Ghost Girl in Shadow Bay: A Young Adult Haunted House Mystery (6 page)

The girl who had pulled Peyton under the
water and tried to
drown her
.

Am I losing my mind
?
Who are these
people anyway? Why am I dreaming about them? Does it mean anything
that the girl from the bay has somehow gotten into my
dreams?

Peyton was at a loss. For all she knew, the
whole thing was just some cruel twist of her subconscious brought
on by moving to Shadow Bay, which she hadn't been crazy about.

Or perhaps her stepfather suddenly becoming
a control freak had instigated the latest dream.

But what if there was something more to it?
Maybe evil spirits really did haunt this creepy old house.

Peyton wanted so badly to march to her
parents' room and tell them about the nightmare. But how could she?
Not after claiming to see the girl in the bay that no one could
corroborate. They would think she was crazy for sure and probably
force her to see a psychiatrist.

Not that Peyton would have blamed them, all
things considered.

Telling Bryant was also out of the question.
The last thing she needed was to scare him into thinking she was
mentally unbalanced. And, therefore, not girlfriend material.

Peyton decided she would defy her newly
self-appointed slave-master-stepfather and sneak in a call to
Erica. She could talk to her about anything, even if it sounded off
the wall to everyone else.

She snuck downstairs and grabbed her phone
from a cabinet in the study where Peyton had discovered Vance had
put it.

Though she feared incurring Vance's wrath by
blatantly disregarding his order not to use the phone to contact
her friends from San Diego, Peyton could not keep this to herself.
She started to text Erica, but aborted it, feeling the urge to have
some FaceTime with her best friend to share her terrifying ordeal.
They would just have to keep their voices down.

Erica popped on the screen and yawned. "Do
you know what
time
it is?"

Peyton knew there was a two-hour time
difference between Minnesota and California. Not that it had ever
stopped them before from texting or talking at all hours of the
night.

"Sorry, but this was the best time to talk,"
Peyton said apologetically. "Vance has gotten all weird and doesn't
want me to use my phone to talk to you."

Erica raised her brow. "You're kidding,
right?"

"I wish." Peyton lowered her voice. "I don't
know what his problem is. Maybe it has something to do with this
house. I just had a very scary dream..."

"Really? What happened?"

Peyton recounted the nightmare in detail.
"That girl from the bay was in the dream," she said fretfully. "And
she was shot by her father...who also shot another man and then her
mother--"

"Hey, slow down." Erica frowned. "You're
starting to worry me."

"You can't be any more worried than I am.
Something just doesn't seem right about this."

"Yeah, I agree. You know, I read once that
violent dreams can sometimes be an omen of things to come."

Peyton tensed. "Or maybe things that already
happened. Everyone in the dream wore outdated clothing. Even the
furniture in the house looked like something you'd see in an
antique store."

"So you're saying this girl you thought was
alive is really
dead
and haunting you from a past life?"

Peyton thought about it. "I'm not sure. But
I think whatever is going on has to do with her...and this
house--"

Am I really saying that the house is
possessed by dead people? If so, what do they want with me?

"So what do you plan to do about it?" Erica
sounded more than a little curious.

"I have no idea," Peyton admitted shakily.
"I can't exactly tell my mother and stepdad. They'd probably lock
me up for sure if I added this on top of seeing the girl in the
bay."

"Maybe you should quit while you're ahead
and come back to San Diego. Let someone else play ghost
buster!"

"Yeah, if only." Peyton rolled her eyes,
thinking that running away was not an option. Not yet anyway. "For
all I know, the whole thing is in my head. I suppose I'll have to
see it through, for better or worse."

"If you say so." Erica paused. "So, what's
going on with the caretaker's cute son?"

Peyton smiled dreamily. "We're still cool.
Bry hasn't exactly asked me out or anything, but I'm pretty sure he
likes me."

"Well that's something. And since you
obviously feel the same way about him, maybe he can help you get to
the bottom of this--"

"Maybe." Peyton kept an open mind where
Bryant was concerned. Would he keep an open mind where it concerned
her? "Oh, by the way, I also met a girl here."

"A living, breathing one, I hope?"

"That's so not funny." Peyton stuck her
tongue out. "She's
alive
just like you and me."

"Sorry, I had to ask." Erica giggled. "So
you've
already
replaced your best friend?"

Peyton chuckled, knowing she was just
teasing. "That'll never happen, Erica. Besides, Lily is only here
for the summer."

"Good!" Erica said with satisfaction.

When Peyton heard a noise outside the room,
she suspected it could be Vance so she cut the call short. "Gotta
go," she whispered. "Talk to you later." She disconnected.

Peyton looked up as her stepdad walked into
the study. He frowned. "What are you doing up at this hour?"

"Couldn't sleep, so I thought I'd come down
and read a little." Peyton flipped a page from the book she'd taken
off the shelf. "Or am I not allowed to do that either?"

He stared at her. "Thought I heard you
talking?"

"Obviously not. Unless you think I'm
chatting up a storm with a ghost?"

Vance looked toward the cabinet and Peyton
was sure he was on to her taking the cell phone. He turned back to
her, grinning sideways. "I don't believe in ghosts."

She wrinkled her nose. "Didn't think
so."

"Don't stay up too long."

"I don't intend to," she responded, feeling
she had dodged a bullet in going against his orders."

Peyton waited till Vance left, then grabbed
the cell phone she'd stuck behind her in the chair and put it back
in the cabinet. Feeling courageous, she planned to use the phone
more often, figuring it was her right even if he felt
otherwise.

By the time she went back to bed, Peyton was
actually afraid to go to sleep. What if she had the dream
again--twice in one night?

A chill suddenly came over Peyton as though
she were being watched.
How silly is that? There's no one
here
. Or so she tried to keep telling herself.

Soon her eyes began to carry a load and
Peyton drifted off to sleep.

* * *

Caitlyn appeared as Peyton sank into a deep
sleep.
I'm sorry you're so troubled, Peyton. I wish I could make
the dreams go away. But I can't--not yet.
Our spirits are
linked by time and this house. One cannot be at peace till the
other is.

She gazed down at Peyton a bit longer before
drifting towards the window. The moon was full, eerily lighting the
night. Caitlyn admired the beauty so many people took for granted.
If only she could touch and taste that which she could no longer
feel. Perhaps someday. Some way. Soon.

Then reality set in for Caitlyn. Any such
future was in peril as long as she was trapped by tragedy and
forces far stronger than her.

The girl turned around and saw her mother
standing there. She had a soft smile on her face and reached out to
Caitlyn. Taking her mother's hand, she smiled back, remembering
when their smiles came often before darkness encompassed their
household for all time.

Both smiles vanished abruptly when Caitlyn's
father appeared. He peered at them with eyes that were hollow and
foreboding. When her father approached, they backed up, but had
nowhere to go. He glanced back at the bed, eyeing Peyton
sleeping.

Looking at Caitlyn and her mother again, an
evil grin played on his lips and he reached out for them. Caitlyn
tried to resist, but knew it was a lost cause. He was too strong
for them to fight--at least by themselves.

The three spirits held hands as they
vanished.

CHAPTER NINE

Two days later, Peyton got up the nerve to
go to the cottage to visit Bryant. She hadn't seen him lately and
hoped he wasn't avoiding her. She might be making a complete idiot
out of herself, but she missed him and decided he was worth the
risk.

Peyton noticed that the Civic was missing
from the driveway as she rang the doorbell.

Luke came to the door. He looked at her as
if she had surely come to the wrong place.

"Peyton...?" His brow furrowed. "Something
wrong at the house?"

Seeing Luke brought back the memory of him
flirting with her mother. Or was it the other way around? In light
of her suddenly domineering and seemingly possessive stepfather,
Peyton began to seriously wonder if her mother had married the
wrong man the second time around. Of course, her mother hadn't
known Luke at the time. Also, if they had tied the knot, it would
have made Bryant Peyton's stepbrother. The thought was less than
appealing, all things considered.

"No, there's nothing wrong," Peyton said
with a slight smile.
At least nothing that you can fix. But
maybe you can help in another way
. "I was just wondering if
Bry--Bryant was around."

She wasn't sure if Luke looked more relieved
or concerned, but he responded, "Bryant's at work."

Peyton had suspected as much when she didn't
see his car, but was still disappointed to hear it.

"Okay, guess I'll see him some other
time."

"I'll be sure to tell him you stopped
by."

"Thanks." Peyton tried to think of something
else to say, but nothing came to mind. "See you around."

"Bye, Peyton."

She walked away, hearing the door close
behind her. Maybe this wasn't such a good idea after all. Maybe
Luke didn't want her to get too serious with his son.

Peyton decided she was overanalyzing things
as usual. Why would Luke care if she and Bryant started seeing each
other? That had nothing to do with Luke liking her mother. Or vice
versa. Not in so many words.

* * *

Peyton brushed her teeth after lunch and
thought about watching TV or reading a book. Anything to avoid
another scene with her mother. It seemed as if they were less and
less on the same page these days and Peyton was still trying to
figure out why.

If only dad hadn't died, then life would be
back to normal, if there was such a thing.

Peyton rinsed out her mouth and gazed into
the mirror. She suddenly gasped as an image appeared behind her
reflection. It was the girl in the bay and her dream!

Peyton froze. There was a stoic look on the
girl's face, but fear in her eyes. She reached out to Peyton,
causing her to practically jump out of her shoes. She swiveled
around, heart beating wildly, expecting to come face to face with
the strange girl.

Instead, Peyton's mother was standing
there.

"You look absolutely terrified," Melody
said. "What is it, honey?"

She found herself fumbling with words. "In
the mirror...there was...uh...didn't you see her?"

Melody cocked a brow. "See who? You're not
making much sense."

Peyton turned back to the mirror, expecting
to see the girl. But all she saw was her mother's puzzled
reflection.

Where did she go? Was she ever really
there?

Peyton wondered if she should confide in her
mother.
I saw her in the mirror. I know I did.
Or at
least I thought I did.

Why was this happening?
Am I cracking
up?

"Peyton..." Her mother looked on with
concern.

Peyton doubted it was smart to tell her
mother everything, including her continuing dreams.

"It's nothing, really," she said. "Guess you
just scared me, that's all."

"I'm sorry. We've all been a bit jumpy
lately. I guess it comes with living in an old Victorian."

"Yeah, I guess." Peyton had a feeling there
was a lot more to this than an old house.

"I came to see if you wanted to go
shopping," her mother said.

"Shopping?"

"Yes, I thought we could make it a mother
and daughter outing--just like we used to. I'm sure you could use
some new clothes. I know I can."

Peyton warmed up to the idea, agreeing that
her wardrobe could use some sprucing up. Even if her mother had
acted out of character lately, she could never stay upset for very
long. Especially with Peyton's stepfather threatening to come
between them and her father no longer there for protection.

Peyton also hoped that going shopping would
take her mind off the girl who, for lack of a better description,
was haunting her.

* * *

Melody drove to Shadow Bay's biggest
shopping center. Though she'd had her driver's license for six
months now, Peyton hadn't driven much. Not her choice. Her parents
had promised to buy a car when she turned seventeen. And she
wondered if her suddenly weird stepfather would renege on that.

After having lunch at a deli, they went to
the huge department store across the street. Peyton had a couple of
skirts in hand, along with pair of jeans, when she saw Bryant
working on a display.

"Hi, Bry."

He faced her. "Peyton. What are you doing
here?"

She laughed, holding up the clothes. "Isn't
it obvious?"

Bryant chuckled. "Yeah, I guess so. Did you
come by yourself?"

I wish.
"No, with my mother. She's
around somewhere looking for the perfect dishwasher friendly
dinnerware."

"If you look hard enough, you could probably
find anything in here."

"I bet." Peyton tilted her head. "I looked
for you today."