Feb 5, 2019 6 min read

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¦ CHAPTER ELEVEN

A decision

The story so far: While walking in Aunt Sarah’s garden, Sally has made a friend from next door, Emily. The two girls have ventured into an old barn on the property and are climbing into an old-fashioned sleigh.

The sleigh gave a profound sigh as Sally stepped into it, as if it, like the barn doors, had not been so disturbed in years. She reached down and took Emily’s hand and helped her up. The black leather seat was covered with a network of tiny cracks, like a map of some heretofore undiscovered land. A fat white spider scuttled away and disappeared. Sally and Emily sat down on the splitting seat and looked up at Shadow, who blinked from the driver’s seat, his green eyes glowing.

“Come on down, Shadow,” Sally said. “I want you to meet Emily.” Just as if he had understood, Shadow jumped down and sat between them, purring and rubbing against their sides in a friendly manner.

“I used to be afraid of him,” Sally said, as if that had been a very long time ago. And indeed it did seem to be. She told Emily about the diary, and about the other Sally and her cats, and about Elizabeth.

“It’s a real mystery,” Emily said. “Maybe the cats saw what happened to her.”

They laughed. “Do you think they did, Shadow?” Sally asked. “Did Mrs. Niminy Piminy see what happened?”

“Sally!” a voice called. Shadow looked quickly at Sally and Emily, then hurried to the barn doors.

“Here I am,” Sally replied. Just as Shadow reached the doors, the crooked fingers of Aunt Sarah’s hand appeared at the edge of one of them. Emily gasped. Now Aunt Sarah’s face showed in the space between the doors. “Oh, there you are,” she said, frowning into the darkness.

Oh dear, Sally thought, she’ll scare Emily. “It’s only Aunt Sarah,” she whispered.

“Who’s that with you?” asked Aunt Sarah.

“This is my friend Emily. She lives next door,” Sally answered.

“Hello,” Emily whispered.

“Hello, Emily,” said Aunt Sarah briskly. “You two can play later. Hurry now, Sally. It’s your mother on the phone. You may be going home tomorrow. Don’t make her wait. Hurry!”

“My mother!” Sally cried. She looked at Emily. “Please wait,” she said, and jumped down from the sleigh.

Emily nodded. Her hands were clasped tightly together in her lap.

Sally’s hand was trembling as she picked up the telephone receiver. “Hello, Mama,” she said.

“Sal!” said her mother. “Oh, it’s good to hear you! Are you all right, darling? Aunt Sarah says you have a little cold.”

“Yes,” said Sally, “I’m all right.”

“Hi, Sal!” said her father. “Do you want your mom to come and get you, Sally?”

“Yes, Sal,” said her mother, before she could answer. “When I gave Mrs. Chipley Aunt Sarah’s address, I hardly expected-Aunt Sarah says she’d like to have you stay, but it’s up to you.”

“She-she would?” asked Sally.

“Yes, hon, but,” and her mother lowered her voice, “I know she’s not used to children, and maybe you feel-strange there? And I do miss you.”

“I miss you, too,” said Sally, and then, to her surprise, she heard herself say, “but I’d like to stay here. I really would.”

“Are you sure, Sal?” asked her mother.

“Yes, I’m sure. I like it here. I’m looking for a doll. She was lost here a long time ago, and maybe I can find her. I want to try.”

“Sal,” said her father, “Mom’s ready to leave now if you say the word.”

“No, I really want to stay,” said Sally. “Honestly I do. Shadow’s licking my hand,” she said, laughing. “He’s this black cat that Aunt Sarah has, and there’s an old red sleigh in the barn, and there was a girl who lived here a long time ago who looked just like me, and her picture is in my room, and I’ve found a friend. Her name’s Emily.”

“Goodness!” said her mother. “I guess you really do want to stay. Very well, then, dear, but you can call us if you change your mind.”

“All right,” said Sally, “but I don’t think I will.” After saying good-bye, she hung up and turned to Aunt Sarah. To her immense surprise, Aunt Sarah was smiling.

Sally smiled shyly back at her.

But at this, Aunt Sarah turned her head to look at Shadow, cleared her throat, and said only, “Well, Shadow’s looking very happy that you’re staying.”

And so am I, thought Sally.

She hurried back out to the garden and into the barn. “Emily!” she called, before she had even gotten through the doors. “I’m staying! We can do all sorts of things!” But the sleigh was quite empty. “Emily?” she called.

“Why did you go, Emily?” she whispered. “Aunt Sarah scared you away.”

Sally went back into the garden and called. She stood beneath Emily’s window and called. But there was no answer. The shade had been drawn down.

Somehow, it didn’t seem good to be staying here after all. Maybe she should have asked her mother to come. Maybe she should call her back.

But there was still Elizabeth.

Yes, I want to find Elizabeth, she told herself. And I will, somehow.

Dinner that evening was a rather festive occasion, eaten at the big round dining-room table. “A celebration,” said Aunt Sarah, as she lit the tall white candles she had placed on the table.

“What are we celebrating?” asked Sally, who was still unhappy about Emily.

“Perhaps we’re celebrating your visit here,” said Aunt Sarah. “We haven’t really done it properly yet. I think Shadow is very happy to have you in the house. He’s never had a child around, you see. That’s why he was so unfriendly at first, I suppose. I believe he’s sorry. I think he feels it’s a happier house with you here.”

How funny Aunt Sarah was, always talking about Shadow and how he felt. Did she mean she was happy to have Sally here, too?

NEXT WEEK: Rainy day