"Yup, amazing as it sounds." Peyton showed her the photo. "It's Caitlyn and your grandmother, when she was fifteen."
Lily studied it with fascination. "Wow. Nana's so...young...and Caitlyn looks...well, so normal--"
Peyton chuckled. "She was back then."
"So what happened to her?"
Peyton frowned. "According to your grandmother, Caitlyn was murdered by her father." And I witnessed it, sort of, in my dreams more than once.
Lily sighed. "That is just too eerie."
"Yeah, I know."
"Does Nana think you need to have the house exorcised or something to make the ghosts go away?"
"Not quite. She thinks Caitlyn just wants a friend...and I happened to come along. Your grandmother believes that once she has her fill of me, Caitlyn will drift off into the sunset. But I'm not so sure."
Lily wrinkled her nose. "Me neither. Why would ghosts need friends? I mean, it's not like they should be lonely with millions of other dead people turned into spirits to hang with."
"True," Peyton agreed.
Maybe it was different for people who died under circumstances that didn't allow them the chance to easily move to the other side. Like being murdered.
They went outside and stood under a tall, thick tree that was blocking the sun.
"Bry's friend, Kirk, wants to meet you," Peyton told Lily in a welcome change of subject.
"Really?" Lily's face lit up. "When?"
"That will be up to you guys to decide. He wants your number."
"Then give it to him," Lily uttered anxiously.
"Okay." Peyton already had her number and would text it to Bryant, once she found out where Vance had put her cell phone.
"Can't way till Kirk calls," Lily said. "Do you know what he looks like?"
Peyton flipped her hair back. "Sorry, we've never met. But I'm sure Bry wouldn't set you up with someone who was a total loser."
"Well that's a big relief!" Lily chuckled. "If we hit it off, maybe the four of us could hang out together?"
"Why not?" Peyton agreed. "I'm sure Bry would be all for it." And they would still make sure to leave room for some private time.
"Cool," Lily said. "Now let's just hope some friendly ghost doesn't show up who would probably give those guys a heart attack. Not to mention me!"
Peyton laughed, though it was hardly a laughing matter. The truth was, while Caitlyn may not be a threat to her, she could still feel it in her bones that there was real danger in that house. Maybe not the type that Peyton could explain in everyday language, but it was there nevertheless.
* * *
That evening, Peyton managed to locate her cell phone. She waited till her mom and Vance went to bed before texting Erica, not wanting to ever give up her iPhone again while using it discreetly. She hoped her mother would back her up this time should it come to that.
After a few exchanges, they switched to a video call.
"Your text sounded intense," Erica said.
"With good reason," Peyton spoke lowly. "You won't believe what I found out today about the girl in the bay and my dreams--"
"Let me guess...she's not really a ghost after all, but someone very human who spooked you for some reason?"
"Yeah, if only." Peyton thought about Caitlyn and wondered if she was watching her at that very moment. "My friend Lily's grandmother had a very interesting story to tell me about a horrific family crime that happened in this house half a century ago--"
After she finished telling the story, Erica said rather dramatically, "They don't even make horror flicks as scary as this. If your house is truly haunted by a fifty-year-old ghost who was murdered by her own father, then I'd say you've got some serious problems, girlfriend."
"My problems pale compared to what Caitlyn must have gone through," Peyton said considerately.
"And you're even on a first name basis with the ghost girl now," Erica muttered. "Should I be jealous or what?"
"Course not!" The last thing Peyton wanted was for Erica to think she was in competition with anyone--especially a ghost. "You'll always be my best friend, as long as I remain yours. But Caitlyn's my friend, too--in a weird way, since she's been dead for fifty years and we haven't actually had like a real conversation. I just need to find out what she wants with me. Whether I can give it to her is another story."
"Maybe she's trying to warn you that you, your mom, and stepdad aren't welcome in that house just like the family in the Amityville Horror. If I were you, I wouldn't wait around till Caitlyn turns into the teenage ghost from hell."
"It's not like I have a choice." Peyton sighed. "My parents seem to think this place is the answer to all their problems. I doubt I could change that with my talk of ghosts and a half a century old crime. Besides, I don't think Caitlyn feels that I'm crowding her space. She just wants someone to...I don't know, I guess keep her from going stir crazy after being trapped in this house for so long."
"Whatever you say, Peyton," Erica said skeptically. "Just promise me one thing: if it gets to be more than you can handle, you'll get out of there before the house implodes or something."
Peyton smiled, trying to see the humor in it. "I promise."
"Good. Now, what's up with Bry...?"
Peyton told Erica about her highly anticipated date with Bryant tomorrow, and listened as Erica spoke animatedly about her latest crush.
CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
Peyton was actually glad Vance had to work late today so he couldn't give Bryant the third degree before they went to the movie. Her mother was much more amicable.
"Your father used to take me to movies," Melody said as they stood in the foyer with Bryant. "It was so romantic that sometimes I couldn't even remember anything about the movie, but I could remember everything about the time we spent in the theater."
Peyton blushed and was a bit shocked. The thought of her parents making out in the theater was unappealing.
She glanced at Bryant, who seemed amused.
"Well, we'd better get going, Bry, don't you think?"
"Yeah, it's about that time."
"Be careful out there," advised Melody. "And try to have Peyton home by no later than midnight. Otherwise Vance will probably blow a gasket."
Peyton rolled her eyes. "Mom--"
"That's fine, Mrs. McIntyre," Bryant said. "I'll get her back before the bewitching hour."
"Thank you," she said, a tiny smile playing on her lips.
"Sorry about that," Peyton said.
Bryant shrugged. "Don't be. We've got plenty of time to see the movie and even grab a bite after, if you're game."
"I'm game," she said quickly. "I just didn't want you to think my mom and stepfather's rules and regulations were too much."
"I don't. Parents are parents. I really like your mom. She's pretty cool." Bryant frowned. "Now your stepdad...well, I guess he's like my dad--always wants to be in charge."
"That definitely sounds like Vance, at least lately," Peyton admitted. Luke didn't seem nearly as bossy, but then she hadn't been around him very much.
At the car, Bryant opened the door for Peyton, and said with a grin, "By the way, you look really nice tonight--"
"Thanks," she told him, feeling good about the compliment. "So do you. You smell nice, too."
"Yeah?"
"Yeah." She grinned.
"I had a little extra motivation going out with you," Bryant admitted.
"Same here," Peyton told him as her heart skipped a beat.
Peyton enjoyed the movie--a teen comedy--more than she thought she would. It took her mind off other more troubling things and was a chance to further bond with Bryant, especially when he put his arm around her and they shared a few kisses.
* * *
They went to a restaurant not far from the theater afterward.
"I gave Kirk your friend's number," Bryant said, chewing on a ranch fry. "He's pretty stoked about meeting her."
"Lily feels the same way," Peyton assured him.
"Enough about them," he said. "Right now I'd rather enjoy our time together."
"I think we're doing that," she said spiritedly.
"Yeah, I guess we are." He sipped his Coke and looked at Peyton thoughtfully. "I've been asking around some more about this mysterious girl in the bay--"
"You have?" Peyton wondered if he'd come up with the same thing she had.
"A friend of a friend's half sister was visiting that weekend. She supposedly took a dip in the bay and may have been in there around the same time as you. I wouldn't put it past her to have--"
"Stop!" Peyton raised her voice unintentionally.
Bryant lifted a brow. "Excuse me?"
She hesitated. I've got to come clean with him and hope I don't live to regret it.
"It wasn't her that I saw, Bry."
"How can you be so sure?"
Peyton sucked in a deep breath. Here goes nothing. "Because the girl in the bay was...dead--"
"Dead? You mean like she drowned?"
"Not exactly." Peyton cleared her throat. "Um, the girl I saw has been dead for half a century--"
Bryant's head snapped back like she'd punched him. "What are you talking about?"
"I'm talking about a ghost!"
"A ghost...?"
"Afraid so," she said lamentably. "I know it sounds off the wall, but it's true. Her name's Caitlyn St. Claire and the bay isn't the only place I've seen her."
Bryant made a face. "You're telling me you think you saw an actual ghost?"
"Yes, that's what I'm saying. And I don't think I saw one, I know I did. Caitlyn St. Claire lived in our house fifty years ago. She was shot to death by her father, who also killed her mother and the caretaker before the father killed himself."
"How do you know all this?" Bryant asked skeptically.
Peyton explained how Frances Kramer told her the tale, filling in the blanks of Peyton's dreams, what she found in the attic, and Caitlyn's visits.
As Bryant digested this, Peyton wondered if it also spelled the end of them. Or would it be the beginning, where they could be totally honest about stuff and at least give the other the benefit of the doubt, no matter how difficult.
"Oh, man, that's some story." Bryant bit into his cheeseburger.
"It's more than just a story," Peyton said tersely. "The house really does have some unsettled forces occupying it."
"Okay, I can accept that your friend's grandmother knew the people living in your house back in the 1960s. But a fifty-year-old teenage ghost showing up practically anywhere you are? C'mon, Peyton, even you have to admit that it sounds pretty far out there."
It did, Peyton conceded, putting herself in his shoes. But some true things were pretty far out there. She'd hoped he, of all people in Shadow Bay, would at least be open-minded enough to consider the possibility.
Maybe I misjudged him and how he feels about me.
"Look, I'm not asking you to believe it," she told him, though wishing he did. "Not right now anyway. But I know this is more than just my imagination. Lily's grandmother says that other people who have lived in the house over the years have reported seeing ghosts and other strange things, too."
Bryant chuckled sardonically. "That's all just folklore, Peyton. To be honest, there have been times when I passed by your house and would swear someone was watching me from an upstairs window. But then I did a reality check. My dad and I have been in and out of there a few times when working on the house before you moved in, and I don't recall seeing any ghosts or other supernatural forces."
"So does that mean they weren't there?" She sneered at him. "Maybe they chose not to appear to you."
"And they chose you?" he asked cynically. "What about your mother or stepfather? Are they seeing this girl ghost, too?"
"No," Peyton admitted. Nor had they seen the ghost of the caretaker as she had.
"Maybe there's a reason for that."
She blinked. "You mean like I'm losing it?"
"No, of course not. There must be some other explanation for what you're going through."
Peyton decided she should quit before getting in any deeper. "Okay, just forget it," she said, as if he could. "I shouldn't have brought this up."
"But you should bring up stuff that's on your mind," he said. "I didn't mean to react like that. You just caught me off guard, that's all. Who am I to say what you saw or didn't see?"
Peyton felt a little better. At least he was willing to suspend his disbelief, if only for now.
She moved her fries around the plate. Her appetite had vanished. "I really don't know what it all means," she confessed. "I guess I'll find out one way or the other."
Bryant reached across the table and touched her hand. "If there really is something going on in that house, whether it makes sense to me or not, I want to help you get to the bottom of it."
"And just how do you plan to do that?" This ought to be interesting.
He shrugged. "Maybe we can check the library. There should be some old articles on this family, given the nature of the crime in a small town. Might give you some clues or insight into things Lily's grandmother might have forgotten."
"You're right!" Peyton met his eyes.
"Good. How about tomorrow? I get off work at noon. We can go then."
"That sounds great." As far as she was concerned the time couldn't come soon enough to dig into this further, particularly with Bryant's help.
"You ready to get out of here?" Bryant smiled at her, making Peyton want to melt.
"Yeah, I guess." In truth, Peyton could have stayed there for hours with him. That would have been better than having to face her fears at home.
CHAPTER EIGHTEEN
"What's your dad doing here?" Peyton asked as they pulled up behind his car in the driveway.
"I think he said something about dropping in when he got back from town to see if there was anything out of order on the property."
"A bit late for that, don't you think?"
"Probably. But dad's used to operating on his own hours. Hopefully he didn't wake anyone up."
"You want to come in for a few minutes?" Peyton asked hopefully.
"Sure, why not? Can't say there's anyone at home waiting for me to get back."
"True."
Peyton smiled, grateful to be able to extend their time together and that Luke would be a distraction to her mother and stepfather.
They heard chatter inside. It was coming from the living room.
Peyton saw her mother, Vance, and Luke having drinks. The men were smoking cigars.
"Has your dad always smoked cigars?" Peyton whispered to Bryant.
"I think he used to smoke them sometimes when he was a teenager, like his own dad, but I can't say I've ever seen him with a cigar."
A look of shock crossed Bryant's face.
"I've never known Vance to smoke cigars either," she said, equally surprised. "But since my mother has recently started smoking cigarettes, what do I know? Guess it's catching."
"Guess so." His lips twisted. "It's still weird."
Peyton couldn't argue the point.
"How was the movie?" Melody asked, sitting between the two men.
"Good," Peyton answered routinely.
"Yeah," followed Bryant.
"Are you hungry? There's food in the oven."
"We already ate," Peyton told her.
"Luke's going to help me build a picnic table for the backyard," Vance said, smoke filtering from his nostrils.
"Should be a snap," Luke said.
"We thought we'd have a barbecue picnic for Labor Day," announced Melody. "Invite the neighbors so we can get to know them."
"Sounds great." Peyton could invite Lily and her grandmother. And Bryant, of course.
She looked at Bryant and he met her eyes. "Well, I guess I'd better go now."
"I'll walk you to the door," she said, hiding her disappointment that he didn't want to stay longer.
Luke lifted his drink. "I'll be home in a little while, Bryant."
<
br /> "Don't hurry on my account," he responded dryly. "I have some stuff to do before hitting the sack."
"Just remember to let the dog in," his father said.
Peyton wondered if Bryant was upset with Luke. "Are you okay?" she asked when they got to the door.
He nodded. "Yeah. I don't know if my dad is just showing off to your stepdad with the cigars or if it's the other way around."
"Probably a little of both."
"Probably."
"Thanks again for tonight, Bry...and for listening to me talk about...well, you know--"
Bryant grinned. "Hey, I like spending time with you, Peyton. As for the girl in the bay, I respect that you told me what was going on. You're definitely not the typical boring new girl in town, and that makes things a lot more interesting. Let's just see if we can find out if this Caitlyn is the real deal, and what her game is."
"Sounds good to me." Peyton met his eyes, liking him more and more.
"Goodnight, Peyton."
"Night, Bry."
Bryant gave her a nice, sweet kiss that left Peyton seeing stars. It seemed the perfect end to their date and the night itself.
By the time she hit the bed, Peyton was sure she had found true love for the first time in her sixteen years. It was an experience she wanted to hold onto like her fluffy pillow.
But she sensed that the dark forces hiding in the house like carbon monoxide were standing in the way of their burgeoning romance, even if Caitlyn herself may have been a ray of light trying to get out.
* * *
Peyton tossed and turned in her sleep, unaware that she was being watched with wonder by more than one spirit sharing the space.
When she opened her eyes, Peyton found herself standing in the hallway outside the study. She was still in her nightgown and had no idea how she'd gotten there.
"Peyton..." She turned and saw the familiar girl standing there. "I'm Caitlyn."
"We're friends?" Peyton asked, unsure.
"Yes." Caitlyn was also wearing a nightgown, one that looked more dated.
"What are we doing here?"
"I want to show you a secret place."
"Where?" Peyton was curious.
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