Stage Fright, page 9
The time on her phone read two forty-five, which seemed impossibly early. Maybe the clock wasn’t working right, either. So much had happened since her plane landed twelve hours ago, it felt like days had passed. Not only had she discovered countless ways her friends had changed, but she herself—scaredy-cat Avery, of all people—had suggested a séance. They’d snuck into an abandoned theater late at night. They’d seen a terrifying ghost. And now they were trapped with that ghost, a ghost that at best wanted to mess with them and at worst wanted to do them harm. Whether it could control rats or imitate their sounds, Avery had no clue. But she knew the ghost was somehow responsible for Jaylen’s fall. A fall that could have killed him.
Avery examined Jaylen’s sleeping face, which had grown up so much since she’d moved away. He might be even more handsome than Russell. The thought made her smile. Jaylen would be thrilled to best his brother in any way. Paige had probably noticed Jaylen’s appearance changing, too. Maybe that was why she kissed him.
Avery’s smile faded as the reality of that kiss sank in again. To her, Jaylen would always be the talkative buddy she’d walked to preschool with, the sweet friend who’d helped her pull out her first loose tooth when she’d thought she couldn’t take the pain, the enthusiastic teacher who’d coached her to jump off the high dive at age nine, even though she’d been terrified. As tough as he’d been acting today, Jaylen’s heart was unbelievably kind. They had to get him out of this place and to a hospital.
A thump came from the ceiling above her. Every muscle in Avery’s body tensed, until she heard another thump and another. Okay, it was only Tyler and Paige’s footsteps as they checked the second floor for fire alarms.
Her gaze landed on the foam heads lining the makeup counter. There was quite a variety of hair represented—a long, red, wavy mane; a short, boyish blond one; a dark, cropped, curly one. Behind the heads, the mirror reflected a costume rack near the door. What if Maddie’s ghost lurked amid the voluminous gowns, spying on her, waiting for the chance to pounce?
Avery pushed off the couch, frustrated. She needed to keep her mind occupied or her imagination would spiral out of control. She spotted a play program on the makeup counter. Perfect. She picked it up.
The cover was identical to the Hamlet poster from the lobby. Even in smaller form, the skull gave Avery the creeps. She hastily flipped to the first page.
The program began with an open letter from the leader of the Midnight Players. It detailed their mission—how they hoped their productions would bring culture, entertainment, and joy to the community. Avery felt a pang of sadness. The players never would’ve guessed how their theater company would come to an end.
She skipped the note about the playhouse’s renovation and focused on the photos of its grand reopening. The auditorium, with the frescoes vibrantly painted and the cupid sculptures intact, was dazzling and welcoming, not at all like the depressing space only a hall away from her. One photo featured a beaming woman onstage wearing a colorful fringed scarf draped dramatically around her neck. The caption identified her as the theater season’s director, Maddie’s mom. In the background, a curly-haired blond girl peeked around the side curtain. Maddie, Avery thought. She brought the program closer to her face and studied it. Maddie definitely had a mischievous glint in her eyes. But not mischievous in any evil way, more like playful. She appeared poised to scamper across the stage and surprise her mom. Avery’s heart sank and she quickly turned the page.
The next section was about Hamlet and its history. Avery skimmed through until she caught a mention of the “graveyard” scene and then read with interest. Apparently, it was the most famous scene in the play, the part where Hamlet the prince says the famous words “To be or not to be, that is the question.” She vaguely remembered her mom telling her that the point of the scene was that everyone dies. No matter how rich or poor anyone is in life, everyone ends up in the same place—the grave.
Avery shuddered. She didn’t need to think about death right now.
She reached the last pages of the program, where the entire team was credited. Scanning through the short paragraphs, her attention landed on the props master, Alexandria Jones. Her bio described how eager she was to explore the Midwest as a lifelong New Englander. She enjoyed finding props at estate sales, in old attics and garages, and in specialty shops. Her favorite discovery was a cauldron from Massachusetts that she planned to use someday in the witches’ scene from Shakespeare’s Macbeth. Avery wondered where Alexandria had found the skull.
She scrutinized the small photo next to the bio. The props master was an older woman, dressed in a cloak-like black dress and shawl. Her eyes were oddly intense. Unnerved, Avery closed the program and dropped it on the counter.
A low laugh erupted behind her. She twisted around.
Jaylen lay on his side, his elbow bent, head propped on his hand, glaring at her.
“Oh!” Avery clamped her hand to her chest, startled. “How’s your ankle?”
His mouth stretched into that same, awful jack-o-lantern grin from the séance, although there was no candle under his chin.
“Avery,” he whispered, unblinking. “The rats are all around us.”
“What?” She jumped from the stool, raising her arms out from her sides, palms spread, ready for combat. “Where?”
“They were on the stage,” Jaylen said. “Under that cloth you put over the skull.”
Avery straightened out of her useless pose. “They were?”
“I saw the cloth wiggling. And heard the rats squealing.”
He winked at her.
Avery gave him the side-eye. “You did?” Something was not right with him.
“Yes. The rats are everywhere.” Jaylen rapped sharply on the wood-paneled wall next to him. “In fact, they’re hiding in here right now.” He slid his right foot onto the floor as if he wanted to stand.
“Don’t get up.” Avery darted over to him and placed her hands on his shoulders. His body temperature was surprisingly cold through his T-shirt. Was that another symptom of shock? His creepy grin stayed in place.
“Okay, Jaylen.” She used the soothing voice she put on whenever Julia had a nightmare and needed to go back to sleep. “You should lie down and get some rest. We’re going to get you out of here.”
He allowed her to press him back against the pillows but raised an eyebrow. “Really.” The word wasn’t a question.
“Yes.” Avery grabbed a frayed, crocheted throw from the other couch and draped it over him. “Tyler and Paige went to find all the fire alarms and pull them. Then help will come.”
Jaylen’s laugh was so quick and harsh Avery almost wondered if she’d imagined it. “Good luck with that,” he said. “We’ll be rat food before anyone ever finds us.”
Avery reared back. “Jaylen!”
“You know it’s the truth.” He pulled one of his braids. “We won’t last for more than a few days without food or water.”
“Nope. No.” Avery gritted her teeth. He was saying out loud the fears she’d been fighting to smother. She would not listen. “That’s not going to happen.”
“The rats will get us,” he continued, “and only bones will be left by the time they find us. We’ll be exactly like the skull.”
“Stop it,” Avery snapped. She slammed shut the corner of her mind that argued he might be right. Nope. Jaylen was obviously delirious with pain and talking nonsense. She channeled Tyler again. In the tech booth, he’d been convinced they’d be rescued. “In the morning, someone will come by and we’ll yell—”
“You don’t believe that,” Jaylen said.
Avery stiffened. Was she that transparent? “Sure, I do.”
He sighed and stuck out his lower lip like a toddler. “I wish I could go back onstage.”
“Why? Would you feel better near the ghost light?” Avery asked. On one hand, when the ghost light was functioning right, it kept the ghost away, so the stage wasn’t a bad place to be. On the other, the light wasn’t exactly reliable, and the ghost hadn’t found them in the dressing room. It could be best to stay hidden offstage.
“No.” Jaylen laid back, his hands behind his head. “I want to play.”
“Play what?” Avery said hesitantly, reminded of the ghost’s awful invitation on the phone. “The piano?”
“That’s for me to know and you to find out.” His voice was a childish singsong. Goose bumps broke out all over Avery’s skin.
She rubbed her arms to stop the tingling and rolled her eyes. “Okay, sure.” If she focused on how annoying he was being, she wouldn’t be scared.
“Actually, you should go play, Avery.” Jaylen’s mouth settled again into that joyless smile. “Go have fun onstage.”
Avery forced herself to casually flop onto the other couch. “Yeah, no, I’m gonna stay here with you.”
“Suit yourself.” Jaylen began to hum a tune. It sounded familiar to Avery, but he was so off-key, she couldn’t pick up what it was. She watched the door. Where the heck were Paige and Tyler?
They sat without speaking for a few minutes. Then Jaylen’s humming ceased. He’d fallen asleep again. His eyes moved frantically behind his closed eyelids, back and forth, back and forth.
The movement reminded Avery of something. Something that had recently happened. But what?
She caught her breath.
It reminded her of Maddie pacing on the balcony.
Panic filled her. What if…what if Maddie’s ghost had somehow possessed Jaylen? The ghost could be pranking them by disguising itself as one of them. Jaylen was acting completely unlike himself. They’d already witnessed a ghost in real life. Was the idea of possession so far-fetched?
She needed Tyler and Paige. Why weren’t they back yet?
Avery rose and tiptoed to the doorway. The hall was deserted, but the glow from the ghost light spilled from the wings onto the floor. A slight sound drifted through the air. She tilted her head and listened. It was the tinkling of piano music. The name of the tune popped into her head: “Rock-a-Bye Baby.” Avery flashed back to their hike through Crawley Woods, from what seemed like days ago. That had been the song that Duke Olsen’s cousin claimed to hear coming from the theater.
Now that she thought about it, that was the same song Jaylen had hummed moments ago.
Avery’s skin crawled. “Paige?” she called shakily. “Tyler?”
No one answered. The piano music continued.
A burning curiosity ignited inside her. Who was in the auditorium? She took one step forward, inexplicably drawn to the stage. Her rational mind told her not to go anywhere. But Jaylen was okay; he was asleep. She’d only be gone a second.
Avery crept along the hall. “Paige?”
A shadow crossed the light spread across the hall floor in front of her. Someone had passed in front of the ghost light onstage.
“Is that you guys?”
The piano music abruptly cut off. A new sound began, a low rumble. Avery couldn’t understand what it could possibly be.
The séance candle that she’d lost onstage slowly rolled from the wings into the hall and halted. Avery froze. Where had it come from? She held her breath, waiting for its next move.
The candle leisurely retreated into the wings and out of sight. Avery had a desperate urge to chase it. She stepped forward, drawn to the stage.
Something banged behind her. Avery whipped around as Tyler and Paige emerged from the stairwell.
“What are you doing, Aves?” Tyler asked.
“I…I…” Avery shook her head, fighting to clear her sudden confusion. “I don’t know…I thought…”
Paige moved to her and grasped her arm. “Are you okay? Is Jaylen?”
Avery started to tremble. That was right, she’d heard music coming from the auditorium. But Paige and Tyler had come from the other direction. Neither of them could’ve been at the piano only seconds before. She put her hand on the wall to steady herself. “Did you guys hear that?”
Tyler stared at her. “Hear what?”
“Never mind.” Avery tried to get a hold of herself. Now the ghost was playing tricks on her. Or was she imagining it? Maybe she was hearing things, like Jaylen. “I’m fine. Did you guys find anything?”
Tyler exhaled dejectedly. “We found a couple more fire alarms, one in the lobby and one upstairs. We pulled them, but nothing happened.”
“How’s Jaylen?” Paige asked.
“He’s asleep.” Avery hesitated. “He’s saying weird stuff.”
“Like what?” Tyler asked.
“Um, well, he basically said we were going to end up rat food. He’s kind of freaking me out, actually.” Avery stopped herself from sharing her suspicions. Jaylen might be possessed, but she didn’t have enough proof to say that for a fact. She had to learn more before she discussed it at all. The last thing they needed right now was more arguing.
“I told you, he’s in shock,” Paige said.
Tyler stilled. “I wonder if he got a concussion when he fell.”
Avery hadn’t thought of that. “Oh no. Then he probably shouldn’t be asleep, right?”
All three of them rushed to Jaylen and woke him up. He blinked at them, his gaze focused but distant. Paige held his hand, begging him not to drift off.
“Fine, fine,” Jaylen said grumpily.
Tyler flopped down on the opposite couch. “Okay, let’s try to get some rest,” he said. “Everything will look better in the morning.”
“Sleep?” Avery huffed. “How can I sleep?”
“Just lie down, then,” Tyler said. “No sense in exhausting ourselves. There’s nothing we can do until morning. Someone will come by. I know it.”
“Is it safe to go to sleep?” Paige eyed Jaylen apprehensively. “One of us should stay up with him, right?”
“I’ll keep watch and make sure he stays awake,” Tyler said. “We’ll take turns. You guys sleep for now and I’ll wake one of you up in an hour or something.”
Avery relaxed the tiniest bit. Even if Tyler was faking his composure, it helped to know someone was taking the lead.
There was no way she’d sleep, though.
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
Somewhere, someone laughed, a high-pitched cackle. Avery’s eyes snapped open. She peered around the dimly lit room, confused. Where was she?
Paige snored lightly next to her on the same lumpy couch, but this wasn’t the Sernetts’ basement. Someone else leaned forward on a chair—oh, it was Tyler—his head of shaggy hair rested atop his folded arms on a desk of some kind. A cell phone near his elbow shone its light straight up at a water-stained ceiling.
Avery shot upright, a stream of images flooding her brain: The paneless basement window framing black space. The open-mouthed ghost falling at her. The skull peering around the tombstone.
Worst of them all: Jaylen flat on his back under the open hole in the stage.
Oh no. Tyler had fallen asleep. What about Jaylen? Avery whipped around to face the other couch.
Jaylen lay there peacefully, eyes fixed on the ceiling, his fingers tapping on his legs like he was drumming to music in his head. He seemed fine. She should let Tyler sleep and be the person on watch for now. Avery checked around the room to make sure everything else was okay. Her breath hitched.
Beyond Tyler’s elbow, nestled among the blank-faced wig heads, lurked the skull.
Avery screamed.
“What?” Paige jerked, limbs flailing.
Tyler jolted awake. “I’m up!”
Avery pointed a shaking finger at the skull. “Look!”
“What the—” Tyler scooted backward in the chair, its feet screeching across the floor.
Paige shrieked. “How’d that get in here?”
“I don’t know!” Tyler rubbed his eyes. “I must’ve fallen asleep. I’m sorry!”
The same high-pitched cackle that had awakened Avery burst from Jaylen’s mouth. She turned on him. “Did you bring that skull in here?”
Jaylen swept his hands toward his elevated foot. “Uh, no. I can hardly walk.”
A terrible mixture of rage and anxiety churned inside Avery. Had Maddie’s ghost truly possessed him? “Then what’s so funny?”
Jaylen shrugged. “This whole situation.”
The skull watched, its lipless mouth grinning on, like it was pleased with their bickering.
“Do something, Tyler!” Paige yelped.
Tyler sprang forward, reaching for the skull.
All of a sudden, a howling wind blew in from the hallway, slamming the door to the wall, pinning Avery and Paige to the couch and almost knocking Tyler flat. But he pushed ahead, regaining his balance, and seized the skull. He spun right, then left, like he didn’t know what to do, then broke for the lockers. Battling the wind, he wrestled open the nearest locker, hurled the skull inside, and closed the door. The wind abruptly ceased.
Jaylen snorted with amusement.
“What is happening?” Tyler asked, his hair blown every which way.
“Did the ghost move the skull?” Paige whispered.
“I told you guys.” Avery’s voice quavered. “It’s playing games with us. It said it wanted to, and it is.”
“But I don’t want to play games,” Paige whimpered.
“This room is too small.” Tyler began to pace. “I don’t feel safe in here anymore.”
“Nowhere is safe,” said Jaylen ominously.
“Cut it out,” Avery said to him. “You’re not helping.” Whoever you are. She glared at him. He smirked back.
“I don’t want to stay here with the skull,” Paige said.
Avery pictured it inside the locker, spying on them through the vents in the metal.
Tyler pulled his T-shirt away from his neck. “It’s hard to breathe in here.”
