Viola? That’s what you said her name was originally, before she got married.”
“Uh-huh. So what does that mean?” Viola asked, teasing them.
“It means that when they were young,” said Rosie, “they were in love.” The boys gave her a funny look. “Or something. They carved their initials into the tree trunk to prove it to each other.”
“Yeah,” Sylvester added. “But they didn’t end up together. Fiona got married to someone else.”
“Right,” said Woodrow. “To Mr. Hauptmann, who died a long time ago. She ended up alone. Or so everybody thought.”
“And the tunnel?” Viola said.
The group thought for a few seconds. Then Rosie spoke up. “Obviously, they both knew about it. They lived most of their lives in these two houses.” She pointed up the hill. “Maybe they
weren’t
alone. We know that Nelson was secretive and kept to himself. What if, when they grew older, they fell in love again? Maybe they used the passage to travel between their homes.”
Woodrow added, “That’s why the tunnel was wired with light sockets!”
“Then,” Sylvester said, excited, “when Fiona passed away, new people moved into her house. They must not have known the secret passage existed. At night, they could hear Nelson moving around through the tunnel. Maybe he thought if he looked hard enough for her, he’d find her again. That’s got to be why people claimed Viola’s house was haunted. Both of the Reynolds brothers have been freaking out the new owners for the past few years!”
Viola was silent for a few seconds, admiring her new friends. Then she spoke. “That’s what Vincent told me. Or at least the part about Fiona and Nelson being together once they got older. They acted like a married couple — they actually shared the houses. I doubt Vincent knew much more than that, since his brother was such a mystery to everyone. But you guys were right. This tree was the final clue to the haunting of the Hart house.”
Just then, Rosie’s father called to her from his back patio. “Hey! The lawn’s not going to rake itself!”
Rosie was mortified. “He was kidding…. I think.”
“Maybe we should get to work,” said Viola. “My mom did promise us pizza if we fill ten bags.”
“Only ten?” Sylvester scoffed. “I can fill twenty!” The others glanced at one another, raising their eyebrows.
“You go right ahead,” said Woodrow. “We’ll keep count.”
“Har-har-har,” Sylvester answered, dragging his rake across the roots of the tree. “Did I mention I can also eat a whole pizza? There might be none left for you.”
“That’s what you think!” Woodrow raised his rake and said, “En garde!” The two boys began to spar.
“Boys!” whispered Rosie to Viola, rolling her eyes and leading the way back to the place where the four yards met. That’s where they started clearing away the leaves, pulling hard against the stubborn grass.
The kids worked all afternoon, until the day grew dark, filling bag after bag with fallen leaves. Finally, they had only enough leaves to form one last pile. Rosie held a bag open, and Sylvester was about to scoop the pile inside when a gust of wind raced through the yard, scattering their work across the grass. Woodrow chased after the mess with his rake, as if he could stop what had already happened. The wind carried most of the leaves out to the street, where they scuttled and eddied toward town, swirling anddancing past houses and shops, street signs and parked cars, across the train tracks that led south to the big city, then farther, out to the river.
Viola and her friends watched as the streetlights blinked on all around them, illuminating the shadows of Moon Hollow. Still, most of the buildings down the street remained dark. Viola wondered how many secrets were hidden inside them. If the number was even half as large as she imagined, she knew the Question Marks would be busy all autumn long.
BONUS
DOROTHY VERSUS ZOMBIES
(A ?????
“Uh-huh. So what does that mean?” Viola asked, teasing them.
“It means that when they were young,” said Rosie, “they were in love.” The boys gave her a funny look. “Or something. They carved their initials into the tree trunk to prove it to each other.”
“Yeah,” Sylvester added. “But they didn’t end up together. Fiona got married to someone else.”
“Right,” said Woodrow. “To Mr. Hauptmann, who died a long time ago. She ended up alone. Or so everybody thought.”
“And the tunnel?” Viola said.
The group thought for a few seconds. Then Rosie spoke up. “Obviously, they both knew about it. They lived most of their lives in these two houses.” She pointed up the hill. “Maybe they
weren’t
alone. We know that Nelson was secretive and kept to himself. What if, when they grew older, they fell in love again? Maybe they used the passage to travel between their homes.”
Woodrow added, “That’s why the tunnel was wired with light sockets!”
“Then,” Sylvester said, excited, “when Fiona passed away, new people moved into her house. They must not have known the secret passage existed. At night, they could hear Nelson moving around through the tunnel. Maybe he thought if he looked hard enough for her, he’d find her again. That’s got to be why people claimed Viola’s house was haunted. Both of the Reynolds brothers have been freaking out the new owners for the past few years!”
Viola was silent for a few seconds, admiring her new friends. Then she spoke. “That’s what Vincent told me. Or at least the part about Fiona and Nelson being together once they got older. They acted like a married couple — they actually shared the houses. I doubt Vincent knew much more than that, since his brother was such a mystery to everyone. But you guys were right. This tree was the final clue to the haunting of the Hart house.”
Just then, Rosie’s father called to her from his back patio. “Hey! The lawn’s not going to rake itself!”
Rosie was mortified. “He was kidding…. I think.”
“Maybe we should get to work,” said Viola. “My mom did promise us pizza if we fill ten bags.”
“Only ten?” Sylvester scoffed. “I can fill twenty!” The others glanced at one another, raising their eyebrows.
“You go right ahead,” said Woodrow. “We’ll keep count.”
“Har-har-har,” Sylvester answered, dragging his rake across the roots of the tree. “Did I mention I can also eat a whole pizza? There might be none left for you.”
“That’s what you think!” Woodrow raised his rake and said, “En garde!” The two boys began to spar.
“Boys!” whispered Rosie to Viola, rolling her eyes and leading the way back to the place where the four yards met. That’s where they started clearing away the leaves, pulling hard against the stubborn grass.
The kids worked all afternoon, until the day grew dark, filling bag after bag with fallen leaves. Finally, they had only enough leaves to form one last pile. Rosie held a bag open, and Sylvester was about to scoop the pile inside when a gust of wind raced through the yard, scattering their work across the grass. Woodrow chased after the mess with his rake, as if he could stop what had already happened. The wind carried most of the leaves out to the street, where they scuttled and eddied toward town, swirling anddancing past houses and shops, street signs and parked cars, across the train tracks that led south to the big city, then farther, out to the river.
Viola and her friends watched as the streetlights blinked on all around them, illuminating the shadows of Moon Hollow. Still, most of the buildings down the street remained dark. Viola wondered how many secrets were hidden inside them. If the number was even half as large as she imagined, she knew the Question Marks would be busy all autumn long.
BONUS
DOROTHY VERSUS ZOMBIES
(A ?????
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