I tilt my head, considering. “Sometimes. But the core of it is being honest with yourself.”
Kennedy’s mouth falls open slightly, a clear epiphany forming behind her focused gaze. My own gut tells meit’sabout her sister, but Idon’tpry.Itranklesme that I want to.
She swiftly changes the subject. “Alright, so that covers the whole touching thing, what about traveling? The witches said I can leave the house.”
My stomach lurches, but I answer honestly. “Yes. You can go anywhere in Shadow Hills that you like.”
Just because I have no interest in doing sodoesn’tmean I should hold her back.I should wanther outof the houseas often as possible.
She laughs and mimics wiping sweat from her brow. “Phew! For a minute there, I thought we were going to have to becomerealclose,real fast.”
Her eyes crinkle jovially, so I try not to take it personally.
I watch her wander over to the large window and peer down onto thegrounds. “It’slovelyhere. Like a storybook, with all the snow.”
She looks at me subserviently. “Can I go outside and look around?”
“You don’t need my permission.”
Her face lights up, and she scurries back down the stairs. Ilosesight of her bright red hair after about the twelfth step down. Listening closely, I hear the front door open quietly. Walking slowly to the window, I wait anxiously for the top of her head to appear against the stark white scenery.
When itdoes, my chest clinches. The feelingdoesn’tsit right, so I look away.For a moment, I forgot about my plan to keep to myself, but it was simply natural curiosity, nothing more.
I’llbe here to answer her questions, but after today, this new ghost is on her own.
Chapter Ten
KENNEDY
Itrek throughnearly halfa foot of snow, leaving real footprints behind me. The front yard around the house is completely covered, so I deviate to the side of the house where the trees have sheltered the ground. Here,there’sbut a dusting of fallen snow and dead leaves, disintegrating from the moisture and cold temperature.I shiver as the wind passes through the threads of my sweater. I thought being a ghost meant Iwouldn’tbe able to feel temperature anymore, butas long asI’min my physical body, it would seem my senses are in peak condition.
That’s another question I’ll have to ask Theodore:how do I change my clothes?
Ihave toadmit, of all the outfits to die in,a thick sweater and jeansis a good one. I could have been in my pajamas forPete’ssake!
My mind drifts to the memory of my death, cloudy and unreachable. I still have no idea how I died, but if what Theodore said was true, about being stuck like this for theforeseeable future, thenthere’splenty of time for me to figure that out.
I know reality will comecrashing downeventually, andI’llneed to brace myself for when that time comes, but right now, I want to test my boundaries. Spread my wings and see exactly what this new spirit body can do. It might be mymind’s way of coping, butI’mokay with distracting myself for a little while.
It’s kind of exciting learning about something I knew nothing about. There’s an entirely new world to explore, and all along it lived parallel to my old one.
Being born in Shadow Hills, I knew all aboutparanormals. All the creatures and legends my parents used to believe were stories,things that turned out to bereal, Ihad the luxury of learning aboutin school. Werewolves, vampires, banshees, but not ghosts. Taking a crash course on paranormal history insixthgrade did absolutely nothing to prepare me for this.
Pastacopseof trees shielding thehouse, Inoticea sunroom with vertical windows and diamond-shapedmuntinstretchingnearly tothe second floor. Thehigh ceilingslook as ifthey’dlet in just as much light as the library at the opposite time of day. Beyond the icy branches, the sunappears to beon its way to setting,rapidly dropping in the sky.I continue my journey around the house,walking a little quicker in the fading dusk.
Aroundthe back, the forestopens up, creating a wide trail. It wends through the trees far past my line of vision. The shadows and shifting trees make the path look ominous, so Ichooseto follow it another day, whenthere’smore light tochase awaythose devious shadows.
I make my wayback to the front of the house and find the library turret above me. Catchingmovements, I freeze. Theodore stands just past a ray of setting sun, making him look more ghostly than the first time I saw him. He stepscautiously closer to the window, his piercing blueeyescatching the light.He’sbeautiful, but from here he looks so lonely.
If my gut is to be trusted, I might not be the only one in need of help.
The house is completelydark when I step back inside. The windhas pickedup as the night crept closer, and Istruggleto close the door.
When I turn the corner, I spy a small flame growing in the fireplace. Theodore is crouched in front of it, focused intently.
“Oh, thank god!” I let out with exasperation. My fingers and toes feel like icicles and I’m pretty sure I’ve lost all feeling in my nose. I wiggle it to check that it’s still attached.
He drops his head and makes a small noise of amusement. “I thought you’d be cold.”
