The Haunted - Jessica Verday [65]
The Haunted
Chapter Fifteen
THE BIG DIPPER
Stars shoot and meteors glare oftener across the valley than in any other part of the coun-try…
—“The Legend of Sleepy Hollow”
Time to get up,” Mom said, knocking on the wall above the sofa I’d fallen asleep on at Aunt Cindy’s house.
“Later,” I mumbled. “Why so early? Picnics are in the afternoon.”
“Your father’s grandmother Lurlene is going to be at the picnic,” she said. “And we want to leave early so we can spend some quality time with her.” I groaned and stuffed my face into the cushions. An hour later Mom yelled at me again, and I rolled off the couch. “I’m up, I’m up!” I yelled back. After fumbling my way into clean clothes, I hurried to the car and went back to sleep.
When I opened my eyes again, we were pulling up to Uncle Bob’s house. Three cars were already parked in the too-small driveway, and I realized that this was going to be more of a family reunion than I wanted.
We came to a stop, and I got out, stretching each leg as I stood. Mom carried two Tupper-ware containers of egg salad to the house, muttering the whole way about how Uncle Bob’s fridge wasn’t going to be big enough. I grabbed my iPod from the car, then walked around the house to the backyard.
A big white tent was set up with several picnic tables underneath it, and there was only one other person sitting out there, an old lady.
Must be Lurlene.
I lifted up a netted tent flap, ducked under it, and chose a table next to her. I didn’t want to sit close enough so that she could talk my ear off, but I didn’t want her to think I was rude, either. Being a teenager is a tricky balance.
I sat down and gave her a friendly smile before angling my body in the opposite direction.
She had a four-legged cane resting next to her, and immediately I felt bad. So I put only one earbud in and turned my iPod on low. I thought the banging that I started feeling was part of the bass, until I realized she was trying to get my attention.
Pulling the wire from my ear, I turned to her. “Yes?” She had a mean look on her face, probably due to the fact that it was July and she was wearing a long-sleeved maroon sweater over a pinkish frilly blouse. That had to be suffocating. “I was trying to get your attention, girl. But I didn’t want to yell. Not polite, mind you.” I smiled my best You’re old; I understand and will be nice to you anyway smile. “Well, you have my attention now. What can I do for you?”
She raised her cane and then thumped it on the ground. “For starters, you can come sit next to me so I don’t have to keep yelling. It isn’t polite.” Yeah, well, it isn’t polite that I have to put up with you, either. I got up and moved closer. I thought about sneaking my earbud back into my ear so I could just ignore her, but then she poked me in the right foot with her cane.
“Hey!” I said. “Watch—”
“Eh? What’s that?” She grinned a toothy, denture-filled smile, and I could have sworn the smell of Polident wafted out at me. “Speak up. I’m an old lady; I can’t hear as well as I used to.”
I rubbed my right foot against the back of my left shin. “Watch out for mosquitoes. I think I just felt a big one bite me on the foot.”
Her eyes filled with an unholy delight, and I waited for the evil cackle that I was sure would be coming out of her any minute now. I needed an exit strategy. Fast.
“My mom probably needs some help with the—”
“Your mother is here? Which one is she?”
“Julie Browning.”
“Aha!” she crowed. “What’s your name then?”
Apparently, I didn’t answer fast enough, because she poked me with her cane again.
“Abigail,” I said through gritted teeth. “But everyone calls me Abbey.”
“I