Abandoned by Abigail Livinghouse (distant reading txt) 📕

in weeks. But when she touched the notebook now, with the story, she had a vision, one that had overtaken her. She had nearly passed out. Tessie feared that the next time she would. But she wasn’t going to think about that now. She pointed to the notebook which Chip held.

“That’s the key.”

He cocked one eyebrow. “Which means?”

Tessie rolled her eyes. “It means that if we want to annoy whatever’s here enough to show itself.” She gestured to the notebook. “Then we use this.”

Both of Chip’s eyebrows rose in surprise. “You want to provoke the spirits here?”

Tessie grinned. “Exactly.” 

Chapter 11

“What should we do first?” Chip asked.

Tessie and Chip were in the kitchen, Room 15. The former detention room. Tessie figured that if they were going to piss off the spirits, they might as well do it thoroughly.

The notebook was open on the table. She had had Chip open it for her. She was afraid to touch it, worried that a vision would leave her incapacitated again.

Tessie pointed to the notebook. “I want you to rip out a page and crumple it up. Then throw it in the trash.” C

hip’s eyebrows rose. “And why do I have to do it?”

Tessie smirked. “Because I can’t touch the thing. Just do it.”

He walked forward and gripped one of the pages, giving it a good jerk. It ripped off easily, but with the tear Tessie winced. Her head throbbed, and she placed a hand on her forehead, shutting her eyes.

“Tessie?” Chip asked, about to set the page on the table.

She shook her head, her eyes snapped open. “No! Crumple it up and throw it away! Now!”

He was surprised at the sharpness in her tone, but he also seemed to understand not to screw with her, that she was in no mood for any kind of crap. He rolled the paper up in a ball, then pulled out the trash can from one of the cabinets. He let it drop. It fell into the can like Tessie expected it to. But what she didn’t expect was the sudden swell of dizziness that crashed in her head. She swayed on her feet. Chip moved to help her, concern showing on his face. Tessie’s eyes widened, staring at the notebook on the table. Her voice seemed to have left her, so she merely pointed. Chip jumped back a step.

“Holy hell.” He muttered.

 The notebook was glowing a florescent white, like it was bathed in moonlight, even though it was two in the afternoon. Not only that, a gust of wind shrieked through the room, causing the pages of the notebook to flap like it was alive.

 Suddenly, it was as if a tornado had entered the kitchen, tearing up the whole place. Pots and pans ricocheted off the walls, one flew near Chip’s head. He had to duck to avoid getting hit. Drawers flew open and the contents flew about the room.

“Whoa!”

Knives, forks, spoons, all of them whipped past Tessie.

 “Get down!” She yelled as she and Chip dropped to the floor. They were on their stomachs to avoid whatever was ripping through the kitchen.

“Let’s get out of here!” Chip yelled through the screaming wind. Tessie shook her head.

“Wait!” She shouted, and began to get to her feet. Chip gripped her arm to stop her.

“Are you crazy? Do you notice what’s going on here?” He asked, looking around at the rushing wind and cutlery flying about the room. She considered that for a moment.

She was just about to stand up in the middle of a hurricane tearing through her kitchen. Well, maybe she was crazy. But she wasn’t crazy enough to let this go on any longer.

“Don’t worry. I know what I’m doing.” She said, breaking away from Chip’s grasp.

“Tessie! Don’t be stupid, you’ll get killed with all the shit flying around! Get down here and let’s get out of here!” He shouted but Tessie ignored him, and stood up in the middle of the kitchen.

Her hair whipped around her face, blocking her vision, and the terrible screaming of the wind was pounding in her eardrums painfully. She didn’t pay any mind to this though, she began to yell.

 “You think you can screw around with me? You are wrong! You are below me! I am your master! You are dead! You are a spirit, and you are nothing!” She screamed.

 In response, the tornado just seemed to increase its speed and destructive course.

“Tessie! Get down!” Chip yelled, and Tessie ducked just in time for utensils and a pot to fly over the spot right where her head had been.

She swallowed but did not show her fear. She knew that she had to be assertive and take control of this thing that was haunting the school. It was not theirs. It belonged to the Porters, and Tessie intended to make that clear.

 “You do not belong here! This is my house, not yours! You are a coward! Show yourself, if you are so great!”

At that moment, everything became still. The cutlery clattered loudly to the ground, and the wind disappeared. Tessie’s hair fell limply at her sides. She sighed. Chip was still on the floor, but got to his feet as soon as he saw that the storm was over.

Tessie wasn’t sure what was to come next, but what she certainly didn’t expect was the little girl that came forward, seeming to walk right out of the walls. She wasn’t ghostly at all, in fact, she looked very much alive. She had skin the color of a peach, with rosy cheeks and dimples even when she didn’t smile. She was a skinny little thing, with long honey blonde hair and intelligent blue eyes that were much too focused for a child. She wore a simple plaid dress with a white shirt underneath. She clasped her hands in front of her.

“Hello.” She said. Her voice was very friendly. Tessie’s eyebrows rose.

“Who are you?” She asked the girl. Chip looked just as interested in who the child was as Tessie.

The girl smiled. “Cyndi.”

 Before Tessie could react, the child bounded forward and leapt into Tessie’s arms. She stumbled, surprised, but found that the girl was as light as a feather and actually very easy to hold. Cyndi buried her face in Tessie’s shoulder.

“It’s great to finally meet you.” She murmured.

Tessie looked at Chip for help but he just shrugged. Cyndi pulled back and smiled at her.

“Do you know who I am?” She asked her. Tessie shook her head.

“No, I’m sorry. Who are you, sweetie?” She asked kindly.

Cyndi’s smile widened. “You’ve read my story. You should know me quite well.”

All the blood drained from Tessie’s face. Her arms felt too weak to even support the light little girl. Cyndi seemed to sense this. She jumped out of Tessie’s arms just as they fell at her side. Cyndi held Tessie’s hand.

“I knew you’d recognize me. And I know you can help me.” She said, and hugged Tessie around the waist.

Chapter 12

“Wait a minute, how can you be Cynthia? You’re not dead. You’re obviously alive.” Chip said.

Cyndi turned around and smiled at him. “Oh, my full name is Cynthia Connie Evans, but please, call me Cyndi. And no, I may look alive by I am deceased.”

Tessie’s eyes widened in shock. “You’re Cynthia Evans?”

 

 She looked warmly at Tessie and nodded. “Yes. You’ve done your research. Tell Chip about me please, Tessie.”

Tessie had trouble keeping her jaw from dropping to the floor. “How do you know my name?”

Cyndi trilled out a laugh, shaking her head. “I know all about you Tessie Lea Porter. Your family bought Chester Elementary School one and a half months ago. When you all came to check the place out after the purchase, you found my notebook here”, she gestured to the wrecked kitchen.

“In Room 15. You read my story and even got a good idea about what my classroom was like.” She squeezed Tessie’s hand and lowered her voice.

“You also understand what my death was like. I’m sorry. I did not mean to frighten you. But you were the only person I could speak to. Trust me, telepathy is not my favorite form of communication, but it was the only way I could contact you without completely freaking you out. You have had visions before, I understand.”

Tessie swallowed and uttered out a shaky laugh. “You’ve done your share of research too.”

Cyndi laughed joyously again. “Oh, no. I’m more of an observer. But, does Chip know about me?”

 Chip scowled. “And, how do you know my name?”

Cyndi rolled her eyes, seeming to get annoyed. “Were you not listening Chip Timothy Kyle? I said, I am an observer. I know just as much about you as I do Tessie, thank you.”

He seemed to realize that the girl was getting irritated with him. He nodded. “Okay.”

Cyndi sneered. “As I was saying, Tessie, why not tell him about me?”

Tessie was about to speak, when Chip beat her to it. “I read your story. Did you write it?”

Cyndi’s face brightened. She seemed to enjoy this topic more than the last. “Oh, why yes I did. I wrote it a week before I died.”

Tessie swallowed. The way the girl spoke was like an educated adult giving a lecture. Very proper and sophisticated. She did not sound like a little girl.

“So you know enough about me to know that I died here?” Cyndi asked, addressing both Tessie and Chip. Both of them were surprised.

“Um, actually we did not know that.” Tessie said.

Cyndi looked embarrassed, she played nervously with a strand of her corn silk hair.

 “Oh, sorry. I did not mean to alarm either of you with this whole debacle, but I was getting a bit irritated. I apologize.” Cyndi said sheepishly, staring up at them with big blue eyes. Her eyes were so large they reminded Tessie of doe eyes. Cyndi kept ahold of Tessie’s hand, giving it another gentle squeeze.

“You can help us.” She murmured softly.

Tessie’s eyebrows rose. “Us?”

Chapter 13