felt..." He glanced at Luz again. "It felt
weird. Then one of my books fell off the shelf.
Then a poster fell down." He looked up at Kara, his
eyes troubled. "It was my Captain Picard poster."
The priorities of a little boy. She hugged him again.
"Oh sweetie, that's okay. We'll put it back up or get
another one. What happened then?"
"I started calling for Luz and she came. She saw
stuff happen, too."
Kara looked at Luz, who nodded her confirmation.
A chill went down Kara's spine. "At least both of
you are all right," she said. "And Mr. Morgan is
coming over to try to figure out what's going on."
"I do not know why you would call that man," Luz
muttered. "He's probably the cause of it."
"Luz, don't say such things!" Kara said sharply. "I
don't believe that."
"Do you think he'll be able to fix it, Mom?" Alex
looked at her solemnly. "Because, he's... you
know."
"I think he can help," she said neutrally.
Doris returned with a tray bearing four cups of hot
chocolate and a plateful of cookies. "Here we go."
She set the tray on the elaborately carved cherry
wood coffee table. "Something hot to chase away
the chills—in more ways than one."
She handed them each a mug of steaming hot
chocolate and napkins and cookies before settling
down in a big wing chair with her own mug.
"Mine's sugar free," she informed Kara with a
smile and took a sip. "Got to watch the
carbohydrate intake."
"How's the new insulin dosage working?" Kara
asked.
"Just fine. I feel great."
"Mrs. Burgess, do you believe in ghosts?" Alex
asked.
Doris considered thoughtfully. "Well, I don't know
for sure. But I do think there are a lot of
unexplained and unusual things in the world, don't
you?"
He nodded. "Socks disappear in our dryer all the
time, and Mom says there must be a black hole
behind it."
Doris laughed. "Out of the mouths of babes."
"I'm not a baby," Alex protested.
"Of course not. You're a fine young man." Doris
held out the plate of cookies. "Have another cookie.
They always make things better, don't you think?"
Alex happily took another. "Yes, ma'am."
Kara finally felt some warmth seeping back into
her body. She sank back with a tired sigh. "We've
definitely had some strange experiences lately."
She reached out and mussed Alex's hair, needing to
touch him again. "But we're going to get back to
normal real soon. Right, champ?"
"Right, Mom," he dutifully replied, but she heard
the doubt in his voice.
She steered the conversation away from ghostly
topics, and Luz and Doris took her cue, instead
talking about the annual bake sale at the town hall,
which raised funds for senior citizen programs.
"Are you still coming over tomorrow to help me
make cakes?" Doris asked.
Alex looked at Kara, who nodded. "I'm coming,
too," she said, once again reminded of her concerns
about a Belian taking possession of a body, and
cursing fate—and Damien—for bringing doubt and
distrust into her life.
"Cool," Alex said. He loved helping Doris in her
kitchen, partly because he got to sample the goods.
A brisk rapping on the front door alerted them to
Damien's arrival. Doris's eyes widened when she
opened the door and saw him. He filled the
doorway, an imposing figure in his duster with his
hair banded back, and his dark glasses giving him a
menacing appearance. He didn't remove the glasses
and was brief but courteous with Doris, refusing
her offer to come in.
"I need for Kara and Alex to come with me," he
said. He looked at Luz. "And you, as well."
Stepping back he held the storm door open. Luz
took Alex's hand.
"Come, hijo, we will see if our fantasma is gone."
Alex drew back. "I don't want to go home," he
whispered.
"I'm sure it is all right now. Yes?" Luz stared at
Damien, who gave a curt nod. "There, you see? The
arrogant man has assured us all is well." She swept
past Damien, pulling Alex with her.
Squaring her shoulders, Kara walked to the door.
She gave Doris a quick hug. "Thank you
weird. Then one of my books fell off the shelf.
Then a poster fell down." He looked up at Kara, his
eyes troubled. "It was my Captain Picard poster."
The priorities of a little boy. She hugged him again.
"Oh sweetie, that's okay. We'll put it back up or get
another one. What happened then?"
"I started calling for Luz and she came. She saw
stuff happen, too."
Kara looked at Luz, who nodded her confirmation.
A chill went down Kara's spine. "At least both of
you are all right," she said. "And Mr. Morgan is
coming over to try to figure out what's going on."
"I do not know why you would call that man," Luz
muttered. "He's probably the cause of it."
"Luz, don't say such things!" Kara said sharply. "I
don't believe that."
"Do you think he'll be able to fix it, Mom?" Alex
looked at her solemnly. "Because, he's... you
know."
"I think he can help," she said neutrally.
Doris returned with a tray bearing four cups of hot
chocolate and a plateful of cookies. "Here we go."
She set the tray on the elaborately carved cherry
wood coffee table. "Something hot to chase away
the chills—in more ways than one."
She handed them each a mug of steaming hot
chocolate and napkins and cookies before settling
down in a big wing chair with her own mug.
"Mine's sugar free," she informed Kara with a
smile and took a sip. "Got to watch the
carbohydrate intake."
"How's the new insulin dosage working?" Kara
asked.
"Just fine. I feel great."
"Mrs. Burgess, do you believe in ghosts?" Alex
asked.
Doris considered thoughtfully. "Well, I don't know
for sure. But I do think there are a lot of
unexplained and unusual things in the world, don't
you?"
He nodded. "Socks disappear in our dryer all the
time, and Mom says there must be a black hole
behind it."
Doris laughed. "Out of the mouths of babes."
"I'm not a baby," Alex protested.
"Of course not. You're a fine young man." Doris
held out the plate of cookies. "Have another cookie.
They always make things better, don't you think?"
Alex happily took another. "Yes, ma'am."
Kara finally felt some warmth seeping back into
her body. She sank back with a tired sigh. "We've
definitely had some strange experiences lately."
She reached out and mussed Alex's hair, needing to
touch him again. "But we're going to get back to
normal real soon. Right, champ?"
"Right, Mom," he dutifully replied, but she heard
the doubt in his voice.
She steered the conversation away from ghostly
topics, and Luz and Doris took her cue, instead
talking about the annual bake sale at the town hall,
which raised funds for senior citizen programs.
"Are you still coming over tomorrow to help me
make cakes?" Doris asked.
Alex looked at Kara, who nodded. "I'm coming,
too," she said, once again reminded of her concerns
about a Belian taking possession of a body, and
cursing fate—and Damien—for bringing doubt and
distrust into her life.
"Cool," Alex said. He loved helping Doris in her
kitchen, partly because he got to sample the goods.
A brisk rapping on the front door alerted them to
Damien's arrival. Doris's eyes widened when she
opened the door and saw him. He filled the
doorway, an imposing figure in his duster with his
hair banded back, and his dark glasses giving him a
menacing appearance. He didn't remove the glasses
and was brief but courteous with Doris, refusing
her offer to come in.
"I need for Kara and Alex to come with me," he
said. He looked at Luz. "And you, as well."
Stepping back he held the storm door open. Luz
took Alex's hand.
"Come, hijo, we will see if our fantasma is gone."
Alex drew back. "I don't want to go home," he
whispered.
"I'm sure it is all right now. Yes?" Luz stared at
Damien, who gave a curt nod. "There, you see? The
arrogant man has assured us all is well." She swept
past Damien, pulling Alex with her.
Squaring her shoulders, Kara walked to the door.
She gave Doris a quick hug. "Thank you
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