The Ghost of Sander Jones

Chapter 8: Trouble

"What are you doing out here? How'd you fine this gate?" My mother had a flash light shining on me. "I told dad that I wanted to take a look around some of the manor before dark. I was just looking around and I saw it." I tried to sound as innocent and a little naïve, about how I came to be here, as I could. She didn't look convinced.

"At this time of night? How come you're not cold? It's freezing out here." I hadn't even noticed the temperature had dropped until now. Sander must have gone way back, probably past the maze if he sensed my mom's presents coming near. "Mom, the cold doesn't bother me at all." I lied. I was freezing and it took all I could just to keep myself from crossing my arms around themselves to try to conserve my heat. "How come you were running just now?"

"It's because I told dad I would be back before dark." I repeated looked into the sky the strip of light slowly fading into the dark.

"Let's go. I'll see what Peter has to say about this." She said finally and stepped out of the way but not leaving. We walked back to the house all the while my mom's gaze not dropping from me. I felt it linger at the back of my neck. My dad was standing at the staircase waiting. He turned toward us looking directly at me. "Your lips are turning blue. I thought you said you be in before dark. You were out there for almost an hour."

"They are? Well I'm not cold. I was coming back when mom saw me. I was?" It felt like I was out there longer. "Well go take a shower and we will have dinner sent up to you." I didn't want to take a shower right now. "Why can't I eat then take a shower?" I asked. I felt defiant and I had never done that before even if I felt like I had to protest against something.

"Because you need to warm up. Your lips deserve there normal color," - My mom cut him off. - "And also because you'll be less likely to get in trouble in your room. Go." She pointed up the stairs. I stifled a sigh and moved past them and marched up the stairs. When I had made the second twist I thought about where Sander was. Sander. I called.

"Behind you." He whispered. I jumped, startled. The hair rose on my neck. From the corner of my eye I saw his glow. I turned to face him. He was five steps away from me. "You could have told me my mom was going to be waiting at the gate when I got there." I crossed my arms and kept my voice low. He came up to the stair underneath the one I was standing one, our high almost level.

"By the time I noticed her presence you were already running of toward the path. I wasn't going to follow you and blow your cover and mine."

I raised my eyebrow. "What cover?" He hesitated before he began. "Well you folks don't know I escaped from their stupid spell and therefore do not know that I've been helping save your life. And besides if I had of been following you then they temperature would stay warm and your mom might have done something that would be very, very bad for both of us."

"Right. What can she do to you? You're a 'ball of energy' already." I quoted him from last night. "You have no idea." He chuckled darkly and he floated though the floors. I turned around and continued up the stairs. When I got to the top floor Sander was not there. I walked down the hall to my room and sighed before walking into the room.

Sander was lying on my bed his legs bent over the bedside and he was staring up at the ceiling. He didn't respond to my entrance and I walked past him going to the closet and grabbed my bathroom bag and put it in the bathroom. I looked around. Where did I put my pajamas?

"Pajamas?" I heard Sander say. I walked out and saw him standing by a pillow. He was looking down but when I came out he looked up and rose and eyebrow. On the pillow he was looking at, were my pajamas resting on the top. "Thank you." I said a little sourly. He ignored my tone. "You're welcome. You know you have no reason to be mad at me." I walked past him and grabbed the clothes and crossed back to the bathroom. "I'm not mad." I said. I felt a little childish. I was mad, but not entirely mad at him. I didn't like the fact that I had to snoop around for information that Mom should have told me. But then if she had of actually told me this then it would have then ruined her stupid plan and then there would be no point.