Spirit Hunters

A NEW FRIEND Day 1-Monday morning
“Harper! Come quick!”
Harper Raine looked up from unpacking her books to see her four-year-old brother, Michael, in her doorway. He could hardly stand still, hopping on one leg and then the other. She wiped the sweat beading on her forehead and fanned
herself with the book she was holding. “Little dude, the bathroom’s across the hall,” Harper said, turning back to fill
her bookshelves.
“I don’t have to pee! I just want you to come to my room. Hurry up!” Michael said. He ran in and grabbed her by the hand, trying to pull her onto her feet. Deliberately making herself heavy, Harper slumped down and placed a little of her weight on his shoulders.
“All this unpacking and moving is exhausting,” she said. “Maybe you should carry me on your back.” “Okay, Harper, I’ll help you,” he said, his little feet sliding around on the wooden floors. With a loud grunt, her brother pulled harder, trying to move them as quickly as he could.
After a long moment, Harper smothered a smile and relented. She straightened up with a big stretch. “That helped a lot! Thanks, buddy!” He grabbed her by the hand again. “Let’s go!”
The hallway was even hotter than her room and Harper cursed their new but ancient house for the millionth time. There was a reason it had been abandoned for over twenty years. It was a wreck. When their parents had decided to relocate to Washington, D.C., they’d bought it because of its “gothic charm.” Harper still couldn’t figure out the charming part. One year of renovations and the house was still not ready, but it hadn’t kept their parents from moving the whole family
down from New York City in the height of the summer.
Michael seemed unaffected by the heat, rushing her down to the other end of the corridor. His room was the first that they’d unpacked so there were no boxes. It was bright and airy with three large windows that faced the front. Everything had been neatly organized and arranged by their mother and father. Harper was bummed that twelve was deemed old enough to unpack her own room. The only thing worse than unpacking was packing in the first place.
As she stepped in, she couldn’t help but notice how much cooler his room was. Puzzled, she sat on the edge of his bed, discomfited by the unnatural chill. “What are you so excited about?” she asked, ignoring the creepy-crawly
sensation that sent a shiver down her back.

“My new friend, Billy,” he said, pointing to the corner where his large toy chest sat.
Harper gazed at the corner, and the hairs on the back of her neck began bristling. There was a sudden distortion in the air, and her vision blurred. And “You can’t see him?” Michael looked crushed.
then nothing. She gave her brother a quizzical look.
He turned and stared at the toy chest again and then nodded. “Billy said you
have to be special to see him. I guess you’re not special,” he said sadly. His words triggered a sudden memory. Harper was five years old trying to introduce her best friend to her older sister, Kelly.
“I’m telling Mom that you’re making stuff up!” “I’m not! She’s right there. Why won’t you believe me?”
There was a loud humming in her ears and she could feel the beginning of a migraine throbbing in her right temple. She took a deep breath and focused on her brother. But before she could speak, there was a knock at the door and their mother, Yuna, appeared.
“Michael, you can’t leave your toys out in the hallway,” she said. “Somebody could trip and hurt themselves on them.”