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17<br />
“Lefty?” My voice came out weak and trembling.<br />
He wasn’t there. It wasn’t a game. He was gone.<br />
Without thinking, I ran out of my room, down the hall, and up the stairs to the attic. My bare feet<br />
pounded on the steep wooden steps. My heart was pounding even louder.<br />
As I stepped into the heat of the attic, a wave of fear swept over me.<br />
What if Lefty had disappeared forever?<br />
With a frightened cry, I lunged into the tiny room.<br />
The bright light reflected in the mirror shone into my eyes.<br />
Shielding my eyes with one hand, I made my way to the mirror and pulled the string. The light<br />
went out immediately.<br />
“Lefty?” I called anxiously.<br />
No reply.<br />
“Lefty? Are you up here? Can you hear me?”<br />
Fear clogged my throat. I was panting loudly, barely able to speak.<br />
“Lefty?”<br />
“Hi, Max. I’m here.” My brother’s voice came from right beside me.<br />
I was so happy to hear it, I turned and gave him a hug, even though I couldn’t see him.<br />
“I’m okay,” he said, startled by my emotion. “Really, Max. I’m okay.”<br />
It took a few minutes for him to reappear.<br />
“What happened?” I asked, checking him out, looking him up and down as if I hadn’t seen him<br />
for months. “You were clowning around in my room. Then you were gone.”<br />
“I’m fine,” he insisted with a shrug.<br />
“But where did you go?” I demanded.<br />
“Up here,” he repeated.<br />
“But Lefty—” Something about him looked different. I couldn’t quite put my finger on it. But<br />
staring at his face, I was sure that something was weird.<br />
“Stop staring at me like that, Max.” He shoved me away. “I’m fine. Really.” He started dancing<br />
away from me, heading to the stairs.<br />
“But, Lefty—” I followed him out of the room.<br />
“No more questions. Okay? I’m all right.”<br />
“Stay away from the mirror,” I said sternly. “Do you hear me?”<br />
He started down the stairs.<br />
“I mean it, Lefty. Don’t get invisible again.”<br />
“Okay, okay,” he snapped. “I won’t do it anymore.”<br />
I checked to make sure his fingers weren’t crossed. This time they weren’t.<br />
Mom was waiting for us in the hall. “So there you are,” she said impatiently. “Max, you’re not<br />
dressed!”
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