Just South of Home

by Karen Strong

  “I hope that you can forgive me,” she sniffed.

  Mama always told me forgiveness was not for the other person but for yourself. Maybe Jovita thought being popular would be more fun than hanging out with me. I know what Janie would do. She wouldn’t forgive her. Janie would turn away. But I couldn’t. Jovita had been my best friend. The one person not in my family I could be myself around. She had made a mistake, and now she was apologizing. Her sadness was real, and it was a feeling I knew too well.

  “Jovita, I didn’t know what to think when you stopped talking to me. When I saw you with the Jones Girls . . . it really hurt.”

  She let out a shaky sigh. “I know. I’m really sorry.”

  “I forgive you,” I said. “But I don’t know. So much has happened.”

  Jovita was quiet for a moment. “I understand, but . . . can I make it up to you? Do you want to come to my house Friday night? We could have a slumber party. You can even bring your cousin if you want.”

  “I already have plans,” I said.

  “Oh.” Jovita’s voice dropped in disappointment.

  “Maybe another time?” I asked.

  “Yeah, okay,” she said.

  Silence crackled on the phone. Was Jovita my friend again? Would I be able to tell her what had happened since we last talked? Or saw each other? Would she believe me about Abner?

  “I better go, but I’ll talk to you later,” I said.

  I did feel sorry for Jovita, and I hated that she had to find out the hard way about the Jones Girls. I didn’t know if we could still be as close now. I had more stuff in common with Janie. She didn’t ignore me, and she believed in Abner.

  Jovita would have to wait. I had bigger fish to fry.

  CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE

  Witching Hour

  On Friday night we put our sleeping bags into the trunk of Mama’s car. She had bought them as a surprise for us, and I felt even guiltier.

  “Remember, it’s not lying,” Janie said. “We technically are spending the night at Jasper’s house.”

  “You better hope she never finds out about any of the other parts either.” Ellis pushed his overnight bag in the trunk. The bag of blessed salt was inside.

  “Do you have your pouches?” I asked them.

  Ellis and Janie nodded. I reached into my pocket and squeezed my amulet. We needed all the protection we could get.

  Mama appeared on the porch in a sundress. Daddy was taking her into Alton for a date night. Her hair was in a tight twist, and she had on shimmery eye shadow. Her dark brown skin glowed in the sunset. I hoped I would look as pretty as Mama when I grew up.

  “Are we ready to go?” she asked.

  “Yes, Mama.” Ellis slammed the trunk.

  • • •

  When we arrived at the trailer, Jasper and his daddy were fixing up the tent.

  “At least it looks like we’re having a camp night, even though we’re gonna die at Creek Church,” Ellis whispered to me.

  “Nobody’s going to die,” I said.

  Mama rolled down her window. “Jasper, what a lovely tent.”

  “Thanks, Mrs. Greene,” Jasper said.

  We all winced at Jasper’s mistake.

  “I’ve told him a thousand times it’s Mrs. Duncan-Greene.” Ellis shook his head.

  “Is your mother here?” Mama asked.

  “Y-yes, ma’am,” Jasper stumbled. “You want me to get her?”

  “No, that’s all right. I think I’ll go in for a second.” Mama opened the door and turned to us. “Stay here.”

  We watched her go inside the trailer. After the door closed, Jasper leaned inside the car.

  “Does she suspect something?” he asked.

  “I don’t think so,” Janie said. “I think she’s happy to be going on an adult date.”

  We were acting as normal as we could. When a few more moments passed, I began to worry. Then the trailer door opened, and Mama and Mrs. Johnson came out wearing big smiles on their faces. They hugged each other, and Mrs. Johnson waved to us. She had on a housecoat, and her hair was in pink sponge rollers. Mama motioned to us to get out of the car.

  “I’m sorry. Karleen and I started talking about things, and I lost track of time. You kids have fun.” She kissed everyone good-bye on the forehead.

  I watched Mama drive away, hoping to see her again in the morning.

  • • •

  Jasper’s mama made us baked chicken with butter beans, and although Janie, Ellis, and I had already had supper, we left nothing but bones and grease on our plate. I rubbed my tight tummy and sighed.

  When darkness fell, we sat outside the tent. The moon was rising in the sky, big and full like a fluorescent snow globe. I pointed out the faint constellations to Jasper and Ellis. I showed them Scorpius with its claws pointing north and Sagittarius with its squat kettle shape. I pointed to the blue star Vega and her neighbors Deneb and Altair that formed the Summer Triangle.

  “I know constellations too,” Ellis said. “That’s the Big Dipper. See it?”

  “Yes. That’s Ursa Major,” I said. “And directly across from that? That’s Polaris. The North Star.”

  “What time is it?” Janie asked. I don’t think she was entertained by our stargazing.

  The lights in the trailer had gone off about an hour ago. Jasper’s mama was hopefully asleep, and if he was right, she wouldn’t wake up until the morning.

  “It’s almost a half past eleven, so I guess we should leave.” Jasper stood and brushed the grass off his knees.

  “Let me get the salt.” Ellis pulled out the sack, and we got our plastic bags.

  “We better take the bag with us,” Jasper said after Ellis had given everyone two handfuls. “Just in case.”

  “You think it will be that bad?” Ellis asked.

  “Better safe than sorry.” Janie poured an extra handful into her plastic bag before she slipped on her backpack.

  “She’s right,” I agreed.

  Ellis nodded. “You won’t hear no complaining from me.”

  We walked out of Beaverdam Trailer Park, turned on our flashlights, and ventured down Hardeman Road in the dark. The sound of crickets was thick in the air, and the moon was high above us. My flashlight had new batteries, and I pointed its bright light in the direction of any sound. Luckily, I had only seen three possums so far.

  We approached Linnard Run and stood in front of the dirt path. The NO TRESPASSING sign was draped in darkness. The two leaning posts looked like dark smears. My neck itched with fear, and my heart tightened in my chest.

  “It’s not too late to turn back,” Ellis reminded us.

  “We’ve come this far,” Janie said. “Let’s keep going.”

  The sound of my steady heartbeat pounded in my ears as we walked along the silent dirt road. I kept holding my breath and forced myself to inhale deeply. The night breeze had gotten stronger, and chills rippled across my skin.

  “It’s getting colder,” Janie said.

  Farther down Linnard Run, the brightness of the moon spilled over everything, casting a misty glow. At first I was relieved, but then I noticed that the light wasn’t coming from the moon.

  “Where’s that light coming from?” My brother’s voice was an octave higher than usual.

  “It’s coming from Creek Church,” Jasper said.

  “Ghost light,” Ellis added. “Great.”

  “What time is it?” Janie whispered.

  I checked my watch. “It’s not yet midnight.”

  When we arrived at Creek Church, an eerie blue-white light filtered through the trees. Dense fog hung in the air, and tiny sparks of lightning appeared. We stood and stared. Even Janie was silent.

  “Do y’all see that?” Ellis whispered.

  The fog swirled and thickened, growing darker as the night breeze moved through the leaves. Our breaths formed small white puffs in the air as the branches creaked.

  “Quick,” I said. “We need to make a salt circle.”

  We gra
bbed salt from our plastic bags and poured it around us. Through the fog, we could see the shadows standing in the woods. My eyes widened. Haints with glowing silver eyes surrounded us; their whispers clamored in the air. It was entirely different from seeing them outside my window. We were dumb for coming here and thinking we could handle this.

  “Don’t move,” Janie warned.

  Even if I wanted to run, I couldn’t. I was frozen with fear. The haints shimmered in the blue-white light. One by one, they floated across the stone slab and loomed above the church steps.

  “Stay in the circle,” Janie said, her voice low.

  “They’re going to get us!” Ellis shrieked as he tried to break free.

  Jasper held him still. “Trust me—you do not want to go outside this circle.”

  The haints whispers grew angrier.

  “What are they saying?” Janie asked.

  “Be quiet,” I whisper yelled.

  The haints moaned, filling my whole body with an aching sadness; tears brimmed from my eyes. The shadows propelled themselves down the church steps and melted through the weeds. We grabbed one another’s hands as they moved closer. The coldness made my teeth chatter. It was then that I heard what they were saying. Not words. They were saying names.

  Clinton Chambers

  Minnie Ivory

  Felix Cremer

  Lacy Mitchell

  Lint Shaw

  So many names. They hovered around us chanting them. I wanted to put my hands to my ears to drown them out. But then just as soon as it began, the whispering stopped. The haints floated around our salt circle. They hadn’t touched us. They hadn’t hurt us. Our protection had worked. We watched them disappear down Linnard Run.

  I let go of Janie’s hand. She had been crying too. The boys sniffed and wiped their noses.

  “What happened?” Ellis asked. “Why did they leave?”

  “Maybe they’re not looking for us? Maybe they’re searching for the people who killed them?” Jasper said.

  “Well, they won’t find them,” I replied.

  Deep within the darkness of the woods, another shadow appeared. Unlike the haints, the boy didn’t look like a ghost. He had on his ragged shirt and pants with no shoes.

  We stood and stared at Abner.

  CHAPTER THIRTY

  Abner’s Dream

  So you can see him?” I asked Jasper.

  “Yes, I see him.” Jasper walked out of the salt circle. “It must be because of the Witching Hour, right?”

  The moon came out from behind the clouds and covered the woods with pale light. Our shadows spread like tall mutant trees with moving limbs.

  “We came back to see you,” Janie stated calmly.

  Abner glanced at the trees, now still. He stood there, then turned and dropped from the church slab to walk back into the woods, his shadow a ray of blue white in the darkness.

  “We should follow him,” I said.

  It wasn’t until we were halfway to the graveyard that I noticed the black tree. The branches were covered with green leaves that glowed in the moonlight. Its bark was healthy and strong.

  “Do you see that?” Janie pointed at the tree.

  We stood a few steps behind and watched Abner. He was at the far end of the graveyard. He paused to stare at the ground, then continued farther into the woods.

  “He’s searching for something,” I whispered as we followed.

  Abner continued to walk but stopped to search the area again. Then he disappeared.

  “Where did he go?!” Janie asked.

  “What now?” Ellis whined.

  “Be quiet.” Jasper held up his hand. “Do you hear that noise?”

  We strained to listen. At first it sounded like unsettled wind, but it was someone gasping. The faint sounds of metal scraping against stone filled the air.

  “Where’s it coming from?” Ellis asked.

  A dense fog appeared between us. Tendrils of smoke curled from the ground and floated upward. The moonlight caused the smoke to glow light yellow. We huddled close and moved behind the thick trunk of a sycamore tree.

  “Is it the haints?” Ellis reached into the bag of salt.

  “I don’t think so,” I said. “It’s coming from the ground.”

  Out of the mist the dark figure of a man emerged. He dragged a large burlap sack. Attached to the sack was a shovel, which scraped across the rocks. The man didn’t seem to see us. He wiped his brow and brushed his blond hair out of his eyes. He wore trousers and a shirt rolled high to the elbows, revealing pale skin. He had the same glow as Abner.

  I swallowed hard. “It’s another ghost.”

  “How many does that make?” Ellis asked.

  “Shh. What’s he doing?” Janie moved forward.

  Jasper held Janie by her backpack to prevent her from getting any closer. “I think we’re about to find out.”

  As the fog lightened, the details of the man became clear. I gasped when I recognized who he was.

  “What’s his ghost doing out here?” Janie’s eyes widened in shock.

  “You know who that is?” Jasper asked.

  “It’s Evern Alcott,” I said, voice trembling.

  Evern cut the rope around the bag. When it opened, the contents inside spilled out onto the ground. I put my hand to my mouth. It was the body of a boy in a cotton shirt and torn trousers. It was Abner.

  Evern walked a couple more paces before stopping, and then he began to dig. When he was finished, he pushed Abner into the hole with his shovel. His laughter made the hairs on my neck stand up. He covered the hole with dirt. Then he covered the spot with old leaves.

  “Nobody will think to look for ya here!” His laughter brought chills to my skin; it felt like a bucket of water had been dumped over my body. Slowly Evern’s ghost disappeared with the mist.

  I ran to the spot where Evern had dug the grave. “This is where he’s been all these years. Hidden in plain sight.”

  “Did you see?” said a voice from behind us.

  Ellis yelped, and I swirled around to see Abner. He was sitting on the ground, his hands in his lap. Up close, he didn’t seem as real, more like a hologram, but his eyes were brown and sad.

  “I wanted to show you what happened,” Abner said. “I only remember waking up here. No one has ever come to see.”

  I thought I would be scared, but I wasn’t. This was my blood kin. He wasn’t a scary haint but a lost little boy. I could see the fear in Jasper’s eyes, but he didn’t leave us. Ellis even stood guard with his slingshot, proving his bravery. Janie and I moved closer and sat down in front of Abner.

  “Do you know who I am?” I asked him.

  Abner looked at me, but there was no recognition in his eyes. “Do you know my sister Sophie?”

  “We do,” Janie said. “She’s family, which means you’re our family too.”

  “Why hasn’t she come to get me? Ever since I woke up, I’ve been waiting. She told me if I got lost that she would find me,” he said.

  “She’s not here anymore, but we can help you,” I said.

  “Where did she go?” Abner asked.

  “We can take you to her,” Janie said. “You just need to come with us. It isn’t safe for you. You don’t belong here.”

  Abner bowed his head and started to cry. “I just want to go home.”

  Janie and I looked at each other. I wasn’t sure what to do next. Should we take him to Sophie’s grave? To Mrs. Whitney? Maybe my plan wasn’t as great as I had thought.

  “Hey, y’all, I think time is running out.” Ellis pointed to the trees. The mist was returning.

  “Abner, we can take you home,” I said, hoping a better idea would come to me along the way. “We can take you to Sophie.”

  A loud gust of wind brought down a nearby tree branch, and angry hisses filled the air. Abner stopped crying and raised his head. His eyes were no longer brown and sad. Now they glowed bright silver. Janie and I scrambled away as Abner floated upward. The blue-white glow drai
ned from his form, and he transformed into a long dark shadow.

  “This is my home now,” he said, his voice cold and distant, before he disappeared.

  “We need to leave!” Jasper yelled.

  “Wait!” I said. “We have to mark his grave. We’ll never find it again if we don’t.”

  “Put some salt around the spot to mark it,” Janie ordered.

  “If I do that, we won’t have anymore left.” Ellis’s voice cracked.

  “Do it, Ellis!” Janie yelled.

  My brother emptied the bag of salt and quickly put a ring of it around the spot where Abner was buried. Almost immediately, the salt disappeared into the ground.

  “What just happened?!” Ellis shouted.

  “We have to mark it another way,” I said. “Find some rocks. Sticks. Anything.”

  We scrambled to find rocks and piled them on top of one another. The mist grew thicker. Leaves rustled, and the dark shapes spread out above them. After a short hesitation, I took Daphnis out of my pocket and put it on top of the rocks. Maybe she could protect Abner.

  “We don’t have any salt left,” Ellis said. “We can’t make another circle.”

  “What about the salt circle in the road?” Janie asked over the howling wind.

  “We need to make a run for it,” Jasper said.

  I positioned into a runner’s lunge. “On the count of three.”

  We scattered through the graveyard. A roar whipped through my clothes, and I coughed from the coldness caught in my throat. We raced through the woods, sliding on slick leaves. We ran until we reached the broken-chain entrance of Linnard Run.

  The shadows hadn’t followed us.

  “If I never see another haint again it will be too soon,” Ellis panted.

  “Now we know why he’s been haunting Creek Church,” Jasper said. “He’s buried there.”

  “Evern did kill him.” Janie frowned.

  “We woke him up, but I think we also woke up something else,” I said. “He’s changing. We need to get him out of there before it’s too late.”

  “So we go back,” Janie said. “We know where his grave is now. All we need are some shovels and—”

  “You want to dig him up?! Haven’t we had enough excitement tonight?” Ellis hugged the empty bag of salt.