The Phantom Hour

by Kat Shepherd

  “We can’t bring this thing inside. Look at him! He’ll stink up the whole place!” Maggie said.

  “Exactly,” Rebecca said. The changeling snarled and squirmed under the net, and Rebecca’s voice softened. “No offense, Horrible.” She looked at the other girls. “What are we gonna do, take him prisoner? We can’t do that. Where would we keep him? How would we feed him?”

  “But we don’t want him hurting anyone else,” Tanya said. “He hurt you, remember?”

  “But that was only because he was scared,” Rebecca said. “You should understand that, T. You’re always saying that animals only attack when they’re afraid.”

  “But this isn’t an animal,” Tanya said. “We need to learn more about him before we let him go.”

  Clio looked anxiously at the front door. “I have to go check on Minna,” she said. As soon as she stood up, Horrible wriggled out from under the net and darted between the other girls. He vaulted over the porch rail and disappeared into the night.

  Tanya jumped up and followed Clio across the porch. “I can’t believe you let him go. Don’t you want to know what he was doing here?”

  “I didn’t let him go,” Clio retorted. “I just stood up, okay?” She opened the front door. “I have to go inside.”

  Tanya followed her. “Clio, what’s wrong?” The other girls crowded into the front hall behind her. There was a mechanical whirring sound behind them, and the clock struck again, the chimes booming through the house. The girls jumped.

  Clio snarled. “I hate that thing!” She gave the clock a dark look, noticing the silvery white moon had moved across the clock’s face. Clio shuddered. She didn’t like the cold look in the moon woman’s eyes.

  “Wait here,” Clio said. She headed to Minna’s room, her mind going over all of the strange events that had happened in the house. Some of them could certainly have been caused by a mischievous changeling. But could all of them?

  Minna was curled up in a tight little ball, her hair damp with sweat. It was cool in the room, and the bedcovers were light. Why was she so sweaty? Clio smoothed her hair back and felt her forehead for fever. It didn’t feel warm.

  Minna rolled over and cried out in her sleep. Her eyes flew open and she sat up, frightened. Clio reached out to hold her. She watched Minna’s face relax as she recognized her bedroom. Clio leaned in close and spoke in Minna’s ear. “It’s okay. You’re safe. Did you have a bad dream?”

  Minna nodded. “I was playing with my friends. It was fun. But someone tried to pull me in the water. She wouldn’t let go!”

  Clio’s blood froze. She made her voice sound light and calm. “That sounds scary. I’m sure glad it was only a dream. Who were your friends?”

  Minna shrugged. “I don’t know their names. They were older than me.”

  “What did they look like?” Clio asked.

  Minna thought for a moment. “They had yellow hair and wore dresses. They looked the same.”

  “Like … twins?”

  Minna nodded again.

  Clio tried to keep calm, but she felt fear rising in her throat. She had never spoken about the Plunkett twins when she was babysitting, and Minna’s parents didn’t seem to know anything about the tragedy that had happened at the pond. How were the twins in Minna’s dream? Had she noticed the photos downstairs? But that still didn’t explain the water.

  Minna relaxed against the pillow.

  “Ready to go back to sleep?” Clio asked.

  “Uh-huh.”

  Clio tucked the covers around the little girl. “Do you want me to stay with you?”

  “Uh-huh.” Minna’s eyes were already closing.

  There was no way she could leave Minna’s side until her parents got home. Not after what Minna had told her. Clio took out her phone to text Rebecca.

  Clio watched Minna sleep, still troubled by the little girl’s dream. Could it really be just a coincidence?

  Or was it a message?

  CHAPTER

  17

  CREATURE FEATURES WAS far less festive at 7:00 a.m. The shop was dark when Clio and her friends arrived at the storefront. Clio used her key to unlock the door and hurried to the panel to switch off the alarm.

  Maggie cast a crestfallen glance at the empty counter. “What? No doughnuts?”

  Kawanna wandered in from the back and took a yawning sip from her mug of strong, steaming tea. “Too early.”

  “Auntie’s more of a night owl than an early bird,” Clio explained.

  Rebecca grinned and reached into her backpack. “Luckily, I have some muffins left over from Sunday’s batch.”

  Maggie’s face lit up. “Blueberry?”

  Rebecca nodded. “Blueberry-lemon crumble.”

  Maggie sighed with relief. “You’re a goddess!”

  Rebecca laughed and shrugged. “I know.”

  Kawanna gestured to the hallway behind her. “I have some tea set up in my office.” The girls dropped their backpacks against the counter and followed Clio’s aunt into her cozy office at the back of the shop.

  Clio loved Aunt Kawanna’s office, with its bursting bookshelves, carved antique desk, and warm, sunset-colored walls. She squeezed into the peacock-blue velvet loveseat with Tanya and Rebecca; Maggie flopped into the worn leather armchair beside them and kicked off her fuchsia sequined flats. Kawanna laid the tea tray on the black lacquer coffee table and retreated to the gilded, thronelike chair behind her desk.

  Kawanna broke off a piece of muffin and put the rest on a saucer. “So what do we know?”

  Tanya poured herself a cup of tea. “We found Horrible a short time after Clio saw a photograph fly off the wall, so he must be involved somehow. I think he’s been playing pranks over at the Plunkett Mansion, but we don’t know why.” She cast a sideways glance at Rebecca and Clio. “I wanted to find out more, but he escaped before we could question him.”

  “He can’t even talk!” Rebecca shot back. “How were you planning to question him?”

  “We would have thought of something,” Tanya said. “At the very least, we could have found out if he was working for the Night Queen or not.”

  “Why would he be working for her?” Rebecca asked. “She tried to have him killed!”

  “Then why was he hanging around the portal when we closed it?” Maggie asked. “Clio said she saw him in the woods that night.”

  The other girls looked at Clio. She nodded slowly. “It was too dark to see clearly, but I think it was Horrible following us that night.”

  Rebecca took a bite of her muffin. “There are lots of reasons that he could have been at the portal,” she said with her mouth full. “Maybe he wanted to see it closed just as much as the rest of us did!”

  “But it seems more likely that he’s working for the queen,” Tanya said. “Now that the portal is closed and the queen can’t get through, she could be using Horrible as a way of getting back at us.”

  “But why the Lees’ house, then?” Rebecca asked. “Why would Horrible go there, and not our houses? Or the shop?”

  “That’s a good question.” Kawanna turned to the bookshelf behind her. “Let’s think about what we know about changelings. The Night Queen made him, but things went a little haywire when he tried to go back to her. What happens when a changeling can’t return to its maker?” She pulled out a few books.

  “I don’t remember reading anything about that,” Tanya said. “I don’t know if it’s ever happened before.”

  “But wait a minute.” Clio spoke hesitantly. “What if it’s not Horrible that’s haunting the Plunkett Mansion?” She heard the uncertainty in her voice and wished that Ethan was there to back her up.

  “Come on, Clio; it has to be!” Tanya said. “Spooky things happen at the Plunkett Mansion. We find Horrible there. That can’t just be a coincidence!”

  “But how would Horrible make a picture fly off the wall when he wasn’t even in the room?” Clio challenged. “Is he, like, telekinetic all of a sudden?”

  Tanya made a
frustrated gesture. “Well, that’s what I wanted to find out before you let him escape.”

  Clio sighed. “I didn’t let him escape. I had to go inside to check on Minna. And it’s a good thing I did, because she was having a bad dream. A dream about the Plunkett twins!”

  Maggie’s jaw dropped. “What?!”

  “In the dream, one of them was trying to pull her underwater.”

  Maggie leaned forward in her chair. “No way!” she whispered.

  Rebecca nodded grimly. “Clio told me last night before the Lees got home.” Tanya opened her mouth to say something, but Rebecca held up her hand. “Just hear her out, okay?”

  “Look, I know what you’re going to say,” Clio said, putting down her teacup. “Maybe the pictures in the house gave Minna ideas. Maybe she overheard someone telling the story somewhere. But I think something was trying to reach into her dreams, and it definitely wasn’t Horrible.”

  The others stared at her, unsure of what to say. Rebecca looked sympathetic, but Maggie seemed uncertain. Tanya’s skeptical expression could have been carved from stone. Kawanna just sipped her tea, patiently waiting for Clio to finish.

  “There is a ghost in that house,” Clio said firmly. “And I know how to prove it.”

  CHAPTER

  18

  THE NEXT NIGHT, the four girls stood on the dark porch outside the Plunkett Mansion again. Kawanna waved from the driveway and began backing the turquoise Scout down the narrow lane. “Text me when you’re ready to be picked up, and stay safe!” she called from the open car window.

  Clio waved and adjusted her gauzy blue scarf before ringing the bell.

  “Why are you ringing the bell?” Maggie asked. “I thought the Lees were out of town.”

  “They are,” Clio answered simply. She looked away, humming tunelessly, a small smile on her face.

  Maggie narrowed her eyes. “Wait a second. You only do that humming thing when you’re up to something. What’s going on?”

  A few moments later, Ethan opened the front door. “Hey, Clio. Right on time.”

  Clio grinned. “I told you we’d make it.”

  “Hold up,” Tanya said. “What’s he doing here?”

  “Dogsitting,” Ethan answered. Wesley stood next to him and looked up adoringly at the boy.

  “You sure are,” Clio said. “Wow!” Her voice glowed with admiration. “He doesn’t even look at his own family like that! You really do have a way with animals.”

  Ethan shrugged, his ears turning pink. “I tried to tell you.”

  Clio looked up to find Maggie watching the two of them, her eyes sparkling with interest.

  “Come on in,” Ethan said, opening the door wider. Clio introduced the girls to Ethan, and they followed him down the front hall and into the kitchen. “I already took Wesley out and gave him his dinner. We were just having some chill time together.”

  “You’re not staying here alone overnight, are you?” Maggie asked.

  Ethan shook his head. “No, I’ll catch a ride home with you guys later, and then come back in the morning to give him breakfast and a walk before school. He has a doggy door, so he can go out when I’m not here.”

  “Wow, that’s really cool of you to take such good care of the Lees’ dog,” Maggie said, looking pointedly over at Clio. Her rhinestone bangles jangled down her arm.

  Tanya sighed impatiently. “It’s his job, Mags.”

  “Well, still,” Maggie said, “lots of people wouldn’t be that nice if it were their job. Don’t you think so, Clio?”

  Ethan shoved his hands into the pockets of his dark jeans and looked at the floor. “I guess I just really like animals.”

  Maggie nudged Clio. “Clio likes animals, too.”

  Tanya looked around at the other faces in the room. “I’m sorry, am I the only one who wants to know what we’re doing here?”

  Ethan pulled his hands out of his pockets and scratched his nose. “Oh, I’m sorry. My bad. I thought Clio told you.”

  “Told us what?” Tanya asked.

  Clio reached into her pocket. “I hired him to check the house for ghosts.”

  Tanya threw her arms up in the air. “Seriously? Ugh. Why am I not surprised?” She turned to Clio. “You’re not really paying him for this, are you?” She turned back to Ethan. “No offense.”

  Clio pulled out a ten dollar bill and handed it to Ethan. “He gave me a discount ’cause I got him the dogsitting gig.”

  Ethan smiled at her and pocketed the money. “Anything for you, Clio.” Maggie looked ready to burst.

  “Listen, I know you guys think it’s only Horrible, but I know there’s something else in this house, and I told you I’d prove it,” Clio said. “Ethan’s a medium, so he’s the best person to help us figure out what’s going on with this ghost.” She hesitated. “Well, he’s kind of the only person.” She looked at Ethan. “No offense.”

  “Wouldn’t we be better off doing some more research than paying some charlatan to pretend to talk to ghosts?” Tanya asked. She turned to Ethan. “No offense.”

  “Just because something isn’t scientifically proven doesn’t mean it’s not real,” Clio countered.

  “Yeah,” Maggie said. “Let the man speak, Tanya.”

  Tanya put her hands on her hips. “Fine. Have you found any ‘ghosts’?” She held up her fingers to make air quotes around the word ghost.

  “I haven’t been able to talk to anything here yet, but I definitely feel some kind of presence,” Ethan said, “and so does Wesley.”

  “How do you know that?” Tanya challenged.

  Ethan shrugged. “He told me.”

  Tanya rolled her eyes. “Of course he did.” She turned to Rebecca. “Are you buying any of this?”

  Rebecca chewed on her thumbnail, thinking. “All I know is I was here when the picture flew off the wall, and I was here when Minna had a nightmare about the Plunkett twins,” she said finally.

  “Yeah, but did you actually see the picture fly off the wall?” Tanya asked.

  “Well, no. I was in the closet with Minna,” Rebecca mumbled.

  “Exactly,” Tanya said.

  “Well, I saw it, and I’m the one who hired Ethan, so the least you can do is let me get my money’s worth.”

  “Luckily that isn’t much,” Tanya mumbled under her breath. Everyone looked at her. “No offense,” she said to Ethan.

  Clio turned to Ethan and shook her head. “Sorry about her.”

  Ethan gave a tight smile. “It’s okay. I’ve heard it all before. It kind of goes with the territory. Believe me, I’ve heard worse.”

  A guilty expression passed across Tanya’s face, and her voice grew kinder. “I’m sorry; that was mean. Look, I may not believe in ghosts, but that doesn’t give me the right to make fun of you.” She held out her hand. “From now on, I promise to keep an open mind. Friends?”

  Ethan grinned crookedly and shook her hand. “Friends.”

  “Now that we got that over with,” Maggie said, “can we please hear about the spooky things Ethan’s found out? I’m dying to know!”

  “Yeah, come on,” Rebecca said. “You’ve kept us in suspense long enough!”

  “Well, I’m no expert,” Ethan said. Tanya opened her mouth and quickly closed it again. “But there are plenty of reasons to believe there could be a ghost here.”

  “We found your great-grandma’s card behind one of the portraits on the wall,” Rebecca said. “Did she come here looking for ghosts, too?”

  “She did.” Ethan walked into the TV room and came back with a small wooden chest. “These are Great-Grandma Moina’s files.” He opened the chest, and a flood of yellowed papers and news clippings spilled out. “Sorry, I’m not great at being organized.”

  “Neither am I,” Maggie said with a grin. The girls knelt on the floor next to Ethan and helped him clean up the mess.

  Maggie picked up a newspaper clipping, the paper brittle with age. “Hey! Look at this!” She read the headline aloud: “World
-Famous Spiritualist Holds Séance for Prominent Local Spinster.” Her green eyes were wide as she looked at Ethan and handed him the clipping.

  Clio studied the article’s photo. “Hey, that’s the same picture you showed me at Creature Features! That was taken here?”

  Ethan nodded. “When Harriet grew up, she invited my great-grandma to come here for a reading. See, when her sister, Eudora, died, their parents totally couldn’t handle it. After the funeral, they thought the best thing to do was just pretend Eudora never existed. They put away all the pictures of her. If anyone brought up her name, her parents would just change the subject.”

  “That’s terrible!” Rebecca said. “I would have lost it if my parents had done that when my Nai Nai died. I still sleep with the blanket she made me.”

  Ethan looked down, tracing the edges of the news clipping. “At the time, the parents thought they were doing the right thing. They figured it would make it easier for the family to move on to happier times.” He stacked the clipping on top of a pile of papers. “She didn’t speak about it while her parents were alive, but Harriet never got over her sister’s death. She even refused to marry so that she would never have to leave her childhood home. Back in 1905, a guy asked Harriet to marry him. She said no, and when he asked her why, she said, ‘Sisters can never be parted.’”

  Maggie shuddered. “Whoa, that’s kind of a creepy thing to say.” Then she thought for a moment. “Wait, how do you know she said that?”

  Ethan put the papers back into the chest and closed the lid. “Because the guy who asked Harriet to marry him was Owen Stalcup.”

  “Stalcup?” Clio asked. “So you mean—”

  “Yup. Later that year he met and married Sally Lawrence, and my great-great-grandma Moina was their first child, born in 1906.”

  “And Harriet never dated anyone else? She just stayed here with her parents and her brother?” Maggie asked.

  Ethan nodded. “After her younger brother was killed in World War I, she was their only remaining child. And as soon as Harriet’s parents died, Harriet pulled everything left of Eudora out of the attic and hired my great-grandma to hold a séance to try to communicate with her.”