Blair’s head rolled about as blood continued to flow from her mouth, down the front of her uniform.
Her teammates ran over to huddle around her. Two girls put their arms around her waist.
Horrified shrill voices rang out. “Where’s the doctor?”
“Somebody help her!”
“Her teeth! Her teeth are broken!”
“Stop the bleeding!”
“Her lip…it’s cut wide open!”
And then Blair’s anguished cry rose up over the other frantic voices. “Somebody tripped me!”
At first Corky assumed she hadn’t heard correctly.
But Blair repeated her accusation. “Somebody tripped me!”
The cheerleaders in the bleachers had all jumped to their feet. The rumble of distressed voices rose to a roar.
Leaving a smeared trail of blood on the floor, Blair was half carried and half walked out of the gym. The judges and Blair’s teammates moved her quickly toward the medical office down the hall.
As they passed beside her, Corky heard Blair repeat her accusation, the words burbling out like the blood from her mouth. “Somebody tripped me! Somebody tripped me!”
Repeated over and over like some kind of tragic cheer.
And then Blair was gone. Only the smeared trail of blood remained under the hot white glare of the spotlight.
Corky stared at the floor until it became a white blur. Then she forced herself to lift her eyes and focus down the row on Kimmy.
To her surprise Kimmy was staring back at her, the strangest look on her face.
Chapter 10
The Scissors Again
“Let’s do the diamond-head pyramid,” Kimmy suggested. “That’s always a winner.”
Corky stared at Kimmy in surprise. The other girls cheered enthusiastically.
It was the next afternoon, a gray, overcast day of low-hovering clouds. But inside the gym spirits were as bright as ever. The afternoon practice was under way—cheerleaders in shorts and T-shirts were beginning to work on routines for the evening competition.
“Kimmy, are you sure—?” Corky started, but her words were drowned out by loud chants from the squad a few feet away.
Suddenly gripped with fear, Corky remembered the last time they had performed the diamond-head pyramid. She and Bobbi had taught the squad how to do it. It was complicated and dangerous with three girls standing on the bottom, two girls standing on their shoulders, and one girl on top of them.
When they were in position, the girls all performed liberties, posing with one foot raised to their heads. Then the top girl did a tuck jump into the arms of the girl on the right end.
We haven’t done the pyramid since that night, Corky thought with a shudder. The night I was on top. When I made my jump, Kimmy deliberately let me fall.
She wanted to kill me.
She was inhabited by the evil spirit and she wanted to kill me.
Why is she suggesting we do the pyramid again tonight?
“Kimmy—do you really think it’s a good idea?” Corky asked, staring hard at her friend.
“Yes!”
“Let’s do it!”
“Let’s try!”
The others all voiced their enthusiasm.
“Let me be on top!” Hannah shouted eagerly, her pleas directed at Kimmy. “Please!”
“Okay. You’re on top,” Kimmy answered quickly.
Too quickly, Corky thought.
Is Kimmy planning on letting Hannah fall? Is that her plan? She’s already tortured Hannah. Is she intending to kill her too?
Corky decided she had to act. She pushed her way past Ronnie, who was struggling with a shoelace, and walked up to confront Kimmy.
“What’s going on?” Corky demanded. “I’ve always been on top in the pyramid.”
“Let’s give Hannah a chance,” Kimmy replied softly, almost innocently.
“Yeah—come on, Corky, give Hannah a chance,” Debra interrupted.
Wow, thought Corky, Debra has certainly become Hannah’s pal in a hurry. She turned her gaze on Debra. Fingering the crystal she always wore around her neck, Debra stared at Corky as if challenging her.
“I really think I should be on top,” Corky insisted, turning back to argue with Kimmy. “I mean, we only have this afternoon to practice. There really isn’t time to break in someone new.”
But Kimmy insisted: “Let’s give Hannah a chance.” And the other girls quickly agreed.
Corky backed off as Hannah flashed her a triumphant smile.
The smile cut Corky like a knife. It was a cold smile, a cruel smile. It said: I’m the star now…I’m the favorite now—and you’re nothing. No one wants to hear your opinion.
Dread swept over Corky. Staring at Hannah, she had a heavy feeling in her stomach. She realized her hands had suddenly become ice cold.
Hannah is doomed. The words flashed through Corky’s mind. Kimmy cannot be stopped. Hannah is doomed.
“Didn’t you hear me?” Kimmy’s shout interrupted Corky’s frightening thoughts.
“S-sorry,” Corky stammered. “I was just thinking…”
“Let’s try the pyramid,” Kimmy said. “We’ll practice the shoulder stand—in case anyone forgot.” She turned to Hannah. “Watch carefully. Corky and Debra will be in the middle. We’ll help you make your climb.”
“This is so exciting!” Hannah squealed.
“More exciting than you think,” Corky muttered under her breath.
“Corky—did you say something?” Kimmy asked, a challenge in her voice.
Corky shook her head no and stepped forward to demonstrate the shoulder stand.
A few minutes later five girls were in position and Hannah began to make her way to the top.
Balancing on Ronnie’s and Heather’s shoulders, Corky felt a chill run down her back. She forced away a shiver of dizziness.
Was Kimmy planning to drop Hannah now? In practice?
Or was she going to wait until the evening competition?
She wanted to warn Hannah, to tell her the truth, to tell her about Kimmy. But what was the point? She knew that Hannah would never believe her.
Hannah reached up with her hands. Corky grabbed them and tugged. Hannah’s hands were hot and wet. She was breathing noisily as she hoisted herself up and moved into position to the top of the pyramid.
“Excellent!” Miss Green called, jogging acros the gym. She had arrived late, but didn’t seem at all surprised to see the girls practicing the pyramid. “Hold it. Don’t move!” she shouted up to them, smiling. “Hannah, don’t move. Just get a feel for it—get a feel for your balance.”
“I’m fine!” Hannah declared. “This is easy! Really!”
“Okay. Liberties!” Kimmy instructed.
“Slow. Take it slow. Hold your balance,” Miss Green called.
Corky, Debra, Ronnie, and Kimmy slowly raised one leg each.
“Steady, Ronnie,” Miss Green urged. “Keep your other knee locked. All right, legs down.”
Corky could feel Hannah sway unsteadily above her.
She realized she was holding her breath. Is Kimmy going to drop Hannah? Is she?
Time seemed to slow, then freeze.
Corky finally exhaled, took another deep breath, and held it.
“Lean forward just before you begin your tuck jump,” Miss Green was telling Hannah.
“No problem,” Hannah declared.
“Debra will have to shift her weight and balance on one leg,” Miss Green instructed. “Then Kimmy will step out from under her and forward to catch you.”
“I get it,” Hannah called out. “I’m ready.”
“On three,” Miss Green said, her expression set, her eyes narrowed as she stared up at Hannah. “One…two…”
Kimmy stepped forward to catch Hannah.
Corky closed her eyes.
“Three.”
Corky felt the pressure on her shoulder as Hannah pushed off for her jump. She saw Kimmy step forward.
C
orky opened her eyes in time to see Kimmy catch Hannah easily.
Smiling happily, Hannah bounced to the floor, clapping.
The pyramid collapsed. Corky jumped down, feeling another shiver of dizziness.
Everyone was cheering and congratulating Hannah.
Miss Green, usually somber faced, was smiling too. “Take a five-minute break!” she called.
Corky began to make her way to the water fountain in the hall.
“Are you okay?”
She looked up to see Kimmy staring at her, concerned.
“Are you okay?” Kimmy repeated.
“Yeah, I guess,” Corky replied unsteadily. I don’t want a confrontation now, she thought. I can’t handle a confrontation with Kimmy now. “I’m okay.”
Kimmy stared at her coldly, her eyes glowing. “Good,” she said. “I’m glad. I think some people are in for a surprise tonight—don’t you?”
“This skirt is so wrinkled,” Kimmy said, holding the maroon and white cheerleader skirt up in front of her. “Think anyone brought an iron?”
Corky, brushing her hair in front of her dresser mirror, raised her eyes to examine Kimmy in the mirror. “It doesn’t look so bad.”
Hannah was in the shower. Corky could hear her humming to herself over the steady rush of water.
Shaking her head, Kimmy pulled the skirt on. “We’re late,” she said, adjusting the bottom of her sweater over the skirt. “We’re all late.”
“I’m almost ready,” Corky replied, setting down the hairbrush.
“What do you think is for dinner?” Kimmy asked, fluffing her black hair with both hands. “Hope it isn’t chili. After dinner last night I felt like I weighed a thousand pounds—I could barely get off the floor.”
“Yeah, I know,” Corky replied, reaching for her lip gloss.
“I’m going down,” Kimmy said, taking one last look at herself in the mirror, adjusting her skirt. “Meet you in the dining hall, okay?”
“Okay,” Corky told her. “I’ll only be a minute.”
Kimmy hurried out. As the door slammed behind her, the bathroom door opened, and Hannah stepped out, surrounded by warm steam, wrapped in a large maroon bath towel, her newly short black hair wet and dripping.
“We’re going to win tonight,” she said enthusiastically. “I just know it With Blair gone, the Bulldogs are out of it.” She sat down on the bed and began rubbing her hair with the towel.
“Blair won’t be cheering tonight?” Corky asked, having trouble clasping her watch on her wrist.
“No. Didn’t you hear?” Hannah replied from under the bath towel. “She went home. She had ten stitches on her lip, and she’s got to have dental surgery.”
“Too bad,” Corky said softly. She stood up and stretched.
Hannah dropped the towel, pulled on her underwear, then sat back down on the bed to put on her maroon uniform socks. Her back was to Corky.
“With Blair out of the way, we have to win!” Hannah declared.
Corky quickly pulled open her top drawer. Her hand fumbled through the T-shirts inside until she found the scissors.
Wrapping her hand around the handle, she lifted the scissors from the drawer.
Hannah was still talking excitedly about the competition, her back to Corky.
Raising the scissors like a knife, Corky took a step toward Hannah.
This is my chance to finish what I started, Corky thought.
Silently she made her way across the floor and stopped behind her unsuspecting roommate.
No more teasing, Corky thought. No more fooling around. This is it.
Goodbye, Hannah.
I can’t say it’s been a pleasure knowing you.
As Hannah leaned forward on the edge of the bed to pick up her other sock from the floor, Corky brought the scissor blade down quickly, aiming for the tender spot between Hannah’s shoulder blades.
Chapter 11
Corky’s Surprising Discovery
You’re dead, Hannah. You’re dead!
The door swung open.
“Would you believe I forgot the pom-poms again?” Kimmy said, hurrying in breathlessly.
Corky let the scissors drop to the carpet and quickly kicked them under Hannah’s bed.
Hannah spun around, surprised to find Corky so close behind her.
Feeling her face grow hot, Corky stepped back to her bed. A strong wave of nausea rose from the pit of her stomach. She held her breath, forcing it down.
Her head spun. She saw brilliant red lights. The entire room flashed, red then black, red then black.
Still struggling to fight down her nausea, she turned to Kimmy, who was searching the front closet. “I think you shoved the box over here, by our bed,” Corky said, pointing.
“Thanks.” Kimmy hurried over and picked up the carton. “Hey—aren’t you two ready yet? What’s taking so long?”
“I’ll be ready in two seconds,” Hannah said, pulling on her skirt.
“I…I don’t feel so hot,” Corky said weakly.
“Huh?” Kimmy’s mouth dropped open in surprise.
“Really,” Corky insisted. “My stomach. I don’t feel right.” She dropped down onto the edge of her bed.
The room flashed red then black, red then black.
She had a roaring in her ears, like a rushing waterfall. The back of her neck felt prickly and hot.
“You’re not coming to dinner?” Kimmy asked shrilly.
“I’ll be down as soon as I feel better,” Corky told her. “Tell Miss Green, okay?”
Another wave of nausea sent her running to the bathroom. She slammed the door behind her and gripped the sink with both hands. The porcelain felt cool under her hot, wet hands.
Her entire body convulsed in a powerful tremor.
Red then black. Red then black.
She shut her eyes, but the flashing colors continued on her eyelids.
The roar in her ears grew louder.
She thought she heard laughter, evil laughter, somewhere far away.
Suddenly the sink became scalding hot and, with a cry more of shock than of pain, she jerked her hands away.
Steam rose from the empty sink, putrid and thick, smelling of mold and decay. The porcelain shimmered and melted from the heat as she gaped in disbelief at it.
A hideous, low, gurgling sound rose from the drain, growing louder and louder until it became a moan.
Corky turned and ran. She burst out of the bathroom and threw herself down on Hannah’s bed.
The room was empty. Hannah and Kimmy were gone.
I nearly killed Hannah, Corky realized. I nearly murdered her.
And then the horrifying words pushed their way into her consciousness:
I am the evil one now.
Cold Fear
Chapter 12
Using Her Powers
Back in Shadyside, Corky could barely remember the last days of camp. Everything was a blur since she had discovered the awful truth. This Saturday afternoon found Corky in her room.
“Corky, what are you doing?” Her mother’s concerned voice called through the closed door.
“Just resting,” Corky called back, raising her head from the pillow. Dressed in faded jeans and a sleeveless yellow T-shirt, she had thrown herself onto her bed after lunch. Thoughts washed about in her head like unruly ocean waves—strange thoughts, thoughts that weren’t entirely her own.
“Are you sick?” her mother called in. “It’s not like you to rest on a Saturday afternoon.”
“I’m just tired,” Corky replied impatiently. “You know…from cheerleader camp.”
She listened to her mother pad down the stairs. Then she buried her head deep in the pillow, trying to drown out the roaring in her ears.
Cheerleader camp. What a dreadful week.
She stayed in her dorm room after she had made her horrifying discovery. She told everyone she was sick.
What choice did she have?
She couldn’t go to any of the workshops or practice
s; she couldn’t perform in the evening competitions. She was too afraid she might hurt someone.
Or worse.
She had stayed in bed when Kimmy or Hannah were in the room. She tried to talk to them as little as possible.
Miss Green got a doctor to come examine Corky. But, of course, he found nothing wrong.
Nothing wrong. What a laugh, she thought bitterly.
Sometimes the evil force faded a little. Sometimes it let her think clearly. Sometimes it gave her just enough time to herself to become afraid, truly afraid.
And then the roar, the endless roar would return, and her memories would leave her. And she would move in a world of deep red and darker black, and not remember.
Not remember anything at all.
Except the fear.
Lying on top of her bedcovers, tossing uncomfortably, feeling the weight of the ancient evil, she remembered everything now.
So clearly. Too clearly.
She remembered sitting in the coffeeshop with the other girls, making the pea soup spurt up over the table.
Why? Because they had teased her. And just because she could.
She remembered reaching out across the gym, reaching, reaching to trip Blair O’Connell. What a pleasing sight that was. And what a pleasing sound. That crack. That crunch. The sound of her face hitting the floor, her teeth breaking.
How satisfying, the shimmering red blood that flowed from her wounded mouth.
And there was more. More!
She remembered getting up in the early hours of morning, the sky still heavy with night. She remembered creeping to the desk drawer and silently removing her scissors. She remembered working carefully to cut off Hannah’s disgusting black braid. She remembered the soft, nearly silent snip snip as she moved the blade through the thick hair. And she remembered placing the severed braid neatly on top of Hannah’s covers so she would see it the moment she woke up.
That was fun.
But later her fun had been interrupted.
Kimmy burst in to spoil her fun, spoil her chance to murder Hannah.
That had made her so angry the roar had drowned out all her thoughts. She had disappeared inside herself, somewhere far away.