Andrea helped me onto Mystique’s back, and I took the reins in my hands. I had ridden before, but did not consider myself experienced. I felt unbalanced in the saddle and gripped the pommel.
Andrea did not notice my nervousness as she went to help Juan onto her black gelding. She then offered to help Ned as well before she mounted her appaloosa mare in one swift, smooth motion. There was no doubt in my mind that my mother would not be the one to fall off.
We were a group of fifteen people, and everyone was excited and talking. The tour guide helped most mount and smiled, clearly pleased, when he saw that the Gray family was already on their horses’ backs.
Max mounted his horse last. “Is everyone ready?”
Some people mumbled, “Yes.” When no one objected, he clicked his tongue, and his horse started walking. The others fell in step behind him. We went past the pastures and away from the entrance gate, then stopped at a wooden gate where Max dismounted to open it.
“Please ride through,” he instructed, “and stay on the path.”
When everyone passed through the gate, he closed it, remounted, and trotted to the front of the group. He was the only one who was not wearing a helmet. We walked through the pastures and the horses’ hooves crunched the leaves. It was cold, and everyone in the group wore jackets.
“You all should come back and do this in the summer,” he said. “When it’s warmer, we include a picnic at the mountain side.”
I viewed myself as a city girl. I would enjoy living in the middle of LA or Chicago. I would be happy if I never had to walk through a field, but I had to admit this was a beautiful place. I also enjoyed seeing my mom happy.
I rubbed Mystique’s neck. The mare was fit and could continue to walk for hours. Her muscles bulged as she moved. I was one of the people who rode in the front of the group. The trees were tall, and it was cold by the hills. When we reached a stream, movement caught my eyes. For a moment I thought there was something in the bushes.
“Max,” I asked. “Are there people out here?”
“No,” he said. “Why do you ask?”
I looked around. There were no houses and no lights. “I thought I saw something.”
“It’s probably a deer. We have plenty of those.”
An owl hooted, and I got a fright. Mystique picked up on my mood change. She lifted her head a bit higher and walked faster.
“Whoa girl,” I cooed.
Max smiled. “We have lots of owls, too.”
Then Max halted. I reined my horse in, and the rest of the group also stopped. We had reached a lake. The moon reflected on it like a crystal ball. The mist hung over it – making it look ghostly.
“We are halfway,” Max said. “Now, the people who want to run should come with me. We will run to the other end of the lake and walk back. The rest of the group will wait here. Then all of us will walk home together. Does everyone understand?”
The people nodded. The riders who wanted to run urged their horses forward. Juan and Andrea were the first to go.
“Are you staying behind with me?” Ned asked.
“I am actually going to go with,” I said despite the nervous feeling in my stomach. I did not want to be left behind.
“Hold on tight,” my father warned.
I nodded and joined my mother and sister and wondered if they were as nervous as I was. They were surprised that I also wanted to run.
“Now, it’s very important that you stop running at the end of the lake and walk home. Horses have a tendency to get impatient. They will want to run home, and that makes it easy to lose control.”
He looked around before saying, “Ready. Set. Go!”
Andrea dug her heels into the horse’s side, and Juan did the same. I held on to the pommel and sat still. Mystique, who did not want to be left behind either, sprinted after the other horses. I found that the faster she ran, the less it shook. I had one hand on the pommel and the other hand on the horse’s mane. The wind twirled my hair around my face, and I could not help but smile. In that moment, I felt free and not scared anymore. It was possible to conquer my fear.
The horses slowed to a walk, and I shook in the saddle. Mystique was rallied up. She threw her head in the air and tossed it from side to side. I pulled the reins and turned her around.
“That was fun!” Juan exclaimed.
Mystique was walking very fast. She was in front of the group now, and I tried to get her to slow down. I talked softly to the horse. “Whoa, girl.”
Then Mystique stopped, and a shiver travelled through her body. It made me shake in the saddle. I followed my horse’s gaze – to the water. Ankle deep in the water stood a tall, skinny blond woman. The water must be icy cold, but she stood in it as if the cold did nothing to her. She reached her hand out towards me.
It was the woman whom I saw murdered.
I remembered how the man had wrapped his hands around her throat. Did any blood vessels burst in her eyes? Although I couldn’t see her eyes, from a distance I pictured them to be bloodshot. She was a red-eyed lady.
Before I had the chance to scream Mystique bolted. I lost my balance and my stirrups then fell to the side of the horse, which spooked Mystique even more. She picked up speed, and I tried to hold on. I slipped and hit the ground hard. It knocked the breath from my body. But the ground hadn’t hit me nearly as hard as my embarrassment.
Andrea screamed my name. I tried to get to my feet, but it was hard to catch my breath. When I looked back, the red-eyed lady was gone, and I wondered if I had imagined her. Then Andrea was by me and jumped off her horse. With one hand she held the reins and with the other she touched my shoulder.
“Are you all right?”
I nodded quickly and did not want to make a scene. Everyone was staring at me, and I wished I could just die. I was badly bruised, but luckily nothing was broken other than my self-confidence. “I’m not sure what happened.”
“Your horse got over excited and spooked,” Andrea said. “It’s no big deal. It happens to everyone.”
“I’m so embarrassed,” I managed to say.
I knew no one would have seen the lady other than me and the horses – if she had actually been there. According to Grandma May, animals could also see the supernatural. One of the reasons I felt more comfortable sleeping with Amore next to me was because she could also see the ghosts. It made me feel like less of a freak.
Max dismounted. His face was pale and his hands were shaking. He looked at me with trembling lips.
“I’m fine,” I said before he could ask.
Mystique had stopped running when she reached the other horses. Ned grabbed her reins and led her back to me. I took the reins and patted her neck. “I’m fine,” I said, but he studied me with worried eyes.
Max helped me to remount, and I held onto the horse’s mane while he pushed me into the saddle. I did not blame the mare for throwing me. I understood why the animal had been scared.
Both of us felt more relaxed within the protection of a group. For a while, everyone was quiet. The chatting only started near the end of the outride. When we reached the stables, the grooms helped us dismount then led away the horses. I kissed Mystique on the nose and thanked her for the ride.
Once my family and I were in our car I was asked multiple times if I was all right and if I needed to go and see a doctor. I did not need to see a doctor. My body was going to be stiff and sore the next day, but it could have been worse.
I appreciated that my family waited until we were alone before they made a big scene. They knew me well enough to know I’d feel uncomfortable receiving so much attention in front of a group of people.
Once we were home, I carried Amore to my room where I removed my clothes and studied myself in the mirror. A huge bruise was forming on my leg where I had fallen after the ghost had spooked my mare. I wondered if it was the first time she’d seen one
While I had seen ghosts before I had never seen the same ghost twice. Although I had only seen the red-eyed
lady twice, I could not help but wonder if the footsteps I had heard belonged to her.
I had some questions about ghosts, and there was only one person who would have the answers: Grandma May.
Chapter 7
Charlotte
I woke early on Friday morning and stretched. As expected, my body was stiff and sore. I got dressed, went downstairs, greeted my family, and ate breakfast at the kitchen table like any other morning. But, instead of driving to school, like I usually did, I drove my car to my grandmother’s house.
Skipping school was something I did not do nearly enough. I was not fond of the place, or people, and I always felt like I was on the outside looking in. I did not participate in any sport, but I overachieved academically. My parents would not mind if I skipped a day or two, as long as my grades stayed good.
I had not told my grandmother that I was coming. When I reached her house, I found that the front door was locked, and I assumed Grandma May had gone shopping. She was old and slow, and it could be a while before she returned.
I could have waited, but instead I got back into my car and drove further down the road. I parked by the cemetery where my grandfather was buried. Although I did not like cemeteries, I did come here every now and then to visit. I had loved my grandfather a lot, and he had always spoiled me. Andrea had also been much closer to him than she ever was to her mother. His death had been hard on all of us.
I had never seen his ghost. Grandma May explained to me that I would never see him because he had moved on. There was no reason for him to stay here.
I locked my car and walked between the tombstones. There would be ghosts here. In the past, they had always left me alone, and I had turned a blind eye.
I found my grandfather’s headstone and sat next to it for a while. I did not mind the grass that tickled my legs. From what Grandma May had told me, he could not see ghosts either. Despite this, he had never made fun of Grandma May. He had always been there to support and love her, and he had accepted her as she was.
One of the things I strove to have in my life was someone who accepted and loved me the way I was. I had never told any of my previous friends about my gift. I did not trust anyone enough, and I feared being judged and laughed at.
Quinton had been so freaked out in the graveyard on the pumpkin farm. Would all guys react that way? If so, I would be single forever.
When I got to my feet, I saw someone else standing in the graveyard. I had to go closer to him to make out his features. He was tall and looking down at a grave with a solemn expression. He was facing me, and his dark hair fell into his face.
“Dimitri?” I was unsure if it was him until he looked at me.
His eyes widened, as if he was surprised, and then his jaw dropped.
“Well, how are you?” I asked casually.
I could not blame him if he was shocked to see me. He had totally ditched me and had probably thought he would never see me again. I hoped he felt bad.
I crossed my arms and stuck out my chin. “Don’t you have anything to say to me?”
He gaped at me. “What do you want me to say?”
I rolled my eyes. “Fine. Don’t apologise for standing me up.” I spun around and walked away.
“Wait!” he pleaded.
I relented and turned back to face him.
“I am sorry for standing you up,” he said with such sincerity I almost hugged him.
“Why didn’t you call?” I asked.
“My phone is broken.” He shrugged.
“And you weren’t creative enough to think of another way to contact me?”
“No,” he said. “I really am sorry.” He gazed at me with big puppy dog eyes.
A moment of silence hung between us. I didn’t want to forgive him just yet. If I forgave him too soon, he would begin to take advantage of my soft heart.
“Who are you visiting?” I asked.
“My dad.” He stepped away from the tombstone and approached me. He did not stand too close, and I assumed he was still cautious. Good.
He looked sad, alone and lost. His dad had died, and I could not imagine what it must be like to live without a parent. My heart went out to him.
“I’m sorry about your father,” I told him.
“It was a long time ago,” he said, as if that made it better. “Who are you visiting?”
“My grandfather.”
“I’m sorry.”
“It was a long time ago.”
We exchanged sad, understanding smiles, then Dimitri said, “People say time makes pain go away. It is a lie, isn’t it? You just learn how to handle the pain better.”
“I agree. When someone you love dies, they leave you with a big, empty hole in your chest.”
In that moment, we connected in a way that I had not with many people in my life. “There’s more to you than I thought.”
“Give me a second chance,” Dimitri said, “and you will see just how much there is to me.”
“I will think about it,” I said with a teasing smile, although I knew I’d give him that chance.
“You will be missing out if you choose not to give me a chance.”
“Missing out on more disappointment,” I added.
“I had not realised you were so excited for our date,” he said.
“Then maybe you are not as intelligent as I thought you were.”
Instead of being offended, he smiled as if it was a challenge. “You look cute with your glasses on.”
“I know.”
I started walking, and he fell into step besides me.
“Aren’t you supposed to be in school?”
“I skipped today to visit my grandmother.”
“Is she—”
“She is alive and well,” I said. “She is eighty years old, and I keep telling her that she will live for eighty more.”
“Are you two close?”
“Very,” I admitted. “She is a typical grandmother. She bakes and knits, and spoils me and my sister all the time.”
“That sounds amazing,” Dimitri said.
“What about your grandparents?” I asked.
“My mother’s parents are in France. We have not spoken in years. Unfortunately, my father’s parents passed away.”
“I am sorry. Did they live long lives?”
“Yeah. My granddad died from cancer. Once he was gone, my grandmother lost the will to live. One year later, she joined him.”
“That’s so sad.” Something tugged at my heart.
This boy did not have a father or grandparents. Who did he have? I hoped his mother was loving and caring. If he was sad, he did not show it.
He asked, “Where do you live?”
“Blacklick,” I said. “And you?”
“Canal Winchester,” he said, “but I used to live much closer to you. We moved away three years ago when my mother got remarried.”
“Do you like your stepdad?”
“He is a great guy, but he could never replace my dad.”
We passed plenty of leaf-sprinkled graves. The autumn leaves were getting fewer and fewer. One of these days, the trees would be bare. The wind made me shiver. Dimitri did not hand me his jacket like a gentleman would have.
“What about your dad?” Dimitri asked.
“What about him?”
“Does he mind if boys visit you at your house?”
I laughed nervously. I had never had a boyfriend or a crush at my house. The thought of that made my palms sweaty.
“He is very strict,” I said. “He won’t let a boy sleep over.”
“Then he should not find out,” Dimitri said.
I gaped at him and couldn’t help but feel excited at the thought of breaking the rules. “Why would I keep secrets from him?”
“Because it is exhilarating,” he said, “and because you don’t like following rules.”
“How do you know that?”
“You’re ditching school.”
I bit my lip. “You got me.”
“When would you like me to come over?”
“When is the most inconvenient time for you?” I tested.
He smiled. “You are not going to make this easy, are you?”
“No. You have to earn my forgiveness and trust.”
“Tonight is inconvenient,” he told me. “It’s very short notice.”
I gave him my address. I told myself that he was not very reliable and that he might let me down again. I would take the chance anyway.
“I look forward to it,” he said.
“And I look forward to visiting my grandmother.” I smiled and started heading towards my car.
“I am going to miss you.” He kept up with my stride.
“You better.”
I opened the car door, and he placed his hand on it. “Please don’t stand me up.” He looked at me with his big desperate puppy dog eyes. “Please forgive me instead of making this even.”
“I can’t stand you up,” I said. “You’re meeting me at my house!”
“You could have lied about the address...”
“Well if I did, you better hope the strangers are friendly.”
He smiled sheepishly. I had a moment to appreciate just how cute he was. “Bye, Dimitri.”
He stepped back and watched as I closed my car door and drove away. I didn’t have to look in the rear-view mirror to know that he was staring after me.
****
Grandma May prepared our tea the same way that the English prepared it – with sugar and milk. I opened the sugar pot and lifted out the spoon. “Grandma, this spoon is huge!”
“My doctor told me I can only have one spoonful of sugar a day.”
I frowned. “So you went and bought the biggest spoon you could find.”
Grandma May shrugged and added three heaped spoons of sugar to her tea. No trace of guilt showed on her face.
“Grandma! That’s not healthy,” I chastised.
“You grandfather and my siblings used to complain about my health as well. And just look, I have outlived all of them.”
I did not know what to say, so I remained quiet. I added one spoonful of sugar to my tea and took a seat on the couch. The leaves were piling up on the porch outside.
“I can sweep those up for you,” I offered.
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