Hesitation. Then a tiny nod.
“Did you try to help me? In the dining room?”
Another nod.
Ollie pointed down at the Ouija board. “Can you use that to talk?” she asked. “Can you move the letters?”
She thought he was doubtful, just by the way he stood still. “I have to get back through the mirror by dawn,” Ollie told him. “Or else I’m stuck here. Please. If you can help me—just, please.” Ollie didn’t know what else to say. It wasn’t like she could bribe him to help her or anything. Or make him help her. But maybe asking was enough. He gave her a jerky nod. Ollie wished he wasn’t wearing a ski mask. It was a bit like he didn’t have a face at all. Hugely awkward in his giant, heavy orange ski boots, Gabriel went to the Ouija board. He turned his face to Ollie. Now what? he seemed to say.
Ollie took a place on the other side of the table. She thought she saw movement out of the corner of her eye; Gretel poked her head around her walls of boxes.
“Can I call you Gabe?” Ollie said to the ghost in the ski jacket. “My name’s Ollie.”
Another nod; she saw his hand tremble. Ollie wondered how long he’d been here. She wondered who the last person was to call him by name.
She decided she didn’t want to find out. It would just make her scared. She said, “Wait a sec,” put her hands on the planchette, and spelled, GABE BOUVIER GHOST HERE SAYS CN HLP HE GNA USE BORD 2 TLK.
A pause. Ollie could imagine Coco’s expression going from surprised to nervous to frowning understanding. Then Coco’s reply came back: K.
Gabe clumsily put one hand on the planchette. Ollie put her fingers on the planchette next to his frostbitten ones. Gabe’s hand looked like a mummy’s hand, but Ollie didn’t flinch away. She was done with being scared of people—ghosts—who might look creepy but were trying to help. She was going to need all the help she could get, she thought, if she was ever to make it home again.
Slowly, with difficulty, Gabe began to slide the planchette.
* * *
—
OLI NEED OPN MROR AN GO THRU.
“Okay,” whispered Coco, watching. Obviously they needed to open the mirror. Ollie was on the wrong side of it. HOW OPN, she signed.
FND BONES.
The Ouija board was like the worst text messenger ever, Coco thought in annoyance. She thought of Gretel, in the hallway of her nightmare. I’m looking for my bones.
GRTL BONES, she signed.
The planchette slid up to YES.
There were about a half dozen extremely important follow-up questions that Coco knew she had to ask. She picked one. HOW CN GRTL BONES OPN MROR.
BONES N REAL LODG, came the reply. GHST N OTHR LODG WIT OLI. GHOST AND BONES CNNCTED IF R RFLCTD IN SAME MROR. WILL OPN DOR THRU MROR.
* * *
—
Okay, Ollie thought. “I think I get it,” she said aloud. “Gretel is on this side. Gretel’s bones are somewhere on Coco’s side. The ghost and her bones are connected. If Gretel stands in front of a mirror on my side, and her bones are reflected in the same mirror on Coco’s side, then a door will open.”
Gabe nodded slowly.
“But where are the bones?” said Ollie. “We know where Gretel is.” She gestured back into the darkness where Gretel was hiding.
The planchette was moving again. Coco. Asking the same question. WHR GRTL BONES, she was asking.
* * *
—