Stalking Shadows (Scary Mary) Read Free Page A

you.”
    Mary looked at her in confusion. “He’s just being nice. Sure, he was a complete meathead to me when I first met him, but he’s mellowed since then.”
    Rachel didn’t reply. Mary shrugged it off and finished eating her lunch.
    “Wasn’t Mad Madam Mim like kind of dumpy and crazy?”
    “She could make herself look however she wanted. She chose to look dumpy, but she was definitely crazy.”
    “Huh.”
    “It’s how I picture you at seventy.”
    “You know, I sometimes can’t wait to be old. Old people get away with the best stuff.”
    “I know, just look at Gran.”
     
    *    *    *
     
    Mary worked on her homework in the living room. She was also tossing a red squeaky ball across the room. It would float back to her, and she’d toss it again. It was either toss the ball or have Chowder, their little ghost dog, whining at her feet. His body currently sat on top of the television. It was his anchor. Ghosts needed physical objects to tie them to the earth. Anchors could be anything. Ricky’s had been a locket. Becca, a little girl ghost who’d terrorized Mary when she was six, had anchored to a doll. But Chowder’s anchor couldn’t have been more obvious. He was a ghost, but he still had his body. He just couldn’t move it, which was good. Having a zombie dog would be even worse than a phantom one.
    Gran was finishing up with a new client. Mary had placed an order for a large pizza to be delivered. It should arrive any minute. She was still bummed about the Vicky/Cy thing, but it was slowly sinking away.
    She heard a car start up behind the house, and a few moments later, Gran came through the beaded curtains. Mary closed her textbook and put down her pencil. “How’d the session go?”
    Gran smoothed back her grey hair and took a seat. “Mrs. Beadley is having some trouble with her dead husband.”
    “What sort of trouble?”
    “Dating mainly. He doesn’t like the fact that his widow is getting back into the game. If she brings a man over, he makes the lights flicker or the radio come on to frighten away her date. She’s at her wit’s end.” The red ball dropped at Gran’s feet. She tossed it across the room.
    “He hasn’t tried to hurt her, has he?”
    “Oh no, nothing like that. She seems positive he’d never escalate that far. She remembers him quite fondly, but he’s annoying her a great deal now. She thinks it’s time for him to move on, like she’s trying to do.” The ball floated back to her, and she picked it up again.
    “Any ideas about how to deal with him?”
    “I think I’ll have to go to their home. She doesn’t have any idea what he could be anchored to.”
    “Do you want me to go with you?”
    Gran sighed and looked down at the squeaky ball in her hands. “I shouldn’t ask, but I think your presence could help.”
    “It’s no problem. If he’s as harmless as you say, it’ll be fine.”
    The doorbell rang, and Gran got up to get the pizza. She tossed the squeaky ball to Mary. Chowder barked.
    Mary pretended not to hear him while the door was open. Once the door was closed, she threw the ball as far as she could to get rid of Chowder for a bit.
    “Did anything happen at school today?” Gran asked as she gave her a pizza slice on a paper plate.
    She eagerly took a bite of her pizza, nodding her head while she chewed. “Cy and Vicky Nelson were in a car accident over the weekend. Cy broke his collarbone and dislocated a shoulder. Vicky’s in a coma. They don’t know when she’ll wake up.”
    Gran froze with her pizza halfway to her mouth. “Mary, that’s awful! Are you going to visit the poor girl?”
    It was Mary’s turn to freeze. “I don’t really know her.”
    “But she's a friend of Cy’s. Surely, you’ve met. I bet Cy would appreciate it if you visited.”
    She didn’t know what to say. “Her family probably doesn’t want too many people crowding in right now.”
    Gran frowned slightly. “You might be right. Well, you could send a