Daisy Madigan's Paradise by Suzy Turner Read Free Book Online Page B

mean to startle you.
    'That's okay,'
muttered Daisy self-consciously pulling the cover up to her
ears.
    'I, erm, I saw
Jack earlier and he seemed, well, weird. He didn't remember
me.'
    'Yeah I know,
his memory has gone all weird... it's because of that scary
woman.'
    'What scary
woman?' asked Charlotte.
    'From that
gang that were in the park earlier.'
    'Oh yeah, I've
seen them here before. I always keep my distance.'
    'That's
wise... I watched what they did to Jack. It wasn't pleasant.'
    'Wh...what did
they do to him?'
    'I dunno, it
was weird. She kind of put her hand right into him. I could see he
was really uncomfortable. She said something about his memory being
lost and she made him tell her about me. I think they want to,
well, I think they want to k...k...kill me.'
    Charlotte
gasped.
    'How can they
do that to a ghost?' she asked, afraid.
    'I wish I
knew. But I do know that they're evil and they're different. Two of
them are...are.... were...'
    'What, Daisy
what?'
    She gulped
loudly before continuing, 'Werewolves. Two of them are werewolves,
Charlotte. I saw one of them change. It was terrifying.'
    'What are you
going to do?'
    'Me?' replied
Daisy, 'I... don't know.'
    'Maybe you
should get out of Abney Park. Maybe you should run away, go
somewhere safe,' she suggested as she floated around the
catacombs.
    'But I feel
safe here. This is my home.'
    'It is? But...
but you must have a proper home somewhere?'
    Daisy sighed
and sat up straight.
    'I did but not
any more. This is my home now.'
    'I miss my
home and I miss my Mum and Dad. If I had the chance to go back, I
would take it like a shot.'
    'How long have
you... have you...'
    'What? Been
dead?' Charlotte interrupted and Daisy nodded.
    'A while, I
guess. You lose all track of time when you're like this. I dunno.
What year is it?'
    '2012.'
    'Really?' she
said, shocked. 'I died in 1994.'
    'How?'
whispered Daisy.
    Charlotte
turned from her and floated away for a moment. Then she stopped and
turned back and before Daisy knew it, the girl was sitting beside
her.
    'Liver failure
caused by bulimia... I was stupid. I was so desperate to be thin
that I couldn't see myself the way I really was. I made myself so
sick day after day after day. In the end my body just couldn't take
it any more and I died in the hospital. I can't bear...
the....p...p...pain I caused my family. I hate myself for that,'
she said trying to punch herself in the stomach.
    'I'm so
sorry,' whispered Daisy.
    'Don't be. It
was my fault. Completely and utterly my fault.'
    'But why are
you still here? Why didn't you, you know, cross over?'
    Charlotte
shrugged, her knees up to her chin. 'I just wasn't ready to, I
guess. Felt too guilty to leave my parents. I dunno,' she shrugged
again.
    'Why don't you
cross over now?'
    'I haven't
seen the light for a long time. I wouldn't know how,' she said
sadly.
    'You mean
you're stuck here?'
    Charlotte
nodded, 'I guess.'
    'Is there
anything I can do to help?'
    The smile
almost lit up Charlotte's gaunt face, 'I wish you could but I just
don't know how.'
    'Have you been
to see your parents since, you know?'
    'Since I died,
you mean?'
    Daisy
nodded.
    'I tried to
but I couldn't seem to leave the park.'
    'That's weird.
Have you tried to leave since?'
    Charlotte
shook her head.
    'Come on,
let's try now.'
    'Really?'
    'Yeah, come
on,' yelled Daisy who was already at the secret entrance to the
catacombs.
    Peering out to
make sure nobody was around, she rushed out and then covered up the
entrance with twigs, branches and leaves. By the time she'd reached
the old chapel, Charlotte was floating alongside her.
    Daisy smiled
when they reached the gate.
    'Are you
ready?' she whispered.
    Charlotte
looked terrified but she nodded.
    Walking
through, Daisy turned around on the other side and waited for her
new friend to try and make it through. The second she tried to
float through, it was like she'd had an electric shock and she was
dragged backwards, as if sucked into a vacuum, pulling her