The Ghost of the Lake

Chapter 2

"Nelly says she wants to see you two," Jackson said after he came out with a big smile on his face.

"Why?" May asks, kind of angry that Jackson didn't give her a straight answer.

"I don't know. She just told me to tell you that she wants to see you," Jackson says. He is always happy when May or I get in trouble. That explains the huge smile. I hate that kid. He leans down to scratch Balto behind the ears.

"I wonder why," I say walking towards the house with May.

"You wanted to see us, Nelly?" I ask as soon as we enter the house.

"Yeah...the furniture is up in your rooms and I want you to arrange it. Also you can't go out to the backyard."
"Why, it's just the backyard? We're going to go someday soon," May points out.

"Because there's a lake out there and you can't take Jackson with you," Nelly says using that tone again that means you should just drop the subject.

"We won't even go that far out, and Jackson won't go with us," May persists ignoring the tone.

"Yeah you might not, but I am not taking any chances. I know that Jackson will follow you. Anyway, its better safe than sorry."

May was going to say something, but I beat her to it. "Okay, Nelly, we won't go today. I guess we'll just go to our rooms and arrange all the heavy furniture on our own," I say. May didn't look all that happy at what I was suggesting, but I didn't care. I was trying to use reverse psychology, but Nelly's opinion didn't change. The moving trucks had left a while ago and had left furniture and boxes all over the house.

"You'll help each other out. Oh and bring Jackson back in and tell him to go to his new room to unpack," Nelly says.

May and I went into our rooms after taking Jackson into his room. Balto stayed downstairs with Nelly. I found myself in a room full of boxes and furniture as soon as I walked through the door. How they managed to take all that stuff up into the room in a short period of time is kind of impossible.
It took a moment to take in what I was seeing. There was a black dresser, a brown desk, an empty bed, a small nightstand, a green cushion seat, a shelf, where I can put my books in, my luggage full of clothes, and small boxes everywhere.

I call May in to help me arrange all the heavy furniture, like the bed, the shelf, the dresser, and the desk.

After all that work I had been left exhausted. May went back to her room and left me alone. Before she left, she made me promise that I would go in and help her when she needed. I was lying on the naked bed. All tired and kind of sleepy. I felt like I was about to fall asleep when I suddenly felt like I was falling. I jerked awake. I hate that feeling that you get when you're about to fall asleep and then you suddenly jump up.

I got up and started to open my luggage. It was full of neatly folded clothes. I grabbed a bundle and put them inside the dresser. I started putting the next bundle of clothes I had in my hands inside the dresser when I felt someone behind me.

I spent a lot of lonely time at my old house. I knew when someone was coming up the stairs. I even knew who was coming up the stairs. Even if I had missed hearing the steps, I knew if someone was behind the door. I also knew the feeling of emptiness, and that was not the feeling I was feeling at that moment. Which is odd because no one else, that I knew of, was in the room with me. At that moment I felt someone behind me. I couldn't hear it breathing or fidgeting with anything, but I could feel it.

The temperature in the room seemed to have dropped. I was paralyzed on the spot. I don't know why I just didn't turn around. I should, though. I had nothing to be afraid of. Alice always told me to face my fears, but facing your fears isn't always easy.

It took me a minute or two to finally gather up enough courage to turn. I turned around and instantly dropped all of the clothes I had in my hands.