Along Came a Spider (Alex Cross 1)

Maggie Rose opened her eyes. At least she thought she had opened her eyes, but she couldn’t see anything. Nothing at all.

“Mommy! Mommy! Mommy!” Maggie finally screamed, and couldn’t stop screaming.

For an hour after that, at least that long, she floated in and out of consciousness. She felt weak all over. She floated like a leaf on the hugest river. The currents just took her wherever they wanted.

She thought about her mom. Did she know Maggie was gone? Was she looking for her now? She had to be looking for her.

Maybe someone took her arms and legs off. She couldn’t feel them. It must have been long ago.

It was black. She must be buried in the ground. She must be rotting and becoming a skeleton. Was that why she couldn’t feel her arms and legs?

Am I going to be like this forever? She couldn’t stand that, and she was crying again. She was so confused. She couldn’t think at all.

Maggie Rose could open and close her eyes, though. At least she thought she could. But there was just no difference with her eyes open or closed. Everything was darkness. Either way.

If she did it over and over, opened and closed her eyes real fast, she saw color.

Now, inside the blackness, she saw streaks and tears of color. Mostly red and bright yellow.

Maggie wondered if she might be strapped or tied down. Was that what they really did to you inside a casket? Did they strap you down? Why would they do that? To stop you from getting out of the ground? To keep your spirit under the earth forever and ever?

Suddenly, she remembered something. Mr. Soneji. A little of the fog that swirled around her cleared away for a second.

Mr. Soneji had taken her out of school. When had it happened? Why? Where was Mr. Soneji now?

And Michael! What had happened to Michael? They had left school together. She remembered that much.

She moved then, and the most amazing thing happened. She discovered that she could roll herself over.

That’s what Maggie Rose did. She rolled over, and was suddenly up against something.

She could feel her whole body again. She still had a body to feel. She was absolutely certain she had her body and that she wasn’t a skeleton.

And Maggie screamed!

She had rolled into someone or something.

Someone else was there in the dark with her.

Michael?

It had to be Michael.

“Michael?” Maggie’s voice was so low it was barely a whisper. “Michael? Is that you?”

She waited for an answer.

“Michael?” she whispered louder.

“Michael, c’mon. Please talk to me.”

Whoever it was wouldn’t answer. It was more terrifying than being alone.

“Michael… It’s me… Don’t be afraid…. It’s Maggie…. Michael, please wake up.

“Oh, Michael, please… Please, Shrimpie. I was just kidding about your dopey school shoes. C’mon, Michael. Talk to me, Shrimpie. It’s Dweebo Dido.”

CHAPTER 14