The Second Evil

  The cheer ended with an enthusiastic shout, and each of the five girls performed a flying split, their legs shooting out as they leapt into the air one at a time.

  “Pretty good. Pretty good,” Miss Green, the advisor called out with her usual restraint, hands on the hips of her gray sweats, her expression thoughtful A compact woman with frizzy brown hair and a somewhat plain face, Miss Green had a husky voice that always sounded as if she had laryngitis.

  “Try it again,” she told them, “and this time get more height on those jumps. And enunciate. I want to hear consonants, guys! We’re not entering the Mumbling Olympics.”

  On the other side of the gym, Coach Swenson was blowing his whistle. The shrill sound echoed off the tile walls. Corky watched the basketball players form a line to practice running lay-ups.

  She turned her attention back to the cheerleaders, who were in position to do the cheer again. As Corky’s eyes moved from girl to girl, a flood of memories washed over her, holding her in place, frozen against the doors.

  There was Kimmy, the captain, her round face pink as usual, her black crimped hair bobbing on her head as she enthusiastically jumped into place and checked to make sure the other girls were lining up correctly.

  Beside her stood freckle-faced, redheaded Ronnie, looking like a kid in gray sweat shorts and a white sleeveless T-shirt, whispering something to Debra.

  Debra smiled slowly, her cold blue eyes lighting up. Beside her, Megan Carman and Heather Diehl, best friends who always seemed to be together, were chatting animatedly.

  Kimmy blew a whistle and the cheer began.

  Corky watched them run through it again. It was crisper this time, and the flying splits were higher. Ronnie started hers too soon and landed awkwardly, but everyone else was right on the money.

  As the cheer ended, Kimmy noticed Corky. She jogged over. “Hi! You came!”

  “Yeah. I’m here,” Corky said, smiling. “The routine looks excellent!” She took a few steps away from the door.

  A basketball bounced toward them. Kimmy caught it on the bounce and tossed it back to Gary Brandt, who was waving for it across the floor.

  “Good to see you, Corky. We’ve missed you,” Miss Green said, joining Kimmy. She turned back to the others. “Hey, look who’s here!”

  “Are you coming back?” Heather asked, as the girls surrounded Corky. They all began asking her questions at once.

  “Give her a break!” Kimmy cried, laughing. She whispered to Corky, “Hey, it’s like you’re a superstar or something.”

  “With Corky back, we can do the diamond-head pyramid,” Megan said excitedly. “You know, the way you and Bobbi showed us.” She blushed, instantly regretting mentioning Bobbi’s name.

  “We can try,” Corky said quickly, seeing how uncomfortable Megan was. She smiled at her. “But it’s going to take me a while to get in shape.” She patted her stomach. “Pure flab. I feel as heavy as a bag of potatoes.”

  “You look great!” Kimmy gushed. The others quickly agreed.

  Did Miss Green coach them to encourage me? Corky suddenly wondered. Or are they really happy to have me back?

  Only Debra seemed unenthusiastic. As Corky went over to the wall to toss down her backpack, she saw that Debra was following her.

  “I can feel it,” Debra said quietly.

  “Huh?” Corky propped the backpack against the wall near the other ones lined up there and turned to face Debra.

  “I can feel it right now,” Debra whispered, her intense blue eyes staring into Corky’s. She nervously fingered the crystal she wore around her neck.

  “Feel what?” Corky asked edgily. She felt nervous enough coming back to the squad. She didn’t really need Debra acting so mysterious, did she?

  “The evil spirit,” Debra whispered, glancing at the other cheerleaders, who had begun practicing round-offs.

  “Debra—” Corky started.

  “I’m not trying to scare you,” she said sharply. “But I’m into these things, Corky. I know the evil is here. In this gym. I can feel it.” She clasped the crystal so tightly, her hand turned white.

  Corky turned her eyes to the other girls. “Let’s discuss this later,” she said. “I really need to talk to you about it. But not now.”

  “Okay.” Debra looked hurt. “I just thought you’d want to know.”

  Kimmy blew her whistle. Corky saw Miss Green standing in front of her glassed-in office in the corner of the gym. She was watching them, a curious expression on her face.

  “Corky, come on!” Kimmy called enthusiastically. She turned to the others, pushing her hair away from her eyes. “We’ll work on round-offs in a little bit. Let’s run through that same cheer so Corky can try it. You know it, don’t you, Corky?”

  Corky shook her head. “Not really. I just saw you do it twice. I could try to pick it up as we do it.”

  “Good,” Kimmy said, flashing her a warm smile. “It’s pretty simple, actually. Try it.” She motioned for Corky to get in line.

  Corky could feel her heart flutter as she took her place at the end of the line, next to Heather. “Here goes nothing,” she said aloud to herself.

  Heather gave her an encouraging pat on the shoulder. “Just watch me,” she said, smiling. “Then you’ll be sure to mess up!”

  She and Corky burst out laughing.

  Everyone’s being so nice to me, Corky thought happily. But then her smile quickly faded.

  Everyone’s being so nice. It’s hard to believe that the evil spirit may be hiding inside one of these girls.

  “Okay. Ready?” Kimmy stepped forward to inspect the line, then moved back in place. “On three. One. Two. Three.”

  “Hey, you!” the cheer began, followed by two loud, sharp claps.

  “Yeah, you!” Stomp, stomp.

  Corky shouted out the words, watching Heather to get the rhythm.

  I think I can get into this, she thought.

  And then the screaming began.

  A girl shrieking in horror, so loud, so frightening. So close, as if she were right inside Corky’s head.

  The cheerleaders’ voices faded as the hideous noise drowned out everything.

  Corky covered her ears with her hands, but the shrieking continued.

  “Help her! Somebody help that girl!” Corky cried closing her eyes tight, trying to shut out the terrifying screams.

  Opening her eyes, she saw that the girls had stopped cheering and were all staring at her in open-mouthed confusion.

  Chapter 8

  Corky Is Captured

  “Corky, what’s wrong?” Kimmy rushed over to her.

  As soon as the cheering stopped, the screaming stopped too. Corky blinked hard, her heart pounding. She felt dizzy. Even though the shrieks had quieted, the sound echoed in her mind, refusing to fade.

  Kimmy gently gripped Corky’s shoulders. “What happened? Are you okay?”

  Corky’s eyes moved from one startled face to another. “Didn’t you hear the screaming?” Corky asked.

  Heather and Megan shook their heads and glanced at each other. Debra stared hard at Corky. Ronnie lowered her eyes. Miss Green had disappeared into her office before the cheer began.

  “We didn’t hear anything,” Kimmy said softly. “Do you want to go sit down?”

  “No.” Corky shook her head and forced a smile. “Guess I’m hearing things.”

  “Really. Sit down. Get yourself together,” Kimmy urged, gesturing toward the sidelines.

  “No. Let’s start again,” Corky insisted.

  Debra was fingering her crystal, squeezing it in her fist. When she saw Corky looking at her, she tucked it back under her T-shirt.

  “Really,” Corky insisted, stepping back into the line. “I want to try it again.”

  Reluctantly Kimmy moved back to the other end of the line. Ronnie asked her a question. Kimmy shrugged. The other girls moved into place.

  I’m going to do this, Corky told herself. I’m going to succeed.

  She arch
ed her back, straightened her legs, and waited for Kimmy’s count»

  I’m going to do it this time.

  But as soon as the girls started cheering, the frightening screams returned.

  Again. Again. A terrified girl in some kind of terrible trouble. High-pitched, shrill—screaming for her life. Inside Corky’s head.

  “No! Please, please!” Corky cried, covering her ears, dropping to her knees.

  The cheer stopped. So did the screams.

  Kimmy reached down, took Corky’s hand, and gently helped her to her feet. “Corky, what is it?”

  “The screams. I heard them again,” Corky managed to stammer, her voice breaking.

  The gym spun in front of her. At the other end of the floor, some of the basketball players had stopped practicing and were asking what the problem was.

  It was all a blur to Corky now. A blur of colors and hushed voices.

  Kimmy led her gently to the wall. “Do you have a headache?” she asked.

  “No,” Corky said uncertainly. “I don’t think so. I mean—I just heard someone screaming.” She stared at Kimmy. “You really didn’t hear it?”

  Kimmy shook her head. “I’ll go get Miss Green. Maybe we should call a doctor or something.”

  “No!” Corky said sharply. “I mean—no doctor. I’ll be okay. I’ll just sit down and watch for a bit. Then maybe I’ll do some round-offs with everyone. You know—limber up.”

  What am I saying? she asked herself, the brightly lit gym still spinning in front of her. I’m babbling like an idiot.

  What is happening to me?

  Her face taut with worry, Kimmy spread out her coat for Corky to sit on. “You want some water or something?” Kimmy asked.

  Corky could see the other girls huddled together, talking excitedly. They’d steal quick glances at Corky, then look away, shaking their heads.

  They all think I’m crazy, she thought glumly.

  “Corky, can you hear me?” Kimmy asked, standing over her.

  “Oh. Uh … sorry. No, thanks. I don’t need water.” She stared up at Kimmy, forcing a smile. “I’ll be okay. Go ahead—do the cheer. I’ll watch.”

  Kimmy turned and started to jog back to the others.

  What is that strange smile on Debra’s face? Corky wondered. Debra was once again fingering the crystal on her neck. Her smile was smug.

  Why does she look so pleased? Corky asked herself.

  Debra caught Corky staring at her, and whirled away.

  Kimmy shouted for the girls to line up. “Everyone ready?”

  Seated on Kimmy’s coat, Corky pressed her back against the tiles of the gym wall She shut her eyes and took a deep breath.

  “Hey, you!” The girls began the cheer.

  The hideous screams returned.

  So loud. So close.

  Corky leapt to her feet, trying to locate the screaming girl.

  No one there.

  The cheerleaders continued their cheer. But the terrified shrieks drowned out their voices.

  “No!” Corky shrieked. “No!” Covering her ears, she ran to the door.

  The screams followed her as she pushed open both doors and burst out of the gym—into the arms of the young man with the strange gray eyes who had chased her in the Fear Street cemetery.

  Chapter 9

  “Don’t You Know Who I Am?”

  With a loud gasp, Corky stared up into his startled face.

  His eyes really were gray. Like those of a ghost. Like monster eyes.

  He gripped her arms tightly above the elbow.

  He was wearing a brown leather bomber jacket. The leather felt cool against her arms. His breath smelled of peppermint.

  “Let go!” Corky cried, regaining her voice.

  His strange eyes narrowed. His expression changed from surprise to menace.

  “Let go!” She pulled back out of his grasp.

  “Hey!” he cried angrily.

  She spun around and started to run, her sneakers thudding hard on the concrete floor.

  “Stop!” he shouted, his voice reedy, high-pitched.

  Who is he? Corky wondered. Why is he following me? How did he find me?

  She glanced back and saw that he was chasing her, his expression angry, his arms out as if preparing to grab her.

  She ran wildly past a blur of lockers and up the stairs at the end of the corridor.

  “Stop!” he called, close behind her. His boots pounded thunderously over the floor.

  At the top of the stairs Corky gasped in a mouthful of air, turned to the right, changed her mind, took the corridor to her left, running as fast as she could.

  “Help me! Somebody!” she called breathlessly.

  But the hall was deserted. The wall clock read four twenty-five.

  “Somebody—please!”

  She glanced back to see him emerge at the top of the stairs. He looked to the right, then spotted her in the hallway to the left.

  “Wait!” he called and began running toward her, his expression hard, angry.

  She uttered a low cry and turned the corner, searching frantically for a hiding place.

  An idea flashed into her mind—she could duck into an open locker and pull the door shut. But the lockers on both sides of the hall were all locked.

  “Hey!” She could hear him calling to her. He was about to turn the corner.

  A sharp pain stabbed her side. She sucked in a mouthful of air, her mouth dry, her forehead throbbing.

  I can’t keep running, she thought, hearing his footsteps near the corner. She hurled herself through an open classroom door to her right and pressed her back against the wall.

  Had he seen her? Would he burst in after her?

  Seeing the long tables, the tall stools, the Bunsen burners and other equipment, Corky realized she had ducked into the science lab. She wanted to call to Mr. Adams—sometimes he stayed late, grading papers in the small office at the back.

  But she could hear the footsteps of the young man right outside the lab door. She couldn’t call out. She could only hold her breath and pray, her back pressed against the wall, her side still aching with pain, her forehead still throbbing.

  Would he run past the door—and keep on running?

  Would he give up and leave?

  She listened hard.

  His footsteps stopped. “Hey!” he called.

  He was just outside the lab door.

  Corky shut her eyes and silently repeated, “Don’t come in, don’t come in, don’t come in …”

  She heard him hesitate.

  She heard him kick a locker door.

  Would he notice the open lab door? Would he look inside? Would he see her standing there, hiding from him?

  If he came in, she’d have no way out, Corky realized.

  She’d be trapped. Trapped like one of the mice Mr. Adams kept in the cages on the windowsill.

  “Don’t come in, don’t come in, don’t come in …”

  And then she heard him begin to run again. She heard his heavy boots heading on down the hall.

  Corky moved away from the wall, allowing the breath she had held so long to escape her body in a loud sigh.

  He’s leaving.

  He’s heading down the hall.

  I fooled him.

  Leaning against a lab table, lowering her head, she took a slow, deep breath. Then another.

  She raised her head and listened.

  Silence.

  She waited.

  Silence.

  She waited to hear him return. But the hall remained silent. “I’m okay,” she said aloud. “I’m okay.” Except that her knees trembled and her head still throbbed.

  She took a reluctant step toward the door—and a bell went off in the hallway right outside the door. Like a metallic siren, it clanged out four-thirty.

  Corky jumped, startled. She backed into a lab table with a hard jolt. “Ow!”

  When the bell finally stopped, the silence seemed deep and heavy.

  “I
needed that,” she said sarcastically. “Stupid bell.”

  Her heart still pounding, she made her way to the lab door, then stepped cautiously out into the silent hallway.

  A hand grabbed her shoulder roughly from behind.

  The young man spun her around. His almost blank eyes burned into hers.

  “Let go of me!” Corky cried in a tight, high voice she didn’t recognize.

  “We have to talk,” he said. “Don’t you know who I am?”

  Corky shook her head. “No. Who are you?”

  His eyes narrowed. He tightened his grip on her shoulder.

  “I’m the evil spirit,” he told her.

  Chapter 10

  “I’m Your Evil Spirit”

  “Huh?” Corky’s mouth dropped open. She could feel her knees start to buckle.

  He was gripping her with both hands now, staring into her eyes, studying her face—studying her fear.

  “I’m the evil spirit,” he repeated, smiling for the first time.

  “No,” Corky whispered. “Let me go. Please.”

  To her surprise, he let her go. She toppled backward into the wall. She rubbed her arms, uttering a soft cry.

  “You really looked scared,” he said, the lower half of his face covered in shadow. His eyes continued to stare at her like two car headlights coming out of the darkness. “I think you really believed me for a moment”

  “Why—” Corky waited for her heart to stop thudding. “Why did you say that? Who are you, really?” She pressed her back against the wall, her eyes darting down the hall as she thought about an escape route.

  “You ran away from me as if I were the evil spirit,” he said. “You were scared of me. You were terrified, weren’t you? And you had good reason to be!”

  “Who are you?” Corky repeated impatiently.

  “I’m Jon Daly,” he told her. “Jennifer’s brother.”

  Corky uttered a cry of surprise. “Her brother? I didn’t know she had a brother.”

  “Now you do, and now you know why I followed you,” Jon said, enjoying her shock.

  “No,” Corky told him, her voice trembling. “No, I don’t. Why did you follow me? Why did you chase me?”