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GHOST OF A SHADOW
GHOST OF A SHADOW
Book One of the Sadie Myers Chronicles
Andrea Engel
and
Leslie Engel
This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, organizations, and incidents are either products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously to provide a sense of authenticity. Any resemblance to actual events, if not taken from public records, is entirely coincidental.
Published by Gatekeeper Press
3971 Hoover Rd. Suite 77
Columbus, OH 43123-2839
Copyright © 2015 by Andrea Engel and Leslie Engel
All rights reserved. Neither this book, nor any parts within it may be sold or reproduced in any form without permission.
No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means including information storage and retrieval systems, without permission in writing from the author. The only exception is by a reviewer, who may quote short excerpts in a review.
ISBN (paperback): 9781619849310
ISBN (hardcover): 9781619849327
eISBN: 9781619849303
Printed in the United States of America
Contents
Acknowledgments
ACT ONE The Shadow and the Light
CHAPTER ONE Earth, Spin: Check
CHAPTER TWO Dream Crasher
CHAPTER THREE Wake up, Amnesiac!
CHAPTER FOUR The Place beyond Saponi Straime
CHAPTER FIVE Through the Muck and the Myers
CHAPTER SIX What Do You Mean, No Mr. Felix?
CHAPTER SEVEN Dear Rufus
CHAPTER EIGHT It Was the Best of Times
CHAPTER NINE Guilty or Gardening?
CHAPTER TEN The Mist Rose Alone
CHAPTER ELEVEN Just Journaling
CHAPTER TWELVE J’Accuse!
CHAPTER THIRTEEN You Screwed up, Kiddo
CHAPTER FOURTEEN Best Friends Forever
CHAPTER FIFTEEN Take Your Medicine Like a Good Boy
CHAPTER SIXTEEN When David Met Sadie
CHAPTER SEVENTEEN Are We There Yet?
CHAPTER EIGHTEEN My Name Is Mud
CHAPTER NINETEEN A Shocking Reminder
CHAPTER TWENTY Field of Rose
CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE Off the Charts
CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO Gramma’s Library
CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE Dear Christopher
CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR Juvie, Juvie, Juvie
CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE Orange Cone of Shame
CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX It Is Time
ACT TWO Walk on Through
CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN Who’s Afraid of the Fletcher House?
CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT Pudding, Punch, and Pie
CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE Enter the Jennifer…Joie de Vivre!
CHAPTER THIRTY Release the Hounds
CHAPTER THIRTY-ONE Where Oh Where Has My Christopher Gone?
CHAPTER THIRTY-TWO Shocked through a Canyon
CHAPTER THIRTY-THREE The Gang’s All Here
CHAPTER THIRTY-FOUR Dawn on the Rocks
CHAPTER THIRTY-FIVE Save the Date
CHAPTER THIRTY-SIX Parting Makes a Sweeter Tomorrow
CHAPTER THIRTY-SEVEN Love at First Like
CHAPTER THIRTY-EIGHT The Bogeyman
CHAPTER THIRTY-NINE Dream a Little Dream for Me
CHAPTER FORTY Open the Basset File
CHAPTER FORTY-ONE One Wave at a Time
CHAPTER FORTY-TWO Grueling Downhill, Doggone It
CHAPTER FORTY-THREE Stuck on You
CHAPTER FORTY-FOUR It Was the Weirdest of Times
CHAPTER FORTY-FIVE A River of Golden Fire
CHAPTER FORTY-SIX Butter Flutter Flies
CHAPTER FORTY-SEVEN Whiskers and All
CHAPTER FORTY-EIGHT A Hunting We Will Go
CHAPTER FORTY-NINE Freanweas
CHAPTER FIFTY Finn Zeroes In
CHAPTER FIFTY-ONE Eye Kaleido Spied
CHAPTER FIFTY-TWO Twist of the Key
CHAPTER FIFTY-THREE Habnaws
CHAPTER FIFTY-FOUR In Like Finn
CHAPTER FIFTY-FIVE The Unmasquerade Ball
CHAPTER FIFTY-SIX Dancing Blues
CHAPTER FIFTY-SEVEN Slugs
CHAPTER FIFTY-EIGHT What Would We Do Without Music?
ACT THREE Three Sides of the Story
CHAPTER FIFTY-NINE The Night the Children Left
CHAPTER SIXTY This Man Needs a Melody
CHAPTER SIXTY-ONE The Eyes That Stole My Heart
CHAPTER SIXTY-TWO It Was Plan C All Along
CHAPTER SIXTY-THREE Knock on Wood
CHAPTER SIXTY-FOUR Tied up in Knots
CHAPTER SIXTY-FIVE The Reunion
CHAPTER SIXTY-SIX In the Heat of the Moment
CHAPTER SIXTY-SEVEN Say “Uncle”
CHAPTER SIXTY-EIGHT Sideshow
CHAPTER SIXTY-NINE Bye the Glow
CHAPTER SEVENTY The Main Event
CHAPTER SEVENTY-ONE Step on Up
CHAPTER SEVENTY-TWO The Echo of Impact
CHAPTER SEVENTY-THREE Unconditional Conditions
CHAPTER SEVENTY-FOUR Treasure and Travail
CHAPTER SEVENTY-FIVE Can’t Keep a Good Plan Down
CHAPTER SEVENTY-SIX Banyan’s Offering
CHAPTER SEVENTY-SEVEN Back to Basics
CHAPTER SEVENTY-EIGHT Oh, Mission!
CHAPTER SEVENTY-NINE In the Meanwhile
CHAPTER EIGHTY To Err Is Human
CHAPTER EIGHTY-ONE Lots of Luck
CHAPTER EIGHTY-TWO Changing of the Guard
CHAPTER EIGHTY-THREE The Celebration
CHAPTER EIGHTY-FOUR The Return
CHAPTER EIGHTY-FIVE Le Confession
CHAPTER EIGHTY-SIX Testing 1, 2, 3…
CHAPTER EIGHTY-SEVEN Consequence of Truth
About The Authors
For our dearest Gramma Ann,
Our rock and inspiration.
We miss you every day.
For our beloved parents, Irene & Jay,
Whose love and support
Provided us with the confidence to keep going
Acknowledgments
A special thanks to our entire family for their time, encouragement, support, and love, including but not limited to our parents, Irene and Jay; our sister and brother-in-law, Marcy and Paul; and our special people, Jon and George, for having our backs throughout this entire roller-coaster ride.
We’re grateful for an amazing son and nephew. Jake has conjured many colorful contributions, including naming the land beyond the water. Thanks also to Jake’s father, Jim, for his flexibility and warm nature throughout this process.
Thank you, Cousin Amber, who painted our preliminary cover and gave us the gift of seeing Barnaby for the first time. Thank you, Cousin Heather, Aunt Linda, and Tim for reading our roughest drafts of the teaser chapters. We’re thankful to Cousins Heather and Aaron for their marketing tips and also to our brother, Henry, for encouraging creativity in the world at large. Thank you, Aunt Ann, for your wisdom and special powers.
Many thanks to Peter of peterdoakglobal.com for his expertise in the world of social media marketing and his cheerful spirit and flexibility…and to Michelle Caruso for introducing us to him and also for her constant support.
Thanks to our first readers, whose support has been unparalleled: George, Mac, Marcy, Stephanie, Dana N., Kathryn, Lily, Nancy, Laurel, Jennifer, Zeau, and Becca.
Much gratitude for the support of dear friends—Pam, Nancy H., Kim, Suzanne, Stephanie, Cynthia, Carrie, Eleanor, Sarafaith, Maria, Thomas, Al, Marta, Emily W., Barbra, Mary Jane, Scott, Linda, Robin, Karen, and Judy—for keeping our spirits up and our positivity high with “you can do it” motivation.
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Special thanks for the professional insight and support of Dr. Susan Jurish and Jeanne Mulligan Prom.
Rest in peace, Mark Kersey. Thank you for communicating the book’s title to us.
A warm welcoming shout-out to the folks at C2Education.
Much gratitude to our talented cover artist/designer, Ana Grigoriu, for intuiting a vision from our squiggly words on the page.
Thank you to our esteemed professional editors, Angela Brown and Veronica Jorden, for their watchful eyes, steady commitment, and creative suggestions. A tip of the hat to Reedsy.com as well. Thanks also to the staff at Gatekeeper Press and Rob Price, our author manager.
A hearty mention for those who have lent their support at Coauthorpreneur Sisters on Facebook, as well as the readers and subscribers of our blog, 2penthrupain.com.
Finally, thanks to all the people who don’t know how much they helped us as they crossed our paths without our knowing their names but whose inspiration shows up in this book. We appreciate you.
Act One
The Shadow and the Light
In paths unknown we hear the feet
Of fear before, and guilt behind;
We pluck the wayside fruit, and eat
Ashes and dust beneath its golden rind.
—“The Shadow and the Light,” John Greenleaf Whittier
CHAPTER ONE
Earth, Spin: Check
“Run, Sadie! Run!” Gramma Rose yelled.
Where’s her voice coming from? “I’m running as fast as I can!” I screamed, but the wind swallowed my words. I looked down at my feet; they disappeared into darkness.
Terrorized by the lightning storm overhead, I jumped every time an earth-shaking boom of thunder followed a jagged strike. With the tempest so close, I feared being struck by the next bolt. Sideways heavy rain pelted my face like burning needles, stabbing mercilessly.
“I can’t see!” I ran smack into a tangle of branches that formed a maze. Their sharp teeth snapped at me as I crawled through. I knew home was on the other side. I had to get there.
Rumbling peals of thunder cracked, one after the other, shifting the ground beneath me. I pushed my hands hard against my ears to block out the loudest booms. Red lightning jolted my body with electric vibrations. Red flashes strobed all around. I sensed the shadow man behind me, but I couldn’t tell where he was.
“Keep running, Sadie!” Gramma Rose called out.
Petrified, I thought this was it: The End of Sadie Myers.
“I don’t want to die!” I yelled back.
The sound of footsteps squished behind me. I imagined breath on my neck. I felt his fingers graze my hair with creepy restraint.
“No! Leave me alone!”
I shot up in bed, glistening with sweat. No matter how many times I told myself I was safe and only dreaming, I couldn’t shake the feelings the nightmare left behind.
I’d never been so scared in all my years on earth. This was the first time the shadow man had chased me. He’d never come this close before.
A song trilled at the window. I spotted the goldfinch on the birch tree, singing its clear ‘po-ta-to-chip’ call.
Morning eased the tension of my nightmare, and I relaxed a bit. Okay, Sunday, here I come.
I headed to the kitchen, where smiling faces greeted me. Mom stood at the center-island stove making waffles, her brown curls bouncing as she spoke. Today, on one of those rare days, her usually dark eyes looked lighter, like milk chocolate. “Here you go, sunshine.” Mom handed me a plate while placing a kiss on my cheek. “How did you sleep last night?”
“I had a nightmare. It seemed so real, but now that I’m with you, everything feels safe again.”
“I’m glad to hear you’re feeling better, though I don’t like to think of you having nightmares.” She gave me a comforting hug.
I sat next to Dad, who read the paper. He gave me a kiss and a broad smile. He brushed his blond hair away from his green eyes every other second. Time for a haircut, I thought. Though he was typically calm, reading at the table with the family brought out the “even more relaxed dad” in him.
He had told me over and over, “Sadie, there’s nothing like reading a newspaper to get a sense of what’s going on in the world.” I would smile and nod, but I preferred fiction.
“Sadiekins, congratulations on completing your summer assignment. Mom told me how much effort you put into it. We’re both so proud of you.”
Mom squinched her face at me with loving approval.
“And while I hate to lose your company during breakfast, I think Ruby could use a walk. She just mentioned she’d like you to take her.” Dad turned another page of his Evergreen Daily News.
It didn’t take me long to finish those last bites of my waffles. They were that delicious.
“Funny, Dad.” I turned to Ruby. “Come here, my special girl. Let’s go take a W-A-L-K.”
She wagged her tail, her whole body shaking with excitement.
I loved taking my Irish setter out for walks. I didn’t like one part as much, though, so I had trained Ruby to poop right into the bag. It made cleanup a snap. It was simple to train her—I’d say, “Ruby, poop in the bag, please,” and she did. People commented all the time how shocked they were that a dog would do that, but Ruby and I had an understanding.
One time a woman asked, “How on earth do you get that beast to aim so well?” It looked as though my sweet dog had rolled her eyes right before I did.
That morning after Ruby took care of business, we went for a stroll around the quiet neighborhood. In the bright morning sun with Ruby at my side, I felt my connection to nature, which spread all around our house for many miles. Our rural subdivision of Evergreen Park was well integrated with its natural setting. There were many varieties of birds, animals, and plants to pass, which kept things interesting. I made it my business to wander a little farther each day. When we reached the creek that ran from Deep Lake all the way through town, we turned to head back home.
“Come on, Ruby. I’ll race you.”
Ruby took her cue, and we ran for the finish line. Completely out of breath, I barely made it to the front porch first.
“I won again, Roo Roo,” I teased. Ruby looked up at me, a smile on her adorable face, her tail wagging. I leaned down and hugged her neck. “Ruby, you always let me win.”
As we walked through the door, Mom announced, “We’re going to your Aunt Sue’s today. Gramma Rose will be there too. We’ll leave as soon as you’re ready.”
Dad’s sister, Aunt Sue, invited Gramma to everything here in Florida. My paternal grandparents lived far away in California, so Gramma and Aunt Sue had grown close over the years.
“Cool. I don’t have plans with Christopher until tomorrow.” I raced to get my backpack together, and then we were on our way. The drive to Aunt Sue’s was only half an hour. Ruby and I used the time to observe the countryside with its rivers, forests, and gently rolling hills.
“Look at all those horses.”
As soon as I spoke the words, the unmistakable warmth of a whisper brushed my ear.
Sweet Sadie.
“Whoa, did you hear that?” I asked.
Ruby nodded; my parents were engrossed in some kind of interview on NPR.
The sky flashed red immediately after, and in the next instant, every one of the horses took off at a gallop across the broad green pasture. Ruby bounced twice on the armrest, shook her head with a soft yelp, and stared with me again. I felt that same excitement as I heard the pounding of their hooves through the ground and up into the car. An earthy mix filled our nostrils.
“Wow, look at that!” I pressed my nose against the window, watching them run.
Ruby acknowledged with one sharp bark.
“What was that, Mom? Dad, did you see that?”
Mom glanced over her shoulder from the front seat. “See what, Sadie?”
“The red flash in the sky? And that whisper…Didn’t you hear it? Didn’t you see it?”
Dad caught my eye in the rearview mirror. “Yeah. Sorry, honey. I didn’t catch it either.”
I shook my head and looked at Ruby. “You saw it, didn’t you? I’m not losing it, right?”
Ruby yawned then moved to the other side of the car to lie down.
I sighed and slumped in my seat.
Dad changed the radio station. One of our all-time favorite songs, “Loud Harry,” came on, and the three of us belted it out together.
By the time we got to Aunt Sue’s, I’d forgotten all about the horses and the red streak in the sky. I was excited to see everyone. It had been a few weeks after all.
Aunt Sue’s house, a modest Spanish Colonial, displayed a single gable that extended to become the porch roof. Inside, everything was about two decades old in color and construction, but my parents and I found it cozy and inviting. Aunt Sue had downsized after her husband had run off. I can’t even talk about Uncle “Whatever His Name Was” anymore. I’ll never understand why he left. Aunt Sue was so cute with her black bob and stunning blue eyes, and to leave those incredible girls? They looked just like her.
“Aunt Sue,” I called out as we walked into the house.
“In here, guys,” she called back.
We headed for the kitchen, our favorite place to gather.
Aunt Sue’s loving arms engulfed me. “Hi, Sadie. So happy you came today. You get prettier every time I see you.”
“Aunt Sue,” I groaned, totally embarrassed. I returned her hug, looking over the top of her head, which was level with my nose. She always smelled like honeysuckle.
“Well, it’s the truth, Sadie. You’d better get used to it.”
“Sadie will get used to it in her own time. And might I add, she has a lot more going for her than looks alone!” Mom stated.
“Which she gets from you, no doubt?”
“Yep, you know it. Brains and beauty!”
I giggled at their good-natured banter. “You two are too much.”
I loved my Aunt Sue. I liked to pretend her twin five year-old daughters, Brenda and Karen, were my little sisters. I taught them new things, like how to do a cartwheel or have a conversation with Ruby, like Gramma had taught me. Their go-to girl, I kept them company when the grown-ups were busy.