The Haunted Key by Mike Ford

Author:Mike Ford [Ford, Mike]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Scholastic Inc.
Published: 0101-01-01T00:00:00+00:00

“Engaged?”

Sofia stared at her father, sure she had misheard him. Melissa was standing next to him, and he had his arm around her waist. The woman was smiling at Sofia, but her violet eyes sparkled triumphantly, as if she had won a contest.

“Isn’t it wonderful, mija?” Sofia’s father said. “We’re going to be a happy family.”

“Yes,” Melissa purred. “Very happy. I’ve always wanted a daughter.”

“I am not your daughter,” Sofia said angrily. “And you are definitely not my mother.”

She turned and ran from the room, her father calling out for her to come back. She ignored him, stomping up the stairs to her bedroom and slamming the door. Flinging herself onto her bed, she lay staring up at the ceiling, her mood growing darker and darker. As if responding to her, the sky outside the windows grew darker too, the fluffy white clouds that dotted the blue expanse like sheep suddenly turning into snarling black wolves. A low grumble of thunder rolled overhead, and once again the rain came.

Someone rapped on her door. “Mija?”

“I’m sleeping!” Sofia answered.

The door opened. “Then you must be talking in your sleep,” her father said. “Can I come in?”

Sofia turned onto her side, not answering. Her father walked over and sat down on the bed. He put his hand on her shoulder. Sofia shrugged it off. “I know this is a surprise,” he said. “It’s a surprise to me too.”

Sofia grunted but didn’t say anything.

“I know once you get to know Melissa, you’ll love her as much as I do.”

I will not, Sofia thought.

“She wants to get to know you,” her father continued. “If you’d just give her a chance, I know you’ll—”

Sofia rolled over. “There’s something wrong with her,” she said. “She says she’s from Sorrow’s Hollow, but I think she’s lying.”

“Lying?” her father said, his voice sharp. “Why would she lie about that?”

“I don’t know,” said Sofia. “But Edward says he’s never heard of her, and—” She stopped, realizing that she’d said too much.

“Who’s Edward?” her father asked.

“Nobody,” Sofia muttered. “I’m just saying, you shouldn’t believe everything she says.”

Her father stood up. “I know you’re upset about this, but I’m disappointed in you for making up stories about Melissa. I think you owe her—and me—an apology.”

“What?” Sofia said. Her father was looking at her with an angry expression. “You’re mad at me? She’s the one you should be worried about. She—”

“Enough,” her father said. “I don’t know what’s gotten into you, but I don’t like it. I think you should stay up here and think about what you’re going to say when you come downstairs again.”

He left the room, shutting the door with an angry bang. Sofia stared at the door, tears welling up in her eyes. Her father had never spoken to her like that. He was always kind, even when they had disagreements.

“She’s done something to him,” she said. “I know it.”

She didn’t know what to do next. She was absolutely not going downstairs where her father and Melissa were. But she also didn’t want to just sit in her room being angry.

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