Read Online Luminosity (Gravity Series #3) (The Gravity Series) by Abigail Boyd - Free Book Online
Authors: Abigail Boyd
Tags: Young Adult, Ghosts
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floor was clean again…as clean as a high school bathroom could be, at least. I leaned down and looked closer, but there was nothing there, not even a speck.
I almost never went into this bathroom. A silent prayer always left my lips when I passed by. A little girl named Susan—one of the bodies found with Warwick at his arrest—was kidnapped at the Halloween dance before last. Her blood was found on this floor, the only sign she’d been there.
I didn’t want to linger in the creepy bathroom, but an instinct warned me not to hurry out. In her rush, Madison had left a lot for the janitor, including broken makeup containers and used index cards. Feeling like a dumpster diver merrily sifting through a trash heap, I searched around.
Madison’s school planner had fallen behind the trash can. I slid it out. It looked like it had never been used. The school issued them to everyone yearly. I flipped through it, not expecting much.
Madison had scrawled her phone number in the In Case of Emergency section. I quickly programmed the number into my phone for later use. The rest of the pages were empty until I reached the very back portion. Madison had scrawled some notes in her loopy, too-big letters, the I’s dotted with hearts.
Won’t answer my questions. Was Ambrose involved? Obsessed w/Jenna. Lainey gone that weekend. Did Bruce Slaughter’s money pay off police? Jenna’s necklace must have dropped there when putting her in the water. No one answers questions. Warwick just ‘a fluke.’
I was a little taken aback. She really did suspect them, and more deeply than I’d assumed. But why weren’t the police following up on Ambrose? I’d told them what I knew, leaving out the parts about ghosts and visions, of course.
Ambrose and Jenna had the beginnings of a romantic relationship; although she wouldn’t tell me much, knowing I wouldn’t approve. Lainey had loved Ambrose for years before Henry moved to Hell. I found Jenna’s necklace by the Ford family’s dock. I thought maybe Lainey had helped Ambrose and Warwick cover up the dumping of Jenna’s body.
But if she had been gone that weekend…
I dropped the whole planner into my purse and stood to leave. A girl was standing silently behind me in the mirror reflection. I whipped around. There was a shadow in the stall where the girl had been. As I moved closer, the unnaturally thick shadow swayed and twitched.
I took a few more steps towards the stall. The temperature dipped much lower, going arctic. White vapor formed from my rapid breath, and my teeth began to chatter. My heart beat frantically, warning me of danger. The shadow continued to twitch, just inside the door.
“Hello?” I called, but I was only a few steps away. There was nothing casting the shadow. Suddenly, a black bird flew out towards my face, red eyes blazing. I screamed, covering my head with my hands and cowering. The bird cawed angrily, and I heard its wings flap past me.
Then there was only silence. I didn’t dare look for a few seconds. The bell for class jangled above me, and I finally peeked. I was alone again in the bathroom—no shadow, no bird, no blood on the floor. I ran out and didn’t look back.
###
I couldn’t let the detail of the police ignoring Ambrose’s involvement go unchecked. It nagged at me until I was able to leave school. I bypassed home in favor of the police station, rushing right up to Detective Stauner. He had his back to me and was speaking casually with some of the officers.
“Why aren’t you using the information I gave you?” I burst, not waiting for pleasantries. The officers occupying their desks rotated towards me, wearing annoyed expressions.
Stauner turned, a perplexed look on his face. “Hello, Ariel. Haven’t seen you in a while. What is it that’s troubling you?”
I took a breath to rally then tried again. “I heard that you’re considering the theory that Warwick acted alone, despite the evidence that I gave you that Ambrose was
I almost never went into this bathroom. A silent prayer always left my lips when I passed by. A little girl named Susan—one of the bodies found with Warwick at his arrest—was kidnapped at the Halloween dance before last. Her blood was found on this floor, the only sign she’d been there.
I didn’t want to linger in the creepy bathroom, but an instinct warned me not to hurry out. In her rush, Madison had left a lot for the janitor, including broken makeup containers and used index cards. Feeling like a dumpster diver merrily sifting through a trash heap, I searched around.
Madison’s school planner had fallen behind the trash can. I slid it out. It looked like it had never been used. The school issued them to everyone yearly. I flipped through it, not expecting much.
Madison had scrawled her phone number in the In Case of Emergency section. I quickly programmed the number into my phone for later use. The rest of the pages were empty until I reached the very back portion. Madison had scrawled some notes in her loopy, too-big letters, the I’s dotted with hearts.
Won’t answer my questions. Was Ambrose involved? Obsessed w/Jenna. Lainey gone that weekend. Did Bruce Slaughter’s money pay off police? Jenna’s necklace must have dropped there when putting her in the water. No one answers questions. Warwick just ‘a fluke.’
I was a little taken aback. She really did suspect them, and more deeply than I’d assumed. But why weren’t the police following up on Ambrose? I’d told them what I knew, leaving out the parts about ghosts and visions, of course.
Ambrose and Jenna had the beginnings of a romantic relationship; although she wouldn’t tell me much, knowing I wouldn’t approve. Lainey had loved Ambrose for years before Henry moved to Hell. I found Jenna’s necklace by the Ford family’s dock. I thought maybe Lainey had helped Ambrose and Warwick cover up the dumping of Jenna’s body.
But if she had been gone that weekend…
I dropped the whole planner into my purse and stood to leave. A girl was standing silently behind me in the mirror reflection. I whipped around. There was a shadow in the stall where the girl had been. As I moved closer, the unnaturally thick shadow swayed and twitched.
I took a few more steps towards the stall. The temperature dipped much lower, going arctic. White vapor formed from my rapid breath, and my teeth began to chatter. My heart beat frantically, warning me of danger. The shadow continued to twitch, just inside the door.
“Hello?” I called, but I was only a few steps away. There was nothing casting the shadow. Suddenly, a black bird flew out towards my face, red eyes blazing. I screamed, covering my head with my hands and cowering. The bird cawed angrily, and I heard its wings flap past me.
Then there was only silence. I didn’t dare look for a few seconds. The bell for class jangled above me, and I finally peeked. I was alone again in the bathroom—no shadow, no bird, no blood on the floor. I ran out and didn’t look back.
###
I couldn’t let the detail of the police ignoring Ambrose’s involvement go unchecked. It nagged at me until I was able to leave school. I bypassed home in favor of the police station, rushing right up to Detective Stauner. He had his back to me and was speaking casually with some of the officers.
“Why aren’t you using the information I gave you?” I burst, not waiting for pleasantries. The officers occupying their desks rotated towards me, wearing annoyed expressions.
Stauner turned, a perplexed look on his face. “Hello, Ariel. Haven’t seen you in a while. What is it that’s troubling you?”
I took a breath to rally then tried again. “I heard that you’re considering the theory that Warwick acted alone, despite the evidence that I gave you that Ambrose was
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