The Haunted - Jessica Verday [56]
“How?” I persisted.
“Ghosts,” he said, “are tied to memories, or places they frequented. Most of them are only capable of repeating one action over and over again. There are a small few who can cause minor disruptions, but they are still playing a role. If they are troubled in death, then they were troubled in life, too.”
He sat a teacup in front of me and then reached for his own. “It was different for me, because I wasn’t tied to one place. That didn’t come till… after. Of course, I had my favorite spots, the bridge and the cemetery, but I could go all over this valley. And I followed Katy around quite a bit too.” He winked at her and grinned.
“What about touching? Could you and Katy touch each other from the start?” I stirred some honey into my tea and looked down at the amber liquid as I asked my question.
“No, we couldn’t touch each other,” Katy said.
“You couldn’t? Why not?”
“I don’t know. That’s just the way it was.”
“Did you guys know that Caspian was dead when you first saw him?” I asked.
They exchanged a long look.
“Yes,” Nikolas said slowly. “We can sense those things. And…” Nikolas pointed behind his ear. “What do you see here?”
I peered at him. “You have a black streak too. Like Caspian?” He nodded. “When I saw it on him, I knew.”
“Do you have one too, Katy?” I turned to her.
“Yes. Although mine is white.”
“But what if someone dyes their hair?” I asked. “I dye mine all the time.”
“It is easy to see through what is natural and what is not,” Nikolas said. “Caspian sensed something about me as well. Since I could see him, he thought I was dangerous. He didn’t know what he was feeling.”
He continued on. “I could sense that you were special too. Sometimes small children and those who are especially sensitive can almost tell that I am there, but you could see me right away. And when you were able to hug me, that was a confirmation in itself.” I sipped my tea slowly, trying to take it all in. “So what happened after you… passed, Katy? You and Nikolas simply found each other again? Just like that?” She stirred her tea and glanced away from me. “Yes, that’s pretty much the story.” I got the feeling that there was something else she didn’t want to say. She doesn’t want to talk about her death. Take a hint, Abbey.
“At least you both got to come live here together,” I said, looking around at the cozy cottage. “A happy ever after.”
Suddenly Katy asked, “Would you like to see some of our keepsakes? We have docu-ments and personal items.”
I said yes, and Nikolas pulled down a small wooden box from the top of the fireplace mantle. I sat in awe as they showed me Katrina’s birth certificate (an ornately hand written parchment dated In the Year of Our Lord 1775) and painted portraits. There was Katy sitting stiff and posed next to a table and vase, Nikolas proudly showing off his Hessian uniform, another of Katy as a baby in a bassinet…
It was amazing to be holding such historic items, and I handled them carefully, worried that the wrong movement would suddenly reduce them to dust. Then it hit me, a thought that went splintering through my brain like lightning. “Oh!” I gasped. “I have to get home! My parents are going to kill me.”
I hurried to my feet. How could I have lost track of time like this? I had to get back.
“I’ll come visit again soon,” I promised, rushing to the door. “Thanks for telling me everything.”
Katy called out a good-bye, and Nikolas followed me as I stepped across the threshold. I was stricken at how bright it was outside.
“Abbey,” Nikolas said. “Abbey, be careful. I know at the river that night I told you to go to Caspian, but you need to be careful. Perhaps… perhaps it would be best if you did not see him again.”
“I’m glad you care, Nikolas,” I told him. “Really. It means a lot to me. But I’ll be fine.” Instead of looking relieved, though, he looked even more worried.
The Haunted
Chapter Thirteen
ACTING NORMAL
And then the lady gave him her hand as a matter of course.
—“The Legend of Sleepy Hollow”
I ran home as fast as I could, but Mom