Ghost Island by Bonnie Hearn Hill Read Free Book Online

hand. “It’s closed, you know.”
    A blaze of stars blinds me. I squint through the light and realize that I’ve gone from my bedroom to the ground floor of the casino.
    “Here we are, Miss,” Peggy says. “You know it’s shut down for repairs.”
    “But we just saw a concert in there.”
    She nods. “They closed it after that, I think. It really upset my Norm. I heard the theater won’t be back up and operating for several days, maybe longer. Do you really want to go in there?”
    “Abso
lu
tely,” I say.
    “All right then. Don’t tell Aaron I let you in. And please don’t tell Norm. He doesn’t want me here while it’s in this condition.”
    “I won’t tell anyone.” I look up at her, but before I can ask her to join me, she shakes her head and moves away from the door.
    That’s okay. Finally, I am where I want to be. This is only the second time I have seen it like this. Disembodied spirits fill the seats and stroll around the enormous red-and-gold room as if they own it, which perhaps they do.
    “What are you doing here?” It is a girl’s voice, and it’s husky as if she hasn’t used it for a very long time. The girl is blond, tall, beautiful, and without one ounce of humor in her expression. Long bangs, although not as long as mine, almost cover her pale brows. Her tunic is short and lemon yellow. Around her neck is a black velvet ribbon with a cameo in front.
    Felicia . I know it in a cold and very certain way, but other than the hair, she looks nothing like the photo on Grace’s cell phone. She is about ninety percent visible. The rest of her is transparent.
    “I’m looking for someone,” I tell her. “Is there a Nicole Hinson in this place?”
    “Maybe. The name is familiar. Let me try to find out.”
    “Can you do that,” I ask. “Can you really find her?”
    “I think I may have heard of a Nicole Hinson. Has she been here a long time?”
    “Eight years. Something like that.”
    “You’ll need to check farther back.” She points at the c
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ster of forms and colors closer to the stage. “I’m new, you know.”
    I hate looking at her, at the way she is almost here, but not really, her features fading in and out, her unblinking light-brown eyes staring straight into mine.
    “What’s your name?” I ask. “You’re Felicia, aren’t you?”
    Her high-pitched laugher chills me to the bones. “Caitlin.” She spits it at me. “And who are you? Why are you looking for Nicole?”
    “Olivia.” I say. “Nicole Hinson was — she is my mother.”
    “Are you sure?” Her features grow brighter, as if she is struggling to be seen. “Are you here to search for her, or for something else?”
    “I’ll do anything to find my mother,” I say. “Can you help me?”
    “Not me. Perhaps someone else in here.”
    “Why not you? Why can’t you help me?”
    “I just got what I’ve been waiting for, and I won’t be around here much longer.” She lifts the scarf she’s wearing from her shoulders and pulls it over her hair. Feathery black fringe falls around her face.
    I realize whose scarf it is, and I also realize she is taunting me.
    “Where did you get that?” My voice is shaking.
    So is the room. Tiny quakes vibrate around my feet.
    “It’s mine.”
    “No, it’s not. You took it from Grace, didn’t you?”
    The floor shudders as if someone is hammering on it from below. I fight to keep my balance. The ghost girl doesn’t move.
    “Maybe you’d better leave,” she says.
    “Good idea.” I rip the scarf from her and run as fast as I can.
    Her shouts follow me. The words are garbled, but their meaning is terrifying. I c
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tch the scarf in my hands and try to keep my balance as the room shakes even more violently. I run toward the light, then trip and begin to fall through a trapdoor of darkness.
    “Aaron,” I scream. “Aaron, help me.”
     
     

 
    CHAPTER 9
     
     
    Bells chimed, and dim sunlight flickered into my room. Finally, I was free of the ghost girl’s