“You excited to be in high school, Teresa?” Henry asks. Tessa nods happily and starts gushing about the coming school year. Henry ignores me completely as they talk. I sigh and swim back over to the shallows, and arrive just in time to save Emie from falling in. Kelsie giggles and throws more water at us. I splash her, and she squeals happily, clapping her hands. I smile, and take them to go dry off and have dinner. 

Kelsie gets watermelon juice all over her face within minutes, and Emie spills her orange soda. As I mop it up, I can spot Henry out of the corner of my eye, still flirting with Tessa. Once I’ve cleaned up my little sisters’ messes, I stand up and jump back into the water, this time splashing as much as possible. Tessa screams at my sudden entrance, and brushes her sodden blonde hair out of her eyes. 

“Lara!” She laughs. “Why would you do that?”

“Mom says you need to eat.” I say, glaring at Henry. He smiles smugly. Tessa says goodbye to Henry and climbs out of the pool with me. 

“You know, you’ll have to grow out of thinking boys suck sooner or later. We’re fourteen.” Tessa says, rubbing her arms dry with a towel. 

“I don’t think boys suck.” I mutter. “I think Henry and his brothers suck. Other boys are fine.” I help Kelsie and Emie get on their dresses. “Jack Evans is nice.”

“Jack Evans is dead.” She mutters. “And the Dearings aren’t so bad when you get to know them!” Tessa says, giggling. 

“But I do know them. And they’re mean.” Tessa rolls her eyes and walks with me to go get food. I grab a chicken sandwich, some strawberries, and a bottle of cream soda that is so cold it hurts my hand. Once we sit down on the grass, Henry decides to join our picnic. I groan very audibly when he arrives, but he can’t seem to take a hint. After listening to their boring conversation for a grand total of five seconds, I stand up and leave. 

“I saw that book. What are you planning?” I overhear Mom say. Suddenly interested, I follow her voice to the back of the house. She stands with her hands on her hips, facing Miss Mortimer. 

“It’s not your concern.” Miss Mortimer retorts. I’ve never seen her in a bad mood before. 

“Yeah, well, I’m one of the leading members of the organization. What you do with that book is my concern.” Miss Mortimer looks around, then leans over and whispers something in Mom’s ear. “Everly! You’ll be expelled from the organization for this!” Miss Mortimer sighs. 

“I just don’t think it’s right, and my mother wouldn’t want things to be left as they are.” Miss Mortimer says. Oh so Mrs. Mortimer is involved?!? Interesting. I realize what I'm doing. Lara, you’ve got to stop spying on this family!

“Fine. Do what you want. But if the rest of the organization hears about this, there will be consequences.” Mom’s in a club? What? I run back over to Tessa, itching to tell her what I heard, but she’s still with Henry. Ugh! I hate that boy!

After cleaning up another mess by Kelsie and Emie, I consider going in the pool. But it’s occupants are either adults or the Dearing boys. Instead I grab my soda and sit next to Kelsie and Emie, who have started tossing pieces of popcorn back and forth between their plates. Miss Mortimer comes out from behind the house, the book under her arm. 

“If it’s not too much trouble, Lara,” she starts, gliding over to me. “Could you get your sisters, and come inside? I’m afraid you’re still the only kids around who believe in ghost stories anymore.” I tie the sash on my dress, and pull my wet hair back. 

“Sure.” I say, and grab Emie and Kelsie’s sticky hands. I gesture for Tessa to follow me, which she reluctantly does, leaving Henry alone. 

“Thank you for helping me with this.” Miss Mortimer says, setting the book down on a coffee table. “Mama?” She calls, looking at a door on the right side of the room. “It’s time.”

A frail woman in a wheelchair rolls out of the door, and into the room. She watches us kids intently, rubbing the blanket on her lap. Kelsie, the youngest, finally smiles, and runs up to Mrs. Mortimer, giggling. 

“Are you a grandma?” She asks, clasping her hands behind her, and rocking back and forth on her feet. Mrs. Mortimer’s face breaks into a smile, and she laughs. 

“Not yet, because my Everly refuses to get married.” She gestures to Miss Mortimer, who blushes and looks at the ground. Kelsie laughs. 

“I know lots of boys she can marry!” She says, smiling. Miss Mortimer blushes even redder, then changes the subject. 

“I suppose you guys know the story of the Evans family?” She asks, fingering the edge of the book. We nod expectantly. I start to tie Emie’s blonde hair up, so it doesn’t get in her face. “Well, girls… I’d like to introduce you to Lucy Evans.” She says, pointing to Mrs. Mortimer. Tessa’s jaw drops. 

“Y-you’re their sister?” She asks, her face turning pale. Lucy nods. “That’s- wow.” I can see Tessa’s inner ghost nerd going nuts right now. 

“So what’s the book for, Miss Mortimer?” I ask, interrupting Tessa’s stuttering. 

“Oh, you guys don’t have to call me that. Just call me Everly.” I nod. “The book is a very old book that I inherited, and it is magical.” Emie’s eyes widen and she squeals, just like she did when she got to meet the fairy godmother in the school play. 

“What are you going to do with the magic book?” Kelsie asks, clacking Lucy’s knitting needles together. Everly smiles. 

“Well, I’m going to bring back my uncles.” She says. “Jack and George.” Emie cheers, pumping her tiny fists in the air. Will Jack remember meeting me as a ghost?

“I don’t believe in all this hocus-pocus.” Lucy says, patting Kelsie’s head. “But if it brings back my brothers, it has to happen. They didn’t deserve to have their life cut short.” Everly smiles warmly at her mother. 

“How old were your brothers before they…” I can tell Tessa is trying not to mention death. Lucy thinks for a moment. 

“Jack was fourteen, and George was seventeen, almost an adult.” She says. If Jack goes to school, we could be in the same grade! “Hopefully the magic brings them back exactly as they were. We don’t need more old people around the house.” Kelsie giggles. 

“The spell should work like that.” Everly says, and lights a candle. “Turn the lights off, please.” I flick the switches until the candle is out only light source. Everly opens the book to a page marked by a black satin bookmark. The writing on the page is in some language I don’t recognize. Or maybe it’s just English with terrible handwriting.

 Everly closes the blinds in the room, then reads over the spell. She mutters something under her breath, in a language that sounds like Latin. Her fingernail taps the page, and the wind starts blowing around us, even though the windows and doors are closed. I hold on tightly to Emie, and Tessa clings to my arm. Kelsie giggles as the wind blows her around the room, making her waddle even more than usual. Lucy watches her with a twinkle in her eye, the signs of remembering a good memory. The wind intensifies, and the candle gets blown out, leaving us in complete darkness. I fumble for the light switch again, and turn on the light. 

Sitting in the center of the room are two teenage boys, looking around. They look very confused at what they’re seeing. The older one has darker hair and is more muscled, firm. He looks around with dark blue eyes, serious, but not cold. The younger one is very slim, but still has the height of his brother. His eyes are a light, cheery blue, and his hair a soft chestnut brown. Both of them wear clothes that meant they were probably the working class back in the 1910s. It’s the Evans brothers. 

“Jack? George?” Lucy asks, her voice hopeful.