Ghost Squad: Chapters 5–10

by Claribel A. Ortega
When best friends Lucely and Syd accidentally summon evil spirits to their town, they must figure out a way to reverse the spell and defeat the spirits.

Here are links to our lists for the novel: Chapters 1–4, Chapters 5–10, Chapters 11–16, Chapters 17–23
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Full list of words from this list:

words only definitions & notes
  1. waft
    be driven or carried along, as by the air
    She tried to slow her breathing and stay calm, but she could almost smell the twisted iron and burnt rubber wafting around her cousin, like a strange and deadly aura.
  2. aura
    distinctive but intangible quality around a person or thing
    She tried to slow her breathing and stay calm, but she could almost smell the twisted iron and burnt rubber wafting around her cousin, like a strange and deadly aura.
  3. encompass
    include in scope
    Instead, greenery encompassed her, twisting and blooming everywhere she looked. It was as if the forest was not just alive but breathing, trying to reach out for her.
  4. churn
    be agitated
    The moment she’d finished speaking, a roar ripped through the air, the blue sky churning until it was so dark it seemed to be made of ink.
  5. murky
    cloudy, dirty, and difficult to see through
    From the darkness, a creature emerged, a monstrous shadowy thing that made the willow tree look like a bush in comparison. Its body and limbs seemed to be made of a murky white mist.
  6. void
    an empty area or space
    Where its mouth and eyes should’ve been there were gaping black voids.
  7. steadfast
    marked by firm determination or resolution; not shakable
    The willow stood steadfast, untouched in the eye of the storm, as the monster grew in size and strength.
  8. maelstrom
    a powerful circular current of water
    Then a vibrant yellow-and-orange light began to bloom from within the maelstrom, spreading outward until it enveloped the tree itself.
  9. cower
    show submission or fear
    The mist monster cowered behind a bush, its fire reduced to ash.
  10. escapade
    a wild and exciting undertaking
    When she had told the fireflies of their plan, Macarena jumped at the chance to join them on their late-night escapade.
  11. furrow
    make or become wrinkled or creased
    Lucely furrowed her brow, trying to think of a backup plan, when Syd’s bike finally screeched to a halt next to her.
  12. saunter
    walk leisurely and with no apparent aim
    Chunk sauntered out of the room, immediately disinterested in them, probably to find a box to squeeze into and sleep.
  13. quirk
    twist or curve abruptly
    Syd quirked an eyebrow knowingly in the cat’s direction.
  14. pungent
    strong and sharp to the sense of taste or smell
    As soon as they entered the room, a pungent odor filled Lucely’s nostrils. It smelled like dirty gym socks and moldy cheese, and she had to hold her breath to keep from barfing.
  15. parchment
    a superior paper resembling sheepskin
    Syd moved to join her, holding up her light as Lucely delicately unrolled the parchment.
  16. putrid
    of or relating to the process of decay
    “Rotten and putrid
    Beneath the trees,
    I call on the spirits and let them roam free.”
  17. oblivious
    lacking conscious awareness of
    A shadowy figure stalked across the cemetery and toward the mausoleum where Lucely and Syd had just been, seemingly oblivious to their presence.
  18. encyclopedic
    broad in scope or content
    “Babette is the only one who can help us. She’s probably hiding an encyclopedic knowledge of magic in her hair or something.”
  19. inevitably
    in such a manner as could not be otherwise
    “My answer is still no way. Not unless you plan on pulling double dusting duty when she inevitably punishes us for meddling again.”
  20. alcove
    a small recess opening off a large room or garden
    “LUCELY LUNA!” the voices boomed from every corner of the library as Lucely pulled Syd into a small alcove.
  21. maw
    the mouth, jaws, or throat
    The gaping maw where its mouth should’ve been stretched across its face in some terrible mimic of a smile.
  22. stupor
    a state of being half-awake
    Lucely snapped out of the trance, in a stupor.
  23. akin
    similar in quality or character
    This tía was not the type to sit on the grass and chat. Her hobbies were more akin to a neighborhood gossip, always perched on a rocking chair or peeking through the blinds, tutting her teeth at everyone and everything.
  24. perpetual
    continuing forever or indefinitely
    Tía Milagros’s face was in a perpetual scowl that served only to enhance the curlers and face mask that she passed away in and were now her permanent state of being.
  25. endure
    undergo or be subjected to
    “It’s like we’re reliving our own deaths, and then, everything after. Everything you are spared from enduring when you cross over. All the pain and tears of our family and our loved ones.”
  26. extravagant
    recklessly wasteful
    City hall was an extravagant building, with a giant fountain and perfectly manicured gardens out front.
  27. adhere
    be compatible or in accordance with
    Lucely had no issue adhering to the buddy system, since she and Syd did that even when it wasn’t required.
  28. dub
    provide (movies) with translated dialogue and narration
    There was something off about him. It was almost as if the words coming from his mouth didn’t match up with his lips moving, like he was in a badly dubbed movie or something.
  29. unintelligible
    poorly articulated or enunciated, or drowned by noise
    At first there was nothing but static. Long stretches of it, broken up only by the occasional person coughing or speaking unintelligibly.
  30. bumble
    make a mess of, destroy or ruin
    “Quiet. Do you want that bumbling secretary outside to find us out?”
  31. static
    crackling or hissing noise caused by electrical interference
    Before Lucely could even say hello, Frankie flew out and shifted from firefly to person in a flurry of light and static.
  32. barrack
    a building or group of buildings to house military personnel
    The room just ahead opened into what looked like an abandoned military barrack.
  33. strew
    spread by scattering
    There were clothes and other personal items strewn about, but otherwise it looked almost as if it were untouched since forever ago.
  34. barrage
    the heavy fire of artillery to saturate an area
    “Well, well, well,” the shadows seemed to say in a voice like the barrage of cannon fire from all sides.
  35. surly
    unfriendly and inclined toward anger or irritation
    Out from the darkness stepped a surly man clothed in a centuries-old Spanish militia uniform.
  36. sliver
    a small thin sharp bit of wood, glass, or metal
    His sinister smile betrayed any good intentions, as did the sliver of something white held at his side.
  37. hoax
    something intended to deceive
    “Just that everyone says that this place is supposed to be super haunted, but I think it’s all just a hoax to get tourists to pay for admission. Haven’t seen a single ghost yet.”
  38. emanate
    proceed or issue forth, as from a source
    Light seemed to be emanating from every pore of her skin.
  39. transfixed
    having your attention fixated as though witchcraft
    For a moment, Lucely was transfixed, and so—it appeared—were the spirit soldiers.
  40. supernova
    a star that explodes and becomes luminous in the process
    “They went full-on supernova in there.”
Created on Wed Jul 29 10:21:40 EDT 2020 (updated Thu Jul 30 13:40:19 EDT 2020)

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