Broken Dolls ,

8/12/2019 Broken Dolls ,

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Broken

Dolls

Gene Mikel Fogerty


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What would you say if you could speak, of things that you have

seen?

Do you sleep, and close your eyes, do you have sweet dreams?

Ever watching all around, your shining eyes so still.

Passing time, falling dust, as the hours fill.

Through the years if you could speak, the tales you could share,

Families and children, and music everywhere.

ut never shall there !e a story told !y a young girl"s toy,

#er lips lay silent always, in sadness and in $oy.

ut somewhere there"s a story to !e told here in these walls,#inted !y the cracks and !roken paint on !roken dolls.

%opyright

&'(E ) phantom from a graveyard, the thunderhead that filled the sky

over &illy *oad moved. 't seemed to stop and hover as if looking down on

something !elow. Far down through space amidst tangles of dried and !are


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tree !ranches punctuated with green leaves like !ones sticking through

centuries old hands was the house. There had !een others, !ut over the years

they had all fallen down into the fields !elow and vanished into the earth,

taking their secrets with them.

They had !een !uilt like a wooden family, and stood har!oring familiesand living through seasons, then the guns had fired, tearing some of them to

pieces. Families had fled, and some had returned. +ne !y one time had

claimed them all, then at length only the one stood. For well past a century it

har!ored families and candles lit it"s windows at night, then electric lights. )

young girl had moved in and spent her many years there, almost a part of the

house, till time had also taken it"s toll on her and she walked the halls day and

night, ever more fee!le till time had swallowed her completely and she took

up residence with so many others, silent among stones with names andmemories written on them, a city where many stayed, !ut among the

multitudes, no one spoke again as the days and years passed. The house

stood then, empty, alone, it"s dark windows looking out over the landscape at

night and day. othing moved...or did it?

When the moon was high in the sky, was it a face in the upper windows,

was it a light moving through the deserted halls?

'nside the wooden hallways as the moon reached like fingers through the

windows the dust would gather on the floors and the thunder of storms would

echo as lightning lit the house up in the night as if day came for only a

moment. Then it was gone and left only silence. 'n the darkness a door

would creep open, then shut, and tim!ers would creak. )s dust stirred here

and there and a mouse would scurry through the dark into the walls to

enclosed safety.

The road crackled at length as a small van moved down it, and inside the

van a mother, De!ra, sat ne-t to her hus!and ohn, the radio playing /uietly

as the sun !eat down on the concerned look on their faces.

'n the !ack was a !oy in his early teens, ohn r, and ne-t to him his little

sister, 0inny, and at first glance !oth looked ordinary enough, !ut there was


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an air of something amiss.

De!ra spoke as she looked around. 1Wow, ' had no idea this erea was so

remote.2 3he said with concern. ohn replied 14eah, ' guess the courts

forgot to mention that. Figures ' had to wind up with a place this far out in

the sticks. )lot of the places out here look nice though.2

1' hope we have privacy though,2 3he replied. 1' don"t need a !unch of

nosy neigh!ors coming around giving us grief when doctors come to look in

on ohn r.2

ohn r. piped up in the !ack 1eigh!ors? Did that cemetery count, cu5

'"m pretty sure they don"t care.2

%oming around a !end through thick trees on !oth sides, ohn said 1't"s

gonna !e fun trying to get materials and !uild a ramp up those stairs.2

De!ra took a drink and spoke. 1#ow much do you remem!er?2

1ot much, ' was a kid the last time ' saw the place, !ut ' know it had a

lot of trees and was a victorian two story house. 0ramma shut off the rooms

she didn"t use and ' wasn"t allowed in any of them.2

'n the !ack seat, ohn r. an-iously spoke as he looked around. 1Dad '

hate to !e a pest !ut ' really need to....2

1#ang in there !uddy, we should !e there very soon. (eep an eye out for

the num!ers. ' think we"re almost...2

1T#E*E6 0inny shouted suddenly. 1+# W+W TE&& 7E T#)T"3 T#E

P&)%E6 'T &++(3 3+ F862 3he shouted as she pointed.

The trees were snuggled up on the left side of the car, choking the face of

a tall, spooky 9ictorian house with ornate carvings on it"s face and porches.

't was run down, with weeds standing tall in the front yard, paint chipped and

peeling and a few !roken panes. There was a fence and at the end of it a gate

that was open, !ut laying down as if to say 1well, here it is, ' guess you can


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come in.2

De!ra and ohn looked at the house as they drove up the driveway, and

ohn r. curled his lip in dou!t. 0inny was e-cited and s/uealed like a mouse

as they got close. 1't"s ours662 3he said.

ohn shut off the car engine and looked at the house. #e really did like it,

!ut he could see that it needed enormous amounts of restoration.

De!ra was not at all pleased, !ut she was accepting. 't almost !rought her

to tears thinking that this tall, huge monstrosity was home and they would

have to work on it. 1+h my 0od, it"s a return to the 7unsters.2 3he said

de$ectedly.

ohn felt sad, partly !ecause of the work it would take, !ut he really loved

the old place and was very disappointed. +h crap, it"s nothing like '

remem!er. 't"s totally run down. 't"s sickening. Damn it it"ll take a fortune to

fi- this place up. ' !et there isn"t a modern fi-ture anywhere in it.2

ohn r. was opening the door for his sister as he spoke. 13orry to irritate

you dad, !ut ' really like this place. 't"s a spook house.2

ohn replied 1Pro!a!ly in more ways than one.2 7eanwhile 0inny was

still overcome with e-citement. 1+h wow, ' think '"m in love.2

The !ack door was opened, and 0inny was then helped out of the car. #er

legs were in !races and she was pushed up the sidewalk in a wheelchair.

ohn pulled her through the gate and up a weedy walkway to the porch, then

he e-amined it to make certain that it was strong and safe !efore the family

came together in front of the front door.

8pstairs an old curtain drifted as if something was watching as the family

came toward the front of the house, and dust stirred in the halls.

ohn put the key in the old lock, standing and looking at the etched glass

oval window almost e-pecting a face to look !ack. #e then turned the key


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and De!ra commented 13hould we call an e-orcist !efore you do that?2

ehind her, ohn r commented 1' already know '"m going to !e married to a

!room for a long time to come.2

The door opened, and amidst the dark, made slightly !etter !y the

sunshine that came through the old curtains into the sparsely furnishedinterior were the old fittings, lights, and man co!we!s among the sheets of

dust.

1+hhhhh 7y 0od.2 De!ra said.

1Wowwwww.2 ohn replied.

1ohn r. nodded. 1't"s going to !e one of those really long wide !rooms

too, methinks.2 0inny was over$oyed. 13o !eautiful62 3he said.

De!ra looked at ohn for a moment. 1What is it with kids? The place is

an old ghost house that needs tons of work and they act as though it"s a new

toy?2 ohn smiled sarcasticly. 1That"s cu5 to them it is a new toy. 4"see as a

kid it"s !ig and spooky. When you hit the age of twenty five plus nine tenths,

you see mortgages, property values and !ricks stacked up to make walls.2

De!ra $ust looked at ohn for a moment. :ust shut up.2 3he said.

The family walked through the front door of the house into the large livingroom. %urtains were hanging in decaying shreds and there was a thick coat

of dust on the old lights which had !een converted from candles to electricity.

We!s hung here and there and the smell of old wood was incredi!ly strong.

ohn looked around and nodded. 1Well ' can promise you one thing, the

anti/ues in this house are worth a mint !y themselves.

)s they walked into the house, ohn and De!ra pushed the wheel chair, !ut

0inny strolled away from them in it and !egan to e-plore the parts of the

place she could get to. De!ra cautioned her, !ut 0inny was hardly hearing

anything. 3he was taken away !y the old house and it"s atmosphere. ohn

came !ehind her and as he turned a corner he saw a vert old carved wooden

mirror and at once he liked it a lot. #e walked up close to it and was

carefully e-amining the woodwork when he saw for a moment the figure of a

woman in a very old dress looking at him. #e looked for a moment and


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when it seemed she had vanished he dismissed it as one of his visions that no

one else saw.

0inny wheeled herself around the lower level and found a large room that

seemed to have !een a sitting room once. 't had some furniture in it, mostly

deteriorated and torn to pieces !y mice. 3he still liked the room and decidedto use it for her !edroom. 3he wheeled herself around and found it had a

fireplace in it. 1E)T62 0inny said loudly. 3he then turned around and for

the flash of a second she thought she saw a man in a !lue uniform vanish

through a wall in the corner, !ut she decided it must !e a trick of the light.

7eanwhile De!ra had looked over the kitchen. 1Wow, 7r. and 7issus

)ddamns, no actually ' think they had working pipes.2 she said. ohn

walked !riskly up the stairs and from room to room looking, and came !ackin pleasant spirits. 1Well the rooms have a !it of old furnishing in them, not

much, and there is much dust !ut outside of that it seems to !e a stout old

house. &et"s get some stuff in here and arrange it, may!e eat something.2

De!ra nodded and they headed outside.

ohn r. was wheeling 0inny around when they came to the stair case.

ohn r. turned the wheelchair around and he pulled from the !ack as 0inny

worked the wheels, and with some difficulty they got her up the stairs andshe !egan to wheel down the wide halls. 3he came to the end of the hall to a

small closet and without hesitation she leaned forward and opened it.

)amidst the dust and mold there were two old dolls on a shelf, one of them a

!oy doll that was !roken all to pieces and the other a !londe girl in a nice

dress with shiny !lue glass eyes. 3he was very pretty and 0inny let out a

sympathetic s/ueal and reached for her. ohn saw some splits in her face, !ut

he got her down and handed her to 0inny. 0inny !egan to smooth her hair

and coo.

1't"s $ust a doll.2 #e said. 0inny stuck her tounge out at him and turned

her wheelchair around. They went !ack down the hall and at the !ottom of

the stairs was De!ra. 3he was irritated. 1' told you not to go around with

that chair without help. 'f you lost your grip on these stairs...2 De!ra

stomped up the stairs and helped get 0inny !ack down to the !ottom and into


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the kitchen. )s they moved, they felt the air stir around them and the !rief

scent of perfume caught their noses and sent shivers through them. De!ra

said nothing as she pushed the chair into the dining room. ehind them a

shadow passed across the stairs and vanished.

3itting down eating dinner, the family sat !eside an open front window asthe !ree5e made the curtain drift in gently. 0inny had sat the doll ne-t to her

on a chair and dusted it off. Dad looked at the doll. 1#mmm, looks a !it like

a girl friend ' once had.2 De!ra glanced at the doll. 14ou had a girlfriend

with a glass eye and cracked face?2

1o, ' used to know this !londe girl that wore odd!all clothes. 3he was

nice enough, !ut '"m glad ' didn"t get close enough to marry her.2 De!ra

took a drink. 14eah, keeping her in hoop skirts could have !een a real pain.2

ohn r. took out his pill !ottle. 1'"m so sick of having to !e stuck on

dope to get through life.2 De!ra looked at him. 14ou arent stuck on dope.

4ou have a little issue and $ust need a chemical you dont make enough of on

your own. There"s nothing wrong with you as a person.2 Dad sat !ack in his

chair. 1Every!ody has to eat, drink and !reath. 4ou $ust need a little

something e-tra. 't"snever !een a pro!lem.2

0inny $ust gave him a friendly smile, and as ohn r. looked at her in her

wheel chair he felt ashamed and said no more.

0inny finished eating and petted the little doll"s !londe hair. 13o dad, why

did your granny have this house so long?2

Dad let out a small !urp and looked thoughtful. 1This place used to !e

part of a little regular neigh!orhood. During the civil war they used it for a

recovery hospital. They had men from !oth sides here. There was a nurse

named %harlotte &ong who worked here. 3he was a little short woman,

a!out four nine or so, and she treted everyone. 3he was really a good person

so ' am told and she kept a pistol of her own to make sure there was no

trou!le.


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1They say there was a raid one day in ; and !ullets were going all over

the house. %harlotte was trying to get wounded men out of harm"s way

when a musket !all went through a window and hit her in the neck. 3he died

/uickly. They say a %onfederate 0eneral was so unhappy a!out her death

that he gave his own custom made casket for her to !e !uried in and !oth

north and south guys went to the funeral to pay their respects. 7ygrandmother got the place when she was a kid and didnt do much to change

it. 3he lived here all her life and none of the other kids wanted the place

when she finally passed, so they sort of dumped it on me. ' dont mind much,

so it"s a pro$ect, at least it"s worth it.2

ohn r. got up. 1't doesn"t !other you that there is a graveyard a!out a

/uarter mile from here?2 Dad looked at him for a moment. 18h huh. y late

tonight your !utt will have already gone there.2 ohn r. replied intensely, 1'know that, my /uestion was does it !other you?2 0inny started laughing.

The rest of the family cleaned up the dinner dishes, and De!ra took 0inny

to help her fi- the sitting room so she could use it for a !edroom. Dad and

ohn r. swept out the kitchen and went through the furniture to see what

could still !e used. To their $oy, with a little dusting and cleaning, the house

needed only a few small things to make it liva!le. The pipes worked fine and

the water was clean, with electricity working well in all of the fi-tures, farfrom their first impression of the old house. Dad was sitting on a futon

looking around and ohn r. was looking out a front window into the yard.

ohn saw what appeared to !e a 8nion soldier in the front yard. #e shook his

head, !ut the image was till there. #e watched the soldier walk into the dark

and vanish and wondered if he should take one more pill, !ut decided against

it.

1Well ohnny !oy, '"m pleased at the fact that we have a home. 't needs a

lot less work than ' thought, and with a !it of paint and some mowing it will

!e a nice place.2 ohn r. nodded. 1)lot of mowing.2 There was silence,

then in unison they !oth said 1) lot, lot, lot of mowing.2

3uddenly there was a loud s/uealing peel of screaming from De!ra in the

!ack room and !oth men got up suddenly and ran for the sitting room. ohn


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r. felt his right shoe fly off and dad slammed his left shoulder into a doorway

as they ran to see what was wrong.

)s they entered the room, De!ra was standing on a chair shivering in

disgust as 0inny sat with a small a/uarium she had !rought from home in her

lap. 3he was not in her wheelchair !ut on the floor ne-t to the fireplace andthere was a grin of $oy on her face. 'nside the a/uarium was a little gray field

mouse and 0inny was over$oyed. 1' caught it6 Wow, ' can"t !elieve ' caught

it6 3o cuuuuuuute, look atthat little faaaaace62

There was shocked silence for a moment, then, as he nursed his shoulder

with a groan, dad said 1) mouse6 ' all !ut !reak myself in half over a

scream......!ecause of a stupid mouse62 ohn r. looked at De!ra, who was

sitting in her chair shivering in disgust, looking at them. 10ee mom, ascream like that at least should get us a ra!id possum, not a little mouse.2

De!ra shivered. 1+h hush6 Disgusting little vermin62 Dad then

straightened up and forgot his shoulder. 1#ow the deuce did a girl in a

wheelchair catch a mouse? Do you know how fast those things are?2

0inny grinned. 1' !rought the a/uarium in to sit on the fireplace and

a!out that time mom scared the mouse. )ll' did was roll down onto the floor

and hold the a/uarium and he ran !ack and forth, then !ang, right into it and '

shut the lid really fast62

Dad shook his head. 1What a weird family, honestly.2 0inny cooed at

the glass. 1ice mousie pie.2 3aid.

'T W)3 )+8T ten at night when the family settled into their

victorian house and had a !ed set up for 0inny in her room, while De!ra had

paced herself and put most of her things in the upstiars !edroom. 3he had set

up a !a!y monitor so she could keep ta!s on 0inny and had night lights

arranged so she could do her nightly check ups. ohn r. had taken 0inny

around the property in her wheel chair !ut was not a!le to go far through the

overgrowth. #e looked down the road and saw the tall monuments in the


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graveyard as the sun was going down. 0inny saw him looking. 1We can go

check it out later.2 3he said. #e smiled.

0inny wanted to keep the mouse !ut dad insisted a field mouse would not

make a good pet, so he took the a/uarium out !ack, opened the top and let the

mouse $ump out and run into the distance. 0inny watched from a window.1)t least little mousie can go and raise a family someplace safe.2 3he said.

The moon rose high over the house and the trees swayed in the light

!ree5e like skeletons silently reaching out to each other. ) wave of invisi!le

chilly air went across the grass, making it !end under an unseen force. 'nside

the house the family was sleeping /uietly as the hours pased midnight and the

openfront window filled with an icey !ree5e. The curtain !lew inward and a

mist moved through the rooms, around the walls and into the sitting room.0inny stirred gently in !ed and ne-t to her on a night stand was the little doll,

it"s glas eyes staring silently into the darkness as the misty form slowly took

the shape of a woman, drifting in the darkness, looking ast the doll.

0inny felt cold and she opened her eyes slowly to find a ghostly figure

ne-t to her. 3he saw the long skirt, the hair that reached to the figure"s knees

and the pale face, radiating in the darkness. 0inny opened her eyes wider

and looked at the woman. 3he did not feel any fear, more curiosity. Thenshe reali5ed, there was a satin ri!!on around her neck, and she remem!ered

what her dad had said a!out the woman shot !y the soldiers. 3he sat up

gently, not wanting to frighten the ghost away and said softly, in a friendly

voice 1#ey, can you see me?2

The ghost looked at her. 1' can see you. Do ' frighten you?2

1o. ' don"t get scared easy. '"ve !een sick my whole life, sonot much

gets to me anymore. Who are you? '"m 0inny, that"s short for 0innae.2

17y name is %harlotte.2

1Wow, that"s a nice name. 's this your house?"

The ghost drifted over and sat on the edge of the !ed. 0inny could not see

her !oots !ut she could see the room through her.


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1o, we used the house as a hospital a long time ago. They came and

raided it to free the confederates they thought we had as prisoners, and all '

remem!er is getting hit. 't hurt really !ad at first, then it faded away.2

14eah, '"ve !een in hospitals and all over the place. 7y legs stopped

working early. 't stinks having to run around in that chair.2

1That doll has !een here for a very long time.2 %harlotte said.

1Was it yours?2

1o, !ut ' remem!er it was here then.2

1Wow62 That makes it really old...oh, sorry.2

1+h don"t worry a!out it. '"ve !een here for a very long time.2

1%an"t you go?2

1' guess ' could, !ut it seems like there is always someone else who needsme.2

14ou mean.....what do you mean?2 0inny asked curiously.

%harlotte sat silent for a moment, then she reached a hand out slowly. 1Do

you trust me?2 3he asked. 0inny looked pu55led. 1Well ' guess so. Why?2

3he asked. %harlotte e-tended a hand, covered in a smooth glove. 1%ome

with me.2 3he said. 0inny stared for a moment. 17y legs don"t work.2 3he

said. )fter a moment she gently took %harlotte"s hand. 't was soft and verycold. 3he then tried to move and her legs emediately responded, her feet

going to the floor. 3he was so surprised that she sat and stared for a moment.

%harlotte took her hand more firmly. 14ou must hold on to me, okay?2 3he

said. 0inny looked into her eyes, which were a pale !lue !ehind the

whiteness of her face. 3he nodded and stood up, her legs working fine.

%harlotte slowly led 0inny to the door and as 0inny watched, the house

seemed to change and !righten into what it was when %harlotte had !een

there. 0inny went with her through the !edroom door and %harlotte led her

through the living room, which was filled with nice furniture and people

everywhere. There were men in !oth %onfederate and 8nion clothes, sitting

in chairs or walking, some of them on crutches and others working in$ured

arms and legs. 0inny looked around and %harlotte led her out of the living

room and into the outside. 0inny looked around. Everything was different.


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The trees and yard were trimmed and the house was !right and painted. 7en

were outside, talking and eating. 3ome of the less friendly ones were off to

the side staying to themselves while others were sociali5ing. %harlotte led

0inny around the house to the !ack where rose !ushes and flowering trees

were standing in the place of the tangled mess 0inny had seen earlier. 3he

went around with %harlotte and !ack through the !ack door into the house.They then went through the !ack hall and into the living room again. )s they

moved toward 0inny"s room, the !rightness faded and the room turned !ack

into the dark old house 0inny lived in. 3he then eased !ack into !ed, and

%harlotte saw a drinking cup sitting on the night stand.

%harlotte drifted out of the room and came !ack with the cup filled with

water. 0inny drank a little and sat it down. %harlotte tucked her in

and0inny looked up at her.

1Will you come !ack?2 3he asked. %harlotte smiled and told her to !e

/uiet and not wake the others. 3he then petted her head and slowly melted

!ack into the darkness. 0inny felt very tired and lay !ack in her pillow.

+utside her !edroom on the staircase, ohn r. was sitting, shaking his

head and repeating 1o way. o stinkin way. ust no way.2

The moon was still high in thesky when ohn r. got a flashlight and a

small pistol from a !o- in a stack in the living room. #e checked the pistol.

1Thirty two cali!er, ' could throw spit !alls harder.2 #e said, tucking it into

his pants. #e then dou!led toward the front door and out onto the porch.

The moon made things easier, !ut still the trees and unkept growth made it

hard to see.

ohn r. made his way down the driveway to the road and walked along

with a happy skip to his step, talking to himself. 1%emetery right down the

road, !oyo. o way this good opportunity is going to get away, no sir.

Forget the old crappy trappy houses in town where we used to live. 4ou want

to get creepy, this is the good stuff. o!ody out here going to mess with me.

)nd there"s no point going during the day....2 he grinned and made a silly

laugh...2and it"s even !etter cu5 '"m nuts. 4ep, ladies and gents, the kid is


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nuts, 8T3, nutso, nutsie, he"s nuts. 3ees and hears things no!ody else

can. 7ore nutty than a 3nickers !ar. 3o there isn"t anything a!out the nutty

kid in the !one yard that is strange.2

ohn r. walked up to the cemetery gates and found a lock and a rusted

chain. 18h huh, you all think that will keep me out. Well us nut $o!s arent to!e deterred !y a lock. esides, who are they keeping the dead people safe

from?2 #e scanned the fence with his flashlight and found a place where the

iron fence was missing !ars. 1+h that"s genius. Put a lock on a !roken

fence.2 #e said.

ohn r. clim!ed through the opening and entered the overgrown

graveyard. #e found a statue in his path and he walked up to the

weather!eaten face of an angel that was missing !oth hands. 14o, howyadoin?" #e said. 1'"m ohn unior, son of ohn 3enior, the guy who inherited

the house down the road. '"m a nutty teenage kid who has never !een in a

graveyard and night, and '"m havin fun.2 #e patted the statue and skipped

among the old stones. Through trails of weeds ohn r. walked happily along

aiming his flashlight at some of the stones. #e then found a huge mausoleum

and he shut off the light and stood in front of it. 1Wow. The nutty kid struck

gold. This is creepy at it"s finest.2

#e walked up to the huge metal doors, covered with rust and toyed with

the door handle. 't was loose and the door moved !ack and forth as if it

would open. 1o way. This is too cool. ' may have to go completely 0oth

after this.2 ohn r. pushed the door and it swung inward. #e aimed the

flashlight inside and stepped in. The smell of old stone, metal and mold was

very strong, and ohn was emediately overwhelmed !y what he saw.

There were walls of crypts with old wooden and metal caskets in them,

and the floors were cracked, covered with !its of de!ris, and he could see

!ugs and mice scurrying for cover in a !uilding that had pro!a!ly not seen

company in many years. ohn r. walked into the mausoleum and slowly

walked around. #e read the inscriptions on the stones and plates he found.

#e shined the light around, and at length he saw one casket that struck him as

odd. There was something a!out it, something $ust not right. #e kept the


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light on it and stood close, e-aimining the e-terior of it. ohn r. could not

figure out why, !utthis casket simply did not seem like it !elonged among the

others. #e then heard noise and shut the light off, turning toward the door.

For a moment ohnr. 3tood in the darkness with a small shaft of

moonlight coming in the doorway and then he !egan to laugh /uietly. #erehe stood, in the dark of night in an ancient mausoleum surrounded !y dead

people in e-posed caskets, and the first thing he was worried a!out was if a

sherriff car might !e outside with an officer wondering what he was doing.

#e turned the light on and !egan to move toward the door. )s he slid out

of the doorway, he closed the door !ehind him, then turned and fro5e.

3tanding in the moonlight, with it"s teeth !ared in a fierce snarl, was a large

!lack dog. 't lowered it"s head and let out a menacing growl, then !egan to!ark and snarl as !its of saliva fell to the ground. ohn r. stood for a moment

as the dog stepped !ack and forth in his path, snarling and !arking. 't was

clear to him the dog was not well, and he eased his hands into his pants and

wrapped his fingers around the grip on the gun. #e then slowly !egan to ease

it out of his pants as the dog !arked and snarled directly at him and sniffed

the air. 't took a step forward and he freed the pistol and eased the hammer

!ack. #e could feel the cylinder turn and click into place. The dog snapped

at the air and roared in a loud !ark, and stepped forward. ohn eased the!arrell into the dog"s direction and it stood on it"s hind legs snapping at the

air. #e saw it !egin a lunge toward him, and at that second he s/uee5ed the

trigger.

The air e-ploded with the sound of the pistol firing, and the erea around

ohn r. lit up with the flash. 't sounded like a canon fired and his ears were

hit with the sound. For a moment he was deafened, !ut he could see

movement from the dog, so he /uee5ed the trigger one more time, and there

was a second deafening e-plosion.

ohn r. stood for a moment in a state of shock, smelling the !urned

powder, then his eyes !ecame ad$usted to the moonlight again and he saw the

dog, at his feet, mouth still in a snarl. 't had lunged at him, and the instant it

had struck the ground in front, to leap for his throat, the !ullet had gone


16/77

home, s/uare !etween the eyes. The second one had gone into it"s chest as it

recoiled from !eing shot. ohn smelled the stench of disease radiating from

the !ody and wondered $ust what the dog had. #e stepped around it and

moved through the dark toward the hole in the fence, his heart pounding. #e

looked at the revolver. 13orry for insulting you earlier. 4ou pro!a!ly $ust

saved me from a nasty trip to the hospital, or !ack here, one of the two.2 #esaid.

ohn r. walked into the house and shook off the last of his confrontation

with the sick dog. #e walked toward the stairs and as he did, he felt the air

around him shift and distinctly heard voices. #e stopped on the stairs, then

thought for a moment. #e then took the pill !ottle out of his pants and

looked at it in the dim night light. 1#hmmmm2. #e said. #e went to his

room and opened his drawer, dropping the pill !ottle into the drawer. 1' gottawonder.2 #e said.

38&'0#T 3T*E)7ED through the windows and 0inny woke to

hear the sound of her mother taking old furniture and tossing it. 3he

remem!ered the ghost suddenly and wondered if it had !een a dream. Thenshe turned and looked at the night stand and there sat the mug, still with

water in it.

0inny got up and got herself into her wheel chair as she always did and

she moved out of the sitting room into the main room. De!ra saw her and put

down her cleaning. 1#ow are you feeling this morning?2 De!ra asked.

0inny smiled. 1'"m fine. When can we set up the computer so ' can look up

some stuff?2 De!ra came over and felt 0inny"s forhead. 1't"s set up in the

main room. 4ou seem like you"re fine, !ut ' dont want you to have any

spells.2

ohn r. came down stairs with the revolver, got a can of car!urator

cleaner and scru!!ed it. De!ra came into the kitchen where he was as he

finished. 10oing shooting?2 she asked.


17/77

1o, ' took a late night stroll and ran afoul af a sick dog. ' s"pose no one

heard the shots.2 #e said. De!ra lined the trash can as she spoke. 1)round

here they don"t care, there must !e a million hunters. 4ou could crash a plane

and they wouldn"t notice.2

Dad came into the house and !rought some wood and other things with

him. 0inny heard him talking to De!ra in hushed tones, and knew he did not

want her to hear. 1' can try and put this stuff up, !ut if ' finish, the !ank

account is dry. ' don"t know what to do. ' can"t even !uild a respecta!le lift.2

0inny logged on the computer and forgot the conversation. 3he then put

charlotte &ong"s name into the computer and her dou!ts a!out what she had

seen were gone when she saw a very old photo from ;


18/77

cemetery.2

1%ool, '"m 0innae. The mutant who is coming up !ehind is myt !rother

ohn.2

ohn r. came up to the fence and the two girls smiled and chuckled a little

at him for !eing a mess. #e smiled. 1+ther side of the !one yard huh.That"s a cool house.2

1Thanks. *ose replied. 3he had darker hair than her sister and !oth of

them had small rodent like noses that made them look like a pair of little

mice. )pril tipped her !ike !ack and forth. 1e careful though, some idiot

was raising some dogs and the 3herrif says one or two of them got sick and

they"re out here trying to find them. They could !e dangerous.2

1o kiddin.2 ohn r. said. 1'"ll keep that in mind. We have a gun or

two.2

1+h ' dont like guns.2 )pril said. 1' think they"re dangerous.2 3he

looked awkward, then turned to 0inny. 1' dont want to !e rude, !ut...um....2

1' was !orn with some sort of spinal thing.2 0inny said suddenly. 1They

say it could !e cured !ut the operation is like a hundred thousand dollars or

something and so ' $ust live with it. '"m used to rolling around.2

1+h. +kay.2 *ose said. 1Well we have to get going, !ut we"ll see you

around.2 They smiled, and rode off on their !ikes. )s they left, De!ra called

to ohn r. and 0inny and the went up to the house. Food was ready and

De!ra was talking to Dad at the ta!le.

1' don"t know, ' at least have to raise enough money to fi- this place up

with some paint or something. 't needs a little more furniture !ut mainly we

need to get everything caught up. ' was thinking of renting out a room or

two. We have enough.2

De!ra was skeptical. 1) renter. #mm, that could !e a lot of trou!le. '

don"t know.2

1't wouldn"t have to !e permanent, $ust for a while till we get things


19/77

settled.2

1o, ' can"t go with having strangers living in our house. ad idea.2

1+kay, well if that"s how you feel, we $ust need some things done.2

)s they talked, ohn r. heard a door open upstairs and light !oot steps. #e

listened intently as they went down the hall then another door opened andclosed. #e got up from the ta!le and went /uietly up the stairs. #e rounded

the corner and checked each room, !ut as he suspected there was nothing. )s

he dou!led !ack down the hall he felt a !ree5e go past and smelled a dirty,

cloth smell and sweat. #e stopped and waited for a moment and was certain

he heard the sound of men"s voices talking unintelliga!ly in a room. #e

slowly stepped down the hall, !eing as silent as possi!le, coming to a !ig

room they had hardly !een in. #e could hear the voices, like men discussing

something angrilly. #e slowly pushed the door open and heard the voicesloudly, then as he stepped into the empty room he could hear them all around.

#e also noticed shadows dancing on the walls, then there was a rush of wind

and the noises were gone.

ohn r. went slowly down the stairs as 0inny came out of the kitchen.

1Whatchew up to, creepy person?2 3he asked. ohn r. looked at her for a

moment. 1#ey sis, how$ew feel a!out going to that grave yard for a !it?2 #e

asked. 0inny smiled. 138*E.2 ohn r. got his little revolver and they went out the door. )s they moved

down the road, he !egan to talk thoughtfully.

14ou remem!er when the doctor said ' had trou!le and put me on the

meds, then he said that ' needed a doctor to check this and that and the other

thing once a month?2

1Well, have you seen or heard anything strange around that house?2

18m, what in particular?2

1)nything spooky.2

1Well outside of a few !ree5e sand a smell or two not really. Well may!e

something.2

1Well to !e !lunt, '"ve seen some funny !usiness in the house and '"m not

so sure it"s my imagination. 3ee, ' never /uestioned anything till recently, !ut

there is some stuff in that house that $ust doesnt seem right.2


20/77

14ou think the place has spooks?2

1'"m almost convinced it does.2

1't does. ' can"t say more right now, !ut it does.2

1+kay so '"m not the only one seeing something weird here and there.2

1ope.2

)s the two of them went down the road, an old $unky truck appeared and

came toward them. 't slowed, and ohn r. started to worry that some !and of

!ackroads hicks was a!out to give them trou!le. 'nstead, the car stopped for

a moment and two !oys regarded them. +ne was a trashy haired !igger !oy

and the other was a !one thin !londe with a thin face that made ohn r. think

of a goat.

1#owya doin. '"m erry 3troh, this is my trou!le making ignorant halfwitted half !rother *o!ert. 4ou must !e new to this neck of the woods, what

woods we have.2

0inny smiled. 14eah, '"m the crippled kid, 0innae and this is my odd!all

!rother ohn r.2

)s they were greeting each other, the engine stopped and erry smiled.

1Well it"ll take some time to get this thing started again.2 #e got out of thecar with his !rother and they struggled to open the hood. 't was difficult and

it took !oth of them to do it.

The group was close to the cemetery, and ohn r. looked at the

monuments down the road. 't looked very different duringthe day. #e still

liked it !etter at night when it was creepy and you did not have to !uy tickets

to get in.

With the hood open the !oys displayed the old engine, and ohn r. looked

under the hood. erry looked a lot thinner standing there and *o!ert

o!viously knew a !it more a!out cars. erry looked over the engine and

scratched his !londe head.

1Well, '"m $ust learning to drive so ' guess given the fact that ' have no

licenese, no money, and this !ackroad is the only safe place to !e ' can"t


21/77

complain much. The car was free.2

0inny looked it over. The paint was !adly worn and the tires had little

tread left, and underneath the car things were hanging down. 3he nodded.

)!out that time *o!ert said 1+h goodie.2 The group of teens all turned to

see two cars and a police car coming down the road.

The cars passed them !y, and the policeman stopped for a moment. 1%an

you get it going again?2 #e asked. *o!ert smiled. 14eah, so far every time,

it stops running when it gets a little warm.2 The policeman glanced down the

road. 1This particular one had a sensor on the fire wall. 't"s a little cu!e that

looks like glass. 0o getcha a new one and screw it on and that will keep it

from doing that.2

*o!ert looked surprised. 1Thanks.2 #e said. The officer nodded and

drove away. erry then walked around the wheelchair and opened the car

door. #e paused for a moment and looked at 0inny. 14ou"re really cute.2

#e said. 3he wa surprised and laughed. erry turned the key and the car

!egrudgingly started. *o!ert $oined him and erry looked at 0inny. 1&isten '

gotta see what ' can do a!out this car, !ut we"ll drop !y, okay?2 0inny

smiled. 13ure.2

They drove away and ohn r. !egan pushing the wheel chair again #e

went up to the gate on with the lock and looked at it for a moment. 0inny

spoke from !ehind him. 1's thee something in there that is a really !ig deal?2

3he asked. #e replied 14eah. ) graveyard ' want to walk around in that has

!een a!andoned and locked up for years.2 #e then picked up a rock and

smashed at the lock several times. 't was hopeless and the wheel chair was

not going through the hole in the fence. 14eah, ' know, this little pro!lem of

useless legs is a !ooger.2 0inny said. ohn r. looked at her. 1o, this

pro!lem of ded people needing so much protection is a !ig pro!lem.2

They sat for a moment and talked, and suddenly down the road came the

old car again, with erry and *o!ert. They pulled up ne-t to them and erry

!ounded out. 1There"s a parts house right down the road. Five !ucks and '"m

in !usiness again.2 #e came toward ohn r. and 0inny and handed them


22/77

each a !ottle of water. 3urprised, they thanked him. *o!ert then looked at

the lock on the graveyard. 1+h, methinks ' sees the delimma.2 #e said.

1ot to worry, teenage kid with a $unky car come prepared.2 #e went to the

!ck seat, !rought out a huge hammer and walked up to the lock. With two

swings he smashed it open and turned around. 1&ady and gentlemen, let"s go

tresspassinngngng62

The kids went into the cemetery, only erry had taken charge of the wheel

chair. They moved through the collection of old monuments and fallen stone,

having a good time reading inscriptions and talking a!out the history of what

had gone on around them. ohn r. took them toward the mausoleum, and as

they walked a smell came to their noses. 'n front of the stone !uilding was

the dog on the ground, still much like it had !een e-cept !loated. 17e and

him had a little discussion last night a!out whether or not he should $umpme.2 ohn r. 3aid. *o!ert looked at the !ody. 1What did you do? 3tare him

down?2 ohn r. shrugged his shoulders. 1oA ' shot him. ' carry around a

little revolver.2

erry came around the wheelchair. 1o kiddin. 7e too.2 #e reached into

his pants and pulled a pistol that was in a home made pouch. 1'"m a civil war

nut. This thing is !lack powder. 7y mom hates guns, so ' keep it tucked

away.2

)s they stood talking, a pickup truck passed with a man in the seat who

had long !lack hair. #e drove slowly down the road, saw them and the car,

then kept going. ohn r. felt worried. 13omething a!out that doesnt seem

right.2 #e said.

'n a !it more of a hurry, ohn r. showed them all inside the mausolem

which was gloomy during the day !ut much easier to see into. erry had

never !een in it and found the e-posed caskets to !e fascinating. )s the

others satisfied their curiosity, ohn r. noticed the one again and still was

trying to figure out why it stood out from the rest.

't was getting late when they all left the old graveyard and erry fired up

his old car one more time. #e petted 0inny on the head and said good!ye


23/77

and they all parted. 0inny was smiling, knowing erry liked her a lot, as

ohn r. pushed her down the road. )s they came near the house, they

noticed that the pickup they had seen was in the yard. 0oing up the driveway

faster, they went into the living room and were not overly pleased to find that

the strange man with long !lack hair was sitting in the living room talking to

dad. De!ra was there also and looked at the kids.

0inny was uneasy around the man and ohn r. $ust looked at him. #e

looked like the main character out of the movie ram 3toker"s Dracula, with

long !lack hair and a skift of !eard, his clothes were largely !lack and he

wore a chain around his neck with an old medal on it.

Dad looked up. 1This is 7r. 'sogul, he is going to finish the outside work

on the house. ust so you know. #e"ll only !e here a day or two.2

1#e"s staying?2 ohn r. asked.

1To finish up.2 De!ra replied. #er tone was serious, as if she didn"t like

the idea. 7r. 'sogul then got up, nodded in a friendly was and said 1well, '

have a few things to lay out. 3ee you all later.2 #e then went outside as the

rest of the family gathered in the dining room again. De!ra was looking

through a financial planner and checking her phone. 3he shook her head.

1)fter this 'sogul guy gets done we can"t spend anything else.2 3he saidtensely. Dad stared at the wall. 1' know, !ut ' have to take care of that stuff

mself. 'f the city does it they will charge several times more.2

De!ra sighed angrily. 14es ' know, the good old city. This stupid house is

so old and has so many pro!lems.2

18nfortunaely we weren"t doing much !etter where we came from.2

14eah ' know. For the last few years it"s !een nothing !ut deterioration.2

1' don"t know what to do. '"m open to suggestions.2

1' dont have any."

0inny looked up. 17ay!e dont hire another guy who looks like Dracula.

7ake sure this one....2 3he was cut off in mid sentence when 7r. 'sogul

came in the front door. 13cuse me ohn, !ut your outlets dont want to

work.2


24/77

ohn looked surprised. 1#uh?2 #e got up and ohn r. followed. 0inny

felt a !ree5e pass her and distinctly smelled ladies perfume as it drifted past.

3he also notided that the chrome on the stove fogged for a moment and a

paper cup !lew over. 3he stayed /uiet !ut at that moment she wondered how

haunted the house was.

When 7r. 'sogul tried to plug in a saw it would not work, !ut when Dad

plugged in a power tool it worked fine. oth of them stood there and 7r.

'sogul said under his !reath 1What the deuce is going on here.2

)!out that time there was a loud crack, and 7r. 'sogul, Dad and ohn r.

saw a lim! on the tree !eside the porch !reak loose and !egin falling toward

7r. 'sogul. )ll three of them scattered and the lim! landed inches from thepower tool. )s they regarded the lim!, ohn r. commented 1wow, that thing

must have really !een rotten.2 Dad and 7r. 'sogul looked at the tree.

1Doesn"t seem that !ad to me.2 7r. 'sogul said, and he gave the house an

angry look. #e went to his power tool and s/uee5ed the !utton one more

time. 't fired up, and with a look of surprise he glanced at the house one

more time and returned to work. )s he did, Dad stood and stared at the lim!

and ohn r. clearly saw the figure of a woman at the other side of the yard.

3he looked at him then faded away.

De!ra was cleaning and dusting in different rooms and as she did she

looked out the windows and kept an eye on 7r. 'sogul. 0inny was getting

showered and changed and it was very difficult to do in a house not outfitted

for a wheel chair. De!ra watched him and it seemed like the man was as !usy

studying the house as working on it. #e would work, then take a !reak and

walk around, then work some more. #e studied the !ack yard closely. 3he

was going to !e very glad when he finished and left, he made her very

uneasy.

The sun got low in the sky and 0inny finished cleaning up and !egan to

feel very tired. Dad watched 7r. 'sogul leave and turned to De!ra in the

living room. 1Don"t worry, ' have my eye on him too.2 #e said.


25/77

T#E 7++ was high at eleven o"clock that night, and ohn r. was

asleep, 7om and Dad cuddled two rooms down and 0inny snoring /uietly as

another little mouse crpet from a corner of the room and stood for a moment,

it"s little nose sniffing the air. 't skittered over the floor to where 0inny haddropped crum!s from a piece of cake and sat happily munching the remains,

then with this done it scurried off into the dark. +utside the house, thunder

rum!led and the moon vanished. *ain !egan to pelt the house and a car came

down the road, the lights went off and it stopped in front of the house. The

door opened and a work !oot struck the ground and out stepped 7r. 'sogul.

#e looked at the house and straightened his clothing. #is face was a mask of

dark evil and he walked toward the house slowly. #e entered the yard and

inched to the front door. Trees !egan to sway violently around the yard, as7r. 'sogul worked a device in the lock and popped the door open.

0inny moved around and opened her eyes. *eaching out to her china doll

and touching it"s little face. 3he then rela-ed and went !ack to sleep, her

hand resting on the dress.

7r. 'sogul walked through the house /uietly, and looked in the !edrooms.

#e then saw 0inny laying in !ed and a grin showed on his face. #e took onestep in the room and the wind outside !egan to !low violently. The window

opened suddenly and the curtains flew outward as a misty form appeared in

the room. 7r. 'sogul saw a woman take shape in the mist and he stopped

suddenly. #e felt terror grip him as %harlotte !egan to take shape in the

room and he !egan to !ack up in fear. 0inny !egan to wake from the

distu!ance and 7r. 'sogul turned to get out of the room. #e had no idea what

he hit, !ut he slammed into something and fell headlong on the ground. #is

!ack popped and there was a sta! of pain. 0inny sat up and !egan to yell,

and 7om and Dad woke up to hear her cries.

ohn r. was not that heavily asleep and hearing his sister cry out he

gra!!ed his pistol and ran for the door. 7r. 'sogul recovered himself and ran

for the front door as pain sta!!ed his !ack. ohn r. could not make out more

than a shadow going out the front, !ut his sisters cries of fear were enough.


26/77

#e raised his pistol, aimed for the form and fired. The e-plosion was

deafening in the house and as Dad !ounded for the door it shocked him and

he smashed into the wall, missing the door, with 7om right !ehind him.

&ightnight flashed, !linding her for a moment.

The !ullet seared through the air, ripped through 7r. 'sogul"s shirt and all

the way through him, lodging in the door. The pain was searing and hot, andhe went out the door s/uelching a scream. #is legs felt weak and his mouth

went dry as he gasped for !reath, running for his car as !lood ran out of his

front and !ack, soaking his shirt. #e got in the car and started the engine.

ehind him, ohn r. was running down the stairs. #e heard his Dad"s voice

and stopped. 1D+"T %#)3E T#E 8*0&)* +8T3'DE, &ET #'7

0+62 ohn r stopped, then as he saw the door sway in the !ree5e he turned

and went to 0inny"s room. #e turned on the light and saw her sitting wide

eyed. #e went to her side, sat the gun on the nightstand and !eganem!racing 0inny. #er heart was pounding so hard that he could feel it.

+utside thunder roared.

Dad went to the front door to look out as 7om ran to 0inny"s room and

they had a group hug to calm her down. Dad turned on the light, seeing a car

tearing down the road and he saw !lood on the floor and noticed the door did

not shut right. #e then saw the !ullet lodged in the edge of the wood. #e

dialed the police, went to 0inny"s doorway and stood seriously looking at theothers, who looked !ack at him. 10ood shooting son.2 #e said, his eyes

reflecting anger. 1That was really good shooting.2 ohn r. knew the anger

was not for him and he stroked 0inny"s hair. 1Thanks Dad.2 )s dad walked

from the room he did not see the misty figure !ehind him in the dark that

faded away.

Down the road, 7r. 'sogul had stopped and was outside of his car wailing

in pain looking at his !lood soaked hand. #e was cursing profusely and

!reathing hard. #is phone rang and he tried to contain himself as he

answered, sweat dripping down his face which was already wet with rain.

#is pants were gooked with mud as well.

14eah. 4eah ' got in. The house is haunted. o '"m not whining and

delusional. 't doesn"t matter, ' tripped over something and the stupid teenage


27/77

!oy shot me in the !ack. '"ll survive, he missed anything vital !ut ' can"t go

to the doctor. The cops will check.2

7r. 'sogul !reathed hard and groaned in pain then spoke again. 1' used a

different car. ' go !ack tomorrow. ' looked the house over, the stuff has gotta

!e there. ' don"t think it"s inside, !ut '"ll find a way in. +h man that !ullethurt, oh man oh man6 ' didn"t come this far not to get that stuff, it was worth

a fortune in the civil war days, it must !e worth a hundred times that now.

That !ullet #88888888*T3 so !ad62 #e cursed more then hung up and

got !ack into his car. #e made one more phone call. 14eah, %layton, ' caught

a slug, ' need patched up. %ool, '"ll !e there in a few.2 #e shook his head.

1'diots with a crippled kid who likes a !usted porcelain toy, !usted like she

is. 't"s the house of !roken dolls.2

o one slept in the house the rest of the night. When the police arrived,

they took photos of the !lood and asked countless /uestions. The detective in

charge spoke to Dad.

1Well my first guess is that someone knew this place was empty and came

to see if the new tenants had any valua!les. That would !e my first guess.

't"ll take time to investigate. 't"s very good that you stopped the shooting

!efore going outside. *ight now we have it that the thug came into the girl"sroom then you spooked him and were protecting the house. %lear cut case of

self defense, so you"re good there. ut ' have to caution you against having a

teenager with a gun.2 #e looked at ohn r and Dad, !oth of whom were

staring at him with o!vious looks. 1+kay well ' guess we"re done here so

may!e you can get some sleep the rest of the night.2

The police cleared out and De!ra got some cleaner and scru!!ed what

!lood she could. 1' wish ' knew who"s !lood this is. ' also hope that !ullet

hurt like mad.2

't was nearly sunrise as 0inny thought of %harlotte, !ut she was so

e-hausted that she drifted to sleep. 3he never saw the misty hands that pulled

the !ed sheets up and tucked her in. 3he slept fitfully, then as the sky !egan

to turn deep !lue, she felt 7om ease into the !ed ne-t to her and she was still


28/77

after that.

When the sun !egan to come up, ohn r. was sitting on the front porch as

Dad came outside and sat with him. #e was cleaning his revolver. )s Dad

sat down ohn r. !egan to speak in serious tones.

1#ey dad, ' have a couple /uestions in my head drifting around and '

wondered if may!e you had any of your own.2 #e said. Dad rocked gently

!ack and forth and stared into the front yard. 14ou"re wondering if that

wierdo vampire wanna!e guy had anything to do with last night.2

1Well that"s one issue. ' wonder if there was a reason why the perp was in

0inny"s !edroom.2

1' don"t know, !ut that little toy of yours gave him something to think

a!out.2

1)re you going to say anything?2

1To Dracula? o. #e knows we have hardware, let"s see if he shows up

again. 'f he

does, let"s see what we see or if we"re $ust !eing paranoid. ' want 0in

and your

mom under, uh, surveilance shall we say, till we sort this out. 'f itwas that guy, '

think we should try and !ag him.2

1'"m with ya.2

1)nd don"t let that pistol out of your site.2

1*ight.2

13ee, this clown doesn"t know who shot him, if it was our !uddy !oy,

then he will !e

thinking it was me.2

10otcha.2

1'f it was him, small odds he"ll !e !ack.2

14eah, !ut whoever it was, ' hope it hurt.2

Dad nodded. 1Was there something else?2 #e asked. ohn r. looked

thoughtful. 1' don"t think '"m sick, ' think ' have some weird perception. '"m


29/77

still seeing people and things, !ut they"re civil war associated and at this

house it adds up. First ' used to see 8nce o!, then ' saw 0randma and you

thought ' was going !onkers. ow '"m seeing soldiers and some woman.2

Dad looked at him. 1#ere?2

14eah.2 1Well that"s wild !ecause ' was seeing and feeling a few things and

thought ' was $ust

imagining it.2

1Wow, that"s wild, the house is haunted62

1#ave you !een taking those pills?2

1o ' /uit days ago.2

1+kay. Dont take them anymore.2

1Works for me.2

Dad got up and went inside the house. Within an hour the pickup came

into the yard and as the family watched from the living room, 7r. 'sogul

went around !ack and !egan to work. 7om watched him carefully, and

while he seemed a !it slow, he worked right along. #e vanished a few times,

taking little !reaks, then he went !ack to work. Finally he came up on the

!ack porch and nodded to 7om. 1#owya doin. %ould ' talk you outta some

water?2

3he smiled pleasantly. 13ure thing. #ow much more do you have to do?2

3he asked. #e came in the !ack door and $oined her in the kitchen. 1ot

much at all, ' need to finish a little trimming out !ack and then '"m done. '"ll

make you a good deal. ' know you guys are having some pro!lems in the

money department so '"ll ad$ust the rates. y the way, ' know some people

who like anti/ues. There anything in this place you want to sell?2

7om turned around and handed him water. 1ot much really, we might

have a thing or two in the attic, !ut we havent looked.2 7r. 'sogul drank the

water down and ran himself a second glass as he sat for a moment, as if he

did not feel well. 1ust keep in mind, E !ay is a !ooming !usiness too.

4"know, these old houses are historic. This one goes way !ack.2


30/77

1*eally?2 7om said curiously.

7r. 'sogul looked distant. 1+h yeah. There were some interesting people

here. They had a railway down the road a !it, made things easy for the

yankees, and that"s why they put a hospital here. Easy in and out with the

soldiers. 'n si-ty four there was a cavalry raid they took payroll off a yanktrain. 3ome of the wounded men came here. They !lew up part of the train.2

1' didnt know that.2 De!ra said. 7r. 'sogul looked around and studied the

house intensely. 14eah, most people don"t study history much. ' do. Where"s

the young lady?2

13he"s sleeping. 3he had a rough night. 3omeone !roke in.2

1Wow, no kidding6 urglars?2 1ot sure, !ut the cops are searching.2

1' !et. 4ou should get a dog or alarm or somethng.2

1We will. ' dou!t they will come !ack though.2

7r. 'sogul finished the water, and as he did, the curtains in the living

room swayed as if !lown !y a !ree5e. #e then said 1Thanks for the water,

'"m sure you gave your !urglar something to think a!out anyhow. '"m going

to get on it and get it done, and that will !e that.2 De!ra stared at him andwas a!out to say something when the chandalier overhead suddenly crackled,

and as they looked up it !roke loose, struck the ta!le and rolled down onto

7r. 'sogul, who fell !ackward onto the floor. De!ra was shocked at the

suddenl incident, and 7r. 'sogul came upalmost in tears holding his side.

lood was dripping down his side and he got up with difficulty. 13T8P'D

+&D #+83E.2 #e yelled. 1Pro!a!ly eaten up with termites.2 #e then saw

De!ra and her eyes darted over the chandalier and his wound. 1'"m sorry

7iss. ' gotta go.2 #e hesitated for a moment then !egan walking for the

door very fast. )s he went, the front room seemed to humm with a sudden

roar and the windows !lew open. &ightning flashed from outside and rain

came in, !ut 7om was astonished to see the motion of wind come in the

room, swirl around, then racticly shove 7r. 'sogul out the door. #e went and

the door slammed, then the wind went away. The thunder and lightning

outside rum!led, and 7om stood in shock.


31/77

0inny was sitting in her wheelchair staring from the other side of the

house, and !oth ohn r. and dad came running from upstairs. 1What

happened down here?2 Dad yelled. +utisde the sound of 7r. 'sogul"s truck

starting and slopping !ackward in the mud could !e heard. #e got onto the

road and drove off as rains e-ploded down in sheets !ehind him.

1't sounded like a truck wreck6 First ' hear something crash, then there is

a roaring wind and 'sogul is yelling a!out termites62 Dad said loudly. 7om

stood and $ust looked at him in shock. 1' don"t know what"s going on. First

the guy can"t make the tools work, then a tree tries to attack him, the

chandalier !reaks loose and falls on him....it"s like the house is attacking

him62 3he said.

0inny was motionless. 3he was staring at the mirror in the corner. 'n it

she saw the misty reflection of %harlotte looking at her, then it faded gently

away. ohn r. had seen it too and they e-changed silent looks. #e knew she

had seen it and was now convinced that he was not mentally ill at all, !ut that

he could see things others could not.

7om strode into the living room and went up to Dad. 3he put her hands

on her hips and looked at him. 14"know, that goof!all said something thatreally got to me. #e knew we had one intruder last night, !ecause he said so,

and he also commented that we gave him something to think a!out. #ow did

he know that? 8h, yeah, and now that ' think a!out it, that chandalier didn"t

cut him, !ut he had a !leeding wound on his...2 Dad cut her off as he dialed

his phone. 1#e isn"t coming !ack, !ut he doesnt have to. #e"s the thug who

came in here last night. #ello, police?2

)s he spoke, De!ra walked around the room. 1' wonder if there is

something to all that his....wait a second. ' wonder if he was looking for

some treasure here.2 ohn r. laughed. 1Treasure? This place?2

7om sat down in a chair as Dad hung up his phone. 1#e was yapping

a!out the civil war, an attack on a train and yankee payroll.2


32/77

Dad stared at her. 1This adds up to one really odd!all story. 3ome clown

shows up and works here, then weird stuff happens and he yaps a!out hidden

treasure? )re we serious?2 #e said. ohn r. shook his head. 1' don"t know,

me pappy, !uried treasure sounds good right now.2 Dad looked at the

!roken chandalier. 1Thats a shame62 #e said. 1' wonder if ' can salvage it.2

The police showed up and the detective took more information from Dad

a!out a man named %ale! 'sogul who had showed up to do some work. #e

left out much of the story a!out the house seeming to attack him, !ut the

police said they would follow up on the lead and look into 7r. %ale! 'sogul.

)s the morning wore on, the rain slowed, !ut 0inny was giddy a!out

going outside. 3he went in the sitting room and !rushed her long hair. Then

she stopped for a moment and wondered if she would ever see the ghost of%harlotte again. 3he wondered if the events of last night had made her not

show. 3he really wanted to see the ghost again. 3he wheeled herself out of

the room and ohn r. came walking in. 1Wanna take a walk in the rain?2 #e

asked. 0inny nodded a-citedly and they went out of the house, wrestled the

chair down the steps and as rain gently pelted them, they went down the road

in the direction of the cemetery, though not neccesarily planning to go there.

)s they went, a car passed and honked, and )pril and *ose waved from

inside. They waved !ack and moved on down the road. The cemetery wasvery creepy now, and they rolled past it and kept going. ohn r. felt his little

pistol nestled in his !elt and he suddenly saw the lights of the old ratty car

come along. 0inny giggled amusedly as she saw erry 3troh !ehind the

wheel. #e stopped and got out with *o!ert. 10oing to get wet huh?2 #e

asked. 0inny smiled. erry came over to her and sat down. 1&isten, me and

this ugly minion who trails me around town were going down to get me a

driving permit. '"d !e glad to toss your accesory in the !ack and give you a

ride with us.2 #e said. ohn r. smiled.

1We appreciate that, !ut you can"t have anyone in the car !ut you and the

e-aminer.2

1T"salright, we can figure something out.2

1't"s fine.2 0inny said.


33/77

'n moments, erry had very tenderly e-tracted 0inny from the chair and

set her in his front seat, then the other two !oys got in the !ack. 0inny liked

riding up front and erry carefully drove downt he wet road to town. #e

talked to 0inny as he went.

14ou know, we got !roken into last night. We think it was a worker guy.2 1Wow, seriously? Who?2

13ome creepy guy named %ale! 'sogul.2

1Where would he come from?2

1' don"t know, !ut my !rother winged him with a gun.2

+ddly enough all three !oys chorused 14E)#62 at the same time.

E**4 #)D to unload his !rother and ohn r., !ut the e-aminer saw

0inny in the !ack and smiled at her. 1Don"t say anything to anyone, okey

little lady?2 #e said. #e then gave the driving test to erry, who passed !y a

single point. #e was pretty good, !ut he made a few mistakes. #e was

awarded his paper license, and the kids all got together in the car and went

!ack down the road. They talked a!out the entire story from end to end anderry, e-cited that he had gotten his license, started weaving down the

country road, sliding gently on the mud for fun.

1Wooooowww6 What a deal. ' can see it nowww. 3ome creepy dude

from Transylvania comes along and searches for treasure on the grounds of

an old civil war era house. There is a !ook or movie in here someplace. )ll

we need is a werewof, and '"m !etting we can find one of those too.2 #e said

happily. The old car rum!led down the road and the kids were having a good

time making parodies of characters from horror movies. Then they got silent

for a moment and erry nodded his head thoughtfully. 14ou know, think

a!out it. This goof!all comes to your house, gets firmiliar enoughw ith it to

!reak in, then after getting shot he shows up the ne-t day for work. Does

anyone !ut me think this is more than a little strange?2 #e asked.


34/77

There was silence for a moment, then 0inny commented 1criminals can

!e pretty stupid.2 *o!ert piped up from the !ack seat. 1' don"t know. This

guy would know the cops were going to !e on the lookout for him, and after

he gets a !ullet in him he wont give up. #e takes his little search pretty

seriously. ' wonder what he knows that we don"t.2

ohn r. spoke from his seat. 1We weren"t totally sure it was him, !ut all

the evidence made him really suspect.2 They kept driving and 0inny said

1guys, ' hate to spoil the party !ut ' need to lay down.2 erry was very

sympathetic and he calmed her and drove to the house. The !oys helped get

0inny into her chair and erry wheeled her into the house. 7om had

reassem!led the chandalier, which had very little damage, all things

considered, and Dad had put it !ack in the ceiling with new screws in

different holes. 7om attended to settling ginny in for a nap, and the !oys!usied themselves at the computer. 7om !rought them a few small snacks

then got out paperwork for her !usiness, to get caught up on the previous few

days of doing other things. 3he went upstairs to the old !athroom and

washed the dirt off from the chandalier, and as she walked out of the

!athroom she heard voices in her !edroom.

Walking down the hall it !ecame plain to her that they were not regular

people. The voices were talking plainly !ut she could make out no words.+ne of them was a woman, the other was a man. 3he came to her door and

paused. 3he was certain that she would not like what she found as she gently

touched the door and pushed it inward. )s it opened the sounds echoed

through the room and she saw two misty forms in the corner. 7om walked

slowly into the room and as she drew near the forms faded away and the

voices vanished into space, then there was a gentle !ree5e past her and she

smelled old clothes and sweat. 7om sat down on the !ed and Dad walked

into the room.

1Well tomorrow ' go !ack to having a $o!. 't will take time to get going

again.2

1This house is haunted.2 De!ra said, ignoring his comment. Dad sat

down ne-t to her on the !ed. 1' know, '"ve figured that out. That

chandalier should not have hit the ta!le. The wood was fine. 't"s as if it had


35/77

help.2

1' $ust saw two ghosts.2

14ou arent alone, ' know !ig gusts of wind dont run people out of our

house.2

1What do we do? We have no place else to go.2

1' don"t see any reason T+ go. They aren"t hurting anything. 'f anythingthey help.

1&ike running that 'sagul idiot out of here?2

14eah.2

13o we $ust go on living here with weird things around us.2

1They aren"t causing any harm.2

1' guess.2

Dad gave her a hug and he went !ack out of the room. #e saw the !oyson the computer and walked up to them. They were researching various civil

war sites. 18h guys, '"m going to need to get this lift done so we can get

0inny up the stairs.2 They looked at him, and erry asked 1why"s she go up

stairs?2

13o we can give her one of the rooms.2

1Well it isn"t my !usiness sir, !ut what"s wrong with the room she"s in? 't"s

!ig, she likes it and it works for that wheel chair. What"s she need upstairs.2

10ood point.2 Dad said. ohn r. commented 1#e makes sense, why tear

up the house when 0inny has a good room and ficilities with access to field

mice.2

Dad looked at them thoughtfully then said 1#ave fun reading what your

reading guys, '"m going to clean up and shave for tomorrow.2 )s he walked

out of the room erry commented 1he is a !it fu55y in the face.2 Dad yelled

1' heard that.2

The storm picked up again outside and raged till the front yard was

!ecoming somewhat flooded. Dad did not want his guests to have to drive

their ragged car home in it so he phoned the family and decided to let them

spend the night. The !oys migrated up the stairs and the house !ecame silent


36/77

e-cept for the sounds of the storm. 0inny s/uirmed in !ed, and De!ra came

down to check on her. 3he was running a slight fever so when she woke up

De!ra gave her medicine. 't was one of the spells she sometimes got since

she had lost her a!ility to walk. De!ra held her as she sat up, asleep, limp

ne-t to her and wondered a!out selling the house to raise money for the

operation. 3he had no pro!lem selling the house and would have lived in atend if it would fi- what had gone wrong with 0inny.

De!ra eased her !ack down into the !ed and looked at the porcelain doll

on the night stand. 't was clean and pretty !ut very anti/ue looking. 3he

liked the doll too. De!ra picked her up off the night stand and looked at the

face, with the little split. 3he petted the hair and looked in the !lue glass

eyes. 1Well you !ring her happiness, she gave you a special place ne-t to her

at night. That makes you worth a lot.2 3he stood the doll !ack up verycarefully and straightened her dress. 3he did not want to !reak her. )s

De!ra looked at her she picked her up one more time and looked for any

morkings. 3he found a stamp on her !ack $ust under the dress, and looked at

it in ama5ement. )lmost poeticly there was a crash of thunder and flash of

lightning that confirmed what she read: Theile Doll %ompany. Francis.

7ade uly ;B ;


37/77

The rain slowed down and after a while. De!ra and Dad left the door

open and lay /uietly. They fell asleep and ne-t to them the !a!y monitor was

silent......

Wind seemed to gra! the trees overhead and whip them menacingly

around. The house shuddered and 0inny snored gently. The front windowsopened with a slight !ang and the curtains flew for a moment. Then the

windows closed and %harlotte walked slowly through the living room. 3he

went to 0inny"s room and walked up to her !ed. 3he gently caressed the

cracked face of Francis and 0inny turned over. 1%harlotte62 0inny

whispered e-citedly. 14ou came !ack62

%harlotte"s spectral voice echoed in the room as she spoke. 1There is

great danger, much more than you know.2 3he said, and reached her handout to 0inny. 0inny /uickly reached for the soft, cold hand of her ghostly

friend. )s they touched the hand did not feel so cold. 3he found herself

stepping out of her !ed and drawing near to %harlotte. 3he smiled and

looked into the pale !lue eyes of her friend. )s she did, %harlotte slowly led

her to the door and 0inny felt strange. %harlotte turned to her 14ou must

hold on tightly and trust me.2 3he said. 0inny smiled. 1+kay. )re we

going someplace again?2 %harlotte touched her lips. 0inny said no more,

!ut she felt strange, and again the house !egan to change, !ut this time it wasso very different....

De!ra sat !olt upright in !ed, wide awake. 3he turned to the !a!y monitor

and stared for $ust a second. 1Who was her daughter talking to?2

De!ra !ounded out of !ed and down the stairs. 3he went down the stairs

and turned the corner toward the sitting room and suddenly fro5e. There in

front of her was 0inny, walking, her !races off, her legs fine...!ut that was

not the part that left De!ra so shocked that her heart pounded in her ears.

#olding her hand tightly was a ghostly woman in a long victorian dress. 3he

was gently leading 0inny across the living room. De!ra felt the urge to

lunge forward and gra! her daughter from this ghostly figure, !ut her legs

would not respond. 3he watched the figure of the woman walk through the

living room and fade into nothing, and 0inny went with her. ) slight !ree5e


38/77

swirled in the empty space !ehind them.

De!ra felt shock and panic overtake her. There was a rush in her head and

she fell to the floor.

0inny looked around and the house faded away from her. 3he gripped%harlotte"s hand tightly and found %harlotte warm and filled with color ne-t

to her. ut this time they were standing in another place. efore them was a

railroad and a small !and of %onfederate soldiers. 0inny tightened her grip

in sudden fear. The soldiers had gray and tan uniforms, !elts on their chests

and waists and various pistols and rifles. +ne of them had a plunger and was

smoking a cigar.

) train rum!led in the distance and 0inny saw the tracks, as the soldierswaited an-iously. The train came down the tracks and the man with the

plunger took a long drag on his cigar and said to himself 1come to papa, illy

4ank.2 #e then pushed the plunger down and suddenly the tracks erupted in

a violent !last of flame, smoke and flying de!ris. The scream of the train

!rakes split the air, !ut the engine went into the flames and with a shudder, it

left the space where the tracks had !een and e-ploded through the dirt. 't

sent tons of rock and dirt flying as the soldiers cheered and when it came to

rest the train cars smashed into each other and glass e-ploded from windowswhile wood splintered and walls !ent and !roke.

The confederates rushed forward through the dust and !egan ransacking

the cars. 3everal cars had 8nion 3oldiers in them and the ran outside of the

wrecked cars, some of them in$ured, and others ready to fight. Pistols and

rifles e-ploded to life and 0inny heared the air come alive with the sounds of

gun fire and men shouting. %onfederate soldiers fell from !eing hit as did

men in !lue and the shooting !ecame a deafening roar that seemed not to

stop. 'n the middle of it several men pulled a chest out of the train and drug

it to where their horses were. The !attle was fierce and as the %onfederates

struggled to load the !o- into a wagon, !ullets smashed through the wood

and several men were shot and killed. Three men managed to load the !o-

and they took off with it.


39/77

+ne 4ankee soldier with a strange rifle ran to the grass and he cracked

open his rifle, fitted it with a paper cartridge and snapped it shut. #e then

muttered something to himself as he primed the rifle and aimed it. #e fired

and the !ullet whi55ed over space and struck one of the men. 3everal more

shots rang out as the other %onfederate soldiers turned to ride away and they

continued falling. ) num!er of 8nion men had the same rifles that !rokeopen in the middle and they were a!le to shoot faster than the %onfederates

who had muskets and they were swiftly shooting them down. )s the last of

the attacking soldiers ran to their horses to escape with the chest they had

stolen, the 8nion men formed a !attle line and loaded their guns, then fired

one more round. 0inny could not tell how many fo the thieves had !een

shot, !ut there were men all over the ground. The train was wrecked and in a

few moments there were wounded and in$ured men everywhere. There were

other passengers also, !ut 0inny felt %harlotte leading her away. Theywalked for a moment and 0inny saw the !right day melting into darkness and

the sounds of thunder and rain !egan to fill her ears again. 3oon she saw her

house around her again and she saw her !ed.

%harlotte led her into her room. 0inny turned to her sadly. 1 Do you have

to go?2 ' like your visits. 4ou"re my friend and ' can walk when you hold

my hand.2 3he !egan to cry. %harlotte em!raced 0inny. 1e strong.

Everything will !e alright, !ut you must !e strong.2 3he said. 3he gently put0inny to !ed and tucked her in. 0inny s/uee5ed %harlotte"s hand once more

as she !egan to fade away, and 0inny reali5ed her time was limited. 1%+7E

)%(62 3he whispered loudly as %harlotte faded away.

0inny turned and looked at Francis. 3he touched her dress and thought

she must have !een %harlottes. 3trange she had !een in this house so

long....not really though.

0inny fell asleep right away. +utside of her door De!ra sat up on the

floor, di55y. 3he looked around the living room. othing had changed. 3he

got up with difficulty and went into 0inny"s room, !ut she was in !ed.

De!ra stood for a moment and stared at the little hand resting on Francis. 3he

knew she had seen 0inny leave the room with a ghost. 3he checked 0inny

closer and she was !reathing peacefully. De!ra went !ack to her room and


40/77

sat on the edge of the !ed. Dad turned over. 1Did you check on 0innae?2

#e asked. 14up.2 3he replied. Dad cleared his throat. 13he fine?2 #e

asked. 14up." %ame the reply. ohn sounded calmer. 10ood, then that was

you she was talking to.2 #e said. 3uddenly De!ra was wide awake again.

1' didn"t say one word to her.2 3he replied. ohn mum!led. 1'n a haunted

house, '"m not too surprised.2

E9E*4+E W)3 up early the ne-t morning. Dad was going down

town to get ready for a new $o!, De!ra was taking care of !usiness for her $o!

that she ran on her computer and she was taking ohn r. and 0inny to get

signed into school. )s they sat at the ta!le that morning, De!ra seemed verydistant, and as the others made small talk, she finally spoke.

10innae, were you talking to someone last night?2

13orry, ' tend to talk to the little Francis doll ' found in the upstairs

closet.2

Dad smiled. 14eah, that doll has !een around. 7y grandmother found it

in the house and she kept it in her !edroom forever. 3he said it was !roughthere !y one of the nurses during the civil war. That thing was made in ;


41/77

seen and heard stuff here too and he has !een off the meds for a while. 'f '

had to guess, '"d say he"s one of those kids who sees things others can"t.2

De!ra nodded as if she understood. 3he then turned to 0inny. 1)ll ' care

a!out is that you are okay.2 3he said. 0inny looked worried then, and she

finally spoke.

1' think '"m supposed to tell you guys something. 3ince may!e you might

!elieve me now. ' think there is some sort of treasure or something around

here !ecause there was a train ro!!ery !ack then and some men got away

with a trunk full of money.2

ohn r. looked pleased. 1Wow. We found that out on the net too. 3eems

a !and of re! solciers $umped the train down there and they may hae done itmore than once.2

Dad spoke then, sounding serious. 10uys, ' think we need to slow down

a little !it. *eally, we live in this old creaky house with strange sights and

sounds, and ' can accept that it might !e haunted, and even that ohnny has

no need for meds anymore. '"m great with that. ut really, some sort of

!uried treasure? The civil war happened over a century !ack. y now if there

was money or treasure, some!ody would have found it. There"s no way a!unch of valua!les is going to stay hidden. ' mean, this place was a hospital.

#ow would that work? *e!el soldiers come and ro! a train of a !o- of

something? We dont know that the !o- e-isted, and if it did, what was in it,

or what they did with it. Even if the story was true, they"d have spent it,

right? What would they do? 3et up a !ig !unch of treasure for people from

the future to come find?2

10ee5 dad, they pro!a!ly needed new clothes after the war, $ust kidding.2

ohn r. said. De!ra was very gentle as she looked at 0inny and spoke. 1Did

someone visit you last night? ' really $ust need to know.2 3he asked. 0inny

was worried that if she spoke, %harlotte might not come !ack. ut she also

wondered a!out what she had seen.

0inny"s eyes !egan to tear up and she !egan to shake a little. ohn r. put


42/77

his arm around her and Dad and De!ra looked at her with sympathy. 1o

one is going to call you cra5y or any of that $unk.2 Dad said.

0inny !egan to speak. #er voice was filled with worry. 1There is this

woman named %harlotte who comes and talks to me now and then. 3he is

really nice, and when she holds my hand...2 0inny paused and looked at thelooks on her family"s faces. They were not dis!elief, !ut concern. 1...3he

took me for a walk. ut she took me and showed me soldiers fighting and

men stealing a !o-. 3he said there was great danger.2

Dad spoke to her gently. 1+kay, did she say what kind of danger?2 0inny

shook her head. 1o, !ut she said to !e watchful.2 De!ra looked at Dad.

1What do you think?2 Dad sat !ack for a moment then after a pause he

spoke. 1' think your ghosts tend to !e shy !ecause people are aggressivetoward them. For the record, ' have to wonder how this all connects. 'f this

ghost gave a warning, ' think we should !e alert and take it seriously. '"m not

going to call some e-corcist or medium, and from what ' can tell, if this

%harlotte '3 here, she hasn"t done anything !ad. What do you mean she

helped you walk?2

13he took my hand and for a few minutes we walked around out !ack. 't

was so nice. ut she can"t stay long.2

1+kay.2 Dad said. 1&et"s $ust keep our eyes open and not get carried

away. '"m not looking to scare away your ghost. ' wont mess with her since

she hasn"t came around me, !ut ' have no idea what to make of this

mysterious !o- you say the %onfederates took off a train. Did anyone say

what was in it?2

1Payroll.2 ohn r. replied. 1The 8nion army was paying their !oys and

the re!s ro!!ed the train. 't was all over the net. 7an ' wish they would

have !uried the stuff, cu5 '"d love to dig up a !o- of money.2

17e too.2 Dad said. 1ut ' can"t imagine men staling a !o- of money and

$ust !urying it. Why would they do that?2

1ecause this town was occupied !y the 8nion and their men got shot to


43/77

!its stealing the money and needed the nurses.2 The others looked at her in

surprise and De!ra shrugged. 1'"m $ust sayin......2 she replied.

1#mmm, '"d like to argue that, !ut it makes sense.2 Dad said. #e got up

from the ta!le slowly, as if his mind was far away. 1#mmmm. This is really

fascinating.2 Dad walked out of the kitchen and De!ra s/uee5ed 0inny"sshoulder in a friendly way. 0inny felt good, feeling that she had not !etrayed

%harlotte. 3he wheeled herself out of the house to the car to go to the school.

Dad went upstairs and he was a!out to gra! his keys and leave when he saw

a form pass in the mirror. #e looked and saw a hoop skirt go around the hall

corner. #e turned and walked very fast and went around the corner also.

)head of him was a figure, a !lack woman in a hoop skirt drifting down the

hall toward a room. #e saw no feet, she seemed to glide and he could seethrough her. efore he could move again she vanished through the door.

Dad thought for a moment. #e wasn"t afraid fo the ghosts. #e now knew

they were there. #is son saw things, his handy man had !een attacked, and

0inny said she had a friendly woman ghost. 't was like living Dark

3hadows. #e also wondered what the story was on the mysterious !o- from

the train ro!!ery. #e determined to find out all he could. Dad left for work

feeling pleased. #e liked having a house filled with mystery and a fewghosts thrown in.

0inny and De!ra went to the school and 0inny was e-pecting to !e stared

at !y students who could walk. 'nstead she was surprised to find that there

was a section of the school that was for the physically challenged. The

rooms were wide for wheel chairs, and there were accessories for deaf and

!lind students. ut they were integrated with the other students so that no

one felt strange. 3he was almost ignored, !ut then she ran into )pril and

*ose. To her surprise they were very happy to see her. They !egan to talk

to her and to push her chair around as De!ra did the paperwork and dismissed

her. The wind and rain had !egun to !reak up, and !y that afternoon it was

sunshine and wind. Everything was muddy, !ut 0inny found herself !eing

pushed first !y )pril and *ose, then !y erry 3troh. #e showed out of

nowhere at lunch and hung out with the girls !ut it was clear they were not


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comforta!le with him.

)pril in particular did not like erry and sh

Broken Dolls ,

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