What Scares You the Most? (7 page)

The woman's voice lingered in April's ears.

The same slow, sad song in that strange language. The same woman with her low, throaty voice.

“No! No! It can't be!” April wailed. “This can't be happening to me!”

She ripped the disc player from her waist and heaved it to the ground. Her legs were trembling too hard to jog.

She held on to a lamppost, struggling to calm her racing heart. Then she turned and began walking unsteadily home.

 

An hour later April stood in the front hall at school, arguing with Pam.

“Pam—I begged you to cancel the assembly!” April said. “I—I really don't want to talk about the island. You know that I—I—”

Pam rolled her eyes. “April, the whole school is waiting to hear you,” she said.

She took April's hand and began tugging her to the auditorium. “I went to so much trouble setting this up,” Pam said. “I did this whole thing for
you
.”

“But I—I just can't,” April protested. “You know I've been having problems. And—”

Pam didn't seem to hear her. She tugged April to the auditorium.

I should have stayed home today, April thought. But I thought coming to school would take my mind off the island.

I completely forgot about the assembly Pam set up.

How can I do this? What if something terrible happens to me in front of the whole school?

“It will be easy,” Pam said, holding open the auditorium door. “Just talk about what the games were like and what you did on the island. Then Mrs. Harper wants to give you some kind of medal or something.”

She pushed April into the auditorium.

April swallowed hard as she saw that all the seats were filled. The whole school was there.

A man raised a camera as she walked in, then flashed her picture. Blinking from the sudden light, April followed Pam to the stage. Kids broke into applause as they saw her.

“Well, our special guest has arrived,” Mrs. Harper, the junior high principal, announced, beaming. She motioned to April, and the applause grew even louder.

She was standing at a podium in the center of the stage. And surrounding her were four tall cardboard cutouts of palm trees.

“We even built a set for you this morning, April!” Mrs. Harper said. “To make you feel at home.”

April stared at the brightly painted palm trees. A chill ran down her back. She took a deep breath and made her way across the stage to the podium.

“I think many of you know April Powers,” Mrs. Harper said, leaning over the microphone. “Well, April recently returned from an exciting adventure on a tropical island. And this morning, we've asked her to tell you all about it.”

Another round of applause as April stepped behind the podium. She felt a tingle of nervousness in her chest. Her mouth was suddenly dry.

But she was a good speaker. She didn't get stage fright.

She and Pam competed on the debate team to see who could speak the best. Of course, Pam had to win every competition. But April believed she was just as good a speaker.

Gripping the edges of the podium, she leaned forward and began to tell about her trip to the island. She started at the beginning, with the invitation letter she received from the organization called The Academy.

She told her audience about the boat ride to the island. About meeting Donald Marks, The Academy
leader. About her teammates and the Life Games competition.

As she talked, April started to relax. It's going very well, she told herself. I think the kids are really enjoying my stories.

As she talked about the kayak race around the island, she glanced at the clock at the side of the stage. Have I really been talking for twenty minutes? she asked herself.

She took a long sip of water from the glass on the podium. “I guess the strangest thing about the island,” she continued, “was the blue rocks. There were hills of these rocks. They were smooth and dark blue. And the strangest thing about them was they were always cold to the touch—even under the broiling hot sun.”

“We had a rock-climbing contest on those rocks,” April said. “A race up to the caves at the top. And I—”

April stopped when she heard the loud
chop
.

It seemed to have come from behind her.

She turned to the sound—and saw a chop mark in one of the cardboard palm trees.

Chop
.

Another loud, cutting sound. This one to her right.

She spun to see that another tree had a cut in its trunk.

Chop. Chop
.

Chop
.

The frightening sound repeated.

“Just like that night!” she cried into the microphone. “Just like that night in the forest!”

April didn't want to look at the cardboard trees with their ugly chop marks.

She closed her eyes tightly—and a picture formed in her mind. She could see herself on the island. She was walking through the woods with Kristen, Marlin and Anthony.

They were lost. Hopelessly lost. And then they heard it.

Chop
.

Chop
.

Chop
.

The chopping sounds surrounded them. Echoed through the forest. Came at them from everywhere at once!

Chop
.

Chop
.

Chop
.

“It—it's happening again!” April screamed.

She opened her eyes and saw Pam at the side of the stage, staring at her, mouth hanging open in shock. April saw the puzzled faces of kids in the audience.

I've got to try to continue, she thought. The whole school is watching me.

She cleared her throat. “A terrible storm came up,” she began, shouting over the chopping sounds
all around. “The storm came out of nowhere and—”

The stage lights flickered overhead.

Lightning! April thought.

Lightning overhead.

A dim, frightening memory floated at the edge of her mind.

I saw lightning flashing over someone. Someone stood close to me—someone terrifying—and lightning flashed.

The stage lights flickered again.

April turned to the side of the stage—
and saw her
!

The woman! The woman in the blue cloak!

Running across the stage to capture her.

“Come with me!” the woman called. “April, come with me now!”

“THERE SHE IS! THERE SHE IS!” April shrieked into the microphone. She pointed with a trembling finger at the advancing woman.

“Now I remember!” April cried. “Now I remember everything!”

The auditorium rang out with startled cries as the stage lights exploded. Lights burst apart. Glass shattered and fell to the stage.

“Come with me, April!” the woman called.

“NOOOOO!” April wailed.

Kids screamed as April leaped off the stage.

She landed hard on the concrete floor. Her knees bent and she almost fell.

Pain shot up her legs. But she kept her balance and took off, running up the long auditorium aisle.

“Stop her!” Mrs. Harper was shouting from the stage.

But the startled kids in the audience didn't move. April ran up the aisle and out the door. Her heavy
footsteps echoed in the empty front hall.

A secretary from Mrs. Harper's office called out to her. “April? What's wrong?”

April kept running. Out the front door. Into the bright, sun-drenched morning. Everything glowing. Gold and bright blue and green.

She ran into the colors.

Where was she running? She didn't know.

She wasn't thinking. She lost all sense of time, of where she was, of what was happening.

It was as if she were moving through a dream of bright, shimmering colors.

And then strong hands grabbed her from behind.

She's caught me! April thought.

April spun around. “Pam!”

“April—what happened? Where are you going?” Pam cried breathlessly.

“The chopping sounds—” April gasped, struggling to catch her breath.

Pam's face twisted in confusion. “The
what
?”

“The lightning—” April croaked.

“You mean the lights popping?” Pam asked. “Yeah. That was weird.”

“And she was there, Pam,” April said. “She was there. Running after me.”

“You mean Mrs. Harper?” Pam asked, still holding on to April's shoulders. “Yes. I saw Mrs. Harper running across the stage to you. She thought you were having trouble.”

“NO!” April protested. “It wasn't Mrs. Harper! It was the woman in the blue cloak. The woman from the cave who—”

“Calm down,” Pam said gently. “Please. Let me take you back to school. Maybe the nurse—”

“No!” April tugged free of Pam. “I—I can't.”

“You know, you probably shouldn't go back to the island,” Pam said suddenly.

“Huh?”

“I'm really worried about you, April. I don't think you could handle the reunion. I think I should go in your place. I really do.”

The two girls stared at each other, both breathing hard.

Finally, April spoke. “You're a real friend,” she said bitterly.

Then she turned and ran.

“April—wait!”

She heard Pam's shout, but she didn't turn back. She ran back into the bright colors of the day. Floating over lawns and streets.

Where am I going? she asked herself. It's as if I'm being pulled…Pulled away from school. Pulled somewhere new. Pulled out of my own control.

At times she slowed to a walk to catch her breath. Then she would run again.

Not looking. Not seeing anything but the shifting colors. The clear sky above, clear as the ocean waters. The trees, waving in a soft wind like the palm
trees on the island.

I'm not on the island, she told herself. I'm back home.

The island is thousands of miles away from here. Thousands…

So why am I running? Where am I going?

And then she heard a voice calling to her. A boy's voice, sounding very far away.

“April…April…” He called.

April stopped running. She glanced around. She didn't see anyone. “Who's there?”

“April…it's me!” the voice called.

“Huh? Marlin?” Again she gazed in a circle. “Where are you, Marlin?”

“Help me, April!” he called. So far away. His voice a whisper on the wind. “Come back for me. You have to come back for me!”

A chill prickled the back of April's neck. “Marlin? Come back? What do you mean?” she called shrilly. “Where are you? Marlin?”

Silence now.

April stood trembling, waiting for the voice to return.

Silence.

She leaned over, pressed her hands against her knees, and waited for her heartbeat to slow. Then she stood up and glanced around.

I'm at a mall, April realized. But which mall? I don't recognize it. This isn't the Applegate mall.

How did I get here? Why don't I remember?

Her throat ached. Her mouth was so dry, she couldn't swallow.

Across the aisle, two women with shopping carts were staring at her.

I've been running so long, I must look horrible, April thought. She brushed back her hair with both hands and straightened her bangs. Or maybe those women are wondering why I'm not in school.

Well, I'm wondering too, she thought unhappily.

She wiped the sweat off her forehead with the back of her hand. A sign a few stores down caught her eye:
YE OLDE ICE CREAM PARLOR
.

I've got to get something to drink, April thought. She made her way into the small restaurant—all white, white as vanilla ice cream—white walls, white ceiling, white tables, and white booths.

She ordered a raspberry iced tea and a bottle of water. Then she started to carry her tray to a table.

But she stopped halfway across the restaurant—and stared at a girl sitting alone in the back booth.

I know that girl, she thought. She looks so familiar.

And then April screamed, “Kristen—what are
you
doing here?”

Kristen had an ice cream sundae in front of her. She dropped her spoon to the table, and her mouth opened in shock as April came hurrying over to her booth.

“April?” Kristen cried. “No way! I don't believe it!”

She jumped up, and the two girls hugged as if they were old friends.

“This is impossible!” April exclaimed. “Impossible! What are you doing here?”

“We don't have school today,” Kristen explained. “My mom dropped me off here at the mall. I'm meeting some kids at the movie theater later.”

April set her tray on the table and slid into the white booth across from Kristen. “But—but—” She felt too shocked to speak.

Kristen laughed. “Calm down. Look at you. You're drenched with sweat.” She handed April a paper napkin. “What's your problem anyway?”

“I—I've been running,” April replied. She mopped
her forehead, then her cheeks. “But I don't believe you're here. I know you don't live in Applegate.”

“Applegate?” Kristen squinted across the table at April. “You're kidding—right? This isn't Applegate. This is New Town Village.” She picked up the spoon and took a chunk of chocolate ice cream.

April's mouth dropped open. She tried to say something, but only a squeak came out.

Kristen spooned up her sundae, staring hard at her, studying her.

“New Town Village?” April finally managed to speak. “But that's two towns away from Applegate.”

Kristen nodded. “So?”

April felt panic tighten her throat. “I—I must have run all the way. I don't remember. I mean, that's so far. What time is it?”

Kristen glanced at her watch. “Two-fifteen. Hey—are you all right? Did you really run through two towns? Why? Why did you do it?”

April stared back at her, thinking hard.

Kristen reached across the table and squeezed April's hand. “April, you're shaking!”

“I don't know why I did it,” April murmured. “I…I don't know.”

And then the room began to spin in front of her. The white walls, the white floor, the white booths…

“April? Hey, April?” Kristen was squeezing her hand. “What's up with you?”

“I…don't know,” April said. She took a long
drink of the iced tea. “Everything is crazy, Kristen. Crazy and frightening. Did you get your invitation to the reunion?”

Kristen nodded. “Are you going?”

“I really don't want to,” April replied. “Since we got back from the island, the strangest things have been happening to me.”

Kristen spooned up the last of the chocolate syrup in her sundae bowl. She set the spoon down and gazed hard at April. “Strange things? Like what?”

And then it all burst from April in a breathless stream of words.

She told Kristen about that morning—the chopping sound behind the cardboard trees, and the lightning, and the woman in the blue cloak on the stage. And about the woman singing in her headphones. And hearing Marlin call to her for help. And the night the police found her on the playground rock hill.

When she finally finished, her heart was pounding. April gulped down the iced tea.

“You think I'm crazy—don't you?” she said, returning Kristen's stare. “You think I've totally lost it.”

“No way,” Kristen said softly. Her expression grew solemn. “The same things have been happening to me.”