The Haunted - Jessica Verday [0]
The Haunted
The Haunted
The Haunted
ALSO BY JESSICA VERDAY
The Hollow
This book is a work of fiction. Any references to historical events, real people, or real locales are used fictitiously. Other names, characters, places, and incidents are the product of the author’s imagination, and any resemblance to actual events or locales or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.
SIMON PULSE
An imprint of Simon & Schuster Children’s Publishing Division 1230 Avenue of the Americas, New York, NY 10020
www.SimonandSchuster.com
First Simon Pulse hardcover edition August 2010
Copyright © 2010 by Jessica Miller
All rights reserved, including the right of reproduction in whole or in part in any form.
SIMON PULSE and colophon are registered trademarks of Simon & Schuster, Inc.
For information about special discounts for bulk purchases, please contact Simon & Schuster Special Sales at 1-866-506-1949
or business@simonandschuster.com.
The Simon & Schuster Speakers Bureau can bring authors to your live event. For more information or to book an event contact the Simon & Schuster Speakers Bureau at 1-866-248-3049 or visit our website at www.simonspeakers.com.
Designed by Paul Weil
T he text of this book was set in Caslon.
Manufactured in the United States of America
2 4 6 8 10 9 7 5 3 1
Library of Congress Catalog Number 2010922986
ISBN 978-1-4169-7895-4
ISBN 978-1-4169-8542-6 (eBook)
For Lee—You man the lifeboat and row me to shore
when my arms get tired. Thanks.
The Haunted
PREFACE
I was so lost when Kristen left. When she died. Then Caspian found me. I got to know him. Fell in love with him. He helped me deal with the fact that my best friend was never coming back. And when I found out that she’d been keeping so much hidden from me, he helped me try to understand.
But he had a secret too. A secret he should have told me from the beginning. Now I don’t even know if he’s real, or if I dreamt him up to help me process the pain. I can’t stay away from Sleepy Hollow forever.
Will he be waiting for me?
The Haunted
Chapter One
NOT READY
Besides, there is no encouragement for ghosts in most of our villages…
—“The Legend of Sleepy Hollow” by Washington Irving” I’m not ready to go back. “Can I just stay here forever?” I leaned my head against the seat of Aunt Marjorie’s car. “I don’t eat very much, and really, who needs to graduate from high school?”
Aunt Marjorie laughed. “You need to graduate, for one thing. And don’t you miss home?
Your parents? Friends?”
I looked out the window. I did miss Sleepy Hollow. But not much else. I missed my best friend, but Kristen wasn’t there anymore. Only her grave was. “I think farm living is the life for me. Mom and Dad can come visit, and I’ll just stay here. There’s a lot I still need to learn about flying your plane.”
Her brown eyes sparkled. “We should take her out again tomorrow. We’ve only got a couple of weeks left until you do have to go home.”
“Aunt Marjorie, that’s what I’m trying not to think about,” I groaned. “Help me out here.”
“Okay, okay,” she said. “You don’t think about how not ready you are to go back home, and I won’t mention how many chances we have left to take the plane up together. Deal?”
“Deal.”
“So, how was the visit with Dr. Pendleton this morning?”
“It was good. Really good.” A big red barn came into view. We were almost back to Aunt Marjorie’s house. She turned onto a rutted road, and we bumped our way down the grassy lane. “He thinks I’ve made a lot of progress, and I agree.”
“Will you be seeing any doctors when you return home?”
“I don’t think so. I feel like I’ve finally gotten a handle on… things.” Well, as much of a handle as you can have on thinking you were in love with a dead boy, and that you’d had afternoon tea with Katrina Van Tassel and the Headless Horseman from “The Legend of Sleepy Hollow.” “I feel like I can deal with it all and put it in its place.” We pulled up to the old farmhouse with its faded black shutters, and Aunt Marjorie parked the car under a metal carport right next to the front door. “And