Andrew, what are you doing out of bed? You're ill, you need to rest."
I crouched beside the ring, speechless with surprise, but Andrew jumped to his feet. "Hannah," he cried, "Hannah."
Although he was right in front of her, Hannah didn't see her brother. She walked through him as if he didn't even exist.
"I've been lying awake worrying about you," she said to me. "When I heard noises, I thought you and Theo were up here. But you're all alone."
Andrew clung to his sister. "He's not alone, I'm with him. Look at me, Hannah, please look at me."
Unaware of anything but the cold, Hannah shivered. "Lord," she whispered, "I'm freezing. You'll catch your death in this draft, Andrew."
When I neither spoke nor moved, Hannah dropped to her knees and gazed into my eyes. "You're in a trance," she whispered. "For heaven's sake, wake up."
Finding my voice at last, I said, "Can't you see him?"
"See who?" Pale with fright, Hannah stared at me.
I pointed at Andrew. "He's standing right in front of you!"
"Have you taken leave of your senses?" Hannah grabbed my shoulders and shook me. "There's no one in this attic but you and me."
Andrew was crying now, hanging on to his sister, begging her to see him. But Hannah was too scared by my behavior to see or hear anything but me. Deaf to Andrew's sobs, she pulled me to my feet. "You must go back to bed."
"No," I shouted. "Not yet! I have to finish this game." I couldn't leave Andrew, not now, not when I was finally winning.
Hannah released me so suddenly I staggered backward. "I'll fetch Papa!" she cried.
Andrew threw himself at her. "Hannah, stop, you're ruining everything!"
I grabbed his arm. "Let her go. We don't have much time!
I crouched beside the ring, speechless with surprise, but Andrew jumped to his feet. "Hannah," he cried, "Hannah."
Although he was right in front of her, Hannah didn't see her brother. She walked through him as if he didn't even exist.
"I've been lying awake worrying about you," she said to me. "When I heard noises, I thought you and Theo were up here. But you're all alone."
Andrew clung to his sister. "He's not alone, I'm with him. Look at me, Hannah, please look at me."
Unaware of anything but the cold, Hannah shivered. "Lord," she whispered, "I'm freezing. You'll catch your death in this draft, Andrew."
When I neither spoke nor moved, Hannah dropped to her knees and gazed into my eyes. "You're in a trance," she whispered. "For heaven's sake, wake up."
Finding my voice at last, I said, "Can't you see him?"
"See who?" Pale with fright, Hannah stared at me.
I pointed at Andrew. "He's standing right in front of you!"
"Have you taken leave of your senses?" Hannah grabbed my shoulders and shook me. "There's no one in this attic but you and me."
Andrew was crying now, hanging on to his sister, begging her to see him. But Hannah was too scared by my behavior to see or hear anything but me. Deaf to Andrew's sobs, she pulled me to my feet. "You must go back to bed."
"No," I shouted. "Not yet! I have to finish this game." I couldn't leave Andrew, not now, not when I was finally winning.
Hannah released me so suddenly I staggered backward. "I'll fetch Papa!" she cried.
Andrew threw himself at her. "Hannah, stop, you're ruining everything!"
I grabbed his arm. "Let her go. We don't have much time!
( Mary Downing Hahn )
[ Time for Andrew: A Ghost Story ]
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