The Ghost in my iPad
E L Russell
E C Russell
Published by author at Smashwords
Copyright 2011
License Notes
This eBook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This ebook may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each recipient. If you’re reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then please return to Smashwords.com and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of these authors.
Chapter 1 ~ Jengo couldn’t sleep
Each night, when the lights went out, he heard the creepy voice and it scared him. It sounded far away and so lonely.
“I’m cold … I can’t find the light...”
Over and over… without stopping.
“I’m cold … it’s dark…”
* * *
“Don’t turn it off, it’s almost over.” Jengo pleaded his mouth full of the chips he had grabbed from the counter. He craned his neck to see around his mom to watch the end of the cartoon.
“Jengo Albright, don’t talk with your mouth full and no more chips until we eat. You know the rules. No TV while we’re having dinner. Go out and check the hotdogs, sweetie. Remember you said you wanted to be in charge of them.”
Jengo shuffled out to the grill with a frown on his face but it lifted as soon as he smelled the dogs sizzling on the fire. He loved hotdogs. To him, it always meant a party and this was Labor Day Weekend.
As Jengo’s mom reached to turn off the TV, a local news broadcaster broke in, “We interrupt this telecast to bring you breaking news about the Holiday Stalker.”
“Mom, wait. Let’s hear it. It’s the news,” Molly said as she placed the bowl of potato salad on the table.
“… report that some personal items belonging to Katrina Robins were found early this morning by a local hunter in the old Bartlett Apple Orchard. Katrina appears to be the sixth victim of the notorious Holiday Snatcher. She was reported missing by her parents last Wednesday afternoon when the young girl...”
“That’s not something you children need to hear. Besides,” she said again, “No TV while we eat.”
“Mom, I’m not a child. I’ll be in college next year and besides, the school bus passes the Bartlett place. The Snatcher could be someone the kids have seen.”
Mrs. Albright stood in front of the TV, which sat on top of the refrigerator. She nodded toward the patio where Jengo, Molly’s sixth grade brother, filled a serving dish with hotdogs from the grill. “Well Jengo doesn’t need to hear about someone kidnapping young children. It’s too scary.”
Entering the dining room from outside, Jengo placed a flat dish of hotdogs on the table. He had heard the radio announcer but pretended he hadn’t. “Hear what, mom?” He didn’t wait for a response. “Where’s the new mustard?” He picked up two hotdogs that had rolled off the dish and returned them with his fingers. He glanced at his sister and his mom while he lined up the hotdogs on the dish and smiled to himself. Why don’t they think I can hear them?
“It’s in the cupboard. Get it for me sweetie.” His mom walked around the island and distributed the plates. “It’s hard enough to get the two of you to sit down for a meal. “I don’t want the TV to interfere with our being together.”
“I found it.” Jengo returned from the cupboard to sit but stopped when he saw his Mom had set the table for four. He set the mustard down and said softly, “Mom…”
She dropped the silverware on the table and stared at the plates. Shaking her head she removed one and held it against her chest with both hands. She tried to hide her welling tears by turning away.
As Jengo squeezed the mustard onto his hotdogs he said, “I miss Hank too, Mom.”
Toward the end of dinner, the phone rang and Molly rushed to answer. She covered the mouthpiece with a hand and said, “Mom, the Fergusons want me to sit tonight. Okay?”
Her mother nodded, “But not too late, Molly. It’s a school night.”
“I’ll be home by ten, mom.” Molly shouted as she ran to her room.
“And it looks like a storm’s coming.”
“I’ll be careful!”
After his sister left the kitchen to get her books, Jengo asked, “You aren’t gonna let her drive, are you?”
“She’ll be fine, Jengo.”
“Mom, I heard thunder. It’s gonna storm.”
“Jengo, Molly’s careful and has been driving for almost two years. The weather’s not bad and she won’t be late.” His mom looked at him closely. “Why do you look so worried?”
“Mom, there’s a psycho out there. He’s up to six kidnappings already.”
“Jengo, I didn’t know you were listening,” his mom said softly. “Don’t worry, Molly will be all right. She has her cell phone and it’s only a few blocks away. The car doors will be locked and Mr. Ferguson promised to meet her in the driveway.” She rubbed his head. “Come sit with me on the sofa for a bit.”
Even though it would be a year this Christmas since a drunk driver had killed his brother Hank, Jengo knew his mom still missed him something fierce. The sound of distant thunder made him snuggle closer, which was unusual for Jengo. After all, he was eleven years old, very soon to be twelve. His mom liked it and took advantage of this last remnant of his younger self. She gathered him in for a bigger hug.
After Hank’s accident, Jengo had taken to staying in his room most of the time. Between reading and gaming on his iPad, he had stopped playing with most of his friends. His sister tried to spend time with him but she was much older and their interests weren’t the same. She was almost in college. Hank had been only three years older than Jengo, which seemed like a lot too but still, they did things together, like build the tree house and the gazebo.
Later, after he brushed his teeth, his mom tucked him into the top bunk and reminded him as she went out, “No iPad, Jengo. It will be an early up for the first day of school tomorrow,” and she flipped off the lights. “You need your sleep.”
He waited for a few moments before he climbed out of bed and grabbed his iPad from the top of the bureau. He placed it on the floor and plugged in the power cord. Then he sat cross-legged leaning back against the wall. Putting on his ear buds, he waited for the screen to light up.
In less than two minutes, his mother opened the door and stepped into his room. “Jengo?”
In spite of a flash of lightning from the approaching storm that lit the room, Jengo didn’t notice his Mom standing there. He had blocked out everything and had his eye glued to the screen, his ears focused on the game’s kazoo band.
He flinched when she gently touched his shoulder and removed his ear buds and he looked up at her and waited for her to speak.
“Jengo, I want you to pay attention when I ask you to do something. No more games and I mean it. Lights out.” She returned the buds to him. “Turn it off.”
“But Mom, I always pay attention. I can’t help it if my stuff is more interesting.”
He took the ear buds and began wipe the screen with a sock found on the floor. Another burst of white light followed by a boom of thunder startled both of them.
“Why can’t I have the light on?” He pleaded, looking as pathetic as possible, for his mom to leave the light on but she just laughed. “You’re a big boy now, you told me so yourself. The night-light is enough. Climb in and get some sleep.”
Jengo squinted at the mini white bulb plugged into the wall outlet back in the corner and scoffed. “That doesn’t do anything.”
“When the door’s shut and it’s the only light it will seem brighter.” She watched him climb the wooden ladder then patted the covers. “Good night, sweetie,” and flipped off the light.
She stood next to the bed and pointed at the bottom bunk. “Why don’t you sleep down here? You and your brother Hank used to fight over it.”
Jengo said in a serious voice, “Mom, Hank and I fought over everything.”
“I miss him too, Jengo,” She kissed him. “No games. Good night.” And she closed the door.
Why did his mom always call him sweetie? It was okay at home but she did it at school, too. It was downright embarrassing.
Jengo couldn’t sleep. It seemed there was something scary going on everywhere these days. The rumble of the approaching thunderstorm didn’t help. The earlier broadcast about the Holiday Snatcher was too close to home. The school bus passed right by the Bartlett place. Maybe he had seen the kidnapper.
The Holiday Snatcher wasn’t his main concern. It was the voice… so sad… so lost… so scary. While sounded scary, the voice really frightened him. He knew it was coming. He wrapped the pillow around his head, but knew it would do no good. The voice sounded far away and he knew the words by heart.
“I’m cold … I can’t find the light...”
He heard it, over and over, without stopping.
“I’m cold … it’s dark…”
Even though it meant risking his mom’s wrath, he reached for the lamp on the headboard and switched on the light.
The voice stopped.
Thank God.
His head fell back to the pillow and his Mom opened the door. “Jengo?”
How does she do that?
“Mom,” He stated emphatically. “I caaaaaann’t sleep with the lights off.”
She gave in. “Okay, sweetie. I’ll turn them off later. Night-night.”
Another flash of lightning and crack of thunder told him the storm had arrived in earnest. “Thanks, mom,” he sighed in relief.
Jengo awoke in a dark room. The earlier promise of a storm erupted into a gully washer with spectacular flashes of lightning followed by bone-jarring cracks of thunder. Startled awake, Jengo looked in disgust at the puny nightlight and grimly waited for the voice… he heard nothing… not a peep.
Afraid to move, he rolled his eyes to the digital clock. Yup, like always, 3:45. He rolled his eyes toward his feet. The warm glow of his iPad cast small shadows. Above the pounding rain, he heard the faint sound of Zelda music. He hadn’t played that game in ages. Jengo crept toward the foot of the bed. Lighting struck close to the house. The blast shook the window but Jengo heard only the music.
Stealthily, he pulled the bar at the foot of the bed with both hands. He slid his head over the bar and peeked at the floor below. Stunned, he jerked back and whispered. “What the heck?” Then, he peeked again.
The iPad had lifted and floated a foot off the floor. In spite of lightning flashes, Jengo’s attention remained glued to the floating device. He saw images move on the screen as though someone played the game.
Ever so slowly, his eyes followed the slim cord of the ear buds up from the iPad to … nothing. They just hung there… suspended… then… two blue eyes materialized between them. They stared at him… then faded away. The buds floated above the screen about a hand’s width apart... about a small face apart.
The next flash of lightning, followed by an earsplitting crack, sent him diving for his pillow. Where was Mom when he really needed her? The pillow and the sound of his heart pumping shut out all sound. He gulped for air and lay there with his eyes shut for a long time. He was afraid, big time afraid.
Slowly, he worked up the courage to sneak another peek. All screen activity on the iPad had stopped but the ear buds still floated in air. As he watched, two eyelids opened. Two bright blue eyes stared at him.
Oh my god!
Letting out a muffled howl he pushed back from the end of the bed, his hands remained locked on the metal foot bar, and buried his face in the covers. Freaked almost beyond endurance, he could not believe hearing the music suddenly grow louder. He had to know to know why.
He mustered his remaining courage and pulled himself to the foot of his bed. The eerie glow was still down there and Jengo needed to know what was going on.
He lifted his shoulders over the bar and hung his head to get a better look. The iPad sat on the floor with music playing from the miniature speakers of the exposed buds, whose white cord coiled on its screen.
Two icy blue eyes floated out from under the bed and rose until they stared eye-to-eye with him, less than a foot away.
Jengo’s body tensed like the time he stuck his finger in a light bulb socket. He ripped his hands from the bar and scrambled backwards. Tangling his legs in the blankets, he fell out of bed yelling, “Mom!” in desperation.
Chapter 2 ~ The next morning
Jengo had to sit through breakfast alone and listen to his mom tell him he had a nightmare. His big sister Molly drove to school with her friends, who picked her up an hour ago. She had to be at school early for a special AP class. Jengo preferred riding with Billy on the banana boat, their name for the school bus. His mom packed his lunch bag while he held his chin with one hand and frowned while stirring his oatmeal with the other.
“No, Mom, it wasn’t a nightmare. It was something else and it scared me.”
She carefully folded the paper lunch bag and placed it next to him. “How’s your head feeling?”
“It hurts. I bumped it pretty good when I fell out of bed.” He put on his most pathetic expression, “Can I stay home?”
“Stay home on the first day of school?” She asked incredulously.” I’ve written a note for your teacher and put it in your lunch bag.”
“Mom, Miss Puff will make me stay inside and I’ll miss recess.”
“We need to be careful of that bump on your head.” She threw an extra fruit roll into the bag and re-folded it. “Finish your oatmeal. The bus will be at the corner in ten minutes.”
After telling his mom he didn’t want to go to school, Jengo realized he needed someone to help him think through what happened. It was obvious his mom wouldn’t cut it. He needed to tell his friend, Billy about last night. It was going to be tricky though because he didn’t want to sound like a fool. He just hoped he could get his buddy to believe him.
He stood alone at the corner bus stop. His home was too far away to see Bartlett’s Orchard, but he knew where it was and stared in that direction. He tried to imagine that girl as she hurried through the orchard, scampering past the old, abandoned farmhouse. How frightened she must have been when she saw the Stalker.
Without any warning the driver said, “Jengo. Are you going to school today?” He hadn’t noticed the bus had stopped and the door opened. Jengo looked up, laughed, and waved to the driver. Trying to sound cool, because he was, he climbed into the bus and stood at the front. “Hey, Billy.” He proceeded to jump casually over the obstacle course of legs trying to trip him. Tripping was a big game with several of the eighth-grade bullies. The bus driver was no help and the younger kids had learned to deal with it the best they could. Jengo was one of the best.
Billy sat near the back of the bus in the worst seats possible, over the wheel. They not only had less legroom, but the bus’ shocks in the back weren’t worth mentioning. He wished sixth graders went to his old school from last year instead of to the junior high. Then he would have been at the top of the heap instead the one jumping over kicking feet.
Jengo slid into the seat Billy had saved for him and immediately nearly was tossed out of it when the bus hit a pothole.
After bumping knuckles, Billy asked, “Did those guys up front try to trip you?”
“What? Yeah, just a bunch of big-shot eighth-graders. They always take over the front rows and hassle everyone. I knew I grew a lot this summer, so I gave ‘em my don’t-even-think-about-it stare as I walked past.”
“Billy was impressed. “Did it work?”
“Nah, but at least I didn’t fall. I’m still working on my stare. It always works with my mom. Did they get you?”
“Well, sort of,” Billy said, “but I caught hold of the seat handle and only fell on one knee. My mom’s gonna kill me though ‘cause something tore my pants and they’re brand new. Hey, are you sure, you grew this summer? You look the same to me.”
“Yep, about an inch and a half.” Being one of the shorter kids in his class, Jengo was defensive about his height. “And I’m still faster than anybody, Billy. What is that smell? It smells really bad.”
Jengo wasn’t interested in talking tall or about holes in pants or even the reason for the smelly bus. He wanted to talk about last night. “Billy, –”
“Listen, Jengo, I heard my parents whispering this morning. They were talking about that kidnapped girl Katrina and didn’t want me to hear so I was real quiet and hid behind the door.”
Side tracked again, Jengo said, “Yeah, but I don’t know any Katrina.”
“Sure you do. She’s Harry’s cousin. She’s the one that’s gone. I mean, you know,” and he whispered, “missing.”
“Harry, the third grader? Where do you think she is?”
“No one knows where she is. That’s what I’m telling you, Jengo. Are you paying attention?” Billy tried to look important imparting such news but the worry on his face made it a failed endeavor.
Candy Ball turned around in the seat in front of them. “The Holiday Snatcher took her.” She said it in the prissy know-it-all voice she always used.
Jengo thought her red hair was as wild as ever and he wondered how she got it by her mom in the morning. He wished he could. Nothing got by his mom.
Know-it-all Candy Ball probably did know everything. At least she knew things before most kids at school. Her dad was the assistant editor at the town newspaper and she always found out the good stuff before anyone else.
“Who’s the Holiday Snatcher?” he asked, even though he hadn’t meant to admit he didn’t know.
“Don’t you know?” Candy frowned at the two boys with her superior look. Taller than all the sixth grade boys, she lauded it over them at every opportunity. Too tall, know-it-all Candy Ball always had the answer. She turned toward the front of the bus as if the conversation was over. Jengo didn’t even try to resist, he just tugged her hair and said, “Well? Aren’t you gonna tell us?” He knew she was dying to tell.
Candy spoke in a loud stage whisper. “He takes his victims only on a holiday. You know…” She made her voice sound scary, “Just like he took Jane Collin from Mark Twain Middle School over in Pottsville on the fourth of July and Wednesday was Labor Day and now Katrina’s gone.”
Katrina was the first girl taken from their school but she was older than Jengo so he didn’t know her, but the idea of a Holiday Snatcher was still a very scary thought. He couldn’t understand somebody going around just snatching kids. “Will the police find them?” He didn’t like the idea of this missing thing one bit.
“When is the next holiday?” Billy asked, obviously feeling the same.
Still the supercilious-know-it-all, Candy Ball replied firmly “Of course the police will catch him.” Then she added, “At least that’s what my mom says. You know her brother Ernie’s a cop. Mostly I think she says it because she doesn’t want me to be scared.”
“That Jane girl has been gone for over two months.” Billy sneered. “If they are going to find her, what are they waiting for?”
Jengo intended to make sixth grade his best year ever. In spite of all the promises to pay better attention in class, he fell asleep during geography. The teacher’s solution was to move him to a seat at the front of the row but really, that wasn’t fair. After all, he had been awake… and scared, half the night.
School sucks, he thought as he reached down deep in the bottom pocket of his cargo pants to check the note to the teacher his mom gave him. It was safely beyond the view of his teacher. He smiled; at least I am going out to recess.
It wasn’t until the afternoon recess that Jengo finally got Billy alone to talk. Even then, it was hard because Candy’s Uncle Ernie, the policeman, was on the playground, and wanted to talk to all the kids about safety. By the time they were alone, there wasn’t enough time for an explanation. In truth, what he experienced the evening before seemed like some fantastic dream.