Rita Morse and the Sinister Shadow

RITA MORSE AND THE SINISTER SHADOW

Book 1 of the Rita Morse Series

By

Holly A. Hook

SMASHWORDS EDITION

PUBLISHED BY:

Holly A. Hook

Rita Morse and the Sinister Shadow

Copyright © 2011 Holly A. Hook

Cover design by T.M. Roy, cover art ©2011 T.M. Roy

www.TERyvisions.com

All rights reserved. Without limiting the rights under copyright reserved above, no part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in or introduced into a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form, or by any means (electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise) without the prior written permission of both the copyright owner and the above publisher of this book.

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, brands, media, and incidents are either the product of the author's imagination or are used fictitiously. The author acknowledges the trademarked status and trademark owners of various products referenced in this work of fiction, which have been used without permission. The publication/use of these trademarks is not authorized, associated with, or sponsored by the trademark owners.

Also by Holly Hook

*Destroyers Series*

Tempest (Destroyers, Book One)

Inferno (Destroyers, Book Two)

Outbreak (Destroyers, Book Three)

Frostbite (Destroyers, Book Four)

*Rita Morse Series*

Rita Morse and the Sinister Shadow (Rita Morse, Book One)

Rita Morse and the Treacherous Traitor (Rita Morse, Book Two)

After These Messages (A Parody)

* * * * *

RITA MORSE AND THE SINISTER SHADOW

* * * * *

Chapter One

If I’d known my boring life was about to turn into an epic battle with the forces of injustice, I would’ve abandoned my prank on the Kool Spot, rode my bike back home, and twiddled my thumbs like my mom said I was supposed to do when this kind of thing happened. Okay, maybe I wouldn’t have sulked in my room, but I would’ve at least thought out this toilet papering job a little better.

But I didn’t, because I’m Rita Morse.

Tonight, nothing could keep me from the one thing on my mind: revenge. Revenge against my older cousin, Jerry, for the wonderful sign he’d put up in the door of his video game lounge earlier that day. Revenge for the fact that he’d just turned his back on all our years of friendship, all the pizza parties he used to host for me and my friends, and the fact that he was the one source of sanity I had in my family. The blue poster board in the Kool Spot’s door glared out at me in the streetlight. Absolutely no one under eighteen allowed without a parent. No explanation. No warning. Did it make any sense? No, because this wasn’t like my cousin at all. Did it tick me off? Yes. But you’ve probably guessed that already.

I nodded to my friend Ryan Sullivan as he hopped off his bike. How much did you bring? I asked, staring at his badge-covered backpack. It practically bulged at the seams.

He opened his mouth to say something, but his buddy Dan cut in front of him and tossed a toilet paper roll at me with a Look of Death. It bounced off my T-shirt with a soft thump and rolled away down the sidewalk. What’s Jerry’s problem? he asked. As if it were really my problem. What does he think we were doing? Slashing open the bean bag chairs?

The wind flung my hair into my face, forcing me to spit it out before I could answer. Just because he’s my cousin doesn’t mean I know.

Dan wouldn’t have it. His glasses shined in the moonlight as he kept glaring. Well, he practically babysat you all the time growing up. Don’t tell me you don’t know what he’s plotting, Raging Rita. Of course. He had to throw in my least favorite nickname. Hypocrite.

Sorry. He wouldn’t pick up his phone today. I glared at the sign and picked up the toilet paper Dan threw at me. I’m not waiting four more years to go in there and talk to him about this.

Ryan brushed his hand through his spiky hair. G…give Rita a break, man. We’ve gotta get this done.

He was right, though it was weird that he was the one standing up for me this time. Yeah, can you stop giving me attitude? Maybe he’ll only answer his phone now if you’re over a certain age. I glared at the new sign. You think I had anything to do with that?

Dan shut his mouth and stalked over to his friend Sean, grumbling like he did every time he got toasted by a Dragon Wizard on his Darkworld card game. Ryan shot me a look that said, sorry for bringing him.

It’s fine, I mouthed. We needed all the help we could get.

The wind snapped through my hair again, shoving a curtain of brown right over my eyes. I flung it away and wrestled a toilet paper roll from my grasp. If that didn’t tell Dan what side I was on, nothing would.

Ready? Ryan asked.

I nodded. Time to get started. If I was out too long, my parents would ask all kinds of nosy questions. Or worse, a car could come rolling by. This was Dobbs Street, after all. Even with all the stores closed this late, someone was bound to come through here sooner or later. It was the main road in town.

I did the honors and hurled the first roll to the roof. A long streamer of white unfurled and another thump sounded as it made contact. It tumbled back down and caught on the old rain gutter, leaving a streamer of Charmin waving in the wind as the roll hit the sidewalk.

Sweet, Sean said.

A tingle of satisfaction raced up my spine. Bingo. One down, twenty more rolls to go. Maybe after this, Jerry would explain why he’d betrayed us. Why he’d betrayed me.

Ryan and Sean tossed up rolls too. Then Dan. Then me, again. Minutes went by. Once a car passed on the next street, sending us all running for our bikes, but it was a false alarm and we all went back to work. Soon the Kool Spot had the world’s raggiest curtain in front of it. Jerry was going to crap his pants when he came to open up in the morning. Not that he’d have a lot of customers to worry about anymore. And what was he going to do after this? Ban us?

We were on our last set of toilet paper rolls when it happened.

Shhh, Sean said. I think someone’s coming.

Footsteps were approaching. Heavy, scary footsteps—the kind you’d hear in a corny horror movie.

My stomach lurched as I dropped the last roll and whiled around to face the noise. Great. How were we going to explain the toilet paper? Hey, it’s a modern art project that we just happen to be doing in the middle of the night? Yeah, everyone knew I was into art, but that excuse would never fly.

Then the footsteps stopped. Like that. The street stood empty except for a fast food bag blowing across the pavement.

Huh? I asked, spinning in a circle to look at all of Dobbs Street. A motorcycle revved somewhere far away and faded in the distance as sweat gathered at the base of my neck. My heart tried to pound its way out of my chest. I hadn’t been this freaked out since my mom signed me up for the junior high cheer squad without my permission. (Which, by the way, I skipped.) Maybe whoever it was had cut down the alley behind the Kool Spot or something. Or turned and gone the other way. I hoped.

Maybe I was hearing stuff, Sean said, letting his short arms slap down to his sides. Better get done. My dad’ll kill me if I’m not in by midnight.

He had a good point. And I didn’t want to wait around and see if whoever made those footsteps came back.

I tossed up my last toilet paper roll and watched it unravel as it fell. There. It was done. Toilet paper waved in the breeze everywhere. We had our revenge. I’d laugh later, like as soon as I rode my bike off the street, but right now I wanted to scram. Something about the quiet street and those disappearing footsteps gave me the creeps big time, and I don’t scare easy.

Well, I think we’re finished, Dan said, standing back to inspect the work. Sorry ‘bout getting mad at you, Rita. I didn’t mean it.

I nodded, silent, just as a chill ran across my skin. Translation: can we please go now?

Ryan and Sean both burst out laughing at the top of their lungs. I couldn’t help it. I forgot about those footsteps for a moment and started laughing, too. I couldn’t even see the yellow of the Kool Spot anymore. That’s how covered it was. Toilet paper billowed out like a tattered shower curtain. Jerry would be cleaning this up for hours. And I didn’t care if he knew it was me. He couldn’t prove it.

The streetlights all blinked out, leaving us in almost total darkness.

A laugh died in my throat as silence fell. And the front door of the Kool Spot burst open with an eerie squeak.

My heart leapt. Toilet paper parted from the door as it swung open, revealing the blue absolutely no one under eighteen sign for a moment. It looked like the lounge had an angry, opening mouth that led into a bottomless pit. Was it Jerry coming out? Man, he was going to kill me, even if I was his favorite cousin. Or worse—he was going to call my parents about this.

But no. It wasn’t him. Sauntering out was—

Oh, crap, I muttered. But that didn’t quite cover it.

—some guy that looked like a living shadow.

Now I’m not talking someone who looked all dark because it was night. Or someone dressed in black clothes with a ski mask over his face. I mean this guy was a shadow. Even in the moonlight he looked like one of those ink blots I’d seen in all my art classes. And to make it even scarier, he had a brimmed hat on and a cape that hung down almost to the sidewalk, like some psycho killer from a bad slasher movie.

He stopped just a few feet away and stared. At least I think he was staring. It was hard to tell as I couldn’t make out any facial features. A pointed boot tapped the sidewalk as the door squeaked closed behind him. That was somehow worse than him saying anything. If he said something, at least I might know who—or what—he was.

My legs turned to rubber as I reached out to grab Ryan’s arm. Not like me at all, but this was an emergency. My hand closed on air. Ryan stood over by Dan and Sean, frozen with his jaw falling open and his airplane goggles slipping down his forehead.

He’d never do anything, so I needed to do something, and quick. Like go for my bike and scream at everyone to scatter. But all I could manage was, Uh—

The shadow guy lurched forward, cape billowing out behind him with a flapping sound. He seized my arm. Tight.

Uh! I tried to jerk away and tear down the sidewalk running.

No use. He pulled back. I thought his grip would be icy cold or something, but it felt normal. Except for the fact that it was stronger than the rubber cement I’d put on my teacher’s chair in the sixth grade.

My heart pounded into my throat. I tried to yell something, but only a little squeak got out as I dug my feet into the pavement. At last I managed to form words. Jerry, this isn’t funny!

And then he finally spoke, and the voice did not belong to my cousin. Or anyone I knew, for that matter. You look familiar.

I froze. It was a low, creepy voice straight out of a nightmare.

Okay. This was really starting to freak me out. I yanked against his grip, but my wrist still didn’t budge. It might as well have been encased in that rubber cement.

The door to the Kool Spot flew back open with a bang. The shadow guy started to pull me back. Right to the darkness in the doorway.

Whatever was going to happen in there, it sure wasn’t going to be a Night Recon tournament. Guys, some help please! I flung my hand out to Ryan.

He broke his paralysis and caught it. E…everybody pull!

Dan and Sean leapt for my arm. Three pairs of hands gripped it and yanked.

The shadow guy tugged harder. I winced. Pain exploded in my shoulders as I scraped my shoes on the sidewalk. Now I knew what medieval torture racks felt like. But even with the four of us pulling, the shadow guy was still winning. I slid an inch closer to the door, and then another inch. Come on, guys!

Pull! Ryan’s voice rang in my eardrums.

I gave it all I had. I dug my feet into the sidewalk so hard I felt like they might sink into the pavement. Sean gritted his teeth. My arm slid through the shadow guy’s grasp. Only a couple more inches and—

The shadow guy grunted and let go.

I went sprawling back into my friends. And Dan.

Dan’s glasses hit me in the side of the face as I fell back. Ouch. Ryan tumbled into me, sending me backwards into the street. I got my footing back and faced the creep who’d nearly abducted me.

He still stood there, cape waving in the breeze, not saying a word. I tried to make out a face. Anything that could tell me Jerry had lost his mind and played a joke. Anything I could tell the cops. Nope.

The shadow guy lifted one hand and snapped his fingers.

And the footsteps came back, echoing off all the buildings on Dobbs Street. Uh, oh.

I swallowed over the dry lump in my throat. And glanced down the street.

Three more figures came running up the street towards us, boots hammering against the cracked pavement.

Chapter Two

Things weren’t looking too good for the home team. We’d been caught in the middle of our prank by some shadow guy that might or might not rat us out to Jerry. I was leaning towards might. And now more shadow guys were joining the party. I had a feeling it wasn’t to congratulate us or laugh at the toilet paper still billowing around the Kool Spot.

I couldn’t move. I could only gape at the approaching shadow people like an idiot. The three of them came side by side in tight formation, jackboots hitting the concrete at the same time. A loud click click click met my ears. They had no capes or hats, but had sharp edges on their shoulders made me think of armor. I half-expected these guys to chant left, right, left like the Marines. But they said nothing, which made it scarier.

What? Ryan muttered. His goggles slid down his face again as he whirled around. We’ve gotta get out of here.

Wait. The bikes. How could I have forgotten about the bikes? I glanced at Ryan, Dan, and Sean and yelled what I should’ve yelled a minute ago. Scatter!

I ran for mine, which I’d left leaning against the florist shop. Luckily, that meant it was far from the first shadow guy. The thudding of the jackboots got louder. And louder. They’d catch us in seconds.

I yanked my bike up off the pavement and swung my legs over the seat. The others scrambled for theirs, cussing. I knew a hand would land on my shoulder any second. I had to move. Pedals…where were the pedals? Finally my feet hit them and my bike clunked as it lurched forward.

Wind blew against my face as the gears clinked below me. Ryan sped in front of me with Dan and Sean, headed for the corner. We were free. No way those shadow guys could catch up to us.

Split up! Dan yelled.

Good idea.

Ryan cut in front of me and made for the corner. Sean and Dan sped across the street and down towards the old muffler shop. Their tires whizzed away into the night.

But the footfalls didn’t stop. I stole a glance back. The three shadow people ran past their leader and towards us. The guy with the hat and cape stood right on top of the unused toilet paper rolls, crushing them under his boots. Crushing my revenge. He put his hands on his thighs like a ticked off kindergarten teacher.

And then he yelled. No, he screeched.

Never again!

My back prickled and the hairs stood up on my neck. I pumped my legs faster and whipped around the corner. Ryan rode so fast, his hair blew down flat. I caught up with him, catching my breath. Footfalls still met my ears. The shadow soldiers were still behind us.

A wall of bushes flew past on the side. I stared at the gap between a couple of them that led to the school.

The trail, I breathed. Let’s take that.

No. Too bumpy, Ryan said between gasps.

He was right. That would slow us down. Which we didn’t need.

Another corner drew closer. The one that led down to the library. I followed Ryan around it, struggling for air. The footsteps started to fade behind us. We were losing those shadow people, whatever they were. And the streetlights were on down here. At least one thing was going right.

And then they clicked off like someone had hit a switch.

Darkness again. I glanced over my shoulder. No, it couldn’t be. The shadow with the cape and hat stood at the corner we’d turned like, two seconds ago. He couldn’t have moved that fast.

Uh…Ryan? It’s right behind us!

He looked back too, mouth dropping open. Oh, crap. Head for the park.

The park. It would have to work. It was so dark at night an elephant could hide in there. I pumped my legs faster, if that was even possible. They burned, begging me to stop. My lungs felt ready to explode. But that was better than whatever the shadow guy had planned for us.

I led the way next, cutting across the library lawn and narrowly missing a head-on collision with the return box. My bike bounced across the ground and over an expanse of little pink rocks, which about threw me off. Ryan cussed next to me as his bike made a squealing sound. Note to self: never cut through here on a bike again.

The light on the side of the building blinked off. That meant one thing. The shadow guy was still close.

My bike lurched over the curb and back onto the pavement. The dirt driveway of the park waited for us down the street. Almost there. Two more streetlights shined as we passed—and they stayed on.

Without a word, we swung our bikes into the park lawn. Mine started bouncing everywhere again like I was on the worst amusement park ride ever. I dodged a swing set and barely missed a sandbox. In front of me, Ryan made for the woods.

I leapt off my bike and rolled it over there as fast as I could. We could duck down and wait for those freaks to pass by. Then we’d ride back to our houses and lock all the doors. And board up the windows while we were at it.

Pine needles stabbed me in the face as I wheeled the bike past them and dropped it on a mat of them. It made a soft thump at