if the residual ghost was still there, but it held nothing.
"It's all gone," Whisper said. "Even at the barn."
Josh looked around and saw she was right. The creepy feeling that had ruled over him since they stepped out of the dirt parking lot had dissipated. What did it mean?
"Look, there she is," Zach said. He pointed to the front door of the farmhouse, and a girl about their age stepped out. He'd never seen her at school before. Had she been here the whole time? Maybe she was exploring the place, too.
Whisper wore the same look of confusion he guessed was on his own face, but both Zach and Kendra were smiling with recognition. They'd met her before? Why hadn't they mentioned that? It wasn't like Kendra to keep news of a new friend from him.
Zach and Kendra hustled over to the gate while the girl walked out of the front door. The girl smiled, and Zach and Kendra, looking giddy, waved back. Josh could feel something wasn't right, and when he turned to Whisper, she was staring back at him, fear on her face. They walked up to the gate behind their friends, but with more caution.
"Hi, everyone. Nice to finally meet you. I've watched you taking pictures from my window, but I've been too sick to come greet you."
From up close, Josh could see how beautiful this girl really was. She was tall, taller than he or Zach, who both stood at a shade under six feet. She dwarfed Kendra and Whisper, both of whom came up only to their chins. She had long blonde hair that ran halfway down her back, and her womanly curves could have been intoxicating.
If evil didn't bleed out of her every pore.
"Hi," Kendra said. "Zach and I saw you the other day. Remember? We waved at you."
"Yeah. That was super sweet of you. Would you four care to come in? I can make us up some tea and cookies. Or whatever you're in the mood for."
"That sounds great," Zach said, and Kendra enthusiastically nodded beside him.
The girl's piercing eyes looked at Josh, then Whisper. What color were they? They weren't changing were they? No, it had to be a trick of the light.
"Uh, we're actually here for a school project," Whisper said. "We should probably just keep taking pictures." Josh nodded and echoed the sentiments.
The girl flashed a grin that chilled his blood. "Suit yourself. I trust you can find your way out?" She didn't wait for an answer and instead turned to Zach and Kendra. "Shall we?"
They both followed without looking back. Josh and Whisper watched until the front door closed.
"I don't think they're safe in there," Whisper said, her voice as quiet as her name.
"I don't think we could have stopped them."
"Did you feel the energy on her?" Whisper shuddered. "It was evil. Pure evil."
Josh continued staring at the door, willing his two friends to come to their senses and return to them. "Maybe since they don't feel it, it means they'll be safe."
Whisper didn't answer.
After a minute, Josh shook his head. "They're not coming out. Should we take some more pictures?"
Whisper sighed. "Yeah, I suppose. Maybe for a few minutes anyway. Then we can come back to make sure they're okay."
"It's a plan." Though the atmosphere wasn't as ramped up as it had been a few minutes ago, supernatural feelings crept back in. He turned and snapped off three quick shots. When he looked at the last one, he gasped. "Whisper, take a look."
She pushed close to him, which registered in a part of his brain, but he was mostly focused on the picture. "Oh my god, what's that behind him?"
The picture was of an old farmer, a different one from the barn, smiling and waving at them. Something about him, though, said it wasn't in a friendly manner. What she referred to was in the frame over the ghost's shoulder.
Whisper stepped away, aimed her own camera in that direction, and started snapping. After a dozen or so pictures, they looked down and gasped.
"It's like an army of ghosts," Josh said. They looked up, and before their eyes, the ghosts they saw in the pictures materialized.
"It's all gone," Whisper said. "Even at the barn."
Josh looked around and saw she was right. The creepy feeling that had ruled over him since they stepped out of the dirt parking lot had dissipated. What did it mean?
"Look, there she is," Zach said. He pointed to the front door of the farmhouse, and a girl about their age stepped out. He'd never seen her at school before. Had she been here the whole time? Maybe she was exploring the place, too.
Whisper wore the same look of confusion he guessed was on his own face, but both Zach and Kendra were smiling with recognition. They'd met her before? Why hadn't they mentioned that? It wasn't like Kendra to keep news of a new friend from him.
Zach and Kendra hustled over to the gate while the girl walked out of the front door. The girl smiled, and Zach and Kendra, looking giddy, waved back. Josh could feel something wasn't right, and when he turned to Whisper, she was staring back at him, fear on her face. They walked up to the gate behind their friends, but with more caution.
"Hi, everyone. Nice to finally meet you. I've watched you taking pictures from my window, but I've been too sick to come greet you."
From up close, Josh could see how beautiful this girl really was. She was tall, taller than he or Zach, who both stood at a shade under six feet. She dwarfed Kendra and Whisper, both of whom came up only to their chins. She had long blonde hair that ran halfway down her back, and her womanly curves could have been intoxicating.
If evil didn't bleed out of her every pore.
"Hi," Kendra said. "Zach and I saw you the other day. Remember? We waved at you."
"Yeah. That was super sweet of you. Would you four care to come in? I can make us up some tea and cookies. Or whatever you're in the mood for."
"That sounds great," Zach said, and Kendra enthusiastically nodded beside him.
The girl's piercing eyes looked at Josh, then Whisper. What color were they? They weren't changing were they? No, it had to be a trick of the light.
"Uh, we're actually here for a school project," Whisper said. "We should probably just keep taking pictures." Josh nodded and echoed the sentiments.
The girl flashed a grin that chilled his blood. "Suit yourself. I trust you can find your way out?" She didn't wait for an answer and instead turned to Zach and Kendra. "Shall we?"
They both followed without looking back. Josh and Whisper watched until the front door closed.
"I don't think they're safe in there," Whisper said, her voice as quiet as her name.
"I don't think we could have stopped them."
"Did you feel the energy on her?" Whisper shuddered. "It was evil. Pure evil."
Josh continued staring at the door, willing his two friends to come to their senses and return to them. "Maybe since they don't feel it, it means they'll be safe."
Whisper didn't answer.
After a minute, Josh shook his head. "They're not coming out. Should we take some more pictures?"
Whisper sighed. "Yeah, I suppose. Maybe for a few minutes anyway. Then we can come back to make sure they're okay."
"It's a plan." Though the atmosphere wasn't as ramped up as it had been a few minutes ago, supernatural feelings crept back in. He turned and snapped off three quick shots. When he looked at the last one, he gasped. "Whisper, take a look."
She pushed close to him, which registered in a part of his brain, but he was mostly focused on the picture. "Oh my god, what's that behind him?"
The picture was of an old farmer, a different one from the barn, smiling and waving at them. Something about him, though, said it wasn't in a friendly manner. What she referred to was in the frame over the ghost's shoulder.
Whisper stepped away, aimed her own camera in that direction, and started snapping. After a dozen or so pictures, they looked down and gasped.
"It's like an army of ghosts," Josh said. They looked up, and before their eyes, the ghosts they saw in the pictures materialized.
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