CHAPTER 3

"I just don't understand where it could be," my mother whined, craning her neck to look down the street.

"Maybe they had some trouble with the truck, or got lost along the way," my father replied. He was sitting on the wooden steps of the empty porch. The moving van, loaded to overflowing, had left our house in Pine Valley before we did and my mother was getting frustrated that it hadn't yet arrived at the new house in Dark Falls.

"I told you we shouldn't have gone with that budget mover," she reminded Dad. I had heard her bring this up more than once in the past few weeks. My parents had been arguing more and more since my father lost his job, it never got out of hand or scary or anything. It was obvious they were both stressed and running a little hot when they would argue over something as trivial as why the bacon was put in the freezer and not the fridge when the plan was to cook it the next day. Yeah. I sat through an entire argument about bacon.

"They seemed the best option for the money, dear. It's not like we had a lot to spend on the move, at least not until the old house sells."

I could tell when my dad was a little ticked off with my mother by the way he called her "dear". It had less of a charming ring to it, sounding more belittling, as he ended a sentence with the word. Leaving it flat and atonal. He had a thousand pet names for my mother, it was often rather obnoxious. But the way he trotted out "dear".

My mother never seemed to show that she noticed, but I am sure she saw it plain as day. It was something she let him have, and I wouldn't be surprised if she used it as a little reminded to check her own attitude.

"Maybe I can call their offices and see if they know anything," she stated flatly, heading back into the house.

My brother was playing with PD in the front yard, awkwardly holding a leash on his wrist while also getting the terrier to tug on a thick knot of rope that barely fit in its mouth. PD growled playfully at the game.

"Keep a firm grip on that leash, Josh," my father called out. "We don't want PD showing off his escape artist skills again."

The old wooden railing of the front porch creaked under my weight. I crossed my arms, bending over to lean on the rough wood. Like most of the exterior of the house, it looked dangerous if you didn't approach it cautiously. I tried hard not to shift my weight for fear of suddenly getting a splinter. At the old house we had an old fashioned patio swing that my grandfather had made when I was little. Without the moving van, we had no furniture to sit on, inside or out.

I watched Josh and PD play. Those two could always have a good time. I saw my brother grinning as he strained against the tugging dog. Who knew such a little thing had such a strong mouth. Whenever my father would speak to him, or Josh would just remember his surroundings, he would suddenly become sullen. A total act if I ever saw one, but in his mind, he was still trying hard to punish Mom and Dad for making him move out here.

Mom stepped back out of the red front door.

"Any luck?" I asked, not actually interested in an answer, though it would be nice to have something to sit on.

"Seems the phone company hasn't connected our phoneline yet either. Jack, I thought you were on top of that."

"I called them last week," he reassured her. "They said it would be up and running before we even moved in. I'll head down to the phone company offices tomorrow. I am sure we can do without a phone for one night."

"Maybe the phone company and the moving company didn't want to come to Dark Falls either!" Josh called out. The rest of us just rolled our eyes rather than encourage him with a response. I really do think Josh would have become less of a whiny brat if my parents spanked. All my friends' parents weren't against spanking, none of them seemed to have obnoxious little brothers. I missed my friends.

The week leading up to the move had been the worst. Carol and Amy were counselors at summer camp that year, so they had been gone most of the month. When I had to say goodbye to them in person before they left it felt less certain, more of a see you later. I had to write to them a more proper goodbye later. Kathy was still home, and we spent every waking moment we could together.

Kathy and I had been friends since ninth grade. Not nearly as long as Carol and Amy, who I had known since elementary school. But Kathy and I felt really close. Which made that last week suck even more. I think a lot of people are surprised when Kathy and I hang out together. We look nothing alike. I'm rather short, thanks again Mom, with darker skin and hair, while Kathy is a tall pale blonde. She's not the drop dead gorgeous blonde bombshell you are probably thinking of. Again, that was Jenny Ambrose, and we all hated her for it. Kathy was more the shy mousy type reminding me more of the weird girl from that Breakfast Club movie from a few years ago. That was only a year after I had become friends with Kathy and when the four of us saw the movie we laughed at the similarities. The conversation then devolved into trying to figure out who was like the other characters but I think we failed on that front. Conversations like that always unwound into fits of laughter anyway.

Kathy hung out at our house the entire day before the move. It was awkward enough because almost everything was in boxes or loaded into the truck outside or the family van. It was strange being in my old bedroom with none of my furniture. The carpet was indented with the outlines of my dresser, my bed, even the four spindle legs of my desk. Kathy and I just sat there, trying hard not to think about the upcoming move, but finding nothing else to say. We would bring up any random topic, which would eventually remind us of some ridiculous memory from our friendship, then leave us wiping our eyes as we once again remembered that the next day I would be gone.

"Sorry I am being so awkward," she said, her voice a pitch above a whisper. She chewed hard on her gum. Kathy always had gum. It was always Big Red too. I saw her go through more packs of Big Red in a day, than most smokers tossed out empty cartons of cigarettes.

"It's not your fault," I replied with a sigh. "You aren't the one who's moving away forever."

"You're not moving to China or anything. Dark Falls is only four hours away. We can still see each other sometimes. I am sure my family would let you come visit! Plus we will be going off to college soon. Maybe we can even apply to the same schools."

Kathy was shy, but she was certainly optimistic. I was going to miss that. I hadn't realized how much I relied on that optimism to get me through a rough week at school.

"Yeah," I mumbled resolutely. "I guess we can still talk on the phone and stuff. Wait - is Dark Falls long distance?"

Kathy giggled and put her arm around me. I didn't want to move away and have to make new friends. I wanted the friends I already had. School wasn't going to be the same without them. I was going to be the odd new girl with no friends. I might as well be moving to China.

"Who's going to slip me answers in math class?" I asked, my eyes tearing up as I looked at her.

"You were failing math because you were always copying off my wrong answers!" she laughed, and it infectiously sent a chuckle my way.

"It was the thought that counted," I giggled.

"Is the high school there nice at least?"

"There isn't even a separate high school. I kid you not, there is just a schoolhouse. It's like something out of Little House on the Prairies."

"Bummer," she said.

Bummer was right.

We had nothing to really talk about, but when had that stopped us before? We chatted for hours, just sitting there in my empty room. Occasionally crying, but doing a lot of laughing as well. I was really going to miss her. The phone rang and a few moments later my mother popped her head into the room to tell us that Kathy's mom wanted her to head home. We talked a little while longer, her hand in mine as I desperately didn't want my friend to go. But really it was I who was leaving.

"I am really going to miss you," I said through hot tears.

She hugged me, assuring me it would be alright and that she would miss me too. Then in that brief moment she stared into my eyes and I looked into hers. Both sets were red from all the tears. It was finally time for Kathy to get up and go. She leaned in for what I thought was another hug, but I was surprised when she closed her eyes and kissed me. Her lips were firm against mine and I could taste the cinnamon of her gum. My heart skipped a beat and then it was over.

"I am sorry," she said, standing up quickly.

I stood up and stopped her from running out the door.

"I just didn't want you to move away before I - "

"It's alright, Kathy," I calmed her. My hand left hers and I touched the side of her cheek, this time leaning in to kiss her. I had barely had any practice kissing boys, Kathy was my first girl, and it felt unlike any other kiss I have ever had.

The kiss broke and we stood there silent for a moment. Until the real world caught up with us and we knew that she had to get home. We made more promises to call and write. To try to get together for birthdays. I didn't have a car yet, but I would force my parents at gun point if necessary to get back to Pine Valley whenever we could. We hugged again and then she was gone.

I was alone in my empty room.

PD barked loudly, bringing me back to the dark shadowed porch.

The dog had dropped the knotted rope toy and was barking incessantly. He seemed to look at us and then the house and just unleash a long series of yips and barks. Josh jiggled the rope in front of the dog, trying to get his attention.

"There's nothing there PD," he said. "Stop barking."

"Can't you get him to be quiet?" I asked, my voice had a harder edge than I had anticipated, but my mind was still caught up in the memory of the night before with Kathy.

"I am trying," Josh said impatiently. "He won't stop!"

"Well you got him all worked up," Dad added as he got up from the steps, moving toward Josh and the dog. As he approached, PD turned his barks toward Dad, growling between each loud outburst.

That was strange. If there was one person in this family that PD loved almost as much as Josh it would be Dad. I had never seen the terrier growl at anyone, let alone him.

"What has gotten into you?" Dad questioned the mutt.

"I told you, Dad, PD doesn't like this place."

"He will get used to it eventually. Why don't you both go run around in the backyard, maybe he just needs off of that leash for a few minutes. It looks like our stuff won't be here any time soon, so we might as well take it easy for bit." My dad turned back to the house, his eyes on the very same spot he had just left. He grunted slightly as he sat back down, his large gut popping his shirt out of the waistband of his pants.

My mother sat down next to him. "Do you think he will ever forgive us for dragging him all the way out here?" She didn't seem completely serious, but I wondered if there was at least some part of her that was feeling guilty.

"They will both be fine. Just give it time, they will come around eventually. Mandy did. Isn't that right, honey?"

"Sure Dad," I said with half of a smirk picking up my backpack from where I had set it down after retrieving it from the car. I left the two of them on the patio, watching the street, waiting for the moving van to come. A watched pot never boils as Gran always said. So I went inside.

The house was dead silent. Empty houses were creepy enough, but I didn't think I would ever get over the strangeness of that place. A house never feels like your home until all of your familiar things are in it. But you could fill that entire house with every item I have ever owned and it would still feel a bit alien to me.

The entryway was dark, even with the windows facing right out onto the street. Those gnarled trees created far more shade than I thought. I flipped on the light switch leading up the stairs. Nothing happened. Perhaps the power company decided to join the guys from the phone company and the movers. I held on to the railing and slowly made my way up the steps, taking care not to trip in the low light. Halfway up the staircase the lights suddenly flickered to life. I jumped with surprise, not at the sudden illumination, but by the sight of movement out of the corner of my vision. I nearly stumbled up the last few steps, swearing I had just seen something take off down the hallway.

"Who's there?" I called out from the top of the steps.

There was no answer.

Poking my head around the corner, I braved a look down the hall. The lights flickered, but the corridor was empty. No sounds. No movement. What was this house doing to me. It seemed like every time I was in it I was seeing things. Maybe I was losing my grip on reality. Of course there was nothing here. This was just some dumb old house.

I walked into my new room, ignoring the flickering lights in the hall, at least they seemed to be working in this room. Old house, old wiring. More things for Dad to work on. He's gonna have a full-time job just keeping this place from falling apart, I thought. Sliding the straps down my arms, I let the pack fall halfway down my body before grabbing the strap with one hand and swinging the bag up onto the cushioned window seat. I plopped down beside it, kicking off my shoes and curling my knees up to my chest. At least my room had somewhere to sit. I looked out the window at the empty street. Dark clouds were rolling in, sapping the neighborhood of even more color, leaving the world outside seeming dismal and gray.

I missed Pine Valley already. I thought again about that kiss the night before. Kathy and I were friends. It certainly didn't mean anything. I mean, it couldn't mean anything. I had moved away. My heart fluttered in my chest. I was seventeen, to say I understood my own emotions and feelings would have been a total lie. Did I like girls? I don't know. I mean I liked boys, at least a few of them. My tastes seemed to be pretty picky on that front and it was rare that I found any guy attractive who wasn't on a movie screen or in the pages of some yellowing paperback. But I had thought about girls too. Even before that night, that kiss.

I reached into my bag and pulled out my diary. Yes, I kept a diary. More of a journal really, and if it weren't for my habit of meticulously writing things down, you probably wouldn't be reading this. At least once a day I would sit, gather my thoughts and write in my little notebook. I had filled up dozens of them over the years. It wasn't some Lisa Frank notebook, or one of those plastic pink things with the flimsy locks you could open with a bobbypin. It was just a boring Mead spiral notebook. My only requirement was that it wasn't the same color as the one that preceded it.

I chewed on end of my pen as I thought about the night before. I had tried to write about it after Kathy had left, and again on the four hour drive to Dark Falls, but still the page I had marked with the date lay empty. Slowly the words came to me and I began to put the pen to the page. I often stuck my tongue out the side of my mouth as I concentrated on filling the page with my words and thoughts, notebook carefully balanced on my knees. A flash of light caught my attention. Lightning in the distance. I could see where the clouds turned to rain over the scraggly trees across the street. It looked like it was headed our way. Hopefully the moving van wouldn't arrive for a while, unloading boxes in the rain didn't sound fun. As much as I was missing home, I actually felt somewhat content in that moment. Just me and my thoughts as the tapping of raindrops clicked against my window.

Returning to my diary, a flash of lightning, followed by the rumble of thunder vibrated through the house. The lights went out and left me in darkness.

"Dammit," I muttered setting down the notebook with the pen tucked between the pages.

A chill air filled the room, like a window had been left open before a snowstorm. I shivered, wrapping my arms around me, feeling the goosebumps spread across my skin. My teeth chattered. How the hell could it have gotten that cold that fast? I looked outside to see if the storm had somehow brought an early winter. Nothing seemed to change, it appeared to be a typical rainstorm, like a thousand I had seen, especially at this time of year. But it was certainly cold in the room. My breath fogged the glass of the big bay window.

Lightning flashed again, lighting up the entire room in a bright blue-white glow. I nearly fell out of the window-seat when I saw the reflection of the young blond boy. I spun around, expecting to see him standing right there in the empty room. But I was still all alone.

The lights flickered back to life. I was left, trying to catch my breath. Jesus fucking Christ, I thought to myself, what the hell was going on? I have never believed in ghosts or spirits. Hell, I have never really been convinced we actually have some sort of soul that goes on after we die, but I was serious starting to wonder if this house was fucking haunted.

We weren't a religious family. When I was younger we would go to church with my grandparents, and my mom and dad would sit miserably and uncomfortably in the pew. I would usually fall asleep twenty minutes into the sermon, but I at least enjoyed going to out to eat with Gran and PePaw afterwards. After they died, we stopped going. It has barely even been spoken of since. Josh went to church for the first time a couple years ago with one of his school friends, but he came home with so many odd questions that no one felt able to answer that I don't think he had any desire to go back.

I'll admit, saying I am an atheist might be too definitive, but I had never seen any evidence of the divine and stories of the afterlife seemed better suited to fantasy novels. So call me a skeptical agnostic, but until that point I had hardly really thought about it. Tony Pike took me to see Poltergeist II at the Newton a couple years ago, and I found it more laughable than anything else. In that moment, sitting alone in my strange new house, I was feeling like hauntings were anything but funny.

I turned back to the window to grab my notebook and pen. There in the middle of the window, pressed into the cold fog glass was the dripping outline of a child's handprint. I bit back a scream. Backing away from the window, I didn't look away until I could feel the frame of the door. I took off down the stairs, my feet a blur under me as I raced into the living room where Mom and Dad had finally convinced Josh and PD to come in out of the rain with the promise of a card game. They sat in the middle of the room on the hardwood floor, a pile of cards between them.

"Go fi-" Josh was in the middle of saying when I barreled into the room. All three of them looked up at me, even PD, who moments ago was sleeping, curled up next to Josh, perked up his ears.

"Everything alright?" my mother asked.

What do I say? No everything is not alright, there is a fucking ghost kid in the house and I want to go home now! I'd sound like Josh with his never ending excuses as to why we shouldn't move. Why would they even believe me. I wasn't even sure if I believed me!

"Uh, yup," I stammered. I had nothing more coherent to say. I walked into the room and plopped down on the floor next to my family. At least if I was here with them, if that ghost kid showed up, I wouldn't be the only one to see him.

My dad dealt me a hand of cards.