A Ghostly Twist

by Carla Solomon

  “It’s important for us to have an anchor line back to the present. And if we don’t make it back—.”

  “That’s enough,” Eliza said, holding up her hand. “I get it. We’ll stay here, but keep us posted.”

  “I hope these things work wherever we’re going,” Rocky said as they all exchanged cell phone numbers.

  While the boys left to change back into their clothes, Eliza searched the benches. “You’ll need these,” she said, handing each one a rain jacket when they came back.

  The boys zipped up their rain jackets, pulling the strings on their hoods as tight as they could. Will removed the chair by the door and it blew open immediately. The girls backed up from the surge of wind and rain while the boys hurried outside. As soon as they were out, Eliza and Libby pushed the door closed and jammed the chair back into place. Then they ran to the window and watched the three boys disappear into the storm.

  “Stay close,” Will yelled above the roaring wind. “We don’t want to lose sight of each other.”

  Sam clamped a hand onto Will’s shoulder and felt Rocky clamp a hand onto his. Sam turned sideways to avoid the wind’s brute force as they sloshed through the mud of the campground road. The wind was so strong that it pushed the rain through the jacket zipper and around the sides of his hood. There was so much water that he felt it dribbling down his back.

  They trudged on and Sam felt the boardwalk before he saw it, slipping on its dark wet wood. As if thinking with one mind, the boys let go of each other and grabbed onto the railing. Hunched over against the wind, they slowly pulled themselves along like three old men. Water rolled off the planks, rippling like waves in the ocean as they crept along, climbing down the stairs, and slipping and sliding onto the beach.

  As soon as they set foot on the sand, the rain eased up, the wind shifted to the left, and a fog that had not been there a second ago swirled around them. Sam felt the change and he knew the impossible had happened. They weren’t in the 21st century anymore. They were part of the past—August 16, 1799 to be exact.

  Chapter 20

  The boys walked slowly towards the water, hardly believing what they were seeing. Women in hooded cloaks stood with their long skirts dragging in the sand. The men wore short pants and tall boots. Their jackets were unbuttoned and boots unlaced, as if they’d dressed in a hurry.

  “Is anyone else seeing what I’m seeing?” Rocky asked.

  “If you’re talking about the crowd watching the Dragonfly flounder, then yes,” Sam responded. “How about you, Will?”

  “I see them too, but why aren’t they moving?” Will asked. “They look like statues.”

  “Do you think they’re real?” Rocky asked, reaching his hand out to touch the nearest man on the shoulder. His hand passed through the figure and he jerked his hand back, stumbling away from it as fast as he could. “There’s n-n-nothing there.”

  “Have we really gone back in time?” Will asked, taking a few steps forward and bumping into a large rock near the water.

  “Wait,” Rocky said. “If my hand went through that guy, how come you didn’t go through the rock?”

  Sam walked over to the rock and ran his hand across it. “This is the rock I was sitting on the first day. It’s solid,” he said, turning to look back towards the dunes. “But the boardwalk steps we just came down have disappeared.” Sam stomped his foot in the sand. “The ground we’re standing on is firm, but the people we’re seeing aren’t,” he said, sweeping his hand through a nearby person.

  Sam looked around trying to figure out what it all meant when two ghostly forms separated themselves from the crowd. As they got closer, the younger woman looked at him with the same eyes that had pleaded for his help from the family portrait. It was Genny, but grown-up.

  “Rebecca and Genny,” Sam said. They nodded and smiled sadly at him but did not speak.

  “Umm, Sam,” Rocky said, pointing a shaky hand towards Rebecca and Genny. “Why am I seeing double?”

  “I think I get it,” Sam said. “We’re watching the past and because the beach exists in both the past and present, we can stand on it. Same with the rock. The boardwalk stairs didn’t exist in the past, so they don’t exist now. We can’t touch the people because they don’t exist in the present.”

  “Okay, but why are there two Rebecca’s and two Genny’s?” Will asked.

  “That’s just it,” Sam said. “The two who separated from the crowd are the ghosts of Rebecca and Genny. It looks like they’ve traveled back in time with us, so just like we’re in our present-day form, they’re in their present-day form, which is a ghost. We must be here to see their past, which they are part of, so we’re seeing them in both their past and present forms.”

  “Okay, so we’ve seen them. Do you think this is all we’re supposed to see?” Rocky asked.

  The ghostly Rebecca shook her head and spread her arms wide like a conductor readying an orchestra. With a flip of her wrists everyone started moving. Then she and ghostly Genny turned their backs on the scene, as if seeing it again were unbearable. Ghostly Rebecca motioned to the boys to join the crowd down near the water, while she and ghostly Genny moved up to the dunes.

  “Father!” Genny cried. “Oh, Father. The rescue crew will save them, won’t they?”

  Henry shook his head slowly. “We’re doing all we can. The Dragonfly is beyond the reach of our lines,” he said wrapping his arms around his wife and daughter.

  “But what about the lifeboats?” Genny pleaded. “Can’t we take one of them out and save the men who’ve fallen into the sea?”

  “It’s way too rough, Miss Genny,” Mr. Wellbottom said.

  Sam stepped close enough to see the lines on the man’s weathered face. His resemblance to the present-day Mr. Wellbottom was amazing.

  “Despite my proximity to Mr. Wellbottom, he doesn’t seem to notice me,” Sam said, stepping back and looking at the two ghosts on the dunes. “It appears only the ghosts of Rebecca and Genny are aware of us. Everyone else here is actually living through this.”

  The boys stood in the past and watched helplessly as the Dragonfly rose and fell in the wild surf. Furious waves smashed her against the sandbar then dragged her back out to do it again and again. When Sam heard the crack of one of the sail posts he knew that on board Captain Stover was shouting out his last command for the men to save themselves.

  Seconds later, Rebecca shouted excitedly, “Henry! Is that a small boat headed this way?”

  Everyone looked in the direction she was pointing. A small boat appeared between the sandbar and the shore, tossing violently in the rough water. Sam knew from his dream that Bart was in it, trying to make it back to Genny. He looked back to the Dragonfly and saw the wind twist and break another sail post like it was a toothpick. He watched in horror as it hurled through the air towards Bart, knocking him down. Without hesitation, Henry tore off his hat and cloak and tied one of the lifesaving ropes around his waist. Then he dove into the raging water, fighting his way forward to meet the boat headed his way.

  Sam stood close enough to Rebecca to hear her gasp each time Henry disappeared from sight. Over and over Henry seemed lost, only to resurface closer and closer to the lifeboat until he was finally able to grab it. He scrambled over the side and braced himself as the men on shore pulled them in by the rope tied around him. Helping hands lifted the men from the boat onto the sand. Rebecca ran to her husband and Genny ran to hers. The sight of blood gushing from Bart’s head was as real as anything Sam had ever seen and he understood why the ghostly Rebecca and Genny had retreated to the dunes.

  Genny dropped to her knees and cradled her husband’s head in her arms.

  “Genny!” Bart cried out, his voice filled with despair. “My love,” he said, reaching out to touch her rounded belly.

  Bart coughed and gasped for air, his chest heaving with each raspy breath. His lips were an unnatu
ral shade of blue and his pale face was etched with pain as he struggled to speak again. “Keep our treasure safe….Keep it safe forever.” His hand fell limp and Genny let out a mournful cry. Her tears mixed with the rain as she bent over and kissed Bart’s cheek one last time. Bart was gone.

  “Miss Genny,” Mr. Wellbottom said, gently pulling her up. “There’s naught else we can do for Bart. It’s time to take him home and you shouldn’t be out in the storm in your condition. The men here will carry him. I’ll be helping your mother with your father. I fear the ocean has taken its vengeance out on him too.”

  Bart was loaded onto a cart and with Genny by his side they headed home.

  Henry was pale and his eyes were closed. They had turned him on his side to release the salt water he’d swallowed, just like Eliza had done to Sam just yesterday. Rebecca gently brushed the rain from Henry’s face as he struggled to breathe.

  Instinctively, the boys moved aside as a few men lifted Henry to their shoulders. Townspeople continued to drag bodies away from the greedy ocean waves, checking each one for any sign of life. It was a futile search. No one survived the wreck of the Dragonfly.

  “Thank you,” Sam mumbled to the increasing number of bodies on shore, knowing some of them had kept him from drowning. “Thank you for saving me. I wish I could have done the same for you.”

  Rocky tugged on Sam’s jacket. “What’d you say?”

  Sam shook his head. “Nothing.”

  “I thought maybe you saw what happened to the ship,” Rocky said, scanning the horizon. “I was watching Henry, and when I looked up she was gone! Completely gone.”

  Sam looked out to where he’d last seen the ship and although there were smaller pieces of debris floating on the water, there was no mast or hull of the Dragonfly in sight.

  “I reckon she went under fast and we just missed it,” Rocky said, shaking his head. “I can’t believe we were right here and we still don’t know where to look for the treasure.”

  Sam continued to scan the water for clues to where the ship had gone while his feet sank deeper into the swamp-like sand. He shook involuntarily, but the chill he felt wasn’t from the rain or wind. It was more like the chill he’d felt at Henry’s house when he thought someone was watching him. When he turned away from the water, he met ghostly Rebecca’s eyes as she walked back towards them. She nodded at Sam and Will and then looked towards the retreating form of Rebecca, who was walking beside the men taking Henry home.

  “Is she looking at us?” Will asked.

  Sam nodded. “Yes. I think she’s our guide.”

  “Like a spirit guide?” Rocky asked. “Grandma talked about spirit guides. She said living folks were always trying to call up spirits, but I guess this time it’s Rebecca’s spirit calling on us.”

  “Maybe. The fact is I don’t have an explanation for what we’re seeing,” Sam said.

  “You might just need to go with your gut then,” Rocky said.

  “Right. It’s all I’ve got,” Sam replied. “She looked at me and Will, so we should both follow her.”

  Ghostly Rebecca nodded and another shiver traveled down Sam’s spine as he realized she understood what they were saying.

  “What about Rocky?” Sam asked.

  Ghostly Rebecca shook her head.

  “Y’all go on. I’m closer to the treasure here and I can keep an eye on old Harold too. I’m sure he’s up to no good,” Rocky said, pulling his hood tighter. “I’ll be okay.”

  Rebecca and the men carrying Henry were disappearing down the trail and ghostly Rebecca was gesturing them to follow.

  “It looks like we need to get going,” Sam said, pulling himself free of the sand and meeting Rocky’s eyes. “Be careful.”

  Chapter 21

  Sam and Will caught up to Rebecca and her ghostly twin as they headed towards Henry’s house. The wind was slowing down enough for them to lift their heads and take a good look around. There were no fancy beach houses or bungalows. There was nothing but sand and dunes.

  Henry’s house was nothing like the run-down building Sam had seen. The white paint was fresh and bright and the porch welcomed you to “sit a spell,” as Rocky had put it. The wisteria vines draped lazily over the porch, trimmed and tame, instead of twirling and twisting around the house. All in all, the house was beautiful, even on this deadly and dreary day.

  Sam and Will kept their distance as they followed the group up the muddy path to the front door. When an older woman opened the door, they hurried to catch up and slipped inside.

  “Mrs. Wellbottom,” Rebecca said to the woman, “Please get some blankets for Mr. Henry. Mr. Wellbottom, could you ready a fire in the parlor?”

  They headed into the parlor, Mr. Wellbottom discreetly shaking his head as he passed by his wife.

  “Oh, dear,” Mrs. Wellbottom said. “Let me help you into some dry clothes, Miss Rebecca while the men take care of Mr. Henry.”

  The men laid Henry on the couch and Mr. Wellbottom started a fire. They removed Henry’s wet clothing and covered him with a blanket. When Rebecca returned, Mr. Wellbottom moved a chair close to the couch so she could sit beside her husband. Clasping his cold hand in hers, she sat quietly, watching the rise and fall of his chest.

  “You know, I’ve never gotten to see the inside of the house,” Will said. “It doesn’t look like Rebecca’s going anywhere for a while, how about we look around?”

  “That’s a good idea. We may need to know the layout of the house,” Sam said.

  The boys left the parlor, walking easily through the lower rooms and even upstairs. As they moved towards the front door, they struggled to lift their legs.

  “It’s like trying to walk in deep mud,” Will said.

  “It is both fascinating and inexplicable all at the same time,” Sam said, walking back and forth from the door to the stairs. “Besides the resistance, it also appears like I’m moving more slowly near the door, as if time moves more slowly there.”

  “Considering we’ve gone back 200 years, I’ll believe just about anything right about now,” Will said.

  Sam walked back into the parlor, taking a moment to compare it to the room he’d seen with Rocky that first day. He remembered the overturned furniture and the beheaded queens from the chess set. All he saw now was a beautiful comfortable room.

  The boys felt a jolt like the start of an amusement park ride and the room blurred for just a moment until suddenly Genny was there giving her mom a hug.

  Rebecca’s eyes never left her husband as she spoke. “I’m sorry I’m unable to help you during such a terrible time.”

  “Mr. Wellbottom’s cousin helped me with some of the arrangements,” Genny said, sitting in a nearby upholstered chair. “She’s such a dear.” Tears welled in her eyes as she looked over at her father. The women sat quietly until Genny’s head began to droop and Rebecca asked Mr. Wellbottom to see her home.

  “Do you think one of us needs to follow Genny?” Will asked.

  Before Sam could respond, ghostly Genny appeared, shook her head and pointed toward the dying Henry.

  “I guess that answers that,” Will said.

  After Genny left, time passed by at varying speeds. Sometimes everything was clear. Sometimes the voices around them crackled and images blurred and sputtered like an old movie. Rebecca resisted the Wellbottom’s offer to watch over Henry, maintaining her vigil all through the night. By morning, Henry’s breaths were becoming more labored and his lungs rattled.

  When Genny returned, she sat next to her mother while Mr. Wellbottom stood at the ready near the parlor door. Mrs. Wellbottom served them tea but it went untouched. The ghosts of each woman stood near the family portrait and looked at Sam with so much sorrow in their faces that it made his eyes sting. Genny had lost her love and soon Rebecca would lose hers and there was nothing he could do to change it.

  �
�I wish I knew what we’re supposed to do here,” Sam said to Will. “It’s frustrating to just watch.”

  “You didn’t know what we were supposed to do last night either. But you figured it out. I’m sure you’ll figure this out too,” Will said.

  Sam was flattered by Will’s confidence, but nervous too. If he couldn’t figure it out, would they be stuck in the past forever?

  Henry’s eyes fluttered open and he struggled to pull Rebecca closer to him. His lips moved as if he wanted to say something to her and Sam moved closer so he could hear too.

  “Keep our treasure safe. Safe forever,” Henry said softly, breathing out his last breath. Henry’s eyes closed for the last time and Sam watched in awe as Henry in his ghostly form floated above his body for a moment before drifting across the room and into the family portrait.

  Genny let out a cry and Rebecca burst into tears, laying her head on Henry’s now still chest. When her sobs began to ease, Genny pulled her mother up and they held each other close.

  “Our loves are gone, my dear Genny,” Rebecca sobbed.

  Mr. Wellbottom gave the women another minute together before ushering them into the kitchen, shaking his head sadly in response to his wife’s unasked question. With the women settled, he went back to the parlor to help the men take care of Henry’s body.

  Mrs. Wellbottom’s cheeks were wet with tears as she set out tea and biscuits. “Why did the Dragonfly go out in such a storm? I could feel the storm coming in my bones, so I’m sure the captain and crew knew too.”

  Rebecca absentmindedly stirred sugar into her tea. “I don’t know. Henry was as surprised as everyone else when he realized it was the Dragonfly caught on the sandbar. He had no idea she was on her way home. Surely there must be someone who can tell us what happened?”

  Genny shook her head. “No. They made the announcement this morning. Not a one of the crew survived.”

  Rebecca clasped her daughter’s hands in hers. “They have left us on our own to guard our treasure.”

  “And we will do just that, Mother,” Genny said, fresh tears rolling down her cheeks. “We will stand strong and make them proud.”