I opened my mouth to call for Tess but no words would come.   I tried to swallow but my mouth was suddenly dry.  I worked my tongue for spit and tried to talk again.

          “Tess,” I managed a whisper.  I hit my cousin without taking my eyes off the white object in the vineyard.

          Tess turned over.  “What?”

          She opened her eyes and must have saw it too.

          “Jake, what is it?” She shot up.

          “I, I don’t know.” I stammered.

          A light flashed behind us.  Tess screamed.  I turned.  Ben was standing on the back porch of the guesthouse.

          I fell back down on my pillow.

          “What’s all the ruckus?” He asked us as she flipped on the porch light.

          “We, a, we were just deciding to go sleep inside.”  I said grabbing Tess.

          “Yeah,” she grabbed our pillows.  “Night Ben.”

          And we ran into the house.

          “All this ghost talk has me jumpy.”  I said.

          “I wonder what was in the vineyard?”  Tess asked.

          I was fine not knowing until morning.

          “Do you think it was a ghost?”  Tess asked.

          “You’re the scientist, remember.  You’re the one who isn’t supposed to believe in ghosts.”  I said.

          “I don’t think I do.  But those three kids seemed freaked out by them.  They obviously believe.”  Tess said.

          “I hope we never see those three again.”  I said.

          “Sarah seemed ok.  Besides, don’t you what to know who they are and why they believe in ghosts so much?”  She asked.

          “Not really,” I said yawning.  “Besides, how do you know the whole ghost thing isn’t just part of Miles’ habitual teasing?”

          “Something’s going on, Jake.  Something’s very strange is happening here and I want to know what it is.”

          My mind wandered back to the skeleton we’d found.

          “I’m going to ask them about ghosts tomorrow,” Tess said.

          “We don’t know where to find them.”  I said.

          “Oh, I have a feeling they’ll find us,” Tess said.  “They seem to be popping up all over.”

          “You noticed that too,” I said.  “No matter where we went today, they always seemed to be right there.”

          “Do you think they are following us?”

          “I hope not!”

          By the time breakfast came, I had almost forgotten about ghosts…until Ben and Grace showed up.  Maybe it was because they looked so old and white.

          “What have you two got planned for today?”  Mom asked as we helped clear the table.

          “We’re taking the quad down to the river,” Tess said. “We promised my dad we’d search for some medium sized river rock in interesting colors for the wall he’s putting around his new outdoor grill.”

          “Be careful with the hitch on the older trailer Jake,” Dad told me.  “It doesn’t latch all the way.”

          “Maybe they should only take the one and make more trips,” Mom cautioned.

          “I attached a bolt to the underside,” Ben said.  “It should be all right, so long as they don’t go too fast.”

          Ben, fixed the trailer?  This surprised me.  Ben helped in the garden and whittled on the back porch.  Ben napped and smelled like mothballs.  Ben did not fix quad trailers.

          “Thanks,” Dad said.  “Here that sport?”  He asked me.  “Take it easy.”

          “Here that?” I looked at Tess.  “’Cause I’m taking the one I can haul a…”

          “Jake!” Mom stopped me.  “Don’t even say it.  And let your cousin have first pick at the quads.”