Christina's Ghost Read Online Free Page B

began to feel more excited than scared. This was an adventure. She pictured the little boy standing out on the pier, his hand raised, as if to congratulate her on how well she’d swum. And suddenly she knew she had to see him again. She wanted to help him.
    How could she bring him back?
    Chris thought about it all the rest of the day. She swiveled her head around so often, looking for the boy, that Uncle Ralph asked her if there was something thematter with her neck.
    The next morning she was up early and outside, wandering restlessly around the yard. She walked along the shore, and all around the edge of the lawn, peering into the woods. When she reached the big garage behind the house, she hesitated, then tried the door. It opened into shadowy depths.
    In the light from the tiny windows the garage loomed as large as a church. Some folding chairs hung from the walls, and on the far side a small boat was balanced on the rafters.
    Chris started to back out before she noticed a board propped against one wall. It took a minute for her to realize it was a swing. The seat was sanded, and the heavy ropes were firmly tied.
    Someone must have made it for the little boy but hadn’t put it up.
Why not?
Chris wondered. She tugged the swing out into the sunshine, feeling as if she’d found what she’d been looking for.
    Once again she circled the yard, this time searching for a tree with straight, sturdy branches. The best one was close to the shore. She hurried back to the garage and found a ladder to help her into the tree’s lower branches. Then she pulled up the swing and tied it to the biggest branch, using knots her father had taught her.
    The seat of the swing hung high, so she had to standon tiptoe to hitch herself onto it. Cautiously at first, to test the knots, then higher and higher she flew. With blue sky above her, sparkling water below, she felt as free as the eagle that sometimes soared over the lake in wide circles.
    When the swing slowed to a stop, she was hardly surprised to see the little boy watching. He was at the edge of the woods, and his shy smile made her long to comfort him.
It’s his swing
, she thought,
and I’m the one who’s riding on it
. She smiled at him encouragingly, till he faded back into the shadows and was gone.
    â€œYou looked as if you were having a good time this morning,” Uncle Ralph commented at lunch.
    Chris glanced up, surprised. Most of the time she paged through comic books while she ate, because Uncle Ralph always brought a book to the table and seldom spoke.
    â€œI saw you swinging,” he explained. “I’ve been coming out occasionally to see how the swimming was going, but I got involved in something and I didn’t see you put up the swing. You should have let me help you. Are you sure it’s safe?”
    â€œI know how to do stuff like that,” Chris told him.
    â€œHmm.” He looked at her, hard. “Still, I think I’ll check after lunch.”
    Chris shrugged, annoyed.
I thought you didn’t wantto be bothered
. She swallowed the words. After all, it was kind of nice to have him talk to her, since there was no one else around.
    After lunch, she rinsed the dishes while Uncle Ralph went outside. When her work was finished, she dashed upstairs and peeked out of her bedroom window. Uncle Ralph was down at the lake front, straddling the branch that held the swing. One hand fingered the knots and tugged at the ropes; the other hand clutched a smaller branch overhead. When he was satisfied, he began edging backward, very slowly.
    He’s scared!
Chris realized. Imagine a grown man afraid to climb out on a branch as sturdy as that one! She ducked back from the window and waited till she heard her uncle come in and return to his study.
    For a few minutes this noon she’d thought about telling him some of the exciting discoveries of the last few days. She could have mentioned how well the swimming had gone