by Dan Poblocki
“You think she’s toying with you?” asked Eric.
Neil’s pleasure was brief. If they were being haunted, then he wasn’t imagining things; however, Nurse Janet wasn’t exactly the kind of spirit Neil wanted lurking around his bedroom late at night.
“There’s got to be something we can do to stop her,” said Wesley.
“Oh really?” said Bree. “How exactly do we stop a ghost?”
“A ghost?” said a voice from the doorway. “How exciting!” The four of them spun around. Gladys, the cat-hair lady, stood there smiling at them, holding an empty wine glass. “I’m sorry! I didn’t mean to scare you.” She took up the bottle from the kitchen table. “Oh, your aunts wanted me to tell you that they’re starting the movie.” Looking directly into Neil’s eyes, she said, “I think you’re going to like this one.”
Neil sat on the couch next to Wesley. Halfway through, he was fairly certain that old actress’s pale face would haunt his dreams. And that voice! If he ever heard her muttering in the dark of his bedroom, he knew he’d scream to wake the neighbors, no matter how far away they lived out here in the country.
Near the end of the movie, Neil went to the kitchen for a drink and stayed there until it was over. While the adults talked about the film, Wesley came and found him. “Let’s take a walk,” he whispered. They snuck out the front door with Eric and Bree.
On the porch, Eric stood close to Bree and said, “We need a plan.”
“I have a suggestion!” said Bree, feigning excitement. “We could go to the store and just buy some ghost repellant.” She dropped her smile and crossed her arms, glaring at Eric.
“I hear it’s cheaper if we just order online,” he answered with a smirk.
Bree clenched her fists.
“We do have a ghost expert here,” said Wesley, stepping between them. “Neil knows what to do. Right, Neil?”
Put on the spot, Neil suddenly felt his throat start to close up. His mind went blank. “I’ll check the Ghostly Investigators’ website. I’m sure they’ll have a few good suggestions.”
“I have one,” said Eric. “First, how about we confirm that we’re actually dealing with something supernatural.”
Neil flinched. “What do you mean? Ghosts are supernatural.”
“Yeah. But you’re the only one who’s seen it. How do we know you’re telling the truth?”
“I’m telling the truth,” Neil said, unable to keep from sounding annoyed.
“You think you are, at least.”
The ground started to feel wobbly. Neil grabbed hold of the porch railing.
“Eric!” Wesley whispered, horrified.
“Look,” said Bree, stepping closer to Eric. “If my brother says he saw a ghost, he saw a ghost. We didn’t ask for your help.”
Eric’s mouth dropped open. “I didn’t mean anything by it. I’m only saying —”
“It doesn’t matter what you’re saying,” said Bree. “Because we’re no longer listening.”
AFTER ERIC AND WESLEY DROVE OFF, Neil sat on the front steps with his sister, taking in the sounds of the night — a totally different experience than in New Jersey. Up here in the Catskills wilderness, the wind through the trees had a voice that wasn’t drowned out by the constant drone of engines on the Turnpike. Neil and Bree gazed at the stars, which shined clearly overhead, a burst of fireworks frozen in the night sky. At home, only half as many were visible, hidden behind a red haze that leaked like an algae bloom from the lights of New York City across the Hudson River.
Here, they could see how things were supposed to be.
“Sorry I made your friends leave,” said Bree, staring at her feet.
“It’s okay. Thanks for sticking up for me.”
Bree glanced at him quickly. “I called Mom today.”
Neil shuddered, unable to control himself. He smacked at his arms, trying to pass off his reaction as a battle with a mosquito. “She picked up?” he asked, hoping he didn’t sound desperate.
“No. But I left a message. I told her that we’re thinking about her.”
But I’m trying not to think about her, Neil thought.
Bree tried to take his hand, but he snatched it away, pretending this time that a mosquito was buzzing near his leg. When he looked, there actually was a mosquito buzzing around. Several. Quite a few in fact. “We’re gonna get eaten if we stay out here,” he said.
They stood and went to the door. Voices came through the screen.
“Shh,” said Bree, holding Neil back. They listened.
“Oh, I don’t think they thought of the movie that way,” said Anna from the living room, her voice hushed. “Stop being such a drama queen, Claire.”
“Okay,” said Claire. “All I’m saying is that next time, maybe we should think a little bit harder about the movies we decide to watch in front of these kids.”
“What are they talking about?” Neil whispered.
Bree sighed. “What do you think, dummy? Us.”
“I’m sorry,” said Gladys, “I don’t understand. The Baby Jane character is nothing like Linda. Why would they even be upset?”
“I was just thinking out loud,” said Claire. “After what they did yesterday, breaking into that hospital and everything —”
Neil felt his stomach hit the floor. Bree grabbed his arm. They knew about the trip to Graylock? Who’d told them? Had it been Andy? Dr. Simon? Melissa Diaz had been the only other person Neil had mentioned it to.
“— and then how they slept last night, or didn’t sleep … Something weird is going on. I can’t explain it.”
“Something weird?” said Anna. “An understatement, Claire, my dear. Their father’s completely out of the picture. Their mother basically kicked them out of her house for the summer. I’m surprised they haven’t spontaneously combusted.”
“Especially with the two of us tiptoeing around,” Claire added. “I’ve never felt so clueless. I’m beginning to wonder if they wouldn’t be better off with my brother in Jersey City.”
Neil squeezed his mouth shut, hoping to keep inside the groan he felt bubbling up from his gut.
“Kids are unpredictable,” said Andy, his voice even, soothing. “When my wife went away, my daughter was a complete wreck. I really have to commend you two for trying to pick up the pieces here.”
“I wouldn’t put it that way,” said Claire. “We love those kids. We just want what’s best.”
“Neil and Bree seem pretty strong,” said Gladys.
Andy chuckled. “I suppose you’re right, Glad. That they went exploring Graylock Hall is almost quaint. On the other hand, if they start locking themselves in their rooms, refusing to speak, refusing to eat … then I would worry.” He paused and sighed. “You four will be fine, no matter what happens with Linda. Trust me. I’ve been there. I know.”
Neil tried to pull away from Bree, but when he shifted his weight, the porch creaked. Loudly. The voices inside went quiet. “Gnats!” he whispered, squeezing his eyes shut.
“Bree?” Anna called. “Neil?”
Bree took a few silent steps backward, getting as far away from the screen door as possible while remaining on the deck. “We’re outside, Aunt Anna!” Then she treaded heavily back to the entry, making it sound as though they’d been far away from the conversation. Neil rolled his eyes, following behind, deciding to just go with it.
But it turned out, once he’d come into the living room, it was as though the conversation hadn’t taken place. “Want some ice cream?” asked Claire, all her worries hidden behind her smile, like stars in a light-polluted sky.
NEIL RAN THROUGH DARKNESS. Someone was chasing him.
He splashed into shallow water, tripped, then fell, reaching out and stopping himself before his face went under. The ground below the water’s surface felt slimy, dank, a living kind of muck, as if the earth itself were trying to pull him down. He pulled back.
Standing, he realized that he was knee-deep in the lake. Lily pads swirled around his legs
, their long green stalks tangling around his calves.
Rain sprinkled from a slate-black sky. Lightning flashed in the distance, revealing a horizon of sharp pine trees reflected in the lake below. A stone building on the shore shined brightly for a moment before disappearing quickly into the dark cloak of rain and wind. He knew where he was. Graylock. Of course.
Someone barreled through the brush behind him. A white light bounced in the black night air, reflecting harshly off the tall reeds, the water, the pine tree branches high above. The light blinded him.
Neil froze — unable to think, unable to breathe. The muck was sucking on his feet. Whoever held the flashlight shined it directly into his face. He held up his hands, trying to make out who was on the other side of the beam, but all he could see was a bulky, featureless silhouette.
The figure came at him, pushing him backward. Unprepared, Neil tumbled once more into the lake. This time he could not find the bottom. His hands caught in the lake weed. He tried to jerk himself away from it, but the grass seemed to yank back. He tried to pluck the fuzzy strands away, but they tightened, anchoring him to the lake bed. He kicked, struggled to catch air, but he’d gone deeper than he expected.
All around, there was only water.
Water, and the black of the beyond.
He opened his mouth, and darkness filled his lungs.
Neil woke, choking, unable to catch his breath. A sensation of pins and needles pressed every inch of his skin. It hurt so much, he clutched at his sweat-soaked sheets.
Moments later, the feeling abated. His throat opened, and he gasped.
There was a knock at the door. “You okay in there?” Aunt Claire. His restlessness must have woken her too.
He tried to speak, but his voice came out harsh, as if he’d gargled with concrete. “I think I had a bad dream.”
Claire pushed the door open. “Are you decent?”
“I hope so,” he said, his voice cracking.
She came in and stood at the end of his bed. “I’m sorry,” she said. “That stupid movie.”
“It wasn’t the movie,” said Neil.
“I feel guilty,” she said, ignoring his comment. “Let me get you some water. I’ll stay for a while.”
Neil sighed. The room began to feel like a room again instead of a portal to another time and place. “You don’t have to do that.”
“But I do, and I will,” said his aunt, turning to go. “Be right back.”
As soon as she said it, Neil was glad. He really didn’t want to be alone right now.
In the morning, Claire was gone. Neil crawled groggily out from under his covers. Once again, he stepped into a cool puddle near the end of his bed. The water sent goose bumps from the soles of his feet to the top of his skull.
His dream of the lake came back to him, along with the painful sensation of drowning, and a deeply unsettling thought dawned on him. It hadn’t felt like a dream at all — it had felt much more like a memory. A memory of something that had actually happened.
But it wasn’t his memory. So whose was it?
Neil shook his head in a useless attempt to clear his mind. He dashed downstairs, still in his pajamas, hoping to find the others awake and about.
The aunts were sitting on the front porch, drinking orange juice. A cool morning breeze swept across the front lawn. Honeyed sunlight coated every green thing with a sweet glow. It was bound to be a gorgeous day. Claire and Anna glanced up at him as he pushed open the squeaky screen door. He blinked and said good morning, wiping his damp feet against the wood planks, removing evidence of the ghostly visitor.
“Where’s Bree?” Neil asked, sitting in a broken red Adirondack chair that leaned against the porch rail.
“She’s using the computer in my studio,” said Anna. “Wanted to send some e-mails to her friends back in New Jersey.”
“Is it okay if I check my e-mail too?”
“Sure,” said Anna. “But give Bree some space. She seemed a little upset this morning.”
This sparked Neil’s curiosity. “Did she say why?”
“Trouble sleeping again.” Anna sighed. “Don’t worry. You guys will settle in soon.”
They were all quiet for a moment.
“I’m not worried,” Neil lied.
He opened the barn door just as Bree was reaching for it from the other side. She screamed in surprise, causing Neil to cry out a little bit himself. Watch it! he wanted to tell her, but before he could say anything, he noticed that his sister looked pale and miserable. The skin below her eyes was dark, and she had a fresh pimple on her nose. “Sorry,” he said instead.
Bree pointed toward the computer desk near the far wall. “All yours,” she said, brushing by him and stepping toward the house.
“Aunt Anna said you had another nightmare.” Bree stopped, keeping her back toward him. “So did I,” he continued. “I was being chased through the woods near Graylock. Someone pushed me into the water…. I drowned.”
Bree turned. What little color was left in her cheeks drained from her face. “I had the same dream,” she said quietly, astonished.
Neil had known, somehow, that she was going to say that. “It felt …”
“Real,” she said. “Like I couldn’t breathe. It was terrifying.”
“I couldn’t breathe. I woke up choking. And this morning, I nearly slipped in a puddle of water at the foot of my bed again. Do you think this is the proof we need?” Neil asked, thinking of what Eric had said to him last night: You’re the only one who’s seen it.
“Proof of what?” Bree stared at him blankly.
“Nurse Janet,” said Neil. “I’m not the only one who’s seen her now. She chased us in the dream. What if she wants to hurt us in real life, just like the legend says?”
“Don’t be silly,” Bree said with an unconvincing laugh that sounded more like a grunt.
“I’m not being silly. What other answer is there?”
“How’s this for an answer …” Bree glanced over her shoulder at the house, then lowered her voice even more. “Since Dad hasn’t returned my calls for the past couple days, I sent him an e-mail.” Neil threw his hands in the air in frustration. “Before you freak out entirely, let me finish. I told him that I didn’t want to stay with Aunt Claire and Anna. After what we heard them saying last night, it’s obvious that they don’t want us here. I asked him if we could go out to California. Live with him instead. Or at least try to figure out some other option. Until Mom … you know. Feels better.”
For the second time that morning, Neil felt as if he could not breathe — this time out of rage. But he managed to control the tone of his voice. “If living with him was an option, he would have made it happen already, Bree. Don’t be stupid. He doesn’t want us. And honestly? I don’t want him.”
“I’m not being stupid.” Her brow crinkled. Her pimple turned even redder. “I just don’t want to be here. Especially with all this stuff going on.” She peered over her shoulder into the woods. The trees were cool and unresponsive; save for the breeze in the upper branches, they appeared to taunt by simply ignoring the rest of the anxious world. “I could murder you for making me go to that place.”
“To Graylock?” Neil scoffed. “I didn’t make you go. As soon as Eric showed up, you practically dragged me!”
“My big mistake,” Bree said. Neil wasn’t sure if she was talking about the trip to the hospital or her brief interest in Eric.
“Fine,” said Neil. “But don’t come crying to me when Dad writes back and says, ‘Sorry, honey, Los Angeles is more expensive than I thought it would be.’ Face it. We’re stuck here. No running away like Dad. Or like Mom. We have to deal with this now. On our own.”
“You deal with it, then,” said Bree. “I’m done. No more nightmares. No more ghosts. I’m going to pick up a nice, fat romance novel from the library and hide out until all this Nurse Janet stuff blows over.”
“Blows over? Stuff like this never blows over. Stuff like this follows you arou
nd. It finds you when you least expect it. The more you ignore it, the worse it gets.”
“Yeah, well, you could say that about everything.”
“Then you know it’s true,” said Neil, crossing his arms.
“Whatever, little brother,” said Bree, spinning on her heels, walking briskly back toward the house. “Who knows what’s true anymore?”
LATER, CLAIRE ASKED NEIL AND BREE TO COME to the pie shop with her. Anna had an eleven o’clock phone conference with an art gallery in Woodstock.
Neil decided not to take it personally that Anna clearly wanted them out of her hair. It was just as well. He knew he needed to persuade his sister to help him do something about the strange occurrences — starting with convincing her that he wasn’t insane. At least this way they’d be stuck together for the day.
After breakfast, Neil had twenty minutes to get ready. In the upstairs bathroom, he turned on the faucet in the purple claw-foot tub, then twisted the asterisk-shaped knob above the silver spout so that a heavy stream sprayed from the showerhead. Before Neil even had a chance to strip off his shirt and sleep shorts, steam began to rise from the basin where the water was quickly collecting.
The drain must be clogged, Neil thought, stepping into the hot, shallow pool. The previous night’s dream flashed briefly through his mind, but then he remembered Bree’s attempt to contact their father. His annoyance pushed any other anxiety aside.
If Dad took them away, what would they do about the mystery of Nurse Janet? It would be much more difficult to learn the truth about the asylum in the woods all the way from California. Besides, according to Alexi and Mark, you can’t escape a haunting. Spirits travel in the same way memories do. And Neil had been haunted by his parents ever since the beginning of the year — it didn’t seem to matter where he went.
Why was Bree insisting on being so blind? How come she refused to place blame where it belonged?
Rick Cady, their father, had lost his job as a high school theater teacher two years ago. He’d looked for work every day until the daily grind grew too exhausting. Then he found solace in rehearsals for Annie Get Your Gun, a local production in which he’d been cast as the male lead. It didn’t bring in any money, but it made him happy.
