Final Justice
By L.M. Henderson
Published by Pine Lake Books
Smashwords Edition
copyright 2009 Lynn M Simpson
eBook ISBN: 978-0-9813539-1-3
This book is also available in print form ISBN: 978-0-9813539-3-7
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For the Rugrats
Prologue
HER CARROT RED hair was in piglets, and her dark freckles stood out on her pale face. She beckoned Katie to follow her into the woods.
Katie shook her head. She wasn’t supposed to go into the woods. It wasn’t safe in the woods. There were wild animals, maybe wolves, besides she might get lost. Katie was definitely not going in the woods.
The little redheaded girl beckoned Katie to follow, but Katie stubbornly refused. The woods were dark, and scary. She was not going into the woods. The words were a mantra in her brain, but her legs had a will of their own, and they carried her into the woods.
The sun didn’t quite make it through the heavy canopy of the trees, and Katie shivered. She didn’t want to be here. More than anything else in the world, she wanted to be back at the cottage with her mom, and Luke, but something compelled her to follow the strange little girl.
Deeper into the woods they went, until Katie was sure she would never find her way out. Suddenly, the little girl stopped and pointed to a spot on the ground. The ground looked different here. There weren’t as many leaves, or pine needles. The ground beneath this tree was almost bare.
Katie dropped to her knees, and started clawing at the earth with her bare hands. The ground was harder than it looked, and her fingernails broke. The ends of her fingers began to bleed, and still Katie dug. Her fingers hit something hard and smooth, and she was suddenly terrified. Icy fear twisted around her heart, and her heart beat erratically. It was getting hard to breath. She didn’t want to dig anymore. She glanced up to see the girl sitting on the ground with her arms wrapped around her legs. She was rocking back and forth, and staring at the hole in the ground. “Don’t stop, Katie,” she whispered. Her voice reflected the fear Katie felt. “Don’t leave me here.” Slowly Katie cleared the dirt away, and found herself staring into the dead eyes of the stranger.
Katie screamed.
Chapter One
HIS IMAGE WAS clearer now. A stream of light from a single, shaded lamp in the living room behind crept across the deck like a spotlight to reveal his slumped form. His head jerked. He cocked it to the right, listening to something Katie could not hear. Then he looked toward the house.
Katie looked too. She saw nothing but shadows. Dark, sinister shadows. She tried to suppress a shudder, but failed, gasping instead as one of the shadows detached itself from the others. It grew thicker, and almost imperceptibly, it began to move toward the railing. Katie looked to see the boy slumped over the railing. She called out to him but he did not, or he could not hear. It didn’t matter which. The result was the same.
The shadow grew, taking on human form, and moved closer to the boy who appeared to be asleep, with his head pillowed on the cracked railing. Katie tried again to call out a warning. Her voice disappeared like dust in the wind. She tried to move forward to warn him; her feet sank into the soft wood of the deck, and she was unable to move. She watched in absolute terror as the shadow advanced on the unsuspecting boy and pushed.
His eyes widened in surprise. Katie could tell they were intelligent eyes clear now of any of the earlier fogginess. Surprise turned to recognition, then disbelief, and finally shock as the railing he was leaning on gave way.
Katie moved then. She reached the railing in time to see the hapless boy, arms and legs flailing, drift almost in slow motion through the trees to the ground below. The sickening thud as his body hit the pine carpeted woods below belied the speed with which he fell.
Katie stared at the broken body below her. His arms were akimbo, one leg bent almost completely behind his back, his neck twisted like a ragdoll. There was no way the boy had survived the fall. Katie turned from the horrid sight, her mouth covered to prevent the rising bile from spewing forth. However, when she turned it was not vomit that spewed forth, but a scream. One long, terrified eruption as the shadow moved again.
Toward Katie.
She sat straight up, and let the air rushing in the open car window blow away the remnant cobwebs of the dream. Already the images were gone. Only the terror and a feeling of utter helplessness remained.
"Jeesh, Katie," complained Matt. "You nearly made me pee my pants. Why'd you scream like that?"
Katie glared at her little half brother, only to catch the flickering of the movie Matt was watching. A shadow was moving stealthily behind a teenage boy, who of course was completely oblivious to his immediate danger, just as he’d been the first two times the movie was on today. Katie rolled her eyes. “Don’t you ever get tired of watching that garbage,” she said. No wonder she was having nightmares. Matt was a complete horror movie junkie, and `The Shadow’ was his favorite.
"It’s not garbage.” Matt’s voice was sulky. He couldn’t understand why Katie didn’t share his love of horror. “These are classics. They don’t make movies like these anymore.”
“Of course not,” Katie said. “Nowadays movies are in color.”
Her mother twisted in her seat, her worried eyes scanning Katie’s face even as she scolded. “Don’t tease your brother, Katie. At least the movies are keeping him occupied.”
"I'm sorry," Katie said. With an exaggerated sigh, she turned back to look out the window.
Katie watched as town after little town flew by. Picturesque places with quaint little names like Glenarm, Woodville, and Coboconk. She was tired, and her legs were beginning to cramp. Six hours in a car was too long, she decided. She didn’t even have the energy to tease Matt any more.
Chapter Two
"LUKE, SLOW DOWN. We don't want to drive past the place."
Katie grinned at her mother's words. She was always telling Luke to slow down. You would think he was in the habit of getting lost—which was definitely not true. Katie couldn’t remember a single time her stepfather had gotten lost. He had a sixth sense for direction, and he proved it again now by slowing down, and signaling before Irene saw the sign she was watching for.
He turned left off the highway, and followed the curve to the left. “Weren’t you supposed to turn right?” her mother asked, looking at the map on her lap.
“Not until after the bridge,” replied Luke.
There was a sign on the side of a garage that said there was a wolf center a few kilometers away. Katie hoped that would be something Bill would like to see. They crossed a small concrete bridge, rounded the end of the lake, and then turned at the next right. They drove down the dirt road for a couple of minutes. The lake was close to the right hand side of the road, and all the houses were on the left. The houses were few, and set on large lots. Some were small, no more than cottages, others were low and rambling, like ranch houses. Katie spotted a couple of horses in a field behind one of the houses, and even a few cows. They definitely weren’t in the city anymore.
Katie held her breath as they drove past a small graveyard, and a tiny white church. There were several old people wandering around the tombstones, and a little girl was picking wild flowers near the edge of the woods. An old man stared straight at her. His black vacant eyes were red rimmed. “Help me,” he mouthed. Katie couldn’t hear him, but it didn’t matter. She couldn’t help him with anything. He was already dead.
“Ha," Luke exclaimed as he turned into the entrance of the camp grounds. "Right where I thought it would be." Everyone laughed when Irene hit him with the map she was holding. "Hey, don't wreck the map," Luke teased. "We wouldn't want to get lost before we get to Algonquin."
"No way," piped Matt. At six Matt was never sure when his parents were serious, and when they were teasing. "I want to see the deer." From the moment Luke had mentioned a vacation in Algonquin Park, Matt had talked of nothing else. The only thing better than deer that were not afraid of people—deer that came right up to you and ate out of the palm of your hand—were reindeer.
There was a fork in the road, and Luke chose the road to the right. Of course, it led to a large, A-frame building. A sign on a hook flipped to `Open’, hung just below a more permanent sign that said `Office’.
"This is it." Luke pulled into a parking spot in front of the office, and turned off the engine. "Let's find out where you're staying."
While Irene and Matt waited in the van, much to Matt’s annoyance, Katie and Luke went into the building. It wasn’t much of an office. Luke spoke to a short, slightly plump woman with a friendly expression.
“Hi,” he said. “I’m Luke Williams, and this is my daughter, Katie. We are looking for Bill Davis.”
“Maggie,” the woman said, as she pulled out a book from under the counter where a couple men sat drinking coffee. “Let’s see, Davis. Aw, here it is. Bill Davis. He has the Outlook for a month.”
Katie listened with one ear, while she took in her surroundings. Along one wall were a couple of shelves with candy, bread, and potato chips. A cooler holding milk and pop stood in a corner beside a door leading to a dining room. Through that door, she saw six tables, four of them occupied. Through the door to her left, Katie saw a bar with eight stools, and three more tables. There was a giant television over the bar, and a dartboard on the wall at the end.
“Thanks,” Matt said, drawing Katie’s attention back to the conversation. “Got it," he winked at Katie.
"I thought you were getting directions to the cabin, Luke?" asked Irene, when they returned to the car waving the key on the end of a stick.
"I did," replied Luke.
"Well it looks strangely like a key to me. What does it do, beep when we get close?”
Katie laughed, when Matt asked, “Does it really beep?” For such a smart little boy, he really did ask some stupid questions.
"Where’s Bill?" asked Irene, her voice tense. "Did he even bother to show up?"
Luke put his hand on his wife's shoulder. "Calm down, Reno," he murmured. Reno was his pet name for Irene, although Katie never understood where it came from. Probably something to do with them meeting in Reno. “Bill hasn’t arrived yet.”
"What do you mean, Bill hasn't arrived yet?" Luke may have spoken calmly, but Katie had no trouble detecting the growing anger in Irene’s voice.
Great! Perfect way to start a holiday. Mom pissed at Bill, Katie thought. It would be just like her to change her mind about me staying for the month.
"Just what I said.” Luke spoke soothingly as if he were talking to an irate child. “Bill is running a little late. He could arrive at any moment. Mrs. Mitchell, that's the woman in the office," Luke explained. "Mrs. Mitchell said Bill made all the arrangements by mail. But he phoned last week to verify everything, and paid in full." Katie couldn’t miss the telltale pink splashes on her mother's cheeks. She was angry, but before Irene could say anything Luke continued. "Maybe his plane was late, or there was a problem at customs. Whatever the reason, I'm sure he'll be here just as soon as he can."
The road wound from the office, past several trailers, and then up a steep hill into the forest. They drove by several cabins, each in their own secluded spot, before Luke stopped the van in front of the last cabin at the end of the road. The sign above the door of the cabin read `Outlook’. "Come on," Luke said, as always his was the calmer voice. "Let's get Katie's things inside. We still have a few hours driving, and I'd like to make Algonquin before dark." He tossed Katie the key.
Katie pushed open the door, and her breath caught in her throat. The open concept made the cabin seem much larger on the inside than it was on the outside. The sun shining through the patio door made the hardwood floor gleam. The kitchen was to the right. There were cupboards, counters, fridge, stove, and a small table set so you could look out the patio door. To her left there were three open doors, two obviously bedrooms, and the middle one the bathroom. The rest of the cabin was living room.
"Get moving, Katie." Luke gave her a nudge, and she stumbled into the room. "If you aren't going to help at least move so we can bring your stuff in."
"Sorry, Dad." Katie ran back to the van to help with the rest of her luggage.
The cabin was larger than Katie expected. The open area, including the kitchen area, was large enough to hold at least a dozen people. The only rug in the room was a small area rug in front of the real fireplace. Katie couldn’t help thinking that a bearskin rug would not have been out of place, but even without one, she loved the stone fireplace. There was a pile of logs in the wood crib, and Katie had no problem picturing a crackling fire. There were two couches, both looked like the kind that converted into beds, she had a similar one back home, and several overstuffed chairs.
A shadow by the patio doors caught Katie’s attention. She dropped her bag on the floor by the bedroom door, and went out on the deck. She caught a glimpse of the lake in the distance. Sunbeams bounced off the surface like jewels. A teenage boy, wearing dirty blue jeans, and a red t-shirt was leaning nonchalantly on the railing. Katie could see him as clearly as she could see the lake, and the trees through him. Residual or ghost, she wondered.
There was a time when Katie didn’t know there was a difference between a residual haunting, and a ghost, much less what that difference was. That was a long time ago, and a lot had changed since then. Since then, Katie had learned to deal with her gift, and by deal with, she meant for the most part, ignore.
Katie cleared her throat, and the boy disappeared. She closed her eyes, and opened them again very slowly. Still gone. Good. He was gone, and it was not happening again. Katie was on vacation, and intended to enjoy herself, not deal with the problems of dead people. She took a deep breath, and forced all thoughts of the boy from her mind.
The cabin was on the side of a steep hill, surrounded by forest. Each cabin was on its own secluded lot, offering the privacy that Bill desired. Katie would have preferred a trailer closer to the others, but she understood Bill’s need for solitude. He may be spending the month with her, but he would be working. There was no doubt in her mind.
Katie walked across the stained deck that wrapped around three sides of the cabin, and leaned on the railing that was so new it looked out of place with the aged wood of the deck. She peered down at the carpet of pine needles below. A knot formed in the pit of her stomach, and she swallowed convulsively. For a moment, a heartbeat only, she could see the body of a teenage boy wearing blue jeans and a red t-shirt, sprawled awkwardly on the ground below. The boy she’d seen leaning against the old railing. It was only a flicker, but she felt the cold tentacles of fear clutching her throat. Even here, she was not going to be free from them. She nearly screamed when a hand clasped her shoulder.
"Katie?" Luke asked his concern evident in his eyes. "Are you okay? I called you three times."
Katie blinked, and the scene was gone. There was nothing below except for the forest floor, covered with a bed of pine needles. If only it would stay that way. "I'm fine, Dad.” Katie had to force her voice to sound normal. It wasn’t always easy hiding her visions from those closest to her.
“I was just thinking how nice it’s going to be to swim in the lake," she forced a cheerfulness she didn’t feel into her voice. "This place is great. I'm going to have a blast here." She linked her arm through Luke's, and together they went into the cabin to find Irene and Matt.
Irene was in the smaller of the two bedrooms, Katie's suitcase opened on the bed. The walls were a pale green, and the floor was polished wood. A small window looked onto the woods behind the cabin. There was a chest with three drawers under the window, and a small armoire beside it. There was no closet in the room. On the other side of the window was a small writing desk and chair. There was a small clock/radio sitting on the desk. At the bottom of the bed was a captain’s bench, and in the corner was another of those overstuffed chairs, with a reading lamp behind it.
"Let me do that, Mom," Katie said. She took the sweater her mother was holding, and shoved it back into the suitcase. "It will give me something to do while I wait for Bill."
Luke looked at his watch. "It's almost three now. Why don't we grab a bite to eat? By that time Bill should be here. If not, then I'm sure Katie will be fine until he does get here. He can't be that much longer."
They all climbed into the van, and drove down the hill to the restaurant. The place was small, and cozy. A couple of men sat at the counter drinking coffee, and talking. Other than that, they were the only ones in the restaurant. They chose a table near the window where they could glimpse the lake through the trees. Mrs. Mitchell took their order, cooked the food, and served them herself. “It’s pretty quiet right now,” she told them. “I usually have a girl that helps me, but she doesn’t come in until the supper rush.”
Less than an hour later, Katie stood outside the restaurant and waved goodbye to her family. It had been touch and go for a while, Irene wasn’t sure she wanted to leave Katie alone. Bill had never been the most reliable person when it came to his personal life. Katie remembered several times when she and her mom had waited for Bill, and he had not shown up, or else he had shown up days later. To add insult to injury, he wouldn’t call to say he was going to be late, or that he wasn’t coming. That was one of the reasons Irene had finally divorced Bill. He was unreliable—but only in his personal life. He was very reliable when it came to his job as a foreign correspondent. He had to be.
After the divorce, Irene met Luke, and before she knew it she was head over heels, and agreeing to marry him. Luke was Bill's complete opposite, a real family man. He spent as much time as possible with them. Picnics, camping trips, ball games. It didn’t matter what they did as long as they were together. Best of all, when Luke said he’d be some place, he was, and on time. He treated Katie like his own daughter, had from the very beginning, and it wasn’t long before she was calling him Dad.
Bill didn’t seem to mind. He actually seemed happy that Katie had Luke for a dad. That left him free to come and go as he pleased, without the guilt. It was only in the past four years that Katie and Bill had developed a good relationship. Probably because I can take care of myself, thought Katie. Whatever the reason, Katie was looking forward to spending the month with him.
Katie was still looking down the road in the direction her family had gone when the door behind her opened. Mrs. Mitchell saw her, and hurried over. She was a friendly, plump woman with mousy brown hair cut in a bob just below her ears.
"Oh good," she said. "You're still here." She looked around the parking lot, and frowned. "Has your mother left already?"
"Only just, Mrs. Mitchell," Katie answered. "Is there something you needed?"
"Oh, call me Maggie. Everyone does." A couple of kids ran past them into the store. "Slow down you two," Mrs. Mitchell scolded. "I don't allow running in my place." The kids dutifully slow their pace to a fast walk, giggling as they went. "Now what was I saying? Oh, yes. Mr. Davis is on the phone asking to speak to your mother. I guess you will do. Come with me."
Katie followed the short woman into the office, and waited until she left before picking up the receiver. "Hello," she ventured. "Bill?"
"Katie? It's good to hear your voice. Is your mother there?"
"Not exactly."
"What do you mean, not exactly? Either she's there or she's not."
"They just left," Katie admitted. "Where are you?"
"I'm at the airport" he hedged.
That wasn’t too bad. He could be here in three hours, more or less. Katie was a lot like her father, and she notice the wary note in his voice. What was he not saying, and how was it going to affect her? "In Toronto, right?" she asked, hesitantly, her fingers crossed. Please don’t let me down this time.
"Actually, I'm in Scotland. I tried to call before I left, but I missed you."
Great, thought Katie. The first time mom lets me spend time alone with him, and he doesn’t bother to show up. Then she felt guilty. She hadn’t even asked why he was in Scotland when he was supposed to be in London, but she would lay odds it was for work. Whenever Bill got a lead, large or small, all thoughts of his family flew out of his head. "What are you doing in Scotland, Bill?" Katie had not called him Dad in a very long time. He might be her father, but Luke was more of a dad.
"I was all ready to leave, when I got a hot tip on a man I've been trying to track down for several weeks now. According to my source, he is in Edinburgh. Listen, Katie. I am sorry about not being there, but this could be my only chance of finding this person. You do understand, don't you?" Of course, she understood. What did spending time with his daughter mean, compared to his precious job.
It should not have come as a surprise. It wasn’t the first time her father had failed to show. You would think she would be used to it by now, but although she wouldn’t admit it to anybody, it hurt—a lot. He didn’t know that she spent weeks trying to convince her mother that he had changed. That he would not stand her up again, even though she didn’t have any proof. Sure, he had shown up the last three times when he said he would, give or take an hour. Then, again, he had only visited her three times in the past two years, and those times conveniently coincided with assignments stateside. "Sure, Dad, I understand." She tried to hide the disappointment she was feeling, without success. "I'll call the ranger station at Algonquin, and leave a message for Luke to come back and get me."
"You know, Katie. I was thinking. I shouldn't be any more than a day or two at the most. The plane is ready to go, and the pilot is on standby. I’ll be there as soon as possible. I’m really looking forward to spending time together. Do you think you would be okay alone for a couple of days? If not, you could go with your mother and I will pick you up there as soon as I can. You’re old enough to stay alone for a couple days, aren’t you?”
Katie mentally rolled her eyes. Didn’t the man have any idea how old she was? As far as she was concerned, she was plenty old enough to stay alone. She had to think about it for less than a moment. Let’s see, a day or two alone, no kid brother pestering her, no well-meaning parents telling her what to do, and when to do it. She had her own money from her part time job, so she wasn’t going to starve. "I can't see a single reason why I wouldn't be okay alone," she finally said when she realized Bill was waiting for an answer. "I'll see you in a day or two."
Chapter Three
KATIE DECIDED TO explore the campgrounds, and see who her neighbors were. She thought fleetingly of calling her mother to let her know what had happened. She did have the number for the rangers' office at Algonquin, in case of emergencies. But, was this an emergency. Irene would see it that way, but Katie was afraid that if Luke had to come get her now, her mom wouldn’t let her come with Bill when he did show up. She decided against calling. It would take Luke at least three hours to get to the park, and another three hours to get back here, and then another three to get there again. That was a lot of driving, and Katie had no doubt he would come and get her. Irene would insist on it. She justified her decision by convincing herself that Bill could possibly be there by tomorrow, and then Luke would have spent all that time driving for nothing, when he should have been with Irene and Matt.
Outside the office, there was a signpost with several arrows pointing in different directions. The one pointing down the road that led to the entrance and the lake, obviously said `LAKE’. The arrow pointing to the road that led to the cabin, said `CABINS’, and another arrow pointed to a road that was no more than a wide dirt path. This sign said `TENTS’. Katie could see several tents in the large field, and the smoke from a couple of campfires hovered in the still air. Someone must have been cooking, because it was too hot just to have a fire.
She strolled slowly down the lake road, until she came to the playground. Several maple trees spread around the campground, providing much needed shade on hot days. Between the trailers were cedar hedges, offering privacy to the occupants. Katie stopped to watch two little girls about three years old playing on a teeter-totter, when she heard her name called.
"Katie. Hello, Katie." A girl about Katie's height, with long brown hair was hurrying along the road in her direction, and waving her hands frantically. "Wait there, Katie," she called.
Finally, out of breath, the girl stood in front of Katie. Her eyes were so pale they reminded Katie of an actor she liked who was always playing blind people. The girl's smile was friendly, and Katie thought instantly of Mrs. Mitchell.
"Hi. I'm Daina. Daina Mitchell. Mom sent me to find you. You forgot this." Daina dangled a key from a small piece of wood with the word OUTLOOK painted on it in front of Katie. "In the office," she continued, needlessly indicating the direction she had just come from with a jerk of her head.
Katie felt stupid. She must have set the key down when she was talking to Bill on the phone. What a great way to prove she could look after herself, losing her key the moment she was alone. Something of what she was thinking must have shown on her face because Daina laughed.
"Don't sweat it," she told Katie. "Most people don’t worry about keys around here. They just unlock their cabin, and then leave the key inside until they leave." She handed Katie the key. "Mom only locks them when they’re empty so kids can't party in them. She thinks that’s all teenagers do is party."
"Well, thanks for bringing it to me." Katie accepted the key with a question. "Did you have any trouble finding me?"
"You’re a stranger. Strangers stand out around here.” Daina shrugged. “That, and mom saw you heading this way, and pointed you out to me."
"Let’s hope I don’t stay a stranger for too long." Katie laughed nervously. “I don’t have ten or twenty years to become a local.”
Daina laughed with her. "Well you’re not a stranger to me anymore."
"Gee,” Katie tilted her head, and looked at Daina contemplatively. “Now that I'm not a stranger, maybe you can show me where everyone hangs out." In for a penny, in for a pound her mom always said. If she wanted to make friends while she was here this summer, she may as well start now.
Daina didn’t answer immediately, and Katie was afraid she didn’t want to introduce her around. Then Daina grinned. "Sure, no problem. You would have found them soon enough anyway if you stayed on the lake road. There's usually a volleyball game around this time."
They continued along the lake road, passing several trailers before rounding a bend, and coming upon a group of children playing ring-a-ring of posies in front of a small trailer with a large add-a-room.
Katie paused to watch them. She didn’t notice the small beagle sleeping on the deck, until she saw a blur, and heard it barking. Katie couldn’t stop the quick scream that rose in her throat. She closed her eyes, and her hands clenched into small fists at her sides. She waited for the inevitable pain. It never occurred to her to run. Her heart beat frantically as memories flooded her mind.
They were playing monkey in the middle—Katie, with her cousins Frank and Lisa. Frank, who was almost two years older than Katie, was in the middle. Lisa threw the ball … High ... It sailed over Frank's head. It sailed over Katie's head. Katie laughed at the astounded look on Frank's face. Who would have thought that Lisa could throw so far? She turned to watch the ball. It landed on the crest of a knoll, paused for a minute, and then it rolled down the other side.
Katie followed the ball over the knoll, and down the other side. She followed the ball into the long grass at the edge of the park. It was while she was kicking over the long grass looking for the elusive ball that she came upon the stray. It had dirty black fur, matted with blood. It was crouched over what looked suspiciously like the broken, bloody body of a cat.
Katie could not stop the scream that rose in her throat. The stray turned black, hate-filled eyes toward the frightened intruder. Katie ran. The dog chased her. Katie got about ten steps when the stray pounced. She screamed once more as she collapsed like a rag doll. The pain in her left leg was excruciating. There was blood everywhere. Somebody else was screaming so loud now it hurt Katie's ears. Unable to endure any more she closed her eyes, and allowed the darkness to embrace her in its comforting arms.
Although the physical pain was gone, the scars on her psyche were a long way from healed.
"Katie? Katie? What's wrong? What happened?"
The voice reached Katie through the fog. She felt comfort in the hands that gripped her shoulders enough to be painful. She opened her eyes and for a split second, she thought she glimpsed glee in the face before her, and then the worry on Daina's face made her ashamed. The children, only moments before laughing and playing, looked at her with a mixture of curiosity and fear. The small beagle lay curled up at the end of his rope—still on the deck, satisfied that she posed no threat to the children.
"I'm sorry," she stuttered. "I thought ... the dog. Never mind what I thought," she finally said, pulling herself together. "Let's go to the lake." Katie tried to ignore the burning in her left calf, as she limped along the lake road.
A small stand of pine trees separated the beach from the volleyball net. About a dozen kids were already playing.
"Hi, guys." Daina waved to the small group. "This is Katie. She arrived today."
"Hey, Katie," they answered in unison, before turning back to the game.
Daina and Katie sat on the sidelines. They chose opposite sides to cheer. Katie's side won. There was plenty of good natured ribbing between the opposing teams, as well as a great deal of back slapping with "way to go," among the winners, and "we'll get them next time," among the losers. Everybody knows everybody, thought Katie. They seem such good friends, that Katie was trying to imagine what it would be like to belong. She was deep into her daydreaming, and didn’t notice anyone approach.
"Earth to Katie. Earth to Katie. Come in, Katie." A redheaded boy with freckles plopped himself on the grass beside Katie. "You do talk, don't you?"
Katie blushed. Then she laughed nervously. "Of course I talk," she finally spit out. Her mom was always telling her not to be so shy. Get out there and meet people, she was always saying. Easy for her mom. She was beautiful, and everyone loved her. Katie, on the other hand, was shy, insecure, and cursed with the ability to see ghosts. Maybe if she could keep her strange ability from becoming public knowledge she could make some friends this summer.
Red, as Katie was already thinking of him, pulled a handful of grass and threw it at Katie. It missed and hit Daina. Katie laughed before she could stop herself. Daina jumped up and frantically began clawing at the grass in her hair. She glared at Red and Katie. "I'll get you for this," she threatened in a low voice. Katie shuddered. It was not the words, but rather the hatred she glimpsed in Daina's blue eyes that caused her reaction. The next instant Daina was smiling, making Katie doubt herself. "Hey, guys," she said more loudly. "Let's go for a swim."
Daina ignored Katie all the time they were playing in the water. Katie tried talking to her when they were standing on the dock, but Daina jumped into the water without acknowledging her. Later Katie saw her talking to a couple of other girls. Katie got a sinking feeling in the pit of her stomach when the group looked toward her, and then turned away quickly.
A tall boy with long, brown hair pushed Katie into the water, and all thoughts of Daina vanished as the cold water closed over her head.
Back on the beach, the dark haired boy, she though his name was Pete, offered Katie his towel. "Thank you," Katie said. She wiped the water from her face and hands, and handed it back. "I wasn't really planning on swimming," she told him. "I haven't even unpacked yet." Great, Katie thought. I'm babbling. The poor guy is only trying to be nice. He doesn't care whether I've unpacked. Katie watched warily, as Daina and her friends came out of the water. They kept sneaking looks her way, and every time Katie looked back they quickly averted their eyes.
Soon there was a small crowd on the beach. Katie couldn’t help noticing that the girls all seemed to be keeping their distance. Even some of the boys had started looking at her strangely. Maybe this place wasn’t going to be so different after all.
"Where's the party tonight, folks?" Red broke her reverie with his question. "Can't have it at my place. Mom's still mad about her garden. Yuck. What a mess." Everyone laughed. "So, where's it going to be?"
Here's my chance, Katie thought. I can align myself with these people now. Or I can spend the rest of the summer on the outside looking in. Besides, I have the cabin to myself. She took a deep, fortifying breath, and before she could change her mind, she blurted. "You can party at my place."
"Won't your parents mind?" asked Pete, his head tilted slightly as he watched her expression.
Maybe this wasn’t such a good idea, but she couldn’t back out now. "No. Actually, I have the place to myself tonight."
"Sounds great," said Red. "Where are you?"
"She's in the Outlook," said Daina, bitterness loud in her voice. She had a smug look on her face.
Katie watched in confusion, as towels and belongings were gathered, and everyone left. One moment, everybody seemed to be talking at once, yet nobody actually said anything to Katie, the next she was standing on the empty beach.
Chapter Four
KATIE LAY ON the deck staring at the Milky Way. There must be a zillion or so stars twinkling above. She had never seen this many stars in the sky above their house in New York. They might be there, somewhere above the smog and the city lights, but she'd never seen them. She listened to the wind whispering through the leaves, and the song of a nearby cricket. The scent of pine tickled her nose.
She could hardly credit that she was here alone, and not the least bit scared. It had taken her nearly fifteen minutes to follow the road to the Outlook. She passed the other cabins, but couldn’t tell if they were empty. Most of the road was uphill through the woods. Over the hill and through the woods to grandma's house I go. Katie felt a little like Little Red Riding Hood. It was just her, the birds and the squirrels. More than once, she felt eyes on her, watching her. She kept waiting for the big bad wolf to jump out from the security of the surrounding woods, but he never showed.
Soon she heard something over the gentle rustling of the leaves. Buzz. She sat perfectly still, barely breathing. She hoped the mosquito would decide she wouldn’t make a very good dinner. Soon she began to hear other sounds in the woods. The chirping cricket accompanied by the kerr-ump, kerr-ump of a bullfrog. A twig snapped as some creature of the night stalked its dinner.
Katie watched the stars, and listened to the music of the night. She still wasn't sure what had happened at the lake, but she was certain nobody was coming to the cabin tonight. Nobody showed up while she finished unpacking. Nobody came while she was trying to light a fire in the outside pit. Now that was a disaster. An entire newspaper later, and all she managed to burn was the paper and half a box of matches. Forced to face the reality that nobody was coming, she cooked herself a hot dog on the stove in the cabin, and she decided to lay back and watch the stars.
It would be nice to have a friend while she was here, but Katie wasn't about to let the lack of friends equal a lack of fun. No way. She was used to spending time alone. Besides, Bill would be here tomorrow, or the day after. She hadn't seen her father in nearly a year. They would have lots to do once he got here. Still, it wasn't the same as having a friend her own age.
"Are you sleeping or just dreaming?" Katie jumped at the voice. She hadn't heard anyone approach. She sat up and stared at the dark haired boy. "If you aren't going to say anything," Pete teased. "Perhaps we should leave."
Katie tried to see beyond Pete to the steps. "We?" she queried. "All I see is you."
"That's because the others are out front by the fire."
"What fire? I couldn't get one going."
"Shaun lit it." Katie looked at him askance. He explained. "You met him at the beach.” When Katie stared at him with a dumb look on her face, he added, “the guy with red hair."
"Oh, Red. I didn't know his name. He never told me."
"Red fits. I've often called him that myself. Anyway, Red lit the fire, and a few of our friends have already gathered. Are you going to join us or do we party alone?" He walked over and offered his hand to Katie. "What's it going to be?"