightened every muscle in my body. I concentrated … concentrated on pushing back my evil thoughts.

But …

“Here's an act of kindness!”
I howled.

I bent down and gripped the flat tire in both hands. Then with all the strength of my unspeakable anger, I
ripped
the tire off the car!

I heaved the tire into the street. It bounced to the other curb.

Then I tossed back my head and laughed. I couldn't keep the horrible laughter inside me.

I could feel the blood pulsing in my veins now. Pulsing in my head. Throbbing like a crazy drumbeat.

I leaned over the rear tire, grabbed it — and ripped it off the car. I heaved it beside the other one.

Panting like an animal, I moved to the other side of the car. I pulled the other two tires off and slammed them to the ground.

I turned and saw the young man returning, walking slowly down a driveway.

Wiping my hands on the sides of my costume, I turned again and bolted away.

I heard him call to me, but I didn't look back. I ducked my head and ran into the late-night breeze. Ran to darkness.

Darkness.

Where I belonged.

How can I do an act of kindness when the evil of the mask overpowers me each time?

Is there a way to trick it?

I stopped when I recognized the house across the street from me. Polly's house. The lights still on. The living-room window glass shattered, glittering shards on the lawn.

Polly's house. Where my night of horror had started.

And where it was about to continue.

“What are
you
doing here?”

Polly's mother dropped the vacuum cleaner hose and glared angrily at me.

Polly had a plastic garbage bag in her hand. She was collecting pieces of glass and lumps of food off the floor. She had changed into jeans and a gray sweatshirt.

The living room was still a horrible mess. The food table still lay on its side. The rug was stained and spotted with food and spilled drinks. It looked like a hurricane had blown through.

Hurricane Lu-Ann.

“Go away, Lu-Ann,” Polly said through gritted teeth. “Why did you come back? You're not welcome here.”

“I'll call the police,” her mom said. “They were already here once. They couldn't believe the damage one girl could do.” She sighed. “My insurance company won't believe it, either.”

“You ruined my party,” Polly said in a trembling voice. “We all … we all just wanted to have some fun. And you ruined it!”

They both narrowed their eyes and scowled at me.

“I … I'm so sorry,” I murmured. “I came back to apologize. And to help clean up.”

“We don't want your help,” Polly's mom said.

“Why did you do it, Lu-Ann?” Polly asked.

“I … don't know,” I answered. “I can't explain it.”

“Do you
hate
me? I thought we were friends.”

“I don't hate you, Polly,” I said. “It's just …”

“Why do you still have that horrible mask on?” her mom demanded. “Take it off. It's not funny. It's making me sick. Really.”

“I can't take it off!” The words burst out of me. “Don't you see?” I screamed. “It won't come off!”

“That's not funny,” Polly said. “I thought you came back to help us. So why are you telling such a stupid lie?”

“It's not a lie,” I said, trying to calm down. “Look at me, Polly. Look —”

Her mom let out a long sigh. “Just go home, Lu-Ann. You've done enough damage for one night.”

She turned to the living-room window. Gusts of cold wind blew in through the open hole. “I can't get anyone out here this late to cover up the window. It's freezing in here. Look what you've done. Just look what you've done.”

“I can help,” I said.

She was right. I'd done a horrible thing. But she wasn't trying to understand. She didn't want to believe me about the mask. She said I was a liar.

A liar … a liar … a liar …

“I can help,” I said. “Watch.”

I picked up a long-handled broom. And I swung the handle into a table lamp. The lamp cracked and toppled off the table, shattering on the floor.

Then I swept the broom over the mantel, knocking all the little pumpkins to the floor. I walked over them and stomped hard on them, smashing their pumpkin goo into the carpet.

Then with my incredible evil strength, I
pushed
the tip of the broom handle into the back of the couch. It split the leather and slid right through the couch, and poked out of the other side.

“See how I can help?”
I screamed.

Polly and her mom were running around in frantic circles, shouting and wailing in a total panic.

“Go home, Lu-Ann! Go home! Go home! You're
sick
!” Polly shrieked, her face bright red, her eyes bulging in horror and disbelief.

Her mom grabbed the phone. I knew she was calling the police.

All I wanted to do was apologize and help them clean up the mess I'd made. But I couldn't control myself. The Haunted Mask was telling me what to do. Forcing me to do its evil.

I tipped over the coffee table. Then I picked up the vacuum cleaner cord and tore it in half.

Polly came charging at me and tried to tackle me. I spun away and darted to the stairs.

Breathing hard, I ran all the way up to the attic. The lamp was still on. The black-and-gold chest sat open near the wall. Costumes were strewn over the floor. The closet door was closed.

The closet …

Once again, I pictured the ghost inside the closet. The terrifying ghost that had grabbed me and tried to pull me inside.

Suddenly, I had a crazy idea.

I took a few steps toward the closet door, thinking hard.

That hideous old ghost … I never had a chance to warn Polly about him.

Maybe I could scare the ghost away. Maybe I could use the evil of the Haunted Mask to chase the ghost from the closet.

That would be an act of kindness for Polly and her mother, right? That would be an act of
unbelievable
kindness. The kind Marcus's dad was talking about.

My hand trembled as I reached for the closet door. But before I could pull it open, I heard a sound. I turned and saw Polly at the top of the steps.

She gazed around the long room until she found me. “Lu-Ann, hear those sirens?” she said. “Those are the police. Coming for you.”

Yes. I could hear them. Very faint. Far away. But getting closer.

I didn't have much time. I squeezed the handle to the closet door.

Polly came running toward me. “What are you doing? Lu-Ann, get away from there. The police will be here in minutes. You can't hide in that closet.”

“I … don't want to hide,” I murmured. “I'm going to do you a big favor. There's a ghost —”

I tugged the closet door open.

Polly burst up beside me. “Get away. Get out of here.”

“Wait,” I said. “I —”

I didn't get to finish my sentence.

A bony hand shot out of the darkness of the closet and wrapped its skeletal fingers around Polly's shoulder.

“Huh?” A startled cry escaped her throat as a second hand grabbed on to her.

The old ghost appeared in the closet doorway with his cracked skull, patchy skin, and sunken eyes.
“So lonely
…” he groaned.

I saw him tighten his grip on Polly. Tighten it until she screamed.

“Help me! Oh, help! He's got me! He's pulling me! Help me! He's pulling me into the closet!”

And as I stared, frozen in horror, the disgusting old ghost gave a hard tug.

And Polly vanished into the darkness.

“Hahahahahaha!”

A burst of evil laughter escaped my throat. I tossed back my head and laughed.

No, Lu-Ann. Fight the evil. Fight it.

I clamped a hand over my mouth, struggled to hold in the laughter.

Fight the evil, Lu-Ann.

I forced myself to move. I lurched forward and stumbled into the closet. Blinking in the dark, I spotted the old man, now with his hands around Polly's waist, pulling her … dragging her deeper into the closet.

“So loooooonely
…” he moaned.

“No way!” I shouted.

I wrapped my arms around Polly and pulled her free. Then I leaped at the old ghost. Tackled him around his bone-hard waist.

A squeak escaped his ragged throat.
“The mask … Nooo … The mask …”
He went down hard.

I heard the crack of bones. He let out a soft wisp of air. One leg cracked and split off his body. It came sliding out from his black pants leg.

I lifted myself off him. In time to see his head crack in two. It rolled off his bony neck. Rolled against the wall with the sunken eyes staring straight up.

He didn't move.

Polly stood with her hands wrapped around her chest. Shaking. Eyes rolling in her head.

I grabbed her gently and led her out of the closet, into the light of the attic. “You're okay,” I whispered, smoothing her hair off her face. “Polly, you're okay now.”

“Thank you, Lu-Ann,” she said.

I grabbed at the mask over my face. I knew I had done it. Saving Polly from the ghost
had
to be an act of unbelievable kindness.

I tugged both sides up.

Come off. Come OFF.

I fumbled for the bottom of the mask. Struggled to lift it up. To slide the tight, hot mask up my face.

No.

Not happening.

Please … please come off!

Saving Polly wasn't enough. Or had Mr. Wright lied? Had he given me the wrong solution?

No. Why would he do that?

He was an expert on all kinds of masks. He would know how to remove the Haunted Mask.

I tried one more time. I tugged at it. I twisted it. I pinched it hard and pulled.

Noooooo.

The mask was my skin now. My skin. My hideous green skin.

The sirens grew very loud. The police were on Polly's block now. Seconds away.

I took off running. Down the two flights of stairs. Through the back hall and out the kitchen door.

I ran as fast as I could, the sirens blaring in my ears.

Faster … Faster …

I ran to the street. Ran past houses and yards. Ran till I saw only a stream of dark colors all around me. Ran under the cold glow of the Halloween moon.

Ran … Ran …

But to
where
?

Where could I go?