Waiting Spirits Read Free

lights.”
    Carrie ran to the switch behind the piano. When she flicked it off the room went surprisingly dark. Carrie, Lisa, and Mrs. Burton took their places around the table while Dr. Miles got a candle.
    â€œWell, at least it’s not Monopoly,” whispered Carrie. “I was so sick of passing Go I thought I would barf.”
    Lisa kicked her sister’s ankle and hissed a quick “Shhh!” at her. She didn’t want their grandmother feeling any worse than she already did.
    Setting the candle in the center of the table, Dr. Miles looked directly at Carrie and said, “We must be very serious. Otherwise, it won’t work. Lisa, put this in front of you.” She handed Lisa a pad of writing paper. “Hold the pencil loosely.”
    Lisa did as she was told.
    â€œNow close your eyes.”
    Again, Lisa did as she was told. In spite of herself, she began to feel a little tingly. There was something definitely eerie about doing all this in such an old house, on such a dark, dreary day.
    â€œCarrie, Judith, join hands with me. Carrie and I will put our hands on Lisa’s elbows, to close the circle.”
    Lisa felt the pressure of their fingertips at her elbows. She found it oddly reassuring.
    â€œNow, you two also close your eyes. Close your eyes and concentrate.”
    For a moment there was silence. Then Dr. Miles said, “O spirits from the other side, if there are any here who wish to communicate with us, now is the time. Give us your message.”
    Lisa felt a shiver skitter down her spine. Then she heard Carrie trying to hold in a snort. She could almost sense her mother’s look of disapproval. She wondered how she could do that with her eyes closed.
    â€œCarrie,” said Dr. Miles. “Please concentrate.”
    Lisa sat with her fingers loose, her hands resting on the pad. Suddenly she let out a little gasp. She had felt a terrible chill, as though a cold hand had been placed on her neck. Next she heard a loud knocking, like someone banging on the table.
    She tried to open her eyes, and found that they were sealed shut!
    The table began to vibrate.
    It lurched forward.
    Without her willing it to, Lisa’s hand began to move.

Chapter Two
“Welcome Home”
    Lisa tried to make her hand stop moving.
    She couldn’t.
    â€œIt’s working!” Carrie whispered in awe. “Gramma, it’s working!”
    â€œMother!” Lisa cried. “Make it stop!”
    The table lurched again. Lisa felt faint—distant, as if she were far away from everything that was happening. From somewhere she heard her mother’s voice calling her. The words sounded as if she were speaking through a pile of pillows. “Lisa! Lisa, open your eyes!”
    Lisa tried to do as her mother told her. It was useless. She couldn’t force the lids up. Somehow, she didn’t care.
    â€œLisa!”
    She sensed, with a detached sort of interest, that her hand was still rolling across the paper. Suddenly another hand slammed down and closed over her wrist. For a moment there was a tremendous struggle as Lisa’s hand tried to continue moving and the other hand, strong and sinewy, tried to make it stop.
    â€œLisa, open your eyes!”
    It was her grandmother. Again, Lisa struggled to do as she was told. Suddenly she felt another moment of intense cold. She breathed out, and her eyes snapped open.
    Her hand was lying limply on the table. Circling her wrist, still tightly clenched, were her grandmother’s fingers. The pencil, now broken in half, lay on the paper.
    Lisa looked around the table. The others’ faces expressed varying degrees of shock and fear. Her mother was staring at her with nervous intensity. Carrie’s face was glowing, her eyes shining with fascination at whatever it was that had just taken place. Then Lisa looked at her grandmother and caught her breath. Dr. Miles wore an expression that fell somewhere between longing and fear.