Slayed (22 page)

“Nicki Summers, and like I said, she’s waiting—”

Ari claps her hands. “Oh my God, I know Nicki! She has an
amazing
voice; she kept beating me out for solos. I can’t even believe they’re making her try out. I mean, everyone knows she’s gonna make it. So she’s here?”

“Yeah, she’s in the parking lot, but Nicki told me the
old director left, so everyone’s starting from scratch this year.”

“Huh, I didn’t know Mr. Sherman left. Of course he would’ve told Nicki—they were tight.” Ari starts stalking around the costume rack. “I’d love to find out what she’s singing. Let me put your info on the clipboard, and then I’ll go out with you.” She shakes her head. “Damn, it’s not here.
Patty
probably left it in the laundry room. Let me run down and see if I can find it. Hold on.”

As soon as Ari leaves, the temperature in the room rapidly drops. “Remy,” I say, my breath frosting in the air. “I don’t want to play with you.” The lights flicker and a cold sweat breaks out on my forehead.

“Meeeeggy.” Her voice echoes in my head. “I have something to show you.”

I back up toward the door, legs trembling, and scan the room for Remy. “I don’t
like
the things you show me, Remy.”

The door slams shut behind me and I jump. “Fine! What is it?” I yell, sounding braver than I feel. I learned long ago that trying to ignore Remy just pisses her off, and I should get this over with before she starts throwing things.

Remy appears by the Snow White rack. Water drips to the floor from the hem of her dress and the tips of her braids. She frowns and beckons to me with her small seven-year-old hand. “Meggy, come see.”

“What? The costumes?” I picture trying on clothes from the dress-up box Grammy gave us when we were five, and a tear rolls down my cheek. “I’m gonna play dress-up this summer, Remy—as Snow White.” I point to the costumes and hope I can divert her attention from whatever it is she wants to show me. “Do you wanna see me put one on?”

Remy nods and puts the end of one of her braids in her mouth, and I remember how Mom used to dip the tips in Tabasco sauce, trying to break her of the habit.

I walk slowly toward her, and she points to a costume in the middle of the rack.

As I reach out for the satin sleeve, Remy touches my arm. An icy chill runs through me, and the room disappears. I see a girl wearing a Snow White costume lying on the ground in a wooded area. It’s dark, and I squint at the black stain on her bodice. I bend down and realize the bodice is unlaced, and while the blouse is soaked in what I think is blood, the darkest stain is actually a hole—a hole in her chest cavity where her heart should’ve been.

“Be careful, Meggy,” Remy whispers as everything goes black.

A
MANDA
M
ARRONE
is the author of
Uninvited, Revealers, Devoured
, and
Slayed
for teens, and the Magic Repair Shop series for younger readers. She grew up on Long Island, where she spent her time reading, drawing, watching insects, and suffering from an overactive imagination. She earned a BA in education at SUNY Cortland and taught fifth and sixth grades in New Hampshire. She now lives in Connecticut with her husband, Joe, and their two kids. You can read more about Amanda Marrone’s work at
www.amandamarrone.com
.

The Cursed Ones have made their presence known, and the world will never be safe again.…

From the
New York Times
bestselling authors of the Wicked series
NANCY HOLDER AND DEBBIE VIGUIÉ

COMING FALL 2010

From Simon Pulse
Published by Simon and Schuster

From the
New York Times
bestselling author of
Thirst No. 1
REMEMBER ME
Christopher Pike

Her death will not go unpunished….