A Winter of Ghosts Read Free Page B

after the train had gone, frightened and glad all at the sametime, and he wondered if, perhaps, he should never have come back to MiyazuCity. To Monju-no-Chie school.
    To Kara.

Chapter Two
    K ara knew there had to have beena time in her life when she had been more bored, but she couldn't think of one.Her father had gone into school to make final preparations in his classroom andoffice for the new term, which started tomorrow. His lesson plans were done,but the principal, Mr. Yamato, wanted all of the teachers to organize their ownmaterials so that all was in order when classes began. They were also takingturns overseeing the return of the boarding students to the dormitory behindthe school. Kara had wanted to go along — she couldn't wait to see herfriends — but her father had discouraged it. Mr. Yamato would havefrowned upon it.
    So she waited, and the wait wastorture. She fiddled with her guitar for a little while, but found it impossibleto focus long enough to play any song all the way through. Television in Japanusually bored or appalled her, depending on what was on, and she didn't havetime for a movie. . she hoped.
    Finally, she logged on to hercomputer and started to upload her favorites among the most recent batch ofphotos she had taken in and around Miyazu City. Her friends back home inMedford loved when she posted them on her Facebook page.
    As she studied the pictures onher computer screen, she shivered. December had been chilly, but now thatJanuary had arrived, it really felt like winter. The shirt she had on had beenfine this morning, yet for some reason she felt colder now. A glance at herwindow showed her that the day had turned gray, as though threatening snow. Theforecast hadn't called for any of the white stuff, but with the sun gone, itcertainly was cold enough.
    Kara jumped up from her chairand pulled a green, V-neck sweater from a drawer, tugging it on over her head.
    Tea
, she thought.
Niceand hot
.
    The photos temporarilyforgotten, she went out into the kitchen, and as she reached for the teapot, asoft knock came upon the door. She glanced up, smiling, and hurried to answerit.
    Kara opened the door to discoverSakura and Miho on the stoop wearing matching grins. For once the two girls,polar opposites in so many ways, looked almost exactly the same in their graywool coats and winter hats.
    The three girls let out a chorusof squees and threw themselves into each other's arms as though they had beenseparated for months instead of weeks. They all began speaking at once, talkinginstead of listening, and then laughing at the absurdity of it. Somehow in themidst of this Kara managed to usher them inside and close the door, and thenthey were taking off their boots and jackets and hats, and suddenly they werethe Miho and Sakura she knew. Sakura was tall, with eyes the color of brass andspiky hair. Miho was a couple of inches shorter and had a shy, bookish demeanorthat was punctuated by her glasses and her long hair, clipped up on one side tokeep it from hiding her pretty face. The two girls had become her closestfriends in the nine months since school had begun.
    "Okay, okay, let's allbreathe," Kara said. "Come in and sit down. I was about to make tea. Doesanyone else want some?"
    Miho raised her handimmediately, tucking a lock of hair behind one ear.
    "Me, too," Sakuraagreed. "It's cold out there. I think winter should be over on New Year'sDay."
    "It's just starting,"Miho said, frowning at the impracticality of the statement.
    "I know. I'd just like itto end now."
    "No way," Kara said asshe put water in the teapot. "I look forward to snowball fights andsnowmen. And there will be tubing."
    Miho and Sakura shared a dubiousglance. Kara pointed at them with the teapot, water sloshing inside.
    "There
will
betubing!"
    The girls laughed, raising theirhands in surrender, and another giddy wave went through Kara. She was sograteful to have them back. As the girls chatted to her about their New Year'sEve activities —