Jason was almost through writing the ghost story for the Harvest festival. He had just finished the last part, the best part he thought, because it would not only scare the kids but some of the adults would be scared as well.

"Jason, can I talk to you?" Joshua walked in to the cabin. He looked around. Jason had not really changed it much. The bunk beds and the table and father's easy chair were all in the same spot. Jason was sitting at the desk their mother had used for writing her letters to her family in Scotland when they had moved out there to Washington Territory. 'was it really that long ago that mom and dad had been around, that he had only been 9 or ten?'

"Sure Joshua, what do you need?" Jason said looking up from his writing.

"It is Shellie, she is having nightmares, and I am worried, I am also having nightmares as well. Last night, she woke JJ up, but he went to sleep right away, but I couldn't. I keep remembering the nightmares I had before I went back. I don't know how to help my little girl" Joshua said sitting down on the edge of the bunk bed. Jason looked at him and asked:

"What does doctor Wright have to say about this?" Joshua looked up at his brother and said:

"She says to watch her, comfort her and if she asks anything tell her! But Jason, I don't want to tell her! I don't want to take her innocence away and have her worried and frustrated the rest of her life!" Joshua said to Jason. Jason listened and then he asked:
"Josh, do you think that by not telling her it is protecting her? I know that sometimes when you and Jeremy were a lot younger, I did not tell you the full story of how mom or dad died! But that was only to help you understand. When you were ready and asked questions, I gave you the answers. When you were having your nightmares, you went to find answers right?" Jason waited for Joshua to say something.

"Yes Jason, I did have nightmares! She is my baby, I love her! She is my daughter, and I don't want her to have to deal with that as well!" He stopped for a moment and then said:

"She doesn't even come to me anymore! She stays close to Pilar and Candy; she won't even come close to Jeremy or any of the others. Thank God, J.J. is still too young to understand!" Joshua said to Jason. Jason looked at Joshua and then asked another question:
"Are you having those nightmares again?" Jason asked and waited for Joshua to confirm or deny it. Joshua looked at Jason, he could come up with some excuse about not having the nightmares but now, they weren't nightmares, they were just memories that flooded his mind with worry for his little girl.

"Y-Yes, Jason, I have. They are memories that come up whenever she rejects me. I remember Frank saying that she wasn't my child that she was his, that he would come for her someday! But he can't right, Jason? He can't he is dead!" Jason looked at his brother and nodded, at least he thought Frank Smith was dead. Jason wasn't sure because he never really heard Joshua saying that Frank was dead.

"Joshua, you have to set aside your feelings and help her process through this. If you truly love your daughter Shellie, then you will help her cope at this age and whenever she has doubts again. You are her father Joshua, stop being afraid to be her father!" Jason said to him. Joshua took a step back when Jason said that he 'was her father.' It was the first time that he truly heard the word 'father' . He had a lot to think about.

"Now, can you help me get the props to the dormitory for tonight, Josh." Jason asked picking up a bucket, a broom stick, and a few other things that he would use. Joshua immediately picked up the bucket and other props to help Jason. It was always good to be able to do something if you had a lot of thinking to do.

"Hey, Jason, do you still have that skull?" asked Joshua while carrying the bucket and the broom stick. Jason just looked at him and smiled. He had found an old bear skull a long time ago when he and Joshua were younger before Jeremy was born. He never showed it to his parents, but kept it hidden inside the old shed until he grew up and had another place for it.

They headed for the dormitory where a 'stage' had been set up outside so that Jason could tell his story and there would be room for everyone. The time for the story would be just after dark. The candles would be lit, the children would be upfront to see all the 'scary' things, parents and other adults would be either near their children or in the audience. Jason had decided that everyone should hear the story at the same time. That way if any children or 'adults' were scared they could calm down before they had to go to bed.

Biddie and Candy had prepared the apple cider with Biddie's own recipe. Nancy and Shellie were checking the decorations, and the younger children were having fun playing games with Emily Perkins and a couple of other brides who had stayed in Seattle.

Soon, it was getting dusk. The children were gathering around the stage. Jason had prepared everything with his brother's help. Joshua was going to be manning the props and Jeremy would provide the sounds. The candles were lit, and everything was ready for the big show.

"Ladies and Gentlemen, boys, and girls, welcome to the second annual story telling show. Mr. Jason Bolt will be telling a very scary ghost story tonight. So, sit with your best friend and hold hands and yes, you can scream if you want. This is going to be a tail of witches, ghosts and someone losing their head!" Joshua announced and then went off to the side as Jason stepped up. Jason came on the stage in full formal Scottish dress, including his Uncle Duncan's bagpipe which he played as he stepped onto the stage. Coming to the center of the stage, he stopped, turned around and put the bagpipe down on the floor next to his chair. He sat on the chair and took a book. He lit a pipe and sat for a minute without saying a word. The candles let out an orange glow on the stage. The children looked up from their places around the stage. He looked at them and then looked out into the audience. Looking at the children again, with a Scottish accent he said:

"Now, children, are ye ready for a scary story?" All the children cheered. Jason smiled and opened his 'book.'

'A long time ago in Scotland, lived a family, no anae family, a Laird and his Lady who were quite happy in their castle, they had a laddie an' a lassie. But one day, something happened, thir came one night an old woman, she came to the door, askin' fur alms. The Laird answered the door and asked her politely to come in while he went and got the bag that they always had in the closet to give to the poor. He gave her the bag. He did not think to look in the bag because it was always filled with food and money and a cloak to help keep the poor warm if it was a cold night.

She took it and thanked him. He held the door as she left. She herself dinnae look at it until she was quite a bit down the road. When she did stop, she was a bit hungry and decided to see what was in the bag. To her surprise there was a piece of moldy bread, a small bag of nothing because the rats had gotten in and eaten what had been in the small bag. She looked at the blanket and it had been eaten by moths and was nothing but tatters. The old woman was very unhappy. Apparently, the Laaird did not care about the poor, so he did not check to be sure that the bag was ready to give out.

She stood there by the side of the road. She looked out over the valley and the rivers. She had power, but she did not like to use it to hurt people, but this Laird should be taught a lesson. But how? She thought about it for a while and then decided what she would do. She sang a little tune and two of her 'sisters' appeared.