Heidi Sees - Series 1 - Chapter 9
My name is Heidi Crolley, and I can see ghosts. I can explain, mostly.
9
By myself in the garage, which was both cooler, since it was getting on toward midnight, and stuffier, because the overhead door had been closed, I flipped on the light and pulled one of the folding chairs close to the stuff I had brought from Mom's house. Nicky Junior and Lucas had been tucked into bed an hour before, and Nicole and Kevin and I had chatted over small, reheated servings of the lasagna Mom had insisted Nicole take. Since I was staying at her house, I allowed her to share it with her husband. But only after making her promise to find out who Marta was and learn the woman's secrets.
I sat on the metal chair and considered the stack of books and papers and the hastily—and reluctantly—reconstituted deck of Tarot cards, then the small pile of clothes, including the T-Rex t-shirt Nicky Junior had—also reluctantly, and only after being reassured it was just for the night—let me have back.
I wasn't sure how to know if any particular thing was haunted. By Dad or, really, anyone else. If it's not immediately obvious, how would I tell?
I mean, I'm not even sure why I can see ghosts in the first place. Was the answer in one of the books? Or lost in one of Dad's missing notebooks?
Mom had always insisted I just wanted to "feel special," that that was why I said I could see ghosts. I wasn't pretty, she would say, and even if I was above average smart, it's not like I was some genius or whatever. I mean, would a genius deliberately cut herself—?
I stopped that line of thinking. I ran my hands gently over the sleeves of my shirt, then hugged myself, suddenly cold in spite of the humid heat.
All I could think of was to pick up each book and paper and t-shirt and ... see what happened. So that's what I did. With each new item, I said, "Dad?" Each time, I said it softer and softer, until I was speaking in a hoarse whisper at the end. "Dad? Where are you?"
He never appeared.
I leaned forward in the chair, resting my elbows on my knees, my head hanging. I sighed. He had to be here. Why didn't he appear?
Back at Mom's house, he had seemed to be getting angry with me, all but accusing me of breaking a promise. What could I have possibly promised him that I had forgotten or not followed through on?
And how could he look straight at me and not see me?
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