smiling face for a moment before texting: Very limited access up here…no bars and having to use wifi to send messages…and limited wifi at that. I miss you.
I sighed and erased the last three words. We always had to be careful with texts and e-mails—Marc’s dad checked Marc’s phone pretty regularly, and we couldn’t take the chance that Marc would be able to delete things before Mr. Krueger got his hands on the phone. I hit send and closed my eyes briefly, then got up and headed out to the deck.
I heard voices from around the corner of the lodge, and a few moments later there was the sound of two cars starting. I turned my head and saw two cars head down the hill—all of our mothers in one, our dads in the other. I slid my phone back into my pocket just as the door opened behind me.
“I still think this is a really stupid idea,” Rachel whined, folding her arms and sitting down on the raw wood railing. “Why mess with this kind of stuff? It never ends well in movies.”
“No one’s making you go with us,” Carson retorted, his face reddening a bit. “And this isn’t a movie, is it?”
She made a sour face. “Smart ass,” she replied, leaning back against the railing. “Just because this isn’t a movie doesn’t mean this isn’t a stupid idea.” She turned to Logan and Teresa for support. “You saw what went on in the graveyard last night. Do you two really think it’s a good idea to mess with this stuff? We don’t know what we’re doing, and much as you want to think you’re an expert, Carson, you’re not. And that makes this a really stupid idea.” She wrapped her arms around herself and shivered a little bit.
“I thought you don’t believe in ghosts.” Teresa took a swig from her bottled water. Her eyebrows came together and she tilted her head to one side. “So what’s the big deal?”
“I never said I don’t believe in ghosts,” Rachel retorted, meeting my eyes. “I said there wasn’t conclusive proof they exist. That’s different.”
I swallowed. The look on her face—I’d never seen her look like that before. She’d been standing next to me at the cemetery, she’d touched my back for herself and felt how cold it had been on a warm and moist evening.
Maybe— maybe I hadn’t been the only one who’d felt something. Our eyes met and she looked away immediately.
“It’s going to be perfectly safe,” Carson was saying. “For one thing, it’s daytime—paranormal activity is very rare during the day.” His tone was patronizing. “And, besides, ghosts can’t hurt you physically. The worst they can do is scare you.” He shrugged.
“Famous last words,” Logan joked, a big grin on his face. He widened his eyes and in a hushed, scared voice went on, “Isn’t that what they always say in the movies before something bad happens?” He clapped his hand over his mouth and rolled his eyes.
“You know, there’s no rule that says you always have to act like a jackass.” Rachel scowled at him.
He just stuck his tongue out at her.
“And there’s five of us, anyway—if Rachel comes with, that is.” Carson gave her a nasty smile.
She held up her hands. “I never said I wasn’t going to go. I just said it’s a bad idea. You all don’t have to jump all over me.”
“Besides, we’re just going to go look around in the woods.” Carson acted like no one else had said anything, addressing his remarks to Rachel. “As long as we keep an eye out for snakes”—Teresa made a gulping sound at this—“we should be fine. We’re just making sure, you know, that it was just a weird dream, right, Scotty?”
I forced a smile on my face. “Yeah. I mean, this is just to make me feel better so I can sleep tonight.” I took a deep breath and stood up. “So what are we waiting for?”
Teresa walked over to the door. “Let me get us all some bottled water,” she suggested. “It feels like it’s going to just keep getting hotter, and we don’t know how long
I sighed and erased the last three words. We always had to be careful with texts and e-mails—Marc’s dad checked Marc’s phone pretty regularly, and we couldn’t take the chance that Marc would be able to delete things before Mr. Krueger got his hands on the phone. I hit send and closed my eyes briefly, then got up and headed out to the deck.
I heard voices from around the corner of the lodge, and a few moments later there was the sound of two cars starting. I turned my head and saw two cars head down the hill—all of our mothers in one, our dads in the other. I slid my phone back into my pocket just as the door opened behind me.
“I still think this is a really stupid idea,” Rachel whined, folding her arms and sitting down on the raw wood railing. “Why mess with this kind of stuff? It never ends well in movies.”
“No one’s making you go with us,” Carson retorted, his face reddening a bit. “And this isn’t a movie, is it?”
She made a sour face. “Smart ass,” she replied, leaning back against the railing. “Just because this isn’t a movie doesn’t mean this isn’t a stupid idea.” She turned to Logan and Teresa for support. “You saw what went on in the graveyard last night. Do you two really think it’s a good idea to mess with this stuff? We don’t know what we’re doing, and much as you want to think you’re an expert, Carson, you’re not. And that makes this a really stupid idea.” She wrapped her arms around herself and shivered a little bit.
“I thought you don’t believe in ghosts.” Teresa took a swig from her bottled water. Her eyebrows came together and she tilted her head to one side. “So what’s the big deal?”
“I never said I don’t believe in ghosts,” Rachel retorted, meeting my eyes. “I said there wasn’t conclusive proof they exist. That’s different.”
I swallowed. The look on her face—I’d never seen her look like that before. She’d been standing next to me at the cemetery, she’d touched my back for herself and felt how cold it had been on a warm and moist evening.
Maybe— maybe I hadn’t been the only one who’d felt something. Our eyes met and she looked away immediately.
“It’s going to be perfectly safe,” Carson was saying. “For one thing, it’s daytime—paranormal activity is very rare during the day.” His tone was patronizing. “And, besides, ghosts can’t hurt you physically. The worst they can do is scare you.” He shrugged.
“Famous last words,” Logan joked, a big grin on his face. He widened his eyes and in a hushed, scared voice went on, “Isn’t that what they always say in the movies before something bad happens?” He clapped his hand over his mouth and rolled his eyes.
“You know, there’s no rule that says you always have to act like a jackass.” Rachel scowled at him.
He just stuck his tongue out at her.
“And there’s five of us, anyway—if Rachel comes with, that is.” Carson gave her a nasty smile.
She held up her hands. “I never said I wasn’t going to go. I just said it’s a bad idea. You all don’t have to jump all over me.”
“Besides, we’re just going to go look around in the woods.” Carson acted like no one else had said anything, addressing his remarks to Rachel. “As long as we keep an eye out for snakes”—Teresa made a gulping sound at this—“we should be fine. We’re just making sure, you know, that it was just a weird dream, right, Scotty?”
I forced a smile on my face. “Yeah. I mean, this is just to make me feel better so I can sleep tonight.” I took a deep breath and stood up. “So what are we waiting for?”
Teresa walked over to the door. “Let me get us all some bottled water,” she suggested. “It feels like it’s going to just keep getting hotter, and we don’t know how long
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