The Bridge of Death Read online

  Jackson looked at Jinx. “Yeah. But I did have it all over me.”

  Jinx jumped as her phone made the twinkling text sound. For the millionth time. She looked down and saw it was from Brian. The boy just wouldn’t stop.

  She and Jackson had been at the hospital for over an hour. They had stayed in the background as Maddie’s parents had come and visited her. Jinx had seen enough tears in the past few hours to make her never want to see them again.

  Finally, a nurse came over and said, “I’m sorry, but visiting hours are over.”

  “There’s no way we can go see her?” Jackson asked.

  The nurse shook her head firmly. “I’m sorry, no. Her parents had to leave. We won’t be allowing friends to go in either.” The nurse shooed them to the door. As they got there, Jinx bent down suddenly and pretended to tie her shoe. She stuck a pen by the doorframe and then stood up.

  “OK,” she said brightly. “Thanks for your time.”

  The nurse looked at her suspiciously and ushered them out the door. Halfway down the hall Jinx flipped on her heel and started walking back.

  “What are you doing, J?” Jackson sounded irritated as he followed her toward the door. “We can’t get back in there.”

  Jinx reached the door and couldn’t believe it. Her pen was stuck between the door and the doorframe. It had worked. The nurse must have been in a hurry and hadn’t made sure the door closed. Luck was finally on their side.

  Jinx put her finger to her lips and pushed the door open slowly. They snuck in.

  No one sat at the nurse’s desk—another stroke of luck—so Jackson and Jinx checked the board quickly and found Maddie’s room number. They made it into the room just as they saw a pair of feet start rounding the corner.

  Maddie sat up in bed, pale, her hair still wet. She’d broken a leg and two ribs, and she was wrapped in bandages all over.

  Jackson said, “Hey.”

  Maddie looked surprised for a moment, then said “Hey” back, as if she’d been expecting them all along. Tears streamed down her face.

  She looked at Jinx and stared at her for longer than Jinx was comfortable with. After a while, Maddie said, “I’ve never been nice to you, and I’m sorry.”

  Jinx looked away and shrugged. She wasn’t expecting that. “I’m used to it.”

  Maddie wiped her eyes and nodded. “I imagine you are. After tonight, though, it’s important for me to be nicer. Now I know what it feels like to be depressed.”

  Jinx wasn’t depressed, and she was about to argue with Maddie when she saw Jackson shake his head almost imperceptibly. She swallowed her frustration.

  “What happened tonight, Maddie?” Jackson asked.

  Maddie sighed. “I went for a walk to clear my head. I know you heard me talking to Haley in class today”—Maddie looked at Jinx again—“and I was being totally awful. But these jumpings were really getting to me.”

  She sniffed and went on. “So I decided to come check out the bridge for myself. And then, out of nowhere, I just got so sad. All these thoughts about how I’m worthless and it was just better to disappear. Like the water was where I belonged...And my head was all foggy. It’s like everything cleared up only when I was falling.” Maddie shivered.

  Jinx and Jackson looked at each other. The similar stories and the fog could only mean one thing: something paranormal was going on.

  Jackson said, “Listen, Maddie. I felt the same way on the bridge. And so did Ruby. And I haven’t talked to them, but I bet Cynthia and Hunter felt the same way, too. I think there’s something sinister on that bridge.”

  “Really? I mean, it really was the strangest thing. I wouldn’t have believed it if I didn’t feel it for myself. What do you think it is?”

  Jinx twisted her lip. “We’re not sure yet. But I promise, we’ll get to the bottom of it.” She got up and put on her coat. “Jackson, let’s grab the equipment and make a plan.”

  Maddie caught Jinx’s arm as she was about to leave. “Listen, Jinx. People are mean to you because they’re jealous. You seem so strong, like you don’t care what others think—and that scares people. Just remember that.”

  Is Maddie making fun of me? Jinx wondered. Though she’d never admit it to anyone but Jackson, her entire name change and ghost-hunting project was because of what people had thought. The earnest look on Maddie’s face convinced Jinx she wasn’t making fun of her, though.

  Jackson said, “Get better, Maddie. We’ll let you know what happens.”

  All the way out of the hospital, Jinx mulled over what Maddie had said. If she wasn’t careful, she might start liking these people.

  “E

  VP?”

  “Check.”

  “EMF?”

  “Check.”

  “Night goggles?”

  “Why do we need those?” Jackson said. “The bridge is lit up.”

  “Good point. Infrared camera?”

  “Check. Though again, we don’t really need the infrared part, right?”

  Jinx smiled a huge smile. “No, but it’s way cool we have it, right?”

  Jackson fiddled with the zipper on the duffel bag. “Shouldn’t you be inviting Brian?”

  Jinx sighed and flopped on the couch. She stared at the episode of Ghost Hunters on the TV. She always played the episodes with the sound off while she prepared for an investigation.

  “I don’t know. We got in a fight tonight. I think you’re right—he’s creepy. And he won’t stop texting me.”

  Jackson flopped down next to her and bit his lip. It wouldn’t help for him to say “I told you so.” More importantly, Jackson was worried. Who knew what this Brian kid was capable of? He didn’t like the idea of the kid texting Jinx over and over.

  As if on cue, Jinx’s phone twinkled. She shook her head. “Brian again. I’ll give him this much: he’s persistent.”

  Jackson felt his jaw tense up. I might have to have a talk with Brian myself, he thought.

  “What do you see in her?”

  Jackson’s head snapped to Jinx. “What?”

  “What do you see in her? Haley. What’s so great about her?”

  Jackson had known this conversation was coming. He just hadn’t expected it right then. “There’s more to her than you think.”

  Jinx put her elbows on her knees. “Tell me.”

  “Well, one time, before we got together...we ran into each other at the metaphysical shop on Main. I was...” Jackson knew this part might hurt Jinx, but he needed to tell her, “I was looking for the Ouija board.”

  “Yeah, why did you buy that?” Jinx stared at him intently.

  Jackson took a deep breath. “I wanted to contact my dad.”

  He braced for the fight—he was positive that she would yell at him, that she would tell him how stupid he was in order to cover up her left-out feeling.

  Instead Jinx said, almost so softly he couldn’t hear her, “Yeah. I get that. I miss him too. I can’t imagine what you must feel.”

  For the second time that night, Jackson felt tears behind his eyes. He shouldn’t have been surprised Jinx understood—he knew that underneath her hard outside was a soft inside. He blinked and went on. “Haley was there looking for a Ouija board too. She wanted to contact her grandma. So we tried together.”

  Jinx twisted her lip back and forth. Finally, she said, “Did it work?”

  Jackson shook his head. “No. But that’s when Haley and I started dating.”

  Jinx stood up, pulled her T-shirt down, and paced around the couch. “You hurt me, Jackson. Not just because you started dating her—because you kept it from me. I don’t like her, and I may never. But I’ll try. I’ll try because you’re my best friend.” She stopped in front of Jackson and said, “But listen, don’t hide things from me again, got it? We have to trust each other, no matter what.”

  Jackson stood up and put his hands on her shoulders. “I promise. And Jinx? I’m sorry.”

  Jackson knew that he wasn’t the only one who should be ap
ologizing. He was allowed to have his own life and to make his own choices. But he also knew that Jinx had done as much as she was capable of. And she was right in one respect, even if she was still being self-absorbed. He shouldn’t have kept the secret from her, even if it meant she would be mad.

  Jinx nodded and then turned away. “Done.” She was all businesslike again. And she and Jackson were back. “Now I just need to figure out a way to fire Brian.”

  The doorbell rang, and Jackson checked his watch. 9:30. Who would be coming over now?

  Voices murmured up above. Jinx’s parents had let someone in. Footsteps sounded on the stairs, and a figure rounded the corner, saw Jackson, and stopped cold.

  Brian.

  Jackson’s whole body tightened up.

  “Dude, what are you doing here?” Jinx said.

  Brian looked enraged. “What am I doing here? What is he doing here?” He pointed at Jackson with a shaky finger.

  “Brian, I don’t think it’s going to work out for you to be an investigator,” Jinx said. “Jackson is back on. I’m sorry.”

  Brian’s face turned red, and a vein pulsed in his forehead. He took a step toward Jinx, and Jackson stepped in front of her. Jinx huffed with impatience. He didn’t care—no way was this guy getting closer to her.

  “I think you need to leave, buddy,” Jackson said, a threat looming in his voice.

  “I’m not your buddy,” Brian spat. He stared over Jackson’s shoulder at Jinx, but Jackson could see he was shaking.

  Brian pointed at Jinx. “You’ve made a huge mistake, Jinx. A huge mistake. And you’ll be sorry.” Brian turned on his heel and walked to the stairs. Before he went up, he said to Jackson in a mocking voice, “I’m so sorry about your friends, really. You should probably go join them—it’s what all the cool kids are doing.” Then he headed out of sight.

  After the door slammed upstairs, Jackson heard Jinx sigh behind him. “Well, that went well.”

  But Jackson wasn’t ready to joke. He was afraid for Jinx, afraid of what this kid was capable of.

  Then the doorbell rang again.

  Jinx and Jackson looked at each other, and Jinx said, “What’s going on?”

  Jackson said, his voice stormy, “I think I’m going to have to have a talk with Brian.” He climbed the stairs two at a time, his whole body on high alert. He beat Jinx’s family to the door and swung it open, his fist balled at his side. This normally wasn’t Jackson’s style, but nobody threatened his friend. Nobody.

  As the door swung open, Jackson said, “You stay away from her, you creep. Or I’ll make you stay away from her.”

  Then he stepped back in surprise.

  On the doorstep stood Haley, eyes wide with alarm.

  “H

  aley.” Jackson’s voice was high with surprise.

  “Do you always threaten guests when they come here?” she replied.

  Jackson shook his head and opened the door wider. “Come in. What are you doing here?”

  Haley walked in and looked around. “Maddie’s in the hospital. I thought you might be here, and even if you weren’t, I wanted to talk Jinx into investigating. This has to stop.”

  As if she knew her name had been called, Jinx bounded up the steps. “Jeez, Jackson, he’s not a complete psycho, but you’re acting—” She stopped as she saw Haley in her doorway. “Oh,” she said, her face hardening. “It’s you.”

  Jackson felt like his stomach was turning inside out. Two of his favorite people were caught in a stare-down. And this was them being nice.

  “Uh, Jinx, Haley heard about Maddie. And she wanted us to investigate.”

  Jinx turned around and started back downstairs, waving with her hand for Jackson and Haley to follow. “Yeah. We’re on it. She didn’t have to come all this way.”

  As they reached the basement Haley said, “Yeah, well she wanted to come here. Maddie’s my friend.”

  Jinx snorted. “Your friend you smacked down today in English. You know, the class where you wouldn’t acknowledge my existence.” She crossed her arms.

  Jackson interjected quickly, “Haley, we were just getting the equipment together. We’re going back to the bridge tonight. Something happened to me there tonight, too.”

  Haley’s eyes got wide. “Did you get depressed?”

  Jackson was embarrassed to tell the whole story, so he nodded. Haley threw her arms around him. Through her strawberry-blonde hair Jackson could see Jinx make throwing-up motions. He disentangled from Haley.

  “There’s definitely something going on there, so we’re going to check it out.”

  “OK, I can drive,” Haley said.

  Jinx, who was in the middle of packing up her camera, said, “Whoa. No way. You’re not going.”

  “Oh yes I am.”

  Jinx stepped closer to Haley, until they were nose to nose. “The last I looked, you were a stuck-up, shallow cheerleader—not a paranormal investigator.”

  Jackson said, “Uh, guys...” but both Haley and Jinx gave him such looks of fury that he closed his mouth.

  “It’s true,” Haley said. “I’m not a freaky chick who needs to dye her hair for attention. But in case you didn’t notice, those are my friends jumping out there.”

  “Yeah. Friends. Such good friends you all are,” Jinx said. “Stabbing each other in the back. Like Maddie did just today.”

  “I’m going. Perfect or not, I will not let my friends keep getting hurt.”

  Jackson saw it then—a shift in Jinx. He knew she respected that sort of thinking. Haley noticed too, and a look of pride came over her face.

  Jinx lowered her arms and went back to packing the camera. “Grab that duffel bag and pack it in the car. We’ll meet you out there. You need to do exactly as I say, got it?”

  Haley nodded and grabbed the bag. She walked upstairs with it.

  Jackson looked at Jinx, and Jinx said, “What?”

  Jackson chuckled. “Nothing,” he said. He just sort of appreciated his best friend more than anything in the world at that moment.

  I

  t had been more than an hour, and the only thing the three had felt on the bridge was a damp sort of cold. Jinx shivered in her coat again, trying to avoid looking at Jackson and Haley while they held hands.

  For the fifteenth time that night, she did an equipment check.

  Nothing.

  It was already 1:00 a.m., and Jinx started to think about calling it a night. She yawned, closed her eyes, and laid her head against a pillar, listening to the murmurs of Jackson and Haley. She could vaguely make out what they were saying as they leaned over the railing.

  “...it’s what we should do, you know?”

  “Yeah. I don’t think it will get any better, do you?”

  “The water is so peaceful...”

  “...just climb over...”

  Jinx’s eyes snapped open. A cloud had settled around Jackson and Haley as they huddled together. Tears streamed down Haley’s face, and Jackson’s shoulders were slumped again. It was happening.

  Jinx looked at the EMF monitor in her hand—the needle spiked all the way to the red. The hair on the back of her neck stood up.

  “Hey!” she yelled at Haley and Jackson, though they were right in front of her. “Hey! Snap out of it!”

  Their expressions were dull and lifeless.

  “You shouldn’t have saved me, Jinx,” Jackson said. “But now we can go ahead and do it.” He looked at Haley and smiled grimly. “Come on.”

  Jinx shook her head in impatience, stepped up to Jackson, and swung her hand. As she connected with his face, the fire came back into his eyes. “That stung, Jinx!” he sputtered.

  Jinx lifted her hand to slap Haley, too, but Haley grabbed her wrist. “Don’t even think about it.”

  The cloud began moving slowly away from them. “There!” Jinx pointed. “We need to do something about this. Now.”

  Haley nodded. “Most definitely. No way is some stupid cloud going to make me feel this way again. Or an
y of my friends.”

  Jinx called out to the cloud, “Hey, you jerk! Why don’t you pick on someone your own size!”

  The cloud stopped moving. Jinx watched in amazement as the mist seemed to draw together—forming into a human-sized teen boy. He was gray and slightly transparent. This was the real deal. This was a real ghost. She looked at Haley and Jackson and saw their mouths were open too.

  Jinx swallowed. She couldn’t give up now. “Uh, yeah, stop bullying people!”

  The figure walked toward them and laughed. The laugh seemed to echo all around them. “Me?” it said as it got closer. The boy was dressed in old-fashioned clothes from what looked like the fifties. He had on a shiny windbreaker coat, and his pants were high around his waist. His head seemed to lean to one side. “Me, bully? That’s a laugh! I’m the one who was bullied! I’m the one who got picked on.”

  The ghost stepped within touching distance of Jinx. He had some major acne, and his hair stuck up all over the place. He wore big, thick glasses and talked with a nasal voice. But behind the glasses, the fury in his eyes made Jinx shake.

  “I b-b-bet that was hard,” she stammered. “Being bullied.”

  The ghost threw his hands up. “Yeah it was hard! So hard it killed me! Kids chased me to this bridge. Told me I was worthless. Told me I should jump.”

  Jinx gasped.

  The ghost continued. “Every day from seventh grade on, they’d beat me up, take my lunch money. All because I was different. I was a nerd. I got good grades and had bad skin and bad hair and didn’t have the right clothes. Just because I wasn’t some stupid follower, they picked on me every day!”

  The ghost pushed his glasses up his nose. “All because of that, they chased me here. They made me climb over the railing and kept holding me over the water like they were going to let go.”

  Jinx dreaded what was coming.

  “And then they did let go. My windbreaker slipped out of the stupid jock’s hand. He never had trouble with a football, but I guess he couldn’t hold on to me!”