Read Online Jilly-Bean (Jilly-Bean Series # 1) by Celia Vogel - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Celia Vogel
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retorted Mr. Mueller, turning his head sharply and tilting it forward as he tried to listen, but then shook his head in disgust. “The damn thing is gone! But I heard it. It was an animal.”
The candle at the centre began to flicker ever more excitedly, although Jillian noticed there was no draft. Mist began seeping through the window, even though it was shut tight. A low murmur went around the table, as all eyes were fixed expectantly on the mist.
“There it is!” blurted Geordie Crossland, pointing to the window with bulging eyes. “Do you see it? Do you see the mist? Is it a ghost?”
Jillian saw it too. Adam broke the silence: “It's just the flicker of the candle reflecting off the walls.'
'Impossible! Shadows are black, not white.'
Aunt Jean murmured under her breath, 'It's a ghost!'
The candle flame rose ever higher and wavered ever more excitedly. Madame Zelda appeared to be in a deep trance and began to chant a primitive mantra, her voice rising to a blood-curdling pitch, and her face became a terror to behold. The heavy table began to rise off the ground, swaying to and fro in slow rhythmic movements. For what seemed a long spell, everyone sat speechless and frozen with fear. Then came a gust of wind and an ear-piercing scream, and the brown paper cover on the table began slowly to tear. Remembering Madame Zelda's warning, everyone desperately tried to keep their hands within the inner safety of the circle, but the paper was slowly inching away from their reach. The ghost, speaking through Madame Zelda, refused to identify itself but said it had a message— a warning. They all looked dumbfounded at each other and then quickly back at Madame Zelda, who was now screeching, her thin lips peeled back, revealing her teeth and gums: “Death!” she cried.
Jillian felt sickened. She wanted to look away but could not draw her eyes from Madame Zelda. The barn interior swirled, her eyelids began to flutter and she knew she was about to faint. Abruptly she drew her hands out of the circle. But her mother, sitting next to her, gripped them both and pressed them back, shouting over the noise, “Darling, whatever you do, don't remove your hands from the safety of the circle!”
Mrs. Sparks was half weeping, tears and black mascara streaming down her cheeks, singing what sounded like a hymn. Then with a loud crack the barn doors flew open as if they were about to burst from their hinges. A vicious gust of wind ripped through the barn, snuffing out the candle and leaving them in complete darkness.
Through the darkness and the confusion came Madame Zelda's voice: “Dissolve! Dissolve!” At once the wind and the screeching noise stopped, and the table sank back down to the ground, landing with a low thud. Then— the eeriest thing yet, as Jillian thought— a sweet scent of roses filled the air.
*****
Someone got up to switch on the light, and the sudden brightness revealed a group of pale, fear-stricken faces. There was only silence and the faint smell of roses and a sulphury smell from the candle, which had gone out. A hush had fallen over the little group. Nobody knew quite what to say. Jillian was scarcely aware of her surroundings, still dazed and sitting entranced in her spot. She found the smell of roses even more nauseating than the barn smells of muck and dirt. What a nightmare! she thought. Could anything have been more terrifying? And how had Madame Zelda gotten the table to lift off the ground, and summoned the mist and the eerie sounds? It was some kind of trick, for sure. This kind of thing only happened in movies, and wasn't this just like a movie? But wait— it wasn't a movie. This was real!
Olivia tapped her on the shoulder: “Jillian, are you okay?”
Jillian nodded, though she still felt stunned, and her face wore a look of complete exhaustion.
“You poor dear. You look white as a sheet. It's all over, thank God.”
“Is it?” replied Jillian uneasily. She wasn't so sure. She looked
The candle at the centre began to flicker ever more excitedly, although Jillian noticed there was no draft. Mist began seeping through the window, even though it was shut tight. A low murmur went around the table, as all eyes were fixed expectantly on the mist.
“There it is!” blurted Geordie Crossland, pointing to the window with bulging eyes. “Do you see it? Do you see the mist? Is it a ghost?”
Jillian saw it too. Adam broke the silence: “It's just the flicker of the candle reflecting off the walls.'
'Impossible! Shadows are black, not white.'
Aunt Jean murmured under her breath, 'It's a ghost!'
The candle flame rose ever higher and wavered ever more excitedly. Madame Zelda appeared to be in a deep trance and began to chant a primitive mantra, her voice rising to a blood-curdling pitch, and her face became a terror to behold. The heavy table began to rise off the ground, swaying to and fro in slow rhythmic movements. For what seemed a long spell, everyone sat speechless and frozen with fear. Then came a gust of wind and an ear-piercing scream, and the brown paper cover on the table began slowly to tear. Remembering Madame Zelda's warning, everyone desperately tried to keep their hands within the inner safety of the circle, but the paper was slowly inching away from their reach. The ghost, speaking through Madame Zelda, refused to identify itself but said it had a message— a warning. They all looked dumbfounded at each other and then quickly back at Madame Zelda, who was now screeching, her thin lips peeled back, revealing her teeth and gums: “Death!” she cried.
Jillian felt sickened. She wanted to look away but could not draw her eyes from Madame Zelda. The barn interior swirled, her eyelids began to flutter and she knew she was about to faint. Abruptly she drew her hands out of the circle. But her mother, sitting next to her, gripped them both and pressed them back, shouting over the noise, “Darling, whatever you do, don't remove your hands from the safety of the circle!”
Mrs. Sparks was half weeping, tears and black mascara streaming down her cheeks, singing what sounded like a hymn. Then with a loud crack the barn doors flew open as if they were about to burst from their hinges. A vicious gust of wind ripped through the barn, snuffing out the candle and leaving them in complete darkness.
Through the darkness and the confusion came Madame Zelda's voice: “Dissolve! Dissolve!” At once the wind and the screeching noise stopped, and the table sank back down to the ground, landing with a low thud. Then— the eeriest thing yet, as Jillian thought— a sweet scent of roses filled the air.
*****
Someone got up to switch on the light, and the sudden brightness revealed a group of pale, fear-stricken faces. There was only silence and the faint smell of roses and a sulphury smell from the candle, which had gone out. A hush had fallen over the little group. Nobody knew quite what to say. Jillian was scarcely aware of her surroundings, still dazed and sitting entranced in her spot. She found the smell of roses even more nauseating than the barn smells of muck and dirt. What a nightmare! she thought. Could anything have been more terrifying? And how had Madame Zelda gotten the table to lift off the ground, and summoned the mist and the eerie sounds? It was some kind of trick, for sure. This kind of thing only happened in movies, and wasn't this just like a movie? But wait— it wasn't a movie. This was real!
Olivia tapped her on the shoulder: “Jillian, are you okay?”
Jillian nodded, though she still felt stunned, and her face wore a look of complete exhaustion.
“You poor dear. You look white as a sheet. It's all over, thank God.”
“Is it?” replied Jillian uneasily. She wasn't so sure. She looked
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