them.
Kamau brought them to a halt. He studied the lock, like maybe he could pick it, but before he could do anything, Brady let go of Lys and flung himself at the door, hands first.
The door crumpled like newspaper, caving in around his hands and folding almost in half. Brady shook his arms, like he was trying to get his sleeves down, and the door flew outside into the night. He fell to his knees, looking at his hands in wonder.
Lys glanced back. The light around the approaching head grew steadily brighter.
“Let’s get out of here,” she said, stepping forward, not taking her eye off the thing behind them.
Brady nodded and stumbled to his feet. They followed him out the door. Three concrete steps led up. Lys misjudged the first one and tripped, hitting her elbow and scraping both hands.
“Come on,” Kamau said, practically picking her up and setting her back on her feet. Once they reached the top, Brady went to the left. Kamau flipped off the flashlight.
“No!” she said quickly. “Go this way.” She pointed. Not far from their position she could see the path that went around the hospital.“Why?” Brady asked, shaking his head as if trying to clear it.
“The path is right over here,” Lys said, pushing past him.
“Lys,” Kamau said, reaching out and taking her hand to stop her. “How can you tell?”
She looked back. He looked concerned.
“I can see it,” she said, tugging him along. “We can get back to the front doors if we follow it.”
“You can see it?” Brady slurred, sounding drunk.
“Yes,” Lys said. They had to get back inside and tell Mr. Mason what had happened.
The two boys followed Lys. Kamau kept a hold of her hand—Lys didn’t mind.
Twigs dotted the path, and Lys wished again that she had put her shoes on. Come to think of it, why did the boys think to put shoes on?
Her thoughts hurtled ahead, and Lys couldn’t clear her mind of insane questions. How had Brady just ripped through a metal door?
“Guys,” Brady said, “I don’t feel so good.”
“Here,” she said, reaching out with her other hand for Brady’s. “Just follow me.”
Where Kamau’s hand felt warm in hers, Brady’s was ice cold. The moment their fingers touched Lys felt a shock, and she jumped back.
Kamau must have felt it, too, because he pulled her away from Brady, placing her behind him.
Her hand remained cold where Brady’s fingers had brushed it. The chill began to spread up her hand and wrist toward her shoulder. She shook her arm, trying to get the tingling sensation to go away.
“What was that?” she asked Brady.
He didn’t answer; instead he looked intently at his hands. Turning them face down, his fingers began to twitch like they were moving across an imaginary keyboard. “This is so weird.”
“I think we should get around to the front of the hospital,” Kamau said.
Lys wholeheartedly agreed. “Yeah, come on.” She looked back toward the crumpled door. There was no light coming after them—no ghostly form. Had she been hallucinating? What about Kamau? He obviously saw something that scared him enough to run.
“Someone’s coming,” Brady said.
Lys turned her head. She couldn’t see through the thick trees. Anything could be hiding in the shadows.
“Let’s get back inside,” Kamau said. This time he pulled Lys by the hand.
She started to follow him, but stopped when Brady didn’t move. Her heart beat insistently in her chest—something felt wrong.
“Brady,” she said, “let’s go back.”
Brady sank to his knees, placing the palms of his hands on the ground. “I can feel everything.”
Lys glanced at Kamau, who watched Brady with a frown.
“What do you mean?” Lys asked.
“I can feel it all,” he said, rubbing his hands along the dirt path. He turned to look at Lys. “It’s wicked!” The excitement in his voice caught Lys off guard. Instead of sounding haggard, his voice grew strong and deeper than Lys remembered. And he sounded like he’d
Kamau brought them to a halt. He studied the lock, like maybe he could pick it, but before he could do anything, Brady let go of Lys and flung himself at the door, hands first.
The door crumpled like newspaper, caving in around his hands and folding almost in half. Brady shook his arms, like he was trying to get his sleeves down, and the door flew outside into the night. He fell to his knees, looking at his hands in wonder.
Lys glanced back. The light around the approaching head grew steadily brighter.
“Let’s get out of here,” she said, stepping forward, not taking her eye off the thing behind them.
Brady nodded and stumbled to his feet. They followed him out the door. Three concrete steps led up. Lys misjudged the first one and tripped, hitting her elbow and scraping both hands.
“Come on,” Kamau said, practically picking her up and setting her back on her feet. Once they reached the top, Brady went to the left. Kamau flipped off the flashlight.
“No!” she said quickly. “Go this way.” She pointed. Not far from their position she could see the path that went around the hospital.“Why?” Brady asked, shaking his head as if trying to clear it.
“The path is right over here,” Lys said, pushing past him.
“Lys,” Kamau said, reaching out and taking her hand to stop her. “How can you tell?”
She looked back. He looked concerned.
“I can see it,” she said, tugging him along. “We can get back to the front doors if we follow it.”
“You can see it?” Brady slurred, sounding drunk.
“Yes,” Lys said. They had to get back inside and tell Mr. Mason what had happened.
The two boys followed Lys. Kamau kept a hold of her hand—Lys didn’t mind.
Twigs dotted the path, and Lys wished again that she had put her shoes on. Come to think of it, why did the boys think to put shoes on?
Her thoughts hurtled ahead, and Lys couldn’t clear her mind of insane questions. How had Brady just ripped through a metal door?
“Guys,” Brady said, “I don’t feel so good.”
“Here,” she said, reaching out with her other hand for Brady’s. “Just follow me.”
Where Kamau’s hand felt warm in hers, Brady’s was ice cold. The moment their fingers touched Lys felt a shock, and she jumped back.
Kamau must have felt it, too, because he pulled her away from Brady, placing her behind him.
Her hand remained cold where Brady’s fingers had brushed it. The chill began to spread up her hand and wrist toward her shoulder. She shook her arm, trying to get the tingling sensation to go away.
“What was that?” she asked Brady.
He didn’t answer; instead he looked intently at his hands. Turning them face down, his fingers began to twitch like they were moving across an imaginary keyboard. “This is so weird.”
“I think we should get around to the front of the hospital,” Kamau said.
Lys wholeheartedly agreed. “Yeah, come on.” She looked back toward the crumpled door. There was no light coming after them—no ghostly form. Had she been hallucinating? What about Kamau? He obviously saw something that scared him enough to run.
“Someone’s coming,” Brady said.
Lys turned her head. She couldn’t see through the thick trees. Anything could be hiding in the shadows.
“Let’s get back inside,” Kamau said. This time he pulled Lys by the hand.
She started to follow him, but stopped when Brady didn’t move. Her heart beat insistently in her chest—something felt wrong.
“Brady,” she said, “let’s go back.”
Brady sank to his knees, placing the palms of his hands on the ground. “I can feel everything.”
Lys glanced at Kamau, who watched Brady with a frown.
“What do you mean?” Lys asked.
“I can feel it all,” he said, rubbing his hands along the dirt path. He turned to look at Lys. “It’s wicked!” The excitement in his voice caught Lys off guard. Instead of sounding haggard, his voice grew strong and deeper than Lys remembered. And he sounded like he’d
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