“But he . . . he covered me, with an umbrella,” I whimper, exhaustion creeping in again. “He gave me a blanket for my head. You didn’t see him? Seriously?”
Yusef’s face goes slack, lips a straight line. He’s trying not to give away what he’s thinking. But it’s too late. I know that look. He thinks I’m baked, high off some drugs and seeing things. Which would explain everything that happened in the house. And if it wasn’t for Sammy being there with me . . . I would also question my own sanity. But I know what I saw. Or heard.
“Yo, what were y’all running from?” Yusef asks. “Sammy said someone was in the house?”
I have no idea where to even begin. My head is throbbing, a sharp aching pain. My clothes are starting to stiffen, the rain and muddy water drying onto my skin.
Sammy’s knee is bouncing. He has that look, where he’s trying to solve a super-complex puzzle.
“It sounded just like you, Sam,” I mumble, gripping the towel Yusef swaddles me with, a shiver ripping through me. “Your exact voice.”
Sammy, still in a state of shock, takes a long blink.
“Unless . . . someone was doing some kind of impression of me or something,” he says, voice flat.
Yusef’s eyes toggle between us as Mr. Brown enters the living room, clearing his throat.
“Your parents are back. Come on, let’s get you two home.”
The rain has eased by the time Mr. Brown drives us back home. Inside, Alec wears a pained expression, clutching Piper tight to his chest in the kitchen, police lights flashing off their shared pale skin.
As we approach, I catch the end of Piper’s story.
“And then they just left me,” she sobs. “They yelled at me and ran out the door.”
Alec’s lips form a hard line when he spots me. He places Piper on her feet as Mom rushes toward us.
“Mom!” Sammy shouts, running full speed into her stomach, clutching her. “Mom, the house is haunted!”
With that said, the police take their cue to leave. My steps are slow, still dizzy and in absolutely no rush to walk back into this place. Wonder how long it’ll take to pack a bag before we leave for a hotel. Because we definitely can’t stay here. Not one more night. The house is angry, you can feel it in the air.
“Where the hell have you been!” Alec roars, his tone explosive.
“They. Left. Me.” Piper chokes out the words again through hysterical sobs. “I was so scared, Daddy.”
Through the intense pain, a flash of anger boils.
“What are you talking about?” I spit. “You saw me at the bottom of the stairs, calling you! You walked away!”
“No I didn’t,” she says, the corner of her mouth slipping into a cruel smirk before rubbing her face into Alec’s side.
The simple act of her denial makes my stomach turn. I sway, the fridge catching my fall.
“You pushed Mari down the stairs!” Sammy cries, Mom holding him back from charging at her. “She could’ve died!”
“No I didn’t.” She glances up at her father, and in a sugar-sweet voice says, “Daddy, I was just in my room and then I heard them shouting.”
“Unbelievable,” Alec yells. “I can’t leave her alone for one freaking night.”
I stare at Piper. Or really through her, with a different set of lenses. The extra pale skin. The dead tired eyes. The weight loss. The weird talking to walls. Ms. Suga. The thought smacks against my throbbing head and it all becomes clear.
“Oh my God,” I whisper. “She’s possessed.”
“WHAT?” Alec screams, positioning Piper behind him.
“That’s the only explanation. The Hag got her!”
Sammy is staring at her now, eyebrows pinched. “She just . . . stood there,” he mumbles.
“Okaaayyyy! You two have been watching way too many movies!” Mom snaps, shaking her head.
That’s the thing, I didn’t remember what all those movies had taught me, reasoning everything away instead of facing the truth: our house is haunted. And Piper is possessed by the Hag. The Hag named Ms. Suga.
I was ready to tell everyone everything I knew about the place, but one look at Alec’s burning-red face made me go silent.
“Raquel, this is the last straw. You told me she had her problems under control.”
“Alec—”
“What excuse are you going to give her this time? She’s put both Piper’s and Sammy’s lives in danger!”
Mom sighs and walks into her office, procuring a pee cup.
You’ve got to be fucking kidding me right now!
“Mom! What are you doing?” Sammy shouts, standing in front of me, arms stretched protectively. “I was here! I heard it too! She’s not lying! She’s not . . . not on drugs! Mari wouldn’t leave without Piper. She ran up the stairs to go get her. She was trying to save her!”
Piper’s face slips into a confused scowl, eyes softening.
“Sam . . . are you sure you weren’t hearing things?” Alec asks.
“We both heard it,” Sammy snaps.
“And there were only three of us in here,” I add, leaning against the counter. “Unless Piper became a ventriloquist overnight.”
Alec ignores me and stares right at Sammy.
“Look, I know this is tough, pal, but is it possible your sister might . . . not have been herself . . . again? Maybe tripped, and just fell down the stairs?”
Mom straightens. “Alec,” she warns. A weak warning at that.
“Then how did I hear the voice too?” Sammy shoots back. “Am I high?”
Mom tears up, crossing her arms. “Oh, Sammy.”
With a pounding head and losing all will to fight, I pat Sammy’s shoulder.
“It’s all right, Sam. Forget it. I’m not taking that stupid fucking test because I’m leaving.”
“Leaving?” Alec and Mom balk.
“Yeah, I’m ready to go back to Cali and live with Dad.”
“What? You can’t just make that decision on your own,” Alec scoffs.
“Yes I can,” I say, looking directly at Mom. “That was the agreement with Dad, right? If things don’t work out with Alec, I can move in with Dad. It was the only way he’d allow you to take us out of the state. And things are clearly not working out if my stepfather is accusing me of being on drugs when I’m not. Not exactly ideal conditions for a recovering addict.”
Alec blinks, turning to Mom. “Is this true?”
Mom takes a steadying breath, not breaking our stare. “Yes.”
Baffled, Alec searches his hands as if looking for the right words to say. Piper clutches him tighter.
Sammy huffs, standing next to me. “Well, if she’s going, then I’m going with her!”
“Sam,” Mom gasps, with a trembling lip. “Baby . . .”
“No! Mari’s right. And I hate it here! I want to go home!”
Twenty
THE NEXT MORNING, I call Dad to make immediate arrangements. Don’t care who it may hurt, I can’t stay here. These ghosts are violent, and I have the lump on the back of my head to prove it.
Since Dad’s still in Japan finishing a project, we have to wait another two weeks before he can fly out to bring us home.