The Haunted

by Jessica Verday

  “Updated rooms?” Ben brightened.

  “We’ve just been bought out by Hilton, and our renovated rooms offer an in-room gaming system, complimentary snacks and beverages, free movies—”

  “We’ll take them,” Ben said.

  The clerk nodded and tapped another key. “And will this charge be staying on the credit card provided?” She looked down her nose at us, like neither of us could possibly have a credit card.

  “Yes,” I said firmly. “It’s my dad’s card.”

  There was more tapping, and then she produced two room keys. “Down the hall and to your left.”

  We followed her directions and came to rooms 304 and 306. Ben slid one of the cards into the reader, and a green light buzzed. The door to room 304 clicked open. “Guess this one’s mine,” he said, and walked in.

  I slid my card into the reader for room 306. The door swung inward, revealing a room decorated in Parisian-style black and white stripes with small accents of red everywhere. Large pictures of metal gears and steam factories hung in glossy black frames on the walls.

  Caspian followed behind me, and I dumped my luggage to the floor, then flopped down on the bed. He wandered around, checking the room out.

  “Did you bring a bathing suit?” he asked suddenly.

  I sat up. “No, I didn’t think I’d need one. Why?”

  He pointed over to the bathroom, which had a clear glass wall. The toilet seemed to be in a separate section, safely tucked away, but the shower was in full view.

  “Because that’s going to be fun.”

  Chapter Twenty-three

  A PERFECT MATCH

  In this enterprise, however, he had more real difficulties than generally fell to the lot of a knight-errant of yore, who seldom had anything but giants, enchanters, fiery dragons, and such like easily conquered adversaries, to contend with…

  —“The Legend of Sleepy Hollow”

  I decided not to worry about the bathroom just yet—it wasn’t like I could do anything about it anyway—and checked the room out for myself. I flipped through the TV channels, looked at the room-service menu, and tried out the gaming system, but I couldn’t figure it out. It was some complicated thing, with twenty-nine buttons.

  An hour later Caspian was sitting in the only chair in the room while I sat on the bed. “Have you ever stayed at one of those really ratty hotels?” I asked him. “With the seventies-style wallpaper and disco-ball ceilings?”

  He nodded. “Once, when I was little, my dad had to go out of town for something, and I went with him. I don’t remember where it was, but I remember the hotel. The room we stayed in had shag carpet and paneling on the walls.”

  “I know what you mean. Kristen’s memorial service was held in this god-awful, tacky funeral home that had the same thing.”

  “I know,” he said. “I was there.”

  “You were? I didn’t see you.”

  “I didn’t stay long. I didn’t want to see you upset. I saw you at the cemetery earlier that day too. Sitting in a chair by a grave.”

  I remembered. I thought a shadow had been next to me. “I wish I would have known. I could have—” The room phone rang, cutting me off. I picked it up. “Hello?”

  “Abbey, its Dad.”

  Crap. I was supposed to call them as soon as I got in. “Hey, Dad.”

  “How was the trip? Is the hotel okay? Are you alone in your room? The front desk clerk told me you’re in adjoining rooms.”

  I closed my eyes briefly and massaged my temples. Is he going to let me get a word in edgewise here? “The trip was fine, Dad. We just got in, and I’m in an adjoining room because they’re doing work on the other rooms. This is all they had available. And yes, Ben is in his own room.” I avoided the are-you-alone question. That one was a lot harder to answer.

  “Okay,” he said gruffly. “Well, just remember, I’ll be making random bed checks, so don’t get any ideas.”

  I sighed. “I won’t, Dad.”

  “Your mother says to have a good time and ask lots of questions.”

  “Will do. Bye, Dad.” He said good-bye, and I hung up. Almost immediately, the phone rang again. I shot Caspian an aggravated look as I answered it. “Dad, this isn’t—”

  “Abbey, it’s Ben. I just got a call from your dad too.”

  “Sorry, Ben. He’s just being his normal, overbearing self.”

  “It’s cool. You warned me about it. Hey, I’m gonna get a pizza delivered. You want some?”

  “Sure. You know what I like.” I cringed as I heard myself say those words. “On my pizza… I mean.”

  “Yeah, I get it. I’ll call you when it gets here. Did you check out the movie channel yet? Some awesome stuff coming on at eight.”

  “I’ll check it out.” Hanging up the phone for the second time, I told Caspian, “Ben’s ordering us a pizza.”

  “With a side of Funyuns?”

  I stuck my tongue out at him. “Nooo, no Funyuns.” I slipped off my shoes and crawled backward until I was propped against the headboard. The bed was huge, and the covers were made out of a fluffy white material that felt like I was being swallowed by them. As I stretched out, a pleasant drowsiness started seeping into my veins.

  “Is it strange to be back here? So close to home?” I murmured to Caspian. My eyelids were heavy, and every time I blinked, they took just a little bit longer to open back up.

  “Strange? Yes, but everything about this is strange. Are we here to actually look at my grave, or are we here to get away from Vincent Drake and the Revenants?”

  “I don’t know,” I said drowsily, finally giving in to the long-reaching fingers of sleep that were pulling me down. “That’s what I’m here to find out.”

  A loud rapping on the adjoining door had me sitting up straight, and I looked around wildly. I couldn’t remember where I was. Then the luggage in the corner jarred me back into reality. The knocking continued.

  “Caspian?” I croaked. My throat was dry, and I tried again. “Caspian?”

  The red curtains stirred and parted. “I’m here.” He was standing behind them, looking out the large window. “I’m right here, Abbey.”

  Relief washed over me, and I got off the bed, feeling my head clear with every step I took. My left foot was asleep, and I staggered slightly, but I made it to the adjoining door.

  When I opened it, Ben was standing there with a pizza box in one hand. I wasn’t very hungry, but I let him in anyway.

  “You took forever to answer,” he said, entering the room and putting the box down on a nearby table.

  “I fell asleep.”

  He walked over to a low cabinet next to the TV and opened it. “I didn’t order drinks, since we have the minibar. Can you believe this setup? What more could you want?”

  I glanced at the incredibly well-stocked minibar. “Nice. Grab me a Sprite.”

  He grabbed the Sprite and a Coke, and picked up the TV remote. “Want to watch something while we eat?”

  I helped myself to a slice of pizza and then sat on the edge of the bed. “Sure.”

  Ben carried the entire pizza box over to the chair and flipped through the channels while I picked at my piece. By the time he settled on The Simpsons, I was already done eating.

  He stood up as soon as the show was over. “Mind if I take the rest of this?” He pointed to the pizza box. There were still three slices left, but I didn’t want them.

  “They’re all yours. I guess I’ll see you tomorrow, then?”

  “Yeah. Oh, hey, what time do you want to leave? My dad’s friend’s junkyard doesn’t open till ten.”

  “Ten is fine. Night, Ben. Sorry in advance if my dad calls again.”

  He walked to the door. “No problem. And if you need anything, you know where I’m at.”

  When he left the room, it felt like a sudden rush of energy went with him. The curtains moved, and Caspian came out. “Did you eat anything?” he asked.

  “A couple of bites. I wasn’t very hungry.” The
bed beckoned, and I lay down on my stomach with my head at the footboard. The TV flashed, and the words “Feature Presentation” came on; then intro music for a movie started to play.

  Caspian sat down next to me, keeping a careful distance between us. “Closer,” I whispered. “Come closer.”

  He moved closer.

  I turned my head to stare at one jean-clad thigh. With one hand, I tried to trace the seams, but I slipped right through. My hand hit the bed, and I let it lie there, an inch away from him.

  “Are you going to fall asleep again, Astrid?” he mused. “A guy could take offense at that. Are you trying to tell me I’m dull?”

  I tried to shake my head, but only my cheek moved on the comforter, and I snuggled deeper into it. “You’re not dull, Casper. You…” I searched my brain for the words he’d used before. “You exhilarate me.”

  His green eyes were the last thing I saw before I closed my eyes again, but I heard him lean down and whisper, “Thank you, Astrid. Sweet dreams.”

  The next time I woke up, I was really awake. No fuzzy-headedness and no disorientation. I blinked once or twice, wondering why it was still dark out, and rolled over to look at the clock. It was 3:12 a.m. Still nighttime.

  My eyes quickly adjusted, and I could see Caspian sitting in the chair.

  “Hi,” he whispered.

  “Hi,” I whispered back. In the darkness the hotel room felt small and intimate.

  “I moved over here because you were getting restless,” he said.

  “Okay.” My stomach grumbled loudly and completely embarrassed me.

  Caspian chuckled. “Hungry?”

  “I guess. I didn’t eat much pizza.”

  “I saw a vending machine at the end of the hall,” he said. “I’ll go get you some snacks.”

  “No, that’s okay,” I tried to protest.

  “You need to eat something,” he said as my stomach growled again. “Just let me go get something for you. Please?”

  “But what if someone sees you? Well, not you, but you know. The snacks. Moving. On their own.”

  “It’s three in the morning. No one’s out there. I’ll be quick.” He stood up and turned on a small lamp by the TV. Then he turned to me. “Do you have any, uh, money? I’m all out.”

  I dug my wallet out of my pocket and handed him a couple of bucks. Then I remembered the minibar with all the snacks I could eat. I didn’t bring it up, though. I had to pee, and if this was the only way to use the bathroom without him in the room, so be it. I’d just keep sending him out for random snacks.

  And when it was time for a shower, I’d send him to the fourth-floor vending machine, with a very long list.

  He grabbed the key. “I’ll be back.”

  As soon as Caspian left, I hurried to use the bathroom. Then I washed my face and brushed my teeth. My hair was a nightmare, but it refused to be tamed, so I pulled it back into a ponytail. Next, I opened up my suitcase and rummaged through it.

  Digging deep through the pile of clothes, I pulled out a set of white pajamas with red cherries printed all over them. They could hardly be called sexy, but they were cute. And the material was kind of clingy.

  A soft knock sounded on the door, and I stripped out of my clothes and hurried into the pj’s.

  Caspian came in a second later, carrying a bag of pretzels, some chips, a breakfast burrito, and a candy bar. “A main course, two sides, and dessert.” He dumped his haul on the end table, and then turned to me. “Cute. I like the mismatched buttons.”

  I glanced down. My buttons were all lined up wrong. “Oops.” Turning my back to him, I called out, “Don’t peek,” and I straightened them. “Okay, all fixed.”

  Caspian’s gaze seemed to linger on my top button as he said, “I liked it better the other way.”

  “Well, I can always undo it if you want.” Hearing those words come out of my mouth, sounding very much not like I intended them to sound, I blushed and picked up the burrito. “I’m just going to heat this up in the microwave, and you can forget I said that, okay?”

  His lips pulled up into a half smile, and he sat on the bed. I popped the burrito in and nuked it for twenty seconds before joining him. I ate in silence, and I got up to brush my teeth as soon as I was done. I did not want to have guacamole stuck in them.

  When I exited the bathroom, he had one leg propped up on the comforter and was looking at a picture hanging on the far wall. I wondered how the rest of the night would go. Was he going to spend it in the chair, or on the floor? Or in the bed… with me?

  “Tell me what you’re thinking,” he said suddenly, turning to face me.

  “What I’m thinking? Why?”

  “Because I can’t stop thinking. And I want to know if you feel that way too.” He looked frustrated. “Are you thinking about everything that happened? You should be. You should be thinking about why those Revenants are in Sleepy Hollow, and what that means. You should be thinking about Vincent Drake and how you can stay safe.” He looked down at his leg and pulled at the fabric on his jeans. “You should be thinking about me, Astrid. And how all of this is happening because of me.”

  “I am thinking about everything,” I said. “But just one thing at a time. There’s so much to take in. I have to compartmentalize it all, or it’ll take over.” His eyes met mine. “I’m afraid, Caspian. Afraid of tomorrow—today, technically—and what it will bring. I don’t want seeing your grave to drive me back to Dr. Pendleton.”

  “Then go home,” he urged. “Leave this place.”

  “Go back to Sleepy Hollow? Where there are Revenants who are waiting for me to die? Or where the crazy boy who might have killed my best friend waits?”

  “When you put it that way, it sounds—”

  “It sounds crazy. I know. I might be safer here. But the most important thing to face right now is you.”

  “What will it prove? You already know I’m dead.”

  “I don’t know,” I said truthfully. “I guess it’s because sometimes I forget.” I reached out a hand to put on his arm and felt the soft covers instead. “Because other than that, sometimes I forget you’re not really here and normal.” I looked away. “Trust me, I’d like to forget about this, but I think it’s important. It feels crucial. Do you know what I mean?”

  “I just don’t want it to hurt, Astrid,” he said.

  His words made my heart ache, and I gave him a sad smile. “Hurt is a part of life.” I gestured between us helplessly. “This hurts. It kills me that I can’t touch you, Caspian. Can’t kiss you. Can’t listen to your heart beating.” I closed my eyes, feeling the tears threatening. “Can you turn off the light?” I asked in a wobbly voice. “If I burst into tears here, I really don’t want you to see it.”

  A second later the room turned dark with a soft click.

  “Don’t cry, Astrid,” he whispered into my ear. “Please don’t cry. Your big eyes and pouty lips… they undo me. I can’t take it. I’ll do anything to make it better.”

  I scrambled backward and found one edge of the covers. “Sleep with… me?” I said hesitantly. “Just… be near me.”

  Silence was his only answer, and I felt foolish. He didn’t sleep. So why would he want to just lie there next to me?

  “Climb under the covers,” he said.

  His voice sounded closer, like he’d followed me up the bed. A wicked heat spread through me and made my skin ache. I pulled back the covers and slid between the sheets. The legs of my pajama bottoms rode up my shins, and I wiggled around to straighten them out.

  “Are you settled?” Caspian asked.

  “Mmm-hmm.” I counted to a hundred, then said, “Are you, um, settled?”

  “I’m here.” He sounded too far away.

  “Come closer. I like it when you whisper in my ear.”

  “I aim to please.”

  The shiver came back. He was much closer now, and I gave a happy sigh.

  “Put your hand on your chest, over your heart,” Caspian said. I almost turned t
o ask him why. “No questions,” he said, anticipating my move. “Just do it.”

  “Over or under my top?”

  “Under,” he breathed. “Skin to skin.”

  My body heated up again. Placing one hand over my heart, I felt it beating hard. Like a trapped butterfly frantically fluttering its wings.

  “Close your eyes,” he whispered.

  I followed his instructions. Then I felt it. Just the slightest dip in the bed. If I hadn’t been concentrating, I might have missed it. My left arm and leg tingled for a second, and then my right arm and leg tingled at the same time.

  “Do you feel your heartbeat?” His words fluttered down across my face, and I knew that if I opened my eyes, I’d see him on top of me.

  It should have freaked me out. Lying in bed with a boy who was practically pinning me down. And yet… he wasn’t. He couldn’t. It felt right with him. Safe.

  And dangerous. And thrilling. And exhilarating.

  I had to moisten my lips before I could answer him. “I feel it.”

  “If I could touch anything in the world right now, it would be your heart. I want to take that piece of you and keep it with me when I’m alone in the dark.”

  His voice ached, and I ached right along with him.

  “I want to feel your heartbeat too,” I whispered.

  “Pretend,” he said. “Can you do that? Pretend I’m alive and there’s nothing between us. Nothing at all. I’m real and warm and alive.”

  My eyes flew open, and I could just barely make out the contours of his face. Holding my hand steady over my heart, I wished I could see his eyes. “Nothing is between us, Caspian,” I whispered. “I’m your other half. So half of this? Half of this erratic thumping? Is yours. I’ll carry your heartbeat in mine.”

  The covers bunched around me. He was clenching his hands. “How can you do it, Abbey? How can you love me? I have nothing to offer. Nothing to give you. I don’t even know how long I’ll stay like this. You’d be better off—”