Read Online Molly Moon & the Monster Music by Georgia Byng - Free Book Online Page B

her coin.
    Someone had just jumped over the edge of the balcony outside. Molly put the coin on the table and went to check that the balcony door was locked.
    She pressed her nose to the glass and tried to see into the darkness.
    â€œPick me up,” a voice whispered behind her.
    Molly’s eyes shot to the grandmother’s hiding place. So the old lady spoke English! Molly tentatively approached the space under the stairs, but when she got there she found it was empty.
    â€œPick me up, Molly!”
    Molly swung around. Her eyes fell on the coin. This was the first time she’d put the coin down in the open. It was obviously not happy.
    It was not happy . . . ? It? Molly must be going mad. For it was a coin, that was all. She must have imagined it talking to her. But she knew she hadn’t.
    For the first time since the coin had been in her possession, Molly was startled and shocked by it. Suddenly she became acutely aware that the coin was somehow like a person—a very powerful, controlling person—a person that was trying to change her.
    A film started running in her mind, one about all the bad things Molly had done over the last fewdays. Molly observed her behavior. She’d been horrible to Micky. She’d even hypnotized him. She’d hurt her parents’ feelings and she’d not helped Gerry in the restaurant when Mr. Proila had been mean to him. She’d ignored Petula. In fact, she’d been spiteful to her and scared her. All because of this thing on the table, because of this coin.
    Trembling, Molly reached for the phone and dialed the number for Briersville.
    â€œHello?” came Rocky’s comforting, warm voice.
    â€œRocky, it’s me.”
    â€œMolly! Where are you? Are you OK? Primo and Lucy are tearing their hair out. They’ve gone to Ecuador to find you. They’re on the plane right now. Are you all right?”
    Molly could feel the coin tugging at her. Now it was calling her in a different way, with thin, harp-like music that she couldn’t ignore. A music that seemed to tear at her will and prevent her saying what she meant to.
    â€œCome to Tokyo now,” she managed to say. “Please. Next plane.”
    â€œMolly, what’s wrong? Has something happened? Where are you?”
    â€œPea-pod Building. There’s a band called Zagger. I’m with them.” As Molly spoke, tears welled up inher eyes. The coin on the table was beginning to send more than messages and music to Molly. It now seemed to have looped her with a dangerous lasso. “Rocky, I don’t know what I’ll be like when you come. There’s a c-c- . . .”
    â€œNOOOOO!” the coin whispered fiercely. “Don’t give me away. You need me, Molly.”
    â€œA what?” Rocky asked frantically.
    â€œCome!” Molly begged, starting to pant from the effort of resisting the coin. “Hurry, Rocky. Before it’s too late!”
    As though a spirit had hold of her, Molly’s whole being felt swamped by the coin. It took control of her hand. Without wanting to, Molly found her finger pressing the End Call button.
    Molly was sweating. Her brow was damp and her lips were dry. The coin started to sing to her more loudly now, embracing her.
    â€œCome on, Molly!” it sang. “We could be marvelous together. The world will be ours!”
    Molly found herself walking toward the table, overwhelmed. She picked up the coin.
    At once she felt wonderful. It was a feeling of perfect joining—like when two pieces of a puzzle slot beautifully together—but multiplied hundreds of times. All the guilt she had felt just moments beforeevaporated, as did her feeling of needing Rocky.
    â€œI’m sorry,” she apologized to the coin. “I was a fool. I won’t leave you out in the open again. Forgive me.”

Twelve
    P etula woke early the next morning and immediately switched to high alert. She stayed by