Charon's Crossing

"Scout's oath," she said. "I'll be there, I swear."

Jason's smile slipped from his face. He clasped her shoulders and looked deep into her eyes.

"Are you sure you're okay?" His fingers massaged her shoulders. "I've had this feeling, ever since yesterday, that there's something you're not telling me."

She stiffened a little and almost said, well, I tried to tell you...

But she didn't.

"Only about the house being haunted," she said briskly.

He grinned and tipped her chin up with one finger.

"Yeah."

A sudden gust of wind swept over the airstrip. Kathryn put her hand to her hair to keep it from whipping loose from its knot.

"Have a safe flight, Jason."

He nodded. Then he bent and kissed her gently on the mouth.

"I'll see you in two weeks."

She smiled and laid her hand against his cheek. "You bet you will."

The sudden sputter of the plane's engine roared into the silence. A man in a leather bomber jacket scooted around its tail. He pointed at Jason, then at the plane. Jason nodded and picked up his overnight case. He kissed Kathryn again, turned and trotted towards the plane. Halfway there, he stopped, waved, and said something.

Kathryn shook her head. "I can't hear you."

Jason repeated the words, mouthing them with slow exaggeration.

She shook her head again, smiled, and flung her arms into the air.

"I still can't hear you," she shouted.

He grinned, shrugged, and climbed into the plane. The door shut, and the little craft began taxiing down the runway.

Kathryn sighed. She walked back to the VW, got inside, and slouched down in her seat.

She knew what Jason had been saying.

"I love you, Kathryn."

So, why hadn't she been able to say it in return?

Because her unwanted and unwelcome ghost ha

d screwed up her head, that was why.

She turned the ignition key, shot the car into a tottering U-turn, and headed back to Charon's Crossing and a final showdown.

* * *

By the time she reached the house, her anger had turned to sizzling rage.

She parked, slammed her way out of the car, and marched into the foyer.

"Matthew?" she yelled. Her keys clinked as she tossed them onto a table. "Matthew, where are you?"