The Girl in the Translucent Dress

The full moon rising into the eastern sky made the world of Keri’s house even more magical on this particular night. A warm breeze played the chimes on the wrap-around porch as if it were a piano. And with the chimes as a lullaby, we fell asleep, one by one, on sleeping bags covering most of the floor of her room and spilling into the hallway just outside it.

A foot stumbling over me in the middle of the night startled me out of a dead sleep, but only long enough to remind me I needed to turn over on my side. My arm had gone to sleep and was tingling like crazy. Seconds later, I was out like a light again. I thought I’d heard a door open downstairs, but that was my last memory.

I had no idea what time it was. All I know is that I was very sleepy and in no way ready to get up. Besides, it was still dark and the only indication of any time passing since my head had hit the pillow was the position of the moon in the western sky.

“Sam?” a barely audible voice whispered.

“What?” I mumbled.

“Will you come downstairs and talk to me? I’m scared.”

I opened one eye and looked at Caroline and grumbled something awful like, “No. Go away!”

I couldn’t see her, but I could feel her presence, still standing there, all dejected. Sheer guilt forced me awake.

“Okay, I’m up.”

“Shh,” Caroline admonished, putting her fingers over her lips. “You can’t do that! You have to be quiet.”

She literally dragged me down the stairs and into the sunroom. Her hands were cold and shaking. But there was a look on her face I’d never expected to see.

“Sam,” she began, “you can’t tell anyone what I’m going to tell you, and I mean anyone. They’ll think I’ve lost it for sure. Promise?”

“Promise.”

I shook all over and made that little sound you make when you’re scared spitless in a dream and you can’t make your legs run or your mouth work.

“Right,” I quivered. “I’ll get right on it.”

I actually had to hold my hand over my mouth and shake yes and no to her. All I wanted to do was charge back up the stairs, dive into my sleeping bag and be done with this sleepover. But it was still way too dark to go home.