The Shade Riders and the Dreadful Ghosts (3 page)

As they stood at the checkout, Takeesha
turned to Nova. "I was thinking--"

"You can do that?" Nova said and then
laughed.

“Oh, that’s not very nice, Nova,” Mrs. Munroe
said.

"Sorry." Nova’s face turned red.

Takeesha grabbed Nova by the arm. "You have
got to stop with that joke. It was only funny the first time. You
know what I mean?"

"Oh, all right, I guess," she mumbled.

“And you’ve also got to stop running in the
library,” Mrs. Munroe said.

“But I was pulled all over the library by a
ghost. It took me to these books. Do they, you know, mean anything
to you? And one of your books is glued together or something.”

“Oh, really?” Mrs. Munroe looked at Nova and
Takeesha. “There’s still no running in the library.”

Nova gasped. “But my hand was grabbed by a
ghost and I couldn’t get away from it.”

“Maybe I should tell the school principal,
hmm?”

Mrs. Munroe thought she was lying.

“Do you believe in ghosts?” Nova asked.

“Doesn’t everybody?” Mrs. Munroe had her face
close to Nova’s. “However, ghosts can’t pull you around. They have
no substance to grab with.” Nova looked at Takeesha, who
shrugged.

“What do you think of these books?” Nova
asked.

“They don’t seem to have any significance.”
Mrs. Munroe picked up the stuck together book and examined it. “It
looks a little water-damaged, but it’s okey dokey. Do you still
want it?” She opened it to a page of a flying horse named
Pegasus.

“Oh, definitely.”

Nova and Takeesha handed over their hall
passes and the temporary library cards to Mrs. Munroe. She smiled
pleasantly as she checked out Takeesha's books.

Mrs. Munroe flipped through a drawer of 3x5-
inch cards. “Nova Nowak, you have a ten dollar fine for a late
book."

“Oh, okay...“ Nova swallowed and dug in her
pockets.

"Say, when did the library lose the beat up
old computer this place used to have?" Takeesha said.

"Last week, it died and we couldn't find
anyone who could repair it. So we recycled it and then couldn't
find anyone to sell us a used or new one," Mrs. Munroe said.
“Fortunately, I’d been moving to cards for some time. Never really
trusted or kept current with the thing.”

"Wow, I thought technology was a good thing,"
Nova said.

"If it weren't for President Hayden Radford
and Reverend Corbin Heller, we couldn't go back to the basics of
life,” Mrs. Monroe said. “Computers and other technology are bad
for the United States."

“That’s not true,” Nova said. “I want to live
in the past. Just think of all the electronic

toys—“

“Technology was getting too advanced. Some
people were getting so technically illiterate they couldn’t figure
out how to work the different gadgets. It was time for a
change.”

Ms. Childress, the English teacher, cleared
her throat to announce her presence. Nova noticed she hesitated at
the door, then strolled toward the librarian, slamming some books
on the counter.

"Carol,” she said, “that attitude is
precisely why we are not able to compete in the world and make
scientific discoveries,"

"Noreen, have you ever noticed that
scientists make so many mistakes with their data? It's no wonder no
one trusts their discoveries.” Mrs. Munroe took the books and put
them in an old dented metal cart. “The old folk cures and remedies
have stood the test of time and still work."

"Don’t be ridiculous. We need to change to
fit the times. When our knowledge grows, the information changes
and we advance out of primitive times."

"I'll accept primitive times because it must
be a divine plan. Things happen for a reason.”

Ms. Chilldress rolled her eyes and turned to
the girls.

“Nova and Takeesha, how are you?”

“Hi, Ms. Chilldress,” Nova said. “We…
communicated with a ghost in this library.” Takeesha nodded.

“Did it bother you?” Ms. Chilldress said.
“Were you doing anything with science?”

“No, we just wanted to talk to it,” Takeesha
said grinning.

“Well, I’m glad you’re not hurt. I don’t
think you know what you’re dealing with. That student, Dayton, who
was chased by a pirate ghost had died before he made it to the
hospital,” Ms. Chilldress tromped out the door. “Please be
careful.”

Nova felt her heart speed up.”Wow.”

“Poor family,” Mrs. Monroe said. “Dayton had
a heart condition on top of it.”

“Oh that’s not good,” Nova said, but in a
way, she was relieved. Most likely the ghost didn’t cause the
death. She still wanted to contact the ghost from the library again
though.

They were silent for a time. Nova found
herself picking at a worn corner of a book on the counter and
yanked her hand away.

“Why did they get rid of the science classes
Ms.Chilldress used to teach?” Nova said.

“English is more important.”

"Yeah, whatever." Nova hugged her books and
started for the door, "Come on, Takeesha, let's go."

"You can't have your books until you pay your
ten dollar fine."

Nova hesitated, and then said, "You're in
luck. I happen to have one last fifty-dollar bill, left over." Nova
squirmed as she handed her the money. It was all she had left from
her summer job. Mrs. Munroe gave Nova the change, and she shoved
the bills back into her jeans.

The two friends headed out of the library and
into the din of loud talking, slamming locker doors and shuffling
of feet.

“What do you think
the ghost was trying to tell us?” Takeesha said grabbing Nova’s
arm.

“I don’t know,” Nova said. “Maybe I’ll find
something in one of the books. At my house, we can use the Ouija
board again and ask what it wants. Hopefully, it will open more
pages to explain itself. I know I have lots of questions.”

“Me too. And while we’re there, we can see if
Chocolate had her foal yet, you know.”

Nova nodded. They sprinted down the crowded
hallway to get their books and homework. The lockers were old,
small, and stacked one on the other. Takeesha's locker was on top,
and three over from Nova’s on the bottom. Nova stood near
Takeesha’s locker to wait while another student finished getting
her stuff.

A decorative strip of wood spanned the school
hallways. Takeesha knocked on it for good luck. It was above the
lockers, and she almost couldn't reach it. “This is to make sure
the foal is a filly. I wonder what color it will be.” Nova looked
at pictures of horses of every size, color and shape taped to the
inside of Takeesha’s locker door.

"I was thinking--," Takeesha said.

"You can do that?"

"I changed my mind, okay? I'm not coming with
you.”

"But Takeesha..."

The halls suddenly became much quieter. Nova
saw only two kids getting their stuff. Nova blushed and said in a
quieter voice, “We should contact the ghost again. Who knows if and
when it will give us another opportunity?”

"Just let me finish, okay? We can meet in the
library maybe tomorrow to continue the séance. It’s just… I think I
might be jinxing it when I go over to your house. The foal is never
there when we go on the ‘due date.’ I've gone over there so many
times. So, please, why don't you just go home without me?”

"I'm pretty sure today's the day,
Takeesha."

"That's what you said yesterday, and the day
before that, you know what I mean?"

"I can’t help it if Chocolate isn’t quite
ready to have the foal.”

Takeesha gave Nova the ‘I made my mind up’
look.

“Fine, I'll go without you."

"When she finally does have the foal, please
call and let me know if it's a colt or filly." Takeesha put her
raincoat over her book bag. She left the building grabbing her bike
from the rack and rode away in the heavy rain.

“Man, I think I saw lightning,” Nova said
alone.

She got down on her knees, dug around in her
locker, and

pulled out stuff she would need to take home.
“Ugh, why does everything get buried in here?” Deep in thought,
Nova didn't notice the shadow blocking the fluorescent lights until
it was too late.

"Hey!"

Nova looked up. Brenda’s brow knitted, and
her eyes blazed. The bully was so close that Nova could feel her
hot breath against her face; it smelled of rotten eggs.

Nova peered around Brenda, who was a little
chubby and tall and saw her much smaller crony Amanda. To Nova's
disappointment, the hallways were otherwise empty. Crap! There
wouldn’t be any witnesses again.

"Stand up, you ugly freak."

Nova stood, using her books as a shield. She
inhaled and held it.

Brenda was three years older than Nova and
should have been in high school already. Amanda was Nova’s age, and
Nova could have handled her alone. But with Brenda holding her
down, Amanda could be dangerous.

"Leave me alone." Nova squeezed her eyes shut
and waited. She hoped they would be quick and get it over with.

"It's time for your facial." Brenda ground
her fist into her palm, grabbing Nova’s arm and yelling into her
face. "You...you stupid retard. Why don't you do better in beauty
class?"

Now, Nova opened her eyes wide and
glared.

"Shut up. We know exactly why you're so
confused, right, Amanda?"

Amanda ran her fingers through her brown hair
and laughed. "Yeah, we sure do."

Brenda tromped down on Nova's wide feet. She
winced.

Brenda laughed. "It's because you can't
figure out if you’re a boy or a girl."

Nova rolled her eyes. "I'm an individual and
I’ll be whoever I feel like."

"You're a liar, an idiot, and an alien from
another planet." Brenda grabbed Nova's cheeks in her hands and
squeezed hard.

In spite of the pain, Nova pressed her lips
together and glowered.

Brenda grabbed Nova's books and papers and
tried to pull them downward to break Nova’s grip. Nova pulled them
upward and hung on. Some of the books slipped, and Brenda kicked
them aside.

"Hey! Some of those are library books." Nova
watched an English book skid down the slippery hallway.

"Tough."

Nova bent to pick up her books and papers off
the floor, but Brenda kicked them out of her hands.

"Stand up. I'm talking to you." Brenda pulled
Nova up by her grizzly bear T-shirt. Amanda stopped being Brenda's
lookout and joined in pushing Nova until she was up against the
lockers.

"You aren't going anywhere until we settle
this, weirdo. You're a boy, aren't you? So why don't you fight
back?” Brenda poked Nova’s chest. “Oh, I get it. You're a boy who
won't hit a girl, huh?"

"I don't hit anyone!"

Brenda reached back with her fist to let it
fly into Nova’s face.

Suddenly, Nova heard a loud crackling sound
coming from all around. The bullies stopped and looked to their
left and behind them near the opposite lockers across the hall.
Nova felt the hairs on the back of her neck stand up. This was not
like the feeling in the library but more like when she first
arrived at school. Not only did cold seep into every pore of her
body, but dry heaves racked her stomach. If she had eaten a snack,
there would have been a mess.

Then she glimpsed two ghosts haunting the
hallway. They were adult men that towered over her measly height.
Their clothing looked like ancient cowboy attire, and they were
mirroring the girl's fight. Nova wondered if they were just trying
to be funny.

She wanted to yell at the ghosts, “Why are
you mimicking us?” but they disappeared. Usually, ghosts quoted
superstitions or said other things. This time they were quiet. Yet
Brenda and Amanda stared at the area where the ghosts had been.
Nova thought she could slip away, but stopped when she remembered
the books and papers scattered across the floor. She needed some of
them.

Brenda grabbed Nova’s shirt again. “You’re
not going anywhere!” She pushed Nova harder against the lockers.
Nova saw movement out of the corner of her eye. She put her arm up
to protect herself.

A green remote control robotic autogyro
dive-bombed the two bullies. It was the size of a breadbox, with an
airplane body and a front propeller. On top of it was a helicopter
propeller and on the bottom hung helicopter landing skids. It had
an evil face with an angry grin painted on the nose cone. Nova saw
color shooting out of the bottom.

It launched twenty missiles, which upon
impact exploded multi-colored paint into the bully’s long brown and
blond hair. Both girls screamed, pulling out what was left of the
yet unexploded missiles as fast as they could.

Out of nowhere, Max Kim and Benny raced down
the slippery

hallway to Nova's rescue. Max Kim carried a
periscope, as though he were spying on the fight. As he ran, he
slipped

it into one of the many pockets of his black
trench coat.

Benny's battery-powered wheelchair,
flame-painted, was

moving so fast that it reared back on its two
main, dirt

bike wheels.

Benny leaned forward with a control box in
his lap. He

gave commands using a microphone at his
mouth.

Nova once thought Benny’s autogyro looked
strange and a little dangerous, but she was finally getting used to
it. Besides, the blades were too soft to hurt anything. This was
going to be so clash!

"Keep it away, keep it away," Brenda and
Amanda shrieked as they ran down the hallway pulling at their
hair.

Benny and his remote control autogyro stayed
right behind them. The girls’ screeches faded as they ran further
away.

"Keep away from our friend," Max Kim yelled
with a slight Korean accent. Turning to face her with a grin, Max
Kim pulled a bright blue scarf from one of his many pockets and
changed it with sleight of hand into a blue rose for Nova. He
smiled and blushed.