Truth or Dare . . by P.J. Night

Miller walked across the room to Abby’s computer. “So this old thing’s giving you trouble?” he asked. “I can take a look at it after dinner—but you remember how to restart it, right?”
    â€œDad! That’s not the point,” Abby exclaimed. “All this weird stuff happened at the same time! I went under the bed and it got so cold in here—the air was like ice—”
    Mrs. Miller reached out and rested her hand against Abby’s forehead. “Are you feeling all right?” she asked. “You don’t feel feverish to me.”
    â€œYou’re not listening—,” Abby began shrilly as she ducked out from under her mom’s hand.
    â€œYou know, Abby, this is an old house,” Mr. Miller interrupted her as he poked his head under the bed. “There are all sorts of drafts in just about every room. I can see about adding some insulation under thefloorboards before winter comes. That would probably help.”
    â€œSweetie, what were you doing under the bed in the first place?” asked Mrs. Miller. She and Mr. Miller exchanged a glance, and in their eyes, Abby saw it: that awful look of parental humoring. They thought she was overreacting, like a small child who was afraid of things that go bump in the night.
    That was when Abby realized that there was nothing she could say or do that would convince her parents to take her seriously.
    So why even bother?
    The text messages , Abby suddenly realized. I could show them those awful texts . But then a new thought occurred to her. What if her parents freaked out and took away her phone?
    It didn’t seem worth the risk.
    Abby sighed. “I just . . . I was trying to get my phone. It fell under the bed. It’s not important. Forget it.”
    â€œCome on, Abby, let’s go eat dinner,” Mrs. Miller suggested. “I’ve been calling your name for the last five minutes! Didn’t you hear me?”
    Abby shook her head as she followed her parentsout of the bedroom. She didn’t have much appetite, but she was eager—desperate, even—to get out of her room and away from everything that had just happened there.

    Bolstered by a good meal and feeling courageous, Abby hurried back to her bedroom after dinner, but she made sure to leave her door open. If Leah and her parents weren’t going to take all these strange things seriously, then Abby would have to figure them out by herself.
    Abby’s computer hummed to life as she restarted it and logged onto the Internet. For once, she didn’t bother checking her e-mail or signing into IM. Instead she opened up Google and searched for the phrase “proof of ghosts.”
    Dozens of websites flooded the page, promising everything from certified ghost hunters to scary horror movies. But one site in particular caught Abby’s eye. She clicked on the link and tapped her fingers impatiently as she waited for the page to load.
    When the Paranormal Gets Personal
    The only people who can afford not to believe inghosts are those who have never been troubled by them. It takes but one encounter with the other world to know that though death waits for us all, the spirit is eternal. Electrical interference, sudden drops in air temperature, unexpected—and unexplained—visions are all calling cards from beyond the grave. Even the most pragmatic disbeliever will find it difficult to explain away all manner of paranormal phenomena, especially when they occur simultaneously.
    As she read, Abby started nodding her head. Everything in the article sounded very familiar.
    For most spirits, the journey to the other side is an easy one; the gentle letting go of the earthly life is simply part of the natural cycle of being. But some spirits are unprepared for death and find it impossible to tear themselves away from their earthly concerns. This is especially true for those who have suffered untimely death; instead of