"You'll see."
Caitlyn took her hand and led Peyton into the study. They crossed the cold hardwood floor in their bare feet and, moving past furniture, approached the bookcase. It was filled with books, most which struck Peyton as very old and not belonging to her family.
She watched as Caitlyn removed a book and put her finger inside to the back of the shelf and stepped away. Suddenly the bookcase moved and an opening appeared.
Peyton was startled.
"You want to go inside?" asked Caitlyn.
Peyton hesitated, sensing danger. "I don't think so."
"Don't be afraid. It's just a play area and a back way to the bay." Caitlyn held out her hand. "Come, I'll show you."
Reluctantly Peyton took her hand, as if she had no choice. They stepped through the opening and she immediately felt a draft. A dingy smell permeated her nostrils and Peyton was amazed to see a corridor of exposed beams, insulation, and unfinished flooring. She wondered if this was supposed to be an extra room or two when the house was originally built, but never completed.
"How long have you known about this?" she asked Caitlyn.
"For about two years. Trevor showed me."
"Trevor?"
"The caretaker, silly," laughed Caitlyn. "Mama knows about it, too. Come on, let's go to the bay."
Peyton resisted, though not sure why. What did she have to be afraid of? Certainly not Caitlyn, who said they were friends and seemed harmless enough.
"We don't have to swim," Caitlyn promised. "Not in our nightgowns. But the bay's so pretty in the wee hours of the morning."
Peyton gazed at the girl. I suppose it wouldn't hurt to go look, but swimming's definitely out. She allowed her guard to drop and followed Caitlyn till they came to a makeshift opening to the outside.
Hand in hand, they ambled across the damp grass till they'd reached the edge of the bay. The moon shone overhead like the sun, casting light on them and the water. A few ripples rolled across it before disappearing into the night.
Suddenly Peyton remembered why she had been uneasy about going to the bay. She had gone swimming in it and saw a girl who tried to pull her under.
It was Caitlyn.
"Something wrong?" Peyton heard her say.
"Yes, I think so. This is all wrong." Peyton tried to make sense of the situation. "I shouldn't be here. And neither should you--not together anyway!"
Peyton turned to Caitlyn and saw that her face had turned ashen. Then she watched as Caitlyn's nightgown turned bright red at the chest and the redness began to spread over the gown like a shadow.
Peyton screamed in horror.
She watched as Caitlyn laughed hysterically and became a skeleton, reaching out to her with a bony arm and hand.
Peyton screamed again and tried to run. But skeletal fingers wrapped around her wrists and began to pull her towards the bay. The sounds of laughter became almost deafening and Peyton fought to break free of her hold, to no avail. She was sure she would drown and no one would ever find her.
I can't let that happen. I just can't.
But what could she do to stop Caitlyn from taking her to an early grave?
The moment Peyton's feet touched the cool water, she felt pressure on her shoulders, pushing her down. She gasped for air and thought she might pass out from sheer fright.
There were strange noises that echoed in Peyton's ears, mixing dangerously with her own ghastly moans.
* * *
Suddenly Peyton opened her eyes and closed them to the bright light. When she forced her eyes open again, she saw her mother's face.
"Wake up, honey," she whispered. "You were having another nightmare..."
Only then did Peyton realize that she was no longer in the bay with Caitlyn, who had tried to kill her, but in bed--her bed--and was safe.
She pried her mouth open, sure that she could taste the bay water.
"I didn't mean to wake you," Peyton said, feeling like she was starting to sound like a broken record.
"You didn't," Melody said tenderly. "I couldn't sleep very well and had gone to get a glass of water when I heard you murmuring something about...the bay--"
"The bay?" Peyton was beginning to hate the word and its implications.
"Was it the same dream?"
She sat up, meeting her mother's worried eyes. "No, it was different, but just as scary."
Melody stroked Peyton's hair. "You want to tell me about it?"
Peyton pondered the notion before deciding against it. "Just a dream, Mom. I'm not cracking up."
"I never said you were. But clearly these dreams are having an effect on you."
And with good reason, even if you don't want to hear it. "Did you know that there was a terrible crime committed in this house fifty years ago?" Peyton watched her reaction.
Melody raised a brow. "What?"
"An entire family was killed. Lily's grandmother told me. Caitlyn was her best friend."
"What a sad thing."
"The father--Byron St. Claire--shot to death Caitlyn, her mother, Rebecca; and their caretaker, Trevor; before he killed himself."
Melody's brows drew together. "Why would Lily's grandmother tell you such a horrible thing?"
Peyton debated how much she should reveal about her conversation with Frances Kramer. She doubted her mother would embrace the idea any more than before, even if Lily's grandmother had accepted it as more than plausible.
"I showed her the photo I found of Caitlyn and another girl. Turned out it was Lily's grandmother when she was fifteen. It wasn't long after it was taken when the murder-suicide took place."
Melody hugged her. "Oh, sweetheart, no wonder you had a nightmare. That would cause anyone to have bad dreams."
"Don't blame Lily's grandmother," Peyton urged. "I asked her if she knew what happened to Caitlyn. I thought if she was still alive, I could return the picture to her."
Peyton hoped her mother would just let it go. Especially since her problem with ghosts and nightmares began before Peyton ever confided in Francis Kramer.
Melody pulled back. "Well, now that you know the truth, maybe you'll be able to put Caitlyn and her family behind you, Peyton. As dreadful as it was, the crime happened a long time ago. It has nothing to do with our family or living in this house."
"How can you say that?" Peyton fluttered her lashes. "Don't you see, we're somehow tied to what happened back then."
"Only because we happen to live in the same house." Her mother said matter-of-factly. "You're not being possessed or anything silly like that. And neither am I, or your stepfather. There is no supernatural connection here."
"So how do you explain what I've been going through?"
"I can't--other than to say that you've simply been going through a period of adjustment moving to a new house in a different place. Maybe you had a sixth sense or something about what went on, but that's all."
Peyton wished she could believe that. But something inside told her this was as much about them as the St. Claires. Caitlyn certainly seemed to be suggesting such in Peyton's dreams. It was connecting the dots that made her worried about what it all meant in the present.
Or even in the future, for that matter.
CHAPTER NINETEEN
Peyton stood in the study staring at the bookcase as if hypnotized. It had definitely seen better days. She could imagine the bookcase had been in the house for the last fifty years, if not from the very beginning. But what about the secret passageway? Was that simply a figment of her mind? Or was her dream much more than a dream?
Even if there had been a secret passage back then, Peyton was pretty sure it would have been sealed up a long time ago.
But what if it hadn't? Maybe the passageway held some answers.
"All I see is a bookcase," said Lily, peering at it through bronze-rimmed glasses. "What am I supposed to be looking for?"
Peyton regarded her friend, whom she'd invited over this morning. She wanted a witness in case she ended up trapped inside the walls of the house or
was accosted by a ghostly skeletal Caitlyn. Of course, there was also the distinct possibility that Peyton would find nothing at all. She was willing to take that risk.
"There might be a secret opening behind the bookcase," she answered.
"Wow. Really?"
"Don't get too excited," warned Peyton. "Not yet."
She tried to remember which shelf Caitlyn had removed the book from in the dream.
It was that one.
Peyton removed a hardcover copy of a novel by Charles Dickens and stuck her hand in the shelf, feeling for a button or switch at the back of it. She found neither.
"What are you looking for in there?" Lily asked.
"I'll know it when I find it." If I do. Peyton was far from convinced she would.
She tried the shelf below. At first, Peyton could feel nothing but a smooth surface. Then she felt something protruding slightly from the back wall, something like a button. She pressed her finger hard against it and heard a grinding sound.
Stepping back, as though the bookcase would swallow her whole, Peyton and Lily watched in amazement as it opened.
There really is a secret passageway after all! It's not something I invented in my mind.
"This is so cool," Lily marveled. "Like something out of a gothic novel. How did you find out about it?"
Peyton gazed at her sideways. "Would you believe through a dream?"
Lily angled her face. "Seriously?"
"Yeah, strange as it may sound."
"To be honest, it doesn't really sound all that strange--not after everything else you've told me about this house and ghosts."
"Want to take a look inside?"
Lily snorted. "Eww. What if there are spider webs in there with gargantuan spiders waiting for some human flesh to feast on?"
Peyton chuckled. "You've got a vivid imagination, and I guess I do, too. Let's be brave together. I just want to see if it leads to the outside. If we run into any hairy creatures that we can't handle, we'll get out faster than they can bite us."
Lily wavered, before relenting. "Okay, it's a deal. You first--"
Peyton tensed as she went into the passageway. She vividly remembered doing the same thing in her dream. Only it was Caitlyn who had led the way.
They came across relatively few spider webs and crawly creatures, using the light from the study to navigate their way. Peyton saw no indication the passageway had been used in the last few decades. So long as she didn't count her surreal experience last night.
"What do you think this was for?" Lily asked nervously, staying close to Peyton. "Or do I even want to know?"
"Maybe nothing," speculated Peyton. "Probably all houses built in the early to middle part of last century had these hidden corridors as part of the foundation. Or it's possible it could have been an escape route, should all else have failed."
"Yeah, and it could also be a way to sneak in undetected," Lily suggested.
"What was that?" Peyton stopped on a dime, unnerved.
"What was what?"
"I thought I heard something." Her heart was pounding and Peyton envisioned the skeletal remains of Caitlyn stalking them.
"I didn't hear a thing," Lily said. "Maybe it's that ghost of yours. I think we should get outta here before she does something really spooky."
Peyton felt something move across her shoes. Both girls quickly realized it was a mouse and screamed. The mouse was probably even more scared by the unexpected guests, quickly disappearing into the woodwork.
"Guess that's what you heard," Lily gasped. "I don't think it likes sharing this space--and I'm in agreement with the stupid mouse!"
"Me, too," Peyton said.
"So can we go now?"
"Not yet." Though wanting to retreat to the study, they were just about at the place where Peyton had exited to the outside in the dream. Would the opening still be there? She checked her nerves, switching topics. "So what did you and Kirk talk about besides each other?"
Lily had reacted enthusiastically earlier after Bryant's friend phoned her. She perked up again, forgetting for the moment where they were.
"Oh, a little bit of everything," she said. "Kirk seems like he's really up on the issues that mean something today, besides the hottest clothes and music."
"Yeah, Bry's the same," Peyton said, as they approached a slither of light at the back of the house. "Sounds like you and Kirk really hit it off."
"Yeah, we did. But I'll know more about that this afternoon at the Pizza Palace. Kirk said he'd pick me up, but I thought we'd meet there. That way he won't have to be subjected to the twenty questions Nana would likely bombard him with."
"Good idea." Peyton wished she had thought of that for her first date with Bryant.
They arrived at what Peyton hoped was an opening to the outside. When she pushed at the wall, it moved with a squeaky sound and light poured in.
"How did you--?" Lily looked out, then at Peyton. "You saw this in the dream, too?"
"Yeah, kind of."
Peyton could see the bay in the short distance, inviting her just as Caitlyn had before she turned into a skeleton and ruined everything.
The moment Peyton and Lily stepped outside, both nearly jumped out of their skin. Luke Neville was standing there glaring at them. Peyton swallowed fearfully, barely noticing that Hugh was by his side.
"What do you girls think you're doing?"
Peyton flinched. I could ask you the same thing, but I won't.
"Hi, Luke," she said, forcing a smile. "Lily, this is our caretaker...Bry's dad."
"Hi." Lily waved.
Luke nodded with pursed lips and Hugh growled. "Stop that, boy!" he ordered.
The dog got the message and immediately became docile, licking Lily's hand like a lollipop. She responded by cautiously patting his head.
Peyton regarded Bryant's father and wondered how he happened to be standing there, as though on guard duty.
"So, what's going on?" Luke reiterated in a softer tone.
Peyton smoothed an eyebrow. "We found a secret passageway and wanted to see where it led."
He looked surprised. "Oh really?"
"Sorry if we scared you and Hugh."
"You didn't. I--we--just didn't expect anyone to come out of the house where there isn't even a door. I'll have to work on that."
"I wouldn't," Peyton said hastily.
"Come again?" Luke peered at her.
Peyton felt like he was looking through her, causing her knees to buckle.
"Um, what I meant is that I don't mind keeping this exit to the passageway as it is. I think it'll be fun to explore sometimes...and use as a shortcut to the bay. I'll talk to my mother and stepfather about it if you want--"
"You do that. But I have to tell you that it's probably not a good idea to have secret entrances into the house--no matter how exciting it is for fun and games. It can only cause problems."
"It hasn't exactly caused any problems so far," she said bluntly. "Otherwise you or former caretakers would've known about it and done something then."
Luke ran a hand across his jaw. "Good point. Well, no need debating the issue till we see what Vance and Melody have to say about it. See you later." He looked at the dog. "C'mon, boy. Let's give the girls some space."
"Is he always so gruff?" Lily asked when they were alone. "More importantly, is Bry a chip off the old block?"
"No and no," replied Peyton. "Maybe Luke was just having a bad day and then we startled him when we came out of the wall of the house. Bry looks like his dad, but he's his own person and pretty cool headed, as far as I can tell."
"Well so is Kirk. Let's hope they both hold up when put to the test."
Peyton didn't doubt that Bryant would, even though their growing relationship hadn't really been tested yet as far as normal things go.
And the jury was still out where it concerned the paranormal.
CHAPTER TWENTY
"Did you know about the secret passageway?" Peyton asked Lily's grandmother. She'd t
old her about the discovery and the dream that led to it.
They were sitting in the breakfast nook, where Frances Kramer had put out a plate of homemade chocolate chip cookies and ice tea.
"Sure I did," she said matter-of-factly. "Caitlyn and I used to play hide and seek in there all the time. And we used to sneak out to the bay and back, without anyone being the wiser."
"But why would she show it to me in my dream?" Peyton asked.
"I have no idea," Frances said honestly. "My guess is that Caitlyn wanted to relive something she enjoyed...before the darkness that was to come. She has found that sort of comfort zone with you."
"So have I," Lily said, biting into a cookie. "Only I can't compete with a ghost."
Peyton smiled. "You don't have to. You're real. I'm not so sure Caitlyn is."
Frances touched her glasses. "She's as real as we are, Peyton. Well, in her own way. Caitlyn wouldn't be visible to you if you didn't believe in her as much as she believes in you."
Peyton pondered that. Grabbing a cookie, she nibbled on it and asked, "Did anyone else know about the secret passage?"
Frances frowned. "Unfortunately, yes. Trevor Newbury, the caretaker knew about it. He used to get upset whenever he saw us in there. Though it was never proven, suspicions were that he used the passageway to come and go undetected during his tryst with Rebecca St. Claire. Till the truth came out that fateful night--"
"That's scary," Lily said, wide-eyed. "I think it might be best for everybody if Bryant's dad did seal it off and bury the past with it once and for all."
Peyton wasn't sure it was that simple. The past seemed to want to be a part of her present, whether she wanted it or not. She would just have to try and find a way to cope and trust there weren't more dreadful things to come.
* * *
At twelve-thirty that afternoon, Bryant picked up Peyton for the trip to the library.
"How has your day been so far?" he asked, turning from the wheel.
"Interesting," she said with a catch to her voice.
"Really? More ghostly apparitions pop up?"
Peyton frowned, wondering if he was making light of her sightings. But she believed he was serious, as much as he could be.
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