think it’s the best. Idea. Ever.” Jac declared. “You know what? I’m leaving the house anyway. Orin or no Orin. I need some
cake. So don’t put this guilt trip on yourself that I’m going to get in trouble because of you. Trust me, I plan on getting
in trouble no matter what. Call him now, okay, Kat?”
I sighed.
“Okay.”
Jac hung up without saying good-bye, which she often does when she’s ready to move on with the next segment of her day. I
picked up Orin’s card again, stared at it for a moment, then dialed.
Chapter 13
Orin didn’t sound at all surprised to hear from me. Maybe he had a touch of clairvoyance, or else he was just one of those
people who played it cool. Either way, he acted like he’d been expecting my call.
“So I take it you’re ready to start learning about energy? We can start with how to manage all the spirits trying to get your
attention, but you’re going to need a basic education in the property of psychic energy, too.”
“No, Orin, I don’t . . . I mean, yes, I would like to learn about that stuff. The panic attacks aren’t going away by themselves
or anything. But this isn’t about that.”
“Okay,” Orin said, sort of carefully.
I decided there was no point in a cloak-and-dagger routine. I cut to the chase.
“I’m calling because of Tank.”
There was a pause.
“Tank? I’m sorry, Kat, but you’re taking me by surprise. Did you know him? I thought you moved to Seth Avenue after . . .
after.”
“We did,” I said. “It’s complicated. Um, okay, those panic attacks I’ve been having? That you said are from me blocking spirits
trying to get my attention? It all started inside that house next door. Tank’s house. There’s a reason I keep going back to
that house even though there’s an old man there who terrorized me. It’s because I saw something. I saw Tank, well, Tank from
before the accident, for the first time a couple days ago. Ever since then, I’ve felt like —”
“Wait,” Orin said. “You
saw
Tank?”
I nodded, then remembered I was on the phone and Orin couldn’t see me.
“Yeah,” I replied.
“Where was he? What happened?”
“From my room, I can see his window. I was thinking about doing a photography project on the house, because it seemed like
it had a lot of stories to tell. And I saw Tank—actually I accidentally photographed him. That’s what gave me the idea to
go over there the first time. I found his room. It has this sunburst painted on it.”
“Kat, this is important. Did you make contact with Tank? Was he able to communicate with you?”
“Well, that’s the thing,” I said. “I couldn’t. He didn’t seem to see me or know I was there at all. Listen, I’m confused,
Orin. How do
you
know Tank? And if Tank’s alive, who did I see over there? Is it possible his consciousness is traveling while he’s in a coma?”
“Kat, are you willing to go back over to the van Hecht house? I’d like to meet you there.”
I paused. The whole reason I’d called Orin was to suggest we meet. But I wasn’t sure if I was ready to go back to the van
Hecht house, where I was so likely to face the enraged old man again.
“I know it was scary the last time you were there, Kat. I know there’s a particular spirit who’s causing you a great deal
of stress. But I think you might need to face it in order to get past your problem. And in doing so, you may be the only person
who can help me with mine.”
There was another silence.
“Oh man, what am I thinking?” Orin said suddenly. “I’m not thinking, that’s the problem. This must sound . . . Kat, you’re
right to be cautious. You don’t know me and you don’t trust me, and that’s smart of you. You shouldn’t be meeting me alone
in an abandoned house. I’m sure if you ask, your mother would come along. That way, you’d feel safe.”
This was exactly what I did not want—my mother coming along to meet Orin in an old
cake. So don’t put this guilt trip on yourself that I’m going to get in trouble because of you. Trust me, I plan on getting
in trouble no matter what. Call him now, okay, Kat?”
I sighed.
“Okay.”
Jac hung up without saying good-bye, which she often does when she’s ready to move on with the next segment of her day. I
picked up Orin’s card again, stared at it for a moment, then dialed.
Chapter 13
Orin didn’t sound at all surprised to hear from me. Maybe he had a touch of clairvoyance, or else he was just one of those
people who played it cool. Either way, he acted like he’d been expecting my call.
“So I take it you’re ready to start learning about energy? We can start with how to manage all the spirits trying to get your
attention, but you’re going to need a basic education in the property of psychic energy, too.”
“No, Orin, I don’t . . . I mean, yes, I would like to learn about that stuff. The panic attacks aren’t going away by themselves
or anything. But this isn’t about that.”
“Okay,” Orin said, sort of carefully.
I decided there was no point in a cloak-and-dagger routine. I cut to the chase.
“I’m calling because of Tank.”
There was a pause.
“Tank? I’m sorry, Kat, but you’re taking me by surprise. Did you know him? I thought you moved to Seth Avenue after . . .
after.”
“We did,” I said. “It’s complicated. Um, okay, those panic attacks I’ve been having? That you said are from me blocking spirits
trying to get my attention? It all started inside that house next door. Tank’s house. There’s a reason I keep going back to
that house even though there’s an old man there who terrorized me. It’s because I saw something. I saw Tank, well, Tank from
before the accident, for the first time a couple days ago. Ever since then, I’ve felt like —”
“Wait,” Orin said. “You
saw
Tank?”
I nodded, then remembered I was on the phone and Orin couldn’t see me.
“Yeah,” I replied.
“Where was he? What happened?”
“From my room, I can see his window. I was thinking about doing a photography project on the house, because it seemed like
it had a lot of stories to tell. And I saw Tank—actually I accidentally photographed him. That’s what gave me the idea to
go over there the first time. I found his room. It has this sunburst painted on it.”
“Kat, this is important. Did you make contact with Tank? Was he able to communicate with you?”
“Well, that’s the thing,” I said. “I couldn’t. He didn’t seem to see me or know I was there at all. Listen, I’m confused,
Orin. How do
you
know Tank? And if Tank’s alive, who did I see over there? Is it possible his consciousness is traveling while he’s in a coma?”
“Kat, are you willing to go back over to the van Hecht house? I’d like to meet you there.”
I paused. The whole reason I’d called Orin was to suggest we meet. But I wasn’t sure if I was ready to go back to the van
Hecht house, where I was so likely to face the enraged old man again.
“I know it was scary the last time you were there, Kat. I know there’s a particular spirit who’s causing you a great deal
of stress. But I think you might need to face it in order to get past your problem. And in doing so, you may be the only person
who can help me with mine.”
There was another silence.
“Oh man, what am I thinking?” Orin said suddenly. “I’m not thinking, that’s the problem. This must sound . . . Kat, you’re
right to be cautious. You don’t know me and you don’t trust me, and that’s smart of you. You shouldn’t be meeting me alone
in an abandoned house. I’m sure if you ask, your mother would come along. That way, you’d feel safe.”
This was exactly what I did not want—my mother coming along to meet Orin in an old
Similar Books
