odd, I find a reason for it. You tend to harp on it until you’ve convinced yourself: boogeyman.” She chuckled, then sighed. “Claire and your mother both put more faith in their imaginations than I do.”
At the mention of his mother, Neil flinched. Like parent, like child.
“But what exactly have you seen, Aunt Claire?” Bree asked.
Claire sat silently, looking like she was unsure whether or not to tell the story. Anna crossed her arms and cleared her throat. Claire ignored her and leaned forward. “Have you heard the legend of Graylock? It’s the hospital that used to be back in the woods here.”
“Yeah,” said Neil hesitantly. He avoided Bree’s glare. “We’ve heard stories.”
“On our walks in the woods,” Claire went on, “I sometimes get the feeling I’m being watched.”
“See?” said Anna, throwing up her hands. “Would you call that ghostly?”
“That’s not all ,” said Claire. She turned to Anna, her face growing stern. “I never told you this, but once, a couple years ago, when we were near that lake, I swear I saw someone standing at the water’s edge. Among the reeds. Just standing there. Looking at us.”
“What did the person look like?” asked Neil, trying to contain the sick giddiness that was gathering in his chest.
“She was tall. Long brown hair, I think. Dressed in white.”
“ Nurse Janet ,” Neil whispered to himself.
“Who?” Anna asked.
“Uh,” he answered, his cheeks turning pink. “I was just thinking out loud.”
Anna squinted at him, looking as if she never wanted him to say that name again. But the expression only lasted for a couple of seconds before softening, “Your leg all right?” she asked. “How about some more pillows?”
When the aunts said good night, Neil brought his borrowed satchel upstairs to his room. He tossed it at a chair beside the bed where it landed with a thunk. The dead flashlight and camera were still inside, along with the other items he’d packed that afternoon. He lay down, his leg stinging, his nose puffy.
Someone knocked at his door. A moment later, Bree peered in at him.
“What’s up?” said Neil, even though he knew that the answer was “Plenty.”
“Just checking on you.”
“I’m fine.”
Bree nodded slowly and entered anyway. She sat on the edge of his bed, glancing at his leg, looking as if she needed to tell him something but couldn’t speak. Finally, she managed, “I was really scared today, Neil.”
He’d felt the same way, but refused to admit it.
“And I’m not just talking about you getting hurt either,” she continued. “There was something inside that place … something I can’t explain.”
Neil felt his stomach clench. And though he didn’t want to bring it up, there was one question he had to ask. “Why did you go into room 13?” he whispered. He remembered his sister’s blank expression when she’d turned to face him.
Bree stared at the ceiling. “That’s the thing … I don’t know. I walked down that hallway, into the dark. I noticed the door was open a crack. I felt like I had to go inside — like it had been my destination all along. And as soon as I did, I felt strange. Like something was trying to talk to me. Something without a mouth … without a voice. I felt like I couldn’t leave until I heard what it had to say. Then you showed up. And everything went … weird.”
Neil shivered. “That’s totally not what I thought you were going to say. You’ve always been more like Anna. You don’t believe in this stuff.”
Bree shrugged. “But you felt it too. Didn’t you?”
“I don’t know what I felt,” said Neil. “It was so strange. We both got confused.” Then, as an afterthought, he added, “And you’re sure you didn’t shut the door on us?”
“I think I’d remember doing that.”
Neil wasn’t satisfied, but he kept his mouth shut. Could it really have been a ghost? And if not … was the alternative even scarier?
Bree looked
At the mention of his mother, Neil flinched. Like parent, like child.
“But what exactly have you seen, Aunt Claire?” Bree asked.
Claire sat silently, looking like she was unsure whether or not to tell the story. Anna crossed her arms and cleared her throat. Claire ignored her and leaned forward. “Have you heard the legend of Graylock? It’s the hospital that used to be back in the woods here.”
“Yeah,” said Neil hesitantly. He avoided Bree’s glare. “We’ve heard stories.”
“On our walks in the woods,” Claire went on, “I sometimes get the feeling I’m being watched.”
“See?” said Anna, throwing up her hands. “Would you call that ghostly?”
“That’s not all ,” said Claire. She turned to Anna, her face growing stern. “I never told you this, but once, a couple years ago, when we were near that lake, I swear I saw someone standing at the water’s edge. Among the reeds. Just standing there. Looking at us.”
“What did the person look like?” asked Neil, trying to contain the sick giddiness that was gathering in his chest.
“She was tall. Long brown hair, I think. Dressed in white.”
“ Nurse Janet ,” Neil whispered to himself.
“Who?” Anna asked.
“Uh,” he answered, his cheeks turning pink. “I was just thinking out loud.”
Anna squinted at him, looking as if she never wanted him to say that name again. But the expression only lasted for a couple of seconds before softening, “Your leg all right?” she asked. “How about some more pillows?”
When the aunts said good night, Neil brought his borrowed satchel upstairs to his room. He tossed it at a chair beside the bed where it landed with a thunk. The dead flashlight and camera were still inside, along with the other items he’d packed that afternoon. He lay down, his leg stinging, his nose puffy.
Someone knocked at his door. A moment later, Bree peered in at him.
“What’s up?” said Neil, even though he knew that the answer was “Plenty.”
“Just checking on you.”
“I’m fine.”
Bree nodded slowly and entered anyway. She sat on the edge of his bed, glancing at his leg, looking as if she needed to tell him something but couldn’t speak. Finally, she managed, “I was really scared today, Neil.”
He’d felt the same way, but refused to admit it.
“And I’m not just talking about you getting hurt either,” she continued. “There was something inside that place … something I can’t explain.”
Neil felt his stomach clench. And though he didn’t want to bring it up, there was one question he had to ask. “Why did you go into room 13?” he whispered. He remembered his sister’s blank expression when she’d turned to face him.
Bree stared at the ceiling. “That’s the thing … I don’t know. I walked down that hallway, into the dark. I noticed the door was open a crack. I felt like I had to go inside — like it had been my destination all along. And as soon as I did, I felt strange. Like something was trying to talk to me. Something without a mouth … without a voice. I felt like I couldn’t leave until I heard what it had to say. Then you showed up. And everything went … weird.”
Neil shivered. “That’s totally not what I thought you were going to say. You’ve always been more like Anna. You don’t believe in this stuff.”
Bree shrugged. “But you felt it too. Didn’t you?”
“I don’t know what I felt,” said Neil. “It was so strange. We both got confused.” Then, as an afterthought, he added, “And you’re sure you didn’t shut the door on us?”
“I think I’d remember doing that.”
Neil wasn’t satisfied, but he kept his mouth shut. Could it really have been a ghost? And if not … was the alternative even scarier?
Bree looked
Similar Books
