WILLOW MANOR

Chapter Two

At first, Katie wasn't sure what had woken her. She rolled over and picked up her phone from the bedside table, checked the time. Three in the morning. She had been asleep less than two hours. Then she heard it again—a voice, soft and low, and very close. Her heart beat a little faster, a little harder. She had the distinct feeling that something was not right, that she was not alone.

Katie held her breath and leaned forward to listen. It sounded as if it were coming from inside her room. It was definitely a woman's voice, but if there was no Mrs. Barrington and no Miss Bonham, who was it? It sounded too adult to be one of the children. Stranger still, even though the voice was faint, she could swear it was saying her name.

"Katie." It was little more than a whisper, but not quite a moan. "Katie..."

Katie flipped on the lamp next to the bed and scanned the room for the source, but there was no one there. Still the voice continued to vocalize, albeit softly, and with difficulty. She listened more carefully, trying to determine its owner. Her initial fear began to give way to curiosity. "Hello?"

"Katie..." The woman said so softly, Katie nearly had to strain to hear her. Then, it seemed to gather both strength and volume. "Save them!"

This directive was so forceful that Katie jumped out of the bed, half from shock and half from concern. If she had any doubt the voice was real, it would have evaporated with that last statement. That was very definitely a demand and it was very definitely meant for her.

"Where are you?" Katie walked to the door. She listened. Nothing. She opened the door a crack. Light from her room cut a swath across the hardwood floor of the hall. There was no one there. "Hello?"

The house was completely quiet. The voice had been loud enough to wake Katie, so why was no one else in the hall? Surely that last statement—Save them—was sharp enough to make someone take notice, sleeping or not. Katie took a step out into the hall. The oak planks felt cool against her bare feet. She stood listening, waiting.

There was no sound at all. Not even a whisper of air from the air conditioner or the sound of crickets from the outdoors. The house was certainly well-built and well-insulated. She took a step or two down the hall. No light shone from under the other doors, no sounds from within.

And no ghostly voice, either. Katie sighed. She knew she hadn't imagined it. "Hello?"

Suddenly, the door to her left opened, and Walter Barrington stepped into the hallway in front of her. He seemed startled by her presence and closed his robe reflexively. "Miss Gallagher, what are you doing outside my bedroom?"

Katie blushed involuntarily. She had not thought to wear her own bathrobe, so she crossed her arms over her chest for propriety's sake. "Mr. Barrington, I—did you hear that?"

"Hear what?" He narrowed his eyes suspiciously.

"I don't know. I was sleeping and something woke me up." She cast her eyes around at the shadows in the hall, not quite dispersed by the glow of the lamp from inside her room or the small guide lights set into the baseboard of the hallway. "I came out here to see what it was."

"You heard something in the hall?" Walter stiffened. He seemed unsurprised, but also somewhat bothered. "I supposed you've heard all the stories about this place. I'm well aware of what people say. Well, then—"

"Yes. No." She frowned and collected herself. "I mean, that's not what's happening here. I heard an actual voice. I thought it was in my room, but there was no one there. So I thought I must have misheard. I came out into the hall to look for the source."

"A voice." He was not convinced. He raised his eyebrows, as if daring her to insult him with some wild rumor. Katie wondered if this obvious pride in the face of what he must think was criticism was behind the bus driver's warnings. "Well, who was it?"