help by and by.
I’m suddenly frightened. Archie, I tell him silently, if someone killed you, please don’t count on me to avenge your death. I’m only eleven and three quarters.
Icy fingers creep along my neck. I scream. The book falls to the floor with a loud thump. Tammy picks it up.
“Sorry, Vannie, I didn’t mean to scare you.”
“You didn’t.”
“Liar,” she says calmly.
“All right, you did.”
“Admit it. You are afraid of ghosts.”
“Not all of them,” I say carefully.
Tammy blinks. While her mind’s scrambling to make sense of my words, I grab her arm and lead her to an empty sitting area. She tries to struggle free, but I hold on harder. I mutter in her ear, “Don’t make one sound if you want me to tell you something important.”
She opens her mouth to squeal, thinks better of it, and plops down in the soft chair. I take one of the smaller chairs and pull it closer. I look around to make sure no one’s within ten feet of us and begin.
CHAPTER FIVE
“Wow!” Tammy says after I’ve told her everything. “This is better than TV! It’s even better than a movie! I’d say it’s the most exciting thing that’s ever happened to me!”
I don’t bother to point out that nothing’s happened to her. “Actually, Archie’s more weird than exciting,” I say. “And I didn’t realize he was a ghost until after he disappeared. But he’s gotten me real curious.”
“Me, too,” Tammy agrees. “I think you’re right when you say he’s not Mayda’s father. But he sure knows a lot about her and Merrymount Gardens.”
“He’s probably a relative,” I say. “There’s that family resemblance.”
“Why don’t you ask Mayda?”
“I can’t.” The words come out with a will of their own as I piece together what I’ve figured out. “I bet Mayda has no idea that Archie haunts MG. She never would have let us move into the cottage if she did.”
“Maybe she told your father and he didn’t want to scare you and Robby.”
“No.” I shake my head decisively. “They both know how nervous Robby’s been lately.” I can’t bring myself to speak of my mother’s death.
Tammy gnaws at her lower lip as she thinks. “I don’t remember hearing stories about there being a ghost at Merrymount Gardens.” Her eyes narrow. “Unless this is all one big whopper.”
“Come on, Tam, when did I ever make up a story like this?”
“Last summer, when you told me you were going to Alaska.”
I grin. “The cruise to Alaska was pure fantasy. But this is different. I swear everything I’ve told you is true.”
I don’t much care for the piercing look she gives me. “In that case, Archie revealed himself to you for a reason, and I don’t mean so he could give you a recipe.”
Her words ring with prophecy and truth. I hug myself to keep from trembling. Tammy sees I’m frightened, and squeezes my arm.
“Don’t worry, Vannie. He doesn’t sound evil at all.”
“No, he isn’t,” I agree. “But you’re right—he made it his business to talk to me, and I intend to find out why.”
*
I’m like a split personality as I explore MG the next two afternoons, both hoping and fearing I’ll run into Archie. Half of me insists I’ve enough on my plate without having to deal with the problems of a well-dressed ghost. The other half is curious and yearning for adventure.
I google “Archie Heatherton” and come up with zilch. I wonder why.
And why does Archie want me to help him? Help him do what? The wildest possibilities flit across my mind. Maybe Archie is Mayda’s cousin. They fell madly in love, were forbidden to marry, and then he died a horrible death. I shake my head, unable to imagine anyone madly in love with Mayda. It’s all too fantastic. I laugh to think Ms. Lyons, my Language Arts teacher, would be thrilled if she knew how wildly my creative juices are flowing.
Wednesday afternoon I make up excuses to leave the cottage at sundown and race over to the pond.
I’m suddenly frightened. Archie, I tell him silently, if someone killed you, please don’t count on me to avenge your death. I’m only eleven and three quarters.
Icy fingers creep along my neck. I scream. The book falls to the floor with a loud thump. Tammy picks it up.
“Sorry, Vannie, I didn’t mean to scare you.”
“You didn’t.”
“Liar,” she says calmly.
“All right, you did.”
“Admit it. You are afraid of ghosts.”
“Not all of them,” I say carefully.
Tammy blinks. While her mind’s scrambling to make sense of my words, I grab her arm and lead her to an empty sitting area. She tries to struggle free, but I hold on harder. I mutter in her ear, “Don’t make one sound if you want me to tell you something important.”
She opens her mouth to squeal, thinks better of it, and plops down in the soft chair. I take one of the smaller chairs and pull it closer. I look around to make sure no one’s within ten feet of us and begin.
CHAPTER FIVE
“Wow!” Tammy says after I’ve told her everything. “This is better than TV! It’s even better than a movie! I’d say it’s the most exciting thing that’s ever happened to me!”
I don’t bother to point out that nothing’s happened to her. “Actually, Archie’s more weird than exciting,” I say. “And I didn’t realize he was a ghost until after he disappeared. But he’s gotten me real curious.”
“Me, too,” Tammy agrees. “I think you’re right when you say he’s not Mayda’s father. But he sure knows a lot about her and Merrymount Gardens.”
“He’s probably a relative,” I say. “There’s that family resemblance.”
“Why don’t you ask Mayda?”
“I can’t.” The words come out with a will of their own as I piece together what I’ve figured out. “I bet Mayda has no idea that Archie haunts MG. She never would have let us move into the cottage if she did.”
“Maybe she told your father and he didn’t want to scare you and Robby.”
“No.” I shake my head decisively. “They both know how nervous Robby’s been lately.” I can’t bring myself to speak of my mother’s death.
Tammy gnaws at her lower lip as she thinks. “I don’t remember hearing stories about there being a ghost at Merrymount Gardens.” Her eyes narrow. “Unless this is all one big whopper.”
“Come on, Tam, when did I ever make up a story like this?”
“Last summer, when you told me you were going to Alaska.”
I grin. “The cruise to Alaska was pure fantasy. But this is different. I swear everything I’ve told you is true.”
I don’t much care for the piercing look she gives me. “In that case, Archie revealed himself to you for a reason, and I don’t mean so he could give you a recipe.”
Her words ring with prophecy and truth. I hug myself to keep from trembling. Tammy sees I’m frightened, and squeezes my arm.
“Don’t worry, Vannie. He doesn’t sound evil at all.”
“No, he isn’t,” I agree. “But you’re right—he made it his business to talk to me, and I intend to find out why.”
*
I’m like a split personality as I explore MG the next two afternoons, both hoping and fearing I’ll run into Archie. Half of me insists I’ve enough on my plate without having to deal with the problems of a well-dressed ghost. The other half is curious and yearning for adventure.
I google “Archie Heatherton” and come up with zilch. I wonder why.
And why does Archie want me to help him? Help him do what? The wildest possibilities flit across my mind. Maybe Archie is Mayda’s cousin. They fell madly in love, were forbidden to marry, and then he died a horrible death. I shake my head, unable to imagine anyone madly in love with Mayda. It’s all too fantastic. I laugh to think Ms. Lyons, my Language Arts teacher, would be thrilled if she knew how wildly my creative juices are flowing.
Wednesday afternoon I make up excuses to leave the cottage at sundown and race over to the pond.
Similar Books
Saxon's Bane
Geoffrey Gudgion
Jake
Audrey Couloumbis
Baker Towers
Jennifer Haigh
New Earth
Ben Bova
The Trouble Begins
Linda Himelblau
The Darkness and the Deep
Aline Templeton
Wild Lands
Nicole Alexander
The Boy Who Plaited Manes
Nancy Springer
Waiting for Spring
Amanda Cabot