The Secret of Spellshadow Manor (Spellshadow Manor #1)

“Y-Yes, I’m fine,” he managed. Act natural. She doesn’t know you’re hallucinating.

It drew closer, but didn’t seem to see him, apparently staring right through him to the door at his back. For the first time, Alex could fully make out its face. The glassy eyes were like the night sky, black and full of stars. Its hollow cheeks were dusted with a short, bristling beard, and its patchy gray hair hung down in lank locks. There was a soft noise as its fetid clothes dragged upon the ground behind it.

“Okay.” Natalie gave a weak laugh. “The nurse just had to take a phone call, but she’ll be back in a minute. So…what are you doing in here? Are you feeling sick too?” She tilted her head a little. “And what are you staring at?”

“N-Nothing,” he said. He forced his eyes back to her and saw a little more color in her cheeks. “And yes—I mean, no, I’m feeling fine. I just wanted to check on you.”

“You shouldn’t be here,” rasped the hallucination with a soft sound of irritation.

That was the final straw for Alex. “What?” he snapped, turning on the thing.

“Huh?” Natalie frowned.

He whirled on her, running both hands quickly through his hair.

“Alex,” she said cautiously, “are you sure you’re feeling okay? You’re acting…quite insane.”

Yes, he was acting insane. He felt insane.

“Natalie, don’t you see this man?” he finally burst out. He jumped forward and pointed at the figure, now moving slowly back to her side. She recoiled a little and looked blankly where he indicated.

“Man?”

“He’s standing right next to you. He’s reaching toward you. Right there.”

Natalie looked alarmed, even a little afraid. She grew very still as the thing replaced its hand at her back, the energy seeming to fade from her limbs again.

“Alex…” Her lifeless tone returned. “I…I think I have to go. Home.” She rose gracefully and walked to the door. “I…hope you feel better.” Alex gaped as the thing followed her out, one hand at her back again.

“Don’t interfere,” hissed the hallucination before continuing its low whisper.

“Home?” Alex exclaimed, rushing after them into the crowded hallway. “We can’t go home without permission, I’ll need to—”

Two things happened at once: the gray man disappeared, and Natalie—as if struck by a bolt of electricity—lurched forward into a swarm of students, vanishing from Alex’s view.

“Natalie!” Alex called, his voice drowned out by the loud chattering. He pushed past students to chase after her, but when he got through the crowd and reached the other, sparser end of the hallway, she was nowhere in sight. Alex felt a breeze and looked to his left.

The side door was open.

He sprinted to it and slipped out, emerging in the parking lot at the front of the school. He looked around for Natalie, but still couldn’t see her. She must have left the compound already.

What in the world was going through her head? Alex couldn’t even begin to fathom it.

He hurried through the parking lot exit and scanned the adjoining road. He figured, if she really did remember the way back to his house, she would have taken the first left down Jamesdon Street, so he dashed directly to it.

His instinct had been correct. He spotted her about halfway down, though she had slowed to a walk and appeared to be moving with purpose toward Ellis Street, which ran perpendicular to Jamesdon Street.

The gray thing was with her.

Everything about it clashed with the placid, beautiful street. Amid the suburban houses, its eerie aura seemed almost to glow, warping the features around him into strange mockeries of their original forms. Trees seemed to loom, branches looked more like claws, and houses that had felt normal moments before now seemed to contain eerie lights.

Alex swallowed, rallying himself before rushing forward.

“Natalie!” he shouted. “Wait!”

She ignored him. She had stopped at the beginning of the road that…should have been Ellis Street. When Alex looked for the sign, however, he found only a rusting iron guidepost pointing in the direction Natalie was looking. Upon it, a single word was written: Spellshadow.

“Natalie!” he urged.

Once again, it was as though she couldn’t hear him. The emotion was gone from her face, her cheeks slack. She stepped forward, and the man behind her nodded, pushing her lightly. When she continued to walk, he let out a deep, throaty sigh.

Alex caught up, grabbing Natalie’s arm.

“Where are you—”

She shook him off with such alarming force that Alex went sprawling to the cement. He shouted in shock, leaping back to his feet just in time to see her and her gray companion strolling away down the lane.

“What?” he gasped. He had known she was fit, but that was just insane.

He tried again, rushing forward and calling her name, ignoring the gray, tattered thing and grasping her shoulder. Again, she threw him off easily, and he landed hard in a scratchy bush. He rose, staring as she made her way.

Alex surged after her, but the second he stepped onto the lane, he felt something come over him. A sensation that was almost indescribable. Like he had just stepped into a dream.

The air suddenly became soft and sweet, filled with the smells of strange flowers and hot sand. Where the houses had just been tall, proud structures with columns and rolling lawns, they became eerie things, all turrets and twisting staircases, some of them bent in improbable ways. Alex stared around, stunned for a moment, before realizing that Natalie and the gray figure were far ahead of him.