Read Online White is for Magic by Laurie Faria Stolarz - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Laurie Faria Stolarz
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from beside my bed and press my fingertips against the pellets.
I breathe the soothing scent in, doing my best to remind myself of inner strength.
Amber comes and sits beside me on the bed, which prompts Drea to join me as well.
"It's gonna be okay," Drea says, pushing the hair back from my face.
74
But I'm not so sure.
Still, with the lavender and their friendship combined, I'm able to take a deep breath, to swallow normally, and pick the letter up. I hold it in both hands, focusing down on my name, so black against the paper's creamy whiteness.
I slip my finger under the corner flap and tear across the top.
"Are you sure?" Amber asks.
I nod, carefully dipping my fingers into the envelope to pull the letter out. Drea grips around my shoulders extra tight as I unfold it.
WILL YOU KEEP YOUR PROMISE?
Amber reads the typed words aloud. "What does it mean? What promise?"
I shake my head because I don't know either. Because the same words were spoken aloud in my nightmare. And I have no idea what to do about it.
75
tw-eive.
I sit on the edge of the bed shaking, like a cold chill has come and blanketed itself over my neck and back. Amber nestles the comforter over my shoulders, and Drea sets a second mug of water into the microwave for some tea. I just want to put this all away--to go to sleep and have blank, unimpressionable dreams. But I know that just won't happen.
76
I clutch the letter in my hands and stare down at the words, typed in caps, dead center of the page. I can almost hear the voice in my nightmare saying these words to me.
"The letter was postmarked here." Amber holds the envelope out for me to see, the red postmark ink with the town's name, Hanover, pressed over the stamp.
"Maybe it's just somebody from school," Drea says. "You know, another prank."
"Pranks don't give off vibes like that," I say.
Drea hands me the mug of tea and I sip it down in even gulps, savoring the sweet, orangey flavor.
"So you have no idea what the letter's referring to?" Amber asks. "What the promise is?"
"No," I say. "But the same question was in my nightmare."
"What do you mean?" Drea asks.
"I mean, in my nightmare, I heard someone's voice; it asked me if I'd keep my promise. It also said 'in less than one week/"
"In less than what week, what?" Drea asks.
"I don't know."
"What did the voice sound like?" Amber asks. "Did you recognize it?"
"It was a male voice, I think. But I don't remember anything distinct about it. It could have been anyone."
"So we obviously need to figure out what this promise is," Amber says.
"I know."
"Do you have any idea at all?"
77
n
I lean back against the headboard to think. I wonder if it's something I promised to Maura, to her family, that I'm not remembering. Why else would I be dreaming about her? Or maybe it's something more recent. Did I promise something last year, after Veronica's death, that I just let fade from my mind?
"I just don't know," I sigh.
"Maybe you promised someone you'd help them," Drea says.
I stare up at a blank ceiling. "This is so completely frustrating."
"Maybe you need food," Amber says. "That usually helps me think." She grabs the box of Rice Krispies from her desk and holds it out to me as an edible Band-Aid.
"No thanks."
"We'll figure this out," she says, plopping down beside me and pouring a handful of Krispies into her palm.
"There's only one way." I sit back up.
"What are you talking about?" Drea nibbles at her acrylic fingernails.
"I have to go tonight."
"Where?" Drea asks.
"The Hangman," I say, feeling my chest tighten. "To meet whoever sent that e-mail. To see what he--or she--wants."
'Are you sure?" Amber asks.
I nod. "He obviously has something to tell me."
"Well, you're not going alone." Amber rests a hand on my shoulder.
"Thanks," I say, managing a smile.
78
"You'll come too, right, Dray?" Amber asks.
But Drea is looking away. "I don't know if I can," she says, in a voice as tiny as the snap, crackle, and
I breathe the soothing scent in, doing my best to remind myself of inner strength.
Amber comes and sits beside me on the bed, which prompts Drea to join me as well.
"It's gonna be okay," Drea says, pushing the hair back from my face.
74
But I'm not so sure.
Still, with the lavender and their friendship combined, I'm able to take a deep breath, to swallow normally, and pick the letter up. I hold it in both hands, focusing down on my name, so black against the paper's creamy whiteness.
I slip my finger under the corner flap and tear across the top.
"Are you sure?" Amber asks.
I nod, carefully dipping my fingers into the envelope to pull the letter out. Drea grips around my shoulders extra tight as I unfold it.
WILL YOU KEEP YOUR PROMISE?
Amber reads the typed words aloud. "What does it mean? What promise?"
I shake my head because I don't know either. Because the same words were spoken aloud in my nightmare. And I have no idea what to do about it.
75
tw-eive.
I sit on the edge of the bed shaking, like a cold chill has come and blanketed itself over my neck and back. Amber nestles the comforter over my shoulders, and Drea sets a second mug of water into the microwave for some tea. I just want to put this all away--to go to sleep and have blank, unimpressionable dreams. But I know that just won't happen.
76
I clutch the letter in my hands and stare down at the words, typed in caps, dead center of the page. I can almost hear the voice in my nightmare saying these words to me.
"The letter was postmarked here." Amber holds the envelope out for me to see, the red postmark ink with the town's name, Hanover, pressed over the stamp.
"Maybe it's just somebody from school," Drea says. "You know, another prank."
"Pranks don't give off vibes like that," I say.
Drea hands me the mug of tea and I sip it down in even gulps, savoring the sweet, orangey flavor.
"So you have no idea what the letter's referring to?" Amber asks. "What the promise is?"
"No," I say. "But the same question was in my nightmare."
"What do you mean?" Drea asks.
"I mean, in my nightmare, I heard someone's voice; it asked me if I'd keep my promise. It also said 'in less than one week/"
"In less than what week, what?" Drea asks.
"I don't know."
"What did the voice sound like?" Amber asks. "Did you recognize it?"
"It was a male voice, I think. But I don't remember anything distinct about it. It could have been anyone."
"So we obviously need to figure out what this promise is," Amber says.
"I know."
"Do you have any idea at all?"
77
n
I lean back against the headboard to think. I wonder if it's something I promised to Maura, to her family, that I'm not remembering. Why else would I be dreaming about her? Or maybe it's something more recent. Did I promise something last year, after Veronica's death, that I just let fade from my mind?
"I just don't know," I sigh.
"Maybe you promised someone you'd help them," Drea says.
I stare up at a blank ceiling. "This is so completely frustrating."
"Maybe you need food," Amber says. "That usually helps me think." She grabs the box of Rice Krispies from her desk and holds it out to me as an edible Band-Aid.
"No thanks."
"We'll figure this out," she says, plopping down beside me and pouring a handful of Krispies into her palm.
"There's only one way." I sit back up.
"What are you talking about?" Drea nibbles at her acrylic fingernails.
"I have to go tonight."
"Where?" Drea asks.
"The Hangman," I say, feeling my chest tighten. "To meet whoever sent that e-mail. To see what he--or she--wants."
'Are you sure?" Amber asks.
I nod. "He obviously has something to tell me."
"Well, you're not going alone." Amber rests a hand on my shoulder.
"Thanks," I say, managing a smile.
78
"You'll come too, right, Dray?" Amber asks.
But Drea is looking away. "I don't know if I can," she says, in a voice as tiny as the snap, crackle, and
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