Waiting Spirits

  “If you want me to do your back you’ll have to roll over,” she said.

  Lisa lay on her stomach and luxuriated in the feel of the sun on her shoulders. “Yow!” she cried when the cold lotion hit her skin. But it warmed up quickly, and felt good.

  “Uh-oh,” said Carrie. “Don’t look now. But there he is!”

  “Who?”

  “The hunk!”

  “Carrie, shut up,” said Lisa, lifting her head to see who Carrie was talking about.

  It was the boy she had spotted the week before. Lisa blushed. He was walking toward them!

  “Carrie! Did you do something to attract his attention?” She had a horrified thought. “Did you wink at him?”

  “I’m not that stupid,” whispered Carrie. “Chill out. Maybe you just got lucky.”

  The boy stopped in front of them. “Lisa?” he asked.

  She scrambled to her feet, suddenly feeling uncovered. She wished she had picked a bathing suit that wasn’t quite so tiny after all! Nervously she ran her fingers through her curly, dark brown hair.

  “Your mother told me I’d find you here,” said the boy.

  Lisa gave him a puzzled look. “I’ve heard a lot of lines before, but… “

  He laughed, and Lisa found herself smiling, too. His laugh was deep and rich, not at all forced. It was the kind of laugh she always found attractive in a guy.

  That fit. Everything else about him was attractive, too. His thick hair, long and parted in the middle, had been bleached by the sun to the color of light straw. He had impish blue eyes and a full mouth. He was lean, yet his faded cotton shirt had to stretch across his broad shoulders.

  “Actually, I did stop to talk to you about a pickup,” he said. “But you’re the one who has to do it. Your mother wants you to get these things on your way home.” He pulled a piece of paper from his shirt pocket. “She sent this to pay for them,” he added, handing her a twenty dollar bill.

  “Why did she send this with you?” asked Lisa, trying to get her bearings.

  “My dad and I are doing some work at the place you rented. The owners sent us. When we got there this morning, we realized we needed some more tools. Dad sent me back to get them, and your mother asked if I would be going by the beach on the way. I lied and told her yes.”

  “That was pretty forward of you,” said Lisa. But the smile on her face made it clear she was delighted he had taken the liberty.

  “It seemed like a good way to get to meet you,” he said. “My name is Brian. Brian Holme. I’m one of the local yokels.”

  “And I’m one of the invaders,” said Lisa. “This is my sister, Carrie.”

  “Hi,” said Carrie. “I think I’ll go get an ice cream cone.”

  Lisa didn’t know whether to thank her sister or strangle her. It was nice of her to get out of the way, but did she have to be so obvious?

  “It’s nice to meet you,” said Brian to Carrie. “Maybe we can talk again some time.”

  Carrie laughed and ran down the beach.

  “Cute kid,” said Brian.

  “She’s okay most of the time.” Lisa sat back down on her towel. “So what are you doing at the house?”

  “We’re working on some of the windows. The wood’s rotting around them. As a matter of fact, I have to get going. Dad’s going to wonder where I am. See you later!”

  With that he was gone. Lisa frowned. Had she said something wrong?

  She stretched out in the sunshine and scowled at the rolling water of the Atlantic. Maybe Carrie had scared him off. Well, it’s no big deal, she told herself. He’s only a boy. She sighed. If only he wasn’t so darn cute!

  It was shortly after two when Lisa and Carrie arrived back at the house with the groceries their mother had requested. Lisa was delighted to see Brian standing on a ladder that was leaning against the west wall.

  “Hi!” he called when he spotted her. “How was the beach?”

  “Super! How are the windows?”

  He made a face. “They’re a real pane!”

  Lisa groaned.

  “Sill and all,” he continued, “this is a high-glass job.”

  “Stop!” she cried. “I think I’m going to be sick. do you always make such rotten puns?”

  “Only when I’m standing where no one can get at me.” He paused. “Are you going to be around for a while?” he asked, his voice suddenly serious.

  “I think so. Why?”

  “I just wanted to talk to you for a few minutes before I go. Okay?”

  “Sure!”

  Lisa hummed happily to herself as she unpacked her curling iron. An honest-to-goodness date! Suddenly the summer seemed much more interesting. Even the old house didn’t bother her the way it had.

  Carrie sat on the bed, watching her get ready to go. “Do you think you’ll be out late?” she asked in a worried voice.

  “Not too late. Why?”

  Before Carrie could answer, Lisa realized what was on her mind. “Oh, Carrie! I’m sorry!”

  Carrie shrugged. “I’ll be all right,” she said in a martyred tone.

  Lisa cursed herself and her sister and the stupid house. Everything seemed very complicated. For a moment she thought she would rather go back to being bored.

  “Look, Mom and Dad won’t be here, either. But you can probably get Gramma to let you stay up late. Tell her there’s an old movie you want to watch. The two of you and Smoky can keep yourselves company. I doubt the ghost will appear again, anyway. I mean, we’ve been here for two weeks already. It’s not like this has been going on every night.”

  “I know,” said Carrie. “Look, don’t worry about it.”

  Lisa frowned. She knew that was exactly what she would be doing. All night.

  “Well, don’t you look nice,” said her grandmother as Lisa came down the stairs. “That white dress is so… summery. It sets off your dark curls perfectly,”

  Lisa smiled. Her grandmother would probably find something nice to say if she came downstairs in a burlap sack.

  “Where are you going tonight?”

  “To the movie over in Bridgeport.”

  Dr. Miles raised an eyebrow. “Oh?” she said with a twinkle in her eye. “I thought it wasn’t any good.”

  Lisa blushed. “Well, maybe I misjudged it. You never know!”

  Her grandmother laughed. “Have a good time, dear.” She kissed her on the cheek. “I won’t wait up for you. And your parents probably won’t get home until after you do. Your mother has cabin fever, too. She’s going to make the most of her evening out.”

  Lisa’s reply was cut short by a knock at the door.

  “That must be Brian!” cried Carrie. “I’ll get it!”

  Lisa sighed. Why did Carrie always have to be so eager?

  Lisa sat glumly beside Brian as they drove back from the film.

  “What’s the matter?” he asked.

  “Nothing!” she said, lying and flashing him a quick smile.

  Which was part of the problem. Everything was fine; too fine. It had been a wonderful evening, and now Lisa didn’t want it to end, partly because she had the feeling he would never ask her out again. The beach was filled with summer girls, and Brian could have his choice. Most of them were more sophisticated than she was, prettier, more interesting.

  Suddenly she felt very inadequate.

  “Didn’t you like the movie?” he asked.

  “It was wonderful!” she cried.

  Brian looked at her and made a face. Lisa burst out laughing. The picture had been terrible, and they both knew it.

  “You shouldn’t lie like that,” said Brian, smiling. “It damages your credibility.”

  “My mother calls that a ‘little white.’ According to her little whites are ‘a necessary social evil.’”

  “What is she?” asked Brian. “A preacher?”

  Lisa smiled. “You might say that. Her sermons are all delivered in my bedroom, though. To an audience of one. Me.”

  Brian laughed. “My mother’
s a preacher, too. Her favorite topic is how I should settle down and stop dating so many girls.”

  “So, you’re a real heartbreaker, huh?” She tired to sound casual, but it didn’t quite work. Her stomach was in knots.

  Brian frowned. “I hope not. I just want to have a good time. Seeing one person all the time can get boring, don’t you think?”

  Lisa frowned, certain he was telling her he didn’t want to go out again. And she was sure it was because he knew he could find more interesting people on the beach, any day, any time. She had paid attention to the competition when she was working on her tan. Most of the girls summering on the island were from wealthy families. A lot of them went to private schools and took lessons of some sort—everything from horseback riding to karate. She could see why Brian wouldn’t want to bother with her. She was boring, boring, boring! She wished desperately she could think of something to make herself more interesting.

  “Do you believe in spirits?” she asked suddenly.

  “What?”

  “You know: ghosts, spooks, voices from beyond?”

  Brian paused. When he answered, Lisa was surprised at how serious his voice sounded. “I’m not sure,” he said slowly. “I plan on becoming a scientist—marine biology. I know I should be very rational. But, yeah, I guess I sort of do. The idea of a spirit world has always fascinated me.”

  Lisa felt a surge of elation. “Well, did you ever try something called automatic writing?”

  Brian shook his head. “I’ve heard of it. But I never tried it. Why?”

  “Oh, we were fooling around with it yesterday,” she said casually. “My grandmother was teaching us how to do it.”

  “Did you have any luck?”

  “Believe it or not, we did. I got a message from somewhere. And…” Her voice trailed off. She wasn’t sure how much she wanted to say about the table knocking or the other things that had happened.

  “What did it say?” asked Brian, a note of intense interest in his voice.

  “‘Welcome home.’”

  “That’s weird. What do you suppose it meant?”

  “I don’t know. I got scared, and we stopped the seance.”

  “Do you want to try it again tonight?” asked Brian.

  “Oh, no, I—” She stopped. His voice was so eager. He really was interested. “Sure,” she said. “Why not?”

  They were just pulling into the driveway.

  “It doesn’t bother you to do something like that in this house?” he asked.

  Lisa looked at him curiously. “Why should it?”

  “Well, the place has quite a reputation.”

  Lisa felt the hair on the back of her neck stand up. “What do you mean?”

  Brian looked at her. “You didn’t know? You’re staying in the most haunted place on Sayers Island!”

  Chapter Four

  She Who Weeps

  Lisa’s skin began to prickle. Looking at Brian intently she said softly, almost angrily, “What do you mean?”

  “Hey, don’t get mad at me! I’m just telling you what people say. I don’t know if the place is really haunted. But it does have that reputation.” He paused, then added, “You mean you really didn’t know?”

  “No.” Lisa glanced at the house. “But I could have guessed.”

  She wondered briefly why her grandmother hadn’t said anything, then realized at once that the answer was simple: Dr. Alice Miles was far too scientific to believe in ghosts.

  “Reality may be weirder than you think, Gramma,” she muttered.

  “What did you say?” asked Brian.

  Lisa blushed. “Nothing.” She turned to him. “Do you still want to come in?”

  “Sure. It’s only quarter of eleven. I’ve got plenty of time before I turn into a pumpkin. Besides, we can’t very well have a seance in the car.”

  Lisa forced a small laugh. She was sorry now that she had raised the idea of a seance. There was no sense in stirring things up any further. But now she couldn’t think of a way out, at least not without looking totally dweebish.

  A shot rang out as they entered the kitchen.

  “Carrie!” yelled Lisa automatically. “Turn down the TV!”

  Instantly Carrie’s face appeared around the edge of the door. “You’re back!”

  “No, we’re still someplace else. This is just a mirage.”

  “Hey, give her a break,” said Brian gently. “Hi, Carrie. How are you?”

  Carrie shrugged. “Okay, I guess. It’s been kind of dead around here. Gramma went to bed a half hour ago, and this television program is so stupid I could puke. I wish this place got cable.”

  “Why don’t you just turn it off and read a book?” suggested Lisa.

  Carrie stuck a finger in her mouth and made a gagging gesture.

  Lisa turned to Brian. “See what I have to live with?”

  He smiled. “I have four younger sisters.”

  “Oh, you poor boy!” cried Lisa. “Here, have a seat. You need to conserve your energy.”

  Brian laughed and took a place at the kitchen table. “We’re going to have a seance, Carrie. Do you want to join us?”

  Carrie looked at Lisa nervously. “What are you going to do that for?”

  Brian shrugged. “Lisa was telling me you had some luck with it yesterday. I just want to see how you do it.”

  Carrie hesitated, and Lisa almost suggested they forget it. But she was afraid she’d never see Brian again if she did.

  “Sure,” said Carrie at last. “I’ll get the stuff.”

  “What stuff?”

  “Oh, paper and pencils,” said Lisa, as Carrie left the room. “Can’t do automatic writing without them, you know.”

  “Here we go,” said Carrie trotting back into the kitchen a moment later. She carried a pad of paper, a handful of pencils, and a candle in a holder. “I figured we could use this when we dim the lights,” she said, lifting the candle.

  Lisa looked at her little sister with respect. Whatever fear she had felt she had overcome pretty quickly.

  “So what do we do?” asked Brian.

  “First light the candle,” said Carrie, taking charge. “Then we’ll take our places around the table.” She was standing by the door, waiting to hit the light switch. As soon as Brian had lit the candle, she darkened the room. “Now, you have to be very serious,” she said as she returned and took a seat. “Otherwise it won’t work.”

  Brian gave Lisa a wink. He was obviously enjoying Carrie’s businesslike manner.

  “All right, who wants to go first?” Carrie asked.

  “I do,” said Brian. “I’m not sure I trust the two of you not to pull some stunt on me. Maybe tell one of those ‘socially necessary little whites.’” He smiled at Lisa, and she felt her cheeks flush.

  “Okay,” said Carrie. “Here, put this in front of you.” She handed him the pad. “Now, pick up the pencil and hold it as if you were ready to write. Then just relax.”

  Brian did as Carrie instructed. He kept a perfectly straight face, but there was a merry twinkle in his eye. Lisa found it very attractive, even in these uncomfortable circumstances.

  “Now, you have to close your eyes,” said Carrie. “Lisa and I are going to hold hands. Then each of us will put a hand on your elbow to complete the circle. All right?”

  Brian nodded.

  Lisa looked at Carrie across the table. The flickering candle made the shadows on her childish face shift and change. Her eyes were shining with excitement.

  Lisa glanced around the kitchen. With nothing but candlelight to break the gloom, it suddenly seemed very spooky. She told herself it was simply because the place was so old-fashioned. The cupboard, the big stove, the door to the cellar—each of them was out of date enough to create a feeling of age that she found unnerving in this situation.

  “Close your eyes,” said Carrie. “Concentrate!”

  Lisa did as she was directed, giving Brian’s elbow a little squeeze.

  Carrie began to speak. “O s
pirits from the other side, if there are any here who wish to communicate with us, now is the time. Give us your message!”

  Lisa was impressed. As near as she could remember, those were the exact words her grandmother had used.

  They sat in silence for a moment. Suddenly Lisa felt a cold draft on her neck. She shivered and tightened her hand on Brian’s elbow.

  Now she began to hear something. It started so softly she was hardly aware it was there. Slowly it grew more distinct. It was the voice of a woman, weeping quietly, yet sounding as if her heart would break.

  Lisa opened her eyes and looked around. The voice seemed to come from somewhere above them. Carrie’s eyes were pinched shut. Brian’s face showed nothing but intense concentration.

  Couldn’t they hear it?

  “Carrie!” she whispered.

  “Shhh!”

  Lisa shuddered. They didn’t; they didn’t hear it at all.

  And it was still getting louder!

  Suddenly the cupboard door behind her swung open, then slammed shut. With a yowl, Smokey dashed out of the room. Carrie’s eyes flew open. She was about to say something when the table lurched and Brian’s hand began to move across the paper.

  The candle flickered wildly, and the cupboard doors began to slam. Starting at the far end of the wall and moving down the length of the kitchen, each of them flew open and then banged shut.

  Lisa gasped. The candlestick had started to float! Heart pounding, she watched it rise until it was hovering about a foot above the table.

  She became aware of Brian’s hand, scratching across the paper. She looked at the pad, trying to read the words, and choked back a cry of fright. On the first line was a series of exclamation points. Printed in bold letters on the next line was a single word: DANGER!

  As she watched, Brian printed the word again. DANGER! Then he added: LEAVE THIS PLACE AT ONCE!

  Behind Lisa the last cupboard door was slamming back and forth. Suddenly the flame on the candle shot up, roaring to several times its normal height, almost like a blowtorch. The voice of the sobbing woman changed, the sorrow replaced by anger. As the woman let out a horrible scream of rage, Lisa pulled back from the table, breaking her contact with Brian and Carrie.