Inside the Haunted

Inside the Haunted

Part 4

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I stared at Emily with disbelief.

“He changes the names so this boat appears to be different to everyone?” I asked. She nodded miserably.

“B-but, if the people before us knew where it was and they died, wouldn’t people come to find out where they were?” I stammered, trying to find a flaw in the haunted ship act.

“They don’t exactly find the coordinates. But you did however, along with your parents. There’s some connection between you and Him, but I don’t know what.” Emily said.

“He moves the ship all the time and changes the name. He changes records inside every ship hunter’s log about this ship so it appears that no one had ever found it before. He has powers that are not used for good Madigan.” It was unbelievable. Unbelievable.

“Emily…none of this makes any sense.” I said lamely, although it did. It all fit perfectly and it was well thought out. Obviously whoever “He” was had been doing this sort of thing for many years.

“It doesn’t? Why?” she asked me. I shook my head.

“Never mind. I realized that it does. But…why does ‘He’ do this?” I asked.

“He collects souls Madigan. And he’s after yours and your friends souls as well.” Emily said darkly.

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“B-but why?!” I exclaimed, my voice squeaking with fear.

“I cannot say. He will harm me. That’s why whenever I get close to saying His plans, blood appears on my face and I disappear to His side so I won’t tell. Promise me that you will leave here. I don’t want you to die.” Emily pleaded me.

“I-I can’t Emily. I’m doing this for them…for my parents.” I said softly. Emily nodded and slipped a silver locket over her head.

“Then take this if you must stay. It will protect you and it will guide you to me whenever you need my help.” Emily said, holding it out to me. I took it, expecting my fingers to drop through hers. She was a ghost of course, so this was all some big joke. But to my extreme surprise, her hand and fingers felt real. The locket slipped into my palm as our hands continued to touch.

“Emily…aren’t you a ghost?” I asked. She held a finger to her lips and her hand became transparent once more and fell through mine. How had she done that? How had she managed to make her hand…alive again?

“Madigan! What are you doing out there?” I heard Bernie call my name. I turned to him and called out to him.

“I’ll be right there!” I said. I turned back to Emily only to find that she was gone.

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Bernie walked up to me on the ramp as I was dangling Emily’s necklace with my fingers. Would it really protect me from harm like she said? Or was it fake?

“Hey, what’s that?” he said, pointing to the silver necklace that I had.

“What this? I said, holding it in front of him.

“Yeah. It looks really old.” He said, reaching out to it. I pulled it back and unfastened the clasp.

“Are you sure you want to put that on?” he asked me, but it was too late. I lifted my hair out of the chain and let it fall back onto my shoulders.

“Yeah. It’s really nice.”

“But you just found it out of nowhere? Sounds funny to me, but whatever. C’mon, let’s go back to Gus’ boat.” Bernie said, reaching for my hand to pull me up. I took his hand and we walked back along the ramp.

“So, who were you talking to?” Bernie asked me.

“Huh?” Didn’t he see Emily standing near me on the ramp?

“You were talking to yourself and I came out to see you.” He said, giving me a funny look.

“Oh…yeah…it’s just my head. I’ve got sort of a headache.” I said.

“You talk to yourself when you’ve got a headache?” Bernie asked me.

“Yeah. It helps me clear up things…” I said. Bernie could tell I was lying through my teeth, but chose to not question me any farther.

“Well, get some bed rest. Maybe that will clear it up.” Bernie said. I went ahead of him onto the boat, grateful that he hadn’t questioned me about the locket.

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I sat in bed for hours, examining the locket. It was very old fashioned, so the Seahawk must have been here for many years. And Emily and the other people on board must have died a very long time ago. But how do you die on a ship that didn’t sink into the ocean? Emily must have been murdered…but by who? And, above it all, who was the guy that Emily kept referring to as “Him”? Was he the one haunting the Seahawk? I turned over and rested my head on the pillow. So many confusing questions in my mind that would all go unanswered…at least for now. I suddenly got the feeling that I was being watched. I looked out the tiny circular window. Nothing. I turned and faced the door. My body nearly jumped out of my skin.

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I was half expecting Emily or even Bernie…but Charlie?

“Hey Maddie. Feeling okay?” he asked me. His head was poking through the door, but only slightly. How long had he been standing there watching me?

“Um…yeah, I’m fine.” I said nervously. He must have sensed my fear. He stepped through the door and sat close to me on my bed.

“What’s the matter?” he asked me. I shook my head, inching away from him. I looked up into his face. It looked awfully pale and his eyes were staring at me with a kind of hungry look inside of them. He reached towards my neck and quickly grasped the locket.

“Where did you get this?” he asked me.

“Uh…I found it.” I lied.

“Oh. It’s very nice. Where did you find it?” he asked again. What the heck was this, 20 Questions?

“Uh…on the ship.” Where else could I have possibly found it?

“Oh. It’s very nice.” He repeated.

“But you know it might not be yours to keep forever. Someone else might want it too.” He said. I looked at him, my face puzzled. He smiled and stood up and walked out the door. What was that all about?

A horrifying question came into my mind.