Ghost Hold (The PSS Chronicles, Book Two)

by Ripley Patton

  “You’ve got incredible power in that hand, Mia,” you growl, your voice not soft anymore. “But you don’t know how to control it, do you?”

  I splutter as your grip tightens. You know what I did is the thought that comes to me. You know what I can do. But it feels wrong to call this boy who’s choking me you. You wouldn’t do this. Your voice doesn’t sound like rough ocean waves against the harsh rock of a cliff face. But maybe this is you, and this is your revenge. Maybe I deserve this.

  All of a sudden, you release your grip and I fall to the floor, gasping for breath. I scramble to my feet, but you grab my arm before I can escape.

  And when I turn to see you, your eyes surprise me again.

  They’re not cold anymore. I can see you again in those eyes, the boy who wrote me all those slips of paper. I see the boy I fell in love with, and I see that the person choking me wasn’t you. Here is the real you, and like the real you would, despite all I’ve done, you try to help me.

  “Run,” you whisper, and let go of my arm, as your eyes turn raw and icy again.

  And I run. I stumble to the bathroom door, closing it with a bang, and run. I can hear your footsteps behind me, and my pulse races as I run out of school to who-knows-where. I’ll run anywhere to get away from your grey, grey eyes.

  I’ve been running ever since, slowing down to a walk when I need to catch my breath, or stopping when I need to rest. You told me to run. You saved me despite what I did to you, and it would be stupid of me to forsake that. Maybe I’ll find you again one day, when I’ve learned to love my old brown eyes the same way I love your blue ones.

  But until that day, I will run. I need time to try to understand why you came back, even if it was just for a moment. I thought that was impossible, but maybe it will happen again someday. Nothing feels impossible anymore.

  THE END

  AUTHOR BIO

  Emma Shi was born in Auckland, New Zealand. She is currently 17 years old and in her last year of high school. In her spare time, she likes writing in a range of forms, from poetry to novels, and has an interest for Ancient Greece and Rome. She also writes for the New Zealand youth magazine, Tearaway.

  ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

  There is truly nothing I love to do more than write books. It is my bliss. But I am very aware that I could never have dedicated my life to this strange, rather self-indulgent pursuit without the support of those who love me and my stories. I cannot thank the following people enough for their support, but that doesn’t mean I’ll ever stop trying.

  I would like to thank my husband, the love of my life, for supporting me financially, creatively, and emotionally, and for believing in me even when I don’t.

  Thanks to my children, Soren and Valerie, for being amazing beta readers and for putting up with a mom who lives mostly in her own head.

  To my brothers and my parents, who hosted me in Indianapolis and took me to research many of the locations in Ghost Hold, including Shades of Death State Park.

  Thanks to all the amazing book bloggers and reviewers I’ve met this last year who loved Ghost Hand and never stopped talking about it. Special thanks to my Street Team, The Paranormal Street Squad, some of the most generous women I’ve ever had the pleasure to meet.

  To all those who supported the Ghost Hold Kickstarter, both familiar and strangers:: Lisa Heacock, Nathan Crowder, Brian Tashima, Virginia M. Mohlere, Heidi Hansen, Jennifer Strickland, Kevin Berry, Merle Clara Jacques, Dan Rabarts, Elaine King, Debbie Howell, Jeremy Zimmerman, Philippa Ballantine, Neil Patton, Dierdre M. Murphy, Karen Johnson Mead, Angie Chute, Jessica Danowski, Hazel Godwin, Deb Marshall, Lauri Quigley, Mona Enderli, Jim Kirk, Jim Ryan, Michael Alltop, Jeanette Marsh, Jim Waters, Cat Langford, Mark E. Phair, Joffre Horlor, Mary Holland, Cory Herndon, Frankie, Stephanie Gunn, Kiki Dominguez Stevens, Cassie Hart, Nell DeTreville, Stacy Reeves, Katie Bleil, Beaulah Pragg, Colum Paget, Eileen R. Mueller, Juliet Marillier, Ted Sanders, Helen Lowe and Andrew Robins, Roxanne Bland, Mark English, Sarah and Royal Mulholland, Phil Rich, Amber Michelle Cook, Paul Wilson, Lewis Morgan, Paul Mannering, Maya Valladao, Jeffery, Diane King, Sonia, Bethany Cherry, Lyra McKen, Laurel Hess, Elizabeth, Petra Delarocha, Keenan Lee Coleman, Jan Butterworth, Tricia Sparn Grissom, Angel Leigh McCoy, Laura Buchholz, J.D. Haley. Thank you for backing book two. I don’t think you’ll be disappointed.

  To Leo, my favorite postman. Yes, he is named after you.

  Finally, to the amazing team I’ve found that wields the magic to turn a story into a book: Scarlett Rugers for her awesome cover design, Lauren McKellar, my new forever editor, and Simon Petrie, the most efficient formatter I know.

  There simply wouldn’t be a Ghost Hold without you.

  ABOUT THE AUTHOR

  Ripley Patton is an award-winning author who lives in Portland, Oregon with one cat, two teenagers, and a man who wants to live on a boat. She has also lived in Illinois, Colorado, Georgia, Indiana, and New Zealand.

  Ripley doesn’t smoke, or drink, or cuss as much as her characters. Her only real vices are eating M&Ms, writing, and watching reality television.

  To learn more about Ripley and read some of her short fiction, be sure to check out her website at www.ripleypatton.com. You can also sign up for her monthly e-newsletter there to keep up-to-date on The PSS Chronicles and win cool prizes.

  Table of Contents

  1: Almost to Civilization

  2: Welcome to the Warren Gun Club

  3: A Strange Exchange

  4: Home Sweet Home

  5: Sleeping Beauty Wakes

  6: Stealth R Us

  7: A Mess or a Message?

  8: Let the Paranoia Begin

  9: Explanations in a Bathtub

  10: Out of the Bathtub and Into the Fire

  11: Dog Tags

  12: Understanding Passion

  13: First Day at Edgemont High

  14: A Music for Passion

  15: Surprise, My Ass

  16: Art History and Religion 101

  17: The Other Other Olivia

  18: Meeting Mr. James

  19: Kaylee Pas Nova

  20: Day Two at Edgemont High

  21: Asking The Other Olivia

  22: The Dinner Party

  23: All Gym Teachers Are Evil

  24: Showing My Hand

  25: Meeting Mr. James Again

  26: Dissension in the Ranks

  27: Bad Plans and Wild Things

  28: Friday

  29: Things Get Worse

  30: Things Get Complicated

  31: Grappling with Grant

  32: Viva La Revolution

  33: Go Jump Off A Cliff

  34: The Devil's Drop

  35: Waiting And Other Things That Suck

  36: The Compound

  Bonus Short Story: Blue, Bue Eyes (Emma Shi)

  Acknowledgements

  About the Author