"Nightworld 8 - Black Dawn" - читать интересную книгу автора (Smith Lisa J)

He's trying to take care of me. But he doesn't realize ... I've got to tell him... .

"Dad," she said urgently. " Listen. There's something-Ф
"Maggie," her mother interrupted, stretching out a hand. She sounded rational, but there was something wild in her eyes. "I'm so sorry, baby. Something awful has happened-"

And then she fainted. Suddenly Maggie's father was staggering under dead weight. And then the ranger and one of the sheriffs were brushing past Maggie. They were holding her mother up, and her mother's head was lolling, moving around on a boneless neck, and her mother's mouth and eyes were part open and part closed. A new kind of awful feeling came to Maggie, making her weak and giddy. She was afraid she would faint herself.

"Where can we-" the male officer began.

"There's the couch," Maggie's father said hoarsely at the same time. There was no room for Maggie. She could only stand out of the way and dizzily watch them carry her mother.

As they did, Sylvia began murmuring. It took Maggie a moment to focus on the words. "I'm so sorry. I'm so sorry. I wish there was something ... I should go home now."

"You stay right here," the female officer said, looking toward Maggie's mother. "You're in no condition to be walking anywhere. You'd be in the hospital now if you hadn't insisted on coming here first."

"I don't need a hospital. I'm just so tired ..:' The officer turned. "Why don't you go sit in the car?" she said gently.

Sylvia nodded. She looked fragile and sad as she walked down the path toward the squad car. It was a beautiful exit, Maggie thought. You could practically hear the theme music swelling.

But Maggie was the only one with the chance to appreciate it. She was the only one watching as Sylvia reached the car ... and paused.

And then turned away from it and continued on down the street.

And the end credits run, Maggie thought.

Then she thought, she's going to her apartment. Maggie stood frozen, pulled in two directions. She wanted to stay and help her mother. But something inside her was utterly furious and focused and it was screaming at her to follow Sylvia. Instinct had always been Maggie's strong point. She hung there for a moment, with her heart pounding so hard that it seemed to be coming out -of her mouth. Then she ducked her head and clenched her fists.

It was a gesture the girls on her soccer team would have recognized. It meant that Steely Neely had made up her mind and was going to rush in where smarter people feared to tread. Look out, world; it's stomping time.

Maggie whirled and dashed back down the hall into her bedroom.

She slapped the light switch on and looked around as if she'd never seen the place before. What did she need-and why did she always keep it so messy? How could she find things?
She kicked and pulled at a pile of bath towels until a pair of high-top tennis shoes emerged, then she jammed her feet in them. There was no time to change her pajama top. She snatched a dark blue jacket off the floor and found herself, just for a moment, nose to nose with a photograph stuck into the frame of her mirror.

A picture of Miles, on the summit of Mount Rainier. He was grinning and giving the thumbs up sign. His hat was off and his auburn hair was shining in the sun like red gold. He looked handsome and a little wicked.

Scrawled in black marker across white snow was "For the bossiest, nosiest, stubbornest, BEST little sister in the world. Love, Miles."

With no idea why she was doing it, Maggie pulled the picture out of the mirror. She shoved it in her jacket pocket and ran back down the hall.

Everyone was gathered around the couch, now. Even Jake was nosing his way in. Maggie couldn't see her mother, but the lack of frantic activity told her that there wasn't any crisis going on. Everyone seemed quiet and restrained.

It'll just take a few minutes. It's better for me not to tell them anything until I'm sure. I'll probably be back before they even realize I'm gone.

With that jumble of excuses in her mind, she slipped out the front door to follow Sylvia.


CHAPTER
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