Free The Spirit House by William Sleator Page A

empty.

10
    The hairs on the back of my neck lifted. But I did not remove my hand from the spirit house. My fingers raked across the bare boards. “It’s not here!” I peered frantically through the doorway. Inside there was no glint of chain or pendant, only darkness.
    â€œYou give. Spirit take,” Bia’s quiet voice came from behind me. “Too late change.”
    â€œNo! It’s not possible! ” I dropped to my knees, pawing at the grass underneath the spirit house. The pendant wasn’t there. “ You took it out!” I accused him.
    â€œDon’t be stupid. If I take, I not say anything.”
    That made sense. If he had taken it he would have kept quiet about the pendant, instead of calling attention to it. And when could he have taken it? I had been pretty distracted, but it seemed to me that he had been up in Dominic’s room from the time I had put it in the spirit house until Mom called them to supper. I jumped to my feet. “I don’t want to talk about it, think about it anymore, ever!”
    He shrugged, tall and elegant, and glanced at the spirit house. “Just remember—I not your friend now, Julie.”
    I turned and ran; I reached the deck just as Dominic was stepping out through the glass doors. “Telephone, Julie,” he said, and then stopped, staring at me. “What’s the matter?”
    â€œNothing.”
    â€œDominic!” Bia called from the yard. “What you want to tell me before?”
    â€œOh, that’s right.” Dominic stepped to the edge of the deck. “Guess what I found out today? About the computers at my school, and at the high—”
    â€œDom, wait, don’t!”
    But it was too late. “Computer?” Bia was saying, walking toward him across the lawn. “Computer at your school and high school? What about computer?”
    â€œOh, Dominic,” I groaned. He didn’t even hear me. He was already hurrying to tell Bia his discovery.
    But I was more worried about the pendant than the computers now. I trudged inside, wondering if I was going crazy. Had I only imagined putting the pendant inside the spirit house? But that wasn’t possible—I knew I had done it. Maybe one of the neighbor kids had stolen it. That had to be it. Or else a bird or squirrel had taken it. They liked bright shiny things, didn’t they? “It was a bird,” I whispered, trying to convince myself.
    Because if it wasn’t a bird, or a neighbor kid—then the spirit was real. I was trapped in a bargain with her.
    And on top of everything else, Bia was my enemy. He had told me in so many words. And what would he do—implacable and hostile now—if he ever found out what I suspected about him? I looked behind me before I picked up the phone.
    â€œJulie? It’s … me,” Mark said, uncharacteristically hesitant. “I just wanted to say, could we … go somewhere and talk?”
    â€œTalk?” I said stupidly.
    â€œYes. I … well, I made a mistake. I was hoping you’d let me explain.”
    â€œExplain? Why don’t you explain to Lynette?” I asked him, ready to slam down the receiver.
    â€œPlease, Julie. I’m sorry. If only you’d give me a chance. I’d really like things to be—”
    â€œWhat’s the matter? Did Lynette stand you up or something?”
    â€œNo, she didn’t. I just … came to my senses, I guess. I don’t know what was the matter with me. I don’t blame you for being mad. I deserve it. It’s just that I’d really like to see you.”
    â€œWait a minute. Let me get this straight. You’re not interested in Lynette anymore? You want to go out with me now?”
    â€œYes. Can I please see you tonight?”
    It was a little hard to believe this was actually happening; it wasn’t like Mark to be so inhumanly humble and apologetic. Why his sudden change in attitude toward