Chatoyant College Book 14: Ghost Stories

Chapter 27: Hanging Around

Wednesday, September 13

Corrie entered her room to see Edie sitting cross-legged on her bed and reading. This was such a common sight that Corrie hardly noticed it anymore and shut the door behind her, turning to her own bed.

As soon as the door shut, however, Edie looked up and set aside her book. "There you are! I talked to Ginny after class."

Corrie dropped her bag on the bed and turned to Edie. "About the ghost? Did she say something interesting?"

"Yeah, and it's not what we expected."

"Okay." Corrie pulled her desk chair out and sat on it, leaning forward eagerly. "What's the dish?"

"She said there was absolutely no reason to be worried about ghosts. Specifically, she said not to take seriously the story that's been hanging around Mary Thomas for a few years."

Corrie's eyes widened. "Years? So it's not new this year?" If the story wasn't new this year, then the loss of the magical veil wasn't what had allowed the ghost to reveal herself. But if the story had been hanging around for a few years, there must be some merit to it. "Did she say anything else about the story?"

Edie shook her head. "She didn't want to talk about it. She wanted to get ready for her next class, I guess. Do you think we should try to find someone who lived in Mary Thomas last year, or the year before?"

"That seems like it would take a lot of research." Corrie tapped her fingers on her knee. "And I don't want to wander around asking people if they lived in Mary Thomas last year. Have you talked to Dawn?"

"No, she was already gone when I got back from class."

Corrie sighed. "Right, it's Wednesday, so she's at work. I wonder if she's had a chance to talk to her aunt. Hmm, probably not... but what if we just went there and..." She trailed off. There was something nagging at the back of her mind—something seemed familiar, but she couldn't figure out quite what. "What does the floor look like in Mary Thomas?"

"Huh?" Edie said. "You've been there, too."

"Yeah, but I'm not sure if I'm making something up in my own mind. Tell me what you remember."

"It's hardwood. I'm not sure about the first floor, but the second floor has that old Oriental rug running down the middle."

Corrie nodded slowly. "I think Roe had a vision about this, didn't she?"

"A vision about the ghost?"

"It might have been. I'm trying to remember the details." She frowned and shook her head. "I know there was something about you and me being in a hallway with a rug running down the middle, and we got scared. Do you think she remembers more details?"

"Yeah, I'm sure she does. She writes them down, doesn't she?"

Corrie stood up. "Let's talk to her, then!"

"Um... yeah, sounds good." Edie moved her book to her desk and stood up from her bed. "Do you think she's in her room?"

"Only one way to find out." Corrie led the way out of their room, down the stairs, and outside—there was the beginning of a fall chill in the air, unusual for less than halfway through September, but it was evening. They walked together the short distance up to Mary Thomas.

Roe, unlike Annie, was in a first-floor room. They had to go around the staircase to the right to find her door. Corrie knocked, and a moment later Roe answered the door. She looked a little surprised but smiled cheerfully enough at them. "Hi, guys! Did you want to get dinner?"

"Oh... yeah, we could do that. But we wanted to ask you something first. Can we come in?"

"Of course!" Roe stepped aside to let them in. Her room was small and narrow, and it didn't have a window like Annie's, but the overhead light was bright. She seemed to be keeping it quite neat and clean; the bed was precisely made and there wasn't even a hint of dust on the hardwood floor.