The Initiation Page 0,29

weren't unfriendly, exactly. Just - unimpassioned. As if nothing much touched this guy.

"Thank you," she said, blinking back the tears.

Something flickered in those mahogany-dark eyes. "It's not much to thank me for," he said. His voice was like a cold wind, but Cassie didn't care. Clutching the backpack to her, she fled.

It was in physics class that she got the note.

A girl named Tina dropped it on her desk, casually, trying to look as if she were doing nothing of the sort. She went right on walking and took a seat on the other side of the room. Cassie looked at the square of folded paper as if it might burn her if she touched it. Her name was written across the front in handwriting that managed to look pompous and prim at the same time.

Slowly, she unfolded the paper.

Cassie, it read. Meet me in the old science building, second floor, after school. I think we can help each other. A friend.

Cassie stared at it until the writing doubled. After class she cornered Tina.

"Who gave you this to give to me?"

The girl looked at the note disowningly. "What are you talking about? I didn't..."

"Yes, you did. Who gave it to you?"

Tina cast a hunted look around. Then she whispered, "Sally Waltman, all right? But she told me not to tell anybody. I have to go now."

Cassie blocked her. "Where's the old science building?"

"Look - "

"Where is it?"

Tina hissed, "On the other side of E-wing. In back of the parking lot. Now let me go!" She broke away from Cassie and hurried off.

A friend, Cassie thought sarcastically. If Sally were really a friend, she'd talk to Cassie in public. If she were really a friend, she'd have stayed that day on the steps, instead of leaving Cassie alone with Faye. She'd have said, "Thanks for saving my life."

But maybe she was sorry now.

The old science building didn't look as if it had been used for a while; there was a padlock on the door, but that had been sprung. Cassie pushed on the door and it swung away from her.

Inside, it was dim. She couldn't make out any details with her light-dazzled eyes. But she could see a stairway. She climbed it, one hand on the wall to guide herself.

It was when she reached the top of the stairway that she noticed something strange. Her fingers were touching something... soft. Almost furry. She moved them in front of her face, peering at them. Soot?

Something moved in the room in front of her.

"Sally?" She took a hesitant step forward. Why wasn't more light coming in the windows? she wondered. She could see only glowing white cracks here and there. She took another shuffling step, and another, and another.

"Sally?"

Even as she said it, realization finally dawned on her exhausted brain. Not Sally. Whoever, whatever was out there, it wasn't Sally.

Turn around, idiot. Get out of here. Now.

She whirled, clumsily, straining her dark-adapting eyes, looking for the deeper blackness of the stairwell -

And light shone suddenly, streaming into her face, blinding her. There was a creaking, wrenching noise and more light burst into the room. Through a window that had been boarded up, Cassie realized. Someone was standing in front of it now, holding a piece of wood.

She turned toward the stairway again. But someone was standing there, too. Enough light shone into the room now that she could see features as the girl stepped forward.

"Hello, Cassie," said Faye. "I'm afraid Sally couldn't make it. But maybe you and I can help each other instead."

Chapter Eight

"You sent the note," Cassie said flatly.

Faye smiled her slow, terrible smile. "Somehow I didn't think you'd come if I used my own name," she said.

And I fell for it, Cassie thought. She must have coached that girl Tina on what to say - and I swallowed it.

"How do you like the little presents you've been finding?"

Tears came to Cassie's eyes. She couldn't answer. She felt so drained, so helpless - if only she could think.

"Haven't you been sleeping well?" Faye continued, her throaty voice innocent. "You look awful. Or maybe your dreams have been keeping you awake."

Cassie turned to cast a quick look behind her. There was an exit there, but Suzan was in front of it.

"Oh, you can't go yet," Faye said. "I wouldn't dream of letting you."

Cassie stared at her. "Faye, just leave me alone..."

"Dream on," said Deborah, and she laughed nastily.

Cassie could make no sense out of this. But then she saw that