stay right here forever.”
“Forever’s a long time, Dani,” Cassie replied. “Even if you spend it in the Magic Kingdom.”
E
ighteen
O F ALL THE attractions and rides in Disney World, the Haunted House caught up Dani’s emotions. She sat with Austin, laughing at the fat, funny cartoonish impressions of ghosts that kept materializing out of the darkness throughout the ride. All at once, the car made a swooping revolution and swung them in front of a see-through panel that looked down on a spacious ballroom from a long-ago era.
On the floor below, beautiful ghostly couples whirled to the music of a haunting waltz played on illusory pianos. The gossamer figures floated serenely across the surface, spinning beneath crystalchandeliers lit by a thousand candles. Around and around they glided, on feet that never touched the floor, to music that never ended.
She could see the shimmer of the ladies’ ball gowns, the flash of their jewels. She saw the stiffness of the gentlemen’s formal frocks, the gleam of their shoe buckles. She knew that they were phantoms, form without substance, shadow without flesh.
“It’s all illusion,” Austin whispered. “They’re holograms—you know, three-dimensional laser photographs.”
The spectacle was unnerving. Her hands gripped the lap bar so tightly that her fingers hurt.
“Are you all right?” Austin asked as the car emerged from the tunnel of the Haunted House. His blue eyes narrowed, and a furrow creased his brow. “It wasn’t real, Dani. It was only pretend.”
“I know,” she told him, trying to shake off the specter of the supernatural. “But it all looked so real.” She wanted to tell him that in her imagination, she had seen not only the mystical illusion created by the wizardry of Disney, but the image of her sister and her father somehow entwined among the ghostly beings.
As they met up with the others, Dr. Phillips and her mother were settling Cassie in the wheelchair.Cassie’s eyes glowed, and she looked happy. “Wasn’t that fabulous?” Cassie asked.
“Fabulous,” Dani said, trying to regain her emotional equilibrium.
“Honestly, Dani,” Cassie teased. “You look like you’ve seen a ghost!”
That night, back in their hotel rooms, they ordered pizza and talked about the fabulous time they’d had at Disney World. “Aren’t you glad we went?” Dani asked her mother.
“Yes, I am, but please stop treating me like the grinch who stole Christmas. I’m glad we’re all here together.”
“That’s the spirit,” Dr. Phillips said, finishing his slice of pepperoni. “Now, what should we do tomorrow?”
“Tomorrow?” Mrs. Vanoy echoed. “I still haven’t recovered from Thunder Mountain.”
Everyone laughed. Dani eyed her sister, who had become very quiet. “Are you all right?” Dani asked Cassie quietly as she sat at the edge of her bed.
“I’m exhausted, I guess,” Cassie answered, then closed her eyes and quickly fell asleep.
Much later, when everyone was asleep, Dani woke with a start. Her mother was still fast asleep. “Cassie? Do you want something? Are you up?”
Dani eased herself out of bed and felt her wayacross the room. At the door, she caught hold of her sister. “What are you doing up?”
“Dani, I can’t see clearly.”
“It’s just dark,” Dani answered. “Why, I can barely see, either.”
“Open the curtain, Dani. For me, the room is pitch-black. I think I’m blind.”
Quickly, Dani pulled the cord that sent the curtain gliding over the track. Outside, the night was lit by a slowly sinking moon. Dani could make out the sand and the patio. “Can you see the patio?”
“I can’t see anything.” Cassie sounded frightened now.
“I’ll turn on a light.”
“No. Don’t wake up Mom,” Cassie insisted. “Please, take me outside.”
Their mother heard their voices and sat up. “What’s wrong?”
“Cassie wants to go outside,” Dani answered.
“It’s only five o’clock, honey.
“Forever’s a long time, Dani,” Cassie replied. “Even if you spend it in the Magic Kingdom.”
E
ighteen
O F ALL THE attractions and rides in Disney World, the Haunted House caught up Dani’s emotions. She sat with Austin, laughing at the fat, funny cartoonish impressions of ghosts that kept materializing out of the darkness throughout the ride. All at once, the car made a swooping revolution and swung them in front of a see-through panel that looked down on a spacious ballroom from a long-ago era.
On the floor below, beautiful ghostly couples whirled to the music of a haunting waltz played on illusory pianos. The gossamer figures floated serenely across the surface, spinning beneath crystalchandeliers lit by a thousand candles. Around and around they glided, on feet that never touched the floor, to music that never ended.
She could see the shimmer of the ladies’ ball gowns, the flash of their jewels. She saw the stiffness of the gentlemen’s formal frocks, the gleam of their shoe buckles. She knew that they were phantoms, form without substance, shadow without flesh.
“It’s all illusion,” Austin whispered. “They’re holograms—you know, three-dimensional laser photographs.”
The spectacle was unnerving. Her hands gripped the lap bar so tightly that her fingers hurt.
“Are you all right?” Austin asked as the car emerged from the tunnel of the Haunted House. His blue eyes narrowed, and a furrow creased his brow. “It wasn’t real, Dani. It was only pretend.”
“I know,” she told him, trying to shake off the specter of the supernatural. “But it all looked so real.” She wanted to tell him that in her imagination, she had seen not only the mystical illusion created by the wizardry of Disney, but the image of her sister and her father somehow entwined among the ghostly beings.
As they met up with the others, Dr. Phillips and her mother were settling Cassie in the wheelchair.Cassie’s eyes glowed, and she looked happy. “Wasn’t that fabulous?” Cassie asked.
“Fabulous,” Dani said, trying to regain her emotional equilibrium.
“Honestly, Dani,” Cassie teased. “You look like you’ve seen a ghost!”
That night, back in their hotel rooms, they ordered pizza and talked about the fabulous time they’d had at Disney World. “Aren’t you glad we went?” Dani asked her mother.
“Yes, I am, but please stop treating me like the grinch who stole Christmas. I’m glad we’re all here together.”
“That’s the spirit,” Dr. Phillips said, finishing his slice of pepperoni. “Now, what should we do tomorrow?”
“Tomorrow?” Mrs. Vanoy echoed. “I still haven’t recovered from Thunder Mountain.”
Everyone laughed. Dani eyed her sister, who had become very quiet. “Are you all right?” Dani asked Cassie quietly as she sat at the edge of her bed.
“I’m exhausted, I guess,” Cassie answered, then closed her eyes and quickly fell asleep.
Much later, when everyone was asleep, Dani woke with a start. Her mother was still fast asleep. “Cassie? Do you want something? Are you up?”
Dani eased herself out of bed and felt her wayacross the room. At the door, she caught hold of her sister. “What are you doing up?”
“Dani, I can’t see clearly.”
“It’s just dark,” Dani answered. “Why, I can barely see, either.”
“Open the curtain, Dani. For me, the room is pitch-black. I think I’m blind.”
Quickly, Dani pulled the cord that sent the curtain gliding over the track. Outside, the night was lit by a slowly sinking moon. Dani could make out the sand and the patio. “Can you see the patio?”
“I can’t see anything.” Cassie sounded frightened now.
“I’ll turn on a light.”
“No. Don’t wake up Mom,” Cassie insisted. “Please, take me outside.”
Their mother heard their voices and sat up. “What’s wrong?”
“Cassie wants to go outside,” Dani answered.
“It’s only five o’clock, honey.
Similar Books
