PROLOGUE

 

 

It was an unusually rainy and bone chilling November Friday night in Leesville, Louisiana. The state was known for cool evenings in November, but this night was an aberration of dreadfully miserable weather.  

    The Leesville Wampus Cats Junior Varsity football team was playing their fourth game of the season against the school’s cross-town rival DeRidder Dragons.  The varsity game was to follow later that evening. Since both varsity teams were competing for a spot in the state playoffs and crowds had arrived early, there was a large turnout for this JV game.

    The Wampus Cats JV trailed 21-16, with just thirty seconds remaining in the game.  The Cats had just recovered a fumble as the Dragons quarterback dropped the snap while in victory formation and a Wampus Cats’ defensive lineman pounced on it.  It gave the Cats’ offensive possession of the ball on the Dragons’ 21-yard line. 

    Varsity players, coaches, cheerleaders, and 1,500 spectators cheered from the stands.   All in attendance were hoping the JV offense could push across a touchdown to win the game and secure a winning record.  However, after a running play resulted only in a short gain, followed by two incomplete passes, it was fourth down and there were only six seconds left on the clock with no timeouts remaining.   There was time for only one more play.  JV quarterback Derek Winstrom quickly led the offense to the line of scrimmage.

     Eddie Shavers, a sixteen-year-old, African American junior varsity tight end, lined up in the slot.  Winstrom barked out the play which was designed to be a pass intended for  Eddie, to the right corner of the end zone.  The offense had run the play during JV practices and was confident they could execute it and score the winning touchdown.  Eddie’s only concern was possibly slipping on the rain-soaked turf and botching the play.  

    When the center snapped the ball, Eddie charged off the line of scrimmage and raced toward the middle of the field.   A defensive back and both safeties were triple covering the Wampus Cats star JV wide receiver on the left side of the field.  That left Eddie one-on-one with the lone defensive back.  

    As Eddie moved towards the defender, he executed a swift cut in the direction of the right end zone.  The defensive back reacted but quickly slipped in a puddle of water as Eddie bolted past him.  The defender’s slip allowed Eddie to sprint towards the end zone corner, unabated.   As Eddie turned about near the end zone, he caught sight of the perfectly thrown spiral coming his way.  The crowd yelled with anticipation as they saw the ball soaring towards Eddie’s direction.

    But then suddenly, something inexplicable happened.  As the football approached him, something incredibly strange happened. Eddie noticed a ball had a streak of white light surrounding it. Recognizing the importance, he stayed focused and prepared to catch it.   The crowd thought it was merely a streak of light crossing the football's path and were not alarmed by it.  As he leaped and extended his hands to catch the ball at its apex, the ball contacted his palms and Eddie squeezed it.  Instantaneously, he felt a shock sensation, like he’d touched a live socket.  His hands involuntarily contracted and fell to his sides.   The ball fell to the ground as an incomplete pass as Eddie dove towards the ball but fell headfirst onto the field, plopping down like a jumbo plane making a hard landing on a runway.  An instant hush fell over the stunned crowd.

    Eddie couldn’t believe what had just happened. A Wampus Cats receiver named Rony Pitre approached him, Eddie stood in the corner of the end zone, seemingly frozen and staring befuddled.  He tried to explain to Rony what had just happened with the ball strangely being electrically charged. But Pitre stared at him, shaking his head in disbelief that Eddie would use such an unbelievable excuse for his mishap. 

    Pitre scoffed and said, “Damn, Shavers!  How’d you drop a perfectly thrown pass like that?”

    Eddie was speechless momentarily but then replied to Pitre, “The fricking ball shocked me.”

    Pitre chuckled and scoffed simultaneously, replying, “C’mon Shavers! You can make a better excuse than that.  You just choked, bro!”  Pitre then kicked the ground with both of his football cleats in frustration and then jogged away toward the sidelines.  The other members of the offensive team followed suit, tossing their helmets to the ground and picking them up, but not wanting to approach Eddie and voice their frustration to exacerbate Eddie’s disappointment. He was generally liked by most of the JV teammates, despite his occasional arrogance.

    Eddie then jogged alone slowly across the frigid, rain-soaked field to the Cats’ sideline, greeted by the boos and heckling of dejected spectators.  He had just dropped his third pass of the game after being inserted into the lineup in the third quarter as a tight end following the starting tight end’s game ending injury. The third drop was not like the other two.  This drop cost the Wampus Cat’s a come from behind victory.

    Waiting for him on the sidelines was the far end of a cold, wet, metal bench. As he reached the bench, his water-soaked bottom contacted the icy cold surface, which sent a chill from his butt to his feet. At that moment, he winced as his toes felt numb inside his cleats.  He then reached for his helmet to pull mounds of wet Bermuda grass from his facepiece.  He had never felt more discouraged in his entire life.

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CHAPTER 1

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During the previous August, Eddie had worked extremely hard to make the junior varsity team, though he lacked the talent and coordination of other kids his age. Lacking any previous football experience, the lanky, dark-skinned, and athletically built Eddie stood out amongst his peers. At six feet, two inches, he was built for speed and agility, with long limbs, quick feet and a wiry frame that hinted at explosive power. Most of his teammates said he reminded them of Heisman Trophy winner Devonte Smith. He benefitted from an early-life growth spurt, being the tallest of the kids trying out to be pass catchers. 

    Eddie was thought to be a very handsome young man and often caught the eyes of the girls around the high school campus.  Unlike many African American male teens who’d come to sport dreadlocks, Eddie maintained his short throwback Afro neatly groomed. His cheekbones were high and defined, giving his face a natural sculpted, angular look, which was especially noticeable when he tightened his cheeks. Of full West African ancestry, Eddie’s lips were full and expressive, with a slight curve that hinted at a quick smile or serious look depending on his mood.  His eyes were deep-set and almond-shaped, mahogany brown with a piercing clarity, often reflecting his sense of extreme determination. 

    The compassionate junior varsity head coach Hank Beaumont, who was also the varsity receivers coach, had decided not to cut any of the kids that tried out for the junior varsity team, especially since they had worked so hard to prove themselves. Eddie had been impressive enough in tryouts to earn a spot on the JV roster. 

     During the three previous JV games, Eddie had increasingly gotten more playing time week to week and had shown an incredible knack for catching passes in traffic, though he hadn’t scored a touchdown. 

    This terrible event in Eddie’s life had started earlier that week when Coach Beaumont stopped Eddie in the school hallway while Eddie was on his way to sixth period. Coach Beaumont told Eddie the junior varsity starting tight end was struggling with repeat injuries. He could expect significant playing time, particularly against the cross-town rival Deridder High School. Other than Eddie, no other junior varsity players had taken any snaps all season at the tight end position. 

    Eddie wiggled around gingerly on the bench, having received a strawberry bruise on his right hip from the dive in the end zone.  Offensive teammates made their way to the sidelines, wet, tired, and frustrated. However, a few reserve players approached and offered words of consolation, accompanied by supportive gestures on his shoulder pads.  Eddie surmised it was a gesture to camouflage their loss for words.

    As they walked away, murmuring their frustration, Eddie glanced up at the scoreboard clock and noticed the 

final seconds ticking away.  The Dragons quarterback brought his team to the line of scrimmage for another victory formation, but this time there would be no miracle fumble as he was extra careful handling the snap. 

    He would have a brief time to compose himself before heading home. He didn’t want his feeble Grandma Nellie to see him arrive home in his current state of mind. 

    But as the rainfall poured endlessly, Eddie overheard the final buzzer, signaling the DeRidder Dragons JV team victory over the Wampus Cats JV. 

    For the next few minutes, Eddie became so deep in thought that he didn’t hear other players voicing the school fight song as they garnered encouragement from the band while they started trudging their way towards the locker room. As most of the players sauntered down toward the west end zone sideline, Eddie stood up and stuck out like a sore thumb. He overheard a mumble Loser directed at him by a couple of overzealous, angry hecklers. So, he sat back down onto the cold bench, pulled the football overcoat over his head, and decided to wait until most of the fans in the nearby bleacher section departed. 

   But then, Karla Dunlap, Eddie’s on and off girlfriend and lead cheerleader for the varsity team, and Roy Jones one of 

Eddie’s close friends, made their way from the stands and onto the field where they walked up to him.  Roy Jones, a  two-sport star for Leesville High as a varsity running back and track 400-meter sprinter, possessed the fastest 100-meter time in the district. Thus, he went by the nickname Fast and was commonly referred to by his teammates, coaches, and other close friends as Fast Jones.

    “Cheer up, bro!” Roy Jones urged, as he patted the dejected friend on the shoulders.  “It ain’t the end of the world. Besides, you know what’s coming up tomorrow night that will surely help put this behind you.”

    Thoughtless and frustrated, Eddie scoffed and asked, “What are you talking about, Bro?”

    Karla and Roy stared at each other and chuckled, in disbelief that Eddie had forgotten something he’d gone through so much effort to plan.  

    Roy replied with surprise, “I really can’t believe you’ve forgotten already!  Aren’t you still having your 16th birthday bash at your crib tomorrow night?” 

    Eddie's sorrow lingered as he instantly recalled the planned event, but at that moment, was feeling in no mood to meet the commitment he’d made to his friends and close teammates. “I don’t know,” Eddie replied, somberly.  “That’s the last thing I’m thinking about right now.  I just cost us a win.”

    Roy retorted, “C’mon, bro! You can’t renege on something this big.  Shake this stuff off.  We all have a bad game every now and then. ”

    Eddie quietly shook his head in acknowledgement.

    Karla then moved close to Eddie on his other side and grabbed Eddie by his chin.  She stared into his eyes with raised intimidating eyebrows and uttered strongly, “Don’t you even think about canceling out on us after I went and changed my plans.” 

    He could never say no to Karla.  “Okay, six o’clock tomorrow night, it is,” he replied, relenting. 

 

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CHAPTER 2

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On Saturday, Eddie managed to compartmentalize his sour feelings from the game and prepared for the party.  He spent the afternoon setting up his sound system and speakers for the Karaoke part of the night’s festivities, while Nellie put up Happy Birthday signage and decorations.  

    At around five-thirty that afternoon, high school friends began arriving at the mansion bearing birthday gifts and 

desserts for the party. Among the first to arrive were Roy and Jimmy Oliphant, the varsity All-Conference left tackle, and a projected four-star college football recruit.  Jimmy was a previous Pop Warner football star, who’d become a high school chipper and had gotten a starting varsity lineman position as a freshman.  He was one of those prodigy players who’d already been receiving college scholarship offers as early as middle school.

    The mansion was impressive to high school students from a small Southern town like Leesville.  Eddie was the only student in the county, whose parents were affluent enough to live in a mansion.  The Shavers mansion had been passed down through generations after it was purchased by Eddie’s great grandfather in 1960 who immediately renovated it to his liking. Before the renovation, the mansion remained unchanged for a century, except for the addition of the botanical gardens by Eddie’s parents.   

    None of the previous owners had dared to add a portico to make it grand or tear down a wing to make it cozy. Furthermore, there had been only one previous deed to the property which had been in the parish records since the early 1800s.  The estate was first built and utilized as a plantation and slave work grounds and was thought to hold dark secrets from the many deaths of slaves connected to the property.  Yet, due to its grandeur from the renovation which extended the size of the downstairs area, it became the perfect place for a house party of up to thirty youth desiring a more casual setting than a hotel ballroom.

    Eddie had invited only six females to his party.  With over twenty males expected, it was a less than desirable ratio for a house party. But Eddie was not much of a high school socialist and didn't know many females very well besides Karla Dunlap, his on and off girlfriend.   It meant that the guys would be clamoring for position with the limited females.  He feared it would be a turn off and lead them to possibly get annoyed and want to leave early.  So, thinking quickly, he decided to have the gathering assembled in the expansive living room.  There, they would listen to music and sing Karaoke songs, thus distracting the older guys from spending the evening chasing the few women there.  

    Eddie wasted no time in completing the setup, plugging in his two Bluetooth speakers, two wireless microphones, and setting up his projector to display the lyrics on a side wall.  He then logged onto the Karafun app on his laptop to set it up for Karaoke.  Jimmy led things off by jamming a Kendrick Lamar rap hit. Then Eddie and Roy followed suit by cueing and singing a 90s rap and a 70’s throwback disco tune, respectively.  It was enough to break the ice, and several students quickly walked up to the laptop and queued their karaoke songs on the app, with a couple of hip-hop line dance numbers mixed in, signifying the house party was in full swing.  

    Eddie didn’t want the gathering to get out of hand too quickly. He cautioned Jimmy not to blast the speaker volume too loud, as the mansion wasn’t far away from any other homes in the rural neighborhood.  He also worried about Nellie’s reaction if she happened to show back up unexpectedly. She was agreeable to Eddie inviting guests to the house; however, she would not tolerate any event that became unruly or disruptive.  

 

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CHAPTER 3      

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    He was extremely close to his grandmother Nellie, even more than his mother Lilly before she died.  Nellie, the nickname for her birth name Eleanor, was a strong Cajun woman of French ancestry, shaped by quiet resilience. 

    Born in the southwest corner of Louisiana  in Calcasieu Parish, her presence carried the layered history of South Louisiana in every detail.

    Her skin, a rich, warm brown, bore the lines of seventy years under the sun. Fine creases gathered at the corners of her eyes. Her hair, once thick and black, now rests in a crown of silver-gray, worn either in soft curls or neatly pulled back. There was a quiet pride in how she carried herself, her posture always dignified.  Her voice was unmistakable-a gentle Cajun cadence woven with traces of French ancestry.  When she spoke, there was always a sense of warmth.

    Since she split most of her time between cooking and gardening, she favored practical clothing.  She often donned  an apron tied around her waist if she was in the kitchen while stirring a pot of gumbo and well-worn clothing when she was in the garden. 

    She took pride in her cooking.  There was often a faint scent about her-something comforting and familiar; spices simmered low and slow, a hint of cayenne, onion, and bay leaves lingering in the fabric of her clothes.  

    More than anything, it was her presence that defined her.  She carried history-not just her own, but that of her people.  A blend of African heritage and Cajun roots lived in her expression, her cooking, her speech, and her strength.  When she looked at you, it felt like she saw more than what was in front of her-she saw where you came from and maybe even where you were going.  

    Nellie’s pride and joy was her vegetable garden.  It was her affinity for horticulture that convinced John to allow her to cultivate her own personal garden at the east end of the estate.  The makeshift garden was filled with an array of cruciferous vegetables, namely cabbage, turnips, collard greens, and rutabagas. Nellie was akin to large Sunday afternoon gatherings at the mansion that John would often host.  After church, she enjoyed wandering off from the socializing to gather ripe vegetables from her garden to cook for Sunday dinner.   From spring to fall, she wisely avoided going out alone, worried about encountering a snake in the garden.     

     Eddie was happy to accompany her, remembering the story of a former school classmate’s grandmother who’d collapsed and died after being bitten by a poisonous snake that she ran upon while working alone in her garden.  He consistently followed her rules.   She was now the matriarch of the mansion, and he knew he would always regret letting her down—whether through his own actions or those of his friends and guests, especially within their home. 

 

 

CHAPTER  4    

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While Eddie continued greeting guests at the party, he overheard the doorbell ring in the background.   He eased past the boisterous dancers over to the door and nervously peeked through the curtain near the door.  He hoped there weren’t any policeman outside who became alerted to the possibility of underaged drinking. But then his nervousness was relieved when he noticed through the window that it was Karla standing outside the door. 

    As he opened it, she said, “I bet you thought I wouldn’t make it.”

   Eddie grinned sheepishly and was wordless with delight. 

    Karla quickly commented, “Boy, I could hear all this commotion halfway down the driveway. Y’all gonna scare off the wildlife.”  

    They stood there staring at each other, momentarily before she asked, “Well, aren’t you gonna invite me in?”

    He shook his head vigorously, “Yeah, yeah, come on in.”

    Both could tell that their feelings for one another were still strong. It was a relaxing relief of tension for both.

    “Thanks for coming,” he said.  “I thought maybe you wouldn’t show after how I acted after the game.”

    “Have more faith, dude!” she responded as she tugged his shirt collar then slithered past him to the inside. 

     Eddie was instantly mesmerized by Karla’s teasing as well as her appearance. The attractive sixteen-year-old African American teenager was wearing a fashionable white camisole and a denim skirt that reached her knees.  Around her neck was a thin black choker, complimenting the three African beaded bracelets on her right wrist.  Attached to her ears were large gold hoop earrings which seemed to accentuate her vibrant smile and glowing medium-brown complexion. Her nails were manicured but not excessively long. Her glossy black hair, normally in braids during the school day, was relaxed and neatly cropped to the top of her shoulders.  For a teenage girl, she resembled a young model straight out of a fashion magazine.

    Karla’s dreamy brown eyes had first caught Eddie’s attention when he noticed her from across the lunchroom at school as she sat with her friends. To him, she was one of the most attractive and vivacious girls in the school. She stood 5’6” with a slim and graceful frame.  She closely resembled her mother, who was a tall, leggy ballerina dancer with a touring group in her early life.  Karla’s skin was rich, glowing brown, smooth and warm under the light. Her cheekbones were softly rounded, yet defined, framing her face with elegance.  Her lips were full, naturally plush, and often glossed or bare, carrying the ease of someone growing into her beauty.

    School observers assumed Eddie and Karla were siblings because their faces resembled each other so closely.  Then, as 

students learned they were dating, they seemed to be a perfect match. But Eddie’s continual arrogance and lack of consideration for her feelings hindered the growth of the relationship and set Karla’s feelings back.  She saw him struggling between trying to be a nice guy around her while portraying himself as the typical macho jock around his friends, being less considerate when they were in his friend’s company. 

    As he shut the door behind her, she glared around his shoulder towards the crowd as they were vocalizing in group the melody to Neil Diamond’s ‘Sweet Caroline’.  There was an ebullient energy emanating throughout the room as they all yelled out ‘so good, so good, so good’.

    She handed Eddie her shawl, which he quickly hung on a nearby coat rack.  Then, gazing curiously, she remarked, “Well, I’m impressed, Eddie Shavers!  I must say, you know how to throw a party . . . and to think you almost cancelled it.”

    “It would’ve been a mistake I guess,” he replied, modestly.

    Moments later, after blowing out the candles on his cake and enduring a rousing birthday song, the guests began coupling up to a slow dance tune as Eddie asked Roy to take over DJ duties.   

    With everyone distracted and totally reverting to a romantic mood, Eddie decided to steal a little alone time with Karla to reconnect with her after a tumultuous summer with their relationship.  

    “How about I show you around the grounds?” he suggested. “You haven’t been here since Grandma put in her garden.”  He knew Karla had an affinity to horticulture, being that she was in the 4-H club. 

    She shrugged carelessly, then replied, “Sure, why not.”  

    Since the outside weather was turning cool and breezy, he grabbed her shawl from the coat rack and walked out with her. None of his guests noticed their absence; the guys were too focused on using the slow tune to make a move on the girls.

    Once outside, he grabbed hold of her right hand as they quickly made their way around the north side of the main house to the estate grounds, which stretched wide and languid. A long, winding driveway of crushed oyster shells and red clay gravel curved through ancient trees, their branches arching overhead to form a natural, cathedral-like canopy.  
    Beyond the main house, the exterior was magnificently arranged.  The shaded garden was surrounded by iron sitting benches and bubbling stone fountains, their surfaces softened by moss.  Nearby was a reflecting pond.  It’s smooth surface water was disturbed only by the occasional ripple of a lazy dragonfly or the slow paddle of a turtle.  A weathered carriage house and an old stable were set discreetly in the distance, their charm as faded and enduring as the mansion itself.  Near the back of the estate, rows of pecan trees stretched toward the horizon, their trunks thick and gnarled, their harvest dropping into the tall, fragrant grass.  Gravel footpaths weaved through the property. The air smelled of damp earth, honeysuckles and the faint salt of a river lay on the other side of a tree line, beyond sight.  It was a perfect setting for a romantic encounter.

    As they strolled along,  Karla couldn’t help but marvel at the surroundings.  Meanwhile, Eddie sensed they were at an unspoken agreement to put their past differences aside.  But as he attempted to put his arm around her, she withdrew from his gesture, choosing to remain vigilant in her coyness.  She wasn’t about to consider passion without an apology for his rude behavior towards her after the DeRidder game. 
   As they reached a shadowy, isolated area, Eddie, undaunted, attempted to kiss her.  But again, she pulled away, uttering poignantly, “I don’t think you understand.  I’m not ready for this Eddie.  You can’t just wish away your past mistakes with me.” It would take more than a romantic walk for her to totally forgive him.  She insisted on keeping the conversation platonic and avoid any intimate contact.  Eddie finally acknowledged the signs, and like a gentleman, decided not to push the issue further. But he’d still missed her cues for an apology.  

    Over the next few minutes, the house party inside became louder and more rambunctious. Becoming thirsty from the windy conditions, Karla mentioned she needed a drink, so they quickly walked back around and reentered the mansion. They made their way through the wild dancing and into the kitchen, where they picked up some bottled water.  

    Eddie asked, “Would you like me to show you around the house?”

    Karla, suspicious that he was trying to get her to a secluded bedroom, quickly replied, “No.  Let’s just resume our walk outside.” She wanted to be with him but not to the point of being in a secluded area. He agreed, and they quietly left through the front door to resume their walk around the estate.

    Trying to exhibit charm, Eddie then politely asked Karla, “Are you sure you don’t mind missing all the partying going on in there?”

    She scoffed and replied, “I came to visit you for your birthday, not partake in all that wild carrying on.  Besides, it’s getting too hot in there with all that dancing.”

    Her reply surprised and confused him, but he brushed off his curiosity to keep her engaged with him.

    They proceeded back around the side of the mansion to the area of Nellie’s botanical garden. By then, the cloudless sky was giving way to a tranquil burnt orange sunset.  As they walked, they shared conversations about all the good times, remembering being together between classes and during lunchtimes. 

    She decided to divert his attention by commenting on the splendor of the large Colonial style home’s exterior design. "This estate is really impressive!" she said.  But then she tempered the comment by adding, “But it’s so large and grandiose, that I think it can be a little spooky at times.”

    Eddie retorted, “Well, after you’ve lived here a while, it doesn’t seem so intimidating.” 

  “It’s still creepy to me!” she reiterated, pulling in her shawl closer to her body.

    Slightly annoyed, he responded, “C’mon, Karla. It’s not like you’d ever see a ghost around here. It’s just an old estate home.”

    She glared around at the high bushes near the back fence. Wind was stirring up dust, bringing about a different sense to her.  “Yeah, just the same, it gives me the creeps back here,” she commented. “I don’t mind you showing me around back here, but I don’t think I’ll be hanging out here very much.”

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CHAPTER  5    

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    As they continued their walk, Karla suddenly stopped, as she overheard a static sounding noise above the mansion’s attic window. “Did you hear that noise?” she asked Eddie.  “I heard something coming from that attic.”  

    He looked up toward the attic window, listened intently, then responded,  “No, I don’t hear anything.” 

    The upper floor of the estate was configured in an L-shape, with the attic situated above the distant end, making it more readily observable and audible from that portion of the grounds. 

    Karla’s low pitch hearing was far superior to that of Eddie’s.  Eddie, who was genetically deaf in one ear, had suffered an  inner ear infection as an infant, which damaged his overall hearing, particularly with noises coming from long distances. Contrastly, Karla had always enjoyed extraordinary hearing, better than teenagers her age. 

    She began to slow and cautiously walk in the direction of the noise, glaring upward towards the attic as she approached it.  Eddie was convinced but followed closely  behind her.   

    Then, she was within a few feet of the side wall below the attic, she stopped and flinched with fright. “I just heard it again. I’m sure it was a static sound.”  She then saw a flickering light in the window and heard trampling feet.  She stammered to Eddie, “I-I think somebody’s up there. Somebody’s walking around up there.”

    Again, Eddie didn’t hear anything. So, he moved up next to her and stared up at the attic.  Then, he responded, “There’s nobody up in the attic.” Then, he thought momentarily and replied, “Well, unless some of the guys went up there to mess around.”

    Exasperated by his disbelief, she grunted, “I don’t know Eddie, but there’s something very spooky going on in that that attic.”  

    Eddie sighed heavily, wondering if this was just a ploy of hers to get back into the house and away from his advances.  He then moaned and said, “Okay, let’s go back inside and I’ll go upstairs and check it out.”

   As they reached the front door, Eddie paused in thought, then asked Karla. “Are you sure this isn’t just your imagination? Do you think maybe because you already don’t like it here, you’re just hearing things?”

    Instantly annoyed, Karla replied, folding her arms and barked loudly, “Are you serious right now, Shavers? You think I’m making this up?”     

    As he motioned to open the door, he felt the need to quickly calm her, so she wouldn’t consider leaving. He sighed heavily and added, “Okay. Let’s wait a little while until people start leaving and the house thins out. Then, you and I can wander up there and see if anything strange is going on.”

    She nodded in agreement, not wanting to be a party spoiler.  

 

    As they were about to enter the front door, Karla remembered something and grabbed Eddie’s arm.  “Wait, don’t go in yet.  I’ve got something to tell you.”  She pulled him aside away from the entrance.

    “What’s going on?” he asked.

    She asked, “Look, do you remember when I was here earlier this summer, but you weren’t at home?”

    He cupped his chin and thought for a moment, then replied, “You mean, the night of the summer barbeque party? Yes.”

    She continued, “Before I left, I overheard the same noise as tonight from that attic. Right while I was looking, the window turned from gray to black, and I saw something glowing inside.” 

    Eddie’s mouth gaped open with surprise.  “Why didn’t you mention this to me before now?” he asked her.

    She explained, “I didn’t think much of it at the time, but now this strange noise is happening again, this seems like it’s more than just a coincidence.” 

    Eddie shrugged and chuckled, “Karla, I think you’ve been watching too many horror movies. You can’t expect me to believe that there’s a ghost in my attic.” He was sure she was making excuses to leave early and avoid his romantic advances.  

    But his condescending tone annoyed her, so she rattled off,  “Look, Shavers, I’m bouncing out of here if you think I’m lying about all this.”

    In a panic, he grabbed her hand and retorted, “N-no, no! I didn’t mean it like that.” 

    She went on, with insistence, “I’m telling you. There’s something or someone moving around up there, switching a light on and off.  It happened another time when I stopped by the first day after band camp started.  My cell phone was out of juice, so I came by to invite you to come hang out with me at Fatboy and Skinny’s. I knocked on the door several times but neither you nor your grandmother answered, so I just left.  Hearing those noises frightened me, so I decided not to stick around.”  

    Eddie explained, “We were probably out behind the house working in grandma’s garden.  I wish you’d thought about coming around the back.”

    Karla scoffed and replied, “Are you serious?  After hearing those noises and walking around the back.  “There’s no way that’s gonna happen.”

    Eddie nodded in understanding then shifted commenting, “Just the same, I wish you had told me before about these strange occurrences. I had no idea anything about this place was bothering you.”

    She shrugged and replied, “I don’t know.  I just forgot about it.  I got so busy with cheerleading camp, it became the furthest thing from my mind . . . until today.”

    Eddie garnered a smirk and asked, “So, are you telling me you think my home is haunted?  Nothing’s strange happened while Jimmy and Roy were here several times this summer.”

    She shrugged her shoulders again and said, “Maybe something up there is just trying to spook me.  Look. I don’t know what’s going on, but I know what I heard and saw.  Maybe something or somebody’s up there playing a prank. Do you have a girlfriend or somebody that’s trying to scare me off from visiting you?”

    Eddie chuckled and replied, “That’s nonsense, Karla. You’re my girl.  I wouldn’t be cheating on you.” Still disbelieving, he added, “Whatever’s going on in your head, we’re gonna resolve it right after this party. Just don’t leave and give me a chance to look around.”

    Karla broke a subtle smile but was still angry and annoyed at him for doubting her.

    “Let’s just go inside and party a bit before it’s all over,” he insisted. “It’ll get your mind off it.”

    Eddie reached to touch her hand, but she jerked away angrily, then proceeded into the mansion ahead of him.  

    As they eased their way in, they were greeted by dancing, and the loud booming sound form the built-in wall speakers. 

    Eddie quickly broke away from her to make his way around his guests to socialize.  Karla decided to bypass the rambunctious dancing and partying crowd as she was unfazed by his sudden lack of attention to her. At that moment, she had something else on her mind.  She remembered that she’d never seen any other room on the estate except the living room when she visited him.  
    When she’d come by, she’d mostly stay at the door waiting on his departure with her on a date.  So, she decided to take advantage of Eddie’s sudden lack of attention to curiously snoop around.  She decided to proceed on her own self-guided tour of the rest of the main floor, wanting to discover if there was anything else about the house that seemed haunted.  She felt unafraid downstairs since there were so many other kids roaming throughout the area.   

    Without Eddie or anyone else noticing, she slipped past the crowd and walked into the sitting room, which was referred to in earlier days as a conversation room. She was instantly captivated by the grandeur of the room. Post-and-beam pragmatism became a decorative statement in this room.  It had a glowing hearth, wax tapers, and gleaming table settings that Eddie’s grandmother had bought during a sea cruise. The armchairs, upholstered in leather and backed with linen plaid, rang an oval dining table of unexpected provenance. This was quite majestic amidst the old barn flooring that had been bleached and rubbed to its rightful luster.

    Linen drapery and seating fabrics complemented the furnishings, enhanced by a bountiful provincial style fireplace. This was the style and ultimate design of Wendell Shavers, who favored the Tudor era. A gilded ram’s head was poised over the doorway and symbolized Wendell’s gamesmanship who spent much time on safaris and excavations.  

    The sitting room was Nellie’s favorite place for relaxation and solitude. Often, Eddie would wander into the room and find her staring at her most treasured heirloom, an antique silver Guernsey pitcher atop a washed-pine bar. This, coupled with the braided rug on which her favorite armchair stood, contributed to an atmosphere of peace and serenity she received during her early evening reading hours.

    Karla glared around in awe of the room’s ambiance.  But there was nothing spooky about it. It seemed to calm her nerves as she proceeded to the kitchen, grabbed a beer out of the fridge, and headed outside to sit alone on the terrace until the crowd would begin to leave.  

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