A Gust of Ghosts Read Free

see that it was a newspaper article with a headline that read, “Spirits Spotted at Shady Rest Cemetery?” before Mrs. Malone turned the paper toward her and began reading aloud.
    â€œIt says here that the cemetery has been in existence for almost a hundred and seventy-five years.” Mrs. Malone looked over the top of her glasses at the rest of the family, her eyes sparkling. “Plenty of time for a nice selection of ghosts to gather. And there’s a glowing grave marker! Those are always such fun!”
    This was met with silence. It was the kind of silence that vibrated with Contradictory Remarks That Were Not Being Said and Vigorous Arguments That Were Not Being Made.
    Perhaps there was such a thing as ESP, however, for Mr. Malone squinted suspiciously at his children, as if he knew what they were thinking. Then he said, “I know what you’re all thinking. But every experience, no matter how bad it seems at the time, can be helpful as long as you learn from it. And what we learned in Massachusetts was to check that pranksters have not painted the gravestone with glow-in-the-dark paint—”
    â€œAnd to watch your feet,” Franny added with a meaningful glance at Will, “so that you don’t trip and fall on top of the gravestone—”
    â€œAnd to wash your hands immediately if you do happen to fall on a gravestone covered with fresh paint,” Poppy added. “And not to run around putting your hands in other people’s hair because you think it’s funny.”
    Will did his best to look abashed. “It wasn’t that bad....”
    â€œI had to cut off all my hair before I could go to the movies with my friends!” Franny said bitterly. “The theater manager said that my glowing head was too distracting for the audience!”
    â€œI couldn’t finish my research into the nocturnal habits of tree frogs,” said Poppy. “When they saw my glowing head , they were shocked into early hibernation.”
    The corner of Will’s mouth twitched.
    â€œIt’s not funny!” Poppy and Franny shouted.
    â€œIt was kind of funny,” said Will, but he was careful to say it under his breath.
    â€œNow, now, that’s all water under the bridge,” said Mrs. Malone. “Your hair grew out, the tree frogs recovered, all’s well in the world. So, what does everyone think—chow mein or pizza?”
    That evening, the Malones filled their car with their investigation equipment and headed out to the cemetery. Not only had it been prominently mentioned in Hill Country Hauntings (at least five different hauntings and the glowing gravestone had been reported), but it was just a short drive from their house.
    After taking several wrong turns, pulling off the road to check the map, getting stuck in the mud, and losing the map out the window in a sudden gust of wind, the Malones had finally stumbled on the cemetery purely by chance. They wearily got out of the car and waded through knee-high weeds to the rusty gate and a metal sign that read, “Shady Rest Cemetery.”
    The sun was just setting as they arrived, casting a mellow light over two dozen headstones, half hidden in high grass and wildflowers.
    Will opened the gate. He had to push it several times. When it finally gave way, it let out a sound that was somewhere between a groan and a creak.
    â€œNice touch,” he commented. “Very spooky.”
    Rolly tried swinging on the gate. It moved two rusty inches, then creaked to a stop. He stepped off the gate and gave it a little kick.
    â€œI thought this was supposed to be fun,” he said accusingly.
    â€œFun? What nonsense,” Mr. Malone said briskly. “We are here to work . First things first—let’s walk around, find the best spots to set up our equipment, and get a feel for our surroundings.”
    â€œAnd, of course, let the spirits get a feel for us,” added Mrs. Malone. “Some