GHOULOFMYDREAMS

Book4oftheLarueDonavanSeriesByRosePressey

LarueDonavanisa

smalltowngirlwhojust

happenstobeaworld-

renownedpsychicmedium.

Yes,shetalkstoghosts,but

notjustanyghosts...lately

she’sbecomeacelebrity

ghostwhisperer.Famous

ghostsjustwon’tleaveher

alone.Unfortunately,they’re

nottheonlyonesinterestedin

Larue.Evilentitieshavetheir

sightssetonhertoo,andthey

keeppoppinguparound

everycorner.

ThistimeLaruefinds

herselfinthepresenceof

iconicfilmstarMarilyn

Monroe.Marilynisasex

symbolintheafterlifetoo.

Alsothere’samysterious

manisintownandLarue

wonderswhatsecretshe’s

hiding.Shehasastrong

feelingheknowsaboutthe

evilspirits.Plus,ayounggirl

isinterestedinwitchcraft,and

Laruethinkshercuriosity

mightberelatedtorecent

sightingsoftheshadow

people.Onarecent

investigation,Laruemight

haveunleashedademon.

Nowshethinksit'safterher

andeveryonesheloves.But

doesthatmeanshehasto

pushherbestfriendMindy

andboyfriendCallahanaway

forever?Doesthemystery

manholdthekeytogetting

ridofthedemons?CanLarue

convincehimtohelp?Larue

mightfindtheanswersfrom

theghoulofherdreams.

"RosePressey’sbookarefun!”Janet

Evanovich

PraiseforMeandMyGhoulfriendsbyRosePressey

“RosePresseyspinsadelightfultalewithmisfitsand

romancethatmakesmecheerloudly.”

CoffeeTimeRomance

“Hercharactersarealiveandfullofquickwittedcharmandwillmakeyou

laugh.Theplottwistskeepyouturningthepagesnon-stop.”

ParaNormalRomance

“Iabsolutelylovedthisbook!Ithadmechucklingfromthe

beginning.”

FallenAngelReviews

RosePressey’sCompleteBookshelf

(clicktitletopreview/buy)

ChaseCharleySeries:

Book1:ForOldCrimesSake

Book2:SeemsLikeOldCrimes

HauntedTourGuideMystery

Series:

TheseHauntsareMadeforWalking

AWalkontheHauntedSide

HauntedVintageSeries

Book1–IfYou’veGotIt,Haunt

It

Book2–AllDressedUpandNoPlacetoHaunt(July

2015)

Book3–HauntCoutureandGhostsGalore(October

2015)

Maggie,P.I.MysterySeries:

Book1–CrimeWave

Book2–MurderisaBeach

TheHalloweenLaVeauSeries:

Book1–ForeverCharmed

Book2–CharmedAgain

Book3–ThirdTime’saCharm

Book4–Charmed,I’mSure

TheHadleyWildsSeries:

Book1:DeadGirl’sGuidetoStyle

TheRylieCruzSeries:

Book1–HowtoDateaWerewolf

Book2–HowtoDateaVampire

Book3–HowtoDateaDemon

TheLarueDonovanSeries:

Book1–MeandMyGhoulfriends

Book2–GhoulsNightOut

Book3–TheGhoulNextDoor

Book4–GhoulofMyDreams

TheMysticCaféSeries:

Book1–NoShoes,NoShirt,NoSpellsBook2–Piesand

Potions

Book3—SpellsalaCarte

TheVeronicaMasonSeries:

Book1–Rock‘n’RollisUndead

ATrashtoTreasureCrafting

Mystery:Book1–MurderatHoneysuckleHotel

Book2–HoneysuckleHomicide

TheHauntedRenovationMystery

Series:Book1–FlipthatHauntedHouseBook2–The

HauntedFixerUpper

Allrightsreserved,includingtherighttoreproducethisbookorportions

thereofinanyform,(electronic,

mechanical,photocopying,recording,or

otherwise)withoutthepriorwritten

permissionofthecopyrightowner.

Thisbookisaworkoffiction.Thenames,characters,

incidents,places,andbrandsaretheproduct

oftheauthor’simaginationandnottobeconstruedasreal.

Theauthoracknowledgesthe

trademarkedstatusandtrademarkownersofvariousproducts

referencedinthisworkoffiction,whichhavebeenusedwithout

permission.Thepublication/useof

thesetrademarksisnotauthorized,associatedwith,orsponsoredby

thetrademarkowners. 

Dedication

Thisistoyouandyouknowwho

youare. 

Acknowledgements

Tomyson,whobringsmejoyeverysingledayandistheloveofmylife.Tomy

mother,who

introducedmetotheloveofbooks.Tomy

husband,whoencouragesmeand

alwayshasfaithinme.AhugethankyoutoMarleyGibson.Andtothereaderswhomake

writingfun. 

Index

Chapter1Chapter2Chapter3Chapter4Chapter5Chapter6Chapter7

Chapter8Chapter9Chapter10Chapter11Chapter12Chapter13Chapter14Chapter15Chapter16

Chapter17Chapter18Chapter19Chapter20Chapter21Chapter22Chapter23Chapter24Chapter25

Chapter26Chapter27

Chapter1

MynameisLarue

DonavanandIseeghosts.I

talktoghosts,too.Forthis

reason,ghoststendtofollow

mewhereverIgo.Sometimes

I’mokaywiththat,butat

othertimes,itcanbeabit

frustrating.Iunderstandwhy

theywouldwanttobechatty

ifIamtheonlylivingperson

theycantalkto,especiallyif

theyaretrappedinabuilding

andallalone.Beingaghost

wouldprobablygetboring

andI’dgobonkersquickly.

So,forthatreason,I’vetried

tohelpthespiritsallthatI

can.

Recently,though,

therehasbeenanew

development…

I’vestartedseeing

celebrityghosts.Crazy,right?

Mostpeoplewouldn’tbelieve

meiftheyheardmystories.I

can’tblamethem.My

experienceswerekindoffar-

fetched.However,celebrities

arepeoplejustliketherestof

us.Theylivedanddied,too.

Therefore,ontheirtransition

totheirnextplaneof

existence,theycouldget

stuckinthewrongdimension.

Sofar,I’vehadvisitsfrom

AbrahamLincoln,Elvis

Pressley,andMaeWest.

Whatanoddcombination,

right?I’vebeenwaitingfor

thetimewhenI’dhavea

wholebandshowup.That

wouldbeawesome.Maybe

mystreakofcelebrityvisits

wasover,though.Ithasbeen

awhilesinceElvisleftthe

building.

Rumorsswirled

aroundforyearsaboutthe

hauntedhouseIwascurrently

investigating.Accordingto

thecurrentowner,the

paranormalactivityhad

recentlyincreased.Thatwas

whyIwasheretohelpher.

Theold,large,brick

housewasbuiltin1815.It

wastwo-storieswithalarge

frontporchontheFederalist

stylehome.Asemi-circular

windowwasabovetheporch

andnarrowsidewindows

flankedthesidesofthedoor.

Thestreetwaslinedwith

similaroldhomes.Theowner

wasrenovating,which

usuallystirredupactivity.

Theexperienceshadgotten

sobadthatshecouldn’tget

contactorstoworkonthe

home.IwashopingIwould

beabletohelphersoshe

couldgetherremodeling

finished.Sometimes,inorder

tohelp,itmeantbringingthe

ghostbacktomyplace.Ionly

hopedIdidn’truninto

anythingdemonicthistime.

Aloudbangcame

fromtheroomtomyleft.I

knewIhadtoinvestigate.I

easedtowardthedirectionof

thesound.Thehomeowner,

hadmovedthefurnitureout

ofthespaceinordertopaint

thewalls.Iguessedthe

ghostlyactivityhadceased

thatjob,aswell.Adark

shadowzippedaroundthe

cornerandintothedining

room.Ifrozeonthespot.

“Isawyou,”Icalled

out.“There’snoneedtohide.

I’mheretohelpyou.”

Istuckoutmyarm,

hopingtheghostwouldspeak

intothesmallrecorderIwas

holding.“Doyouseethis

device?Itcanpickupyour

voiceifyoujustsay

something.”

“Something,”amale

voicesaidinateasingtone.

Iwhippedaround

thinkingforsuretheghostly

whispershadbeenbehindme.

Great…Ihadawittyentity.

Howfun.

Icontinued.“That

wasveryclever.Now,why

don’tyoureallychatwithme

thistime?”

Ihadanarsenalof

equipmentwithme.Ifthe

ghostdidn’twantto

communicatewithmeusing

therecorder,thenIcould

bringsomethingelseoutof

mybagoftricks.

Iliftedanotherdevice

frommypileofgadgets.

“ThisSpiritBoxcanalsopick

upyourwords.Justuseyour

energytosaywhateveryou’d

like.”

TheSpiritBoxuses

radiofrequencytopickupthe

ghost’swords.Itfreakedme

outthefirsttimeIusedit.I

hadn’texpectedittoworkso

well.Iftheghostswerebeing

stubbornanddidn’twant

speaktomedirectly,thiswas

agreatwaytotricktheminto

activity.

MaybeIshouldn’t

haveinteractedwiththis

ghost.Ifhedidn’tknowthatI

couldactuallyseeandspeak

withhim,thenitwould

decreasemyoddsofhaving

himattachtome.IfIcould

gethimtoleavewithout

goingthroughallthat,it

wouldbebetterforbothof

us.Okay,mostlybetterfor

me.Chattingwithghostsused

alotofenergyandalways

leftmefeelingdrained.Not

tomentiontheyneverknew

whentoleave.

“Getlost!”The

electronicvoiceonthe

machinejabberedoutforthe

ghost.

Iplacedmyhandon

myhip.“Thatwasn’tvery

polite.”

Itlookedasifthiswas

goingtobeanotherdifficult

one.

“You’dbetterplay

nice,”Isaid,asIeasedacross

theroom.Ipeekedoutinto

thehallway.“Whereareyou

hiding?”

“I’muphere.Ibet

youcan’tfindme.”

Uhoh.Thatvoicehad

comethroughwithouttheuse

ofanyequipmentagain.I’d

hearditloudandclear.But,

sofar,Ihadn’tseenanything

otherthanthedarkshadow.

Ididn’tlikeshadow

people.Thereweresolid-

lookingmasseswithno

features.Itusuallysignaled

thatitwasanevilspirit.I

reallydidn’twanttodealwith

oneofthoserightnow.

“Iwillfindyou,”I

calledout.“Don’tthinkyou

canhidefromme.”

Ididn’tgetananswer

thistime,soIfiguredI’d

havetohunttheghostdown.

Itseemedlikethevoicehad

comefromupstairs,soI

headeduptheoldstaircase.

Themahoganybanisteraided

inmyclimbtothesecond

floor.Onceatthetoplanding,

Ipaused.Withseveraldoors

oneithersideofme,theghost

couldbehidinganywhere.

“You’regetting

warmer,”theghostteased.

Thatsentachilldown

myspine.Thisghostwas

playinggameswithme,

whichdidn’tinterestmeat

all.Ididn’twantto

participateinparanormalhide

andseek.

“Comeout,comeout

whereveryouare,”Isang

sarcastically.

Okay,maybeI

shouldn’thaveprovokedhim

withmyteasing,butI

couldn’tresist.

Theghostreleaseda

menacinglaugh.Goose

bumpsappearedonmyarms

immediately.

“I’moverhere,”the

voicesaidtauntingly.

Ithoughtthesound

hadcomefromtheroomat

theendofthehallway.AsI

slowlymademywaydown

there,Iwasn’tsurewhatto

expectwhenIopenedthe

door.Inearedthehandle,

reachingmyhandout,andI

knewIwasabouttofindout.

Ofcourse,myanxietywasat

anall-timehigh.Ihatednot

knowingwhattoexpect.I

saidaquickprayerfor

safety’ssake.

Withmyhand

wrappedaroundtheknob,I

twisted.Itwasunlocked,soI

inchedthedooropen.Ipoked

myheadinandscannedmy

surroundings.Onlyaniron

bedwithawhitespreadanda

smallnightstandoccupiedthe

space.Therewasnosignof

theghost.Unlesshewas

hidingintheclosetorunder

themattress.Itwouldn’t

surprisemeintheleastto

findhimineitheroneof

thoseplaces.

“Wrongroom,”the

ghostcalledoutwith

boisterouslaughter.

Iwhippedaroundonly

toseehewasn’tbehindme.

“Idon’thavetimeforthis.”

“Thengoaway,”he

answered.

“Ifyoushowyourself

andtalktomelikeaman,

thenIwillleave.Stopacting

likeachild,”Idemanded.

Silencefilledthe

house.Aquietnessthatsenta

chilldownmyspine.The

spiritleadingmeonthishide

andseekwasn’ttheonlyone

here.Therewasnowayto

proveit,butIjusthadthe

feeling.

“Oh,didImakeyou

mad?”Isteppedovertothe

otherbedroomandopened

thedoor.

Thisroomwas

similarlyfurnished.Ablue

comfortercoveredthetopof

thisbed.Iseriously

consideredliftingtheduvet

andlookingunderthere,butI

didn’twanttheghosttojump

outatmeincasehewas

there.Icouldn’tletmyguard

downandallowthisghostto

knowIwasinanywayscared

ofhim.Ofcourse,Iwasonly

humanandIdidget

frightenedsometimes,butit

wasalwaysabadideatolet

theghostknowthatparticular

tidbitofinformation.They

usedmyfearagainstme.

“Okay.I’llstop,”the

ghostsaid.

Ididn’ttrustthe

ghost.Whywouldhestop

teasingmenow?Ichecked

outtheothertworooms,but

sawnothing.

“Areyoustillhere?”I

calledout.

Noanswer.

Apparently,theghosthad

stoppedashesaidhewould.

Somethingtoldmehe

remained,though.Hewas

simplywaitingforthechance

topopout.Hewastoying

withme.Ihatedplayingthis

game.EspeciallysinceI

didn’tknowtherules.The

ghostwassuretowinthat

way.

Afterlookingthrough

alltheroomsupstairs,I

headedbackdownthestairs.

Theoldtreadscreakedunder

myfeet.I’donlymoveda

couplestepswhenIthought

forsuresomeonewasbehind

me.Istoppedandlooked

overmyshoulder.Noone

wasthere.

Onceatthebottom,I

peeredupthestairs.I’d

honestlyexpectedtoseethe

ghostmereinchesfrommy

facewhenIturnedaround.

Thankgoodnesshewasn’t

there.Thatoddfeelingwas

stillthere,though,soIknew

hewasn’tgoneforlong.

“Areyougoingto

playthisgameallday?”I

asked.

Thatsamesilence

filledthespace.

“Okay,I’mleaving

now.I’dbetternotgetacall

fromthehomeownersaying

you’rebotheringheragain.

Thehauntingstopshere,

buddy.”Isaid,usingmybest

sternvoice.

Aftergatheringupmy

equipment,Iheadedtoward

thefoyer.WhenIreachedthe

frontdoor,Istopped.Iturned

tofacethespiritwho

obviouslywasn’tgoingto

showhimself.

“Onelastchanceto

saysomethingbeforeI

leave,”Icalledout.

Thisghostwas

persistentandanoddone.

ThefeelingIwasbeing

watchedremainedwithme.

“I’mleavingnow.”I

twistedthedoorknob,

expectingtheghosttostop

me.

ItwasasifIwas

tellinghimIwouldgoonthe

countoften,butstartedusing

halfnumbersmidway

through.Apparently,he

wasn’tgoingtobegmeto

stay,soIneededtomoveon.

IhadtoremindmyselfthatI

couldn’tsolveeverycaseI

tookon,butIdidn’tknow

whatIwouldtellthe

homeowner.

Islippedoutofthe

houseandovertomycar

parkedinthedriveway.After

placingmyequipmentinto

thetrunk,Icloseditand

lookedbackatthehouseone

lasttime.Therewasno

spectralfacestaringatme

fromanupstairsbedroom.

Thehomeownerwouldwant

afullreport.Iwalkedoverto

thecar’sdoorandopenedit.

ThatwaswhenIsawhim

sittinginthepassengerseat.

Hehaddarkhairthatreached

tohisshoulders.Heworea

redandblueplaidshirtwith

whatappearedtobebell

bottombluejeans.Iguessed

he’dbeenlivinginthe

seventies.

Hestaredmerightin

theeyes.“Tag,you’reit.”

Okay,thatwas

creepy.

“Whoareyou?”I

asked,tryingtoremaincalm.

“TheGhostof

ChristmasPast.”

Yeah,therewasa

wiseassteenagerinmycar.

He’dbeenslightly

see-throughatfirst,butnow

hewascompletelysolid.It

hadbeenevidentrightaway

thathewasn’tofthis

dimension.Nodoubt,he’d

beentheghostplayingwith

meinthehouse.

Ididn’ttrytohidethe

frustrationinmyvoice.

“Whatareyoudoing?”

“IthoughtI’dgofora

ride.Youdon’tmind,do

you?”Hetappedhislong

fingersagainstthecar’s

leatherseat.

Iplacedmyhandson

myhips.“Actually,yes,Ido

mind.Imakeitapolicynot

toentertainparanormal

hitchhikers.”

Ofcourse,thatwasn’t

true.Ihadghostswithme

practicallyallthetime.He

didn’tneedtoknowthat,

though.Ialreadyhadasmany

ghoulfriendsasIcould

handle.I’djustgottenridofa

setofspirits,andIwas

enjoyingmydowntime.I

wasn’treadytoaddanother

entityjustyet.Thiswasmy

vacationfromthe

paranormal.Okay,ifI’d

wantedarealvacationfrom

thesupernatural,Iwouldn’t

havebeenonan

investigation.Thatwastrue,

butIfoundithardtostay

away.Especiallywhen

peopleneededmyhelp.

Hemotioned.“Getin

andtakemeforaride.”

Isighedandtossed

mybagintothecar.IknewI

mightaswelldoashesaid.It

wouldtakeforeverformeto

getridofhim.Icouldtellby

themischievouslookonhis

face,aswellasthegamehe’d

alreadybeenplaying.

Ipulledoutofthe

driveway.Ididn’thavea

ghostfollowmeeverytimeI

wentonaninvestigation,but

ithadbeenhappeningmore

andmoreoften.Ifhewas

comingwithme,thenIhada

lotofquestionsforthisghost.

Irolleduptoastop

sign.“Whatisyourname?”

Hesmirked.“Doesit

matter?”

Ohno.Thisonewas

goingtogivemealotof

attitude.Ifeltaheadache

comingonalready.

Iflickedontheturn

signalandmergedintothe

otherlane.“Igenerallyliketo

knowwhoI’mtalkingto,so,

yes,itdoesmatter.”

Hesighedandthen

said,“RogerEdwin.Areyou

happynow?”

Well,thatwasastart.

Evenifhehadamega

attitudeaboutit.

“MynameisLarue

Donavan.I’maparanormal

investigatorandIguessyou

figuredoutIspeaktothe

deadaswell.”

“Yeah,Igatheredthat

much.”Hegazedoutthe

windowatthepassing

scenery.

Weweredriving

throughthenewer

subdivisions.Iwonderedifhe

recognizedhissurroundings.

Ineverknewhowto

askthisquestion.Therewas

noeasyway.

“Howdidyou…get

there?Youknow,inthat

house.”Imadealeftturn

ontoBowlingStreet.

Heshrugged.“Ifyou

wanttoknowhowIbitthe

dust,Iwasinacaraccident.”

Well,thatwasone

waytoputit.“Wereyou

driving?”

“Yeah.Itwasraining

andIlostcontrolofthecar.I

guessIwasn’tsuchagood

driverafterall.”Hewaved

hishand.“Whenit’syour

timetogo,it’syourtimeto

go.”

Iclutchedthesteering

wheelalittletightereven

thoughitwasn’training.I

repeatedmyquestion,“How

didyouendupinthat

house?”

“Theaccidentwas

rightinfrontofit.IguessI

didn’tknowwhereelseto

go.”

Well,thatwasjust

terrible.Mycellphonerang.

“Ineedtotakethis

call,”Isaid,pullingoverto

thesideoftheroad.“It’sa

portablephone.”

Hewavedhishand.

“Whatever.Iknowwhatitis.

I’maghost,butIcanstillsee

what’sgoingonaroundme.”

“Sorry,”Isaid.

Mybestfriend,Mindy

Winters’,namewasdisplayed

onthescreen.Ihadaphoto

ofherthatpoppedupevery

timeshecalled.Itwastheone

fromourtriptothestatefair.

Shehadcottoncandyonher

facelikeapinkmustache.

Herlong,blondehairhad

beenstreakedbythesummer

sunandherbrowneyes

sparkled.

“Ihopeyou’re

finishedwiththe

investigation,”shesaid.“I

didn’twanttodisturbyou.”

Iglancedoverat

Roger.Hewassmirkingat

me.

“Ijustwrappeditup.”

IlookedawayfromRoger.

“Canyoucomebymy

house?IhavesomethingI

wanttoshowyou,”Mindy

said.

“Sure,whatisit?”I

asked.

“Oh,it’sasurprise,

butIthinkyou’llloveit,”she

saidwithenthusiasminher

voice.

“Okay,nowyouhave

meintrigued.I’llbethere

soon.”

Mindylivedashort

distanceaway,soImadeitto

herhouseinonlyafew

minutes.Herpolefitness

studiohadreallytakenoff

andshe’daddedsomenew

classesandshe’djust

purchasedanewplace.I

pulleduptoherhousewhich

wasacombinationbrickand

stonefaçadewithcutewhite

windowboxeswithbrightred

andyellowflowersspilling

overthesides.Sheevenhada

newswimmingpoolinback.

IrecognizedMindy’s

dad’sblueFordtruckinthe

driveway.Ihopedeverything

wasokay.She’dactedasif

everythingwasfine.She’d

soundedupbeat.

“Roger,youwaithere

forme,”Isaidtotheghostas

Igotoutofthecar.

AsIwalkedupthe

pathtowardthefrontdoor,I

feltapresencebehindme.

WhenIglancedback,I

realizedRogerwasrighton

myheels.

“IthoughtItoldyou

tostayinthecar,”Isaidover

myshoulder.

“Idon’twantto,”he

said.

Isupposetherewas

nothingIcoulddotogethim

tostay.Icouldhave

threatenedhimwithasage

cleansing,butIdoubtedit

wouldbeeffectiveonhim.

WhenMindyansweredthe

door,Ialmostfainted.I

hadn’texpectedtoseethe

ghostofMarilynMonroe

standingbehindher.

Chapter2

Istoodthere

speechless.Infact,Ididn’t

knowwhattodonext.It

wasn’tlikeseeingaghost

shockedme,butIhadn’t

expectedMarilynMonroe,

forheaven’ssake.Whydid

thiskeephappeningtome?

Wordmusthavegottenout

thatIwasthepsychic

mediumtothestars.Marilyn

wasjustasglamorousinthe

afterlifeasshehadbeenwhen

shewasliving.Herchin-

lengthblondehairbounced

withcurls.Herlipswere

coveredinbrightredlipstick.

Sheworetheiconicwhite

halterdressedshe’dwornin

thefilmTheSevenYearItch

whereshe’dstoodoverthe

subwaygrateandtheskirt

hadfloateduptowardthe

sky.Herappearancewas

exactlyasIwouldhave

picturedher.

“Wow.Thisisfarout.

Ican’tbelieveit’sMarilyn

Monroe.”Rogersaidashe

walkedrightthroughMindy

andintoherhouse.

Mindyfrownedasif

she’dfelthimpassthrough

her.Now,Rogerstoodnextto

Marilyn,staringwithstar-

struckeyes.

Awickedsmile

curvedhislips.“Thisis

turningouttobeaverygood

day.”

Marilynglancedat

himandfrowned.Roger

neededtobackoffandlearn

whatpersonalspacemeant.I

couldn’tbelievehe’djust

walkedrightintoMindy’s

housewithoutbeinginvited

in.Wherewerehismanners?

Justbecausehewasaghost

didn’tmeanheshouldbe

rude.

“Istheresomething

wrong?”Mindyasked.

Ididn’twanttotell

herjustyetthatMarilyn

Monroewasstandingbehind

herandthatIhadalso

broughtanowinfatuated

teenageghostintoherhome.

Iespeciallydidn’twanttotell

herwithherdadthere.He

wouldthinkhisdaughter’s

bestfriendwasaburgershort

ofacombomeal.

Mindywaswearing

herworkoutgearofblack

yogapantsandablueand

blacksportsbra.She’d

probablyjustleftherstudio.I

hadtofindoutwhatthis

excitingnewsofherswas.

“Okay,nowthat

you’rehere,getinside.”She

motionedformetoenter.

AsIsteppedintothe

foyer,Ikeptmyeyeson

Marilyn.Ontheleftwasthe

largelivingroomandjust

beyondthatwasthedining

room.Mindyhadhireda

decoratorwhohadusedlight

colorsofcreamandbeige

aroundthespace.

Mindy’sdad,Mark,

poppedoutfromthekitchen.

Hisheadwascrownedwitha

thicklayerofshort-cropped

grayhair.Hehadbeengray

foraslongasIcould

remember.Herfatherhad

alwaysbeenfitsothatmust

havebeenwhereMindygot

herloveoffitness.

“Hello,Larue.It’s

nicetoseeyouagain.You’ve

beenhidingfromme,haven’t

you?”Lineswrinkledaround

hisblueeyeswhenhesmiled.

Ilaughedandgave

himahug.“It’sgoodtosee

youagain,too,Mr.Winters.

So,whatistheexciting

news?”Iaskedglancingfrom

Mr.WinterstoMindy.

MarilynandRoger

werestandingrightnextto

Markandhehadnoclue.

Thiswasparticularlyfunny

becauseMindy’sdadwasa

hugeMarilynMonroefan.He

wouldprobablydieifhe

knew.

Mindymotionedover

hershoulder.“Comeintothe

kitchen.There’ssomething

mydadwantstoshowyou.”

Thismustbehuge

withthewaytheywere

acting.IfollowedMindyand

herdadintothekitchen.

Marilynwasrightbehindme

andRogerwasstanding

entirelytooclosetoher.

Basedonthedownward

curveofherlips,Iknewshe

wantedmetogetridofhim.

TherewaslittleIcoulddo

aboutthatrightnow.Mr.

Wintershurriedovertothe

tableandpickeduptheobject

inaglasscase.Thesmileon

hisfacewentfromeartoear.

Heheldthecaseclosetohis

chestasifitwasfragile.

“Doyouhavetostand

soclose?”Marilynasked

Roger.

Thiswasthefirsttime

she’dspoken.Hersweet

voicedidn’thideherirritation

withhim.IgaveRogerastare

thatsaid,“Backoff,buddy.”

Heheldhishandsupand

easedacouplestepsaway.

“Thankyou,”I

mouthed.

Mindyfrowned.I

thoughtshe’dcaughtme

talkingtoRoger.She

probablyhadsuspicionsthat

somethingwasgoingonwith

aparanormalnature.Iknew

she’dfreakouttodiscover

ghostswereinherhouse.The

lasttimethathadhappened

she’dwantedherhome

exorcisedimmediately.For

allIknew,thatcouldhave

beenwhyshe’dboughtanew

place.Mindydidn’thaveto

worrythough.Ihadevery

intentionoftakingtheghosts

withmewhenIleft.

“Thisissocool.You

knowyouweremyfavorite

actress.IlovedyouinSome

LikeItHot,”Rogerchatted

away.

Surprisingly,his

commenthadgottenasmile

outofMarilyn.

“Thankyou,”shesaid

inhersexywhisper.

Heracknowledgement

hadalmostmadeRogerfaint.

WhatwasIgoingtodowith

thesetwo?ThesamethingI

didwithalltheotherghosts,I

guess.Iwouldhavetoputup

withthemandhopethey

movedonsoon.However,I

hadtoadmititwasn’tthe

worstthingtohavetohang

outwithcelebrityghosts.I

waskindofexcitedtogeta

chancetospeakwithMarilyn.

Iwasn’tevensurewhatI

wouldask.

Mindygrabbedmy

arm,breakingmyattention

awayfromtheghosts.“Look

whatmyfatherbought.”

“Whatisit?”I

steppedcloser.

Ithadbetternotbe

somekindofcreepybugin

thatcontainer.AsIpeeredin,

Ispottedthesparkling

earrings.WhywasMr.

Winterssoexcitedabout

earrings?

“Yourdadboughtyou

those?”Iasked.

Mindyshookher

head.“No,theearringswere

MarilynMonroe’s.Mydad

boughtthematanauction.”

Wellnow,that

explainedeverything.I

glancedoveratMarilynand

sheflashedasweetgrin.I

wouldhavetotellMindyshe

washere.Herdadwould

neverbelieveitthough,so

thatwasn’tadetailIwas

readytosharewithhim.

“Wow,theyare

beautiful,”Isaid.

Mr.Winterssmiled

withexcitement.“Iwaslucky

Igotthem.Ithoughtyou

wouldappreciateseeing

them.”

Littledidtheyknow

thiseventhadnowledmeto

Marilyn’sghost.

“Ithinkthat’s

wonderful,Mr.Winters.They

willlookgreatwithyour

collection.”

Hehadotheritems

he’dcollectedovertheyears

ondisplayinhisbasement.

Mostly,hehadpostersand

othermoviememorabilia.

Thisitem,though,wouldbe

thehighlightofhiscollection.

AtleastnowIknew

whyMarilynwasinMindy’s

house,butIwascuriousasto

whyshewaswiththe

earrings.Didtheyhavesome

kindofspecialmeaningto

her?Obviouslythathadtobe

thecase,otherwisewhy

wouldshebehere?Mr.

Winterswrappedtheglass

caseinablackvelvetcloth.

“Well,I’dbetterget

going.”HehuggedMindy

andthenme.“Ladies,you’ll

havetocomeovertothe

houseandseetheseonceIget

thecaseforthem.”

“Wewill,Dad.”She

peeredatmeandshookher

head.

Mr.Winterscarried

hisvaluablecollector’sitem

outsecuredinbothhishands.

Oncehewasoutthedoorand

ithadclosedbehindhim,

Mindyturnedtome.Iknew

shewassuspicious.

Ihadfullyexpected

MarilyntoleavewithMr.

Winters.Afterall,hehadthe

earringsandthatwasthe

reasonshewashereinthe

firstplace.Right?But,she

didn’tgowithhim.She

watchedhimwalkoutthe

doorandthenstaredmeright

intheeyes.Ihadtoaskher

whyshehadn’tgonewith

him.First,Iwouldhaveto

tellMindyabouttheghosts.

IsupposeIhadtotell

herthetruth.Shewasmybest

friendandIdidn’twantto

hideanythingfromher.Ijust

hopedshewasunderstanding.

Iwasresponsibleforbringing

Rogertoherhouse,butwas

Marilynmyfault,too?She

wouldhavebeenthere

whetherIshowedupornot.

Mindyturnedtome

andplacedherhandsonher

hips.“What’sgoingon?”

Icringedandrushed

towardthedoor.

Shesteppedinfront

ofme.“Oh,noyoudon’t.

You’renotleavinguntilyou

tellme.”

IthoughtI’dbe

honestwithher,butnowI

washavingsecondthoughts.

Mindywasblockingmyexit.

“Tellhershehasthe

biggestsexsymbolinhistory

inherlivingroom.”Roger

wiggledhiseyebrowsat

Marilyn.

Marilyninched

furtherawayfromhim.

Ireleasedadeep

breathandsaid,“Okay,I

guessIcan’thideitfrom

you.”

“No,youcan’t,”

Mindysaid.“Thereareghosts

withyou,aren’tthere?”

InoddedatRogerand

Marilyn.“Alittlebit,yeah.”

Mindypeeredaround

theroom.“Whoarethey?”

“Youwon’tbelieve

it,”Isaid.

Shequirkedan

eyebrow.“AfterAbeLincoln,

MaeWest,andElvisPresley,

IthinkI’dbelieveanything.”

“Isupposeyouwould.

Therearetwoghosts.Oneis

famous.”Imotionedtoward

Marilynwithatiltofmy

head,eventhoughMindy

couldn’tseeher.

Marilynfluffedher

hairandcheckedherred-

polishedfingernails.

“Theotheroneisabit

ofapaininthebutt.”I

scowledatRoger.

“Rightbackatyou.”

Hesmirkedme.

“Well,whoarethey?”

Mindymotionedformeto

tellher.

“Well,youknowhow

yourdadhadtheearrings

here?”

“Yeah…”shesaid.

“MarilynMonroewas

attachedtotheearringsand

she’sherenow,”Isaid,

rushingmywords.

“Ineedtositdown.”

Mindywalkedovertothe

leathersofaintheliving

room.

Isatbesideher.“Are

youokay?”

Shepushedthehair

outofhereyesandreleaseda

deepbreath.“Whyisshe

here?”

IturnedtoMarilyn

whohadfollowedusintothe

room.“Whyareyouhere?I

thoughtyouwereattachedto

theearrings?”

“Iwasattachedtothe

earrings,butnowI’m

attachedtoyou.”Shewinked.

Ifrowned.“Why

me?”

“Becauseyoucansee

andtalktome,darling.”

“Duh,”Rogersaid.

“WhywouldIgowith

theearringswhenIcan

actuallycommunicatewith

you?”

“Whywereyou

attachedtotheearringsinthe

firstplace?”Iasked.

Shewavedherhand.

“That’salongstoryIdon’t

wanttotalkaboutrightnow.”

“Whatdidshesay?”

Mindyasked.

“Shedoesn’twantto

talkaboutit,”Isaid.

Mindyrubbedher

temples.“Thatfigures.What

abouttheotherghost?”

IgesturedatRoger.

“HecamefromthehouseI

wasjustinvestigating.Itold

himtostayinthecar,buthe

didn’tlisten.He’sateenager

andyouknowhowtheycan

be.”

Herolledhiseyes.

“Hey,don’tthinkyouknow

everythingjustbecauseyou

areolderthanme.”

“Youaren’tgoingto

leavethemhereareyou?”

Mindyasked.

“No,ofcoursenot.”I

triedtosoundreassuring.

Rogerpointedto

Marilyn.“I’mnotgoingif

she’snotgoing.”

“I’mgoingwithher,”

Marilynsaid,motioningto

me.

Well,Iguessthat

solvesthatproblem.

“They’llbothbe

comingwithme,”Isaid.

“Whew.Thank

goodness.Idon’twantghosts

inmyhouse.Nooffense,”

Mindysaid,gazingaround

theroom.

“Nonetaken,”

Marilynsaid.

Ireleasedadeep

breath.Now,Ihadtofigure

outwhatIwoulddowith

them.Iguessthefirstthing

wastogetthemoutof

Mindy’shouse.

Ipushedtomyfeet.“I

shouldgettotheshopnow.”I

motionedattheghosts.“Are

youbothreadytocomewith

me?”

Marilynsashayed

towardthefrontdoor.Roger

jumpedupandhurriedacross

theroom.

“Leaveheralone,”I

barkedoutathim.“Helikes

Marilyn.”

Mindysnorted.“What

manwouldn’t?”

Ilaughed.“True.”

Waituntilmy

boyfriend,CallahanWeiss,

foundoutMarilynwaswith

me.He’dbejealoushe

couldn’tseeghosts,too.

Mindyfollowedme

acrosstheroom.“Thanksfor

stoppingby,nowgetthe

ghostsoutofhere.”

Isteppedoutside.

“Comeon,Marilynand

Roger,Mindydoesn’twant

youhere.”

Shelaughed.“You’re

right,Idon’t.”

“Callmelater.”I

waved.

Rogermotioned

towardthecarforMarilynto

gofirst.Sure,hewaspoliteto

her.Ifhecouldhaveopened

thedoorforher,hewould

have.Wepiledintomycar

andIbackedoutofthe

driveway.IneverthoughtI’d

beridingaroundtownwith

MarilynMonroesittingnext

tome.SinceIhadsomany

ghostspoppinginandoutof

mylife,I’dhadtopreparea

sortof“orientationtalk”for

thespirits.Settingboundaries

andlettingthemknowwhat

theycouldandcouldn’tdo

wasessentialformysanity.

“Wherearewegoing?

Marilynasked.

“Ihaveabookstorein

town.Iworkthereduringthe

day.”

“Ilovebooks.”She

watchedoutthewindow,not

noticingmeasshetalked.“I

hadalmostfourhundred

books.”

“Metoo.”Roger

leanedforwardintheseat.

“Areyoujustsaying

thatbecauseMarilyndid?”I

askedasImadealeftturn.

“No,ofcoursenot.I

didn’thavefourhundred

books,butIlovebooks,”he

saiddefensively.

Silencefilledthecar.

Marilynwasquiet,soI

assumedshedidn’twantto

talk.Ihadabunchof

questionsforher,butIdidn’t

knowwheretostart.Of

course,therewasthewhole

questionastowhetherher

deathhadbeenanaccidentor

suicide,butIwasn’taboutto

askthat.Itwasnoneofmy

business.Howevershedied,

ithadbeenatragedy.Ifshe

wantedtosharethe

informationIwouldbeall

ears.Sinceshedidn’twantto

tellmewhyshewasattached

totheearringsthatleftmeat

alossforwords.

Ipulledupinfrontof

myshop.“Well,herewe

are.”

Chapter3

BookNookwasmy

bookstoreinthelittletownof

Magnolia,Kentucky.Ithad

beenmygrandparentsbefore

theyretired.Thedowntown

areaoftownhadalotofcute

storesinoldbuildings.My

placewasrightnextdoorto

FullCupCoffeeShop.My

hunkyboyfriend,Callahan

Weiss,ownedtheplace.The

coffeewasthebestI’dever

tastedandthepastrywasto

diefor.

Acharmingsign

dangledabovethedoorofmy

shopwelcomingvisitors.

BookNookhadalwaysbeen

mysafehaven.SinceIranthe

shopduringtheday,Ihadto

findtimeformy

investigating.Mosttimes,

thatmeantIeitherhadtohunt

ghostsearlyinthemorningor

lateatnight.

MarilynandRoger

followedasIgotoutofthe

carandheadedupthe

sidewalktowardtheshop.

“Thisisalovely

town,”Marilynsaidasshe

sashayedalongbesideme.

Rogerleanedcloseto

herandsaid,“We’regladyou

likeit.”

Now,hewassuddenly

Mr.Charming.Irolledmy

eyes.

“Howlonghaveyou

hadtheshop?”sheasked.

“It’sjustbeena

coupleyearsnow.Iloveit

though.”Iglancedtoward

Callahan’s,butdidn’tsee

him.

Itwasearlyand

peopleweregoinginandout

ofhisshop,soIknewhe’dbe

busy.

Thingshadfinally

startedtosettledownafter

Callahanhadbeenhitwitha

coupleofspellsthathadleft

himnotactinghimself.Thank

goodnessthatwasallbehind

us.Therewasalotof

witchcraftintown,butafter

gettingthepeoplewhowere

performingblackmagicto

leaveMagnolia,itwasall

goodmagicnow.Therefore,

wehadn’thadanyproblems

since.Plus,thespiritsthat

hadbeenaroundlatelyhad

beenquiet.Itwasoddreally,

almostlikethecalmbefore

thestorm.

AsInearedmyfront

door,Ispottedsomethingout

ofthecornerofmyeye.It

seemedlikeashadow.Kind

ofliketheoneI’dseeninthe

houseI’djustleft.But,that

hadbeenRogerandhewas

withmenow.Iglancedtomy

lefttomakesurehewasstill

there.Ofcoursehewasn’t

goinganywhereaslongas

Marilynwasstillhere.Could

ithavebeenanotherspirit?If

so,thenwherehadthespirit

comefrom?

“Didyouseethat?”

Marilynaskedandpointed.

“Yousawit?”Iasked.

Shepeeredatmewith

herlong-lashedblueeyes.

“Yes,butitmovedsoquickly

IthoughtmaybeI’dimagined

it.”

Ishookmyhead.“No,

itwasreal.”

I’dseenthemtoo

manytimesnowtothinkthey

werejustafigmentofmy

imagination.

“Didyouseeit,

Roger?”Iasked.

Hewasstaringat

Marilyn.“DidIseewhat?”

“Nevermind,”Isaid.

ThatwaswhenI

spotteditonmyleftthistime.

Afamiliarburningsensation

ranthroughme,signalingthat

thisspiritprobablywasn’t

friendly.Itfeltliketherush

whenyouateicecreamtoo

fast,onlythiswasthroughout

mybody.Thankgoodnessit

onlylastasecond.

Istopped.“Thereit

wasagain.”

Thethingwasmoving

soquicklythatIdidn’thavea

chancetogetagoodlookat

it.Iglancedbehindme,but

didn’tseemovement.Itwas

almostasifthisthingwas

toyingwithme.

IeyedRoger

suspiciously.

“What?”heasked

defensively.

“Areyouplaying

gameswithmeagain?”I

asked.

Hethrewhishands

up.“Whydoyoualways

thinkit’sme?Whydoesit

automaticallyhavetobeme

messingwithyou?”

Asawomanwalked

by,Ipeereddownatmy

whitetennisshoessoit

wouldn’tseemasifIwas

talkingtomyself.“Calm

down.Youweretheone

playingahideandseekgame

withmethismorning,socan

youblamemeforbeing

suspicious?”

Hefurrowedhisbrow.

“Whatever.”

Ihopedtohave

childrensomeday,butnowI

wasrethinkingthatbasedon

whatI’dgothroughwiththe

teenageyears.Theshadow

didn’tpopoutagain,soI

openedtheshopdoorand

headedinside.

Whateverwasout

there,Ihopeditwouldgo

away.Maybeitwasaspirit

simplypassingthrough.That

happenedsometimes.The

richsmellofbookswhirled

throughtheair,huggingme

whenImovedthroughthe

shop.Italwaysmademefeel

athomewhenIwashere.I

wasmostcomfortable

surroundedbythebooks.

Theywerelikeoldfriends

andfamily.IknewIwas

alwayssafewhenIwas

aroundthem.Acozy

fireplacewasononesideof

thestorewithleatherchairs

placedinfronttorelaxand

read.Thecheckoutwason

theoppositeside.

“Somanybooks,”

Marilynsaidassheglanced

aroundthestore.Myfavorite

bookisToKilla

Mockingbird.”

“Really?HarperLee

hasasecondbooknow.It

wasjustreleased,”Isaid.

Rogercutoffmy

conversationwhenheasked,

“Whatarewegoingtodo

here?”

“We’regoingto

work,”Isaid,movingbehind

thecountertoturnonmy

computer.

“Whydowehaveto

dothat?”heaskedwithan

annoyingwhinyvoice.

Iflashedhimaforced

smile.“BecauseIhavebills

topayandIliketoeat

occasionally.”

Herolledhiseyes

again.Ishouldhavetoldhim

ifhedidthattoooftenhis

eyeswouldfreezelikethat.

“Doyouhavethenew

book?”Marilynaskedina

sweetvoice.

Imovedovertothe

displayandgrabbedthe

hardback.“Hereitis.”

Hereyeswidened.“I

wouldlovetoreadit,but

sinceIcan’tholdthepagesit

wouldbekindofhard.”

Rogerleanedagainst

thecounter.“Youshouldread

ittoher.”

Marilynfixedher

gazeonmeandsmiled.“That

wouldbenice.”

HowcouldIsaynoto

that?“IsupposeIcoulddo

that.”

Sincetherewereno

customersatthemoment,I

openedthecoverandstarted

readingfromthefirstchapter.

Rogeryawnedasifhewas

bored,butMarilynremained

transfixedonmyeveryword.

However,muchtoMarilyn’s

disappointment,acustomer

cameinandinterruptedour

readingtime.Afterthe

womanpaidforherpurchase

andlefttheshop,Isatback

downonmystoolbehindthe

counter.

BeforeIhadachance

topickuponthepageIleft

off,Marilynasked,“Who

wasthat?”

“Whoareyoutalking

about?”Iasked.

Shepointedtoward

thefrontofthestore.“There

wasamanstaringinthe

windowjustnow.”

Ifrowned.“Ididn’t

seeanyone,butmaybeitwas

acustomerwonderingifwe

areopenyet.”

Sheshookherhead.

“Thatwasn’tacustomer.”

“Howdoyouknow?”

Iasked.

Shereleasedadeep

breath.“Hewasaspirit.I

couldseerightthroughhim.”

Imovedfrombehind

thecounterandtowardthe

frontwindow.Thiswas

startingofftobeastrange

morningandIhopeditsettled

downsoon.OnceIreached

thewindow,Ipressedmy

facecloseandpeeredoutside.

Iglancedtotheleftandthen

totheright,butdidn’tsee

anything.

“Whatdidhelook

like?”Iasked.

Marilyn’sexpression

turnedseriousashersculpted

eyebrowsfurrowed.“Hehad

onadarksuitandhe

appearedmean.”

Iturnedfromthe

window.“Thatdidn’tsound

good.Roger,wereyouthe

shadowatthehousethis

morning?Whenyouwere

playinghide-n-seek?”

“Stopsayingthat.I

wasn’tplayinghide-n-seek.

Youmakemesoundlikea

two-year-old.”Roger

scowled.

“Well…iftheshoe

fits,”Isaidwiththewaveof

myhand.

Heglaredatmeagain.

“I’veneverbeenashadow.I

don’tknowhowtodoit.”

I’dbeenafraidhe

wouldsaythat.NowIknewI

wasdealingwithsomething

farmoreserious.I’dbeen

suspiciousoftheshadow.

EventhoughRogerlikedto

playgames,Ibelievedhim

whenhesaiditwasn’thim.

Now,IthoughtImightbe

dealingwithanotherspirit…

onemoresinister.Thatwas

thelastthingIneededright

now.AssoonasImoved

awayfromthewindow,the

bellabovethedoorjingled.I

whippedaroundandstuckmy

handsoutinadefensive

stance.

Callahanheldhis

handsup.“Whoa.That’sa

heckofawaytogreet

customers.Areyouokay?

What’swrong?”

Iinhaledandtriedto

relax.AtleastCallahanwas

fullyawarethatIsawand

talkedwithghosts.Icouldbe

honestwithhimaboutwhat

I’dseen.

Chapter4

Callahanwasas

handsomeaseverwithhis

shortdarkhairandbigblue

eyes.Hisfulllipseasilyslid

intoasmile.Heworedark

jeansandabluebuttondown

shirt.Hewasmuchtallerthan

me,butthatwasn’ttough

withmyfivefootoneframe.

Hismusclesfilledouthis

clothinginalltheright

places.Hissexyvoicemade

mybodytingle.Icouldgoon

andonaboutCallahan’s

qualities.

“Whoisthisdude?”

Rogergesturedtoward

Callahan.“Idon’tthinkIlike

him.”

Rogerwasjust

worriedCallahanmighttryto

moveinonhisgirl,Marilyn.

Ofcourse,Marilynwould

havesomethingtosayabout

that.

Callahanleanedover

andpressedhiswarmlips

againstmine.

“Isn’tthatsweet,”

Marilynsaid.

“Disgusting,”Roger

said.

Callahansteppedback

andgazedintomyeyes.

“Howareyou?”

Ipushedthehairaway

frommyface.“It’sbeena

longmorning.”

“Tellmeaboutit.

Whathappened?”Callahan

asked.

“YouknowIwentby

thathousetoinvestigate,

right?”Istraightenedabook

onthenearbyshelf.

Callahanshiftedhis

eyesaroundtheroom.“Did

youbringaghostbackwith

you?”

Inodded.“You

guessedit.”

Callahanglancedover

hisshoulder.“Whoisit?”

Rogerwasbehindhim

makingmockinggestures.

“Ateenagernamed

Rogerandheisapain.”

“Thankyou.I’lltake

thatasacompliment,”Roger

saidsarcastically.

“That’snotall,”I

added.

Callahan’seyes

widened.“There’smore?”

Inodded.“Ialso

pickeduptheghostof

MarilynMonroe.”

Callahanstaredatme

andthenlaughed.“Areyou

joking?”

Iplacedmyhandson

myhips.Therewasnoneed

toanswer.Hewouldbeable

totellbythelookinmyeyes.

“You’renotkidding?”

Callahanasked.

“No,she’srighthere.”

Ipointedtowhereshestood.

Callahanlookedof

course.“Wow,howdidthat

happen?Whathasshesaid?”

“She’skindofquiet.

It’sfunny,butImetherat

Mindy’shouse.Mindy’s

fathercollectsmemorabilia

andshewasattachedto

earringsherecentlybought.”

Callahanranhishand

throughhisthickhair.

“Iknowit’scrazy,”I

said.

“Comingfromanyone

else,Iwouldsayit’s

outlandish,but…”Callahan

said.

“Notfromme.”I

laughed.

“So,yourboyfriend

thinksyou’renutso.”Roger

chuckled.“Howsweet.”

“Hedoesn’tthinkI’m

crazy,Roger.”

Callahanshookhis

head.“Youdoleadan

excitinglife.”

Isupposethatwasone

waytolookatit.Iftherewas

arevolvingdoorofghosts,

thenmylifewasthelobby.

“Whatareyougoing

todowiththem?”Callahan

asked.

“She’sgoingtokeep

us,whatelse?”Marilyn

offered.

Thatwasn’texactly

whatIhadinmind.

“IguessIneedtofind

outwhythey’rehere,”Isaid.

“Thatdoesn’tseem

likeitwillbepossible,”

Marilynoffered.

Iwasn’tsurewhyshe

thoughtthat,butI’dhaveto

askmoreabouthercomment

later.

Callahantouchedmy

arm.“Issomethingelse

wrong?”

Hemusthavesensed

mytension.Asifhavingtwo

ghosts,onewhowasanicon,

wasn’tenough,therewasthe

othershadowI’dseen.

Somethingdefinitelyfeltoff

aboutit.

Ituckedastrandof

hairbehindmyear.“Wesaw

adarkshadowaswewere

cominginsideandthen

Marilynsawaspiritofaman

peekinginthefrontwindow.”

“Hewasprobably

star-struck.”Callahan

laughed.WhenIdidn’tlaugh

back,heclearedhisthroat,

straightened,andsaid,

“Sorry,Iknowthisisserious.

Doyouhaveanyideawhoit

is?”

Icrossedmyarmsin

frontofmychest.“Noidea.I

justgotabadvibefromhim.”

“Him?”Callahan

quirkedandeyebrow.

“Yes,Marilynsaid

shesawthemanandhewas

definitelyaspiritsinceshe

couldseerightthroughhim.”

Irushedmywords.IknewI

wasstressedbecauseIstarted

talkingfastwhenanxiety

kickedin.

Callahanreachedout

andtookmyhandinhis.For

suchashorttimetogether,we

hadbeenthroughalotandhe

hadbeensounderstanding

aboutallofit.

“IsthereanythingI

cando?”heasked.

Ismiled.“No,I’m

sureeverythingwillbefine.

Mymindisjustworking

overtimerightnow.”

“Howaboutwegoout

tonighttotakeyourmindoff

it?”hetouchedmychinwith

hisindexfinger.

“Ilovedates.Where

arewegoing?”Marilyn

asked.

Ifrownedatherand

thenaskedCallahan,“What

doyouhaveinmind?”

Heflashedhis

gorgeoussmile.“Itwillbea

surprise.”

“Isn’tthissweet,”

Marilynsaid.

“Ican’thandlethis

lovefestanylonger,”Roger

said.

“Thatsoundsgreat,”I

said,ignoringRoger’s

comment.

Foramoment,I

thoughtIspottedtheshadow

outofthecornerofmyeye.

NowthatIwasalready

paranoid,Ifigureditwas

probablynothing.Ijust

neededtorelaxandtakemy

mindoffeverything.With

anyluck,workwouldallow

metodojustthat.Books

weremystressrelievers.

“Great.I’llpickyou

upafteryouclosetonight.”

Callahanpeekedathiswatch.

“IguessIshouldgetbackto

theshop.”

Callahanhadhireda

part-timeemployeetohelp

him,whichgavehimalittle

morefreetime.

“I’llseeyoutonight,”

Isaid.

Thewordshadbarely

leftmylipswhenbooks

startedflyingofftheshelves

allaroundus.Marilyn

screamedandIducked,

coveringmyhead.Thesound

ofbookshittingthefloorand

wallsechoedthroughoutthe

store.Afterwhatseemedlike

forever,thebarrageofbooks

finallystopped.Acouple

secondspassedandIlooked

up.Hardbacksand

paperbackscoveredthefloor.

Almosteverybookatthe

frontofthestorehadbeen

knockedofftheshelves.

“Whatthehellwas

that?”Rogerasked.

Thatwasexactlywhat

Iwantedtoknow.

Callahanranoverto

me.“Areyouallright?”

Hehelpedmetomy

feet.“I’mokay,butlookat

themess.”

Hecaressedmy

cheek.“Thatcanbefixedjust

aslongasyou’reokay.”

MarilynandRoger

werestillthere.They

appearedjustasstunnedas

me.

Mylegsshookfrom

therushofadrenaline.“What

happened?”

“Doyouthinkitwas

anearthquake?”Marilyn

asked.

Itwasn’tunheardof

tohaveanearthquake.There

hadbeenoneafewyearsago,

butwe’dbarelyfeltit.

“Iguessitcouldhave

been,butonlythebooksare

offtheshelves.”Ipointed.

Callahanscannedthe

roomandsawthatpictures

werestillonthewalls.

Iknewbythelookin

hiseyesthathewasthinking

thesamethingasme.

Somethingnotofthisworld

hadmadethishappen.I

immediatelygazedatRoger,

butIreallydidn’tthinkhe’d

hadanythingtodowiththis.

Hewasapaininthebutt,but

Ifiguredhewouldn’tdo

anythingasmeanasthis.I

thoughtabouttheshadowy

figure.Ithadtohavebeen

associatedwiththis.But

why?Ihopeditdidn’t

happenedagain.

“Iwillhelpyouclean

up,”Callahansaid,picking

booksfromthefloor.

“No.”Istoppedhim.

“Itwilltakealongtimeand

youneedtoreturntowork.”

Heglancedoverhis

shoulder.“Okay,butI’ll

comebacktohelpassoonas

Ican.”

Ikissedhimgoodbye

andstartedthelongprocess

ofcleaningup.

Chapter5

Itwasalmosttimeto

closewhenIfinallyfinished

placingthebooksonthe

shelves.I’devengottenin

somereadingtimefor

Marilyn.Iploppeddownon

thestoolbehindthecounter

androlledmyshouldersinan

attempttoeasethetension.

Thecustomerswho’dcome

intotheshoptodaywerea

littleconfusedbythemess,so

IwassureI’dmissedouton

somebusiness.Rogerand

Marilynstoodinfrontofme

asiftheywerewaitingforme

tosaysomething.I’dbeen

wonderingifRogerhadseen

thedarkshadowI’dseenin

thehouseonmorethanone

occasion,sonowitwasmy

timetoask.

“Roger,didyou

noticeanotherspiritinthat

houseoften?”Iasked.

Hestaredatmeasif

hehadnocluewhatIwas

talkingabout.

Iaskedagain,“Did

younoticeotherspiritsinthe

houseyouwerehaunting?”

Icouldn’tmakemy

questionanyclearer.Istared

athim,waitingforananswer.

Heshrugged.“No,I

neversawanything.”

Ihadn’tknownRoger

long,butIcouldalreadytell

whenhewasn’tbeinghonest.

Hewasdefinitelyhiding

something.HowwouldIget

himtotellmethetruth?

Iaskedagain,“Roger,

Didyouseeanythingatthe

house?”

Heturnedandwalked

acrosstheroom.“Whenare

wegettingoutofhere?Iwant

toseesomethingelse.This

placeisboring.”

Isteppedoutfrom

behindthecounterandover

towherehestood.Hisback

wasstillturnedtome,soI

movedinfrontofhim,

placingmyhandsonmyhips.

“Whatareyou,my

motherorsomething?”he

snapped.

Ipointedmyindex

fingerathim.“Iwillkeep

askingyouuntilyoutellme

thetruth.”

DealingwithRoger

wasexhausting.

Marilynmovedover

besideus.“Youtellherthe

truthrightnow.”

Rogerseemedstunned

thatMarilynhadscoldedhim.

Shequirkedaneyebrowasif

shedaredhimtodefyher.

Hethrewhishandsup

intheair.“Okay,maybeI

sawsomething,butIdon’t

knowwhatitwas.That’sallI

know,soleavemealone,

okay?”

Iwatchedhimfora

moment,buthewouldn’t

meetmystare.Istillthought

hewashidingsomething.It

didn’tappearasifwe’dbe

abletoforcehimtotellus

morethough,evenwith

Marilyn’shelp.

Ireleasedadeep

breath.“Fine.”

Imightlethimoffthe

hookforthetimebeing,butI

wouldrevisitthistopicsoon.

Rightnow,Ineededtoclose

theshopandheadhome.I

hadadatetogetreadyfor.

Iwonderedwhere

Callahanwastakingme.

Thereweren’talotofoptions

inMagnolia.Itwasasmall

townandnotalottodo.

Maybehewastakingmeto

themovies.Thatwouldbe

fun,althoughitseemeda

littlemoremysteriousthan

that.Marilynwaswhispering

toRoger.Iwonderedwhat

shewastellinghim.Ifanyone

couldgethimtotalk,itwould

beher.I’dleavethemalone

andseeifshecouldget

throughtohim.Ishutdown

thecomputerandgrabbedmy

purse.

I’dalmostmadeitto

thefrontdoorwhentheman’s

facepoppedupatthe

window.Hehadglowing

greeneyesandhisskinwas

ashengray.Heglaredatme

andsnarledshowinghis

mouthfulloffang-liketeeth.

Iscreamedandjumpedback.

Ihadn’texpectedtoseehis

face.I’dbeentryingtoput

thethoughtoutofmymind

andnowhewasback.Roger

andMarilynstoppedtalking

andracedovertome.

“Whathappened?

Marilynasked.

AllIcoulddowas

pointtothewindow.

“Yousawtheman,”

shesaid.

Iracedoutthedoor

andontothesidewalk.Iwas

scared,butIhadtofacemy

fearsandseeifthismanwas

reallyoutthere.Iknewhe

wasaspirit,butIwantedto

confronthimtoseewhathe

wanted.Whywashelooking

intothestore?Whatdidhe

want?Ipeeredtomyleftand

tomyright,butIdidn’tsee

him.RogerandMarilynstood

besidemeasIstareddown

thesidewalk.

“Wheredidhego?”

Marilynasked.

Ishookmyhead.“I

don’tknow.”

Carsdrovebyand

peoplewalkedupanddown

thesidewalkontheotherside

ofthestreet.Nooneacted

likeanythingunusualhad

happened.Theyhadn’tseen

thespookyspecter.Itriedto

calmmynervesasIreleased

adeepbreath.

“Larue,”Mindycalled

out.

Iturnedaroundtosee

Mindycomingtowardmeon

thesidewalk.WasIeverglad

toseeher!Justthen,agrowl

soundedfrommyright.I

lookedoverandsawtheman

standingrightbesideme.My

heartspedup.Hemovedina

flashandrushedtoward

Mindy.Ididn’tknowwhatto

dotostophim.Idashed

forward,reachingouttograb

him,butImissed.Instead,I

felltotheground,catching

myselfwiththepalmofmy

hands.

WhenIglancedup,I

sawthemanflytoward

Mindyandthenmoveright

throughher.Oncehe’d

passedthroughherbody,he

disappeared.Shefellback

ontotheground.Ijumpedup

andracedovertoher.

“Areyouokay?”I

askedasIhelpedherup.

Mindyseemed

stunnedandunabletofocus

onmyface.Shedidn’tspeak

andherhandswereshaking.

Iloopedmyarm

aroundher.“Comeon,let’s

goinsideandsitdown.”

Shestaredstraight

aheadwithoutsayingaword,

butshefollowedmeintothe

shop.

“Issheokay?”

Marilynasked.

“Ithinkshe’llbe

fine,”Isaid.“Itprobably

knockedthewindoutofher.”

IhelpedMindyover

tothestool.“Areyoubetter

now?”

Shefinallylookedat

me.Hereyesweredarkand

blank,butthen,theychanged

backtothebigbrowneyes

I’dalwaysknown.

Shepushedthehair

outhereyeswithhershaky

hand.“Yeah,I’mfine.”

Apparently,she’d

snappedoutofit.

“Whathappened?”

sheasked.

Iwasn’tsureifI

shouldtellherwhatreally

occurred,butIdidn’tknow

howelsetoexplainit.

“Itwaslikethe

strongestwindI’deverfelt.”

Sheshookherheadasif

tryingtogetridofthe

thought.

Hadshenotseenthe

man?Ofcourseshehadn’t.

Hewasaghostwhichmeant

onlyI’dseenhim.Well,

Marilynandme.

IknewIhadtobe

honestwithher.Iwouldwant

hertodothesamewithme.

“Ithinkaghostran

throughyou.”Irushedthe

wordssomaybeitwouldn’t

soundsobad.

Hereyeswidened.“A

ghost?”

IhopedMindywould

stillcomearoundme.Ifshe

wasstillmyfriendafterall

this,thenIknewshe’dnever

stopbeingmyfriend.

“Istheghoststill

around?”sheasked.

Ishookmyhead.“No,

he’sgone.”

“Good,Ihopethat

neverhappensagain.”She

straightenedhershirtand

brushedoffherpants.

“Metoo,”Isaid.

Mindytuckedaloose

strandofhairbehindherear.

“Ifeelbetternow.I’llbe

fine.”

Istaredatherfora

moment.

“Ipromise,”she

added.

“So,whydidyoustop

by?”Iasked.

“Icamebytocheck

onyou.Afteryoutoldme

whathappenedwiththe

books,Iwasconcerned.

Lookslikeyougotitalltaken

careofthough.”Shepeered

aroundtheplace.“I’msorryI

didn’tgetheresoonerto

help.”

Iwavedmyhand.It

wasnobigdeal.“I’musedto

puttingthebooksup

anyway.”

“Yeah,butnotthat

manyallatonce.”Shepicked

uponeofthebooksandsetit

backdownagain.“Doyou

thinkwhathappenedtomeis

relatedtotheeventwiththe

books?”

IwishedIcouldtell

herno,butIcouldn’t.I

nodded.“Ithinktheyare

related.”

“So,youthinkitwas

thesameghost?”Mindy

asked.

Istudiedmyshoesfor

amomentandthenfinally

metherstare.“Yes,Ido.”

Shesighedandthen

asked,“Wheredoyouthink

hecamefrom?”

IglancedatRoger,

butheavoidedeyecontact.

“I’mnotsure,butplan

onfindingout.”

Mindypushedtoher

feetandgrabbedherpurse

fromthecounter.“Well,I’d

bettergetoutofhere.”

“Areyousureyou’re

okay?”Iasked.

Sheplacedthepurse

strapoverhershoulder.“You

knowI’mtough.”

Sometimesbeing

toughwasn’tenoughwhen

thesebadspiritswere

involved.

Shewalkedtoward

thedoor.“Callmewhenyou

canandletmeknowwhat

Callahan’sbigplanswere.”

Somethingwas

makingmenervousabouther

leaving.IguessIwasworried

theghostwouldbeoutthere

waitingorher.Shewaved

andthensteppedoutontothe

sidewalk.Mindypausedand

lookedtotheleftandthento

theright.Iknewshewas

searchingfortheghosttoo.

AfterIsecond,sheturnedto

theleftanddisappearedfrom

view.

“Let’sgetoutof

here,”Rogersaid.

Inodded.“Fine.We’ll

gotomyhouse.”

“Cool,”hesaidashe

followedmeoutthedoor.“I

hopetheplaceisn’tadrag.”

Marilynsatinthe

frontwithmeandRogerwas

inthemiddleofthebackseat

withhisbodyleaning

forward.

“Doyouhavetobeso

close?”Marilynasked.

Heleanedback

slightly,butnotalltheway.I

waslikethemomtryingto

makethekidsbehaveonthe

carride.Ifeltlikesaying,

“Don’tmakemeturnthiscar

around.”

Graycloudsformedin

thedistanceasifawarningof

thingsyettocome.Icouldtry

tooutrunthem,butIknew

theywouldeventuallycatch

up.Aftertheshortdrive,we

arrivedatmyhouse.

“Thisisanadorable

littleplace,”Marilynsaidas

wegotoutofthecar.

Iopenedthedoorand

motionedortheghoststo

enterfirst.“Makeyourselfat

him.”

WhatelsecouldIsay?

Theywouldmakethemselves

athomewhetherIinvited

themtoornot.Myplacewas

asmalloldfarmhouse.The

roomshadbeenredone,soI

wasproudofthehardwork

I’dputintoit.Rogerplopped

downontomyoversized

whitesofa.Ifhehadn’tbeen

aghost,Iwouldhavetold

himtotakehissneakersoff

first.Buttherewaslittle

chancehecouldgetitdirty

anyway.

“Hey,canyouturnon

theTV?”heasked.

Isighedandthen

grabbedtheremote.“Whatdo

youwanttowatch?”

“Theguyatthelast

housewatchedESPNalot.

Doyouhaveit?”

Iflippedthroughthe

channels.Ican’tbelieveI’m

turningthetelevisionfora

ghost.”

“Youneedtoget

readyforyourdate,”Marilyn

placedherhandsonherhips.

“Where’syourmakeup?”

“It’sallinmy

bedroom,”Isaidand

motionedforhertofollow

me.

WasIreallygoingto

getfashionadvicefrom

MarilynMonroe?Istepped

intotheroomandshecame

behindme.AtleastRoger

wasoccupiedwiththeTV.

Thiswaslikeagirls’night.

“Whatareyou

wearing?”sheasked,

scanningmyroom.Mybed

satonthefarwallbetween

twowindows.Ontheother

sideoftheroomwasa

fireplacewithacomfychair

nexttoit.Asunnyyellow

colorthatremindedmeof

summercoveredthewalls.

Thesmallbathroomwas

attachedtotheroom.

“IguessIhadn’t

thoughtaboutit,”Isaid.

Shemotionedtoward

theclosetdoor.“Well,let’s

seewhatyouhave.”

Iopenedthedoorand

Marilynsteppedcloser.She

wassilentforalongtimeas

shepeeredintothedepthsof

mycloset.Itookthatasabad

sign.Ihopedshedidn’tlook

inthebackwhereIhadstored

theoutdatedjeansandT-

shirts.

“Iguesswecancome

upwithsomething.Youwant

ittobesexy,butleavehim

wantingmore,too,”shesaid

inhersexkittenvoice.

Sheobviouslyknew

morethanmeaboutthis,soI

woulddoasIwastold.She’d

madeacareeroutofbeinga

sexsymbol,soIknewshe

knewwhatshewastalking

about.

“Whataboutthis?”I

asked,holdingupayellow

dressforhertoexamine.

Sheshookherhead,

blondecurlsbouncingwith

themotion.“Doyouhave

anythinginadeepblue?I

thinkthatcolorwouldlook

greatonyou.”

“Oh,Ihaveadress.”I

fishedaroundinthecloset

andpulleditout.“Hereitis.”

Sheeyedthedressup

anddown.“Thatwillbegood

fornow.Weshouldgo

shoppingthough.”

Inodded.“Okay.”

IfiguredIshouldtake

heradviceonfashionand

glamour.Soon,Ifound

myselfwearingthebluedress

thathitjustabovemyknees.

Ithadafullskirtandsmall

straps.Iworeblackstrappy

heelswithit.Marilynhad

helpedinstructmewithmy

makeup.Ofcourse,I’dbeen

wearingmakeupforyears,

butIdidn’targuewithher.I

didfeellikeImightbealittle

overdressed.Whatif

Callahanwasjusttakingme

tothemovies?Whatifhe

wantedtogotothelocalpub?

IguessI’djustbe

overdressed.

EventhoughIwas

excitedforthedate,I

couldn’tstopthinkingabout

Mindy.Ishouldhavegone

withherandmadesureshe

wasokay.

Thedoorbellrangand

mystomachdidalittledance.

“Lookslikeyourdate

ishere,”Marilynsaid.“Now,

gogethim.”

Ihurriedtowardthe

door.Rogerwasalready

standingbesideit.How

wouldIconvincethetwoof

themtostayatmyhouse

whileIwentoutwith

Callahan?

WhenIopenedthe

door,Callahan’seyes

widened.“Wow,youlook

gorgeous.Notthatyoudon’t

alwayslookgorgeous.”

Hischeeksblushed

andhegrinned.Iknewwhat

hemeant.

“Thankyou,”Isaid.

IturnedtoRogerand

Marilyn.“Okay,I’llbeback

later.”

Marilynmoved

aroundCallahanandnow

stoodonmyfrontporch.“I’m

goingwithyou.”

Iwouldn’teven

botherarguingwiththem.I

justwantedtohaveanice

evening.Thechatterofghosts

inmyearwouldbe

distracting,butIhaddealt

withitinthepast.Whatwas

onemoretime,right?

Chapter6

Westeppedoutonto

theporchandIlockedthe

doorbehindus.Atleastthe

rainhadheldoff,butIfeltthe

stormbrewingintheair.

“Areyougoingtotell

mewherewe’regoingyet?”I

askedasIwalkedwith

Callahantowardhiscar.

Heopenedthedoor

formeandIslippedinside.

“You’llseewhenweget

there.”

“Ihatesurprises,”

Marilynsaidfromtheback

seat.

Rogerwasbackthere

already,too.

Callahangotbehind

thewheel.Hepausedwithhis

handontheignitionand

studiedmyface.“Areyou

okay?Itseemslike

somethingisbotheringyou.

Isitstillwhatoccurredthis

morning?”

Ihadn’ttoldhim

aboutwhathadhappenedto

Mindyyet.Isighedandthen

recountedtheincident.

“Ifit’sbotheringyou

thatmuch,thenweshouldgo

checkonher,”Callahansaid.

“Whataboutour

plans?Idon’twanttoruinthe

eveningforyou.”

Hestartedengine.“As

longasI’mwithyou

nothing’sruinedever.”

Mystomachdida

littledance.Healwaysknew

whattosay.

Hepulledoutontothe

streetandheadedtowardher

house.“Whatkindofthings

canhappenwhenaspirit

travelsthroughyou?”

“Theiremotionscan

staywithyouforquitea

while.Insomecases,the

spiritactuallytakes

possessionofthebodyand

theyhangaroundforawhile,

waitingforachancetotake

overthemind.”Iwatched

himforareaction.

Callahanflashedmea

worriedlook.“Doyouthink

thishappenedtoMindy?”

“Ithinktheghostleft,

butIsuspectshe’sstill

feelingtheaftereffectsofthe

spirit.”Ileanedmyheadback

againsttheseat.

“Kindoflikea

hangover?”heasked.

“Exactly,”Isaid.

Aftertheshortdrive,

wepulleduptoherhouse.I

wasrelievedtoseeMindy’s

carparkedinherdriveway.

CallahanandIgotoutand

walkeduptothedoor.Afew

sprinklesofrainhadstarted

tofall.MarilynandRoger

camewithus.

“IhopeMindyis

okay,”Marilynsaid.

“Ihopeshehasthe

TVon,”Rogersaid.“Iwant

tocatchthelasthalfofthe

game.”

Iknockedonthedoor

andcalledout,“Mindy,it’s

Larue.”

Therewasalotof

noiseontheothersideofthe

door.CallahanandI

exchangedaglance.

“What’sgoingonin

there?”Rogerasked.

Ishookmyhead.“I

don’tknow.”

Iwasstartingtoreally

worrywhenshefinally

answeredthedoor.Mindy

steppedoutontotheporch

givingusafunnylook.She

haddarkcirclesunderher

eyesandablankstareinher

eyes.NowIwasmore

worriedthanever.Theattack

reallyhadaneffectonher.I

hopeditwouldn’tlastmuch

longer.Callahanlookedatme

worriedly.Hecouldtellthis

wasn’tgood.

“Mindyareyou

okay?”Iasked.

Atthesoundofmy

voice,sheseemedtosnapout

ofit.Hereyesseemedto

focusandsheacknowledged

me.

“Oh,Larue.I’mglad

you’rehere.”

“What’sgoingon?”I

asked.

“Ican’tshakethis

feeling.Ikeepgettingangry

andIdon’tknowwhy.”

Mindyrubbedherarms.

She’dbarelyfinished

thesentencewhenthefront

doorslammedshut.Theforce

hadmadethewreathfallfrom

thehanger.Mindyjumped

andmovedclosertous.With

wideeyes,shereachedout

andheldontomyarm.

“Cool,”Rogersaid.

Thiswascertainlynot

cool.Iwasn’tlikingwhatwas

goingon.

“Howdidthat

happen?”Marilynasked.

“There’sobviouslya

ghostinmyhouse,”Mindy

saidwithfearinhervoice.

“Idon’tthinkMindy

shouldbealoneuntilshe

recovers,”Callahansaid.

Hewasright,she

didn’tneedtobebyherself.

Asforaghostinherhouse,I

wasabouttofindout.

Mindywrappedher

armsinfrontofherwaistasif

thatwouldsomehowmake

hersafe.“Ireallydon’twant

tostayhererightnow.”

IlookedtoCallahan.

Callahantouchedmy

arm.“Whydon’tyouallgo

backtoyourplace,Larue?

YoucanhangoutuntilMindy

feelsbetter.”

“Areyousureyou

don’tmind?”Iasked.

Heshookhishead.“I

havealotofpaperworktodo

anyway.Wecandothis

anothernight.”

Inodded.“Ifyou’re

sure.”

“I’mpositive.”

“Wherewerewe

going,bytheway?”I

whispered.

“Ithoughtwe’dgoto

thatnewrestaurantintown,”

Callahansaid.

“Oh,Iwouldhave

lovedthat,”Isaid.

“We’llgosoon.Just

letmeknowwhenyouwant

togoandwe’rethere.”

Callahantouchedmychin

withhisindexfinger.

Rogerhurrieddown

thesteps.“Good,maybeifwe

hurryhomeIcancatchthe

lastofthegame.”

Ihadnewsforhim,

MindyandIweregoingto

watchagoodmoviesoshe

couldtakehermindoff

things.Maybehavesome

junkfoodanddrinks,too.

Mindytwistedthe

doorknobanditopened.“I

needtogetacouplethings.”

“I’llberightbehind

you,”Isaid.

Callahancradledmy

headwithhishands,leaned

down,andsoftlyplacedakiss

onmylips.Iopenedmyeyes

andlookedathim.Thewarm

imprintofhislipslingeredon

mymouth.

“Nowthat’sakiss,”

Marilynsaid.

“Doyouwantmeto

driveyoualltoyourhouse?”

Callahanasked.

“That’sokay.Wecan

takeMindy’scar.Everything

willbefine,”Isaid.

Hestudiedmyface

foramomentasifhewas

tryingtoseeifIwasbeing

honest.“Callmeifyouneed

anything.”

IwavedasCallahan

climbedintohiscarand

droveaway.Iwalkedinside

tohelpMindygatherher

things.Sheemergedfromthe

bedroomwithabigbag

packed.

“Howlongdoesshe

thinkthiswilltake?”Marilyn

asked.

Ididn’tthinkitwould

takethatlong,butifitmade

Mindyfeelbettertobring

halfofhercloset,thenthat

wasfinewithme.She

grabbedhercarkeys.

“You’renevergetting

hertoleaveyourhouse,”

Rogersaid.

Iignoredhim,and

said,“Areyouokay?Ican

driveyourcarifyouwantme

to.”

Shehandedmethe

keys.“Maybethat’sagood

idea.”

AfterMindylocked

thefrontdoor,weheadedto

hercar.Afewdropsofrain

stillsputteredfromtheskyas

ifitwastryingtodownpour,

butcouldn’tgetstarted.The

windhadpickedupmaking

thetreebranchessway.The

rustlingoftheleavessounded

likethewhisperofvoices,

onlyIcouldn’tmakeoutthe

words.Ireachedouttograb

thedoorhandlewhen

suddenlythelocksshut.

“Didyoudothat?”I

whispered.

Sheshookherhead.I

punchedthekeyfobagain.

“MaybeIaccidentally

hitit,”Isaid.

IknewthatIhadn’t

though.

Somethingwas

playingtrickswithus.

“Idon’tthinkhe

wantsyoutoleave,”Marilyn

said.

“Who?”Ilookedat

her.

Shepointedtoward

Mindy’shouse.Ipeeredup,

butdidn’tseeanythingoutof

theordinary.

“Whowasit?”I

asked.

“Itwasthesame

man,”shewhispered.

Herwordssentachill

downmyspine.Whywasthe

manhere?Ithoughtwe’dleft

himonthesidewalkinfront

ofthebookstore.Ididn’t

thinkhe’dactuallyfollow

Mindyhome.Ipushedto

unlockthedoorsagain,but

nothingwouldhappen.

“Maybeitneedsa

newbattery,”Mindysaid.

“Doyouhavethe

otherone?”Iasked.

“Ithinkit’sinthe

kitchen.”Shepeeredbackat

thehouseandIknewshe

didn’twanttogointhere

alone.

“Ifyoutellmewhere

itis,Icangogetit,”Isaid.

“It’sinthetopdrawer

bytherefrigerator.”She

pointed.

“Okay,I’llberight

back.”Ihurriedupthepath

andtothefrontdoor.

Ishovedthekeyin

andunlockedthedoor.I

wantedtogetthekeyfoband

getout.Thehousewassilent

andthesensationofbeing

watchedfollowedmewith

everystep.Icouldhave

brusheditoffasmy

imagination,butitwasnever

myimagination.Something

orsomeonewasobserving

me.

WhenIreachedthe

kitchen,IgaspedwhenIsaw

thatallthecabinetdoorsand

drawerswereopen.There

wasnowayMindyhadleft

themlikethat.Whatreason

wouldshehavetoleavethem

open?Ineededtocheckout

thedrawersasquicklyas

possibleandthengetoutof

there.Onethingwasforsure,

Ihadaspiritproblemonmy

hands.

Iinchedintothe

kitchen,prayingnothing

wouldhappenwhileIwas

there.Theroomwasalot

biggerthanIrealized.It

seemedlikeforeverbeforeI

reachedthecabinets.Peering

intotheopenedthedrawerby

therefrigerator,Ispottedthe

keyfobrightaway.Ishoved

myhandintograbit,butthe

drawerslammedshut.It

almosttookmyhandoff.

Iwhippedaround

expectingtoseethespirit

behindme,buttherewasno

onethere.Afterreleasinga

deepbreath,Igrabbedthe

drawerhandleandyankedit

openagain.I’dexpectedit

nottoopen,butmuchtomy

surpriseitdid.Now,Ihadto

stickmyhandinthereagain.

OnceI’dshovedmyhandin,

Igrabbedthekeyfob,and

thenrushedoutofthekitchen

backtothefrontdoor.

Footfallsechoedbehindme.I

didn’thavetimetoturn

aroundtoseewhoorwhat

wasthere.

PantingasifIwas

losingamarathon,Irushed

outofthehouseandoverto

thecar.Mindystaredatme

withwideeyesasIran

towardher.Isloweddown

longenoughtofinallypeek

overmyshoulder.I’dbeen

confidentsomethingwas

behindme,butnothingwas

there.

“Iseverythingokay?”

Afrownsnappedbetween

Mindy’seyebrows.

Aftercatchingmy

breath,Iheldupthekeyfob

likeitwasatrophy,andsaid,

“I’mfine.”

Notwantingtoworry

heranymorethanshealready

was,Idecidednottoshare

thecabinetdoorfiascowith

her.Ipushedthekeyfoband

itstilldidn’twork.Icursed

undermybreath,butMindy

releasedanexpletivethatthe

neighborsprobablyheard.I

didn’tknowwhattodotoget

inthecar.

“Thisoneisn’t

workingeither,”Isaid.

Thewordshadbarely

leftmylipswhensuddenly

thedoorsunlocked.Mindy

andIexchangedalookof

shock.Iwasatalossfor

words.MarilynandRoger

stoodinsilence,too.

Ididn’twanttorisk

beinglockedoutagain,sowe

hurriedintothecar.The

thoughtcrossedmymindthat

thesamethingcouldhappen

again.Whatifnexttimethe

doorswouldn’tunlockand

wewereinthecar?Whatif

thedoorswouldn’tunlock

andwewerestuckinthecar

likesardinesinatincan.

Okay,Ineededtocalmdown

andnotpanic.Ihadtobe

strongforMindy.After

startingthecar,Ibackedout

ofthedriveway.

“Whatdoyouthinkis

goingon?”Mindyasked.

“Iguesstheremight

besomethingwrongwith

yourlocks.”Ikeptmyeyes

ontheroad.

IknewifMindy

lookedinmyeyes,shewould

knowIdidn’tbelievewhat

I’djustsaid.

“IguessI’llhaveto

getitcheckedout,”shesaid.

Everyonewassilent

fortheshortdrivetomy

house.Iguesswewereall

thinkingaboutwhathad

happened.AtleastIknewwe

couldrelaxalittleatmy

place.AfterparkingMindy’s

carbehindmine,weall

climbedoutofthecarand

hurriedinsidebeforetherain

camedownharder.Thedrops

werefallingatasteadypace

now.

WhenIsteppedinto

thelivingroom,Rogerwas

alreadywaitingbytheTV.

Withoutsayingaword,I

grabbedtheremoteand

flickeditontohisfavorite

channel.Atleastitkepthim

entertained.

“ForRoger,”Isaidto

MindywhenInoticedher

surprise.

“HewatchesTV?”

Mindyasked.

Ishookmyhead.“It’s

betterthanhimtalking.”

Mindylaughed.“Is

Marilynhere?”

Igesturedbesideme.

“Shehelpedmegetreadyfor

mydate.”

Mindyeyedmeup

anddown.“Youlookgreat

bytheway.Ifeelbadabout

messingupyourevening.”

“Thankyou,anddon’t

worryaboutit.”Iwavedmy

hand.“We’llgooutanother

night.”

“WillCallahanbe

upset?”sheasked.

“YouknowCallahan

isasweetiepie.Hejustwants

toknowyou’renotupset.

Nowhowaboutwegointo

thekitchen?”Isaid,tryingto

talkoverRoger’syellingat

theTV.

“Goodidea,”Mindy

said.

Nowitwasjustthe

girlshangingout.

“Howaboutwehave

strawberrydaiquiris?”I

wiggledmyeyebrows.

“Yougetthemixand

I’llfindthevodka,”Mindy

marchedtowardthecabinet.

“Ihaven’tdonethis

foryears.”Marilynleaned

againstthecounter.

MindyandI

exchangedalook.

“I’mgoingtochange

intomysweats.I’llberight

back.Marilyn,youcankeep

Mindycompany?Whydon’t

youtellheraboutyourmovie

SomeLikeItHot,”Isaidwith

asmile.

Ihurriedintomy

roomtochangeoutofthe

bluedress.Iwouldhaveto

saveitforanotherday.When

Ipassedthroughtheliving

roomagain,Rogerwasstillin

thesamespotonthesofa.

Mindyhadalready

madethedrinksandwas

pouringthemintomyfavorite

glasses.Theoneswiththe

swirlystemsandred,yellow,

andbluesstripesaroundthe

top.Iploppeddowninthe

chairacrossfromMarilyn

andtookabiggulp.Thisday

seemedtohavetwenty-five

hoursanditwasn’tevenbed

timeyet.

Afterlickingthe

daiquirifrommylips,Iasked

Mindy,“Didanythingelse

happenatyourhouse?”

“Nothingotherthanit

feltasifIwasbeing

watched.”

Atleastitseemedasif

Mindywasfeelingbetter

now.MaybeI’dleftthespirit

atherhouse.Iwouldhaveto

getitoutoftherethough.She

hadtogohomeeventually.

“Ifanythingwas

there,it’sprobablygone

now.”Ihopedshedidn’task

whyIthoughtthatbecauseI

wouldnothavealogical

answer.Iwantedtomakeher

feelbetter.

“Can’tyoutellthe

thingthat’stheretogetout?”

Marilynasked.

Iknewshe’dseenthe

spiritI’dseen.

“Ifthereisanentity

there,thenIdon’tthinkhe

willlistensimplybyme

asking.Iwouldhavetodo

somethingmoresevere.”I

tookanotherbigdrink.

Justthenthesoundof

footstepscamefrom

overhead.

Mindypointedup.“Is

someoneupthere?”

“No,unlessRoger

wentupthere.Ijustsawhim

inthelivingroom,though.

Whywouldhebeupstairs?”I

asked.

“Weshouldgocheck

onhim,”Mindysaid.

“I’mgladhe’sleaving

mealone,”Marilynsaid.

Ipushedtomyfeet

andheadedtowardtheliving

room.MarilynandMindy

wererightbehindme.The

televisionwasstillplaying,

butRogerwasn’taround.

“Iguesshewent

upstairs,”Isaid.

Weinchedthrough

thelivingroomandintothe

hallway.Imotionedand

Mindypaused.

“I’llgoupandsee

whathe’sdoing,”I

whispered.

Mindynodded,but

sheseemedalittletense.Just

whenshe’dstartedtofeel

better,nowRogerwantedto

showoff..Iwouldtellhimto

cutitout.Ididn’twantany

moregamestonight.We’dall

hadalongdayandIwasn’tin

themoodforit.Iclimbedthe

stairstomysecondfloor

whichwasjusttwobedrooms

andasmallbathroom.

“Roger,areyouup

here?”Icalledout.

Hedidn’tanswer.It

wasjustlikewhenI’dfound

him.Apparently,hefeltlike

itwastimeforanothergame

ofhide-n-seek.

Chapter7

Onceatthetopofthe

stairs,thefootstepssounded

again.Yes,thiswasalotlike

whathadtranspiredatthe

housewithRoger.Icouldn’t

believehewasdoingthis

again.Iwouldlethimhaveit

whenIcaughthim.Imarched

downthehallwaytothe

bedroomontheright.Whena

rustlingnoisecamefromthe

othersideofthedoor,I

figuredthiswaswherehe

was.Iwasn’tevengoingto

callouttohim.Iwouldpop

inandthengivehimapiece

ofmymind.Aftergrabbing

theknob,Iswungthedoor

open.Tomysurprise,Roger

wasn’tthere.Hemustbe

hidingagain.

Itiptoedovertothe

closetsohewouldn’tknowI

wasabouttocatchhim.I

grabbedthehandleand

yankeditopen.Rogerwasn’t

thereeither.Ipushedthe

clothingIhadhangingin

theretothesidetomakesure

hewasn’tattheback.Nosign

ofhim.Hemustbeunderthe

bed.Iflungthecomforterup

fromthefloorandpeeked

underneath.StillnoRoger.

Thatmeanthemustbeeither

inthebathroomortheother

bedroom.Aftereasingoutof

theroom,Iwenttothe

bathroomfirst.Iinchedinto

thesmallspaceandgrabbed

theblueandwhitestriped

showercurtain.

Withoneswift

movement,Iyankeditback.

“Ah-ha!”

NoRoger.Hethought

hewasbeingsoclever.He

wasprobablyinonespotand

immediatelydisappearing

whenheheardmecoming.I

neededtobequieter.

Therewasonlyone

roomleft.Now,Iwasreally

angryI’dhadtochaseRoger

allaroundthehouse.Iwould

forgetaboutbeingquiet.I

stormedintotheother

bedroom.Unfortunately,

Rogerwasn’tthereeither.He

musthavealreadygoneback

downstairs.Iwastootiredto

playhisgametonight.I

massagedmytemples,trying

tokeepthedullheadache

fromgrowing.

Iwasreadytoleave

theroom,butIinstantlyhad

thatcreepyfeelingIwasn’t

alone.Therewassomeoneor

somethingtherewithme.I

wasafraidtoturnaround,yet

IknewIhadto.Iwasn’tso

surethispresencewasRoger.

Itfeltmuchmorepowerful

thanhismanifestationhad

everfelt.Istoodfrozenonthe

spot,unsureofwhattodo

next.IdecidedIwouldspin

aroundquicklybeforethe

thinghadachancetoslipup

onme.Iinhaledadeep

breath,preparingmyselffor

whatImightsee.

Onthecountofthree,

Iwouldturnaround.1…2…

3…Iturnedaround.Ispotted

itinstantly.Therewasachair

inthecorneroftheroomand

therewassomeonesittingin

it,exceptthepersonhada

sheetoverthem…likethey

werewearingitfortrickor

treating.

“Roger,isthisyour

ideaofplayinglikeyour

CaspertheFriendlyGhost?

Well,it’snotfunnyandI

don’thavetimeforgames

rightnow.Takeitoffand

let’sgo,”Isaidwithmy

handsonmyhips.

Imarchedovertothe

chair,stoppingafewsteps

away.Thatsameeeriefeeling

surroundedme.Itfeltlike

whenI’dfoundRogerat

Elisa’shouse,exceptthe

creepyfactorwasintensified

byaboutahundred.I’dnever

beenthiscreepedoutby

Roger.Whywasn’thesaying

anything?Whatifitwasn’t

himunderthere?Iswallowed

hardandinchedacouple

stepscloser.Iwasrightup

nexttothechairnow.Roger

orwhoeverwasunderthere

stillhadn’tmovedaninch.

“You’dbettercome

out.I’mstartingtogetreally

agitated,”Isaid.

Apparently,thatwas

oflittleconcerntotheperson

hidingbeneaththefabric.I

wasstalling,butIknewIhad

topullthatsheetoff.This

littlegamehadtoend.I

willedmyselftobestrong.

I’dbeendealingwiththe

paranormalforyears.Surely,

Icouldhandleaprankster

ghost.Itwasfreakingmeout

thoughthatthisghostwasn’t

evenmoving.Myheartrate

increasedandmystomach

flutteredwithanxiety.

Ireachedouttoward

thesheet.“Okay,Roger,I

gaveyouachance.I’mnot

playingniceanymore.Igave

youachance,youshould

havetakenit.”

Igrabbedthesheet

andyankedonit.Itfluttered

totheground.Igaspedand

stumbledbackward,

managingtoremainupright.

Therewasnoonethere.How

hadtheghostgottenaway

withoutmeevenseeinga

glimpseofhim?Iwasalmost

surethiswasRogeruptohis

shenanigansagain,butinthe

backofmymindIknewit

hadfeltdifferent.Ifthiswas

Rogerthenhehadalotof

explainingtodo.Inallthe

yearsI’dbeendealingthe

paranormal,I’dneverhada

spiritplaythatkindoftrick

onme.Istaredatthechairfor

amomentlongerandthen

decideditwastimetogetout

ofthere.

ThatwaswhenI

noticedthehatonthefloorby

thewindow.Wherehadthat

comefrom?Isteppedcloser,

thenreacheddownand

pickeditup.Itwasabeige

fedorastylehat.Itwasn’t

mineandRogerhadn’tworn

ahat.Iglancedaroundthe

room.Achillwentdownmy

spine.Iexaminedunderthe

bedandinthecloset,butno

onewasthere.

IknewIprobably

shouldn’ttellMindyabout

this,butIhadtotell

someone.Iclutchedthehat

andwentbackdownthe

hallwaytowardthestairs.It

feltasifsomeonewas

walkingbehindmetheentire

time.Ikeptglancingovermy

shoulder,buttherewas

nothingvisible.Ifthespirit

wasreallythere,thenhewas

hidingfromme.Thatwas

whenIrememberedwhere

I’dseenthehatbefore.The

spiritthathadattackedMindy

hadbeenwearingit.Now,

shewouldreallyfreakout

whenItoldher.

Apparentlytheentity

hadfollowedushere.

“Whydon’tyoushow

yourself?”Iasked.“Areyou

acoward?”

Withthewayithad

attackedMindy,maybeI

shouldn’tprovokeit.But,I

wasmad.Howdarehedo

thattomybestfriendand

thenmessaroundwithme.

“Iwantyououtofmy

housenow,”Idemanded.

Silencesurrounded

me.Iexpectedthespiritto

popupatanymoment.

“Larue,areyou

comingbackdown?”Mindy

calledoutfromthebottomof

thesteps.

“Coming,”Isaid,

tryingtosoundcalm.

Ihurrieddownthe

stairs.WhenIreachedthelast

step,Rogerwasstanding

behindMindy.Marilynwas

ontheothersideofher.They

allstaredatmeexpectantly.

“What’sthat?”Mindy

pointedatthehatinmyhand.

Ishowedherthe

fedora.“Ifoundthis

upstairs.”

Hereyeswidened.

“Mygosh,itlookslikethe

oneFreddyKrugerwears.”

Ihadn’tthoughtof

that,butitdid.

“Whoseisit?”she

asked.

Herecamethehard

part.

“Ithinkitbelongsto

thespiritthatattackedyou.”

Sheimmediately

tensedup.“Ohno.He’shere?

Hecamehereforme?Whyis

hedoingthis?Whydoeshe

wantme?IshelikeFreddy

Kruger?Ishecomingforme

inmydreams?”

Mindywasfreaking

out.Ihadtocalmherdown.

“WhoisFreddy

Kruger?”Marilynasked.

“It’safictional

character,”Iexplainedina

hurry.

Itriedtohidethehat

behindmybacksoMindy

couldn’tseeitagainuntilI

hadachancetostashit

somewhere.IknewI

shouldn’thavetoldherabout

it.

IledMindywithmy

otherhandtowardtheliving

room.“Here,let’sgosit

down.”

Istuffedthehatinthe

tabledraweroncewegotinto

thelivingroom.Igrabbedthe

remoteandturnedofftheTV.

Thatwasenoughsportsfor

Rogerforoneday.He

actuallyseemedconcerned

aboutMindywhichsurprised

me.

Isatbesideheronthe

sofa.“Takeacoupledeep

breaths.Thisspiritisnot

FreddyKrugerandhe’snot

comingforusinourdreams.”

Herbrowsknitted

togetherinafrown.“Areyou

sure?”

Inodded.“I’m

positive.”

Mindywasstilltense,

butitseemedasifshehad

calmeddownabit.Speaking

ofcalm,therewerenoother

footstepsandthingswere

quiet.Ihopeditstayedthat

way.

“Weneedtogetsome

sleep,”Isuggested.

Mindy’seyes

widened.“Yourealizewhat

happenswhenyougoto

sleep,right?”

“Yes…wegetrest.

Thereisnospiritcomingfor

youinyourdreams.”Ishook

myhead.

Shesighed.“Well,

justthesame,thereisnoway

Iamsleepingupstairsby

myself.”

IguessIcouldn’t

blameherforthat.

“Youcansleepwith

me.”Ipointedmyfingerat

Roger.“Keepthecomments

toyourself.”

Heheldhishandsup.

“Iwasn’tgoingtosay

anything.”

Iknewthatwasalie.

“Larue,Icankeepa

watchoutwhileyouallsleep.

WillthatmakeMindyfeel

better?”Marilynasked.

Inodded.“Thatis

verysweet.Thankyou,

Marilyn.Marilynisgoingto

watchforthespirit.Shewill

wakemeifhecomesaround.

Doesthatmakeyoufeel

better?”

Mindywrappedher

armsinfrontofherwaistasif

givingherselfacomforting

hug.“Yes,thathelps.Thank

you,Marilyn.”

“You’rewelcome,

darling,”shesaid.

MindyandIwentto

myroom.“Thisiskindof

likeaweirdslumberparty,”

shesaid.

“Yes,it’slike

Halloweenyouspentthe

nightbecausesomeonetold

yougirlswerebeing

sacrificedthatnight.”Ipulled

pajamasfrommydresser

drawer.

“Thesourcehad

seemedcreditableatthe

time,”shesaidasshe

removedthepillowsfrommy

bed.

Afterbrushingmy

teethandchangingintomy

pinkpajamaswiththelittle

whitebunnies,Iclimbedinto

bed.WhileMindywasinthe

bathroom,Ilaidtherestaring

attheceiling.Great,nowallI

couldthinkaboutwasFreddy

Kruger.Marilynappeared

nexttome.Iknewwhatshe

wanted.Themattressmoved

downasshesatbymyfeet.

Thenovelwasonthe

nightstandbymybed.When

Mindycameoutofthe

bathroomandcaughtme

readingaloud,Ihadto

explaintoherwhatIwas

doing.Mindysmiledand

climbedunderthecovers.

NowIwasreadingtobothof

them.Iwasn’tsureatwhat

pointI’ddozedofftosleep.

Thedarkshadow

appearedtofloatright

throughthedoorway.The

lightcomingfromunderthe

bathroomdoorgavejust

enoughglowtohighlightthe

shadow’ssilhouette.Itglided

acrosstheroomtowardthe

bed.Thiswasdefinitelythe

manfromearlier.Hewasn’t

wearingthehatnowthough.

Hadhecomebackforthe

hat?

Eventhoughitwas

darkIknewhewasstaring

rightatme…hisgreeneyes

glowedinthedark.Mybody

wasfrozenasifIwas

paralyzed.Hemovedcloser

andcloserandnowhewas

rightbesideme.Thesmellof

rottenleavesassaultedmy

nostrils.Heleaneddownand

puthisfacerightinfrontof

mine,yetIstillcouldn’t

move.Whatdidhewant?

Ihadtoscreamor

move.Therehadtobeaway

togetawayfromhim.

Willingallmystrength,I

finallyjumpedupinbed.The

manwasgoneandMindy

wasasleepbesideme.How

hadthathappened?How

muchtimehadpassed?HadI

fallenasleep?ThebookI’d

beenreadingtoMarilynand

Mindywasstillonmylap.

Myheartbeatfastand

sweattrickleddownmy

forehead.Apparently,ithad

allbeenadream.Itwasall

thattalkofFreddyKruger.

Surprisingly,I’drarelyhada

ghostcometomeinadream.

Iespeciallydidn’twantitto

happenifthatghostwas

goingtobemean.Ipeeredat

theclock.Itwasfoura.m.

Therewerestillacoupleof

hoursuntiltimetogetup.

Ilaidbackinthebed

andtriedtotakemymindoff

everything.Ineededtothink

ofsomethingelse.Happy

things.Callahanpoppedinto

mymind.Thoughtsofhim

alwaysmademehappy.I

triedtothinkofthe

bookstore,butthatmademe

rememberthespiritpeeking

inthewindow.Ididn’tknow

whenIfinallydriftedoff

again,butIwokewhenthe

suncamestreaminginthe

windowandsplashingacross

myface.Movementcaught

myattentiontomyleftandI

thoughtforsureIspotted

Rogerdriftoutthedoor.Had

hebeenintheroom?

Iwouldbeextremely

angryifIfoundouthe’d

comeinhere.Wherewas

Marilyn?Iguessshecouldn’t

keepaneyeonhimallthe

time.Mindywasstillasleep,

soIeasedupandheadedfor

thebathroom.Iwantedto

finishmyshowerbeforeshe

neededit.WhenIwas

finished,Mindywasalready

awake.

“Hey.Areyoufeeling

better?”Iasked.

Shesatonthesideof

thebed.“Aslongasthat

ghostisn’there.”

Imovedovertothe

closettopickoutmyoutfit.

“Nosignofhim.Ibethe’s

longgonenow.”

Shequirkedan

eyebrow.“Yeah,we’llsee

aboutthat.”

Ipulledoutanavy

bluepencilskirtandawhite

short-sleevedblousewitha

fittedwaist.

Mindyshuffled

towardthebathroom.“I’m

takingashower.”

“I’llstartbreakfast,”I

said.

Shepeekedaroundthe

door.“Oh,canyoumake

Frenchtoast?”

Ismiled.“Sure.”

OnceMindywasin

thebathroom,Islippedoutof

myrobeandintomy

clothing.Navyblueflats

wouldcompletemyoutfit.

Usually,Iworejeans,but

sinceIwassurroundedmy

Marilyn’sglamorallday,I

decidedtodressupabit.I

rushedthroughputtingon

makeupandpulledmyhair

backintosomesemblanceof

astyle.BeforeImade

breakfast,Ineededtofind

RogerandMarilyn.Imoved

throughthehallwayandover

tothelivingroom.

Theyweresittingat

oppositeendsofthesofa.As

shestudiedherred

fingernails,sheseemed

extremelyboredwithhis

conversation.Hestopped

talkingandglaredatme

“Goodmorning,”

Marilynsaidasshejumped

up.“Boy,amIgladtosee

you.”

“Goodmorning.”I

smiledather.

Iplacedmyhandson

myhipsandstaredatRoger.

“Wereyouinmybedroom?”

Heglancedatme.

“No.”

Ismirked.“Isawyou

leaving.”

Irritationpinched

betweenhisdarkbrows..“I

saidIwasn’tthere.Now,get

offmyback.”

Helookedaway.I

guessstaringathimwasn’t

goingtogethimtoconfess.

“Justdon’tletit

happenagain,”Iwarned.

“Whatever,”he

mumbled.

Imovedintothe

kitchentostartbreakfast.

Marilynfollowedme.

“Ineversawthespiritagain

lastnight.”

“Well,Idid.Hecame

tomeinmydream.”I

glancedovermyshoulderto

makesureMindywasn’t

there.

Marilyn’seyes

widened.“JustlikeMindy

said.”

Ipulledthebread

fromthecabinet.“No,it

wasn’tlikethatatall.Itwas

onlyadreamandI’mnot

goingtotellMindy.”

“TellMindywhat?”

Iwhippedaroundto

findMindystandingatthe

kitchendoorway.

Uh-oh.HowwasI

goingtogetoutofthisone?

Chapter8

Ihadtothinkquickly.

“Iwasn’tgoingtotellyou

thatI’malloutofpowdered

sugar.Iknowhowyoulikeit

onyourtoast.”Myvoice

wavered.Ihadneverbeena

goodliar.

Mindystaredatme.I

knewshewassuspicious.

“Quickthinking,”

Marilynsaid.

Yeah.Ithoughtitwas

prettygood,too.Mindy

movedovertotherefrigerator

togetorangejuicewhileI

finishedtheFrenchtoast.Of

course,Mindykeptaskingme

iftherewassomethingI

wasn’ttellingherthewhole

timethroughbreakfast.I

woulddenyituntiltheend.

MarilynandMindyhad

talkedmeintoreadingmore

ofthebookwhilewesatat

thetable.Notthatithadtaken

muchpersuading.Afterwe

finished,Mindyhelpedme

putthedishesinthewasher.

Shewipedherhands

onthedishtowel.“IguessI

shouldgetoutofhere.”

Iknewshewasstill

nervous.“Thingswillbejust

fine.Okay?”

Mindyfidgetedwith

herpursestrap.Sheshifted

fromonefoottotheother.

Herexpressionwasfilled

withuneasyworry.

“Okay,I’mgoing

now.”Sheturnedandwalked

towardthefrontdoor.

“Callmeifyouneed

anythingthough,”Istood

withher.

Shewavedand

climbedintohercar.I

watchedasshepulledoutof

thedriveway.Forasplit

second,IthoughtIsawthe

shadowinthebackseat.

WhenIblinked,itwasn’t

there.Thehaironthebackof

myneckrose.Thiswasreally

startingtofreakmeout.

“Willshebeokay?”

Marilynasked.

“Ihopeso,”IsaidasI

watchedMindydriveoff.

“Okay,it’stimeformetoget

tothebookstore.”

Rogerinstantly

poppedupbesideme.

“What’shappening?”

“Willyoustopdoing

that,”IsaidasIclutchedmy

chest.

“Sorry,”hesaid

sarcastically.

RogerandMarilyn

hurriedouttothecarasI

lockedthedoor.

IthoughtIheard

movementasIturnedthe

key,butIwasn’tgoingto

openthedooragaintoeven

look.Ihadafeelingtheghost

wasnowinmyhouse.That

wasbetterthanbeingat

Mindy’s,though.Istartedthe

carandpulledoutontothe

street.

Iglancedintherear-

viewmirroratRoger.“If

thereisanythingyoucan

rememberaboutthathouse,it

wouldbereallyhelpful.”

Heshookhishead.“I

toldyouIcan’tthinkof

anything.”

Isighed.“Iknowyou

did,butifyouhappento

thinkofsomething.”

“IwilltellyouifI

do,”hesnapped.

Ihadtofindoutmore

aboutthathouse.Iftherewas

anotherghostinthere,thenI

neededtoknow.Thatcould

bethecluetofindingoutwho

thisspiritwasandwhathe

wanted.Iwouldhavetocall

thehomeownerthefirst

chanceIgot.

WhenIpulledupin

frontofBookNook,Inoticed

Callahan’scarparkedatthe

curb.Ismiledatthethought

ofhimbehindthecounter

makingadrink.Helookedso

sexyinthatapron.Iglanced

atthetimeonmyphone.I

hadjustenoughtimetopop

informymorningcaffeine.

Ofcourse,thatwasmy

excusetogetachancetosee

Callahan.NotthatIneeded

one.

TheFullCupCoffee

Shopsignhungabovethe

door.Isteppedinwith

MarilynandRogertrailing

rightonmyheels.

“Oh,thisguyagain,”

Rogersaidaroundasigh.

Igavehimastern

look,butheignoredme.

“Don’tpayattention

tohim,Larue.Ithink

Callahanisasweetiepie.”

Marilynflashedhergorgeous

smile.

Callahanwashelping

acustomerandhadn’tnoticed

meyet.Hisshopwasquaint

withexposedbrickwalls,the

perfectmixtureofoldand

new.Printsofdifferentstyle

cupsandmugsdecoratedthe

walls.Oversizedleather

chairswereplacedinto

groupingswithcherry-wood

coffeetablesinfront.The

intoxicatingaromaofroasting

beansswirledthroughtheair.

ItookabigwhiffasIstepped

furtherintothespace.

MaybeIneededa

pastryforlater.Afterall,

Mindyhadmademepromise

toattendhernewZumba

classshewasteachingthis

evening.AsbadasI’dbeenat

polefitness,IhadafeelingI

wouldbeequallyterribleat

thisclass.IwasprettysureI

hadtwoleftfeet.

Callahanglancedup

andwaved.Hisbig,white

smilemademystomach

dance.Ihadnoproblemwith

thatkindofdancing.Justa

couplemorecustomersandI

wouldhaveCallahanallto

myself.Ihopednooneelse

cameinforacoupleminutes

soIwouldhaveachanceto

talktohim.

“Doyoufeelthat?”

Marilynaskedwithafrown.

“DoIfeelwhat?”I

asked.

Thewordshadbarely

leftmylipswhenIknew

whatshemeant.Itwasthe

sameeeriefeelingI’dhad

beforewhentheshadowhad

appearedandnowsurrounded

me.Ihopedthatspiritwasn’t

aroundagain,butIknewit

was.Ishouldn’tbesurprised

ithadfoundmeagain.It

seemedasifthisthingwas

followingmeeverywhere.

WhenIglancedtomy

right,Ispottedthedark

shadowonthewallbehind

Callahan.Ithadn’tappeared

asthecreepy-lookingman,

buttheywereoneinthe

same.Ididn’twantthisthing

tobenearCallahan,butIfelt

powerlesstostopit.Ihadto

dosomething.Obviously,it

wasn’tgoingtoleaveme

alone.And,evenworse,it

seemedtobearound

everyoneIcaredabout.

Ididn’twanttoget

theminvolvedwiththisdark

entity.Myfriendsshouldn’t

havetodealwiththisthing

justbecauseIhadattractedit.

Ihadtofindoutwhereitwas

comingfromandwhatit

wanted.Thatmightnotbeso

easy.

Nooneelseinthe

shopseemedtonoticethis

thing,onlymeandtheghosts.

Ifthecustomershadseenit,I

wassuretheywouldhaverun

outofthecafewithouteven

lookingback.Thething

movedclosertoCallahan.I

wantedtoyelloutforitto

leavehimalone,butIknew

thatwasn’tpossibleright

now.

Iwatchedthething,

hopingitwouldgoaway

soon.Nosuchluckthough

becauseitrushedforwardand

movedrightintoCallahan’s

body.

“Ohno!What’sit

doing?”Marilynaskedwith

panicinhervoice.

Callahanstopped

makingthecoffeefora

momentasifhe’dforgotten

whathewasdoing.Hehada

blankstareandhiseyes

turneddark.Thiswasthe

samethingthathadhappened

toMindy.Whywasthisspirit

attackingthem?Iwantedto

screamout,butthecustomers

wouldprobablythinkIwas

crazy.Iwantedtotellthe

spirittoattackme,butto

leavethemalone.

Ithinkthespirit

wantedformetoseethis

assaultonCallahan.Asifit

enjoyedtargetingthepeopleI

caredabout.Ihadtodo

somethingtogetthespiritto

leaveCallahanalone.But

what?Ididn’twantthe

customerstothinkIwas

crazy,buttheywerealready

lookingatCallahanstrangely.

Ineededtocausea

distraction,soImovedcloser

tothedisplayofbiscottion

thecounter.Whenthe

customersweren’twatching,

Ireachedoutandknockedthe

packagesontothefloorwitha

loudcrash.

Everyonelookedmy

way.Thatseemedtocapture

thespirit’sattention,too.At

thatmoment,thedarkshadow

zippedfromCallahan’sbody.

Itmovedswiftlyacrossthe

coffeeshoptothefront

windows.Asifitpushedthe

fastforwardbutton,the

shadowzoomedouttheglass.

Itwasgonefornow,

butwoulditbeback?Iknew

itwould.Whateverthisthing

wantedithadn’tgottenyet.

AsIwatchedthefrontofthe

shop,Inoticedsomething

odd.Themaninthecornerof

theroomhadbeenobserving

thespiritasitleft,too.He

hadseenit;Iwassureofit.

Howcouldheseeitwhenno

oneelsecould?Theman

focusedhisattentiononthe

newspaperagain.

WhenIglancedback

atCallahan,hewasacting

completelynormal.Hiseyes

hadchangedbacktothe

stunningblue.Hefinished

withthecustomersandthen

turnedtome.

“Goodmorning,

gorgeous,”hesaid.

“Gag,”Rogersaid

fromovermyshoulder.

“Bequiet,Roger,”

Marilynscoldedhim.

“Areyoufeeling

okay?”Iasked,asIpickedup

thepackagesI’dknocked

ontothefloor.

Hegrabbedatowelto

wipehishands.“Well,Iwas

fine,butaminuteagoIhada

strangefeeling.LikemaybeI

wascomingdownwith

something.I’mallrightnow

though.Howareyou?”

Itracedthelittlecrack

inthewoodcounterwithmy

indexfinger.“I’mfine…”

Iwasn’tabouttotell

Callahanwhathadhappened.

Notyet.First,Ineededto

wrapmymindaround

everythingbeforeIshared

thisnewswithanyone.I

wouldhavetokeepthespirit

awayfromMindyand

CallahanuntilIfiguredout

howtogetridofit.Callahan

grabbedacupandpouredmy

favoritecoffee,chocolate

coveredcherry.Hemadeit

withlove,whichmadeittaste

evenbetter.

Hehandedmethe

papercup.“Hereyougo.”

Iimmediatelytooka

sipandresistedtheurgeto

spitouttheliquid.

Callahan’sbrows

liftedquestioningly.“What’s

wrong?Doesittastebad?”

Icouldn’ttellhimthe

truth…itwasawful.This

wasthefirsttimethishad

happened.

Iforcedasmile.“No,

it’sperfectasusual.”

“Icanmakeyou

anotherone.”Callahan

gestured.

“I’dbettergettothe

store.”Imotionedwiththe

cupinmyhand.

Iwantedtogetoutof

therebeforethespirit

returned.And,soIcouldtoss

thecoffeeinthetrash.

“I’llcomebyandsee

youinabit,”Callahansaid

withasmile.

Iinchedawayfrom

thecounter.“Imightbetoo

busy.I’llcallyousoon,

okay?”

Thesparkleof

happinessfadedfromhiseyes

andhislipscurved

downward.“Yeah,okay.”

Iturnedandheaded

towardthedoor.Thedark-

hairedmanwhohadseenthe

spiritwasgone.Itwastoo

bad,becauseIwantedtoask

himwhathe’dseen.Fornow,

Ineededtokeepthespirit

away.ThatmeantIwould

havetostayawayfrom

CallahanandMindy.That

wouldn’tbeeasy,butitwas

forthebest.

Chapter9

I’djuststeppedoutof

thecoffeeshopwhenI

spottedthemanwhohadseen

thespirit.Heworejeansand

afadedblueT-shirt.A

newspaperwastuckedunder

hisarmandhehadhiscoffee

cupinhisrighthandashe

walkeddownthesidewalkon

theoppositesideofthestreet.

“Whoareyou?”I

askedundermybreath.

“Youshouldgoout

afterhim,”Marilynsaid.

“You’reabsolutely

correct.”Isteppedcloserto

thestreet,waitingfortraffic

topass.

Themanhadstopped

infrontoftheantiqueshop.

Afteracoupleseconds,he

startedwalkingdownthe

sidewalkagain.Ineededto

hurrybeforehegotaway.

Morningrushhourtrafficwas

heavy.Okay,notManhattan

styletrafficjam,butIstill

hadtowaitforachanceto

crossthestreet.

“You’regoingtolose

him.”Rogerpointed.

“Thanksfor

remindingme,Roger,”Isaid.

Finally,therewasa

breakintraffic,soIran

acrossthestreet.

“You’regoingtohave

topickupyourstepifyou

wanttocatchhim.”Roger

movedwitheasebesideme.

“Ihaveshortlegs,”I

saidbreathlessly.

“I’lltakecareofthis.”

Marilyntookoffdownthe

sidewalk.Theskirtofher

dressgentlyswayedbackand

forthasshemoved.

“Whatisshedoing?”

Rogerasked.

Ishrugged.“Your

guessisasgoodasmine.”

WhenMarilynfinally

caughtuptotheman,she

lungedinfrontofhim.He

immediatelystopped.

“Hecanseeher,”I

whispered.

“She’stalkingto

him,”Rogersaid.

Irandownthe

sidewalk,gettingmorethana

fewstrangelooksinthe

process.BeforeIcouldreach

theman,hestartedmoving

again.Marilynrushedback

overtome.Themanducked

insideanotherbuilding.

“Whathappened?”I

asked,stoppingbrieflyto

catchmybreath.“Whydidhe

leave?”

Sheplacedherhand

onherhip.“Hedoesn’tthink

I’mreal.”

“Whatdoesthat

mean?”Iasked.

Shetossedherhands

up.“Idon’tknow.That’sjust

whathesaid.”

“Buthecouldseeyou,

right?”

Shenodded.“He

spoketomewhenIaddressed

him.”

“Ihavetofindhim,”I

saidcontinuingtowardthe

boutique.

Thismanwasodd.

Howcouldheseethespirits

yetnotbelievetheywere

real?

Isteppedinsidethe

clothingshop.Theplacewas

decoratedwithturquoiseand

whitewithwallspaintedin

stripesandracksofexpensive

clothingdottedthespace.

Dressingroomswereonthe

leftmiddlewaydownthe

roomandthecheckout

counterwasacrossfromthem

ontheright.CooperGarrett

ownedtheplace,buthewas

out-of-townonvacation.A

fewpeoplewereshopping

aroundthespace,butIdidn’t

seetheman.Wherehadhe

gone?Hecouldn’thave

simplydisappeared.

Thepetiteblonde

workingtheshoptoday

approached.“Hi,Larue.CanI

helpyoufindsomething?”

“Didamanjustcome

inhere?”Iscannedthespace

again.

“No,Ididn’tseea

man.”Shelookedaroundthe

shop,too.

“Isthereaback

door?”Icouldn’tremember.

Someofthebuildingshad

rearentranceswithparking.

Shegestured.“Yes,

wedohaveabackdoor.”

“Oh,thanks.”I

weavedaroundracksof

clothingandrushedtoward

therear.

She’dprobablytell

everyoneintownhow

strangelyI’dacted.Ohwell,

nothingnewthere.WhenI

reachedthedoor,Ishovedit

openandsteppedoutintothe

brightsunshine.Ispottedthe

managainrightaway.

“Heyyou,”Icalled

out.“Ineedtospeakwith

you.”

“Isheaghost?”

Marilynasked.

Iglancedather.“I

don’tthinkso.”

Whatwouldmakeher

thinkthat?Themanglanced

myway,butkeptwalking.I

ranacrosstheparkinglotand

finallycaughtupwithhim.

“Excuseme,”Isaid

whenIwasnexttohim.“I

needtospeakwithyou.”

Hestoppedandstared

rightatme.“Yes?”

Mymotherwouldcall

hisdarkeyes“bedroom

eyes.”Hismessyblackhair

seemedasifhehadn’tspent

muchtimestylingitthis

morning.Ashestaredatme,

therewasnosignthathe

wouldoffertheslightestof

smiles.Hisfulllipswere

pressedtogetherintoa

straightline.Hetowered

abovemyfivefootone

height.Iguessedhimtobe

aboutsixfoottwoorthree.

I’dneverseenthisguyin

townbefore.Ofcourse,that

didn’tmeanhewasn’tfrom

aroundhere,butIthoughtI

knewjustabouteveryone.

“Isawyouatthe

coffeeshop,”Isaid.

“Isawyou,too,”he

saidandthentookasipfrom

hiscup.

Callahanusually

wrotetheperson’snameon

thecup.Itriedtoreadwhat

waswritten,buttheman’s

handwascoveringmostof

theblackmarking.

Iglancedovermy

shoulder.MarilynandRoger

stoodbehindmetakinginthe

conversationwithevery

ounceoftheirattention.

“AmItheonlyone

yousaw?”Istudiedhisface

forareaction.

Ididn’tknowhow

elsetoaskthequestion.He

regardedmeforamoment.It

wasasifwewereina

standofftoseewhowould

speakfirst.

“Someonesay

something,”Roger

demanded.

“Yes.Isawother

peoplethere,”theman

answered.

ItlookedasifIwas

goingtohavetogetrightto

thepoint.

“Iknowyousawthe

darkshadow,aswell.I

watchedyouwatchit.”I

crossedmyarmsinfrontof

mychestandwaitedforan

answer.

“Ireallyneedtogo

now.”Hegesturedoverhis

shoulderandthenturned

away.

“Please,behonest

withme.”Ijumpedoutin

frontofhim.

Whywashebeing

secretive?

Hemovedacouple

stepsbackasifhewasready

tosprint.

“MynameisLarue

Donavan.Iownthebookstore

nexttothecoffeeshop.”I

searchedhiseyes,wondering

whyhewasavoiding

answeringme.

Hestartedtowalk

away.“Itwasnicemeeting

you,Ms.Donavan.”

“Youcan’tlethimget

away,Larue,”Marilynsaid.

Irushedtocatchupto

him.“Iknowyoucansee

MarilynMonroebehindme.”

Hestoppedand

peeredbackatMarilyn.

“Okay,IguessIhaveto

knowwhyyouhavetheghost

ofMarilynMonroewithyou.

ItoldmyselfIwouldn’ttalk

toghostsanymore,butnowI

guesscuriosityisgettingthe

betterofme.”

“Iknewyoucouldsee

theghosts,”Ipointedathim.

“Areyouamedium,too?”

Hestaredforabeat

andthensaid,“Yes,Iam.

Thename’sStoneWatkins.”

“You’renotfrom

Magnolia,areyou?”Iasked.

Heflashedtheteeniest

ofsmiles.“IliveinNew

York.”

“Hefinallysmiled,”

Marilynsaid.

Rogerrolledhiseyes.

“Bigdeal.”

Stoneignoredtheir

comments.

“Whatareyoudoing

here?”Iasked.

Hedidn’tmeetmy

gazewhenheanswered.“Just

visiting.”

MaybeIwasalittle

toosuspicious,butthatmade

mewonderifhewasbeing

honest.Whywouldhelie?

Therehadtobemoretoit

thanthat.Rightnow,Imerely

wantedtoknowaboutwhat

he’dseen.

“So,yousawthespirit

inthecoffeeshop?”Iasked

again.

Hereleasedadeep

breathandsaid,“Yes,Isaw

it.Idon’teverwanttoseeit

againeither.”

“Doyouknow

anythingaboutthespirit?”I

asked.

Hisgazemetmine.

Therewassomethingalmost

hypnoticabouthiseyes.“I

knowit’snotgoodandI

don’twantanythingtodo

withit.Ifyouarewise,Ms.

Donavan,youwilldothe

same.”

“Idon’thavea

choice,”Isaid.

Hisexpression

darkened.“Why?”

“Ithinkthethingis

attachedtome,”Isaidand

didn’tblink.Iwantedhimto

knowIwasdeadserious.No

punintended.

“Goodluck,Ms.

Donavan,butIreallyhaveto

go.”Heturnedandwalked

overtotheblackcar.

Iwatchedashe

climbedbehindthewheelof

hisMercedesanddroveoff.

MarilynandRogerstoodnext

tome.Graycloudsrolledin

coveringthesunasifStone

hadcausedthemtodosoin

hiswake.

“Whydoyouthinkhe

wasactingthatway?”

Marilyn’slipscurved

downward.

“Becausehe’sahead

case,”Rogersaid.

“Heactedasifhe

knewmorethanheleton,”I

said.

“Youhavehisname,

doyouthinkyoucanfindout

moreabouthim?”Marilyn

asked.

“Idon’tknow,butI’m

certainlygoingtogiveita

shot.”Imotionedforthe

ghoststofollowme.

Chapter10

Iclosedthecoverof

thebook.“Okay,IguessI’ve

readenoughfortheday.”

“Ah,Iwasjustgetting

intoit,”Rogersaid.

Nowevenhewas

enjoyingthestory.Ilookedat

theclock.Itwasalmost

closingtime.Thelaststreaks

ofdaylightfellacrossthesky.

Atleastthecloudshadmoved

out.Aftersuchanexciting

morning,nothingmuchhad

happenedtherestoftheday.I

stillcouldn’tstopthinking

aboutStone.Wasitwrong

thatIthoughtaboutchecking

thehotelsintowntoseeifI

couldfindhim?Itwasn’t

oftenImetanothermedium.

And,itwasevenrarertomeet

oneinMagnolia.Itwas

almostlikefate.Ididn’t

believeincoincidences.

I’dmanagedtoavoid

Callahanallday,butIknew

thatwouldn’tlastforlong.I

wouldhavetobehonestwith

himsoon.Plus,Ididn’twant

toavoidhim.Thethoughtof

notseeinghimmademesick

tomystomach.

MarilynandRoger

wereroamingaroundthe

store.Iwasenjoyingthequiet

whileIfinishedmy

paperwork.Whenmyphone

rangandIsawitwasMindy,

dreadwashedoverme.I

knewIwouldhavetodeal

withthiscallsoonerorlater.I

thoughtaboutlettingitgoto

voicemail,butIknewMindy

wouldcomelookingforme.

Plus,whatifthespirithad

returnedandsheneededmy

help.No,Ihadtopickup.

“Areyoureadyfor

class?”MindyaskedwhenI

answered.

Ipausedandinstantly

sheknewsomethingwas

wrong.

“Youarenotgetting

outofthis.You’vebeen

puttingmeofffortoolong.”

“No,it’snotthat,”I

said.

“Well,thenwhatis

it?”Hervoicewasfullof

frustration.

“It’sjustthatafter

whathappenedwiththespirit,

I’mnotsureIshouldbe

aroundyou.”

Mycommentwasmet

withsilence.

Finally,shesaid,

“Whatisthatsupposedto

mean?Youdon’twanttobe

aroundme?”

Myshoulders

slumped.Isighedandthen

said,“No,Ido.Iloveyou,

andthat’swhyIfiguredI

shouldn’tbearound.I

broughtthespirit.Icaused

theproblem.IfIdon’tcome

around,thenthespiritwill

leaveyoualone.”

Shepausedagain.

“It’smyfault,Larue,fornot

beingtougher.You’remy

friendandIknowthatmeans

sometimesIwillhavetoface

spiritsandotherspooky

things.Iwouldn’twantitany

otherway.So,Irefusetolet

youstayaway.”

Iknewshemeantit,

too.Shewasstubborn.

“So,getyourbutt

overhereforclass.Thereis

nowayI’mlettingyououtof

thisone.”

Mymusclesached

justthinkingaboutthetorture

Iwasabouttoinflictupon

myself.

Isighedandsaid,

“OkayI’llbetheresoon,but

thisistotallyagainstmy

betterjudgment.”

“Larue,honey,

sometimesyourbetter

judgmentisn’tsomuch

better.”

“Youhaveapoint

there.Okay,seeyousoon.”I

hungupandstraightenedmy

workarea.

RogerandMarilyn

appearedinfrontofme.It

wasliketurningontheTV.

Oneminutetherewasablank

screenandthenextwasa

perfectpicture.

“Wherearewe

going?”Marilynasked.

Ishookmyhead.“I’m

goingtoMindy’sfitness

studio.”

Rogersnorted.“I

can’twaittoseethis.”

Rogerwaslikethe

youngerbrotherInever

had…MaybeI’dbeenlucky

tobeanonlychild.

Iraisedaneyebrow.

“Ifyouaregoingtomakefun

ofme,thenIwon’tletyou

comeinside.”

“Asifyouhavea

choice,”hesaid.

Ihateddealingwith

defiantghosts.Igrabbedmy

purseandheadedforthefront

door.

“Contrarytowhatyou

believe,youcan’tdo

whateveryouwant.Ihave

waystogetridofyou,”Isaid

asIsteppedoutontothe

sidewalk.

Rogerscoffed.“Yeah,

right.”

“Pleasedon’tfight

youtwo.Itmakesme

nervous,”Marilynsaid.

Ilockedthedoorand

peereddownthesidewalk.Of

courseIwasonedge

expectingthespirittopop

backup.Forabriefmoment,

IthoughtIcaughtaglimpse

ofsomeonewatchingme.It

wasn’tthespiritIthoughtI

saw…itwasStone.

However,hehadducked

behindagroupofpeople

whenhethoughtI’dcaught

him.Maybeithadbeenmy

imaginationbecausehe’d

disappearedsoquickly.Or

hadhereallybeenspyingon

me?

Iclimbedintothecar

withtheghostsandtraveled

theshortdistancetoMindy’s

studio,FitnessWorld.She’d

justinstalledthebigsign

recently.Theplacewasdoing

reallywellandshe’dadded

evenmoreclasses.Iparkedin

thelotandshutoffthecar.

Igrabbedmybag.

“Okay,I’llbebacksoon.”

RogerandMarilyn

werestandingbythedoor

whenIentered.Somuchfor

tryingtogetthemtostayin

thecar.IknewMarilyn

comingwouldn’tbea

problem,butIdidn’twant

Rogertotagalong.He’d

inevitablyhaveasnarky

comment.

Afterchanginginto

myworkoutgear,Imademy

waytothefloor.Mindy

smiledandthenstartedthe

music.Ofcourse,shealways

mademetakeaplaceatthe

front.Itriedtokeepupwith

thefastpace,butwithtwo

leftfeet,itwasreally

difficult.Insteadofdancing,

itlookedmorelikeIwas

havingamedicalemergency.

Mindywasagood

instructor,butIdidn’tfollow

instructionswell.Mybrain

saidmovetotheright,butmy

feetwenttotheleft.Marilyn

wasstandingtotheside

hidinghereyes.Shedidn’t

wanttoseethetrainwreck.

Roger,ontheotherhand,was

laughinghisbuttoff.Iwasso

gladhefoundmytorture

amusing.

Afterstumbling,I

managedtopushbacktomy

feet.Itriedtofocusonwhat

Mindywassayinganddoing,

butwhenIspottedthedark

shadowoutofthecornerof

myeye,itwasimpossibleto

continue.Iknewthesilence

hadbeentoogoodtobetrue.

Thethinglookedlikea

silhouettenow.Iwasn’tsure

whyithaddecidednottotake

ontheothercreepyimage.

Maybebecauseithadlostthe

fedora?

Theshadowrushed

fromthecorner,butitmoved

rightpastMindy.Whodid

thisthinghaveitssightsset

onthistime?Ihopedit

wasn’taninnocentstranger

fromclass.Thewomen

continueddancing,unaware

thatthisdarkentitywas

invadingourspace.Itweaved

aroundtheroom.Ifollowedit

withmystare.Thenextthing

Iknew,thedarkmasswason

topofme.

Isensedthispresence

wasmale.Ifelltotheground

withathud.Atthatsecond,

thelightswentoutandthe

musicstopped.

“Holdon,everyone.It

seemswe’velostpower,”

Mindysaidwithstraininher

voice.

Becauseitwasdark,

noonecouldseeIwas

fightingtogetthisentityoff

me.Thethinghadmepinned

totheground.Itfeltasifa

tonofrockswassittingon

topofme.Hishandswere

wrappedaroundmyneckand

Istruggledtobreath.How

wouldIgetawayfromhim?I

couldn’tevenscreamoutfor

help.Iwrappedmyhands

aroundwhatIthoughtwas

thething’sarmsandpushed.

Ishovedwithallmy

strength,butI’dneverfelt

thiskindofforcebefore.

Surely,someonewouldbe

abletohelpmesoon…before

itwastoolate.Lightflooded

theroomonceagainandinan

instanttheshadowwasgone.

Icoughedandtriedtocatch

mybreath.Thankgoodness

thethinghadleft.AllIcould

thinkaboutwaswhenhe

wouldreturn.I’dgottenaway

withmylife,butnexttimeI

probablywouldn’tbeso

lucky.WhenIlookedaround,

Isaweveryonewasstaringat

me.IsupposetheythoughtI

wasnutssincetheyhadn’t

seenwhatwasattackingme.

DidnoonecareIwas

choking?

Mindyrushedoverto

me.“Larue,whathappened?”

Itriedtospeak,butI

couldonlycough.Isatupand

finallystoppedhacking.Fear

shoneinMindy’seyes.

“Thespiritattacked

me.”

Sheheldmyarm.“Do

youneedtogotothe

hospital?”

Iwavedoffher

comment.“I’llbefine.”

Itoldherthis,butI

wasn’tsureitwasthetruth.

“Thisspiritisgetting

worse,”shesaid.

Icouldn’targuewith

her.Iwasthankfulithad

attackedmeandnother.

“Canyoustandup

now?”sheasked.

Ireleasedadeep

breathandthensaid,“Ithink

so.”

“Larue,Isawthe

spiritcomingafteryou,but

therewasnothingIcould

do,”Marilynsaid.

Ismiledather,but

didn’tanswersincethe

peoplearoundmewere

listening.Inthecornerofthe

room,IspottedRoger.He

waswatchingme,too.He

glancedawaywhenoureyes

met.Didheknowsomething

hewasn’ttellingme?There

hadtobeawaytomakehim

talk.MaybeIcouldscareit

outofhim.

Mindyheldmyarmas

Ipushedtomyfeet.“Areyou

sureyoucanyoustand?”

“I’masgoodasnew,”

Isaid.

Istumbledovertoa

chairatthesideoftheroom.

Mindyfollowedme,handing

meabottleofwater.

Itookabiggulpand

thensaid,“Iamgoingtogo.I

don’twanttointerruptthe

classanymore.It’snotfairto

theothers.”

“I’msurethey

understand,”Mindysaid.

“Yes,Larue,I’msure

theyunderstand,”Marilyn

added.

Alltheysawwasa

womanonthefloorkicking

andscreaming.

“TheythinkI’mone

crayonshortofafullbox.”I

stoodfromthechair.“I’llcall

youlater.”

Mindy’sperfectly

sculptedeyebrowspinched

together.“Larue,areyousure

you’reokaytodrive?”

Igrabbedmybagand

threwitovermyshoulder.

“Yes,I’llbefine.”

Rogerspottedme

leavingandhurriedoversoI

wouldn’tdriveoffwithout

him.Ifithadn’tbeenfor

stickinghimatMindy’s

place,Iwouldn’thave

mindedatallifhestayed

behind.Onceoutside,I

climbedintothecarand

pulledoutoftheparkinglot.I

brieflyworriedIhadleftthe

spiritwithMindy,butIknew

hewouldmuchprefertobe

withme.Hewouldattack

anyoneIwaswith.He

wouldn’tgetthemwhenI

wasn’taround.No,hewanted

metoseetheattack.

Ihadtogobacktothe

housewhereI’dgotten

Roger.

“Larue,doyouhave

anycluewhothisspiritisor

whathewants?”Marilyn

asked.

Inavigatedaturn.

“No,butIwilldomybestto

findoutrightnow.”

“Larue,youlooked

likeyouwerehavinga

seizurebackthere.Dancingis

notyourforte,”Rogersaid

fromthebackseat.

“Thanksfor

remindingme,Roger.”

“Noproblem.Where

arewegoing?”Rogerasked.

AsInearedthestreet,

Ifiguredhewouldrecognize

it.

“Areyoutakingme

back?”heaskedwithpanicin

hisvoice.“Idon’twanttogo

back.It’sboringthere.”

Iglancedoverat

Marilynandsheflasheda

widesmile.

“Areyougoingtobe

nicefromnowon?”Iasked,

lookingathimintherear-

viewmirror.

Rogerscowledand

thenfinallysaid,“Yes,Iwill

benice.”

Ipulledupinfrontof

thehouse.

Hehuffed.“Itoldyou

Iwouldbenice.”

Iturnedoffthe

ignition.“Relax.Imerely

wanttotalkwiththe

homeowneraboutthe

previousowners.Sinceyou

won’tgivemeany

information.”

“I’mstayinginthe

car,”hesaid,foldinghisarms

infrontofhischest.

“Oh,don’tpout,”I

said.

“I’mnotpouting,”he

snapped.“Ijustdon’twantto

goinside.”

Ishrugged.“Suit

yourself.Comeon,Marilyn.”

“Gladly,”shesaidas

shegotoutofthecar.

AsMarilynandI

madeourwayupthe

sidewalktowardthehouse,I

noticedamanwalkingaway.

AllIsawwasthebackof

him,butIthoughtforsureI

recognizedhim.

“IsthatStone?”I

asked.

Marilynfollowedmy

pointingfinger.“Itlookslike

him.”

Icalledouttohim,

buthewastoofarawayandI

wassurehehadn’theardme.

Well,Ithoughthehadn’t.

Whatwashedoingover

here?Didheknowsomeone

inthearea?Thiswasthe

secondtimeI’dseenhim

sincemeetinghim.LikeI

said,I’veneverbelievedin

coincidences.

MarilynandImadeit

tothefrontdoor.Myclient

answeredrightaway.Elisa

Castle’sdarkhairwasstyled

inanupdotoday.WhenI’d

seenherlast,shewas

disheveledandfearwas

evidentinhereyes.She’d

wornhersweatsanda

wrinkledT-shirt.Now,she

wasdressedinblackslacks

andabeautifulemeraldgreen

silkblouse.

“Larue,I’msogladto

seeyou.”Elisareachedout

andhuggedme.

Sheseemedmuch

happierthanwhenI’dseen

herlast.Thatmustmeanthe

hauntingwasgone.More

thanlikelybecauseitwas

withmenow.

“Pleasecomeinside.”

“Thankyou,Elisa.”I

followedthewomanintothe

house.

Ilookedaroundthe

spaceanditseemedsomuch

brighterthanthelasttimeI’d

beenthere.Thesunshone

throughthewindowscasting

ayellowglowaroundthe

room.Thecolorsseemed

morevibrantandthesmellof

flowerslingeredintheair.

“Comeintothe

kitchen.Iwasjustmaking

tea.”Elisamotionedtome.

Ifollowedherthrough

thehouse,keepingonhigh

alertthewholetimeincaseI

spottedtheshadow.Iknewit

wasn’tstayinghereany

longer,though.Theheaviness

ofhispresencewasgone.He

wasnowwithmefulltime.I

knewthefullscopeofwhat

Elisahadbeendealingwith

beforeshehadcalledme.

Thereprobablyhadn’tbeen

anyhauntingsinceI’dbeen

there.

“Pleasehaveaseat.”

Isatattheendofthe

oaktable.Elisapulledouta

cupandpouredwaterand

thendippedtheteabag.

Sheplacedthecupin

frontofmeonthetable.

“Wouldyoulikesugar?”

“Yes,please,”Isaid.

Marilynsatinthe

chairnexttomeandwatched

thehomeownerasshepoured

acupforherself.

“Larue,Ican’tthank

youenoughforeverything

youdid.”Elisapattedmy

hand.“It’sevenlighterin

here,don’tyouthink?”

Icouldn’tgetover

howpeacefulthehouse

seemednow.IfonlyIcould

getridofthisdarkshadow

forgood.

Ilookedaroundthe

room.“Yes,itismuch

lighter.”

Icouldonlyimagine

howbadithadbeenforherif

thatdarkshadowhadtrulyset

upresidenceinherhome.

“So,nothinghas

happenedsinceIleft?”I

asked.

Shetookasipoftea

andsetthecupdown.“No,I

haven’tsleptthiswellin

years.IfeellikeIoweyou

mylife.”

“Larue,you’rea

hero,”Marilynsaid.

Itookadrinkandthen

asked,“Doyouknowanyof

thehistoryofthehome?”

Sheheldaplateof

lemoncookiesinfrontofme.

“Wouldyoulikeone?”

Itookoneandplaced

itonmyplate.“Thankyou.”

“Notmuchreally.The

neighbortoldmeafamily

usedtolivehereandthatthe

fatherleft.So,themotherand

herteenagesonmovedout

soonafterthat.Iguessthey

couldn’taffordtostay.”

“Howlongagowas

that?”Iasked.

Shetookasipoftea,

andthensaid,“Aboutten

yearsago,Iguess.We’ve

beenhereforthreemonths.I

thinkalotofpeoplelived

herewhenitwasrentedout,

buttheyneverstayedlong.”

“Didyouhearstories

fromanyoneelse?”Inibbled

onthecookie.

Sheshookherhead.

“No,Iguesstheywantedto

keepthestoriestothemselves

andjustgetout.”

Isighed.“Sometimes

itwouldbebetterifthey

sharedsotheproblemcould

havebeenaddressedyears

ago.”

Sheplacedhercup

down.“Thatwouldhavebeen

goodforme.Ihadnoidea

whatweweregettinginto

whenweboughtthehouse.”

“Doyouknowwhat

happenedtothemotherand

sonwhomoved?”Iasked.

Shetookabiteofher

cookie.“No,Ineverheard

anything.”Shestudiedmy

face.“Iseverythingokay,

Larue?Youseemstressed.I

canimaginewhatyoudoputs

alotofpressureonyou.”

Isupposeshewas

rightaboutthat,butIhadno

choice.ThiswaswhatIdid.

Itwasapparentlymylife’s

calling.

“I’mfine.Ijustliketo

getanswersforthehomes

I’vebeenin.”Ipickedatthe

edgeofmynapkin.

“That’s

understandable,butatany

rate,I’mthankfulforwhat

youdid.EvenifIneverknow

whatitwas.I’mjustgladit’s

gone.”

Ihopedforhersake

thatitneverfounditsway

backtoherhome.Iwouldtry

mybesttogetridofthe

shadowspiritbeforeithada

chancetoterrorizeanyone

else.

Itookthelastsipof

mytea.“Thankyoufor

everything.Ireallyshouldbe

goingnow.”

Ipushedtomyfeet

andElisafollowedmetoward

thedoor.Marilynwas

directlybehindher.

“Larue,ifthereisever

anythingIcandoforyou,

pleasedon’thesitatetoask.”

Elisapausedwiththedoor

open.

Ismiled.“Thankyou,

Iwill.Callmeifyouneed

anythingelse.”

Thesunshinebathed

meinwarmthwhenIstepped

outside.Iwasamazedathow

brightandhappythehome

hadappeared.Elisahadbeen

right.Iscannedthearea,

wonderingifIwouldsee

Stoneagain.Apparently,he

waslonggone.

Ineededtofindout

moreaboutthefamilieswho

hadlivedinthehousebefore

Elisa.IfIcouldtrackdown

thepreviousrentersthat

mightgivememore

informationaboutthisdark

spirit.Wherehaditcome

from?Someonefromthe

home’spasthadtoknow

something.EvenifIfound

theformeroccupants,getting

themtotalkmightbe

difficult.Sometimes,if

peoplehadadramatic

experiencetheydidn’twant

todiscussit.Thatwas

understandable,butthiswas

kindofaparanormal

emergency.

“Sheseemedreally

happy,”Marilynsaidaswe

walkeddownthesidewalk.

“Youhelpalotofpeople,

don’tyou?”

Igrinned.“Itry.”

OnceImadeittothe

car,IfoundRogerwaitingin

thefrontseat.Islipped

behindthewheel.Marilyn

motionedforhimtomoveto

thebackseat.Ofcourse,he

immediatelycomplied.IfI’d

askedhim,Iwouldhave

gottennothingbutgrief.

“Whattookyouso

long?Ididn’tknowyouwere

goingtostayallday,”hesaid

inahuffedbreath.

Istartedtheignition.

“Iwasonlyintherefor

fifteenminutes.”

“Whileyouwerein

therehavingfun,IwassureI

sawthatshadowagain.”He

gesturedtowardthesidewalk.

Iwhippedaroundto

lookathim.“Wheredidyou

seeit?Diditgoinsidethe

house?”Icouldn’tletthat

thinggetbackintoElisa’s

again.

“No,itwasrighthere

bythecar,asifitwaswaiting

foryou.”Rogershookhis

head,clearlyexasperated

withme.

“Wherediditgo?”I

asked.

Heshrugged.“How

shouldIknow?Idon’twant

thethingaroundme.”

Istaredathim.“Well,

Ithoughtyoumighthave

watchedtoseewhereit

went.”

RogersighedasifI’d

toldhimtogotohisroom.

“Thethingjust

disappeared,okay?Icouldn’t

watchwhereitwent,”he

snapped.

Isighedandlooked

aroundforanysignofthe

darkspirit.ThankgoodnessI

didn’tseeit,butIwasstill

worriedtheevilentitymight

trytogettoElisaagaineven

thoughIwasalmostcertain

thedarkspiritwantedme

now.Thatwasfine.Iwasa

lotmorecapableofhandling

thisthing.Ihadyearsof

experience.

Isteeredthecaraway

fromthecurbandtookoff

downtheroad.WhenI

passedthestreetwhereI’d

spottedStone,IwonderedifI

wouldeverfindhimagain.

MycellrangandIpulled

oversoIcouldanswer.

“Hey,honey.Just

wantedtoseehowyou’re

doing.”Callahan’ssexyvoice

reverberatedthroughmelike

alingeringkiss.“Howabout

lunch?”

Icouldn’triskseeing

himrightnow,butithurtto

tellhimno.

“Actually,Ihavea

fewappointments.”

“Oh.Iunderstand.

We’llcatchuplater?”

Disappointmentsoundedin

hisvoice.

“I’llcallyousoon,”I

saidandthenhungup

quickly.

“Youcan’tavoidhim

forever.”Marilynwarned

withawaveofherhand.

“He’llthinkyou’re

dumpinghim,”Rogersaid

withlaughterinhisvoice.

Iknewalltoowell

whatCallahanwouldthink.I

didn’tneedtobereminded.I

wouldhavetothinkof

somethingtotellhimsoon.If

Itoldhimthetruth,hewould

insisthewasstrongenoughto

fightoffthisdarkshadow.

Soon,Imighthavenochoice

buttodivulgethetruthto

him,butuntilthen,Iwould

trytosolvethisproblemon

myown.

“Everythingwillbe

fine,Larue,”Marilynsaid.

“Don’tworry.”

Notworryingwas

impossible.

Chapter11

Darknesssurrounded

me.Starstwinkledinthe

velvetysky.Thesilvery

mooncastaglowoverthe

gravestonesthatdottedthe

landscape.Alargehouse

loomedinthedistance.It

lookedexactlylikethehouse

thatallthekidswoulddare

eachothertostepfootin…

abandonedlongago.But,was

itreallyempty?Thelights

illuminatingfromthe

windowsservedasbeaconsin

thenightandmademethink

someonemustlivethere.

WherewasI?I’d

neverbeenherebeforeand

hadnoideahowI’dgotten

here.Abatflutteredfroma

nearbytreeandIduckedin

ordertomissit.Stepping

throughthecreakyoldiron

gate,Iwalkedintothe

graveyard.Iweavedaround

headstonesandheaded

towardtheoldhouse.SinceI

hadnoideawhereIwas,I

hadtofindhelp.The

cemeterywasagooddistance

fromthehouse,butitwasmy

onlyhopeatthemoment.

WhenIfinally

reachedthebrickthree-story,

Isteppeduptotheold

weatheredfrontdoor.My

knockechoedacrossthenight

air.Nooneanswered.

Steadyingmyshakyhand,I

managedtowrapmy

knucklesonthetarnished

brassdoorknob.WhenI

twistedit,itimmediately

opened.Nervesdancedinmy

stomach.Iinchedthedoor

widerandthensteppedinside

thefoyer.Instarkcontrastto

thedarknessoutside,the

roomswerebrightlylit.There

wasnofurniture,nothing.

Thecrackedwallshad

peelingpaintandfalling

wallpaper.Cobwebshungin

thecornersoftherooms.I

movedtowardtheroomtothe

right.Beforereachingthe

threshold,thelightswentout.

Ifrozeonthespot.What

wouldIdonow?

SinceIcouldn’tsee

myhandinfrontofmyface,I

calledout.“Hello?”

Ofcourse,noone

answered.WhathadI

expected?

Afterturningaround

inthedirectionwhereI

thoughtthedoorhadbeen,I

inchedmywayforward,one

babystepatatime.Anoise

camefrommyleft.Itwas

rightbesidemyearand

soundedasifsomeonewas

breathingheavily.Panic

surgedthroughme.Iraced

forwardsoIcouldgetaway

fromwhoeverorwhatever

wasintheroomwithme.

Beforemakingittothedoor,

Istumbledandfelltothe

ground,landingonmyface.

Theheavybreathingwas

rightbesidemyearagain.

Terrorrushedthroughmy

body.Iwantedtoscream,but

thesoundwaslodgedinmy

throat.Ifumbledtogetup

fromthefloor,butIcouldn’t

getmyfooting.Thesoundof

thebreathinggreweven

louderinmyear.

Afterfinallymakingit

tomyfeet,Iranforward,

hopingIwouldmakeittothe

doorandoutofthehouse.I

glancedback.WhyIwasn’t

sure,sinceIcouldn’tsee

anything.IguessIwantedto

knowwhatwastherewith

me.Itwasprobablyforthe

bestthatIcouldn’tseewho

orwhatthisthingwas.I

didn’tknowifIwasgoingto

beattackedbyalivingperson

oraghost.Ihadtogetoutof

thereandgethome.

Irantowardthedoor

whenthethinggraspedmy

shoulderfrombehind.It

yankedmebackandIlanded

onthegroundagain.The

thingwasontopofmenow.I

knewitwasthedarkshadow

thathadbeenfollowingme

around.Iwasn’tsurehowI’d

gottenherethough.HadI

fallenasleepandthisthing

luredmehere?HadIbeen

sleepwalking?Thathadtobe

it.Rightnow,Ijusthadto

worryaboutgettingawayand

nothowthisoccurred.The

spirithaditslongarms

stretchedforwardwithhis

handswrappedtightlyaround

myneck.IgaspedforairasI

putmyhandsarounditsarms.

Iwasn’tsureiftherewas

reallyskin,butitfeltcoldand

clammytothetouch,which

mademystomachturn.

Tryingtobreakfree,Ipushed

ashardasIcould.

Sincethethinghadits

handswrappedaroundmy

neck,Icouldn’tscream.

Nothingcameoutofmy

mouth.IfIdidn’tgetaway

soon,itwouldbetoolatefor

me.Istruggled,pushingas

hardasIcould.ThemoreI

foughtit,thestrongerit

seemedtoget.Itfeltasif

therewasnohopeingetting

awayfromthisthing.

Remainingpositivewouldbe

hard,butIwouldtryhard.I

fearedIwaslosingthebattle.

ItriedtoscreamagainasI

kicked.Thethingstartedto

cacklenow,amenacingand

terrifyingnoise.Itreallyfelt

asifithadtheupper-hand.

Iwasstrongerthan

this.Iwouldn’tlethimwin.I

hadtofightharder.Usingall

mystrength,Ishovedthe

thing.Tomysurprise,itflew

throughtheair.Iscreamedas

loudlyasIcouldandgasped

forairnowthatithad

looseneditsgrip.

Thatwaswhenthe

sunlightstreamedthroughthe

roomandIopenedmyeyes.

Itwasn’ttheoldhouseandit

wasnolongerdark.Daylight

floodedthespaceandIwas

inthesanctuaryofmy

bedroom.Well,itusedtobe

mysafehaven.Now,itwas

beinginvadedmydemons

thatcameformeinmy

dreams.Thisthinghadtobe

demonic.Whyelsewouldit

attackmelikethat?Iwas

wideawakeandknewthatit

hadbeenadream.Atooreal

dream.

ThebookthatI’d

beenreadingtoMarilyn

droppedtothefloor.Ithad

beenonmylapstillfromthe

nightbefore.Ihadatendency

offallingasleepwhile

reading.MarilynandRoger

ranintotheroomwith

panickedlooksontheirfaces.

“Iseverythingokay,

Larue?Weheardyouscream

anditscaredmetodeath…

well,itscaredme,”Marilyn

said.

“Areyouallright?”

Rogeraskedwithmore

concerninhisvoicethanI

hadeverheard.

WasIokay?Iglanced

downatmybody.Everything

seemedtobefine.

Itossedtheblanket

offmybodyandkickedmy

legsoverthesideofthebed.

“I’mokay,”IsaidasI

pushedtomyfeet.“SorryifI

scaredyou.Iwashavinga

baddream.”

Ididn’twanttotell

themjusthowrealthatdream

hadbeen.Marilynfurrowed

herbrowandstaredatme.By

thelookonherface,Iknew

sheprobablydidn’tbelieve

me.Withtheghosts

followingbehindme,I

shuffledacrossthefloor

towardthekitchen.Even

thoughitwasabrightand

sunnymorning,Ifoundit

difficulttoshakeoffthe

terriblefeelingofwhathad

gonedowninthedream.Itall

seemedsoreal.Withany

luck,somecoffeeand

breakfastwouldmakemefeel

muchbetter.

AsImovedthrough

thehouse,MarilynandRoger

continuedtofollowme.I

knewtheywerewatchingme

withsuspicion.They

wouldn’tletmegetoffwith

thesimpleexplanationofa

dream.

“What’sonyour

neck?”Rogeraskedashe

pointed.

Igraspedmythroat.

“Whatdoyoumean?”

“Oh,Larue,it’s

bruised,”Marilynleaned

closer.

Iranovertothe

mirrorhangingontheliving

roomwindow.WhenIsaw

thedarkblackandblue

bruises,Igasped.Hadn’tit

beenadream?Ithadseemed

soreal,buthowelsewouldI

explainthemarks?Thisthing

wasgettingthroughtomein

mysleepandthatwasabad

thing.

***

Afterbreakfastanda

shower,Idressedinmy

favoritepairofblackpants

andpinkandwhiteblouse.

Tocoverthebruises,Iadded

apinkfloralscarfaroundmy

neck.Iwasstilltryingforthe

glamorouslook.

Unfortunately,Ididn’tthink

itwasworking.Withthe

ghostsinthecarwithme,I

headedtowardthebookstore.

Ididn’tknowwhatIhad

plannedfortheday,butit

involvedsomekindof

detectivework.Ihadalong

listofthingsIneededtolook

into.

WhenIpulledupto

BookNook,Iglancedover

andsawCallahanhadalready

openedthecoffeeshop.Of

course,healwaysopeneda

lotearlierthanme.IfIdidn’t

stopin,hewouldbeoverto

checkonme.However,Iwas

afraidthedarkshadowwould

showupagain.Forthat

reason,Iwalkedrightpasthis

shop,avoidingpeepinginthe

windowathishandsomeface.

AsMarilynandRoger

wanderedaroundmystore,I

settledintomywork.Withall

thedistraction,Iwasbehind

witheverythingbookstore

related.

Acoupleminuteshad

passedwhenMarilynsaid,

“Larue,thereisamanstaring

inthewindow.”

Ilookeduptoseeifit

wasthecreepyshadowagain.

Marilynpointedattheman

withhishandscuppedaround

hiseyesandfacepressedto

theglass.

Iwalkedtowardthe

door.“Itmustbeacustomer

whowondersifweareopen

yet.”

Ihadtheopensign

displayedinthedoor,butI

guesshemissedit.

“I’llgoseeifheneeds

help,”Isaid.

Isteppedoutontothe

sidewalk.Traffichadpicked

upsinceitwasnowrushhour

sothestreetwasnoisier.I

didn’tthinkthemanhad

heardmecomeout.Hehad

turnedandwaswalkingdown

thesidewalkawayfromthe

store.Heworetanpants,a

white,short-sleeveshirt,and

abeigeFedora.Whatwas

withallthehats?

“Excuseme,sir.Did

youneedhelp?”Icalledout.

AsIsuspected,he

didn’thearme.

Iwalkedoverandwas

justabouttotaphimonthe

shoulderwhenheturned

aroundandeyedmeupand

down.“Wereyoucheckingto

seeifthebookstoreisopen?”

“Ijustwantedtoseeif

youneededanyhelp,”I

added.

“Oh,good,it’syou,”

hesaid.

DidIknowthisman?

Hepointedatthe

BookNooksignabovethe

door.“Ithoughtthiswasthe

placeyouwentinto.I’ve

beentryingtofindyou,”he

said.

Ismiled.“Well,hereI

am.Thebookstoreisopen.”

Iassumedhemeant

thathehadbeentryingtofind

thebookstore.

Heshookhishead.

“No,it’snotthebookstore

I’vebeentryingtofind,it’s

you.I’vebeensearchingfor

you.”

Iquirkedaneyebrow.

Whywashelookingforme?

“Thisguyiskindof

weird,”Rogersaid.

Iwouldn’tsayweird.

Hewasjustalittleeccentric.

“Ifollowedyoulast

night,”hesaid.

Ishookmyhead.“I’m

confused.Wheredidyou

followmefrom?”

“Thebetterquestionis

whyhefollowedyou,Larue,”

Marilynsaid.“Youcannever

betoocareful.”

Shewasright,butthis

littleoldmansurelycouldn’t

bedangerous.Ieyedhim

expectantly.Ihadn’tbeen

anywherelastnightother

thanaroundtown.

Helookedmeinthe

eyes.“Iwasatthecemetery

lastnightandsawyou.”

Istaredathim,

speechless.Mystomach

twistedintoknots.

Rogerwalkedcloser

totheman.“Whatishe

talkingabout?”

Iwasfearfulofwhat

hewastalkingabout.Sure,

I’dsuspectedwhathadreally

happened,butnowIwas

findingoutforsure.That

wasn’tpossible.Ithadbeen

inmydream.WasIstill

dreaming?

Ichucklednervously.

“Iwasn’tatacemeterylast

night.”

Headjustedhishat.

“Yes,youwere.Ifollowed

you.”

“Yes,youalreadysaid

that,butitcan’tbepossible.”

Iglancedovermyshoulder,

planninghowtogetaway

fromhim.

Themancontinued,

“Youwentintothathouse.I

waitedforyoutocomeout

andthenfollowedyou

home.”

Isearchedhisface.He

seemedasifhewasbeing

completelyserious.Iwas

confusedanddidn’tknow

whattothink.HeknewI’d

beeninthehouse.Thank

goodnessacustomerwalked

intothebookstore,soIhadto

getbackinside.

“Ihavetogo.”I

motionedasIwalkedtoward

thedoor.

“I’llgowithyou.”He

trailedalongrightbehindme.

“Whoisthisguy?”

RogerwhisperedtoMarilyn.

AsIhelpedthe

customer,Inoticedtheman

wastalkingtoMarilyn.So,he

wasaghost,tooIhad

suspectedthat,which

explainedwhyhewasatthe

cemetery.Butitdidn’t

explainhowhe’dfoundme.I

thoughtforsureithadbeena

dream.I’dwokenupinmy

bed,socouldIhavebeenat

thehouseinsomekindof

sleepwalkingstate?Thatwas

possibleandascarythought

atthesametime.WhenI

finishedwiththecustomer,I

headedovertotheghosts.

Theyhadbecomeacquainted

quickly.

Themanwassmiling

andtalkingtoMarilyn.I

couldtellhewasshockedand

excitedtoseeher.WhenI

walkedup,theystopped

chattingandpeeredmyway.

“I’mgladyou’re

back.Isupposeyouwantto

knowwhyIamhere?”he

saidasheeyedmeupand

down.

Ihadalotof

questions,butthatwas

certainlyagoodplacetostart.

“Whydidyoufollow

me?”Iasked.

“Iknewyoucouldsee

andcommunicatewithspirits,

soIthoughtwhynotfollow

youandhavesomeonetotalk

to.”Thelinesaroundhiseyes

deepenedwhenhesmiled.

“HowdidyouknowI

couldtalktospirits?”Iasked.

Heexchangedalook

withMarilynandRogerand

thenbacktome.“Youwere

speakingtothedarkshadow.

Iknewyouhadtotalkto

spirits.”

“Iwasn’texactly

talkingtohim,”Isaid

nervously.

“Whatdoeshemean,

Larue?”Marilynasked.

Isighed.“Lastnight,

inmydream,Iwenttoa

cemeteryandahouse.The

darkshadowwasthere,butI

guessmaybeitwasn’ta

dreamafterall.Whoare

you?”

“MynameisJames

Hagerman.”Hetippedhishat

inafriendlygesture.

Bythewayhewas

dressed,Ifiguredhewas

fromthe1960s.Thestyleof

hisshirtandpantsseemed

fromprobablyaround1961

or1962.

“MynameisLarue

Donavan.Iguessyouknow

Marilyn,”Isaid.

Marilynwavedand

winked.Jamesswooned.

Rogermadeagaggingnoise.

Irolledmyeyes.

“That’sRoger.”

“Nicetomeetyou,”

Jamessaid,stickinghishand

outtowardRoger.

Rogerfoldedhisarms

infrontofhischestand

staredatJames.James

seemedabituncomfortable

bytheglare,soheturnedhis

attentionbacktome.There

wasnoreasonorRogertoact

soimmature.

“I’msorryifI

botheredyou,”Jamesadded.

“I’mjusttryingto

figureoutwhathappened,”I

said.“Idon’tknowhowIgot

tothecemetery.”

“Oh,that’snotgood,”

Jamessaid.

“Iwouldn’thavegone

thereonmyown,”Isaid.“I

definitelywouldn’thave

talkedwiththedarkshadow.”

Jamesshruggedhis

slendershoulders.“Iknow

whatIsaw.”

“Doyouknow

anythingaboutthisdark

shadow?”Iasked.

Heshookhishead.

“Ohno,Iwouldn’twant

anythingtodowithit.”

Thatwas

understandable.Ididn’twant

tobeinvolvedwithiteither.

WhatwouldIdoyouwith

anotherghost?Itwashard

keepingupwhenitgotto

overtwo.

“Idon’tknowabout

this,”Rogersaidasheeyed

Jamesupanddown.

“Whatistheproblem,

youngman?”Jamesuseda

sternvoice.

Rogerstormedaway

withoutanswering.

“He’smoody,”Isaid.

Jamesnodded.“Ican

seethat.”

IgotthefeelingRoger

didn’tlikeanotherghost

comingaround.

“Canyoutakeme

backtotheplacewhereyou

foundmelastnight?”Iasked.

“Isthatagoodidea,

Larue?”Marilynasked.

“It’llbeokay.”I

wavedmyhand.

“IsupposeIcould

takeyoutothehouse.When

wouldyouliketogo?”he

asked.

“RightafterIclose

theshopthisevening,”Isaid.

Henodded.“Okay,

it’sadate.”

I’dneverseenthis

cemeterybeforeandIhadno

ideawherethishousewas.I

thoughtIknewaboutallthe

placeslikethataroundhere.I

couldn’twaittogetalookat

it.Ihopedwecouldmakeit

beforeitwasdark.

Thebellabovethe

doorannouncedthatsomeone

hadentered.WhenIturned

around,IsawCallahan

walkingtowardme.Histan

cargopantsandnavybluet-

shirthuggedhismuscular

bodyinalltherightplaces.

Hislipsslippedintoa

charminggrin.

“Talkingto

someone?”heasked.

IglancedatJames.I

didn’tthinkitwasagood

ideatotellCallahanabout

thisghostjustyet.

“Notrightnow,”I

said.

Jamesstaredat

Callahan.Icouldn’tgaugehis

thoughts.

“Oh,thisguyagain,”

Rogersaid.

Callahanleanedin

andkissedme.Hesearched

myeyesandIknewhewas

suspiciousthatsomething

wasgoingon.WhatwouldI

tellhimwhenheaskedme

thequestion?

Hetookmyhands

intohis.“Haveyoubeen

avoidingme?”

Itriedtoactinnocent,

likeIhadnoideawhathe

meant.“Avoidingyou?Why

wouldIdothat?”Iasked.

“Youmissedlunch

andthenIdidn’ttalktoyou

lastnight.Ifeellike

somethingisgoingon.”He

touchedmycheek.

Ihatedthispart.I

couldn’tkeepthisup.Iwould

havetotellhimthetruth.

“Oh,lookathissad

eyes.Youcan’tkeepasecret

fromhimanylonger,”

Marilynsaid.

Ididn’tneedtobe

remindedofhissadeyes

becauseIwaslookinginto

themrightnow.

“IguessIhavebeen

workingtoohard,”Ioffered.

Thatwasn’talie.

Callahanwasreadytosay

somethingwhenthedark

shadowappearedoutof

nowhereandrushedhim,just

likeinthecoffeeshop.He

felltotheground.Marilyn

screamed.Theshadowhad

attackedandthen

disappeared.

“Wherediditcome

from?”Rogerasked.

Iranovertomy

boyfriend.“Callahan,areyou

okay?”

Hewascompletely

outofitwhenIgazedintohis

eyes.Hehadthatsameblank

stare.Ishookhimandhe

finallysawme.

“Oh,thankgoodness

he’sawake,”Marilynsaid.

Callahansatup.

Ihopedthethinghad

gone.Itseemedtoswoop

throughquicklyandbackout

thedoor.Itwasasifitsimply

wantedtoletmeknowitwas

stillaround.Ihadnever

doubtedthatmuch.For

severalsecondsinitswake,

I’dsmelledthestenchof

rottenleavesandmusky

earth.

Callahanrubbedhis

head.“Whatwasthat?”

IguessIhadtotell

himnow.

Isighedandthensaid,

“Itwasadarkshadowspirit.”

“Whatisthat?”

Callahanasked.

“It’sanot-so-nice

spirit,”Isaid.

Callahanpushedtohis

feet.Itwastoughtoseeabig,

strongguylikehimbe

attackedbythisthing.“What

wasitdoinghere?”

Hisguesswasasgood

asmine.

Outoffrustration,I

huffedalongbreath,which

movedthebangsonmy

forehead.“Ireallydon’t

know.”

“Doesthathappen

often?”Callahanasked.

Ishookmyhead.“No,

notreally.”

Hiseyebrows

furrowed.“I’mworriedabout

you,Larue.Howcanyouget

ridofthisthing?”

“ThatiswhatIhave

tofindout.”Itriedtohidethe

concernonmyface,butI

knewitwasn’tworking.

Hetouchedmyarm.

“Idon’twanttoleaveyou

hereifitiscomingback.”

“Youhaveto,”Isaid.

“I’llbefine.Ithinkitonly

wantstoattackpeoplewho

arearoundme.”

Callahanstudiedmy

face.“Whatdoesthatmean?”

Ishrugged.“It’s

playinggames.”

Hewatchedmefora

momentlonger.

Iforcedasmileonmy

face.“Iwillbefine,I

promise.”

Theconcernin

Callahan’seyesdeepened.“I

reallydon’tthinkIshould

leave.”

“Youhaveto,”Isaid

inamoresternvoicethis

time.

Hefinallynodded.

“Okay,butbereadytonight.

Wearegoingout.Youneed

sometimetorelax.”

Inodded.“That

soundslovely.”

EventhoughI’d

agreed,itwouldhavetobe

afterJamestookmetothe

cemetery.Callahan

reluctantlyleftandIfinished

upworkingfortheday.

Iclosedupandthen

askedJames.“Areyou

ready?”

Heheadedtowardthe

door.“Yes,areyoudriving?”

“Well,Icertainly

don’twantanyofyouallto

drive,”IsaidasIgrabbedmy

bag.

Afterlockingthe

door,Iclimbedintomycar.

IfIpickedupanymore

ghostswantingtotagalongI

wouldneedaminivan.

Marilynsatupfrontand

Jamessatinthebackwith

Roger.Ofcourse,Roger

wasn’thappywiththis

arrangement.Mycar,my

rules.

Ipulledoutontothe

street.“WhereamIgoing?”

“Turnleftatthelight

andheadoutoftown,”James

saidashepointed.

“Howfaristhis?”I

asked.

Suddenly,Istartedto

worryalittle.WasJames

reallywhohesaidhewas?It

wasoddhehadjustshownup

likethat.Therewasonlyone

waytofindout.

Chapter12

Iinchedthecardown

thegravelroad.Ihadnoidea

thisareawasevenbackhere.

Wehaddrivenaboutten

milesoutsideoftownand

nowwewereoutinthe

country.Talloaktreeslined

thelaneandanoldgraveyard

wassettotheright.Ipulled

thecarovertothesideofthe

roadandshoveditintopark.I

doubtedIhadtoworryabout

anyothercarscomingalong.

Ibetnoonehardlyevercame

outhere.Thatwasascary

thought…beingsoisolated.I

turnedofftheignitionand

glancedintherear-view

mirror.

Theghostshad

alreadygottenoutofthecar.

Somuchforwaitingforme.I

climbedoutandwalkedover

tothegraveyard’sentrance.I

wascarefulwhenIwentto

cemeteriesbecauseIknew

howeasilyIcouldpickupa

spirit.ThatwaswhyIknewI

wasn’tvoluntarilyatthis

placelastnight.Notto

mentionIwouldhave

rememberedcominghere.I

stillcouldn’texplainwhat

hadhappenedthoughandthat

wastroubling.

“Thisplaceis

hauntinglybeautiful,”

Marilynsaid.

Thestonesdatedback

totheeighteenhundreds.

Oak,magnolia,andweeping

willowtreesshadedthearea.

Birdschirpinghighabovein

thebrancheswastheonly

noise,exceptforthe

occasionaltreebranch

rustlinginthewind.Ilooked

aroundtoseeiftherewere

remnantsofanoldchurchor

ifthiswasafamilycemetery.

Jamesshouldbeable

totellmethisinformation.I

steppedintotheburial

ground.Thelastraysof

sunshinestreakedthroughthe

trees.Ihadtohurrybecauseit

wouldbedarksoon.When

darknessfell,itopenedthe

veiltotheothersideand

madeiteasierforthingsto

reachme.

“James,isthisa

familygraveyard?”Iasked.

Hemotionedacross

theway.“Thereusedtobea

churchthere.Itburneddown

manyyearsago.Allthat’s

leftnowarethegraves.”He

peeredaroundasiflostin

thought.

“Canwegetoutof

herenow?”Rogerasked.

“Whydon’tyouwait

inthecar,”Ioffered.

Hescoffed,but

remainedbymyside.

Iwalkedthroughthe

plotsuntilIcametotheother

sideoftheyard.Thatwas

whenIspottedtheoldhouse

inthedistance.Itwastheone

frommydream.

“Thereitis,”James

said.“That’sthehousewhere

youwerelastnight.”

“Itappearstobe

abandoned,”Marilynsaid.

Pushingmynervesto

thebackofmymind,Istarted

towardtheoldhouse.Ididn’t

knowwhatIwouldfindonce

Igotthere,butIhadtocheck

itout.Ireachedthebuilding

andcranedmyneckupatit

toweringoverme.Theplace

hadaporchthatwrappedall

thewayaroundthefront.

“Areyougoing

inside?”Rogerasked.

“Well,IhavetoifI

wanttolookforany

answers,”Isaid.

Iinchedupontothe

porch,carefulofmystep.It

seemedasifsomeofthe

boardscouldgivewayatany

time.Ipushedontheold

frontdoorjustasIhadinmy

dream.ThiswaslikeDéjàvu.

IhopedIdidn’thavethe

shadowattackingmeagain.

Ofcourse,mynerveswereon

edgejustthinkingaboutit.

RogerandMarilynfollowed

meintothehouse.

Jamespacedacross

thefrontyard.“I’llstayout

here.”

Whatwasheafraid

of?Iftheshadowwasinthis

placelastnightthentherehad

tobeaconnection.But,what

wasit?Didtheshadowwant

meinthishouse?Maybethat

waswhyhehadsentJamesto

me?Now,Iwasbeginningto

havemysuspicionsabout

James.Demonscouldtakeon

otherforms.Maybeithad

takenontheformofasweet,

littleoldmantofoolme.

Plus,therewasthefedora.I

steppedfurtherintothehouse

andspottedtheroomIhad

enteredlastnight.Atleastit

wasstilllightout.

Ididn’tthinkIwas

braveenoughtocomeinhere

inthedark.Iwouldhaveto

findoutwhatJamesknew

aboutthishouse.Whatwas

thereasonhedidn’twantto

comeinside?Ifhewasthe

demonthenhewouldn’thave

anyproblemcominginside.

Infact,itwouldgivehimthe

perfectchancetoattackme

again.Ithoughtitwasmore

likelythatthedemonhad

recruitedJamestobringme

here.MaybeJamesdidn’t

evenrealizewhatwas

happening.

“There’snothinghere,

howmuchlongerareyou

goingtostay?”Roger’svoice

wasfullofanxiety.

“Stopbeingso

impatient,”Isaid.

Justthen,Ispotted

somethingmoveoutofthe

cornerofmyeye.

“Didyouseethat?”

Marilynasked.

Herawarenesswas

highlysensitive.Sheusually

sawthingslongbeforeIdid.

“Ididseeit,”Isaidas

Imovedovertowardthe

othersideoftheroom.

Itlookedasifithad

disappearedrightoutthe

wall.Itseemedalittle

differentthantheshadowthat

hadbeenattackingme,

though.Ithadtakenona

differentshape.Almostasif

itwasintheformofaperson,

butdifferentfromthemale

withthehat.Theotherwas

moreofamistyform.I

walkedovertothewindowto

seeifIspottedtheshadow.

WhenIlookedoutbythetree

line,Icaughtsightofnotonly

thatshadow,butseveral

others.

Igasped.“Therearea

bunchofthem.”

Thiswasmakingme

verynervous.Ididn’twantto

besooutnumberedbythem.I

wouldn’tbeabletofight

themoff.Theywouldalsotry

totakemyenergyandI

didn’thavethatmuchto

spare.

“Ithinkit’stimefor

metogetoutofhere,”Isaid.

“Well,it’sabouttime.

Ithoughtyou’dneversay

that,”Rogermotionedforus

toleave.

AsIwasreadytoturn

toleave,theshadows

disappeared.Itwasasifthey

hadneverbeenthere.

“Wheredidtheygo

to?”Marilynasked.

“I’mnotsure,butI

thinkIshouldgetoutofhere

beforetheycomeback.”I

turnedandrushedtowardthe

door.

Iwantedtocheckout

therestofthehouse,butit

wastoorisky.Flashbacksof

lastnightcamerushingtomy

mind.Icouldn’tshakethe

imageofthatshadow

attackingmeandhavingme

pinedtothefloor.Noise

soundedfrombehindme,but

Iwastooafraidtoturn

aroundandlook.Thank

goodnessIgotoutofthere

withoutanythingattacking

me.

Thesunhadsetwhile

Iwasinside.Shadesofnavy

bluestreakedacrossthepink

sky.Thecarcameintosight

asIrushedawayfromtheold

house.Ihadtohurrybefore

darkcompletelyconsumed

myview.Halfwaythrough

waswhentheghosts

appearedaroundus.Ididn’t

knowwhotheywere.There

werewomenandmen.The

spiritsofthepeopleburied

there?ForamomentIwas

frozen.Thereweresomany

ofthem.Ifeltoverwhelmed

andIknewifIdidn’tgetout

oftheresoon,theywould

takeeveryounceofmy

energy.Iwasn’tsureIcould

recoverfromthat.Irushed

forwardanddidn’tlookat

them.WhenIlookedback,

theyhaddisappeared.

Imadeitthroughthe

graveyardagainwithout

seeingthespiritsagain.Iwas

alsogladthatnootherghosts

hadattachedtomeonthis

trip.Oncebackinthecar,I

turnedaroundandheadedfor

home.

“Whathappenedback

there?”Jamesaskedaswe

drovehome.

Maybethiswasmy

chancetofindoutjusthow

muchheknewaboutthis

spirit.

“Isawothershadows

inthehouse,”Isaid.

“Really,”Jamessaid,

soundingsurprised.“There

wasmorethanone?”

Ifocusedmyattention

onthecurvesoftheroad.

“Yes,several.Theydidn’t

attackmeliketheotherone,

though.”

“That’sgoodnews,”

hesaid.

“Exactlyhowmuch

doyouknowaboutthis

spirit?”Iasked.

“Whatdoyoumean?”

Jamesasked.

Iglancedinthe

mirror.“Iwashopingyou

couldshedsomelightonthis

forme.Sinceyousawthe

shadowandall.”

“Isawit,butIdon’t

knowanythingaboutit,”he

saiddefensively.

WhenIpulledupto

myhouse,IsawCallahan’s

carinthedriveway.Iwould

havetoquestionJamesmore

later.WhatwouldIsayto

Callahan?Hewasstanding

onmyfrontporchwaitingfor

me.

Isteppedoutfrom

behindthewheel.

Callahansmiledand

heldupabag.“Ibrought

dinner.”

“Idon’tthinkhe’s

goingtoletyougetawayso

easily,”Marilynsaid.

Well,Ididn’twantto

getaway.Imerelywantedto

keepthedarkspiritaway

fromhim.Therewasabig

difference.

Isteppedupontothe

porch.“Youshouldn’thave.”

“Shereallymeans

that,”Rogersaid.

Callahanleaneddown

andkissedme.Hissoftlips

mademybodytingle.“You

needtoeat.”

“Whatdidyou

bring?”IaskedasIopened

thedoor.

“Chinese.Ihope

that’sokay.”Heheldupthe

bags.

“Soundsperfect.”

Callahanwalked

aheadofmetowardthe

diningroomtable.“Youtake

aseatandIwilldo

everything.”

“Howgreatis

Callahan?”Marilynasked.

“He’sapeach,”Roger

saidsarcasticallyunderhis

breath.

Itwasalwayshardto

beromanticwithghosts

hangingaround.Ihopedthey

wouldtakeahintandgiveus

someprivacy.Isatatthe

tableandwatchedCallahan

gatherplatesandutensils

fromthekitchen.Hesmiled

ashesetthetableandtook

thefoodoutofthebags.

“Nowforsomething

todrink.Ibroughtyour

favorite.”Hepulledthesoda

outofthebag.

Ilaughed.“You

thoughtofeverything.”

Hetookacandleout

fromanotherbagandthen

matches.“Yes,Idid,”hesaid

withawink.

Aftersettingthetable

andpouringthedrink,

Callahansatnexttome.I’d

missedhavingthistimewith

him.CallahanandIhadalot

incommon.Themainthing

wasthatwehadbothleft

nine-to-fivejobstopursue

ourdreams.Itwasasiffate

hadbroughtustogether.

Maybethatwasjustme

romanticizingthingsthough.

HowelsecouldIexplainmy

goodfortuneofhaving

Callahanopenhiscoffeeshop

rightnexttomyplace?

“Youdidn’thaveto

doallthis.”Ipickedupmy

glass.

“Iwantedto,”

Callahansaid.

Iglancedovermy

shoulderandspottedMarilyn

motioningforJamesand

Rogertofollowher.They

walkedlikezombiesbehind

herasshesashayedoutofthe

room.Sheknewweneeded

alonetime.Howeasilyshe

couldgetthementofollow

her.

Somehow,Imanaged

toavoidthetopicofghosts

andevilspiritsthrough

dinner.IknewIwouldn’tbe

abletogetaroundthesubject

forever,though.We’dhada

relaxingdinnerandchatted

aboutthefutureandthings

we’dplanned.Ihopedthese

thingswouldcometrue,but

sinceI’dbeenonguardfor

thedarkshadow’snext

appearance,Iknewourfuture

wasinjeopardy.

Afterdinner,Callahan

andIsnuggleduptogetheron

thesofa.Callahanturnedto

mewithdesireinhiseyes.He

leanedcloserandpressedhis

lipsagainstmine.Myeyelids

flutteredshutandIgaveinto

thepleasureofCallahan’s

kiss.Hismouthwasfirmand

strong,butthekisswasgentle

andpassionate.Callahan

madehiswaytomyneck.His

lipsglidedovermyskin,and

thenhemoveduptomyear.

Henippedlightlyatmy

earlobe,makingmeshudder.

Iwassavoringthesubtle

variationsofhispassion

whenmypleasurewas

interruptedbythesensation

thatwewerebeingwatched.

Thistimeitdidn’tfeelasif

thedarkshadowwasthere.I

glancedovermyshoulderand

spottedRogerwatchingus.

Hegrinnedand

chuckled.“Makingout,I

see.”

“Getoutofhere,”I

demanded.

Rogerchuckledand

thenwalkedaway.Whata

waytokillthevibe.

“Sorryaboutthat.The

ghostwaswatching.”

Callahangrimaced.“I

guesshewascurious.”

IlayinCallahan’s

arms,tryingtotellmyself

everythingwouldbeokay.

ThenextthingIknew,

darknesssurroundedme.It

wasanotherdream.Iwasstill

onthesofa,butwhenI

lookedover,thedarkshadow

wasattackingCallahan.I

screamedatthething,butit

didn’tstop.Ireachedover

andtriedtograbthething,

butIwasunsuccessful.

“Getoffhim,”I

yelled.

Callahanpushedand

shoveduntiltheshadow

brokeaway.Thethingflew

outthewindow,butIknewit

wouldbeback.Iwokeup

withagasp.WhenIglanced

atCallahan,hewasstill

sleeping.

Ishookhim.“Areyou

okay?”

Heturnedtome,

dazedatfirst.“I’mfine.”He

rubbedhishead.“What’s

wrong?”

Ipeeredaroundfor

thedarkshadow.“IguessI

wasdreaming.”

Atleasthehadn’t

reallybeenattacked.Ithad

beenadream.Icouldn’ttell

whatwasrealoradream.

Thisthingwasplaying

seriousmindgameswithme

andithadgoneonlong

enough.Therehadtobea

waytostopit.

Callahanstretched

andyawned.“Wemusthave

fallenasleep.”

Marilyn,Roger,and

Jameswerenowhereinsight.

Itwasunusuallyquietinthe

housewithouttheghost

chatter.Whatweretheyup

to?

Sunlightfloodedthe

roomandIrealizedwe’d

sleptclearthroughtothe

morning.Imassagedmyneck

totrytogetthecrickout.

Callahanjumpedup.

“I’mgoingtobelatetoopen

theshop.”

I’dtotallyforgotten

aboutthetime.

Heshovedhisfeet

intohisshoesandthenkissed

meonthelips.“I’llseeyou

later,okay?”

Iwasstillinabitofa

dazefromthedreamas

Callahanracedtowardthe

door.Somethingmademe

uneasyabouthimleaving,but

Iwroteitoffastheafter

effectsofmydream.Ithad

seemedsorealandIfiguredI

wasonlyworriedbecauseof

that.

Callahankissedme

againandthenracedoutthe

door.Iwatchedhimdriveoff

downthestreet,butthe

anxietyremained.Whilethe

ghostsweren’taround,I

decidedtocheckthedrawer

forthehatthatI’dhidden

fromMindy.Jamesstillwore

hishat,sowastheoneI

foundtheevilentity’s?I

pulledopenthedrawer.The

fedorawasgone.

“Goodmorning,”

Jamessaidfromovermy

shoulder.

Iwhippedaroundand

sawthattheghostswereall

standinginthelivingroom

behindme.

“Ithoughtmaybeyou

allhadleftforgood,”Isaid

asIhurriedtowardmy

bedroom.

Rogersnorted.“You

wish.”

“Shedoesn’twantus

toleave,doyou,Larue?”

Marilynsaid.

Ididn’tknowhowto

answerthatonesoI

pretendedIhadn’theardher.

Afterdressinginmyfavorite

jeansandT-shirt,Ihurriedto

mycar.Yes,I’dgivenupon

thewholeglamorousthing

thismorning.Mysteriously,

thebruisesonmyneckhad

alreadydisappeared.There

hadbeennotimetoselecta

fashionableoutfitorworry

withabunchofmakeup.Lip

glossandmascarawould

havetodo.IfiguredI’dstop

bythecoffeeshopfor

breakfast.

Ijustwantedtomake

sureCallahanwasokay.

“Youguysleadan

excitinglife,”Rogersaid

fromthebackseatasIdrove

towardtown.

“Whatdoesthat

mean?”Iasked.

“Youfellasleepon

thecouch.”

“Yeah,well,wewere

tired,”Isaid.

Callahan’scarwas

parkedinfrontwhenI

arrived.AtleastIknewhe’d

madeittowork.Iparked

behindhimandheaded

towardtheshop.Theplace

waspackedandCallahanwas

behindthecounter,soI

decidednottobotherhim.I

couldskipbreakfastaslong

asIknewhewasokay.

Chapter13

Iunlockedthedoor,

turnedonthelights,and

flippedthesigntoOPEN.At

leastbeingintheshopmade

mefeelbetter,althoughI

wasn’tsafeanywherefrom

thisdarkshadow.OnceI

settledintoworkthatwould

helptakemymindoffthings.

WhenIhadtime,Iwould

lookintofindingoutmore

abouttheoldhousefrommy

dream.Plus,Ineededtofind

thepreviousoccupantsof

Elisa’shouse.

AsIrearrangeda

displayofthelatestfiction

titles,Stonepoppedintomy

mind.Iwonderedwhathad

happenedtohim.Iwishedhe

wouldhavetoldmemore

aboutspeakingtospirits.Had

somethingterribleoccurred

thatmadehimneverwantto

speakofitagain?Ifthatwas

thecase,thenIcould

understandwhyhewouldn’t

wanttotalkaboutit.

Igrabbedastackof

paperbacksandbeganplacing

themontheshelf.Iwasina

zoneasIstraightenedthe

volumes.I’dalwaysfound

thispartofmyjobsoothing.

Ahandwrappedaroundmy

shoulderandItossedthe

booksintotheairasIspun

around.Mindyscreamedand

thenMarilynfollowedwith

thesamescreech.Iwaspretty

sureMarilyndidn’teven

knowwhyshewas

screaming.Icouldn’tbelieve

thatIhadn’theardthebell

jinglewhenMindyhad

openedthedoor.SometimesI

slippedintoatrancewhile

working,butneverthatbad.

Iclutchedmychest.

“Whatareyoudoing?”

Mindyblewouta

deepbreath.“Wow.Youare

onedge.”

Darkcircleslined

underMindy’seyesasifshe

hadn’tsleptawink.

Ipickedthebooksup

fromthefloor.“Areyou

okay?”

“Whydoyouask?”

Sheforcedasmile.

Iwasn’tsureifI

shouldtellherwhyIasked,

butwewerebestfriendsandI

wouldwanthertosharewhat

sheknewwithme.ExceptI

wasn’ttellinghereverything.

Ihadn’tdivulgedthenews

thatIhadbeenavoidingher

becauseoftheevilspirit.

“Youjustlookalittle

tired,”Ioffered.

Mindyshrugged.“I

guessIdidn’tsleepwell.”

Afteralltheseyears,I

knewMindywasn’tbeing

completelyhonestwithme.I

guesswewerebothhiding

things.

Sheheldupabagof

doughnuts.“Ibroughtyour

favorite.”

Blueberrydoughnuts

fromDad’sBakeryweremy

absoluteweakness.Theglaze

thattrickleddownthesidesof

themelt-in-your-mouthcake

mademytastebudsdance.A

burstofblueberryfilledmy

mouthwitheverybite.

Callahanknewhispastries

couldn’tcompetewithmy

loveforthedoughnuts.

Itriednottostareat

thebag.“Youshouldn’t

have.”

“Idon’tcareifyou’ve

hadbreakfastalready,you

cantreatyourselfandthen

cometoclasstonight.”

“Iknewtherewasa

reasonyoubroughtthe

doughnuts,”IsaidasImoved

overtotheregister.

Mindywas

determinedtokeepmein

tiptopshape.

“Youknowyouwant

one.”Sherattledthebag.

“Mindy,Ihavetwo

leftfeet.”

Shegrimaced.

“Actually,Ithinksayingyou

havetwoleftfeetwouldbea

compliment.You’reeven

worsethanthat.”

“Thanks,”Isaiddrily.

Rogerlaughed.“You

dosuck.”

Igrabbedadoughnut

fromthebag.“Afterthe

insults,Ineedthis.”Itooka

bite.

Mindynibbledona

doughnutandthenasked,

“So,wherehaveyoubeen?”

Iquirkedaneyebrow,

tryingtoplayinnocent.

“Whatdoyoumean?I’ve

beenhere.”

“You’vebeen

avoidingmycalls.Iknow

you,Larue,andIknow

somethingiswrong.”

“Youshouldjusttell

herthetruth,”Marilynsaid.

“Trustme,youwillregretnot

doingit.”

“IguessI’vebeen

dealingwithalotofghost

issues,”Ioffered.

Ihadavoidedbeing

completelyhonestforthe

timebeing,butIwasn’tsure

howlongthatwouldlast.

“Whataretheghost

issues?”sheaskedasshebit

offabiggerpieceofthe

doughnut.

Iglancedoverat

Jameswho’dbeenstaring.“I

haveanewghost.”

Mindycasually

glancedaroundthestore.

“Anotherone,huh?Where

didthisonecomefrom?”

Ipaused,tryingto

figureouttheanswertoher

question.“I’mnotsure.”

Jamesmovedcloser.

“Whatdoyoumeanyou’re

notsure?Itoldyouwhere

I’mfrom.”

“Youhaven’tgiven

mealotofdetails,James,”I

said.

Mindylookedinthe

directionwhereIwastalking.

“HisnameisJames?”

Ishrugged.“That’s

aboutallIknowabouthim.”

Jamescrossedhis

armsinfrontofhischest.“If

youwanttoknowmore,

Larue,Iwouldbehappyto

giveyoutheinformation.”

“Yes,laterwouldbe

nice,”Isaid.“Hesayshe’ll

tellmeadditionalinformation

abouthimself.”

Shenoddedand

flashedahalfsmileinhis

direction.

Jameswinked.“Pretty

girl.”

“Hethinksyou’re

pretty.”Iwiggledmy

eyebrows.

Mindytwirledtheend

ofherponytailaroundher

indexfingerandgiggled.

“Thanks.”

Iwavedmyhand.

“Enoughaboutmethough,

youseemstressed.”

Shelookeddownand

pickedatthedoughnut

crumbs.“I’mfine.”

Iknewshefeltmy

stare.BeforeIhadachance

toaskhermorequestions,the

bellchimedannouncinga

customer.Icouldn’tbelieve

I’dbeensozonedoutbefore

thatIhadn’theardMindy

comein.

Atleastthistime,I

hadarealcustomer.The

youngwomanworealong,

blackdressthatreachedto

heranklesandblacksandals.

Herdarkhairwasupina

ponytail.Sheseemedasifshe

wasaboutRoger’sage,

maybeseventeen.

Sheglancedourway,

andIsaid,“Welcometo

BookNook.Pleaseletme

knowifyouneedhelp.”

Shestaredatmefor

severalsecondswithherbig,

blackeyeliner-rimmedbrown

eyes.Finally,shegaveahalf-

heartedsmileandthen

headedtowardthenon-fiction

section.MindyandI

exchangedalook.

“Weird,”Mindy

mouthed.

Yes,theyoung

womanhadeyeballedus

oddly,butmaybeshethought

wewerestrange,too.Mindy

andIwatchedherasshe

moveddowntheaisle,

perusingthebooks.Shedid

seemtoputoffanoddvibe,

butIwasonedgeandright

now,Imightthinkeveryone

gaveoffanoddvibe.

“Maybeyoushould

gooverandaskifsheneeds

help.Thatwayyoucanfind

outwhatmightbecausing

thatspookyfeeling,”Marilyn

said,asisshewasreadingmy

mind.

Goodidea.Afterall,it

wasmyjobtohelpmy

customers.Ineverwantedto

actasifIwashoveringover

them,though.Peoplewanted

achancetoperusethetitles

withoutaworkerbothering

themeveryfewseconds.

Imovedaroundthe

counterandovertoher.“Are

youfindingeverything

okay?”

Shestaredatthe

booksforamomentwithout

answering.Finally,sheeyed

meupanddownandthen

said,“I’mlookingforany

booksyouhaveon

witchcraft.”

Aftermyhistorywith

thewitchcraft,justtheword

mademepause.I’dbeen

askedtobetheleaderofthe

localcoven,buthadturned

downtheoffer.I’dfoundout

throughaflukethatIwas

actuallykindofgoodwith

spells.Thatdidn’tmakeme

qualifiedenoughforthe

leaderposition,though.

Thegirlglancedover

atmeandIknewIhadto

answersoon.

“Whatkindof

witchcraftbookareyou

lookingfor?”

“Um,Iwant

somethingthatcanhelpme

reversenegativespells.”She

avertedhereyes.

I’dgottenalotof

practicewithspellsrecently.

I’dalsohadmyfairshareof

badonesdirectedatme.I

knewshe’dthinkIwas

meddlingifIaskedtoomany

questions,soIhadtotryto

remaincasual.

Iscannedtheshelf

andpulleddownahardback.

“Thisonewouldprobablybe

agoodplacetostart.”

Shetookitfromme

andimmediatelyopenedit.

Whatkindofnegativeenergy

wasshetryingtogetridof?

Imotioned.“Iknow

ofsomeothersIcouldorder

foryouandtheywouldbe

herewithinafewdays.”

Sheleafedthroughthe

pagesforabitandthen

clutchedthebooktoher

chest.“Yeah,howmany

otherscanyouget?”

“Well,Icanthinkof

aboutthreeoffhand.”The

mentionofspellbookswas

bringingbacksomepainful

memoriesofthewitchwho

hadownedtheshopacross

thestreet.Thankgoodness,

shewasnolongerinmylife.

“Okay,I’lltakethose,

too.”Sheadjustedthetote

bagstraponhershoulderand

thenstartedgazingatthe

othertitlesontheshelves.

“I’llgoorderthosefor

you.”Igesturedovermy

shoulder.

Shenodded,but

didn’tlookatme.Iheaded

backovertowhereMindy

stood.Ofcourse,Mindyand

theghostshadbeenwatching

thewholeexchange.

WhenIsteppedup,

Mindywhispered,“What

happened?”

Ileanedcloseso

Mindycouldhearme.“I’m

orderingmorewitchcraft

booksforher.Idon’tknow

whysheneedssomany.With

thehistoryhereinMagnolia,

thatmakesmenervous.”

Mindylethergaze

wanderovertothegirl.“I

thinkshe’suptosomething.”

Itappedonmy

keyboard,findingthetitlesI

thoughtshe’dlike.Theghosts

stoodspeechlessasthey

watchedthissceneplayout.

Unknowingly,Mindywas

doingtheexactsamething

withhermouthhangingopen.

Whenthegirlturnedand

headedtowardtheregister,

theyalltriedtopretendthey

hadn’tbeenstaring.Of

course,thegirlcouldonlysee

Mindy.

Whenshereachedthe

counter,Isaid,“Iorderedthe

booksforyou.”

“Thisonewilldofor

now.”Sheplacedthe

hardbackshewaspurchasing

ontothecounter.“Howmuch

doIoweyou?”

Iglancedatthe

screen.“That’llbetwenty

foursixtyfive.”

Shepulledthecredit

cardfromherpocketand

handedittome.Itookitand

rangupthepurchase.Of

courseImadesuretocheck

outthenameonthecard.

BethanyMcCarthy.I

wonderedifshewasnewin

town.

WhenIpulledouta

bagtoputthebookin,she

grabbeditfromthecounter.

“Idon’tneedthat.”

“Oh,okay,”Isaid,

stickingitbackunderthe

counter.“CanIcallyouwhen

thebooksarein?”

“I’llbebacktopick

themup.”Sheglaredatmeas

ifshedidn’twantmetoask

again.

Ihandedherthecredit

card.Withoutanotherword,

sheturnedandheadedforthe

door.Weallstoodinsilence

andwatchedherwalkout.I

wasn’tsurewhatitwasabout

her.Maybethestrangeaura?

Maybeitwasjusttheinterest

inthewitchcraftbooks.

“Comeon,let’ssee

whereshegoes.”Mindy

motionedassherushed

acrosstheroomtowardthe

frontwindow.

Ihurriedafterher,

weavingaroundanon-fiction

displaytableandarackof

paperbacks.Oncewereached

thewindow,MindyandI

pressedourfacesuptothe

glass.Ifeltkindofridiculous

spyingonacustomerlike

that,andIwassureIlooked

morethanalittleridiculous,

too.Thatwasn’tgoingtostop

mefromdoingit.

“Doyouseeher?”

Mindyaskedwithhernose

practicallytouchingtheglass.

Iwatchedinthe

directionwherethegirlhad

walked.“Idon’tseeher.She

mustmovereallyfast.Maybe

shewentinastore.”

“Howcanwefindout

whereshewent?”Mindy

asked.

“Idon’tknow,”Isaid

withmyfacestillpressed

againsttheglass.“Wait,I

thinkIseeher.”

Mindymovedcloser

towhereIstood.“Where?”

Ipointed.“Shewas

downthereattheendofthe

sidewalk.”

“Didshegointoa

shop?”Mindyasked.

“Ican’tbelieveyou

two,”Rogersaidfromover

myshoulder.

“Leavethemalone,”

Marilynwavedherhand.

“Iseeher,”Mindy

shouted.

Justthen,movement

caughtmyattention.Stone

wasgettingintohiscar

parkedneartheshop.He

staredrightatme,whichwas

embarrassingsinceIstillhad

myfacesmashedupagainst

theglass.Heprobably

alreadythoughtIwasweird,

nowhesawmedoingthis.

Mindydidn’tevenrealize

someonewaswatchingus.I

wantedtomotionforhimto

stopsoIcouldtalktohim,

buthewouldprobablyrunthe

otherdirection.

“Theresheisagain.

Shejustcameoutofthat

store,”Mindyyelledagain,

takingmyattentionaway

fromStone.

Theyoungwoman

disappearedaroundthe

corner.Hermovementsdidn’t

tellusmuch,shejustseemed

asifshewasenjoyingaday

ofshopping.Nothing

mysteriousaboutthat.I

lookedbackintheother

directionandspottedStone

pullingawayfromthecurb.

“Darnit,hegot

away,”Isaid.

“Don’tyoumean

she?”Mindyaskedasshe

quirkedaneyebrow.

“Nother.Him.”I

indicatedtowardhiscar.

Mindyfollowedmy

finger.“Who?”

“Stone,thepsychic.

Hewasstandingthere

watchinguslooklikefools.”

Isighed.“I’vebeenwanting

totalktohim.”

“So,youneedtotrack

downtwopeoplenow,”

Mindysaid.

Myshoulders

slumped.“Morethantwo.”

“Well,thewitchcraft

stuffwasprobablynothing

anyway,”Mindysaidwitha

flickofherwrist.

“Ihopeyou’reright.”

Imovedacrossthestorewith

myfriendbehindme.

Shepickedupher

purse.“Okay,Ihavetogo.

I’llseeyoutonight.”

NotifIcouldfinda

waytogetoutofit.

“Goodbye,ghosts.”

Mindywavedoverher

shoulder.

Iwouldn’tbeableto

forgetaboutthewitchcraft

stuff.Plus,Ihadthegirl’s

namefromthecreditcard.At

leastIthoughtitwasher

name.Technically,itwas

probablywrongformetotry

tofindherwiththeinfoIhad,

butwhatifIaccidentally

bumpedintoherintown?I

couldwaituntilshecame

backinforthebooks,but

maybeIdidn’thavethatlong

towait.ItwouldbebetterifI

searchedforherrightaway.

AssoonasIfinishedwith

worktoday,Iwouldtryto

trackherdown.

“Idon’tthinkIlike

what’sgoingonaround

here.”Jamesscowled.

Whatwasthat

supposedtomean?

Chapter14

Mypart-time

employeeGinahadagreedto

workthestoreforawhilesoI

couldrunerrands.Sheliked

togetallthehoursshecould

whenshewasn’tinschool.

ThefirstthingIwantedtodo

washitthecourthouseand

researchthenamesof

previousownersofElisa’s

house.Thecourthousewasa

shortdistancefromBook

Nooksotherewasnoneedto

drive.Withghostsoneach

sideofme,Imoveddownthe

sidewalktowardthelargeold

brickbuilding.Wouldn’tthe

peoplewalkinganddriving

aroundtownbeshockedif

theycouldseetheghosts?

EspeciallytoseeMarilyn

Monroe.

Afterreachingthe

courthouse,Iwenttothearea

whereIcouldfindtheland

deeds.Sinceitwassucha

smalltown,therewasnoone

elseintheroomwaitingtobe

helped.Thebrown-haired

womanbehindthecounter

peeredoverherglassesatme

whenIwalkedin.I

recognizedherfromcoming

intothebookstore,butI

couldn’trememberhername.

“Howareyou?”she

askedwithasmile.“CanI

helpyoufindsomething?”

Shelookedeagerto

help,butbytheexpressionon

herfaceIfiguredshecouldn’t

remembermynameeither.

Ourconversationcouldbe

awkwardifwedidn’tknow

whattocalleachother.

“Ineedtolookup

informationfor121Heritage

Street,”Isaid.

Shestudiedmyface

foramomentandthen

smiled.“Whatacoincidence.

Igrewupin122.”

“Oh,maybeshecan

giveyouinformation,”

Marilynsaidfromovermy

shoulder.

“It’sasmallworld,”I

said.

Shewenttothefiles

andpulledoutthe

informationIneeded.“I’ll

makecopiesofthisforyou.

Areyouplanningonbuying

thehome?”

“Actually,I’mjust

doingsuchresearchforthe

currentowners.”Itappedmy

fingersagainstthecounter

whileIwaited.

Shebroughtthepages

overtome.“Really?What

kindofresearch?”

“That’satricky

question,”Jamessaid.

Ijumpedalittle

becauseI’dmomentarily

forgottenabouttheghosts

standingbehindme.That

didn’thappenoften,but

occasionallyIdidforgetthey

werewithme.Luckily,I

didn’tthinkthewomanhad

seenmejump.“Well,my

researchisreallyonthe

previousowners.”

Shestaredfora

momentandthensaid,“I

rememberthewomanandher

sonwholivedthere.”

“Bingo,”Rogersaid.

ThiswaswhatIhad

hopedshewouldsay.Finally,

maybeIwouldgetgoodinfo.

“Theymusthave

madeanimpressionifshe

remembersthem,”Marilyn

said.

“Hernamewas

KatherineWatkins.Herson’s

namewasStone.”

Thebloodmusthave

drainedfrommyface.

Marilyngasped.

“Hey,that’sthat

dude’sname,”Rogersaid.

“Whatdude?”James

asked.

“Thepsychicdude

Laruejustmet,”Roger

answered.

Thenamescouldn’t

beacoincidence.Now,more

thanever,IhadtofindStone.

NowonderIhadseenhim

walkingaroundthathouse.

Whywasheback?He’dsaid

hewasfromNewYork.

“Thankyou,”Isaidas

Iclutchedthepapersand

hurriedforthedoor.

“You’rewelcome,”

shecalledoutasIrandown

thehall.

“Shemustthink

you’renuts,”Rogersaid.

“That’snothingnew.

HalfofMagnoliaprobably

thinksI’mbonkers,”Isaid.

“Howareyougoing

tofindhim?”Marilynasked.

“Idon’tknow,but

therehastobeaway,”Isaid

asIstormedoutofthe

courthouse.

AsIrusheddownthe

sidewalk,IspottedCallahan

headedmyway.Hewasn’t

lookingatme,soIdidn’t

thinkhehadseenmeyet.I

couldn’ttalktohimright

now.BesidesthefactthatI

hadtofindStone,Ialsofelt

thatintenseenergyaroundme

again.Iknewthedark

shadowwouldpopupsoon.

TherewasnowayIwantedto

putCallahanindangeragain.

Iduckedbehindthenearby

buildingandwaiteduntilhe

walkedby.

“That’snotverynice

toignorehimlikethat,”

Rogersaidinateasingtone.

“Oh,mindyourown

business,”Isaid.

Rogerheldhishands

up.“Touchy.Touchy.”

WhenIthought

Callahanwasgone,Ipeeked

outagain.ThatwaswhenI

spottedtheteenagegirlwith

thewitchcraftbook.Wow,

everyonewasshowingup.I

steppedoutfromthebuilding

soIcouldfollowher.With

anyluck,shewouldn’tnotice

me.IfsheknewIwastrailing

her,shewouldprobably

cancelherbookorder.

“Don’tlethersee

you,”Marilynwhispered,as

ifthegirlwouldhearher.

Itwouldbekindof

hardformetohidefromher

ifshehappenedtoturn

around.Nottomentionthe

girlwasalotfasterwalker

thanme.

Shecontinueddown

thesidewalkandpastthe

bookstore.Howfarwasshe

going?Maybeshewas

headedtothepark.What

wouldIdoifshestopped

there?IcouldactasifIwas

goingthere,too,andIjustby

chancehadrunintoher.That

wouldgivemeanopportunity

totalktoher.Iwantedtofind

outmoreaboutherinterestin

witchcraft.Apparently,she

feltasifsheneededtogetrid

ofanegativespell.Had

someoneplacedoneonher?I

wishedshewouldslowdown.

ItwasasifsheknewIwas

backthereandhadspedup

onpurpose.

Shehadn’tnoticed

me.Justthen,sheturnedto

theleftandheadedacrossthe

street.Whenshepractically

walkedoutinfrontofacar,

theyhadtoslowdown.I

lookedbothwaysandthen

headedacrossthestreetafter

her.Shetookoffrunningand

Ithoughtforsurenowshe

knewIhadbeenfollowing

her.Thiswouldn’tbegood

forbusiness.Stalking

customerswasprobablynot

thebestbusinessplan.Maybe

Ishouldn’thavefollowedher

atall.Icouldhavewaited

untilwhenthebooksshe’d

orderedhadcomein.Ifthat

hadn’tbeentoolate.

“Larue,watchout,”

Marilynyelled.

WhenIturnedtolook

ather,someonepushedme.I

landednexttothecurbin

frontofacar.Myfacewas

pressedagainstthepavement.

Apebblepokedmeinthe

cheek.Icouldn’tbelieveI’d

almostbeenhitbyacar.It

wasn’tthefirsttimeacarhad

comeoutofnowhereand

almostrunoverme.

“Thatwasaclose

one,”Jamessaid.

“Larue,areyou

okay?”Marilynleanedin

closetome.

“Whatthehellis

wrongwithyou,Larue?

Didn’tyouseethatcar?”

RogerscoldedmeasifIwas

theteenager.

Wherehaditcome

from?I’dcheckedbothways

tomakesuretherewereno

cars.Thecarpausedafter

narrowlymissingme,but

thenthedrivertookoff.The

personhadn’tevenstoppedto

makesureIwasokay.Icould

havebeenkilledforallthey

knew.Noothercarsseemed

tocarethatIwaslyingonmy

facenexttothecurbeither.

Couldn’tanyoneseeme?

Someonehadcared

enoughtohelpme,though.

Whohadpushedmeoutof

theway?Igazedup,stillina

bitofadazefromwhathad

happened.ThatwaswhenI

sawthefaceoftheperson

whohadsavedme.Iblinked,

tryingtomakesuremyeyes

weren’tdeceivingme.WasI

reallyseeingthisperson?Had

thisreallytakenplace?Stone

waskneelingnexttome.He

smelledgood,likeapplesand

vanilla.MaybeIwas

delirious.

“Areyouokay?”He

staredatmewithhishaunting

eyes.

Ifrowned,but

managedtonod.“I’mokay.”

“Here,letmehelpyou

up.”Hegraspedmyarmand

helpedmetomyfeet.

Iwipedoffmypants

andadjustedmyshirt.It

reallywasamiracleIhadn’t

beenhurt.

“Yousavedmylife,”I

said.

Hisfaceeased,the

tenseexpressiondisappearing

slightly.

“Heisabashfulone,

isn’the?”Marilynsaid.

“Iwasintheright

placeattherighttime,”he

said.

“Apparently,Iwasin

thewrongplaceatthewrong

time.”Ireleasedalong,tired

breath.SuddenlyIwas

exhausted.

“Ortherighttime,”

Jamesadded.

“Well,isthere

anythingIcandoforyou?Do

youneedaridesomewhere?”

Stoneasked.

“Now’syourchance,

Larue,”Marilynsaid.

Wasshetellingme

nottoscrewthischanceup?

Iattemptedtomake

eyecontact.“Asamatterof

fact,you’rethepersonI

wantedtosee.”

Hestaredatme,but

didn’tseemsurprisedatwhat

I’dsaid.

Whenhedidn’t

respond,Isaid,“Iwanttoask

youafewquestions.”

“Ifthishasanything

todowiththeotherdayand

whatIsaw…”Therewasan

edgeofhauntedsorrowinhis

voice.

Iheldmyhandupto

stophim.“It’snotthat.”

Well,notrightnow

anyway.I’dgetaroundto

askinghimmoreaboutthat

later.Iwasn’tevensurehow

toapproachthetopic.

“I’mresearchinga

houseandIwastoldyoumay

havelivedtherewithyour

motherwhenyouwerea

teenager.It’sthehouseon

HeritageStreet.”Istaredat

him,waitingforhisreaction.

Hisexpression

changedbacktothetense

versionI’dseenwhenI’dfirst

methim.“I’mafraidIdon’t

knowwhatyou’retalking

about.”

“Idon’tbelievehim

fortwoseconds,”Rogersaid.

“Larue,Ihaveto

agreewithRoger.Thismanis

notbeinghonest.”Marilyn

glaredatStone.

“Don’tbesoquickto

judge.Maybehe’stellingthe

truth,”Jamessaid.

“Ifyou’resureyou’re

okaynow…”Heglanced

overhisshoulderasifhe

couldn’twaittogetaway

fromme.

Ishowedhimthe

deed.“So,youdon’tknow

anythingaboutthehouse?”

Hewouldn’teven

lookatit.

“Here’sthenameon

thedeed.Thewomanatthe

courthousesaidthislady

livedthereandhersonwas

namedStone.That’snota

commonnameandIknowI

sawyouatthathouse

yesterday.Doyouwanttotell

mewhatisgoingon?”I

placedmyhandsonmyhips.

“That’sthewaytotell

him.”Marilyngestured

towardStone.

“Youprobablyjust

scaredhim,”Rogersaid.

“LikeIsaid,Idon’t

knowwhatyou’retalking

about.Anyway,doyouneed

help?Idon’twanttoleave

youhereifyou’rehurt.Are

yousureyou’reokay?”he

askedagain.

Ihatedtolie,butifit

wouldgethimtostickaround

longerI’dhavetogiveita

try.

“Actually,Imayhave

insuredmylegalittle.Do

youthinkyoucouldhelpme

acrossthestreettomy

bookstore?”Iflashedhimmy

bestsmile.

“That’sthewayto

workhim,”Marilynsaid.

“Useyoursexappeal.”

MarilynandRoger

stoodsomedistancebehind

me.Iftheyweren’tcareful,

Stonewouldhearthemand

thenhe’dknowwhatIwas

doing.

Rogerthrewhishands

up.“That’sterrible.Ican’t

believeyou’redoingthatto

thispoorschmuck.”

Stonepeeredaround

andthensaid,“Yeah,sureI

willhelpyou.”Hewrapped

hisarmaroundmyshoulders

andthencheckedbothways.

“Areyouready?Justtakeit

easyonthatleg.”

Igrinned.“Thank

you.”

“Makesuretouse

moreofawhisperinyour

voicewhenyoutalktohim,”

Marilynwhisperedinmyear.

Stoneloopedhisarm

throughmineandguidedme

crossthestreet.Luckily,this

timeweweren’talmostrun

downbyacar.

Hehelpedmestepup

ontothesidewalk.“Areyou

feelingokay?”

“He’ssocaring,”

Marilynsaid.

“I’msureitwillbe

okayonceIrest.”Irubbed

myleg.

“Don’tlethimofftoo

soon,”Marilynsaidasshe

wavedherhandthroughthe

air.

Iftheykepttalkingso

loudlyhewouldbesureto

hearthem.StoneandIhad

justreachedBookNook’s

doorwhenIfeltsomeone

watchingus.Iglancedtomy

rightandspottedCallahan.

Hewasstaringrightatus.Of

course,itdidn’thelpthat

Stonehadhisarmwrapped

aroundmyshouldersnow.

Surely,Callahanwould

understandwhenItoldhim

whathadhappened.It

appearedasifhewasn’t

goingtogivemeachanceto

explainrightnowthough.He

turnedandwalkedinthe

oppositeway.

“Itlookslikesomeone

isn’thappywithyou.”

Roger’stonewasfullof

mockinglaughter.

Rogerseemedhappy

aboutmypredicament.I

wouldhavetotalkwith

Callahanlaterandexplain

whathadhappened.Ifhe

thoughtIwasavoidinghim

andnowhesawmeinthe

armsoftheotherman,I

supposeIcouldseewherehe

wouldgetthewrongidea.

Stonepushedthedooropen

andhelpedmeinside.

Ginaspottedusand

rushedover.“Areyou

okay?”

“I’mokay,justhada

littlemishaponthe

sidewalk.”Igesturedovermy

shoulder.

“Acaralmosthither,”

Stonedadded.

Iwishedhehadleft

thatpartout.

Hereyeswidened.

“That’sterrible.CanIhelp

youtothestool?”

“That’sokay.Iknow

youneedtogethome.”I

wavedoffheroffer.

Itriedtogivehereye

contactsoshewouldgetthe

hint.

Shecaughton

quickly.“Ithinkthisstrong

guywouldprobablybeof

morehelp.I’llgrabmythings

andheadout.”

“Thankyou,Gina.”

“Noproblem,”she

saidoverhershoulder.

“Thestoolisright

overthere.”Ipointedand

smiledatStoneagain.

“Maybeyoushould

haveadoctorcheckyouout,”

hesaidasheguidedme

towardthecounter.

Hehelpedmeoverto

thestool.

“Thankyou,”Isaid.

“Youaresobad,

Larue,”Rogersaid.

“Goodwork.”

Marilynwinked.

Stoneregardedthe

ghosts.“Whatarethey

talkingabout?”

Iknewhewould

eventuallyhearthem.

Ilookedhimrightin

theeyes.“Ihavenoidea.”

Iwasprettysurehe

didn’tbelieveme.

“Bye,Larue.Youtoo,

handsomestranger.”Gina

smiledatStoneandwalked

outthedoor.

“Sorryagainabout

thatrecklessdriver.”Stone

glancedoverhisshoulder

towardthefrontoftheshop.

“Letthepoorman

leave,”Jamessaid.

Notwithoutasking

againIwouldn’t.

“It’sokay,Iwantto

helpher,”Stonesaid.

Stonehadnoidea

whatJameswasreallytalking

about.Theghostshadbetter

nottellhimeither.

IleanedforwardsoI

wasclosertoStone.Iwanted

himtolistentowhatIhadto

say.“Isenseyoudon’twant

totalkaboutthehouseandI

cansympathize,butIreally

needtoknowmore.It’sfor

thecurrentowners.Surely,

youwanttohelpsomeone

elseifyoucan.”

Heshookhishead.“I

wishIcouldhelpyou.”He

searchedmyeyesasifhe

wantedtosaymore.“Ihave

togo.”Heturnedaround,and

thenextthingIknew,hehad

walkedoutthedoor.

Isighed.“Thatdidn’t

gowell.”

“MaybeMarilyn

shouldhaveaskedhim,”

Rogersaid.

MaybeRogerwas

right.Marilynwouldhave

probablyhadbetterresults.

Chapter15

Afterclosingupthe

bookstore,Iimmediately

walkedtothecoffeeshop.Of

course,itwasclosed,butI

peeredinthewindowtoseeif

Callahanwasstillinside.The

lightswereoff,soIassumed

he’dgonefortheday.IfI’d

wantedtoavoidhim,Ihad

nowofficiallyfiguredoutthe

bestwaytodoit.He’dseen

mewithanothermanandI

wassureheassumedthe

worst.Ididn’twantittobe

thisway,though.

Iwouldhavetogoto

hishouse,althoughthat

openedupthechanceforthe

darkshadowtoattack

Callahanonhisownterritory,

whichwasevenworse.I

climbedintomycarwiththe

ghostsintow.I’djuststarted

theignitionwhenmycell

rang.Ididn’trecognizethe

number,butIpickedup

anyway.

“LarueDonavan,”I

said.

“IhopeIhavethe

rightnumber,”thewoman

said.“Areyoutheparanormal

investigator?”

“Yes,that’sme.”

Shesighed.“Oh,

good.Ineedyourhelp.My

nameisBonnieMcCarthy.”

WherehadIheard

thatnamerecently?

“What’sthe

problem?”Iasked.

“Thereisalotofstuff

goingoninmyhouse.Idon’t

knowwhattodoanymore.”

Hervoicewasfullofanxiety

andherfearcamethroughthe

phone.

“Icouldcomeby

tomorrow.Areyouintown?”

Iasked.

“No.Ineedhelpright

away.Couldn’tyoucomeany

sooner?”Shepleaded.

I’dreallyhopedtogo

byCallahan’splacenow,but

itsoundedasifBonniewas

desperate.

Ishiftedthephoneto

myotherear.“Yeah,Ican

comenow.Whereareyou?”

“Thankyousomuch.”

Aslightreliefsoundedinher

voice.

Shegavemethe

addressandIpointedthecar

inthatdirection.Itwasonly

aboutafiveminutedrive.

“What’sthe

problem?”Marilynasked.

Ipulledoutontothe

road.“Anotherghost

dilemma.”

“Ihopeyoudon’tpick

upanymore.There’sno

roomleftinthecar,”Roger

said.

Hewastellingme.

“I’lltrymybestnotto

attractanynewones,”Isaid.

“Irefusetorideinthe

trunk.”Frustrationlaced

Roger’svoice.

Ichuckled.“Idon’t

thinkthatwillbenecessary.”

Afterlocatingthe

house,Ipulledupinfrontand

shovedthecarintopark.It

wasatwo-story,redbrick,

newerhome.Ithadablack

frontdoorandsmallporch

withnodecorations,flowers,

oranysignthatsomeone

livedthere.

“It’sprobablybetterif

Igoinalone.”Iturnedoffthe

car.

IfiguredMarilyn

wouldlistentome,butI

wasn’tsureaboutJamesor

Roger.Oh,whowasI

kidding?Iknewthey

wouldn’tstayput.Iclimbed

outofthecarandheadedto

thefrontdoor.WhenIlooked

back,theghostswerestill

sittinginthecar.Theysmiled

andwaved.Theywereupto

something.Onceinfrontof

thedoor,Iknocked.

Thewomananswered

rightaway.“Youmustbe

Larue.”

“AreyouBonnie?”I

asked.

Sheseemedfrazzled

asshenodded.Herbrown

hairwasloosedowntoher

shouldersandshewore

wrinklednavypantsandan

evenmorewrinkledblue

shirt.

“Won’tyouplease

comein?”Sheopenedthe

doorwider.

Isteppedinsidethe

house.Atelevisionplayedin

thedistance.

“Wecantalkinthe

kitchenifyou’dlike.”She

gestured.

Inodded.“Thatwould

begreat.Thanks.”

Wemovedthrough

thelivingroom.Theshades

weredrawn,makingthe

spacedim.Boxeswere

stackedinthecornerofthe

room,asifshewaseither

movingoutorin.Asofa,

chairs,andcoffeetablefilled

thespace,soIassumed

maybeshewaspackingto

leave.Ifollowedherthrough

thediningareaandintothe

kitchen.Thekitchenwas

largeandsincetheshadewas

uponthewindow,thespace

wasmuchbrighter.Thewalls

werepaintedalightbeige

color.Dark-coloredcabinets

andmodernstainlesssteel

appliancesmadetheroom

seemnotasforebodingasthe

restofthehouse.

“Ispendmostofmy

timeinhere.”Bonnieglanced

overhershoulder,asif

someoneshedidn’twantto

hearhermightberight

behindher.

Therewasasmall

tablebythepicturewindow

atthebackoftheroom.

Shegesturedtoward

thetableandchairs.“Please

haveaseat.Wouldyoulike

somethingtodrink?”

“No,I’mfine,thank

you.”Ipulledoutthewhite

woodenchairandsat.“Can

youtellmeaboutwhat’s

goingoninthehouse?”

“Itstartedoutaslittle

things.”Shepickedatthe

edgeoftheyellowfloral-

patternedplacematinfront

ofher.“Doorsshuttingon

theirownorthingsmoving.

Butnow,it’sloudfootsteps

withadarkshadowfigure

appearing.”

Ifrozewhenshe

mentionedthedarkshadow.I

neverlikedtohearthat

descriptionwhensomeone

wasdescribingahaunting.It

neverwentwell.Footsteps

soundedfromtheotherroom

andIturnedtoseewhowas

walking.

“That’sprobablymy

daughter,”Bonniesaid.

Justthen,theyoung

womanwalkedintothe

kitchen.Ialmostfellontothe

floor.Itwasthegirlwhohad

orderedthebooks.Theone

I’dalmostgottenkilled

followingjustashorttime

ago.

Hereyeswidened

whenshesawme.

“Whatareyou

doing?”sheaskedangrily.

“Sweetie,Icalledthis

ladytohelpwiththe

paranormalactivityinour

house.”Bonnieforcedasmile

ontoherface.

“Whydidyoudo

somethingstupidlikethat?”

shesnapped.

“Bethany,don’ttalk

thatway.”Bonnienarrowed

hereyes.

“Whatisshesoangry

about?”Rogersaid.

Ilookedtomyleft

anddiscoveredtheghosts

werenowintheroomwith

me.Iknewtheywouldn’t

listen.Bethanyturnedaround

andstompedoutoftheroom.

Bonniefrowned.“I’m

sorryaboutthat.Shedoesn’t

liketotalkaboutwhat’s

happeningheremuch.It

makeshernervousandIcan

understandthat.I’mjust

tryingtohelp.I’mtryingto

dosomethingtomakeour

livesbetter.”

Thefrontdoor

slammedshut.Silencefilled

thehouseonceagain.

“Lookslikesheleft,”

Marilynsaid.

“Teenagers.”Roger

scoffed.

“She’llbeback,”

Jamesadded.

Inthemeantime,Ihad

tofigureoutwhatallthis

meant.Thehauntinghadto

berelatedtothewitchcraft

booksshehadordered,right?

Obviously,shewas

tryingtogetridofthe

negativespiritwiththe

witchcraft.Iwasgladthe

womanhadcalledmewhen

shedid.

“Hasthespiritbeen

harassingyourdaughter?”I

asked.

Bonnietappedher

fingersnervouslyonthe

table.“Yes,Ibelieveitis

afterherthemost.Although,

itdoesn’texactlyleaveme

aloneeither.Mydaughterhas

becomemoreandmore

withdrawnastheactivity

increases.”

“Doyouknowifshe

hasusedaOuijaboard?”

Bonnieshookher

head.“NotthatIknowof.”

ItwasimportantI

foundoutforsureifshehad

usedone.

“Ijustwantthingsto

bebacktonormal,”Bonnie

said.“Iwantquietinthe

houseagain.”

“Whendidallofthis

start?”Iasked.

Shesighed.“About

twomonthsago.Itwasfast

whenitstarted,too.LikeI

said,itwasthelittlethingsat

first,butitquicklygot

worse.”

“Ibroughtsomeof

myequipment.Icantakea

lookaroundyourhouseand

seeifIcangatherany

evidence,”Isaid.“Thatmay

helpmefigureoutthesource

ofthehaunting.ThesoonerI

knowwhereit’scoming

from,thefasterIcangetrid

ofitforyou.”

Shepushedtoher

feet.“Thatwouldbe

wonderful.”

Igrabbedmybagof

equipmentandpulledouta

couplepieces.“It’lltakemea

minutetosetup.”

“I’llleaveyoutoyour

workthen.Ifyouneedme,

I’llbeinthelivingroom.”

Thelookonherfaceletme

knowshewasn’tthrilled

aboutgoinginthere.

“Youdon’thaveto

leave,”Isaid.

“I’llgolookoutthe

windowandseeifIspot

Bethany.”Bonnieheadedfor

thefrontofthehouse.

“Isitreallynecessary

touseallofthose?”James

asked.

Ipulledoutmydigital

recorder.“IfIwanttoprove

topeoplethatghostsarereal,

yes.”

SinceBonniehad

steppedintotheotherroom,

theghostswerenowextra

chatty.

“IthoughtItoldyou

alltostayinthecar,”Isaid.

“Thatisjusttoo

boring,”Rogersaid.

Marilyngavemea

lookasiftosay,“Sorry,but

it’strue.”

Bonniewalkedback

intothekitchen.“What

shouldIdonow?Doyou

needmyhelp?”

“Youcanstaydown

here.Trytorelax.Iwon’tbe

long.Thisisformetogetan

initialfeelforwhat’s

happeninginyourhouse.”

Shenodded.“Thanks

again.”

Isteppedoutofthe

kitchenandthroughtheliving

room.TheplaceIwantedto

startwasupstairs.Ifeltlike

mostoftheactivitywas

takingplaceupthere.The

ghostswererightbehindme.

“Doyouallhaveto

followsoclose?”Iasked.

HowwasIsupposed

toinvestigatewiththeghosts

actingthisway?Ireachedthe

staircaseandheadedup.Of

course,theghostswerestill

righttherewithme.James

didn’tactquiteasconcerned

asRogerandMarilyn.They

werepracticallyholdingonto

thebackofmyshirt.Ifthey

couldhaveclimbedintomy

clothingwithme,theywould

have.

“Youallactasifyou

arescared.What’sthe

matter?”Iasked.

“Ghostsarescary,”

Rogersaid.

“But…”Istudiedhis

face.“Youdorealizeyou’re

ghosts,right?”Ilookedfrom

RogertoMarilynandthento

James.

“Yes,butthatstill

doesn’tmeanwe’renot

scaredofghosts,”Marilyn

said.

Icouldn’tunderstand,

butIdidn’thavetimeto

discussitrightnow.

Sofar,noneofthe

equipmenthadshownany

activity.Ihadtherecorderon,

somaybeitwaspickingupa

voiceorotherunexplained

soundIcouldn’thearatthe

moment.Notallghosts

wantedtotalktomeright

away.Iwouldn’tfindoutif

I’dcaughtanythinguntilI

playeditbacklater.

Italwaysfeltstrange

goingthroughpeople’s

homes,butIfocusedonmy

jobandtriedmybestneverto

accidentallybreakanything.I

spottedthatadooronthe

rightwasslightlyajar.Ithad

soundedasifsomeonewas

shufflingaroundintheroom.

“Didyouhearthat?”

Marilynasked.

“Idid,”Iwhispered.

“Ineverhear

anything,”Rogersaidfrom

rightnexttomyear.

AsInearedtheroom,

Ispottedthatithadtobe

Bethany’sbedroom.Iglanced

overmyshoulderasifI

wouldseeherstandingthere

watchingme.Ihadn’theard

hercomeback,soIsupposeit

wouldbeokaytogoinand

havealookaround.Afterall,

Iwasinvestigatingthe

paranormalandithad

soundedasiftheremightbe

activityintheroom.Ieased

thedooropenandinched

inside.

“Ifshefindsyouin

herroom,shewillkillyou,”

Rogersaid.

“Well,Ihopetoget

outofherebeforeshecomes

back,”Iwhispered.

Theroomlooked

femininewithapink

comforterandpinkwalls.

NothinglikethewayBethany

dressednow.Herfavorite

colorseemedtobeblackat

themoment.Theonlything

thatstoodoutwasthecandles

onasmalltableinthecorner

oftheroom.Imovedcloser

forabetterlook.

“Whatisallthat?”

Marilynasked.

Ipickeduponeofthe

meltedcandles“She’sbeen

practicingwitchcraft.”

“Whatdoesthat

mean?Doesithaveanything

todowiththeparanormal

activityinthehouse?”

Marilynasked.

“Itmighthave

somethingtodowithwhyshe

wantedspellstogetridof

negativity,buthowshegot

thenegativestufftobegin

withisthequestionIwant

answered.”

“Whatwillyoudoif

shecomesbackandcatches

youinherroom?”Worry

filledRoger’svoice.

IfiguredIcouldsneak

outbeforesheevenknewI’d

beenthere.Thewindownext

towhereIstoodwasopen.I

steppedoverandpeered

downintothebackyard.

Treeslinedtheedgeofthe

propertywithalargegrassy

areainthemiddle.

“Look,”Marilynsaid,

directingmyattentionoutthe

window.

Ifollowedher

pointingfingerandspotted

whatshewastalkingabout.

Thesilhouetteslooked

exactlyliketheshadowsI’d

seenatthehouseIhadvisited

inmydream.Werethey

hauntingthishouse?How

couldtheyhavebeeninmy

dream,too?

Maybeitwasmy

imagination,butitseemedas

ifthespiritswerestanding

outtherelookingupatme.

Sincetheyhadnofacial

features,Icouldn’ttellfor

sureiftheywerewatching

me,butitseemedthatway.I

turnedawayfromthe

window.Icouldn’twatch

themanylonger.Itwastoo

spooky.Thatwassayingalot

consideringIhadghosts

standingrightbehindme.The

spiritsseemedmenacing,

though.NotliketheghostsI

hadwithme.Thishousewas

goingtotakemore

investigating.Iwouldhaveto

spendmoretimehere,butfor

now,itwastimeformeto

leave.

Imademywayoutof

theroom,andthank

goodness,Ihadn’tbeen

caught.Orcourse,Ihadan

excuse,butIdoubted

Bethanywouldwanttohear

it.Basedonherreaction

whenshesawme,Iknewshe

didn’twantmehereandI

wasn’tsurewhy.Wouldn’t

shewanthelptogetridofthe

spirits?WhenIreachedthe

bottomofthestairs,Bonnie

waswaitingforme.

Shefidgetedher

hands.“Didyoufind

anything?”

Ididn’twanttoscare

herwithwhatI‘dseenjust

yet.

“Notreally.Ineedto

comeback,ifthat’sokay.

Wouldyourdaughterbe

availabletotalkwithme?”I

asked.

“I’llmakesureshe

is,”shesaid.

“Thankyou.”Iplaced

myequipmentbackinmy

bag.“Inthemeantime,please

callmeifanythingworse

happens.Itseemslikethings

arecalmrightnow.”

Thefactthatit

seemedcalmwasalittleodd.

UsuallywhenIcameintothe

hauntedlocationstheghosts

weresuretoactup.

“Thankyou,Larue.”

Shefollowedmetothedoor.

Imovedoutontothe

porch.“I’llbeintouch.”

AfterIsteppedoffthe

porch,Islippedaroundfora

peekintothebackyard.

“We’llwaitover

here,”Rogercalledoutfrom

thesidewalk.

Theghostsdidn’t

wanttocomeanywherenear

thebackyard.WhenIpeered

backthere,Isawnothing

unusual.Nospirits.Where

hadtheygone?

Chapter16

Lastnight,Ihad

explainedtoCallahanwhat

happenedwithStone.Hesaid

hebelievedmeandfeltbad

aboutnotbeingtheretohelp

mewhenthecarhadalmost

hitme.Iknewhewasstill

unhappywiththeamountof

timewe’dspenttogether

lately,orthelackthereof,but

Ihadnootheroptionsright

now.

Thedarkshadow

didn’tcometomeinmy

dreamslastnight.Maybeit

wasfalsehope,butI

wonderedifithaddecidedto

leavemealone.Itcouldhave

gottenboredandmovedon.

Maybeitfoundsomeoneelse

toharass?Thatwouldmake

mefeelbadsinceIwouldn’t

beabletohelpthatperson.

AfriendofGina’shad

foundtheaddressforStone’s

mother,soIwasheadedover

therethismorning.Iwasn’t

surewhatIwouldsaytoher,

butIhadtotrytofindout

moreabouthim.Maybehis

motherwouldbemore

helpful.Shecouldtellme

whathadhappenedinthat

house.Eventhoughthedark

shadowhadleftmealonefor

thepastday,itdidn’tmeanI

wouldletmyguarddownjust

yet.Ihadtobepreparedfor

itsreturn.Ialsohadtofind

outwheretheothershadow

spiritshadcomefromand

whattheywanted.

Theghostswerewith

meagainthismorning.

Marilynwasintheseatnext

tomeandJamesandRoger

wereintheback.Theywere

allquietastheylookedout

thecar’swindowsatthe

passinglandscape.

“Thiswasallfarm

landwhenIwasayoung

man,”Jamessaidfromthe

backseat

“Ohno,herewithgo

withthe‘whenIwasyoung’

stories,”Rogersaid.

“Don’tberude,

Roger,ifJameswantsto

reminisce,hecan,”Isaid.

“Iwishwewerein

Hollywood,”Marilynsaid.“I

misstheglitzandglamour.”

Rogerleanedforward

fromthebackseat.“You

shoulddriveusto

Hollywood,Larue.Road

trip!”

Ishookmyhead.“I

can’tgotoHollywoodright

now.Ihaveresponsibilities

here.Ihaveabusiness.”

“ShehasaCallahan,”

Marilynsaidwithasmile.

“ThatStoneguyishandsome,

too,”sheadded.

Finally,wearrivedat

thehouse.Atleasttheghostly

chit-chatwouldstopnow.

WhowasIkidding?They

wouldfollowmetothe

house.Aftershovingthecar

intoparkandcuttingthe

engine,Iclimbedoutand

headedtowardthedoor.

Shiftingfromfoottofoot,I

knockedandwaitedforan

answer.

“Whyareyouso

nervous?”Rogerasked.

“Ijusthopehetalksto

menow,”Isaid.

Ihadnoreasonto

believethistimewouldbe

anydifferentthantheothers.

Stonewasjustbeingplain

weird.Whatwasthebig

secrethecouldn’ttalktome

about?Thedooropened,

breakingmefrommy

thoughts.Awoman,whomI

assumedwasStone’smother,

stoodinfrontofme.With

shortgrayhair,shewasalot

olderthanI’dexpected.

Maybeitwasn’therafterall.

“AreyouSabrina?”I

asked.

Shenarrowedher

lightblueeyes.“Yes.”

“I’mlookingforyour

son,Stone.Ishehere?”I

triedleaningoverforaview

intothedarkenedhouse.

Shefurrowedher

browatmeasifI’daskedher

aboutaliens.OrmaybeIwas

aderangedkiller.

“Isthisajoke?Why

wouldyouaskmesucha

thing?”Sheslammedthe

doorinmyface.

“Wow,thatwas

rude,”Rogersaid.

WhathadIdonethat

wassobad?

“I’mguessingStone

isn’there,”Jamessaid.

“Apparently,Stone

doesn’thaveagood

relationshipwithhismother,”

Marilynadded.

“Thenwhywashein

Magnoliaifnottoseehis

mother?Iguessthere’sno

senseinknockingonthedoor

again.”

“Goaway,”the

womanyelledfromtheother

sideofthedoor.

“You’dbetterdowhat

shesaysbeforeshecallsthe

policeonyou.”Roger

motioned.

Yeah,hewasright.I

hadtofindoutwhatwas

goingonbetweenStoneand

hismother.Isteppedoffthe

porchandheadedtowardmy

car.WhenIlookedbackat

thehouse,Isawherwatching

mefromthewindow.

“She’smakingsure

youleave,”Marilynsaid.

Istartedthecarand

pulledaway.“IfStoneisn’tat

hismother’s,thenwhereis

he?”

“Howcanyoufind

out?”Marilynasked.

Inavigatedthestreets

headingtowardtown.“He’s

probablyslightlyolderthan

me.Howolddoyouthinkhe

is?”Iasked.

“Probablyabout

sixty,”Rogersaid.

Mymouthdropped

open.“Oh,shutup,Roger.

I’monlytwenty-eight.”

Rogershrugged.I

knewhestillthoughtIwas

old.

“Helooksaboutlate

thirties,”Jamessaid.“Maybe

thirtyeight.”

“Thatwouldmake

himtenyearsolderthanme,”

Isaid.

“You’reold,”Roger

said.

Iwasn’tevengoingto

acknowledgehiscomment.

“Ididn’tgotoschool

withStoneorIwould

remember.”Ipulleduptothe

gasstationtofillupthecar.

“IbetIcanfindsomeonein

townwhodid.”

BeforeIhadachance

togetoutofthecar,mycell

rang.Ipulleditoutofmybag

andswipedthescreenwhenI

sawMindy’spicture.

“Youmissedclasslast

nightandIamnothappy,”

Mindysaid.

Hearinghervoice

remindedmethatshehadan

olderbrother.Hewouldhave

gonetoschoolwithStone.

Theywerethesameage.

“Haveyoutalkedto

yourbrotherlately?”Iasked.

“Okay,youcomeup

withthemostrandom

questionstoavoidtalking

aboutclass,”shesaid.

“Ineedtofindoutif

yourbrotherwenttoschool

withStoneWatkins.”

Shesighed.“I

supposeIcouldaskhim,but

don’tthinkthatgetsyouout

ofcomingtoclass.”

“Ofcoursenot,”I

said.“Areyougoingtobribe

mewithdoughnutsagainthis

morning?”Iasked.

“Obviously,my

briberydoesn’twork,so

what’sthepoint?”sheasked.

Nowshewastryingto

makemefeelbad.

“Iwillcometoclass,

butI’dratherdothepole

fitness,”Isaid.

Icouldn’tbelieveI

hadsaidthat.Iwasterribleat

both.Makingmedothe

Zumbawasprobablyherway

oftrickingmeintothepole

fitnessclassesagain.Iwould

besobadatonethattheother

wouldstarttolookgood.

“I’mgoingtohold

youtothat,”Mindywarned.

“Iknowyouwill,”I

said.

“I’llcallyouwhenI

findoutanything.”

“Talktoyousoon.”I

tossedthephonebackinto

mybag.

Ifilledthegastankup

andthenheadedtothestore.I

wouldbeanxiousuntilI

heardfromMindyagain.

Whentherewasapuzzlelike

thisinmylife,Ihadtosolve

it.Mymindwouldn’tletme

forgetaboutthesekindsof

things.

“There’sastopsign,”

Rogeryelledout.“AndI

thoughtmydrivingwasbad.”

Iglaredathiminthe

rear-viewmirror.“Isawthe

sign.”

“You’reagreat

driver,Larue,don’tlistento

him,”Marilynsaid.

Roger’sexpression

changedtoadroopypout.

Ipulledupinfrontof

BookNook,parked,and

jumpedout.Callahanwas

busyagainthismorning,soI

skippedvisitingAtleastthat

wouldbemyexcuseofwhyI

didn’tstoptoseehimwhen

heasked.

Iwasbusystacking

bookswhenmycellphone

rang.Dashingovertothe

counter,Igrabbedthephone,

hopingitwouldbeMindy.

“I’mgladit’syou,”I

saidwhenIanswered.“What

didyoufindout?”

“Aren’tyougoingto

tellmewhatagreatfriendI

am?Howluckyyouareto

havesuchagreatfriend?”she

teased.

“Okay,youmusthave

goodinfoifyou’regoing

throughallthat.Sospillit.

Whatdidyoufindout?”

“Somegratitude,”she

saidinahuff.“Yes,Ididtalk

tomybrother.”

“And?Stoptorturing

meandtellmewhatyou

foundout.”Iwavedmy

handsasifshewouldsee.

“Well,youguessedit.

Mybrotherdidgotoschool

withStoneWatkins.”

“Thesuspenseis

gettingtome.Whatisshe

saying?”Marilynasked.

“Whatdidhesay?”I

asked.

“Hesaidhewas

weird.”

Iwasn’tsurprisedby

that.Mindy’sbrotherthought

everyonewasweird,sothat

didn’ttellmemuch.

“Whatelse?”I

pressed.

“Heclaimedheleft

schoolsuddenly.”

“Thatmusthavebeen

whentheymoved,”Isaid.

“Whatelse?”

“HesaidStonetold

somepeoplehecouldsee

ghosts.”

“Well,Ialreadyknew

thatmuch.”Thiswasn’t

givingmeanynewdetails.

“WhenIpushedmy

brotherformoreinformation

abouttheparanormal,hesaid

herememberedStonehad

usedtheOuijaboardinthe

past.Apparently,hetalked

aboutitinschool.”

Ileanedagainstthe

counter.“Hemusthaveused

itinthehouse.Whatifhehad

unleashedadarkspirit?That

mightexplainwhyhedidn’t

wanttotalkaboutit.”

I’dhadnoidea

Magnoliahadanother

medium.

“Isthatall?”Iasked.

“Ican’twaituntilshe

getsoffthephonesoIcan

hearthedetails.”Marilyn

pacedbackinforthinfrontof

me.

“That’sallhetoldme.

Hedidn’tknowmuchelse.

Ohwait,therewasonemore

thing.”Mindy’svoicewasa

bitmoreexcited.

“What’sthat?”I

asked.

“HesaidStone’sbest

friendstilllivesintown.Over

onLelandStreet.”

“Maybethat’showI

canfinallytrackdownStone.

Ibethe’sstayingwithhis

friend,”Isaid.

“Orattheveryleast,

thefriendhasseenhim.”

“Ihopehisfriendis

moretalkativethanStone’s

mother.MaybeIshouldgo

paythefriendavisit,”Isaid.

“Ihaveafeelingyou

willdoexactlythat,”Mindy

said.

“Doyouwanttocome

withme?”Iasked.

Ididn’twanttogo

aloneandtheghostsdidn’t

count.

“YouknowIwill

comewithyou.Whendoyou

wanttogo?”

“Assoonas

possible?”Icheckedthetime

ontheclock.“Whendoyou

haveaclass?”

“Well,youcould

comebyandtaketheclass

andwecouldgofromthere.”

IknewMindywasgivingme

hersad-eyedlookthroughthe

phone.

Ugh.Icouldn’tsayno

tothat.Shewasdoingmea

favorandtheleastIcoulddo

wasgotoclass.Mindywas

alwaysafraidnoonewould

showupforherclasses.I

reallydidn’tthinkshehadto

worryaboutthatnow.Her

businesswasasuccess.

Peoplearoundtownloved

whatsheoffered.

Isighed.“Sure,I’llbe

there.”

“You’dbetterget

morepepthanthatbeforeyou

gethereoryou’llnever

survive,”shesaid.

“Yeah,whateveryou

say.”Ihungupandfoundthe

ghostswerestandingright

behindme.

“Whatdidshesay?”

Marilynaskedexcitedly.

“StoneusedaOuija

boardandIthinkheprobably

diditinthathouse.That’s

probablywherethedarkspirit

camefrom.”Igrabbedastack

ofbooks.

“That’snotcool,”

Rogersaid.

“Hestillhasabest

friendintown.IfStoneisn’t

athismother’sthenmaybe

he’sathisfriend’shouse,”I

said.

“Goodthinking,

Larue,”Jamessaid.

Ihadtogetmywork

finishedandcloseupsoI

couldmaketheclassontime.

AsmuchasIwouldenjoy

beinglate,Iwouldn’tdothat

toMindy.Now,ifIcouldget

theghoststostayoutofthe

studio.Thatwouldnever

happen,though.Theincident

withthedarkshadowduring

thelastclasscameflooding

backtomymind.Ihopedit

didn’thappenagain.Istill

thoughtitwasstrangethe

shadowhadn’tappeared

recently.Insteadof

questioningit,Iwouldjust

enjoythetimeawayfromthe

shadowbeforeitdidcome

back.

Iwasturningmy

computeroffwhenthe

strangefeelingcameoverme.

Itwasn’texactlylikewhen

thedarkshadowhad

appeared,butitwassimilar.I

scannedtheroomexpecting

toseeit,buttherewas

nothing.Iwentbacktomy

work,butthesensationonly

increased.Forsomereason,

myattentionwasdrawntothe

frontofthestore.

“What’swrong,

Larue?Doyousee

something?”Marilynwaved

herhandinfrontofmyface

tograbmyattention.

“No,notyet.Ihopeit

staysthatway,too,”Isaid.

NosoonerhadI

spokenthewordsthenI

noticedher.Bethanywasn’t

lookinginthestore,though.

Whatwasshedoing?I

watchedherwalkbyandI

hurriedtothedoortoseeifI

couldfindoutwhereshewas

headed.Idashedoutthedoor

andpeereddownthe

sidewalk.Ispottedher,but

Bethanydidn’tglanceback.I

gotthesensethatsheknewI

waswatchingher.Itwas

almostasifshehadwanted

metoseeher.Didshewant

metofollowher?Icouldn’t

rightnowbecauseIhadn’t

evenlockedthestoreyet.

And,I’dleftthekeyonthe

counter.Bythetime,Igotthe

keyandlockedthedoor,

she’dbegone.

Suddenly,Ispotted

shadowsformingbehindher.

Iwasalmostsuretheywere

theshadowsI’dseenather

home.Theywerefollowing

herdownthestreet,floating

slightlyabovethepavement.

“Wow,lookatthat,”

Marilyngesturedwithatiltof

herhead.

“That’stoocreepy,”

Rogersaid.

“Idon’teventhink

sheknowsthey’rewithher,”

Iwhisperedasifthespirits

couldhearme.

“Ifshedid,shewould

probablyruntotrytoget

awayfromthem,”Marilyn

said.

“Idon’tthinkthereis

anygettingawayfromthem,”

Isaid.

Bethanyturnedthe

cornerandthespiritsglided

withher.Itwascreepyto

watchthemfollowherlike

that.ThankgoodnesswhenI

glancedovermyshoulderI

didn’tseeanyadditional

shadows.Ihadtohelp

Bethanybeforeitwastoo

late.

Chapter17

Onemoretwirl

aroundthemetalpoleandI’d

befinished.Theotherwomen

intheclassmovedwithease,

likerainglidingdownthe

sideofawindow.My

movementsweremorelikea

carrunningoutofgas,

chuggingalongtheroad

tryingtomakeittothe

station.Theghostswere

watchingme,buttheonly

wayIcouldgetthroughclass

wastoignorethem.Iwas

prettysureI’dheardRoger

laughing.Atthispoint,I

shouldhavebeenalotbetter

atthis,butIwasn’tmuch

bettersincethefirsttimeI’d

evertrieditwhenMindyhad

firstopenedherstudio.

HadMindyadded

versestothissong?Ithought

forsurewewerealmost

finished,butshekeptgoing.

Timeseemedtostandstill.I

wasn’tsurehowmuchlonger

IcouldholdonbeforeI

wouldcompletelycollapse

ontothefloor.Sweattrickled

downintomyeyesandmy

hairwhippedaroundand

stucktomyface.Iseriously

neededtotalktoMindyabout

addinganeasierkindofclass

toherschedule.Wasthere

suchathing?Iftherewas,I

wasgoingtofindit.Maybe

sheshouldaddmeditation

wherewesatquietly.Now

thatIcouldhandle.Iwasn’t

againstexercise,perse,but

walkingorridingabikewas

moremystyle.

Themusicstopped

andIinstantlytumbledtothe

floor.MindythoughtIwas

beingdramatic,butseriously,

Ineededanambulanceor

something.Sheshouldinvest

inoxygentanks.I’dpaygood

moneyforonerightnow.

Maybeadoughnutwould

help.ForamomentIclosed

myeyes,wishingIcouldnap

rightthere.Ifeltsomeone

staringatme.WhenIopened

myeyelids,Marilyn,Roger,

andJameswerehovering

overme.

“Thatwas…that

was…well,don’teverquit

yourjobandbecomea

dancer,”Rogersaidarounda

laugh.

“Yougaveityourbest

shot.”Marilyngavemea

pityinglook.

Jamesstaredbut

remainedspeechless.That

wasprobablyforthebest.I

finallystumbledupfromthe

floor,adjustingmypantsand

workoutbra.

“Thankyou,

Marilyn,”Isaidbreathlessly.

Icouldalwayscount

onhertohavesomethingnice

tosay.Evenifshehadto

makeitup.

Peopleslowlyfiled

outoftheroomandMindy

walkedovertome.“Good

job,Larue.”

Iwipedmyforehead

withthetowelI’dpulledfrom

mybag.“Oh,don’tlie.You

knowIsucked.”

Sheshookherhead

andthennodded.“Okay,you

did,butyougotexerciseand

that’sthemostimportant

thing.”

“Great,nowI’m

starving.”

“Well,goodnewsisI

foundoutwherethisguy

worksanditjustsohappens

tobethatnewrestaurantover

onPotterStreet.He’sthe

managerthere.”

“Pleasetellmethat

meanswegettogothereand

eat.”Iclaspedmyhands

togetherasifpraying.

Sheshrugged.“Idon’t

seewhynot.Grabyourbag

andlet’sgo.”

Shedidn’thavetoask

metwice.MindyandI

climbedintothefrontseatof

mycar.Withherinthe

passengerseat,thatleftthe

ghostsoutsidestaringatthe

backseat.Rogerscowledand

Marilynjustappeared

confused.

“Youwillallhaveto

sitbacktheretogether,”Isaid

asIstartedthecar.

Jamesmotionedfor

Marilyntogofirst.WhenI

glancedintherearview

mirror,theyhadallfiledin

withMarilyninthemiddle.

Jamessatonherleftand

Rogeronherright.Rogerhad

asmileonhisfacefromear

toear.Marilynscootedtothe

left.Shedidn’tseemas

thrilled.

“It’sreallycramped

backhere,Larue.Youneeda

biggercar,”Rogersaid.

“MaybeIshouldgeta

bus?”Ishiftedintodrive.

“Yes,thatwouldbe

perfect,”Rogersaid

excitedly.

“Iwasbeing

sarcastic,”Isaid.

Heshrugged.“It’s

stillagoodidea.”

Ipulledoutontothe

roadandheadedforthenew

restaurant.IfeltbadbecauseI

knewCallahanhadplanned

totakemethere,butitwasa

casualplace,somaybehe

wouldn’tmindifIwentwith

Mindyfirst.

“Ihatethatwe’reso

underdressed,”Isaid.

MindyandIstillhad

onourworkoutgear.Of

course,shewasalwayssoput

together.Myhairlookedlike

I’dbeeninatornadoandmy

cheekswerestillflushedfrom

theworkout.

Aftertheshortdrive,I

pulledintotherestaurant’s

parkinglot.MagnoliaGrille

wasinanewbuildingthat

wasmadeupofmostly

windows.Theyweretinteda

darkblacksowecouldn’tsee

inside.Theplacewasvery

modern,buttheadded

flowersanddelicatepatio

furniturehadaSouthernflare.

Iadjustedmywhite

T-shirtasIgotoutofthecar.

“Ihopetheydon’tkickusout

forbeingsocasual.”

Mindywavedher

hand.“Welookfabulous.”

Wewalkedthrough

thedoorandthehostess

greetedusrightaway.The

petiteblondedidn’teven

seemtonoticehowwewere

dressed.Sheledustothe

tableinthecornerofthe

room.Theplacewasso

packedIdidn’tthinkanyone

elsepaidattentiontous

either.

“Yourserverwillbe

heresoon,”thehostesssaid,

leavingthemenusonthe

table.

MindyandIsatdown

andimmediatelyperusedthe

dinnerchoices.Iwasjust

gladwewerefinallygetting

food.Iwantedoneof

everything.

Withinaminute,the

servercameover.Thetall

brunetteplasteredahuge

smileonherface.“Hello,

ladies.Areyoureadyto

order?”

Mindydidn’twaste

anytimeaskingforthe

manager.Thewaitress

probablythoughtshe’ddone

somethingwrong.

“Sure,I’llgetthe

manager”shesaidwitha

forcedsmile.

MindyandIstudied

thefoodchoicesagainwhile

wewaitedforthemanagerto

comeover.

“I’malittlenervous.I

wanttofindoutmoreabout

Stone.”Isaid,peekingover

thetopofthemenu.

“Wellhere’syour

chance,Ithinktheguyis

headedourway.”Mindy

gesturedwithatiltofher

head.

Themanapproached

ourtable.Heworeablack

suitandblueshirt.Hisdark

hairwascombedtotheside.

“Hello,ladies,how

mayIhelpyou?”

“Ithinkyouknowmy

brother,AdamWinters?”

Mindyasked.

Heshookherhand.

“Ohyes,youmustbe

Mindy.”

Mindygestured

towardme.“Thisismy

friend,LarueDonavan.”

Hesmiledandstuck

outhishand.“Nicetomeet

you.MynameisMike

McLaughlin.”

Bythequirkedbushy

eyebrow,Iknewhestill

wonderedwhywehadasked

forhim.

“We’reactually

lookingforsomeoneyou

mightknow,”Isaid.“His

nameisStone.Watkins”

Heeyedmestrangely.

“Yes,areyoufriendswith

Stone?”

“Wemetbriefly,”I

said.

Hefoldedhisarmsin

frontofhischest.“Oh,well,

yesheisstayingwithme

whilehe’sintown.

MindyandI

exchangedalook.

“Bingo,”Rogersaid

fromovermyshoulder.

Thatwasexactlywhat

Ihadwantedtohear.Now,if

Stonewouldjustgiveus

moreinformation.

“I’msureStonewould

lovetotalktoyou.”Mike

smiledwidely.

Hemusthavethought

IwashuntingStonefor

romanticreasons.

Whateverworked.

“Icangivehimacall

andseeifhecancomeright

over.Idon’tlivefarfrom

here.”Hemotionedoverhis

shoulder.

Ididn’tknowwhatto

say.Iwantedtotalkwith

Stone,butIwasn’tsurehe

wouldcomeoverherewhen

hefoundoutitwasme

searchingforhim.Now,I

probablyseemedlikesome

kindofcrazedstalker.

“I’llgocallhim,”

Mikesaidandturnedaround

beforeIhadachancetostop

him.

“Doyouthinkhe’ll

comeoverhere?”Mindy

asked.

“Notachance,”Isaid.

Whilewewaited,

MindyandIorderedfood.I

gotagrilledchicken

sandwichandMindygottuna

salad.Iwasn’tsureifIwould

beabletoeat,though.Iwas

toonervousovertheprospect

ofmeetingStoneagain.

Wouldheevenshowup?

Evenifhedid,hewould

probablyleaveassoonashe

sawitwasme.Ididn’t

understandwhathehadto

hide.

Soon,thefoodarrived

andItriedtoeat,butIended

uppushingitaroundthe

plate.Ihadbeensohungry

before.Itwasunlikemeto

losemyappetite.

Mindygesturedwith

herfork.“It’simportanttoeat

afteryouworkouttogetyour

energyback.Thisiswhen

you’reburningthemost

calories.”

Itookabiteand

forcedmyselftochew.Once

Iswallowed,Isaid,“Happy

now?”

Shesmirked.“Yes.

Don’tworry,everythingwill

beokay.”

“Yes,Larue,trynotto

worry,”Marilynsaid.

Ikeptglancingatthe

doorwaitingforanysignof

Stone.Agroupofpeople

enteredandIsighed.Ihad

hopeditwasStone.

“Watchingthedoor

won’tmakehimgethereany

sooner,”Mindysaid.

“He’sprobablynot

coming,”Rogersaid.

Whydidhehavetobe

suchajerk?

Ilookedatmywatch.

“It’sbeenlongenoughfor

himtogethere.”

“Whoa,checkhim

out.”Mindygesturedtoward

thedoor.“He’satallglassof

water.”

Iturnedaroundinmy

chair.Stonewasstanding

therescanningtherestaurant

asifhewaslost.

“He’shandsome,

huh?”Mindysaid.

“That’sStone,”I

whisperedasifhewouldhear

me.

“Really?He’sgood-

looking.Whydidn’tyoutell

mehe’sgorgeous?”she

pretendedtodrinkwater

whilestaring.

“IguessIdidn’tthink

aboutit.”

Hehadn’tlookedour

wayyet.Iturnedbackaround

sohewouldn’tseeme

staring.

“Letmeknowwhat

he’sdoing,”Isaid.

Mindytookanother

bite,butkepthereyesonthe

door.“He’stalkingtothe

managerrightnow.Hejust

pointedoverhere.”

“Don’tmakeeye

contactwiththem.”Ihunched

downinmychair.

“Ifhecomesover

here,thenhewillknowit’s

you,”Rogersaid.

“Shedoesn’twant

himtothinkshewastoo

anxioustotalktohim,”

Marilynsaid.

“Exactly.Thankyou,

Marilyn,”Isaid.

Mindyappearedtobe

confusedaboutmycomment,

butdidn’taskmetorepeat

whatwassaid.Theghosts

werestandingbehindthe

partitionthatledbacktothe

bathrooms.Stoneprobably

couldn’tseethemfromwhere

hestood.

“Whataretheydoing

now?”Iasked.

“They’restillstanding

theretalking.Itappearslike

themanageristryingto

convinceStonetocome

over.”Mindypretendedto

takeabiteoffood.

“I’mreallybeginning

tothinkhedoesn’tlikeme,”I

said.

“Beginningtothink?

It’sliketheguybelievesyou

haveacontagiousdisease,”

Rogersaid.

“Thanks,”Isaiddrily.

“Oh,they’recoming

thisway.”Mindypeered

downatherplate.

“Justactcasual.”I

tookadrinkofwater.

“Heretheycome,”

Rogermovedaroundtothe

othersideofthetablefora

betterview.

“Hello,ladies,”Mike

said.

EventhoughIdidn’t

wantto,IfinallymetStone’s

gaze.

“Wouldyouliketosit

down?”Mindygesturedat

thechairbesideme.

Mikemotioned

towardthekitchen.“Ihaveto

getbacktowork,butI’msure

Stonewouldloveto.”

Stonepulledouta

chairandsatdown.He

stretchedhishandacrossthe

table.“Myname’sStone.”

“Mindy,”shesaid,

shakinghishand.

Heshiftedhisfocusto

me.“Howareyou?”

“I’mokay.”Itook

anotherdrink,tryingtoact

casual.

“How’syourankle?”

Hestudiedmyface.

“Muchbetter.”I

wonderedifIsounded

convincing.

“Iwasn’tgoingto

comeheretonight.WhenI

sawyouatthetable,Ithought

aboutturningaroundand

leaving.”

“Wow,Larue,he

reallylikesyou.”Roger

laughed.

“Sowhatchanged

yourmind?”Iasked.

Helookedasifthere

wassomethinghedidn’twant

totellme.“Thedarkshadow

washerebesideyou.”

Ihadn’texpected

Stonetosaythat.Iscanned

theroom.“Idon’tsee

anything.”

Whyhadn’ttheghosts

seentheshadow?

Stonemotionedwitha

nodofhishead.“Itwas

standingbehindyou.I

couldn’tleaveyouhereto

dealwithit.”

“I’vebeendealing

withitforsometime.I’m

gettingusedtoitbynow,”I

said.

“Nonetheless,Ijust

couldn’tleave.”

“Well,I’mgladyou

didn’t.”

Hepeeredatmeover

thetopofhisdarkeyelashes.

“IthoughtIcouldignorethe

shadowwhenIsawit,but

nowIrealizeIcan’t.Wehave

togetridofit.”

Iquirkedaneyebrow.

“We?”

“Obviously,Ican’tdo

itbymyself,”Stonesaid.

Mystomachflipped.

“Whatdowedotogetridof

it?”

Hestudiedhisshoes

foramomentbeforemaking

eyecontact.“Wehavetoget

theshadowbacktothe

portal.”

“Whoa,whatdoes

thatmean?”Rogerasked.

“Idon’tlikethesound

ofit,”Marilynsaid.

“Theportal?Whereis

thisportal?”Iasked.

Heranhishand

throughhisthickhair.“Atthe

housewhereIgrewup.”

Thiswasgetting

serious.

“Iknewtherewas

somethingwronginthat

house,”Rogersaid.

StoneandIlookedat

Roger.

“Whydidn’tyousay

somethingthen?”Iasked.

Rogershrugged.

“Howdoyouknow

there’saportalthere?”I

glaredatRoger,asifthat

wouldmakehimtalk.

Hewasn’tbudging

thoughandremainedtight-

lipped.

Stonewavedoff

Roger’ssilence.“Nevermind

that.Justmeetmelater,

okay?”

Iexchangedalook

withMindy.Iexpectedherto

tellmenottogoortotellme

thiswasalltoostrange.

However,bytheexpression

inhereyes,shewastelling

metogoforit.

“WhereshouldImeet

you?”Iasked.

Stonestoodfromthe

table.“Meetmeattheparkat

ten.Ihavetogonow.”

Hewalkedawayand

outthedoor.

“Iwonderwhyhe

wantstomeetyou?”Marilyn

asked.

I’dfindoutsoon

enough.

Mindyrubbedher

armsasiffightingoffgoose

bumps.“Thisiskindof

scary…knowingthisevil

spiritisaroundandyouhave

togotoahousewitha

portal.”

Yes,itwasscary,but

nowthatIknewthisportal

wasthere,Ihadtohelpthe

homeowner.Itwouldonlybe

amatteroftimeuntilanother

spiritpoppedthrough.Elisa

wouldbedealingwitha

hauntingalloveragain.Ionly

hopedIcouldgetridofthe

spiritsandtheportal.I

neededtoforceStonetotell

mehowheknewofthis

gatewaytotheotherside.

Whathadoccurredwhenhe

livedthere?Thathadtobe

thereasontheyhadmoved.

Hecouldhavetoldmeabout

theportalthefirsttimehe

sawthedarkshadowat

Callahan’s.

“Idon’tthinkIwant

togobackintothathouse,

Larue.”Rogerpacedaround

thetable.

“Ihaveabonetopick

withyou,”Isaid.

Heheldhishandsup.

“WhatdidIdo?”

“Youdidn’ttellme

abouttheportal.Youdidn’t

tellmetherewereother

ghostsinthehouse.”

“Whatdiditmatter?I

justwantedoutofthere,”he

said.

“ItmattersbecauseI

neededtohelpthe

homeowner,”Isaid.

Hetossedhishands

up.“You’repsychic,Ifigured

you’dknow.”

Chapter18

Afterweleftthe

restaurant,Mindywent

straighthome.SheaskedifI

wantedhertogowithmeto

meetStone,butjustincase

thingsgotcrazywiththe

wholeportalthing,Itoldher

itwasn’tnecessary.Ihadno

ideawhatIwoulddountilI

methim,though.Therereally

wasn’tenoughtimetogoall

thewayhome,soIfigured

I’djusthangoutatthe

bookstore.Mindyhad

droppedmeoffandIwas

browsinginthewindows

alongMainStreetwhile

walkingtowardBookNook.

Callahanhadcalledand

wantedtogoout,butof

course,IhadtotellhimIhad

plans.

Whenmycellrang,I

figureditwashimcalling

back.Isawthenumber

displayedandrealizedit

wasn’thim.I’dseenthe

numberbefore,butcouldn’t

placewhoitwas.

“LarueDonavan,”I

saidwhenIanswered.

“Larue,thisis

Bonnie.”

Iknewbythetoneof

hervoicethatsomethingwas

wrong.

“Hastheactivity

increased?”Iasked.

“It’saboutthesame,

butIfoundsomethingI

thoughtIshouldtellyou

about.”

Istoppedinfrontof

theantiquestorewindow.

“Oh,what’sthat?”

“IfoundaOuijaboard

inmydaughter’sroom.”

Thiswasn’tgood.I

wasgettingabetterpictureof

whythedarkshadowswere

inthehouse.

“Doyouthinkshe’s

beenusingitforalong

time?”Iasked.

Bonniesighedand

thensaid,“Idon’tknow.

She’salwaysbeenagood

kid,butnowIdon’tknow

what’sshe’sdoing.”

“Lotsofkidsplay

withtheboards,butitcan

turnbadquickly.”

“Doyouthinkyou

canstillhelpus?”sheasked.

“IwilldoeverythingI

cantohelpyou.”

“Youdon’tknowhow

muchthismeanstome.”

Myvoicehadsounded

confident,butIwasanything

butconfident.IhopedIcould

help.Iwasn’tsurewhatIwas

dealingwith.Maybeitwould

betoomuchformetohandle.

“Ineedtotalkwith

her,”Isaid.

“Ihaven’tseenher

sincethisafternoon.I’m

beginningtoworry.”

“Haveyoucalledher

friends?”Iasked.

“Yes,buttheyhaven’t

seenhereither.”

Iwasn’tsurewhatto

do.ShouldBonniecallthe

police?Ididn’twantherto

freakout.

“I’msuresheisfine

andwillbehomesoon.Can

youcallmewhenshedoes

returnsoIcanaskherafew

questions?”

Bonniesighedagain.I

knewshewasfullofworry.

“Yes,I’llcallyou.

Thanksagain,Larue.”

“You’rewelcome,”I

said.“Oh,waitaminute.I

justsawyourdaughter.”

“Whereareyou?”

Bonnieasked.

“I’mdowntownby

mystore.I’llgoafterherand

callyouback,”Isaidand

thenhungupmyphone.

“Wecan’tletherget

awaythistime,”Marilyn

said.

Ipracticallyrandown

thesidewalkafterBethany.“I

don’tintendto.”

Icalledout,butif

Bethanyheardme,shedidn’t

turnaround.

“Teenagers,”Roger

saidashehurriedalong

besideme.

Shewasn’trunning,

butshewaswalkingalot

fasterthanIcould.Itwas

hardtokeepupwithmyshort

strides.

“Youhavetospeed

up,”Rogersaid.

“Shecan’twalkany

faster,”Jamesremindedhim.

“Thankyou,”Isaid.

Iwasgettingstrange

looksasIrusheddownthe

sidewalk.

“Wheredoyouthink

she’sgoing?”Marilynasked.

“Idon’tknow,butshe

isn’tslowingdown.”

Shewasmovingaway

fromthebusiersectionof

town;awayfromtheshops.

“Ibetshe’sgoingto

thepark.Thatplacewas

alwaysspooky,”Rogersaid.

“IfsheismaybeIcan

finallycatchher,”IsaidasI

pantedforbreath.

IhadtohurryorI’d

missher.Onceshegotinto

theparkshecouldgoinany

directionandI’dloseher.As

muchasIhatedit,Ihadto

run.Anythingmorethana

briskwalkandIlookedlikeI

wasdoingabadimpression

ofthewayawoundedspider

wouldwalk.However,itwas

theonlywayIwouldcatch

her.Aftertheclasswith

Mindy,Iwasinnoshapeto

exertthatmuchenergy,butI

hadtodoitanyway.Iforced

mylegstomovefaster.They

protestedinpain,butI

managedtopushthrough.

EventhoughIwasgetting

close,Bethanystillhadn’t

turnedaroundtoseeme.

“Doyouthinkshe

sensesyou’rehere?”Marilyn

asked.

“Iguessnot,”I

answeredbreathlessly.

Iheldmysidetoease

thecramp.Iprobablylooked

likethewalkingdeadasI

scuttleddownthesidewalk.

Finally,Iwaswithin

reach.Igrabbedhershoulder.

Shespunaroundwithher

eyeswideandmouthopen,as

ifshe’djustencounteredthe

grimreaper.

“Shealmostpeedher

pants,”Rogersaid.

AtleastI’dfinally

beenabletostopher.

“Ididn’tmeanto

scareyou,”Isaidstilltrying

tocatchmybreath.

Bethanyseemedasif

shewasscaredofjustabout

everythingrightnow.Her

handsshookandherlegs

trembled.Shedartedher

eyes.“Theyarefollowing

me.”

Ididn’tevenneedto

askwhotheywere.Iknew

whotheywere.

“Ineedtoaskyou

abouttheOuijaboard,”Isaid.

Hereyeswidened.

“Howdidyouknow?”

Iwasn’tsureIshould

tellBethanythathermother

hadbeeninherroom,soI

said,“Ijustknowthese

things.”

Thatmademeseema

lotsmarterthanIreallywas.

Shewouldprobablyfindout

thetruthsoonerorlater

though.

Shehuggedherbag

closertoherbodyasifthat

wouldofferprotection.“I

usedthething.Itwasjustfun

atfirst,butthenthingsturned

badwhenthedarkshadows

showedup.”

“Howlonghavethey

beenaround?”Iasked.

Shetuckedaloose

strandofhairbehindherear.

“Foracoupleweeksnow.

Theyjustcamealittleatfirst,

butnowtheyarefollowing

meallthetime.”

Iglancedaround.“I

don’tseethemnow.”

“Youcanseethem?”

sheasked.

Inodded.“Mostofthe

time.Ihaveonefollowing

me,too.Havetheytriedto

attackyou?”

Hermouthdroppeda

little.“Notyet.Youmean

theycanreallyattack?”

Isighed.“I’mafraid

so.”

Jamespacedaround

Bethany.“Shereally

shouldn’thaveusedthat

board.”

Rogerglaredat

James.“She’sjustakid.

Leaveheralone.”

Bethanypickedatthe

hemofhershirt.“Iwasonly

doingthewitchcraftforgood

spells.Whenthedarkspirits

came,Itriedtouseittoget

ridofthem.”

“So,thatwaswhyyou

wantedtheotherbooks?”I

asked.

“Sofar,ithasn’t

worked,ofcourse.Doyou

thinkyoucanhelpme?”Dark

circleslinedunderhereyes.

“I’mgoingtotrymy

best,”Isaid.

Sheattemptedasmile.

“Thatwouldbesogreat.

Thankyou.”

IhopedIreallycould

helpher.IfIcouldn’twhat

wouldshedo?WhatwouldI

do?

Ineededtoknow

something.“Ihaveaquestion

foryou.”

Shenodded.“I’lltry

toanswerthebestIcan.”

“Whowereyoutrying

tocontactwiththeOuija

board?”Iasked.

Sheshrugged.“No

oneinparticularreally,Iwas

justcallingouttoanyspirits

whomightbeinthehouse.I

thoughtitwouldbefun.”

“That’sneveragood

idea,”Isaid.“Thereare

alwaysbadspiritswaitingfor

someonetocallonthemand

assoonastheyfindaperson

whomightbevulnerableat

thetime,they’llslipright

through.”

“So,Ireallyscrewed

up.”

“Don’tbesohardon

yourself.”Ipattedher

shoulder.

“Yeah,butIputmy

momthroughalotandshe’ll

neverletmeliveitdown.”

“Theyneverdo.”

Rogershookhishead.“They

neverdo.”

Oh,hewasso

dramatic.

“I’msureshedoesn't

feelthatway,”Isaid.“We

willbeabletoworkitout

somehow.Idon’tknowwhat

willdo,butI’llfigureout

something.”

Shesighed.“Ihope

you’reright.”

“First,wewillhaveto

findoutaboutthespirits.”

“Howwillwedo

that?”sheasked.

“Imayactuallyhave

tousetheboard.It’llbeable

toletmecommunicatewith

thedemonsincethat’s

obviouslyhowitcame

through.”

Hereyeswidened.

“Idon’trecommendit

atallandItrytoavoidit.But

nowthatIknowthat’show

yougotthatspirithereto

beginwith,thenthat’show

we’llcommunicatewiththem

fromnowon.”

Sheglancedoverher

shoulder.“Whendowedo

this?”

Icheckedthetimeon

myphone.Itwasalmosttime

tomeetStone.“Ihave

anotherappointmentright

now.Wouldyouliketocome

totheparkwithme?I’m

meetingsomeonewhomight

haveinformationaboutthe

shadowwho’sfollowingme.”

“Yeah,sureIdon’t

haveanythingelsetodo.”

Sheshiftedthebagonher

shoulder.

“Well,onethingwe

havetodoiscallyourmom

andletherknowyou’re

okay.”

Shewavedherhands.

Thebraceletsonherwrists

jingledwiththemovement.“I

don'twanttofaceherafter

whatI’vedone.”

“Yourmomlovesyou

andshe’sworriedaboutyou,

soyoureallyneedtopickup

thephoneandgivehera

call.”

Ihandedhermy

phoneandshedialedher

mom’snumber.Shestepped

awayforasecondsothey

couldtalk.

“Wow,thisispretty

heavystuff.”Rogershoved

hishandsinhispockets.

“Ihopethisallworks

outwithStone.I’mso

worried.”Marilyntwistedher

handstogether.

“Laruewillfigureit

out,”Jamessaid.“Shehasa

littlehelpthatsheprobably

doesn’tevenknowabout.”

IeyedJames,buthe

avoidedmystare.Whatwas

hetalkingabout?

Afteracouple

minutes,Bethanystepped

backoverandhandedmethe

phone.

“Everythingokay?”I

asked.

Sheblewoutadeep

breath.“Yeah,everything’s

goingtobeallright.Atleast,

Ihopeso.”

Imotionedforherto

followme.“Comeon.Let’s

go.”

Wewalkedtheshort

distancetothepark.Itwasa

gatedentrancewitha

walkwayleadingtoabig

bubblingfountaininthe

middle.Aroundthepark

wherebenches,sowewalked

overtothenearestone.I

wonderedwhatStonewould

beabletodo?Nighthad

settledallaroundus,sothe

shadowswouldbealot

hardertoseelurkinginthe

dark.Atleastwehadabitof

lightfromthefullmoon

castingawhiteglowallover

thepark.

“Allwecandoright

nowistositandwait,”Isaid.

Sheshiftednexttome

onthebench.Iknewshewas

nervousaboutseeingthe

shadowsagain.

“Don’tworry,Iwon’t

letthemgetyou.”Myvoice

soundedalotmoreconfident

thanIfelt.

“Icankeepwatch,”

Marilynoffered.

“Youlookonthatside

andI’lllookontheother

side.”Rogergesturedto

Marilyn.

Ismiledtomyself

knowingtheghostswere

keepinganeyeonmeand

hadmyback.

“So,youdothe

witchcraft?”Bethanyasked

aswesatonthebench.

Iwavedmyhand

dismissively.“Idoalittlebit,

butnotalot.Ihavetoworry

mostabouttheparanormal

investigating.Ittakesupmost

ofmytime.”

“IthinkIsaw

something.”Marilyn’svoice

rose.

“Whereisit?”Roger

asked.

MarilynpointedandI

lookedoutacrossthepark,

pastthebubblingfountain.

ThatwaswhenIsawthe

shadows,too.Theymoved

closerandBethanyscooted

nexttomeonthebench.She

hadseenthematthatpoint,as

well.Theshadowsfloated

justabovetheground.Their

silhouetteshighlightedbythe

moonlightanddistantstreet

lights.

“Whatdowedo

now?”sheaskedwitha

tremblingvoice.

Ipattedherhand.

“Trytostaycalm.Wedon’t

wantthemtoknowwe’re

scaredofthem.”

“But,Iamscaredof

them,”shewhispered.

Ikeptmyeyesonthe

shadows.“Wecan’tletthem

knowthat.Theyfeedoffof

fear.That’swhytheyhave

gottenstronger.”

Bethanyheldmyarm.

“Idon’tknowwhattodoso

thattheydon’tsensemy

fear.”

“Takeadeepbreath,”

Isaid.

Weshouldn’thave

watchedthespirits,butatthe

sametime,Iwantedtoknow

whattheyweredoing.Ifthey

movedcloser,Iwantedto

knowaboutit.Relyingon

RogerorMarilyntotellme

wasn’tgoodenough.Ihad

toldBethanynottobescared,

butdeepdownIwas

frightened,too.Therewasno

waytoencountersomething

likethisandnotbeatleast

slightlyscared.

BethanyandIsaton

thebenchmotionless,well,

exceptfortheslighttwitching

ofherlegs.Thespiritshad

movedcloser,butsuddenly

theyhadstartedtofadeaway

asiftheenergytheyneeded

toappearwasbeingdepleted.

Whytheyhaddecidedto

leaveIwasn’tsure,butI

wasn’tabouttoquestionit.I

wasgladtheyweregoing.

“Ithinkthey’re

leaving,”shewhispered.

“Ithinkyou’reright,”

Isaid.

Wespokeinhushed

tones,asifthespiritsheardus

thentheywouldreturn,sowe

hadtobequiet.

“They’regone,”

Marilynsaid.

“Yeah,butforhow

long?”Rogerasked.

Hewasright,Iknew

theywouldn’tstayawayfor

long.Themoreenergythey

got,themoretheywouldbe

abletocomeback.Iftheyhad

enough,thentheywouldstay

forgood.Ididn’tknowwhat

wouldhappeniftheystayed

aroundpermanently.I

checkedthetimeagain,

hopingStonewouldappear

soon.Whatifhedidn’tshow

up?Whatwouldwedothen?

Chapter19

Stoneappeared

walkingfromaroundthe

fountain.Howhadhebeen

backthere?Thatwaswhere

theshadowshadbeen.He

hadsteppedoutofthenight

likehehadbeenapartofthe

darkness.Hisgazesettled

rightonus.Ihopedhedidn’t

leavewhenherealizedI

wasn’talone.Hehadn’ttold

menottobringanyoneelse,

buthewassomewhatstrange,

soIfiguredhemaynotlike

thatBethanywashere.

BethanyandIsatin

silenceaswewatchedStone

cometowardus.Icouldn’t

waittohearwhathehadto

say.Hadheseentheshadows

thathadjustbeenhere?They

haddisappearedalmost

exactlywherehehad

appeared.Itwasalmostasif

thespiritshadleftwhenthey

sawStone.Iknewthatwasn’t

possible,though.Whywould

hispresencemakethem

disappear?Thedarkshadow

followingmedidn’tseemto

mindwhenStonecame

around.Thatdarkshadow

wasn’tafraidofanything.

Stonewasdressedin

blackpantsandablackshirt,

sohekindofblendedinwith

thenight.Hehadchanged

sinceI’dseenhimatthe

restaurant.Iwantedtoask

himabouthisabilitytosee

andtalktospiritssobadly.I

hopedhewashonestwithme.

Stonesteppedupto

us.“Iwaswonderingifyou’d

showup.”

HewonderedifI

wouldshowup?Ihad

expectedhimnottoshow.

“Heseemsasifheis

reallytroubledby

something,”Marilynsaid.

Stoneacknowledged

Marilynwithanod,but

didn’trespond.

“Hecouldjustbe

weird.Ineverlikedtheguy,”

Rogersaid.

Amuscleflickedin

Stone’sjawandhiswhole

bodytensed.“Well,Ididn’t

likeyoueither.”

“Roger,youactedas

ifyoudidn’tknowhim,”I

said.

Rogerwavedhis

hand.“OfcourseIknowhim.

HewaslivinginthehouseI

washaunting.”

Ididn’tliketheway

Rogerkeptsecrets.Whatelse

washenottellingme?

Stonedirectedhis

attentiontoBethany.

“Ihopeyoudon’t

mindthatIbroughtsomeone

along.ThisisBethany

McCarthy.She’shavingabit

ofaproblemwithspirits

followingher.”Iquirkedan

eyebrow.“They’resimilarto

theoneIhave.Sheuseda

Ouijaboard.”

Bethanystareddown

athersneakers,avoidingeye

contact.

Stonenodded.“Nice

tomeetyou.”

“Nicetomeetyou,

too,”shemumbled.

Istoodfromthe

bench.“I’mgoingtohaveto

usetheOuijaboardtocontact

thespiritsshebrought

through.”

Theexpressionon

Stone’sfacewasshadowed

withdeepconcern.“I’mnot

surethatissuchawise

decision.”

“Iagreewithhim,

Larue,”Marilynsaid.

“Whatotherchoicedo

Ihave?”Iasked.

“Youruntheriskof

bringingotherspirits

through.”Trepidation

thickenedhisvoice.

“Oh,thatisthelast

thingyouneed,Larue,”

Rogersaid.

“Iunderstandthe

risks,butIdon’tknowofany

otherway.Doyouhave

suggestions?”

Ifheknewsomuch

aboutit,thenheneededto

offerupsomeadviceinstead

oftellingmewhatnottodo.

“Imighthaveanother

idea.Ifyouarewilling.”He

studiedmyface.

Iwatchedhim.

“Dependsonwhatitis.”

Ifitwassomething

completelyweird,thenI

wasn’tgameforthat.

“Itinvolvesgettingrid

oftheportal,”hesaid.

Thatsoundeddifficult

andIwasn’tsureitwouldbe

possible.

“Wesawtheshadows

rightbeforeyoushowedup.”

Imotionedtowardthe

fountain.

Henodded.“Isaw

them,too.”

“Didyoumakethem

goaway?”Marilynasked.

Heturnedtoher.“I

askedthemtoleave.”

Thatwasallittook?I

wasn’tsureifIbelievedhim.

“Justlikethatthey

left?”IeyedStoneupand

down.

Heshrugged.“Just

likethat.”

Iscoffed.“Something

doesn’tseemrightaboutthis

wholething.”

“IsaidIwouldnever

gobacktothathouse.”Stone

peeredoutacrosstheparkas

iflostinthought.

Whathadhappenedin

thathousewhenhelived

there?

“Whydoyousay

that?”Ipushedforananswer.

Heshovedhishands

intohispockets.“Needlessto

say,itwasn’tagoodtimefor

me.OnceIgotaway,Ididn’t

wanttogothroughthatagain.

I’vetriedmybesttoblock

outthespiritseversince.”

“That’simpossible.

Whywouldyoueventrysuch

athing?”Iasked.

“It’swhatIhadtodo

forme,”hesaid.

“Whathappenedin

thathouse?”Itriedtohide

theanxietyinmyvoice.

Heranhishand

throughhishair.“Iinvited

thespiritin.”

Itsoundedfamiliarto

whatBethanyhaddone.

“Didyouusethe

Ouijaboard,too?”Iasked

her.

Ifhehadbeena

teenageratthetime,thenthat

wasapossibility.Stone

turnedandwalkedtowardthe

fountain.

“Isheleaving?”

Marilynwhispered.

Stoneturnedtoward

meandwalkedback.“Ijust

invitedthespiritin,okay?It’s

notsomethingIshouldhave

done.”

“Well,duh,”Roger

said.

Jamespacedinfront

ofthefountain.Heappeared

asifhewasgrowingtiredof

ourconversation.Icouldn’t

worryaboutkeepingthe

ghostsentertainedatthe

moment.

“Whatwentonafter

youinviteditin?”Iasked.

“Alotofbadthings

happenedandthenweleft.I

gotoutofthereandIsaidI

wouldnevergoback.I

shouldn’thaveleftitthere,

though;notknowingwhatI

know,”hesaid.

Jameswalkeduptous

asifhewasgoingtosay

something,butturnedaway.

Hewasactingawfully

strange.

“That’swhyIcame

backnow,”Stonesaid.

“Youcameback

becauseofthespirit?”

Hereleasedadeep

breath.“Iwantedtoknow

whathadtakenplacesince

I’dleft.Then,Imetyouand

sawthethingagain.”

“Iguessyouweren’t

expectingthat,wereyou?”I

asked.

Heshookhishead.

“No,notintheleast.Ifelt

guiltyfornottryingtogetrid

ofitwhenIhadthechance.”

“So,youcameback

nowtogetridofit?”Iasked.

Heshrugged.“Ifit’s

possible.”

“Whatdowedo

now?”

IknewwhatIwould

do,butIwasn’tsurewhat

wasonStone’smind.Hesaid

hehadn’tusedtheOuija

board,butIfeltforsurehe

had.Heprobablydidn’twant

toadmitit.

“Weshouldgoback

tothehouse,”Stonesaid.

“Idon’tthinkIlike

thesoundofthis,”Marilyn

said.

IrepeatedMarilyn’s

sentiment.“Idon’tlikethe

soundofthiseither.”

Stonemovedtoward

theentranceandthenturned

tomeagain.“Wehavetogo

backthere.LikeIsaid,we

willtrytogetridofthe

portal.”

Imovedafewsteps

andpaused.“Youknow,

that’snotagoodideaifwe

don’tgetridofthespirits

first.Wedon’twantthe

spiritsstuckhereforever.”

“No,Iknow,butI

thinkwecangetridofthe

spiritsfirst.”

“Getittoreturnwhere

itcamefrom?”Iasked.

Henodded.“Yes,

exactly.”

Hemadeitsoundso

easy,butIknewitwas

anythingbut.Itwouldbeone

ofthehardestthingswe’d

everdone.

Stonemusthave

noticedthesuspicioninmy

eyes,sohesaid,“It’sprobablytoolatetogotothe

housetonight.”

“You’reright.We’ll

havetowaituntilthe

morning.”

Bethanywalkedafter

us.“Whataboutme?”

“Yes,weshouldhelp

herfirst,”Isaid.“Your

motherwillbeokaywith

that?”

Bethanyhurriedahead

ofus.“Sheshouldbemore

thanokaywithit.Shejust

wantsthingsbacktonormal

andsodoI.”

“Icandriveusthereif

youtellmewheretogo.”

Stonemotionedtowardthe

street.

Icouldn’tbelieve

Stonewasofferingtohelp.

Whatmadehimchangehis

mindsoabruptly?Something

hadtohavehappened.

Wewalkedtherestof

thewaythroughthepark

towardthestreet.Iwason

highalertthewholetime,

waitingtoseethedark

shadowsagain.Itfeltasif

theywerewatchingus,soI

knew,beyondtheedgesof

thepark,theyhadtobethere

waiting.Iftheycameforus

wouldStonesimplytellthem

toleave?Afterall,hesaidhe

simplytoldthemtoleaveand

ithadworked.Grayclouds

hadquicklymadetheirway

overthemoon,blockingout

whatlittlelightwehadover

thepark.Atleasttheclouds

hadwaiteduntilwewere

leavingtomakean

appearance.

“Thisismycar,”

Stonesaidwhenwereached

theMercedes.

Iremembereditfrom

thatfirstdayintheparking

lot.

“Niceride,”Roger

said.

“Whereareweall

goingtosit?”Marilynasked.

“You’llhavetoride

somewhereintheback,”I

said.

“There’snoroom,”

Rogerproclaimed.

Bethanyclimbedin

thebackseatandIgotinthe

frontpassengerside.The

ghostsstoodonthecurb

lookingconfused.

“Can’tyoujustzoom

andbethere?”Imotioned

withawaveofmyhand.

“No,weneedto

followyou.”Jamescrossed

hisarmsinfrontofhischest.

Isighed.“Okay,

Marilyncansitupherewith

meandtheothertwocan

squeezeintheback.”

Theghostsnodded,

satisfiedwithmysolution.I

didn’tfeelher,ofcourse,but

Iscootedovertogiveher

roomanyway.I’dnever

thoughtI’dbesittingthat

closetoMarilynMonroeina

carasIwasheadedtofight

offdemons.Suchwasmylife

withghosts.

AftergivingStone

directions,withinafew

minuteswehadarrivedat

Bethany’shouse.Weall

headedtowardthefrontdoor,

eventheghosts.I’dfigured

thismightbetheonetime

they’dstayinthecarsince

theyhadn’tseemedtookeen

onfacingthedarkshadows.

Bethanypausedwhen

shereachedthedoor.“Ihope

mymomisn’tmad.”

“Youtalkedtoher.

She’sfinenow.”Iputmy

armaroundhershoulders.

BeforeBethanyhada

chancetograbthedoorknob,

hermotherpulleditopenand

thenembracedBethanyina

hug.

Bonnielookedatme

andsaid,“Thankyou.”

“Iseverythingquiet

now?”Iasked.

“Iheardsome

footstepsafewminutesago.”

Shemotionedoverher

shoulder.

BonnieeyedStoneup

anddown.

“Thisis…”Ipaused

unsureofwhattocallhim.

“Acolleague…Stone

Watkins.Isitallrightthathe

camealong?Weneedto

comeinandcheckoutafew

things.Maybewecangetrid

oftheproblem.”

Shewavedherhand.

“It’sperfectlyfine.Please

anythingyoucando.”

Bethanyeasedintothe

house.StoneandIfollowed

herintothedimlylitliving

room.

“Icangogetthe

boardifyou’dlike?”Bethany

scannedtheroomwhile

asking.

“You’regoingtouse

theOuijanow?”Bonnie

asked.

Inodded.“Yes,I’m

afraidit’ssomethingwehave

todo.”

Shesighed.“Well,I

guessyouknowbest.”

Rogersnorted.“I

wouldn’tbesosureabout

that.”

Igavehimadirty

look.Bethanyboundupthe

stairstoretrievetheboard

whileStoneandIarranged

chairsinacircle.Aftera

coupleseconds,Bethany

returnedwiththeboard

clutchedinherhands.

Anxietydancedinmy

stomachatthethoughtof

usingthething,butIhadused

oneinthepast,sowejusthad

tobecareful.

Igesturedtowardthe

chairs.“BethanyandBonnie,

whydon’tyousitthere,and

StoneandIwilltakethetwo

chairsacrossfromyou.”

Oncewe’dformedour

circle,weplacedtheboardon

thesmalltableinfrontofus.

Bethanyknewhowtousethe

board,butBonnieseemed

confused.

“Weplaceourfingers

ontheplanchette.”I

motionedtowardtheplastic

pointer.Itookadeepbreath.

“Ihopethisworks.”Turning

toBethany,Iaskedher,“Did

thisdemongiveyoua

name?”Iasked.

Bethanynodded.

“Yes,hedid.”

MuchasIdidn’twant

toknow,Ihadtofindout.

“What’sthename?”I

asked.

“Itsaiditsnamewas

Hilson.”

SinceI’dneverheard

ofthisdemonbefore,Iwasn’t

surewhatIwasdealingwith.

“Ifyou’rehere,can

youtalktous?”Icalledout.

Wewatchedthe

board,waitingforthe

planchettetomove.Nothing

occurred.Thistime,Stone

calledouttothedemon.Still

therewasnoanswer.Itfeltas

ifsomethingwaswatching

us,though.

“Ithinktheboardis

broken,”Rogersaidashe

pacedacrossthefloor.

IstaredatRoger.

“Thethingismessingwith

us,youshouldknowthat

Roger.”

Heheldhishandsup.

“Hey,I’mnotademon.”

Ismirked.“No,you

justactlikeonesometimes.”

Thatshuthimup.He

didn’tsayanotherword.Of

coursenowBonnieand

Bethanywereeyeingmeasif

Iwasasandwichshortofa

picnic.

“Ihaveacouple

ghoststhatfollowedme,but

they’renice,Ipromise.”I

attemptedasmile,asifthat

wouldmakewhatIsaid

soundcompletelynormal.

BonnieandBethany’s

eyeswidened.Theydidn’t

sayanything,butIwassure

theywantedtorunawayfrom

menow.Theyreallywould

beshockediftheyknewone

oftheghostswasMarilyn

Monroe.

AnervousMarilyn

fidgetedonthesofa.The

ghostsweren’tparticipating

intheOuijaboardsession,

butshewasuneasyjustthe

same.Still,weweren’t

gettingaresponsefromthis

thing.Ididn’tknowwhatwe

couldtrynextifthisdidn’t

work.Iwasalloutofideas

andIwasn’tsureifItrusted

Stone’sideaofclosingthe

portal.Imightnothavea

choicebuttogiveitatry.

“Weneedtotalkto

you,”Isaidagain,hopingI

wouldgetananswerthis

time.

Suddenly,the

planchettestartedtomove.

Weexchangedalookof

excitementaboutwhatwe

mightfindout.Well,

excitementblendedwith

terror.

“Weneedtoknow

whyyouarehere.”Iscanned

theroomasifsomething

wouldappear.

Ofcourse,itwas

neverthateasy.The

planchettemovedtotheletter

F.Itcontinuedonuntilit

reachedtheletterO.Next

wasR.Afterafewmore

timesofmovingtodifferent

letters,ithadspelledout

YOU.

“Foryou,”Isaid,

almostatawhisper.

SinceIhadaskedthe

question,didthatmeanthe

demonwasthereforme?

Thathadtobeit,asmuchasI

didn’twanttoadmitit.It

wouldn’tbeunheardoffora

demontogetmebyother

means.Theywouldhave

someoneelseseekmeout

unknowingly.

“Whydoyouwant

me?”Iyelled.

Tobehonest,Iwas

afraidtofindoutwhatthe

answerwas.Ihadtopush

forward,though.Weplaced

ourfingersontheplanchette

again.Thethingmoved

aroundtheboardlikeaship

lostatseaduringastorm.

Thistimeithadspelledout

FORYOURSOUL.The

wordssentashiverdownmy

spine.Marilyngaspedwhen

sherealizedwhatthedemon

hadsaid.Inspiteofthe

message,Ihadtobetough.

Thisthingwasjustplaying

gameswithme.Yes,thatwas

whatIkepttellingmyself.IfI

gaveintothefear,itwouldall

beover.Itwouldbeableto

trulygetmysoul.

Chapter20

Therewasanother

questionIwantedtoaskthis

darkshadow.

Imotionedfor

everyonetoplacetheir

fingersontotheplanchette

again.“Istheremorethanone

demonhere?”

Theobjectmoved

acrosstheboardtotheyes.

“Oh,that’sit.We

shouldgetoutofhere.”

Rogermotionedformetoget

up.

“Juststaycalm,”I

said.

“Yeah,right.”Roger

pacedacrosstheroom.

“Howmanymoreare

here?”Iasked.

“Idon’tevenwantto

knowtheanswertothat

question.”Marilyncrossed

herarmsinfrontofherwaist,

givingherselfahug.

Theplanchettemoved

acrosstheboardandstopped

onthe“2.”

“Well,thankheavens

forsmallfavors,”Rogersaid.

“Whatisthenameof

theotherdemonwhois

here?”Icalledout.

Wewatchedtheboard

andnothingmaterialized.The

tricksthatthesethingsplayed

wasfrustrating.JustwhenI

wasabouttogiveup,the

thingstartedtomovearound

theboard.However,it

appearedasifitwasn’treally

goingtostoponanything.

Finally,theplanchettehalted

onlettersagain.Sofar,ithad

pausedontheLandtheA.I

feltStonetenseupashesat

nexttome.Wecontinuedto

watchthelettersuntilithad

spelledoutaname.LASME

wasthenameithadgivenus.

Stonejumpedupfrom

hischairandbackedaway

fromthetable.Healmost

stumbled,butmanagedto

keephimselfupright.His

facedturnedpale.

“What’swrong?”I

askedasIranovertohim.

Stonelookedasif

he’dseenaghost.Well,what

apersonwhodidn’tsee

ghostsonaregularbasis

wouldlooklike.Ithad

somethingtodowiththe

nametheOuijaboardhadjust

givenus.Heswayedabitas

ifhemightpassout.Bonnie

andIledhimbackovertothe

chair.

“Here,sit,”Ipushed

onhisarm,forcinghim

down.

Stonedidashewas

told,buthestillhadn’t

spoken.Itwasasifhehad

beenstunnedintosilence.

“Talktome,Stone.

Tellmewhat’swrong,”I

said.

Hestaredmeinthe

eyes.“That’sthesameone.”

“Thesameoneas

what?”Iasked.

Hisexpression

darkened.“Thedemonfrom

thehouse.Theonethathas

beenfollowingyouaround.”

ThatwaswhatIwas

afraidhewastalkingabout.

Ofcourse,I’dknownthe

demonwasstillaround.At

leastnow,Ihadanameand

maybewiththatknowledgeI

couldfigureouthowtoget

ridofit.

Apparently,hearing

thenamehadbroughtbacka

lotofemotionforStone.I

reallywantedtoknowmore

aboutwhathadhappenedto

him,butrightnowitseemed

asifhewantedawayfromthe

room.

“Doyouthinkthe

demonsareconnected?”

Bethanyasked.

“Idon’tknow,butI

thinkthere’sagoodchanceof

it,”Isaid.

HowhadStone

invitedthisspiritin?Hadit

beenwiththeOuijaboardand

hewasn’ttellingme?

Whateveritwas,heneededto

behonestsowecouldfigure

outhowtogetridofit.

ItouchedStone’sarm.

“Doyouthinkyoucanask

morequestions?”

Heappearedtohave

calmeddownsome,buthe

said,“Idon’tthinkIwantto

talktoitanymore.”

Wecouldtrytogetrid

ofthedemonswithouthim,

butitwouldbestrongerifwe

hadhim.Ididn’twantto

seemweaktothedemon.

Thatwashowthethingswere

abletocomethroughinthe

firstplace.

“Ithinktheremustbe

aportalinthishouse,too,”

Stonesaid.

“Whatisthat?What

doesthatmean?”Bonnie

askedwithabitofpanicin

hervoice.

“It’slikeaholeinthis

dimensionforspiritstocome

throughfromtheirworld,”I

explained.

Shefrowned.“How

doesthathappen?”

Anoisesoundedfrom

thehallwayandIturned

around.Nothingwasthere.I

focusedonBonnieagain.

“Well,itcouldhaveoccurred

naturallyorsomeonecould

havecausedit.”

BonnieandIfocused

onBethany.Bethanystudied

hershoes,butdidn’tofferan

explanation.

“Howcanwegetrid

ofit?”Bonnieasked.

“LikeIsaid,IthinkI

haveawaytocloseit,”

Stone’svoicewaslow,asif

hebarelyhadtheenergyto

speak.

“Yeah,butbeforewe

dothat,wehavetogetthe

demonsintotheportal.”

Everymuscleinmybodyfelt

asifitwascoiledwith

tension.

“Thatsounds

impossible.”Marilyn

sashayedacrosstheroom.

Stonewatchedher.

“It’snotimpossible,butit

isn’teasyeither.”

“Howsooncanyou

dothis?”Bonnieasked.

“Wecantrynow,but

Ican’tguaranteeitwill

work,”Isaid.

Ireallyneeded

Stone’shelp.Isensedthathe

justwantedtoclosetheportal

andbedonewithit.Without

gettingridofthespirits

though,itwouldbeabad

idea.IlookedtoStoneforan

answer.

Finally,henodded

andsaid,“IwillhelpallI

can.”

Justthen,alargeglass

vaseflewoffthemanteland

throughtheair.Thething

landedatmyfeetbreaking

intoamillionpieces.Weall

gaspedinshock.Apparently

thisevilspiritwantedmy

attentionand,worstofall,to

possiblyhurtme,aswell.The

roomfellsilentaswestared

attheshardsofglass.

“I’mscared,”Bethany

whispered.

Itouchedherarm.

“RememberwhatIsaid.You

can’tbescared.Youcan’tlet

themknowyouareafraid.

That’showtheygettheir

energy.”

Bonniesteppedover

toherdaughterandhugged

her.Itwaseasiersaidthan

donewhenItoldthemnotto

befrightened.Iwasfighting

itwithallthepowerinme.

Thedemonswantedthat

power,too.Theywantedus

tobetiredbecausewewere

morevulnerablethen.Things

wereonlygoingtogetworse

beforetheygotbetter.Ididn’t

wanttotellBonnieand

Bethanythat,though.Wehad

toprepareourselvesfora

battle.

“Whereshouldwe

start?”Moreuneasecame

intohiseyes.

IhopedIhadtoright

answerforhim.Everyone

waswaitingformyanswer

expectantly.

“First,wehavetolet

itknowitcan’thavemysoul.

Oranyoneelse’sforthat

matter.Weshouldgather

aroundandgivethedemon

themessage.”Imotionedfor

everyonetojoinmeinthe

middleoftheroom.

Weclaspedhandsand

movedintoacircle.The

energyweavedaroundusand

achargeshotupmyarm

whenIheldStone’shand.I’d

neverfeltanyonehavethat

muchenergybefore.I’donly

feltitwithinmyownbody.

“Wehaveamessage

foryou,”Isaidintheloudest

voiceIcouldmuster.I

wantedmyintentionstobe

loudandclear.“Youarenot

welcomehere.”Ipausedfor

amomentandthenadded,

“Youcan'thavemysoul,”I

saidevenlouder.

Imademyintent

perfectlyclearnow.There

wasnowayIwouldallow

thistohappen.Wecontinued

toholdhandsandthen,

suddenly,onebyone,the

picturesfellfromthewalls.

Theyflewacrosstheroom

ontothefloor,landingbyour

feet.Bonnieheldmyhand

tighterononesideandStone

tensedupevenmoreonmy

other.Iwasn’tsurehowlong

wecouldcontinueifthings

escalated.Ididn’twanttoput

everyoneindanger.

Ihadtostopthis

beforeitgotoutofcontrol.I

releasedtheirhandsand

steppedback.“Weshouldgo

searchforthespotwherethe

portalislocated.”

“You’resurethere’sa

portalhereinthehouse?”

Bonnieasked.

“Wethinkthereis.Do

youthinkyoucanfindit?”I

askedStone.

Henodded,but

lookednervous.“Icantry.”

ThatwasaboutallI

couldhopeforatthemoment.

StoneclosedhiseyesandI

knewhewastryingtogetin

tunewiththesupernatural

aroundus.Thatinitselfwasa

dangerousthing.

Afteracoupleof

seconds,heopenedhiseyes

andreleasedadeepbreath.“I

thinkIknowwhereitis.”

Iexchangedalook

withBonnieandBethany.

“Youshouldn’tdo

this,”Jamessaidinastern

voice.

He’dbeenquietas

he’dwatchedusfromthe

corneroftheroom.Now,

JamesglaredatmewhenI

focusedmyattentiononhim.

Iwasn’tabouttoletaghost

tellmewhattodo.

Stonestartedwalking

towardthehallwayandwe

followedhim.Whenthe

ghostsdidn’tcomealong

withus,Ifiguredthey

decidedtostaybehind.I

wasn’tsosureitwasany

saferintherethanitwasout

inthehallway.Jamescastan

agitatedexpressionmyway

whenIwalkedby.

Stonemoveddownto

theendofthehall,pastthe

staircase,andintoasmall

areathatledtotherear

entranceofthehouse.Onthe

leftwasasmalllaundry

room.Hepausedandlooked

aroundforamomentandthen

peeredupattheceiling.

Hepointed.“Thereit

is,rightthere.”

Weallgazedup,but

therewasnothingthere.Of

course,itwouldn’tbe

somethingwecouldseewith

thenakedeye.Istepped

closertoStone.Now,Iwas

supposedlystandingright

underthespotwherethe

portalwaslocated.Instantly,

thepulloftheenergycame

downonme.

Inodded.“Thisisit.I

canfeelit.”

“Oh,Larue,don’t

standunderit.Getoutof

there.”Marilynstoodatthe

endofthehallwaywhilethe

otherspeekedoutfromthe

room.

EventhoughIwas

nervous,Ineededtofeelwhat

itwaslike.IsupposeIwas

inspectingit.Wasthereaway

totrulyclosethisthing?

Then,anotherthought

crossedmymind.

“Doyouthinkit’s

connectedtotheotherportal

thatwasinthehouseon

HeritageStreet?”Iasked.

Stonestudiedmyface

foramoment.Finally,he

nodded.“Yes,Ithinkthey

couldberelated.”

“Ifeellikeyoucould

enteroneandthenendupat

theotherhouseontheother

side.Idon’tthinkthisistwo

separateportals.Ithinkit’s

onethat’sconnected,”Isaid.

“Thisistooheavyfor

me,”Rogersaid.

“Youshouldleavethe

portalalone,”Jamessaid.

Theghostsnowstood

closertous.Theyhadn’tbeen

abletostayaway.Therewas

nowayIwouldleavethe

portalalone.Ithadtobedealt

with.Stoneturnedand

walkedtowardthefrontdoor.

“Whereyougoing?”I

chasedafterhim.

Hetossedhishandup.

“Ican’tdothis.”

“Whatdoyoumean

youcan’tdothis?”Iasked.

Hehadtodothis.My

lifedependedonit.Didn’the

care?

“Wait.Stop,”Isaidas

Iranoutthedoorafterhim.

Stonepausedathis

carandleanedagainstthe

hood.

“Areyouokay?”I

asked,touchinghisarm.

Heranhishand

throughhishair.“Yeah,Ilost

itthereforaminute.”

“Maybeyouhada

panicattack,”Isuggested.

Itwasobvioushe

couldn’treturnrightnow.We

neededaresttimetofigure

outwhatwewoulddonext.It

wasgettinglateanywayandI

wantedtogohomeandwrap

mymindaroundwhatwas

happening.Myphonebeeped

andIpulleditoutofmy

pockettoseeamissedcall.

Icheckedthe

message.Itwasfrom

Callahanandhesounded

evenworsethanIthoughthe

would.HewasconvincedI

wasavoidinghimonpurpose.

Ineededtocallhimbackand

explain,onceandforall,why

Ihadn’tbeentalkingtohim.

Itwasn’tfairformetoleave

himinthedarklikethis.

However,Iwastornabout

alsowantingtosavehim

fromdealingwiththedark

shadows.

“Weshouldgohome

forthenight,”ItoldStone.

Heappeareddefeated,

butnoddedinagreement.

“Yeah,you’reright.We

shouldcallitanight.”

Theghostshadmoved

outofthehouseandwere

standingbythedoor.Itwas

niceofthemtogivemesome

timealonewithStone.

“Weshouldplanto

meetinthemorning.Wecan

gotothehouseandcheckout

theportalthere.”Ididn’t

wanttogivehimtheoption

ofbackingoutofdoingthis.

Hewouldhavetohandleit.

Hestudiedhisshoes

forafewseconds,andthen

metmystare.“Okay,we’ll

checkouttheportalinthe

morning.”

Afterheadingbackto

theporch,ItoldBonnieand

Bethanywewereleavingfor

theevening.Ihatedto

abandonthemaloneinthe

house,butIdidn’tknowwhat

elsetodo.

“We’llbegoing

now.”Imotionedovermy

shoulder.

“Ithinkwe’llstayat

myfriend’shouse,”Bonnie’s

voicewaveredasifshewas

abouttobreakdown.

Itouchedherarm.

“That’sprobablybestfor

now.I’llcallyoutomorrow.”

AfterhuggingBonnie

andBethany,theghosts

followedmebacktoStone’s

Mercedes.

“Ishegoingtobe

okay?”Marilynwhispered.

“Icertainlyhopeso,”

Isaid.

Wehoppedinso

Stonecoulddrivemebackto

mycar.Afterridingin

silence,wefinallypulledup

infrontofBookNook.

Stoneglancedatme.

“Icanpickyouupinthe

morning,ifyou’dlike.”

“That’llbegreat.”I

openedthedoor.

Beforethatmeeting,I

hadsomeoneelseIneededto

see.

Chapter21

KarynBentleyhad

beenthecovenleaderfor

Magnolia.She’dmovedaway

andwantedmetotakeover

thattitle.LikeIsaid,just

becauseIshowedatalentfor

spells,didn’tmeanIcould

takeonsuchabigjob.Aftera

longsearch,thecovenfinally

foundsomeonetoreplace

Karyn.IthoughtI’dmadethe

rightdecisionbynottaking

theposition.Theyneeded

someonewithmuchmore

experiencethanme.Plus,

withthebookstoreandthe

ghosthunting,Ididn’tknow

whenIwouldhavehadtime

foranythingelse.

Thenewleaderofthe

covenwasMelanieBlack.

She’dbeenpartofthecoven

foranumberofyearsandI

knewwhenhernamewas

firstmentionedthatshe

wouldmakeagreatcoven

leader.Afterthevotebythe

covenboardmembers,she

waspickedtotakeoverfor

Karyn.Now,Ihadtoconsult

withheraboutthedark

shadows.Iftherewasaspell

thatwouldhelpgetridof

them,thenIneededtoknow

aboutit.Ifanyonecouldgive

methatinformation,itwould

beMelanie.AsfarasIcould

tell,sheknewjustaboutany

spellthatwasoutthere.

Ipulledupto

Melanie’scondobuildingand

parkedinthefirstspot

available.

“Wherearewegoing

now?”Rogerasked.

“Youaresoimpatient.

Itoldyouwherewe’regoing.

Youcanalwayswaitinthe

car,”Isaid.

“Asif,”hesaidashe

floatedrightoutthecardoor.

Iheadedtowardthe

frontdoorwiththeghosts

behindmeagain.They

weren’tabouttoletmegoin

bymyself.Irangthedoorbell

andwaitedforMelanieto

answer.Icalledaheadoftime

tomakesureshewouldbe

home.

Sheansweredthedoor

andmotionedformetocome

in.“Larue,it’ssogoodtosee

you.”

Melaniehadshort,

blackhairandbigbrown

eyes.Withherflawlessskin,

sheappearedmuchyounger

thanherforty-fiveyears.I

wouldhaveguessedhertobe

twenty-five.Sheworeblack

pantsandablackandwhite

blouse.Isteppedinsideher

home.Thespacehadlarge

ceilingsandmanywindows

allowinginamplelight.

Melaniehadalotoffurniture

inasmallspace,though.

Straightaheadwasthedining

roomwiththekitchen

attachedtotheleft.

“So,tellmewhat

bringsyouheretoseeme

today.Iknowit’snotbecause

youmissme.”

Ilaughed.“Well,Ido

enjoytalkingtoyou,but

you’reright,Ihaveareason

forcomingby.”

Sheleanedbackinthe

chair.“Okay,I’mallears.

HowcanIhelpyou?”

“IthinkI’vegota

darkshadowattachedtome

andthereareotherones

followingaclientaround

town,basicallyeverywhere

shegoes.Shetriedtousea

spelltogetridofthem,butit

didn’twork.Iwaswondering

ifthere’saspellthatcanhelp

togetthemtomoveonfrom

thisdimension.”

“Didsheuse

witchcrafttogetthespirits

here?”Melanieasked.

“Youmeandidshe

callthemwithaspell?”I

asked.

Melanienodded.

“Yes,that’swhatImean.”

“Shesaysno,butshe

usedaOuijaboardandI

thinkthatwashowtheygot

through.”

Shetappedherfingers

onthetableforamomentand

thensaid,“IthinkIknow

exactlywhatwillhelp.Ihave

abookwithaspell.”

“Oh,that’swonderful

news,”Marilynsaid.

Iwasthankfultohear

that.Iwasworriedshewould

tellmeshecouldn’thelp.

Melaniegotupfrom

thetable.“I’llberightback

withtheinformation.”

Melaniewalkeddown

thehallwayandleftme

sittingwiththeghostsall

aroundme.Ofcourse,she

didn’tknowtheywerethere.

Marilynstoodbeside

mewithherhandsonher

hips.“Isurehopethisworks,

Larue.”

“Soundslikeabunch

ofhocus-pocustome,”James

said.

Ifiguredhewouldsay

asmuch.“It’snothocus-

pocus,”Iwhispered.

“Didyousay

something,Larue?”Melanie

asked.

“Um,no,wasn’tme,”

Isaid.

NowMelaniewould

thinkshewashearingvoices.

Afteracoupleofminutes,she

returnedwithasmallbookin

hand.Itwasbrownleather

withgoldtrimandwords

etchedonthecover.

Sheplaceditonthe

tableandturnedtoapagein

themiddle.“ThisisthespellI

thinkwillwork.Youcould

tweakthewordsabit,butI

thinkitwillbefine.”

Ipeereddownatthe

pageandreadoverthespell.I

reallydidn’tknowifwhatshe

saidwastrue,butIhadto

trustheronthisone.I

couldn’tjustseeaspelland

knowifitwouldworkornot.

ThatwaswhyIknewthey

hadpickedtherightcoven

leader.Isurehopedthespell

worked.

“Youcantakethe

bookwithyou,butIdoneed

itback.Iknowyouofall

peoplewilltakecareofit.”

Ipickedupthesmall

hardcoverandclutcheditto

mychest.“Ofcourse.Ican

makeacopyofthespelland

thenreturnthebooktoyou.”

“Takeyourtime,it’s

nohurry,”shesaid.

“Ireallyappreciate

it.”Istoodfromthetable.“I

shouldgoandtrythespell

beforesomethingbad

happens.”

Herexpressionturned

serious.“Youdon’thave

muchtime,doyou?”

Iwouldn’tevenask

howsheknewthat.She

probablysensedmyfear.She

wasrightthough.Ireally

didn’tthinkIhadmuchtime.

“Thankyouagainfor

everything,”IsaidasI

walkedtowardthedoor.

“Letmeknowifyou

needanymorehelpwiththe

spell.”

Ididn’twanttoput

herinthemiddleofthis.I

hadneededthehelpofthe

entirecovenbeforetobreak

thespellthathadbeenplaced

onCallahan.Ihopeditdidn’t

cometothatthistime.With

anyluckmyskillshad

developedenoughsoIcould

handlethisonmyown.

Iwavedandheaded

formycarwiththebook

undermyarm.

“Youhavetogetthis

right,Larue,oritwillbe

bad,”Rogersaid.

“Thanksfor

remindingmethatalotisat

stake,Roger.Iwouldhave

neverknownifnotforyou.”

Herolledhiseyes.

“Justtryingtohelp.”

Ipulledthecaraway

fromthecurb.“Iappreciate

it.”

“She’sbeing

sarcastic,”Jamessaidto

Roger.

Ibitmyliptokeep

fromlaughingattheghosts.

Atleasttheykeptme

entertainedandthatwasabit

ofastressreliever,Isuppose.

Chapter22

ItwaslatesoIfigured

IwouldcallCallahaninthe

morning.Althoughitwould

probablyhavetobeafterwe

wenttoElisa’shouse.Ifthat

portalwasliketheotherone,

thenIhadafeelingIwas

rightaboutthembeing

connected.Ilayinbedstaring

attheceilingwonderinghow

Icouldfindoutforsure.

Sincetheportalwasmeant

forghoststotravelthrough,

thenitwouldmakesensethat

aghostcouldgoinandhave

alookaround.But,wouldI

beabletoconvinceoneofthe

ghoststodothatforme?

Theywerescaredof

theirownshadows,soI

figuredtherewouldbeno

wayIcouldgetthemtogo

intoit.Iftherewassomeway

formetoentertheportal

myself,Iwould.Sure,I

wouldbescared,butIwould

giveitatryanyway.Ihadto

getridofthesedemons.I

stayedawakeforhourstrying

todeviseaplanthatwould

allowmeawayintothe

portal.Ifthedemonwas

attachedtomeandIwentin,

perhapsIcouldleavehim

there.Icouldpossiblyoutrun

him.

OnceIwasoutofthe

otherside,Stonecouldclose

uptheportalentryononeend

andIcoulddoitontheother.

Maybethewholeideawas

crazy,butitwasallIhad

comeupwithasasolution.I

doubtedtheghostswouldgo

fortheidea.Stoneprobably

wouldn’teither.Theproblem

wouldbetofindawayforme

togainentry.Sincetheportal

hadbeenontheceilingat

Bonnie’shouse,Iassumed

thisonewas,too.Itwouldbe

impossibletogetinsidethe

portalifitwasontheceiling.

I’dsettledintothe

normalroutineofreadingto

Marilynbeforebed.Of

courseI’dfallenasleepwith

thebookinmyhandagain.

AtleastIhadn’tdreamed

again,notthatIremembered

anyway.Whenthesun

poppedupthenextmorning,

I’donlygottenafewhoursof

sleep.I’dplacedacallto

makesureitwasokaythatwe

stoppedbytheElisa’shouse.

Ididn’ttellherwewere

lookingforaportaltoanother

dimension,though.That

crazykindofinfowasbetter

lefttoldinperson.I’dquickly

showeredandhadcoffee.I

wastoonervoustohave

breakfast.

“Youshouldeat

something,”Rogersaidashe

trailedalongbehindme.

“Youneedyourenergy.”

“Lookatyoubeingall

grownup.”Ilaughed.

Hesmirked.

“Now,there’sthe

RogerIknow.”Iwiggledmy

fingerathim.

Marilynlaughed.I

hadnoideawhereJameswas.

Ihadn’tseenhimyetthis

morning.Maybehewasstill

madatme.I’djustfinished

mycoffeewhenmycell

phonerang.Ireallyhopedit

wasn’tStonecallingto

cancel.ThatwasablowI

didn’tthinkIcouldhandle.

“I’mgladit’syou,”I

saidwhenIanswered

Mindy’scall.

“Well,that’swhatI

liketohear.Howdidthings

golastnight?”

Isighedandsatdown

atthekitchentable.“Weran

intothegirlwhoboughtthe

witchcraftbooks.Wewentto

herhouseandfounda

portal…it’salongstory.”

“Allthisparanormal

stuffiswaybeyondme,”

Mindysaid.“Isthere

anythingIcandotohelp?”

ThelastthingI

wantedwastoputherin

danger.Thedoorbellrang.

“Listen,Ihavetogo.

Stoneishere.IfIneed

anythingI’llcall.”

Iwouldn’t,butit

madeMindyfeelbetter.

“Justbecareful,”she

saidbeforeshehungup.

Ihurriedtothedoor

withtheghostsfollowingme.

Jameshadfinallyappeared.

Wherehadhebeen?Stone

wasstandingonmyporch

whenIopenedthedoor.His

hairwasabitdisheveledasif

hehadn’tsleepawink.He

worejeanswithholesinthe

kneesandawrinkledwhite

T-shirt.

“Whathappenedto

him?”Rogerasked.

“Goodmorning,”

Stonesaidwithahalf-smile.

Ifiguredthatwas

aboutascheerfulashecould

sound.

“Letmegrabmy

purseandwecango,”Isaid.

Isnatchedmypink

walletthathadjustmy

essentials.Ididn’twantto

takeafullpurse,butIalso

hatedtoleavehomewithout

mylicense…and,I’lladmit

it,somelipbalm.Softlips

wereimportantinfighting

demonsandother

supernaturalpowers,didn’t

youknow?Iclimbedinthe

frontseatofStone’scarand

theghostsgotintheback,as

usual.

“Areyounervous?”

Stoneaskedasweheaded

towardElisa’shouse.

“I’mokay.What

aboutyou?”

Hewatchedtheroad

aheadofus.“I’dbelyingifI

saidIwasn’t.”

Atleasthewas

honest.Hewasn’ttryingtobe

atoughguywhoshowedno

fear.Sometimesitwasokay

tobeafraid.Wepulledupin

frontofthehouseandhecut

theengine.Hestaredatthe

house.Wouldhegoinortry

todriveoff?

Finally,heopenedthe

cardoor.“Okay,let’sdo

this.”

Ifollowedhimtothe

frontdoor.Elisaansweredon

thefirstknock,asifshehad

beenwaitingforusright

there.

“Pleasecomeinside.”

Shegestured.

FollowingElisainto

herhome,westeppedintothe

livingroom.Sunshine

streamedthroughthe

windows.Thingsseemed

peaceful,buthowlongwould

thatlast?

Shefoldedherarmsin

frontofherwaist.“Things

havebeenquietthis

morning.”

Ihatedtotellher,but

thatwasprobablyaboutto

change.

“Didyoufind

somethingnew?”sheasked.

“Actually,wethink

thereisanentryareaforthe

spirits.Stoneisgoingtolook

forit,ifthat’sokay?”

Hereyeswidened,but

shenodded.“Sure.But,what

willyoudoifyoufindit?”

Elisaactuallyseemed

prettycalmaboutthenews.

Ipaused,andthen

said,“Wehopetogetridand

thespiritforgood,aswell.

They’llbenochancethatit

willeverreturn.”

Ididn’twanttotell

herhowdangerousthisspirit

was.Stonestartedwalking

aroundthehouse,hopingto

pickupontheportal.

“Ican’tremember

exactlywhereitwas.It’s

beenalongtime.”Hestepped

intothehallwayandmoved

towardthebackofthehouse.

WatchingStoneashe

stoppedattheendofthe

hallway,Ithoughtitmightbe

inthesamelocationasthe

otherone.Ipeeredup,

wonderingifIwouldfeelit,

too.

WhenIlookedat

Stone,hewasstaringdownat

thefloor.“Hereitis.”

Ifrowned.“It’snoton

theceiling.”

Heshookhishead.

“No,thisonewillbeonthe

floor.Theyenterhereand

comeoutattheotherone.”

Ididn’tunderstand

whytheyweretravelingfrom

onehousetotheother

anyway.

“Whatdotheywant?”

Elisainchedalittlecloser.

“Ithinktheywant

souls.”

Elisa’seyeswidened.

“Rightnow,theywant

mysoul.”Itriedtosound

casual.Honestly,howblasé

couldIsoundwhen

discussingsoul-sucking

demons?NotexactlyasifI

wastalkingaboutapicnicin

thepark.

“Whatwillyoudo?”

Elisaasked.

She’dhandledthe

newssurprisinglywell.No

runningandscreamingoutof

thehouse.

“Well,IthinkIhavea

plan,”Isaid.

Stoneraisedan

eyebrow.“Really?Whatis

it?”

“IfiguredIcan

somehowgetinsidethe

portal.Thedemonwillcome

withmeandthenIcanleave

itthere.WhenIcomeout,

we’llcloseuptheentry.”

“That’sthecraziest

ideaI’veeverheard,”Stone

said.

“ Doyouhaveany

otherideas?”Iasked,placing

myhandsonmyhips.

Hestudiedmyface.

“No,IguessIdon’t.”

“That’swhyyouhave

totrymine,”Isaid.

Stonewavedhishand.

“No.Besidethefact,Idon’t

thinkitwillwork,Ialsothink

itistoodangerous.”

IglancedatElisa.

“Sometimeswehavetotake

risks.”

“Larue,Idon’twant

youtotakethatkindofrisk,”

Elisasaid.

“Yes,Larue,thisisn’t

agoodidea,”Marilynsaid.

“Idon’tthinkyou

shoulddoit,”Rogersaid.

“Ithinkyoushouldgo

forit,”Jamessaid.

Everyonegapedat

himlikehewascrazy.

“Weshouldn’teven

bedebatingthis.Getting

insideisimpossible,”Stone

said.

Ididn’twanttothink

thatway.Iwantedtokeepa

positiveattitude.Aswestood

theredebatingwhattodo,I

felttheairturncold.Itwasa

bitterchillthatwentdownto

thebone.

“Whereisthatcoming

from?”Elisaasked.

“Idon’tfeelthecold,

butIcanseeyourbreath,”

Marilynsaid.

Justthen,thedark

massappearedattheendof

thehall.Ithadbeensome

timesinceI’dseenit.Ihad

beenstupidtothinkithad

goneorthatitwasgoingto

leavemealone.Theshadow

hadstartedoutsmall,butit

grewinsizerapidly.Silence

filledtheroom.Stoneturned

tofacethedarkshadow,

placinghimselfinfrontof

Elisaandme.Idoubtedthis

thingwasgoingtoletStone

comebetweenus.Ifitwanted

me,thenitwasgoingtoget

tomeanywayitcould.The

thingrushedforward.Elisa

gaspedasitwentthrough

Stoneandattackedme.Ifell

backandhitthefloor.The

nextthingIknew,theghosts

werestandingoverme

peeringdown.Stonewasnext

tome.Itdidn’tregisterwhat

hewassayingforaminute.

Hepulledmeup.“We

needtoleave.”

“Whatareyoutalking

about?”Irubbedmyhead.

“Untilwefigureout

whatwe’redoing,thenwe

needtoleave.”

Igottomyfeet.

“Whataboutthething

thatjustattackedyou?What

ifitattacksme?”Elisa

soundedmorepanickednow.

“Itwon’t,”Isaid.“I

knowthat’shardtobelieve,

butitjustwantsme.”

“Howcanyoube

sure?”Elisaasked.

“I’vebeendoingthis

alongtimeandIknow,”I

said.

Shesighed.“Iguess

youdoknowwhatyou’re

doing.”

AfterpromisingElisa

wewouldbeback,Stoneled

metothecarandweheaded

towardthestore.

OncethereStone

asked,“Areyoufeelingbetter

now?”

Igazedoutthe

window.SinceIwasusually

driving,itwasn’toftenIgot

totakeinthescenery.The

viewwascomfortingata

timewhenIneededitthe

most.“Yes,I’llbeokay,but

pleasethinkaboutwhatI

proposed.”

“It’snotpossible,”he

said.

“YouknowI’mgoing

totryitanyway.”Istaredhim

straightintheeyes.

Hedidn’ttakehis

attentionawayfromme.

“Yes,Iknowthatnow.”

“So,areyougoingto

helpme?Ireallyneedit,”I

said.

Hereleasedadeep

breathandthensaid,“Okay,

I’llhelp.”

Iopenedthedoorand

gotoutofthecar.“I’llcall

youwhenIhaveasolid

plan.”

AsIheadeddownthe

sidewalk,IspottedCallahan

waitingatthedoorforme.I

hopedhehadn’tseenmein

thecarwithStone.Itwasbad

enoughhealreadythoughtI

wasavoidinghim.DidI

reallyneedtoaddcheatingto

that,aswell?Hisgorgeous

smilemademystomach

dance.Heleaneddownand

plantedakissonmethat

mademywholebodytingle.

TherewouldbenowayI

couldavoidCallahan’s

questionsforlong.Hemoved

insidetheshopwithme.

“Hedoesn’tlook

happy,”Marilynsaid.

Shewasright.He

didn’tseemcheerfulandit

wasallmyfault.Sofar,

CallahanandIweretalking

abouttheusualthings.What

hadbeengoingonwithhis

businessthismorningand

otherchit-chat.Hewas

gettingreadytoaskaboutthe

moreseriousquestions,

though.Thesamecoldfell

overusandIstartedtosee

mybreath.

“Istheairconditioner

broken?”Callahanasked.

BeforeIhadachance

toanswer,thedarkshadow

appeared.Thethingdidn’t

givemeachancetoeven

issueawarning.Itrushed

towardmeandknocked

Callahandownintheprocess.

Thiswasgettingworse.

WhenIclimbedtomy

feet,Callahangotupand

rushedovertome.“Areyou

okay?”

“Thatthingattacked

me.”Irantothefrontdoor

knowingthathewouldfollow

me.

“Larue,whatareyou

doing?”FearfilledCallahan’s

voice.

Ihadtogethimoutof

here.Thedarkshadow

wantedmysoul,butitwould

wantthesoulsofthepeopleI

caredaboutthemost,too.For

thatreason,Callahanhadto

leave.Iopenedthedooras

Callahanapproached.

“Youhavetogo.”I

gestured.

“Larue,whatareyou

saying?Yousaidthatthing

attackedyou.”Hisvoicewas

morepanickedthanI’dever

heard.

Ipushedhimandhe

stumbledoutthedoor.Just

thenMindywalkedup.

Hereyeswidened.

“What’sgoingon?”

Iclosedthedoorand

lockedit.Theyweretalking

tome,butIcouldn’thear

whattheyweresaying.Tears

filledmyeyes,runningdown

mycheeks.Irantotheback

ofthestoresoIcouldn’tsee

them.Ihadtothinkofwhat

todonext.Mycellphone

rangwithMindy’sname

poppingup.Tearsrolledeven

fasterwhenIsawherpicture

onthescreen.Now,Iwas

stuckinthestorewiththe

darkshadow.Itcouldattack

meagainatanytimeandI

wasalonewithnoonetohelp

me.

Iclutchedmysweater

andwrappedittighteraround

mybody.Itwastheonly

thingIhadtooffermeahug

atthemoment.Islippedto

thefloor,overwhelmedwith

emotion.I’djustkickedmy

boyfriendandbestfriendout.

Wouldtheyeverforgiveme?

Whatwouldhappenifthis

thingreallygotholdofmy

soul?WhenIsteppedout

fromthebackroomafteran

hour,MindyandCallahan

weregone.WhatdidI

expect?I’dtoldthemtogo

away.Icouldn’tblamethem

forreallydoingit.Ireached

formyphone.Ihadtocall

Stoneandsetinmotionthe

plantogetridofthedemon.

Mylifedependedon

it.

Chapter23

Theghostsstood

besideme.

“Larue,whatareyou

goingtodo?”Marilynasked

inherpanickedvoice.“I’m

sonervous.”

Iscannedmy

surroundingstoseeifthe

shadowwasgettingreadyto

strikeagain.Itwaswatching

andwaitingfortheright

moment.Itwouldtoywith

meandmakemefeel

somewhatsafeagainandthen

itwouldpounce.

“Thenexttimeittries

something,Iamgoingtoget

it.”Rogerpumpedhisfistin

theair.

Iwavedmyhands.

“Everyonetrytostaycalm.

I’mcallingStonesowecan

gobacktoElisa’shouseand

dothis.”

Aftertalkingwith

Stoneandconvincinghimwe

hadtodothisrightaway,I

calledElisaandarranged

anothermeeting.Itwasa

goodthingshewasso

understanding.Iwalkedover

tothewindowtocheck

outside.Therewasstillno

signofMindyorCallahan.I

hadreallymadethemmad

thistime.IwatchedforStone

andhopedthedarkshadow

didn’ttacklemefrombehind.

Everyfewminutes,Ipeeked

overmyshoulder.Thenot

knowingwhenitwouldstrike

wastheworst.

JustwhenIwasready

togiveuponStone,Isawhis

carpullupinfrontofthe

store.Iunlockedthedoor,

hurriedout,andlockedit

backbehindme.Aftera

quickglancearoundfor

CallahanorMindy,Iranto

hiscarandjumpedin.

“Youlooklikehell,”

hesaid.

“Thanks,”Isaidand

motionedahead.“Let’sget

outofhere.”

“Whathappened?”he

asked,ashepulledaway

fromthecurb.

Iexplainedwhathad

transpiredwithCallahanand

theshadowattackingme.

“Ishouldhaveknown

nottoleaveyoualone.This

thingisgettingworse.”Stone

madeaturn.

“Idon’twanttosee

whatit’sfullycapableof,”

Marilynsaidfromtheback

seat.

Weheadedoutofthe

downtownsectiontowardthe

house.Cloudsformedinthe

distance,asifanomenof

whatwastocome.

EverythingIsawintown

remindedmeofeither

MindyorCallahan.HadI

ruinedourfriendships?

“Youknow,Ithink

thatcarmightbefollowing

us?”Stonesaid.

Iadjustedtheside

mirrorforabetterview.“The

blackone?”

“Yeah,that’sthe

one.”

“I’llkeepaneyeon

it.”Rogerleanedforwardin

theseat.

“Idon’tthinkso,”I

said.“Whywouldanyonebe

followingus?It’snotlikethe

demoncandrive.”

“Itcan’tdrive,can

it?”Rogerasked.

“No,ofcoursenot.

Unlessithastakenover

someone’sbody.”

“Youmeanpossessed

them?”Marilyn’svoiceshot

up.

Inodded.“Yeah.

Somethinglikethat.”

Thatgotmethinking,

butIshookoffthethought.

Wefinallyarrivedat

Elisa’shouse.StoneandI

hurriedtothefrontdoorwith

theghostsrightbehindus.I

halfwayhadthoughtthey

mightstayinthecar.Ikept

thinkingthat,butitnever

happened.WhydidIkeep

thinkingthat?NowthatI

thoughtaboutitthathadbeen

asillythought.ButIknew

theydidn’twanttoencounter

thespiritagain.IfidgetedasI

waitedforElisatoanswer.A

breezepickedupand

whisperedacrossmyskin.A

restlessnessfoldedoverme.

Wasthisasignofwhatwas

tocome?Finally,sheopened

andletusin.

Whenshesawthe

expressiononmyfaceshe

said,“Diditgetworse?”

“Yes,itattackedme

again.Ihavetodothisnow.I

can’twaitanylonger.”

“Itriedtoexplainshe

shouldhaveagoodplanfirst,

butshewon’tlisten.”Stone’s

mouthtwisteddownatthe

corners.

“Thereisn’ttime,”I

said.

“Larueneverlistens,”

Rogersaid.

“That’strue,”James

addedsarcastically.

Irushedovertothe

spotwheretheportalwas

located.

“Isitstillthere?”

Marilynasked.

“Ifeelit.Doyoufeel

it?”IaskedStonewhenhe

walkedover.

Henodded.“Yes,it’s

stillthereandevenmore

powerfulthanever.It’s

feedingoffsomething.”

Itookadeepbreath

forcourage.“Ithinkit’sus.”

Hetouchedmyarm

gently,justwhenI’dneeded

itthemost.“You’reprobably

right.”

“Well,it’stimetoget

started.”Imovedovertothe

spotonthefloorandstood

rightontopofit.Ihopedthe

darkshadowwasstill

attachedtome.

Rogerreachedformy

arm,but,ofcourse,he

couldn’tactuallytouchme.

“Larue,Idon’twantyouto

dothis.”

“It’llbeokay,”Isaid,

tryingtoreassurehim.

Ihadnoideahe

wouldcaresomuch.Maybe

hewasn’tsuchanannoying

teenagerafterall.

“Yes,Larue,Idon’t

wantyoutodothis.”Marilyn

frowned.Shedidn’tdothat

often.

Thepresencecircled

methen.Iknewthatthedark

shadowwasaroundme.As

muchasIhatedtoadmitit,

thiswasagoodthingthis

timebecauseIcouldtakeit

intotheportal.

“Itwantstokeepyou

intheportalonceyouget

there.”Stone’sbrowwrinkled

withworry..

“That’swhyIhaveto

makesurethatdoesn’t

happen.”Ipushedmy

shouldersback.

Heshookhishead.“I

hopeitworkslikeyouhave

planned.”

Didn’tanyonehave

anyfaithinmyabilities?

Okay,soIhadabitofdoubt,

too,butifIletthathesitation

stopmeeverytimeIwanted

todosomething,Imightnot

evergetanythingdone.

“Okay,thisisit.Wish

meluck,everyone,”Isaid,

tryingtoofferasmile.

Icalledouttothe

spirittoguidemeintothe

portal.“Comeandgetme.

Takemewithyou.”Nothing

washappening,though.

Ifthisdidn’twork,I

didn’tknowwhatIwoulddo.

“Okay,I’mcoming

withyou,”Rogersaidashe

movedovernexttome.

Hewasnowstanding

withmeintheportal’s

entrance.

“LetRogergowith

you.Idon’twantyoutodo

thisalone,”Stonesaid.

“Whatareyou

doing?”Iasked.

“Ican’tletyoudothis

byyourself.”Rogerwinkedat

meandsmiled.

“Oh,Idon’tknowifI

canwatchthis.”Marilyn

coveredhereyeswithher

hand.

Ismiled.“Thankyou,

Roger.”

Ireallyhadn’twanted

togointherealone.Itwas

nicetoknowIwouldhave

someonewithme.Evenifit

wasRoger.Nomatter,my

stomachwastwistedinto

knots.

Stonerushedoverto

me.Hegrabbedmyarmsand

pulledmeclosetohisbody.

BeforeIknewwhatwas

happeninghe’dplacedhis

lipshardagainstmine.With

anurgency,hekissedme.It

wasafullcontact,wet-lipped,

tongue-probingkiss.Theway

hismouthmovedacrossmine

wasrawandunapologetic.

Nottomentionsexy.When

hefinallyreleasedme,Istood

thereinadaze.Whatjust

happened?Whyhadhedone

that?Wasitlikesomekindof

lastkiss,asifIwasgoing

awayandhewouldneversee

meagain?Iwasfreakedout

morethanevernow.

“Whydidyoudo

that?”Iasked.

Stoneshrugged.“I

justfeltlikeitwassomething

Iwantedtodo.”

He’dseemedso

reservedandenigmatic.Isaw

himinadifferentlightnow.

“Thisreallyisn’tthe

timeforyoualltohavethis

conversation,”Rogersaid.

Thekidhadapoint.

I’dhavetoaskStoneabout

thislater.Withthewayhe

kissedmethough,Iwasn’t

suretherewouldbealater.I

hadtopushthatthoughtout

ofmymind.Nowwasnotthe

timetoreflectonthoughtsor

feelings.

“We’llseeyouonthe

otherside,”Rogersaidto

everyoneashepulledmeinto

theportal.

Thesuckingmotion

pulledonmeandthena

swooshsoundaswewent

inside.Darknessencircledus

atfirstandIdidn’tsee

anything.Then,abrightlight

suddenlyappeared.Justas

quicklyasitappeared,it

dimmed.Icouldsee,but

everythingwasmurky.It

wouldbehardtofindour

wayaroundinthere.I

couldn’tbelieveIwasdoing

this.

“Wheredowego

now?”Rogerasked.

Iwashopinghe

wouldhaveasuggestion,but

thenagain,thiswasmyidea.

Outfromtheshadows,Isaw

theotherspirits.Theywere

allaroundus.Icouldn’tmake

outanyfeatures.Theywere

justshadows,unlikewhatI

sawwiththeghostswho

lookedlikelivingpeople.

“Doyouseethem?”I

askedRoger.

“Iseewhateverthey

are,”hewhispered.

“They’rethedark

shadows.Ithinkthey’rethe

onesIsawattheother

house.”

“Howdoyouknow?”

heasked.

“Becausetheyallput

offadifferentenergyand

withthatcomesandimagein

mymind.Theyallhavea

uniqueimage.”

“Aretheyallevil?”he

asked.

Hisvoicewassosoft,

itwasalmostasifhedidn’t

wanttoknow.Itwasunlike

Rogertobesosubdued.He

wouldneveradmittobeing

scared,though.Ithoughtit

wasprettytoughofhimto

volunteertocomewithme.

Hedidn’thavetodothat.

“Yes,theyareallevil

ones.Somemoresothan

others.”

“Canyoupointout

thereallybadonessoIcan

avoidthem?”

“Let’sjusthurryup

andgetoutofhere,”Isaid.

“Actasifyoudon’tsee

them.”

“It’skindofhardto

dothat,”hesaidoutofthe

cornerofhismouth.

Wemovedfurther

intotheportal.Myfearwas

quicklyrising.Themore

shadowsthatappeared,the

morefearfulIbecame.I

didn’tevenknowifwewere

goingintherightdirection.I

assumedifIwalkedina

straightlinewhenIentered,I

wouldmakeittotheexit.

However,withthedark,it

washardtoknowwhereI

was.Itwasdisorienting.

“Howwillweknow

whenwereachtheexit?”

Rogerasked.

Iwasafraidhewas

goingtoaskthat.

“Ireallydon’tknow,”

Isaid,keepingmyeyeson

thespirits.

Sofar,theywere

simplywatchingus.

Sincetheyhadno

faces,wecouldn’tseethem

watchingusdirectly,butI

knewthatwaswhattheywere

doing.

“Whatdoyoumean?

Larue,Ithoughtyouhada

plan.”

“Well,itwasn’texact.

IknewIwouldhaveto

improviseonceIgotinhere.

Beforeweworryabout

gettingoutofhere,Ihaveto

makesurethespiritishere

withus.Sofar,Idon’tsense

it.Ifit’snothere,thenwe

haveaproblem.Allofthis

willbefornothing.Andwe

mightbetrappedinherefor

good.”

“Larue,stoptelling

methebadstuffplease.So,

whatdrawsthespirittoyou?”

Rogerasked.

“TheonlywayIknow

todothatisforittothinkI

amscared.Itfeedsoffthe

fear.”

RogerandItalkedas

wewalked.

“So,youneedtoact

likeyou’reterrified?”

Thespiritswere

inchingclosertousnow,soI

figureditwouldn’tbetoo

difficulttoactafraid.They

weremakingmeterrified.I’d

triedtoactasifIwasn’t,but

nowIneededforthespiritto

sensemyfear.Iletdownmy

guardandgaveintothe

alarmandpanic.Myheart

rateincreasedandmylegs

andhandsshook.

ThatwaswhenI

sensedthespirit.Itsdark

emotionssurroundedme.

Suddenly,hopelessness

overwhelmedmeandthen

thatfeelingturnedtofear.

“It’shere,”I

whispered.

“Where?”Roger

asked.

“Ithinkit’sbehind

me.”

Heslowlylookedover

myshoulder,bythe

expressiononhisfaceI

figureditwasdefinitelyback

there.

“Justkeepwalking,”I

said.“WhenItellyoutorun,

thendoit,okay?”

Henodded.“Gotit.”

HowwouldIever

outrunthedarkshadow?

Wouldtheothershadows

stopme?WouldIevenreach

theexit?Ididn’tknowifI

wasgoingintheright

direction.

Sincetheshadows

wereclosinginonus,Iknew

itwastimeforustorun.

“Go,”Iyelledto

Roger.

Imovedmylegsas

fastasIcould.Weranfor

whatseemedlikeforever.

“What’shappening?

Whereistheexit?”Roger

asked.

Hesoundedas

panickedasIfelt.Icouldn’t

eventhinkstraight.Thedark

shadowwasrightbehindme

now.NottomentionIwas

beginningtofeellight

headed.

“Ithinkwe’rein

trouble,”Rogersaid.

Hewasright,butI

couldn’tallowmyselfto

admitit.Thisdarkshadow

wasgoingtogetmysoul

afterall.Ihadbroughtmy

soultohim.Hedidn’teven

havetoworktogetit.When

theexitdidn’tcomeinto

view,Iknewwewerelost.I

couldn’tstoptochecknow.I

glancedtomyleftandthento

myright.Ihadtomakea

decision.DidIkeeprunning

forwardordidIturntoeither

side?Imadeadecisionto

keeprunningforward.At

leastforalittlewhilelonger.

Rogerdidn’taskwhatIwas

doing,hejustkeepfollowing

me.Ididn’twanttobealone

rightnow.

“Howwillwefindthe

wayoutofhere?”Roger

asked.

“We’llhavetofinda

way.”

Ididn’thavean

answerforRoger.Rogermust

haverealizedthatIdidn’t

knowwhatIwasdoing.Ifelt

theshadowonme.Itwould

probablyreachoutandgrab

meatanymoment.MaybeI

shouldhavelistenedtoStone,

butwhatotherchoicedidI

have?HowlongwouldStone

waitbeforehestartedto

realizeIcouldn’tfindmy

way?Wouldhetrytorescue

us?Ihopedhedidn’ttryto

comeinhere,too.Hewould

onlygetlost.

ThatwaswhenIsaw

thelight.Oh,thankgoodness!

Maybethiswasthewayout.

Now,Ijusthadtokeepup

mystrengthlongenoughto

makeittotheexit.Mylegs

werestartingtoshakeeven

moreandIdidn’tknowhow

muchlongerIcouldpresson.

Iwasalreadystartingtoslow

down.

“Roger,areyoudoing

okay?”Iasked.

“I’mokay.What

aboutyou?”Hisvoicewas

strained.

Ilied.“I’mfine.”The

lightgrewbrighteruntilit

washardtoseeanythingelse

aroundus.Ididn’tknowif

thiswastrulythewayout.

Chapter24

EventhoughI

couldn’tseetheother

shadowsanymore,thedark

onewasbehindmestill.My

sixthsensewarnedmeofthe

approachingdanger,butIfelt

helplesstostopit.Icouldn’t

gooutifitwasstillfollowing

me.Yet,Ididn’tknowwhat

todotomakethethingstop.

Thiswasn’tworkingoutlike

Ihadplanned.BeforeIhad

timetothinkofwhattodo

next,ablowtomyback

forcedmeforward.I

stumbledasagroanescaped

mylips.I’dbeenkickedin

theback.Agrowlechoed

aroundme.Theshadowhad

attackedmefrombehind.Its

icypresencewasallaround

me.Itwasovertakingme,no

doubttotakemysoul.I

swungmyarms,onlyhitting

theair.Iwasdefenselessto

stopit.AllIcouldthinkabout

rightnowwasmyfamilyand

friendsandparticularlythe

wayI’dleftthingswith

CallahanandMindy.

WouldIeverseethem

again?

Rogercalledoutmy

name.Iwasn’tevensure

wherehewasnow.The

darknesssurroundedme,

blockingoutthelight.Roger

calledmynameagain.That

waswhenIspottedpopsof

lightbreakingthroughthe

dark.Washetryingtohelp?I

didn’tthinktherewas

anythinghecoulddo.The

darkshadowwasalotmore

powerfulthanhim.I

shouldn’thaveletRoger

comeinherewithme.Itwas

toolatenow,though.I

wantedtotellRogerifhesaw

thewayouttogoforit.He

didn’twanttogettrappedin

hereforeverwithme.

Thefaceofthedark

shadowflashedbeforeme.I

recognizeditastheoneI’d

seenatthebookstore.This

wasnomanthough.Itwasa

demonicmonster,tryingto

taketheimageofahuman.It

wouldn’tworkthough.Its

eyesglowedgreenandits

blacklipscurledback

revealingfangs.Itshands

weremorelikeclawsandthe

facewaselongated,makingit

lookasifthisthingwas

melting.Therewasnowayit

couldgetridofthedarkness.

Justlookingatitmakemy

skincrawl.

Thingsweregetting

fuzzierthelongerthisthing

attackedme.Itfeltasificy

handshadgrippedmyarms.

Thegrowlingcontinuedand

thenitfeltasifclawsran

acrossmyskin.Anotherhit

struckme.Thisonewasa

blowtothestomach.Ithad

knockedthewindoutofme

andrattledmywholebody.It

washardtoeventhink

straight.Someonecalledout

mynameagain.But,thistime

Ididn’tthinkitwasRoger.It

wasdefinitelymale,butit

wassofarawayIcouldn’t

tellwhoitwas.Maybeitwas

thedarkshadowscallingout

myname.Iwasonthe

groundofthisportal

whereverthatwas.Italmost

feltasifIwasfloating.I

couldn’tletitendthisway.I

hadtoatleasttrytofight

untiltheveryend.

Imovedmyarms

forwardandpushedonthe

shadow,tryingtobreakfree.

IfIcouldgetthrough,then

maybetherewasachanceto

getawayfromthisthing.I

pushedwithmyfeetand

somehowmanagedtogetup.

Itriedtomovetowardwhere

Ithoughttheexitwas,butit

wasasifthisthingwas

suckingmeback.Iwas

consumedbythedark

shadow.Usingallthe

strengththatIcouldmuster,I

pushedforward,butstumbled

andthenthelightappeared

onceagain.

“Roger,areyou

there?”Icalledout.

“Larue,Ithoughtyou

weregoneforgood.I’mright

here,”hesaid.

Roger’sfaintoutline

appearedtomyright.

“Wehavetokeep

movingandgetoutofhere,”I

said.

Themissionwasn’t

workingandIneededtoget

outoftherebeforeitwastoo

late.I’donlygottenashort

distancewhenthedark

shadowsurroundedmeagain.

Thechillofitspresenceslid

overmybody.

“No!”Rogeryelled

out.

Icouldn’tbelievethis

thinghadgottenmeagain.I

wasn’tsurewhyIhadn’t

realizedIwasmakingit

easierforthedarkshadowto

continuetoattackmeby

showingmyfear.Ihadtobe

toughagain.Itwastimefor

metoshowthisthingwhatI

wasmadeof.

“Neverunderestimate

me,demon,”Isaid.

Ifloodedmymind

withpositivethoughtsand

toldmyselftherewasnothing

tobeafraidof.Thisthing

couldn’tcontrolmeandthere

wasnothingitcoulddoto

me.Ipushedforwardagain,

butsomeonegrabbedme

frombehind.Thisfeltlikea

livingpersonwithasolid

touch.Iknewbythesizethis

wasaman,butIstillcouldn’t

see.Thebrightlight

surroundedusagain.Without

sayingaword,werushed

ahead.Ionlyhopedthiswas

therightdirection.Butwhat

ifthiswasn’tarealperson

whohadme.Ithadtobe,

right?

Nospiritcoulddo

that.Wemovedintothelight.

Thebrightglowgrewdimmer

andsmalleraswemoved.It

feltasifwewerefalling.This

personhadatightholdon

me.Thetouchfeltfamiliar,

butIcouldn’tsee.Iwasstill

groggyfromthefightwith

thedarkshadow.Thewind

whippedarounduslikea

tornadoanditfeltasifwe

werefallingevenfasternow.

WherewasRoger?Hadhe

cometoo?

“Roger,whereare

you?”Itriedtocallout.

ItwassoloudthatI

knewhewouldn’thearme.

Thelightgrewdim

untilitwastotallygonenow.

Thespacewasclosinginon

us.Thenoisewasdeafening

andsuddenly,Ihitsomething

hard.Igroanedandopened

myeyes.Iwasonthefloor

againlookingupatthe

ceiling.

BonnieandBethany

racedovertome.“Larue,are

youokay?”

Actually,Ididn’t

knowifIwasornot.Aslong

asIwasoutoftheportal,

thenIwasbetterthanIhad

been.Whohadhelpedmeout

oftherethough?Iremained

onmybackonthefloor.

“I’mfine.”Isatup

andlookedtomyright.

Callahansawmeand

pushedtohisfeet.

“Whatareyoudoing

here?”Iasked.

“Icametogetyou

out.”Herushedoverand

huggedme.“Areyouokay?”

Tearsformedinthe

cornersofmyeyes.Nowwas

notthetimetocry.“I’m

fine,”Imumbledintohis

chestasheheldmetight.I

leanedbackandpeeredupat

him.“Ican’tbelieveyou

wentinthere.”

“Stonedidn’twantme

to.Hewasgoinginafteryou,

butItoldhimhehadtobe

theretoclosetheportal.”

“Youknowaboutthe

portal?”Iasked.

Callahannodded.

“Hewasn’tsupposed

todothat,”Isaid.“Howdid

youknowwherewewere?”

“MindyandI

followedyou,”Callahansaid.

“Thatwasyouinthe

blackcar?Whosecarwas

that?”

“Iborrowedmy

employee’scar,”hesaid.“I

didn’twantyoualltoknowit

wasmebehindyou.”

“WhereisMindy?”I

askedinapanic.“Shedidn’t

gointhere,didshe?”

Hepushedthehair

awayfrommyface.“Don’t

worry,she’swithStone.”

“Thatremindsme,I

havetoclosetheportal.

WhereisRoger?”Ilookedto

myleft.

Rogerwavedashe

stoodtheresmiling.“I’m

righthere.”

“Thankgoodness

you’reokay,”Isaid.

AsIgottomyfeet,I

wasneverhappiertoseea

ghost.

“Bethany,doyou

wanttohelpmedothespell

toclosetheportal?”Iasked.

“I’mnotsureIknow

whattodo.I’mnewtoallof

this…remember?”sheasked.

“Don’tworry,I’lltell

youeverythingwehaveto

do.”

Shestaredatmefora

moment,hereyeswide,and

thenshefinallysaid,“Yes,

I’lldoit.Justgiveme

instructions.”

“Youneedtostand

withmeundertheportal.We

havetoholdhands.Callahan

canhelp,too.”Imotionedfor

themtocomeclose.

“Youwillhaveto

instructme,”Callahansaid.

Wejoinedhands

underneaththeportalsowe

couldcastthespellthat

wouldhopefullycloseoffthis

exitforgood.

“Doingthespell

won’tbeeasy.Youhaveto

concentrateonthewordsI’m

saying.”

Ihopedthiswas

correctandthespellMelanie

hadgivenmewouldwork.

Usually,thespellsinthepast

hadrequiredcandlesand

herbs.Thisonewasjustwith

wordsandourenergy.The

mostimportantthingwasfor

metoremainincontrol.I

couldn’tshowfear.

“Closetheentryinto

thisworld,nevertobe

openedagain.Spiritsgo

away,thisentryissealed

forever.”Irepeatedthis

severaltimeswithCallahan

andBethanysayingthewords

withme.

Astheincantationleft

mylips,theenergyzoomed

throughtheair.Ithadtobe

working.Thepowerfeltso

strongIthoughtImightfall

tothefloor.JustasIthoughtI

couldn’tstanditanylonger,

thefeelingstartedtofade.

Soon,ithadevaporatedand

theairreturnedtonormal.At

leasttheheavinessI’dfelt

beforehaddissipated.That

hadtomeansomething,

right?

“Doyouthinkit

worked?”Bethanywhispered.

“Idon’tthinkwewill

knowforsometime.”Istared

atthespotwheretheportal

hadbeen.

Theenergysubsided

oncewestoppedthespelland

thefeelingIhadgottenabout

theportalwasn’tthereany

longer.Itookthatasagood

sign.

“Fingerscrossedthat

we’resafenow,”Isaidsoftly.

“We’lljusthavetowaitto

seewhathappensandkeepon

alerttoseeifthedarkshadow

comesback.”

Callahankissedmy

cheek.“Youdidagreatjob,

Larue.”

“Ineedtoseewhat’s

happeningontheotherside

becauseiftheydon’tgetthat

closed,thenthiscouldcause

abigproblem.They’llall

comeoutontheotherside.I

wouldhatetodothatto

Elisa.”

Callahanhandedme

hiscellphone.“Here,give

himacall.”

Ismiled.“Thank

you.”

Hewinked.“Anything

foryou.”

IdialedStone’s

number.Icouldn’tbelieveI

actuallyrememberedit.

Unfortunately,Stonedidn’t

answerthecall.

“Ileftamessage,”I

saidasIhandedthephone

backtoCallahan.

“Whatdowedo

now?”Bonnieasked.

“Wehavetodrive

overthereandseewhat’s

happening.But,Idon’thave

acar.Callahandoesn’thave

hiseither.”

“I’lldriveyou,”

Bonniesaid.“Comeon,let’s

go.”

“Thankyoufor

everything,Bonnie,”Isaidas

wegotintohercar.

Shestartedtheengine.

“Ishouldthankyou.”

Callahan’sstrong

presencebesidemeinthe

backseatwascomforting.We

madetheshortdriveoverto

theotherhouse.Stone’scar

wasstillinthedriveway.We

gotoutandwalkedtothe

door.Iknocked,butIwas

reallyimpatienttoseewhat

wasgoingoninthere.Itwas

kindofstrangelyquiet.My

anxietywasatanall-time

high.Nooneansweredthe

doorandthathadme

terrified.WherewasStone?

WherewasMindy?Where

weretheotherghostsforthat

matter?Whennoone

responded,Itwistedtheknob.

Surprisingly,itwasunlocked,

soIturnedandpushedthe

dooropen.

Westeppedintothe

houseandimmediatelyI

peereddownthehallway,but

didn’tseeanyone.

“Theywereherewhen

youleft,right,Callahan?”I

asked.

Heheadedtowardthe

endofthehallway.“Yes,we

weredownthereatthe

entrancetotheportal.”

Irushedovertothe

spot.Itfeltdifferentthanit

hadwhenwewerefirsthere;

asifitwasnolongeraportal.

Stonemusthavecompletedit

andclosedtheportal,but

whereiseveryone?Even

Elisawasn’taround.

“Youcheckoutthe

houseonthatsideandI’llgo

overhere.”Callahan

gestured.

BethanyandBonnie

walkedtowardtheupstairs.

“We’llcheckup

there,”Bonniesaid.

Iwasn’tsureif

separatingwassuchagreat

idea,butitwastheonlyway.

Aftersearchingaroundthe

insidethehouse,Icouldn’t

findanyone,noteven

MarilynorJames.Thathad

mereallyconcerned.Imet

Callahanatthefrontofthe

houseagain.Bonnieand

Bethanycamedownthe

stairs.

“Wheredowelook

now?”Iasked.

SinceIcouldn’tsense

theportal,Ididn’tknowwhat

exactlyhadhappened.What

ifthey’dgottenclosetoitor

ifsomethinghadhappened

whenIclosedtheotherside.

“Weshouldgo

outsideandlookforthem,”

Callahansaid.

Ididn’thaveany

otherideasastowhattodo,

soIwouldhavetogivethata

try.Ihadnocluewhythey

would’vegoneoutside.We

filedoutthedoorandthen

wentaroundthehouse.

Unfortunately,wedidn’tsee

anysignofthem.Evenmore

puzzlingwasStone’scarwas

stillinthedriveway.

Wecamebackaround

tothefront.

“Whatdowedo

now?”Bonnieasked.

Ireleasedadeep

breathandthensaid,“Idon’t

know.Ihavetofigureout

wheretheywent.”

“Callahan,canIuse

yourphoneagain?Iwantto

dialMindy’snumberandsee

ifIcanreachher.”

Callahanhandedme

thephoneandIimmediately

dialedMindy’snumber.

Mindydidn’tanswerthe

phoneeither,andnowIreally

waspanicking.

“Juststaycalm,”

Callahansaid.

Iwouldtry,butthat

waseasiersaidthandone.

Chapter25

“Didyouhearthat?”I

asked.

BethanyandBonnie

shooktheirheads.

Callahanasked,

“Whatdiditsoundlike?”

“IthoughtIheard

someonecallmyname.”

Wemovedaroundto

thesideofthehouseagain.I

spottedMarilynandJames

standinginthemiddleofthe

backyard.Theydidn’tnotice

wewerewatchingthem.Iran

overtothem.WhenMarilyn

spottedmeahugesmile

spreadacrossherface,but

worryfilledhereyes.

“Wethoughtwehad

lostyouforever,”shesaid

whenIreachedher.

“It’sokay,I’mhere

now.Iwouldn’tleaveyouall

forgood,”Isaid.

“Thankgoodnessyou

cameback,”Marilynsaid.

“WhereisStoneand

Mindy?”Iasked.

Jamesshrugged.“We

don’tknow.Wehaven’tseen

them.Idon’tthinkit’svery

niceofthemtoleaveus

here.”

Theycould’vegone

withStone.Iwasn’tsurewhy

Jameswassoupset.

“Doyouknowwhich

directiontheywent?”Iasked.

Marilynwavedher

hand.“Theygotinthecar

andtookoff.”

Yeah,thatstilldidn’t

tellmemuchofwherethey

wentto.“Butwhosecardid

theytake?”

“Theyleftinthe

Elisa’scar.”

“Wastheresomething

wrongwithStonethathe

couldn’tdrive?”Iasked.

“Iguesshewastoo

groggyanddazedfrom

whateverhewastryingto

do.”

ApparentlyIwasn’t

goingtogetmuchmore

informationoutofthem.I

didn’tknowifheactually

closeduptheportalorwhat.

“Istillcan’tbelieve

theyleftushere,”Jamessaid,

obviouslystillupset.

“What’simportantis

I’mherenowandwe’re

togetheragain.”

Icouldn’tbelieveI’d

justsaidthat.GladIwaswith

ghosts?WhatwasIthinking?

Iwonderedwhatwas

wrongthatmadeStone,

Mindy,andElisatakeofflike

that.Hadtheybeensoscared

thattheywantedtogetoutof

thehouseimmediately?

“Canyoutellmewhat

happened?”IaskedMarilyn.

“Didthedarkshadowscome

outoftheportal?”

“Idon’tthinkso,”she

said.“HowwouldIknow?”

“I’mprettysureyou

wouldhaveseenthem,”I

said.

“Don’tworry,Larue,

I’msurethey’reokay,”

Callahanreassuredme.

“Yes,trynottothink

theworst,”Bonniesaid.

Ialwaysthoughtthe

worst.Itwasmynatural

instincttodothat.Ihopedit

wasn’tanythingbad,butI

wasalmostafraidtofindout

whathadtranspiredtomake

themleave.Standinghere

wasn’tgoingtohelp,soI

neededtofindoutwherethey

went.Ihadtogoafterthem

andseeiftheyneededmy

help.DidStonejustgetsick

ofallofthisandtakeoff?

WhywouldMindyandElisa

gowithhim?

“Areyousurethey

didn’tsaywheretheywere

going?Anyhintofwhere

theymayhavetakenoffto?”

Iasked.

“No,wewenttothe

frontroombecauseIcouldn’t

standwatchingeverything.It

wastoostressful,sowhenwe

wentbackintothehallway

wesawtheyhadgone.We

cameoutsidetolookfor

them,buttheywerelong

gone.”

“Whatshouldwedo

now?”Bonnieasked.

“Wehavetogofind

them.”Iturnedaroundand

headedtowardthefrontofthe

house,motioningfor

everyonetofollowme.

“Comeon,let’sgo.Bonnie,

doyouminddrivingbackto

yourhouse?Maybetheywent

there.”

IwassureBonnie

wouldbemorethanhappyto

gethomeandprobablyaway

fromme.

“Sure,wecango

whereveryouneedtogoto,

Larue.”

CallahanandIgot

intothebackseat,while

BonnieandBethanywerein

thefront.Rogerwassitting

betweenCallahanandme.

JamesandMarilynwere

standingonthesidewalkwith

scowlsontheirfaces.

“Whataboutus?”

Jamesasked.“Wealwaysget

leftbehind.”

Marilynplacedher

handsonherhips.“Yeah,

whataboutus?Weare

comingwithyou.Yousaid

youweren’tgoingtoleaveus

here.”

Thisthingwiththe

carswithmakingitvery

inconvenient.

“There’snotroom

enough,”Isaid.

Theirunwillingnessto

useanyoftheirsupernatural

powerswasastonishingto

me.Iknewtheyweren’t

goingtostaybehindthough,

soIknewIhadbetterfigure

outsomethingquickly.Then,

theroarofanenginepulling

upcaughtmyattention.I

lookedovermyshoulderand

said,“Thankgoodness.”

“You’renotgoingto

beabletoleaveusbehind

now,”Jamessaid.

Ijumpedoutofthe

caralongwitheveryoneelse.

StoneandMindyracedoutof

thecartowardus.

Mindyreachedout

andhuggedmetightly.

“Larue,Iamsogladtosee

you.Ithoughtyouweregone

forgoodinthere.”

“I’mfine.Imadeit

out.Callahansavedme.”

Shemovedoverand

huggedhim,too.“I’msoglad

toseebothofyou.”

ImetStone’sgaze.

“Didyougetachanceto

closetheportal?”

Iheldmybreath

waitingforhimtospeak,

prayinghehadtheright

answer.Icouldn’ttellbythe

expressiononhisface.

Heranhishand

throughhishair.“Yes,Ithink

Iclosedit.Whathappenedon

yourside?”

Inodded.“Callahan

gotusoutofthere.Ifithadn’t

beenforhimIdon’tknow

whatwouldhavehappened.

Hesaidyouwantedtocome

inafterme?Thankyou.”

“Iwasjustdoingwhat

neededtobedone.”Asmall

grintwistedthecornerofhis

mouth.

“Justthesame,thanks

forhelpingmewiththis.I

couldn’thavedoneanything

withoutyou.Doyouthinkwe

stoppedthem?”

“Aslongasthey

didn’tgetoutwhenyoudid,

thenIthinkwedid.Iwas

worriedaboutclosingmy

sidewithoutknowingwhat

wasgoingonwithyourend,”

hesaid.

Isawthestrainof

stressonhisface.Nowallwe

coulddowaswaittoseeif

thedemonseverreturned.

Chapter26

Thesunshonebright

thenextday.Therewasn’ta

cloudinthesky.Everything

seemedalotbrighternow

thatthedarkshadowswere

gone.Well,atleastIthought

theywere.Iwasalreadyat

thebookstoreandtheghosts

werestillwithme.Sofar,I

hadn’tseenanysignofthe

darkshadow.And,theones

followingBethanyaround

seemedtohavegoneaway,

too.Itlookedasifourplan

hadworked.Stonehad

doubtedme,butIhadproved

himwrong.Now,Iwondered

whattheghostswoulddo?

Wouldtheystickaround?

Iwasn’ttakingany

chanceswiththedark

shadowsthough.Ihadtodo

somethingtoatleastkeep

themawayfrommyhome

andbookstore.After

encounteringtheevilentity

andknowingwhatitwas

capableof,Idecidedtousea

bitofmagic.Ineededaward

aroundtheplacetokeepthe

badthingsaway.I’ddoneit

severaltimes,butthespells

potencyfadedwithtime.I’d

justgivetheplacealittle

refresher.Ididthespellby

myself,somaybeIwasn’t

evendoingitcorrectly,

althoughitdidseemtohelp

forawhile.

“Whatareyoudoing,

Larue?Tryingtoburnthe

placedown?”Rogerwaved

hishandsacrossthe

flickeringflameofthecandle.

Surprisingly,hewas

abletoproduceanicesize

windforaghost.Theflame

dancedabit,butdidn’tgo

out.

“I’mcastingaspellto

keepthebadspiritsaway.”

“It’salittlelatefor

that,don’tyouthink?”He

smirked.

Iflashedhimoneof

thosesmirkshe’dbeengiving

mefordays.“Thespirits

couldcomeback.Duh.”

Hismouthtwistedto

oneside,asifhecouldn’t

believeI’dtalkedtohimthat

way.Isprinkledtheginger

intothewater.Thiswas

supposedtobanishtheevil.

“Protectthisspace

fromevilspirits.Oneswith

badintentionsmaynotenter.

Stopthematthedoor.Protect

thisspacefromevilspirits.

Somoteitbe.”Irepeatedthe

wordsseveraltimes.

Marilynsighed.“I

hopeitworks,Larue.You’ve

dealtwithenoughbadfora

lifetime.”

Iknewthespell

wouldn’tlastforever,butit

wasbetterthannothing.Ijust

neverknewwhenanotherbad

onewouldbewaitingforme.

Mindybreezed

throughthedoorwiththe

usualspringinherstep,

poisedtoaskmetocometo

classtonight.Sheworeher

workoutgearofblacktank

andblackyogapantswith

brightpinksneakers.Ineeded

abreakafterwhatI’dbeen

doingwiththeportal.Istill

didn’thaveallmyenergy

back.IdoubtedMindywould

buythatexcuseandallowme

toskipZumbathough.Mindy

heldupthebagofblueberry

doughnuts.Thatwasusually

thesignthatmeantIwas

headedforclassthatnight.

“Ibroughtyou

doughnuts,”shesaidina

sing-songyvoice.

Iimmediatelypulled

oneoutofthebagandsunk

myteethintoit,acceptingher

bribeofsweets.

“Wow,takingonthe

demonsmust’vereally

increasedyourappetite.You

needatroughorsomething.”

Ilaughed.“Hey,you

bringmemyfavorite

doughnuts,whatdoyou

expect?And,yes,fighting

evilisalotofwork.Ineed

myenergy.”

Mindygesturedwitha

tiltofherhead.“So,arethey

stillhere?”

“We’rerightbehind

you,babe,”Rogersaid.

Hewasfeelingreally

machosincehe’dgoneinto

theportalwithme.

Imotionedtothem

withatiltofmyhead.

Mindyglancedover

hershoulder.Marilynwaved

andRogerwinked.Jamesjust

lookedlikehisusualgrumpy

oldself.

“Whataboutthedark

spirits?Haveyouseenanyof

them?”Mindyasked.

“No,thankgoodness,

Ithinkthey’regonefor

good.”

“Whatabout

Callahan?Isheokay?”

Mindyasked.

“Thingsarebackto

normalwithhim,too.”I

smiled.

“Hewasreallyupset

afterwhathappened.”She

pickedattheedgeofher

doughnut.

“Idon’tevenwantto

thinkaboutit.I’mgladit’sin

thepastnow.”

“Aretheystillbehind

me?”Mindywhisperedasshe

glancedovershoulder.

“No,they’reoverby

thewindowtalking.It

appearsthey’reinadeep

conversation.Idon’tknow

whatthey’replanning.”I

narrowedmyeyes.“Yes,

they’redefinitelyplanning

something.”

“Youdon’tknow

whatthey’regoingtodo

aboutgoingintothelight?”

Mindyasked.

Ishookmyhead.“No.

Theyactasiftheyaren’t

readytogoanywhere.”

Marilynwasnolonger

wearinghericonicdress.

WhenIaskedherwhy,she

saidshedecidedshewanted

tobeherself,whichmeant

casualjeansandababyblue

sweater.Shelookedmore

relaxedandatease.

“Whatwillyoudo

withthem?”Mindyasked.

Ilookedtowardthe

frontoftheroomtomake

suretheyweren’tlistening.

Theghostswerestill

engrossedintheirown

conversation. “Well,I

usuallywaitforthemto

decidewhentheywantto

leave.That’sworkedinthe

past.Now,I’mnotsosure.If

theydon’tdecidetogo,I’ll

havetotrytopersuadethem

toleave.”

“Or,youcouldlet

themstayaround,”Mindy

saidandthentookanother

biteofdoughnut.

“Great,butwhatwillI

dowhenmoreghosts

enviablyshowup?”Iasked.

Mindychewedand

thensaid,“Youhaveapoint.

Maybetheycouldhangout

hereinthebookstorewhen

thenewghostsappear.”

“So,they’dbe

hauntingthebookstore?”I

asked.

Mindyshrugged.

“Yeah,whynot?Theywere

hauntingotherlocations

beforetheymetyou.Whynot

justhaunthere?”

Itookanotherbite

whileIponderedthethought.

“Thatwouldbetoomany

ghostsformetotalkto.They

takealotofenergy.Plus,

theywouldneverstayhere.

Theyfollowmehome.

Insteadofthecrazycatlady,

I’mthecrazyghostlady.”

“Yeah,Iguessyou’re

rightaboutthat.”Sheglanced

atthemagain.“But,theydo

actasifthey’restaying,don’t

they?”

Thedooropenedand

grabbedourattention.

Mindy’sdadwalked

in.“Hey,ladies!Guess

what?”

MindyandI

exchangedalook.

“Heseemsexcited,”I

said.“What’sgoingon?”

Sheshrugged.“Ihave

noidea.”

Heapproachedthe

counter.Theghostscame

over,too,wantingtoknow

whathehadtosay.

“What’sthebignews,

Dad?”Mindyasked.

“I’mgoingtothe

MarilynMonroemuseumin

Hollywood.Ican’twaitto

seeeverything.”

Marilynmovedcloser

tohim.Hereyeswidened.

“You’regoingtoamuseum

forme?”sheaskedasifhe

couldhearher.

“That’scool.When

doyouleave?”Mindyasked.

“Yes,whendowe

leave?”Marilynasked.

Myeyeswidened.

Mindynoticed,butdidn’task

sinceherfatherwasthere.

“I’mleavingthis

afternoon.”

“Sosoon?Whendid

thishappen?”Mindyasked.

“Afriendofmine

wonacoupleticketsto

Hollywoodwhenheentereda

contest.Someoneelsebacked

out,soheaskedifIwantedto

comealong.Ofcourse,Isaid,

‘yes.’”

“Ofcourse,”Mindy

said.

“IthoughtI’dstopby

andtellyou.”Heleanedover

andkissedMindyonthe

cheek.“I’llbringyoubotha

souvenir.”

“Thanks,Dad.Have

fun.”Mindyseemed

surprisedathissuddentrip.

“Thanks,Mr.

Winters,”Isaid.

“Thanksfor

everything,Larue,butIhave

togowithhim.I’llseeyou

later.”Marilynwaved.

“Marilyn,westill

haveafewchaptersleftinthe

book.”Ipointedtothenovel

onthecounterbesideme.

Aluminoussmilelit

herface.“I’llbearound,

Larue.”

Iwasn’tsurewhat

thatmeant.

“Bye,kid.”Marilyn

winkedatRoger.

“But,Marilyn,you

can’tleaveme.”Heran

towardher.

Shewavedoverher

shoulderasshefollowed

Mindy’sdadoutofthestore.

“Ihavetogo.”

Rogerrushedback

overtomeandwavedhis

handsinfrontofmyface.

“Youhavetostopher.”

“Ican’tdothat,”I

said.“You’llbefinewithout

her.”

“Shewasthegirlof

mydreams,”hesaidina

poutyvoice.

“You’llmetsomeone

else,”Isaid.

Heslumpedhis

shoulders.“Yeah,right.”

JamespattedRogeron

theback.“Larue’sright.

You’llfindsomeoneelse.”

“MarilynMonroejust

leftwithyourdad.”Ibrought

Mindyuptodateonthe

ghostlyactivity.

“You’rekidding?”

Iquirkedaneyebrow.

“WouldIkidabout

somethinglikethat?”

Mindylaughed.“No,I

guessnot.Whydidshego

withhim?”

“Shesaidshewanted

toseethemuseumandgo

backtoHollywood.”

“Well,thatisher

home.Iwonderifshewill

stay.”

“Ihaveafeelingshe

will.”

Mindypickedupher

canofDietCoke.“I’moffto

class.So…I’llseeyou

tonight?”

“What’stonight?”I

frowned.

“Anewclassthatwill

reallyhelpfirmyourbutt.”

Shepattedherbackside.

RogerlaughedandI

glaredathim.

Mindywaved.“See

youthen.”

Ifellbackontothe

stoolbehindme.Butt

firming?Ididn’tlikethat

soundofthat.

Chapter27

Iwasplacingbooks

ontheshelfwhenInoticeda

brightlight.Theglowwasso

intensethatitbouncedoffthe

wallinfrontofme.Iturned

aroundandsawthatthelight

wascomingfromtheceiling.

I’dseenitbeforewiththe

otherghosts.Abeamcame

downtothefloor,growing

wideratthebottom.Whowas

thelightfor?Wasitfor

RogerorJames?Neitherone

hadmentionedanything

aboutleaving.Ithoughtthey

wouldhavetoldmebefore

theyleft.Iwalkedovertothe

counterwhichwascloserto

wherethelighthadappeared.

Jamesturnedtome.In

thatmomentIknewthenthat

itwashimwhohadintentions

ofleaving.

Henodded.“Thanks

foreverything,Larue,it’s

beenfun,butit’stimeforme

togo.”

“I’mconfused,”

Rogersaid.“Whereareyou

going?”

“It’stimetogotothe

nextdimension.”James

motioned.“And,you’re

comingwithme.”

“Iam?”Rogerasked.

Jamesnodded.“Yes,

youare.You’llloveit.I

promiseyouwillmeetagirl

whoyou’lllikeevenbetter

thanMarilynMonroe.”

“Idon’tknowifthat’s

possible,”Rogersaid.

“Justtrustme.”James

placedhisarmaround

Roger’sshoulders.

Rogerfrownedand

said,“I’llmissyou,Larue.”

Iwipedawayatear.

“I’llmissyou,too,Roger.”

Sayinggoodbyewas

alwaysthehardestparteven

thoughIneededthemto

moveon.Igotattachedtothe

ghostswhiletheywerehere.

ThatwaswhenIremembered

Ihadafewunanswered

questionsbeforetheyleft.

“Wait,James.You

nevertoldmewhyyouwere

reallyhere,”Icalledout.

I’dalwaysthought

he’deventuallyreveal

somethingtome,butnowhe

wasleavingwithoutsayinga

word.Didn’thehave

unfinishedbusinesshe

wantedhelpwith?What

aboutRoger?He’dnever

reallysaidwhyhewas

hangingaroundeither.Wasit

tofindthegirlofhisdreams?

Aslysmilespread

acrossJames’face.“I’myour

spiritguide,Larue.”

Iquirkedaneyebrow.

“Whydidn’tyousay

something?”

JameseyedRoger.

“Rogerwassupposedtobe

Stone’sspiritguide,buthe

wasn’tdoingthejob.Now

he’sgoingbackformore

trainingbeforehereturns.”

Mymouthdropped.I

hadn’texpectedthatbitof

information.Rogerstoodby

Jamesandthentheystarted

walkingtowardthelight.It

didn’ttakelonguntilthey

werecompletelyimmersed

withinitandthenthey

disappeared.Withinseconds,

thelightgrewsmallerand

wascompletelygone.Ididn’t

getthealltheanswersthatI

hadwanted.DidStoneknow

Rogerwashisspiritguide?I

knewIhadseveral,butI’d

neverhadoneshowuplike

James.

Thestorewasquiet.

Nocustomershadcomein

yet.Itwasstillearly.Iwasall

aloneonceagain,butthat

probablywouldn’tlastlong.

Itneverdid.Therewas

alwaysaghostnotfaraway

waitingforachancetotalkto

me.Theyjustneeded

someonewhocouldhear

them.Iwasthatperson.Who

knewwhichghostwould

showupnext.Wouldanother

celebrityghostcomeby?

Thathadtostopatsome

point.NotthatImindedatall

becauseitwaskindoffun

andreallycool.

***

Iwaskindofsad

whenIdidn’thaveanyoneto

talktowhileIworked.A

coupleofcustomershad

comeandgoneandIwas

finishinguppaperworkatthe

registerwhenthedoor

announcedanotherarrival.

WhenIglancedup,Ispotted

Stonecomingtowardme.I

knewsomethingwasupby

thelookonhisface.It

seemedlikeeveryonewas

pickingtodaytoleavetown.

Nowthattheparanormaljob

wasover,therewasnoneed

forhimtostay.

“IthoughtIwould

stopbyandthankyoufor

everything.”Stone’ssmile

seemedtocomealoteasier

now.Hisexpressionseemed

somuchlighternowthatthis

wasallbehindus.

“Whydoyouwantto

thankme?Ishouldbe

thankingyou.You’retheone

whohelpedmegetridofthe

darkshadows.”

“Well,technically,

I’mtheonewhocausedthe

darkshadowstobeginwith,”

hesaid.

“I’mnotgoingto

arguewiththat.Youdohave

apointthere.”

Helaughed.“You

aren'tgoingtofightmeon

thatone?Seriously,thanks

foreverything.”

Ismiled.“I’mjust

doingmyjob.”

“Oneyou’regoodat,”

hesaid.“Ifyoueverneed

anything,justletmeknow,

okay?”

Inodded.“Ipromise

I’llgiveyouacall.Ihope

theynevercomeback.WillI

everseeyouagain?”

Hereachedoutand

touchedmyhand,which

caughtmeoffguardbecause

he’dneverdoneanythinglike

thatbefore.Well,otherthan

thewhooperofakisshe’d

plantedonme.

“You’llmost

definitelyseemeagain.I

havesomebusinesstotake

careof,orIwouldn’tleave

now.”

Iwonderedifhis

businesshadanythingtodo

withmoredarkshadows.

“Areyougoingtotalk

toyourmotherbeforeyou

leave?”Iasked.

Itwasnoneofmy

business,butIreallywanted

toknow.

“There’snotimefor

thatnow.I’llhavetodoit

someotherday,”hesaid.

Ireallyhopethathe

meantthatbecauseIfeltlike

heshouldworkoutwhatever

problemstheyhad.

Ipickedatapieceof

paperonthecounter,

wonderingifIshouldbring

upthetopic.

Finally,Isaid,“Why

didyoukissme?”

Hischeeksturned

slightlypink.“Aboutthat…

I’msorry.Ishouldn’thave

donethat.Itwasthesituation.

Iwasn’tthinkingclearly.”

Iwasn’tsureI

believedhim,butwhatelse

couldIsay?

Inodded.“Whereare

yougoing?”

Hestudiedmyface

foramoment,andthensaid,

“Anothersmalltown.”

Itdidn’tseemasifhe

reallywantedtosharethose

details.

Isteppedoutfrom

behindthecounter.“You

havetogivemeahugbefore

yougo.”

Iwrappedmyarms

aroundhim.Hewastenseat

first,butthenherelaxed.He

heldontomeforawhile,as

ifhehadn’thuggedanyonein

alongtime.

Finally,hebrokefree.

“Ihavetogonow.”

WiththatStone

walkedoutthedoor.

IwonderedifIreally

wouldeverseehimagain.

Theend.

AbouttheAuthor

RosePresseyisa

USATodaybestselling

author.Sheenjoyswriting

quirkyandfunnovelswitha

paranormaltwist.The

paranormalhasalways

capturedherinterest.The

thoughtoffindinganswersto

theunexplainedfascinates

her.

Whenshe’snot

writingaboutwerewolves,

vampiresandeveryother

supernaturalcreature,she

loveseatingcupcakeswith

sprinkles,reading,spending

timewithfamily,and

listeningtooldiesfromthe

fifties.

Rosesuffersfrom

PsoriaticArthritisandhas

kneereplacements.Shemight

justsettheworldrecordfor

jointreplacements.She’s

soonhavingherhips

replaced,elbows,andatleast

oneshoulder.

Roselivesinthe

beautifulcommonwealthof

Kentuckywithherhusband,

son,andtwosassy

Chihuahuas.

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