Thrilling and exciting and all that stuff—but I couldn’t concentrate. I turned a page and realized I’d read through half the battle without understanding a word. Something else was clamoring for attention. I put the book down. What was it? Sally. Her voice was drifting faintly down the hallway. She should be asleep by now. But she sounded as if she was comforting someone. I strained my ears but I couldn’t make out any words. Just the tone. A calming, soothing tone, as she sometimes used with her dolls. Nothing weird about that, right? But my heart was starting to beat faster. Then Sally’s voice rose. “Nooo,” she said. I sat up and swung my feet to the floor. I didn’t want to go down the hall. No way. But I had to check on my kid sister. She was probably having a bad dream, I told myself. I’d look in on her and then come back and finish my book. I cracked open my bedroom door and shivered in the suddenly cold air. I started to go through the door and something bounced me right back.
