Wayside: A Serial Novel - Episode 12
This is a work of fiction. Unless otherwise indicated, all the names, characters, businesses, places, events and incidents in this book are either the product of the author's imagination or used in a fictitious manner. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental.
Episode 12 – Ghosts
“Good morning everyone.” Ben’s eyes scanned the faces of his fellow Founders’ Council members staring back at him onscreen.
“Good morning,” they responded with unenthusiastic waves and forced smiles.
“Looks like everyone is here, so let’s go ahead and get started.” Ben cleared his throat. “First, thanks to each of you for rearranging your schedules this morning to join this meeting. I know this is very short notice, but we had an incident happen overnight which requires our attention. As you saw in your messages this morning, the mural at Wayside Community Academy was vandalized. Joel and the security team have inspected the academy building and grounds, and have found no other damage to the property. I’m also very thankful to share there are no reports of any harm to residents or guests. That said, we all know what the mural means to Wayside. Not just the students at the academy, but our entire community. Joel and his team will continue investigating the matter, but in the meantime, we need to get some communications out to the community. I’ve asked Tony to draft a message for us to post in the Wayside communications app and a statement to be read over the radio this morning. We’ll take a look at what he’s prepared in a moment, but first, I want to open the discussion and invite each of you to ask questions and express any concerns you might have.”
“I’ll go first,” Cassie jumped in. “How did this happen? I thought we had security cameras everywhere?”
“We do,” said Joel. “We’ve got a couple of different cameras pointed at the mural, but the feed is unmonitored. Up until now, we’ve not had any reason to worry about security threats inside the gates, so we’ve only been monitoring the feed from the cameras outside the gates. The footage from all cameras is recorded, though. So we pulled it this morning from the two cameras with a view of the mural, and we caught the vandal on video. Ben, would you mind if I show the footage?”
Ben nodded, then clicked a button to give Joel host rights to the virtual meeting.
A few seconds later, Joel’s desktop appeared onscreen. He opened an mp4 file and a video of the mural appeared. The timestamp was 2:34 am. For the first few seconds, nothing happened on the black and white video; all appeared normal and calm.
Then a person appeared from around the side of the academy building. The image was distant and grainy, but it appeared the individual was wearing a hoodie sweatshirt with the hood over their head. The Founders’ Council members watched in shock as the person pulled a can of spray paint from the kangaroo pocket of their hoodie and began covering the mural with it. The person moved fast, running back and forth in front of the mural, waving their arm in wide, exaggerated strokes to spread as much of the paint as they could. When the paint ran out, the person pocketed the empty can, kicked the side of the building a few times, then stepped back to admire their work.
Then they raised both arms, extending their middle fingers toward the mural, shaking their hands angrily. They turned and ran into a wooded area separating Main Street from the residential areas of Wayside, disappearing between the trees.
Cassie winced and shook her head slowly. “Who would do something so horrible, knowing how much it would hurt the kids at the academy?” She rested her palms over her belly. Beside her, Chris placed a protective hand on her back.
“You know, Cass, it may very well have been one of the students at the academy,” said Jessica with a loud sigh. “Those of you who came to the Teachers’ Day event yesterday probably heard Omar talk about how angry he was when he came to Wayside, and how hard he worked to get a grip on it. I’m glad he brought it up and was willing to talk so openly about it, because he’s not the only one who has struggled with emotional dysregulation and behavioral issues. If we think this pandemic has been traumatic for us adults, imagine how it’s been for children who were born in the midst of it, or who’d only been alive for a short while before it began. They didn’t get to leave all that trauma behind when they moved to Wayside. It came with them, and has enduring impacts on their daily lives. I really don’t want to believe that one of our students could be responsible for this, but I wouldn’t rule out the possibility either.”
“I appreciate the theory, but the person in the video doesn’t look like a child to me,” said Joel. “I imagine most kids would have been in bed fast asleep around the time this all went down. I’m also wondering where a kid would have gotten a can of spray paint. I called Wayside Mart and they don’t keep it in stock, nor did they have any record of anyone ordering red spray paint and having it shipped here. It had to have come from the outside. I believe we’re looking for an adult, around five and a half feet tall, give or take a few inches.”
“That could be most anyone here at Wayside,” said Su-Jin.
“And everyone was wearing hoodies yesterday for the Teachers’ Day event, so the clothing on the person in the video isn’t going to help us figure out who it might be,” Chris chimed in.
“What about footage from other cameras?” Prateeka asked. “Do we know which direction the person went after they walked into the woods?”
“We’re still taking a look,” said Joel. “We spent this morning reviewing footage from the cameras outside the gates. No one climbed over the wall to get inside, and no new guests were signed in yesterday at the main gate. Whoever did it was already inside.”
“I’m worried about this person,” Reese chimed in. “This was an act of rage. I’m concerned they might escalate and do something worse. We need to figure out who it is and help them, so they don’t cause further harm. Including to themselves.”
Several of the council members nodded in agreement. A long silence followed.
“Hey Ben,” Siado finally broke it. “I don’t mean to be rude but… don’t you have a guest staying with you right now? Any chance it might have been her?”
Ben’s eyes widened. He blinked several times. “I really don’t think so. The whole reason she’s visiting is because she’s thinking about applying to live here, and bringing her mother with her as a dependent. Her mom is terminally ill and she’s desperately trying to keep her mom from getting infected with anything that might shorten her life, seeing how she doesn’t have much time left. She’d have a lot less stress, and a lot more support here than on the outside. I can’t imagine she’d do anything to sabotage her chances of getting in here. It just doesn’t make sense. But to be fair, I’ll mention what happened last night to her and see how she reacts to the news. I just don’t think it was her.”
Josina’s eyes grew wide as she watched Ben speak. “I’m sorry to hear about what your friend is going through, Ben.” Her face softened in an expression of sympathy.
“Thank you,” he replied. “I don’t have any reason to believe it was her.”
Bellamy chimed in. “I don’t think it was Ben’s guest either. I met Olivia yesterday and I didn’t get any sense that she’d want to harm anything or anyone here. I spent some time talking with her at the academy while she and Ben helped me set up lunch, and I thought she was really nice.”
“What if she was just making that stuff up?” Siado challenged Bellamy.
“I don’t see why she’d do that,” said Bellamy. “I gave her some sip valve masks to help her keep her mom hydrated and fed without unmasking while they have to be in healthcare settings. She was asking questions and she seemed really excited about them. It didn’t seem insincere.”
Siado rolled her eyes and shook her head.
“Is something wrong, Siado?” Josina called her out.
“No, it’s just….” Her voice warbled. “It’s not fair. Ben had that guy Kevin come to see him, and now this girl Olivia. We know nothing about these people, so why can’t we ask questions about them?”
“Siado, any of us can have guests come visit,” said Josina. “You know that.”
“Well, I couldn’t, when I wanted to bring someone here.” She crossed her arms defiantly.
“That’s not true,” Josina disagreed. “You can bring anyone you want to visit you here. They just have to go through the same 10-day quarantine that all other guests do. Both of Ben’s guests have gone through quarantine. If your friend had been able to quarantine for 10 days, she could have come in to see you.”
“But she didn’t have 10 days, she had to fly out of the country! I told you that, Josina!” She broke into tears.
“Siado,” Josina cajoled, “I know you’re upset about not being able to see your friend. It sucks, I know. I’m sorry. But right now, we need to focus on what happened last night with the mural and come up with a plan for moving forward. That’s our job as council members.”
“Okay, okay,” Siado sniffled loudly. “Listen, I’m sorry, everyone. I’ve had a few rough days and I’m not feeling well. I need to bail on this meeting. Whatever the group consensus is on any decisions that need to be made, I’ll go along with it.” She disconnected from the meeting.
Another stretch of awkward silence followed.
“Poor Siado,” said Su-Jin. “Does anyone know what’s going on with her?”
“She’s shared some things with me. I can go check on her after we wrap up the call,” Josina offered. “We should continue. Ben, I think you mentioned Tony had drafted a statement from the Founders’ Council to the community? Should we take a look at it?”
Ben nodded, grateful for Josina’s direction. “Yes, thank you. That’s a good idea.”
After Ben passed the meeting host controls to him, Tony shared his screen, reading aloud the paragraph he had typed for the council’s response.
“Early in the morning on October 6, the mural at the Wayside Community Academy was vandalized by an unidentified individual. Video footage from security cameras reveals that a person in a hoodie sweatshirt approached the building at 2:34 am and covered the mural with red spray paint, then exited through the wooded area adjacent to Main Street. If you have any information about this crime, please contact Joel Howard, Director of Security at Wayside, or submit a tip anonymously through the Wayside communications app.”
Silence followed as the other council members reflected upon the message.
“It sounds kind of… I don’t know, intimidating,” said Prateeka. “The word ‘crime’ bugs me. Especially if it was a kid who did this, like Jessica suggested. Maybe we soften the language a bit?”
Tony nodded. “I can see your point. How about ‘incident’ instead of ‘crime?’ Can we all live with that?”
Nods and thumbs up followed from the council members.
“Maybe we could add a statement at the end that if anyone is struggling emotionally and would like to talk about it, they could contact the chaplain’s office or call the mental health center’s help line,” Reese suggested. “This person is probably dealing with emotions they need help managing. They might not be willing to turn themselves in and face judgement, but if they could at least open up to someone and get connected with the right kind of help they need, it might prevent them from doing something like this again.”
“I like that idea,” said Jessica.
“Me too,” Cassie added.
“Me three,” said Josina.
“I can add that, sure,” said Tony. “Any objections?”
“Not objecting, but…” Joel paused to collect his thoughts. “Maybe we should be careful not to make the message too soft. Someone did commit a crime, after all. So we have a duty to report this incident to Pine County Police Department.”
“I’d rather avoid that if we can,” said Ben. “Perhaps we could handle this privately within our community before we involve law enforcement from outside of Wayside. Maybe we could add to Tony’s message an appeal to the person who did it. What if we say that we’re going to give the person who vandalized the mural 72 hours to come clean before we escalate the matter and involve law enforcement?”
“And then what?” Joel asked. “We don’t have our own court system here. There’s no judge or jury to decide how this gets handled.”
“That’s a valid point,” Bellamy said. “This probably won’t be the last time a crime is committed at Wayside. We need to think about what it could mean for us to try and take justice into our own hands.”
“Maybe that’s the best way for it to be handled for something like this,” said Chris. “I mean, yeah, vandalism is a crime. But no one got hurt. It was just someone taking out their anger on a wall with a can of spray paint. Jessica pointed out that people who do this kind of thing aren’t managing their emotions well, probably because of some kind of trauma they’ve suffered. And yeah, the sight of the vandalized mural is going to upset people, especially the kids at the academy, but we can’t protect everyone’s feelings all the time. Things are going to happen, and we as a community are going to have to face them and get through them. The important thing is, the mural can be fixed. The person who did it can be held responsible. They can pay for the costs, maybe even help repaint the mural as an act of community service.”
“Ok, but where do we draw a line?” Bellamy asked. “If we’re too soft in how we handle this, we’ll be making a statement that vandalism isn’t so bad and we’re willing to just let it slide. What if someone vandalizes The Black Sheep next? I’ll have to shut down my business long enough to clean up the damage.”
“I’m not saying we just let it slide completely,” said Chris. “But Bellamy, haven’t you ever slipped up and made a mistake? Maybe not spray paint a wall, but have you ever been pulled over for speeding? Ever left something in your shopping cart at a store and missed it while you were checking out, then walked out of the store to realize you hadn’t paid for it? Has anything like that ever happened to you?”
“Well, yeah,” said Bellamy. “Everyone makes mistakes.”
“I’m glad we agree,” said Chris. “We all make mistakes. But it’s a very different experience to make a mistake when you’re a person of color. If the person who vandalized the mural isn’t white, chances are they could end up with this on their criminal record. Maybe they’d even face a steep fine they couldn’t afford, or even jail time.”
“What?” Bellamy laughed. “I can’t imagine anyone would go to jail for something as trivial as vandalism.”
“I know you can’t imagine it,” said Chris. “Bellamy, I say this with love – you can’t imagine it because you’re white.”
Bellamy was taken aback. “Come on, Chris. You know I’m not racist.”
“I know you’re not,” he replied. “I’m just making the point that in general, law enforcement isn’t as lenient toward people of color. There are plenty of statistics to back that up, but I’m also speaking from my own personal experiences as a person of color. I’m speaking up on behalf of every person of color here at Wayside, because we experience life very differently in this country than the white majority.”
“I echo everything Chris just said,” said Josina.
“Me too,” said Prateeka.
“Me as well,” said Su-Jin.
Ben nodded. “Yeah. Chris is making an important point. When he mentioned the possibility of someone going to jail, it gave me pause. That person likely wouldn’t be able to mask or take any other measures to protect themselves from infectious diseases. A fellow Waysider would have to do something pretty bad before I’d even consider putting them in such a predicament.”
“I hear you all, and I’m not disagreeing with you,” said Bellamy. “I’m just saying I don’t think it’s likely anyone would be put in jail for spray painting the side of a building.”
“Actually,” said Jessica, “Omar had been put in juvenile detention for vandalism before coming to Wayside. He’d been walking through the parking lot at a shopping mall with a girl he was dating and her two siblings. One of them was keying cars. Someone witnessed it and called the police. When they arrived, Omar was singled out and taken in by the officer. He didn’t even have any keys in his hands. The other kids? They were driven home to their parents by a different officer. Guess what made Omar different from the other kids in the group?”
Bellamy frowned. “He was Black.”
Jessica nodded. “Yes. When he first told me about it, it seemed so outrageous, I didn’t want to believe it either. So I got the police report and read it myself. Every word he’d said was true.”
“Oh my God.” Bellamy rested her head in her hands. “I’m sorry, everyone. I didn’t mean to be dismissive of your concerns. I still have a lot to learn, and you’re being generous enough to share perspectives with me that I’ve never considered. I’m going to honor that by doing less talking, and more listening for the moment.”
“I appreciate you, Bellamy,” said Chris. “You handled that with more grace than most people would.”
“Thanks,” she replied. “Keep talking. I’m listening.”
“We have very little control over what happens outside of Wayside, where the roots of systemic injustices run deep,” said Chris. “But here, in our own community, we do have some control. I believe we can handle this both compassionately and fairly.”
Joel nodded. “I hear you all, and I agree we have to be thoughtful about how we deal with this. I think we’re mostly on the same page about what our concerns are, and what we’d like the outcome to be. Now we just need to tighten up the message. I like the idea of encouraging anyone who is struggling with their emotions to talk to someone like Reese, or call the help line. The news might be triggering for Waysiders. I think we’ve all felt a lot safer since moving here, so this incident might disrupt that sense of security for many of our neighbors. And I think Ben has a good idea as well, as far as inviting the person who did this to come forward before we report to law enforcement. Ben, what do you think should happen next, if someone did come forward?”
“Best case scenario,” began Ben, “would be that the guilty party fesses up, tells us what drove them to do this, apologizes, and then we give them a chance to make it right. We can figure out later what that looks like, but we can at least put the word out there for now. If we can’t figure out who vandalized the mural, and if no one comes forward, we can reconvene in a few days and decide our next steps. But for now, we should at least get the communications sent out. What does everyone think?”
Eleven heads nodded back at him, followed by words of affirmation.
Tony made the needed edits onscreen to his draft of the message while the council watched, then all voiced their approval.
“Thank you everyone,” said Ben. “Before we adjourn, are there any other questions or comments?”
“Actually, yes,” said Jessica. “Something happened this morning which could be insignificant, but I thought I should mention it anyway.”
The rest of the council leaned closer to their computer screens, newly intrigued.
“When I arrived at the academy this morning,” Jessican began, “one of the students was waiting outside of my office. Tori Moseman, she’s a first-grader.”
Chris and Cassie broke into smiles. “We know Tori,” said Cassie. “She’s a doll. The Mosemans are our next-door neighbors.”
Jessica smiled back at them. “Then I’m sure you know about Tori’s imaginary friends.”
Breaking into laughter, Chris and Cassie nodded. “We’ve passed by the playground behind our building a few times and have heard her talking like she’s having a conversation with someone else, but nobody is around.”
“Those are her ‘friends,’” said Jessica, hooking her fingers into air quotes. “Macie and Ty. They don’t usually follow her to school, but they did this morning, according to Tori. She said Macie and Ty told her they saw who spray-painted the school building, but they won’t tell Tori who it was. They like the person who did it, and don’t want to get them in trouble.”
Everyone in the meeting laughed.
“Well, that’s super helpful,” said Joel with a wide grin. “I’m afraid I don’t have much experience interviewing imaginary witnesses.”
“Actually,” said Su-Jin, “Do you think it’s possible Tori saw what happened – or heard someone talking about it – and wants to speak up, but is using her imaginary friends to help her do so?”
Jessica shrugged. “I guess it’s possible. Things were a bit chaotic this morning. I know where she likes to sit at lunchtime, so I could go join her today and ask her to tell me more about Macie and Ty. Maybe if I show interest in her friends, some valuable information might come out.”
“Good idea,” said Ben. “And Jessica, thank you for getting to the academy early this morning, getting the drape taken care of, and breaking the news to all the students. I hope this doesn’t have too big an impact on the students’ morale.”
“Actually?” Jessica sat up straight, grinning from ear to ear. “The kids all seemed bummed about it for a minute, but when I reminded them of the homecoming dance later this week, they quickly got over it. They’re too excited about that right now to care about anything else.”
“Oh, that’s right!” said Reese with excitement. “I remember seeing a couple of announcements about it, but can you give us the details again?”
“Sure,” Jessica continued. “Friday, October 9, at the Carolina Corral. Back in the days of YOLO park, it was one of the outdoor theatres where they held live shows and hosted dance and cheer competitions. There’s a huge dance floor and it’s covered by a pergola with twinkle lights. Bellamy is going to set up a punch table and water coolers, and Tony is going to bring a camera and do portraits for the students in their formalwear. The dance for the kids is from 7 to 10 pm. Then all the grownups can come crash the party and dance till the wee hours of the morning!”
The council members applauded and cheered.
“I love that!” said Reese.
“Me too,” said Cassie. “As a kid with cystic fibrosis, I wasn’t able to go to school dances. Now that I’ve got new lungs and I’m in a place where I don’t have to worry about getting infected with anything that might kill me, I can’t tell you what this means to me, that I can actually go to a dance now. If I can find a dress to fit over my ginormous gut, that is!”
Her fellow council members laughed.
“I’m going to need a dress myself,” said Reese. “If anyone else wants to go shopping for formal wear, I can reserve vehicles for us so we can go to the Pine Tree mall one evening this week.”
“Count me in,” said Cassie.
“Me too,” said Prateeka.
“I don’t need a dress, but I’d be happy to tag along and help the rest of you shop!” Bellamy offered.
“Same here,” said Su-Jin.
“Well, I’m going to need a suit,” said Ben. “Save me a seat on the van.”
Reese counted on her fingers. “So that’s six of us. One van should do it. Anyone else?”
The others shook their heads.
“How about tomorrow evening? 6 pm-ish? We can meet at the main gate. I’ll drive.”
“Sounds like we’ve got a plan,” said Ben. “Thanks again, everyone, for joining the call this morning. If there are no other questions or comments, we can adjourn for now and reconvene on Friday morning to discuss the next steps in our response to the vandalism incident.” He paused for a few seconds to see if anyone else wanted to speak, then waved to his fellow council members. “Thanks everyone. Have a great day.”
A chorus of farewells followed.
“Bye everyone!”
“Have a good Tuesday!”
“See you on the dance floor this Friday!”
***
After ending the emergency Founders’ Council call, Ben dressed and went downstairs to find Olivia frying eggs.
“Good morning,” she said groggily. “I hope you don’t mind me getting some breakfast started. I did a lot more walking yesterday than I normally do, so I’m starving this morning!”
“No problem,” said Ben as he filled a mug with coffee. “What’s on the menu?”
“Chilaquiles,” she said. “I found everything I needed to make them in your fridge except for cheese to add on top, but my mom’s recipe is so delicious, I promise you’ll never miss it.”
“It sounds great,” said Ben. “Sorry my fridge is so bare. We should go to Wayside Mart and grab some groceries today.” He stared into his coffee, which was absent the creamer he usually added to it. He’d run out a couple of days ago. Josina had always done the grocery shopping while she’d been living there, and had always kept him stocked up. The days following her departure were filled with reminders of all the many ways she’d taken care of him. He realized how much he’d taken her for granted. He would tell her so, after Olivia finished her visit and left Wayside.
He would tell her everything.
Olivia finished up in the kitchen and brought two plates to the table. She placed one in front of Ben, the other in front of the seat at the far end of the table. As she pulled back the chair, it banged loudly against the glass window. “Ooof, sorry about that!” She winced, then eased into the chair.
“I should be the one apologizing,” said Ben. “I should have warned you there’s not much room in the dining area. I really should get a smaller dining set so my guests don’t risk knocking the window out whenever they pull the chair out from under the table. Sorry about that.”
“No worries,” Olivia said as she stuffed bites of fried tortillas and eggs in her mouth. “I can help you shop for one, if you’d like.”
“Thanks for offering,” said Ben. He sampled the chilaquiles. “This is really good. You said it’s your mom’s recipe?”
She nodded while chewing another bite.
“How is she doing? Any news from back home?”
“She’s holding steady for now. No big changes in her condition.”
“That’s good.” Ben smiled. “I’m sure you miss her.”
“I do, yes,” said Olivia.
“When do you plan on finishing up your visit and heading back home?” Ben asked. “I don’t mean to pressure you, I’ve just got something important I need to do after you depart, so I’m trying to plan around whenever that might be.”
Olivia put her fork down and sipped her coffee before speaking. “Maybe… this coming weekend? If you don’t mind me staying a few more days.”
“Sure, that’s fine,” said Ben. “Saturday?”
She hesitated for a second, then nodded. “Sure. Saturday. I’ll be packed and ready that morning.”
For the next few minutes, they ate without speaking.
After finishing his breakfast, Ben broke the silence. “I need to ask you something else, Olivia. Did you step out of the house last night by chance?”
“I did,” she said. “Just long enough to make a phone call back home. It was late and I didn’t want to wake you, so I stepped outside.”
Ben nodded. “Did you walk around, by chance?”
“Yes. I pace when I talk on the phone, so I walked around a little bit. I hope I didn’t wake up any of your neighbors. I’m so sorry if that’s the case.”
“No, no one has said anything,” Ben assured her. “I’m asking because there was an incident last night near the main gate. Any chance you wandered up that way and might have seen anything out of the ordinary?”
“No, I didn’t go that far. I just walked around the cul-de-sac a couple of times. What happened, anyway?”
“Someone vandalized the mural on the academy building.”
Olivia’s eyes widened. “That beautiful mural we passed right after you picked me up at the gate?”
Ben nodded. “Yeah. That’s the one.”
“Oh God, how awful. No, I didn’t go anywhere near there.” Her jaw dropped. “Ben, I hope you don’t think I had anything to do with whatever happened to the mural. I give you my word, I had no part in it.”
“I believe you,” he said. “Don’t worry about it. We’ve got cameras all over Wayside and our security team is reviewing footage today, so hopefully that will lead them to the person who did it.”
“Good,” Olivia nodded. “I’m sorry to hear that it happened and I hope you can find out who’s responsible.”
“So do we. This kind of thing is just unusual for Wayside, so it’s unchartered territory for our Founders’ Council. We’re having some hard discussions about how to deal with it. We’ll figure it out, though. Nothing you need to worry about. On a different note, did you bring a dress with, you by chance?”
“No, just blue jeans, sweaters, and sweatshirts. Why?”
“Wayside Community Academy is having their homecoming dance on Friday night from 7 – 10 pm. After the kids go home, all the grownups in the community are invited to take over the dance floor. Would you like to go?”
“I’d love to!” Olivia said. “I haven’t been dancing in ages. Where can I get a dress?”
“A small group of us are going to mask up and go shopping tomorrow evening at the mall in Pine Tree. I need a suit myself, so you can help me pick one out after you find a dress.”
“Sounds like fun,” she grinned. “I have to confess, after you invited me to visit you at Wayside, I had no idea what to expect from this place, from the people here. So I looked up the Chat with Chatleigh episode with your interview and watched it. You seemed so serious, I was kind of worried it would be all about rules and order at Wayside, and everyone would be really uptight here. It’s been so nice to see that Waysiders are just… like regular people, who do regular things.”
Ben smiled. “We are regular people, who live very normal, boring lives for the most part. The only real difference between us and everyone else in the world is we’re committed to keeping each other safe. The world changed; we adapted because we believed in each other, believed our health was worth preserving, and our lives were worth protecting. Life is already hard enough without having to worry about constant illness, new disabilities, and deaths that could have been avoided. We don’t have to worry so much about those things anymore. This is a wonderful way to live.”
“I can see that.” Olivia stared wistfully at Ben. “Done with breakfast?”
“Yes, thank you. You’re right, it was so good, I never even missed the cheese.”
She reached for Ben’s plate, stacking it atop hers, then stood and pushed her chair out from under the table. Once again, it banged against the window with a loud CLACK. “Ugh, sorry!” Olivia groaned. “I completely forgot about the window being right behind me. Did I break it?”
“No, it’s just fine,” he laughed. “It would take a lot more force than that to break the glass. I really need to do something about that. I’ll work on finding a smaller dining set.”
“Or I can just sit in a different chair next time,” said Olivia with a smile. “I can adapt too.”
***
At lunchtime, Jessica found Tori sitting by herself on a bench under an oak tree.
“Mind if I join you?” Jessica asked?
Tori nodded vigorously, sending the spiral curls of her pigtails in motion. She moved her lunchbox from the beach seat to her lap to make room for her principal to sit beside her.
“Are any of your classmates planning to join you, or are you eating solo today?” Jessica asked.
Tori finished the last bite of her sandwich, washing it down with a swig of apple juice. “Just me,” she said cheerfully. “I get along okay with the kids in my class, but they think I’m weird, so I usually just eat lunch by myself.”
“Oh no,” said Jessica. “Why do you think they think that about you?”
“Because of Macie and Ty,” said Tori with a frustrated sigh. “They’re my best friends but if I talk about them, everyone thinks it’s weird.”
“How come?”
“Because nobody else can see them. Or hear them. Just me.”
“I see.” Jessica nodded. “You know, when I was your age, I had a friend named Oliver that nobody else could see or hear. Just me.”
Tori gave her a curious look. “Really?”
“Yes. I was an only child, like you. Sometimes I would get lonely. So I made up Oliver in my mind. I would pretend I could see him and talk to him, and that made me feel not so alone.”
“Oh, so he was an imaginary friend,” observed Tori. “Macie and Ty aren’t imaginary. They’re real. Other people can’t see them or hear them, but I certainly can.”
“Hmm. Okay,” said Jessica. “Do you know why others can’t see them or hear them?”
Tori nodded. “I think it’s because they’re dead.”
“Oh,” Jessica said with surprise. “Well, that’s very sad. So are they ghosts?”
“I don’t know. On TV ghosts are creepy and scary. Macie and Ty aren’t creepy or scary. They’re just regular kids.”
“I think ghosts can be kind and friendly, and not at all creepy,” said Jessica with authority. “In fact, I’m sure of it. When I was a little girl, there was a show on TV about a friendly ghost named Casper. Have you heard of it?”
Tori shook her head. “No ma’am. But I believe you.”
“He was a very nice ghost. Instead of scaring people, he was kind to them, and he liked to help whenever he could. Are Macie and Ty like that?”
Nodding, Tori reached into her lunchbox for a plastic bag filled with grapes. She put one on her mouth and offered the bag to Jessica. “Sometimes, yes. Like when we play hide-and-go seek, the one who isn’t hiding tells me where to find the one who is hiding.”
Jessica laughed as she accepted one of Tori’s grapes. “Thank you for sharing,” she said. “Do Macie and Ty share too?”
“Not exactly. Whenever I see them, they never have snacks or toys or any other things with them.”
“Hmm. Well, sharing isn’t always about material things. Sometimes people share things like stories. Or jokes. Or secrets.”
Tori nodded, curls bobbing wildly. “Yes ma’am. They tell stories and jokes and stuff.”
“Earlier this morning, you told me they shared with you that they knew who painted over the mural with spray paint. That’s kind of like sharing a secret, I guess.”
Tori scowled. “Not really. They just told me they knew who did it. But they won’t say who it is. They just said they like the person who did it, and they don’t want them to get in trouble.”
“I see,” said Jessica. “Do you think another kid might have done it? I bet they remember what it feels like to get in trouble with parents and teachers, and they wouldn’t want it to happen to another kid.”
Tori shrugged. “I don’t know. I guess grownups could get into trouble too.”
“That’s true.” Jessica rubbed her hands over her arms. “Goodness, it just got chilly all of a sudden.”
“That’s because Macie is here,” said Tori. “That always happens when they come around. Ty is hiding behind the tree, so it’s not as cold as it is when both of them come near.”
At the mere suggestion of a ghost in their presence, goose bumps sprouted on Jessica’s arms. She crossed them over her chest. “Well then… hello Macie,” she said. “And hello Ty, behind the tree.”
Tori smiled. “Ty is laughing.”
“Do they usually come to see you for lunch?”
“No ma’am,” said Tori. “They don’t usually come to school at all.”
“So it’s unusual that they’re here now. Do you know why they’re here?”
Tori stared blankly for a few seconds, then nodded. “They heard us talking about them, about what they saw when the mural got messed up.”
“I know they don’t want the person who did it to get in trouble,” said Jessica, “and I don’t want that either. None of us here at Wayside do. We grownups on the Founders’ Council think the person who did it was having some big feelings, like we all do sometimes. We think maybe the person felt angry or sad or helpless, and it led them to do something they normally wouldn’t do. It’s more important to us to find out if that person still needs some help dealing with their feelings. Because if so, we have people here at Wayside who can help them.”
Tori nodded, taking it all in. “Macie says she was crying when she did it.”
“She?” Jessica repeated. “So it’s a girl? Is she a student here at the academy?”
“Macie says no.”
“She’s a grownup girl?”
Tori paused, then answered. “Yes.” Then added, “Ty is coming out from behind the tree.”
Jessica smiled. “Maybe he has something to add to the conversation.”
“He says… don’t be mad at her for doing it. She’s not a bad person, she just made a mistake. He’s telling Macie not to say anything else about her. And he wants me to tell you to please stop asking.”
“Okay,” Jessica said softly. “I can respect that. Everyone has the right to set boundaries.”
“They don’t know what ‘boundaries’ means.”
“You can teach them,” Jessica laughed softly. “Do your mom and dad know about Macie and Ty?”
“Yes ma’am. They think they’re my imaginary friends, like Oliver was for you. Are you going to tell them we talked about them?”
“Yes, I’ll mention it,” said Jessica. “I hope you don’t mind.”
Tori sighed and shrugged. “No, I don’t mind. But they don’t believe me, that Macie and Ty are real. Do you believe me, Ms. McRae?”
Jessica thought carefully before responding. “I believe that you believe. And I can understand why Macie and Ty would want to hang out with you.”
“Why’s that?”
“Because you’re a cool kid, and you’re a good friend. I bet some of your classmates will see that too someday. You should try having lunch with them sometime. Give them a chance to get to know you.”
Tori smiled. “Maybe.”
Jessica rose from the bench. As she started walking back toward her office, a random thought crossed her mind. She reached into her pocket for her phone and opened a browser. In the search field, she typed ‘names of people who died at YOLO Park’ and hit enter.
A split second later, a list of names appeared with the ages of the individuals in parenthesis beside each.
The last two names on the list stopped her in her tracks.
Marceline Grantlin Cole (6)
William Tyndall Cole (5)
After screenshotting the full list of names, she opened the Founders’ Council group text in her messaging app.
Quick pop quiz, Jessica wrote. Can anyone name any of the people who died here when it was YOLO Park?
Several minutes passed before anyone replied.
Josina Hussein: I’m embarrassed to admit it, but no. ☹
Chris Corio: Same for me and Cass
Ben Santos: Shamefully, I can’t name any names either.
Tony Angelo: I don’t remember. And as the communications and media guy here – I should know this stuff. Shame on me ☹
Prateeka Singh: One of them was a man named Sandeep. I remember seeing all of the media coverage about the victims, but that’s the only name that stuck in my memory, since I have a cousin with the same name.
Reese Ternier: I remember seeing the news about it as well, but don’t remember any of the names either. I feel like we should know them. It was their deaths that led to the park closing down, which ultimately led to us making our home here at Wayside.☹
Jessica McRae: Thanks to those of you who were able to get back to me quickly. I know the rest of the council members are probably tied up at the moment and can’t readily respond, but I’m willing to bet they don’t know any of the names either. Reese, you’re right. We only have a home here, and can live safely, because of the tragic deaths that happened here. Those people are an important part of our history. I feel like we should at least know their names. And we should think about a meaningful way to pay homage to them. Their lives mattered. Their memory matters still.
Josina Hussein: You’re absolutely, right, Jessica.
Bellamy Fisher: Late to the discussion, but yes, agree with all this. ☹
Cassie Corio: Chris and I agree. We’re curious, what made you think of the YOLO Park victims, Jessica?
Jessica McRae: Remember this morning, I mentioned one of our students got some information about the vandalism of the mural from her ‘imaginary friends’ Macie and Ty?
Cassie Corio: Yes, Tori. We live next door to her. Sweet kid. 😊
Jessica McRae: I just spoke with her again. She told me the kids she talks to aren’t imaginary and insists they’re real, but she thinks no one else can see them or hear them because they’re dead – but they don’t know it. After we spoke, I remembered hearing about two children who drowned on the log flume ride at YOLO Park. So out of curiosity, I looked up the names of everyone who died here. Take a look at the last two.
Jessica added the screenshot to the chat. Seconds later, the replies began to appear.
Bellamy Fisher: Macie could be short for Marceline, and Ty could be the nickname for William Tyndall. Wow.
Reese Ternier: Holy shit!!!
Chris Corio: So our neighbor’s kid is a medium. That’s wild!
Josina Hussein: We shouldn’t be so surprised. We’re a community of sentinels, after all. We all ended up here because each of us could, in some capacity, see or hear or sense what everyone else around us could not.
Jessica McRae: Indeed. The longer I live here at Wayside, the less skeptical I become; the more I understand that life is full of mysteries we can’t explain. Seeing the names of those people humbled me. I think we all felt the weight of this morning’s news about the mural being vandalized. The kids in our community created something beautiful, and a vandal covered it with paint to hide it. But the people who died here? We’ve allowed the same thing to happen to them. Under the hustle and bustle of our everyday lives, they’ve become hidden from our memory. We have to fix that.
Ben Santos: Thank you, Jessica. You’re right.
Jessica McRae: Sorry for writing a thesis above, LOL. But I feel passionate about this all of a sudden. We have to honor them somehow.
Cassie Corio: Absolutely. I’m crying my eyes out over the idea of the two kids who died here not understanding that they’re dead. OMG. Maybe Wayside really is haunted.
Josina Hussein: We’ve got our weekly brunch tomorrow for the ladies… perhaps we invite the gentlemen to join us so we can talk through some ideas?
Bellamy Fisher: Good idea, Josina.
Reese Ternier: Yeah! I love it 😊
Prateeka Singh: Sure! I’m sure Su-Jin is seeing patients right now but she’d be cool with it.
Josina Hussein: I’m going to check on Siado this afternoon. I’ll mention it to her.
Tony Angelo: Heck yes I’d love to crash your brunch tomorrow! I can make it.
Chris Corio: Me too
Ben Santos: Sounds like we have a plan. Brunch tomorrow. One more thing – Jessica, did your student mention anything else about the vandalism incident that might be helpful?
Jessica McRae: She said Macie and Ty told her it’s a girl, but she thinks they mean an adult rather than a child. She said the girl isn’t a bad person and they don’t want her to get in trouble, which is why they wouldn’t share more details. Oh – and they said the girl was crying while she was vandalizing the mural.
Ben Santos: I spoke with Olivia this morning. She said she stepped outside last night long enough to make a phone call, but didn’t go beyond the cul-de-sac. I don’t believe she had anything to do with it.
Tony Angelo: That’s good to know. Hopefully we’ll hear from Joel soon. Maybe something else will turn up in the camera footage. At any rate, our message has been posted in the Wayside communications app and it’s been read with the morning news over the radio this morning. The word is out. Now we wait.
Jessica tucked her phone back in her pocket. She turned to wave to Tori before entering the academy building, but couldn’t get the girl’s attention. She was too busy running circles around an oak tree, either chasing – or being chased – by two friendly ghosts.
***
That evening, Cassie reached into her closet for a box of mementos from her lung transplant surgery. The cardboard container was filled with cards, letters, her hospital bracelets and patient education booklets, and a scrapbook full of photos from her hospital stay.
And at the bottom of the box was a book she’d received from the organ procurement organization, ‘The Next Place,’ by Warren Hanson.
She remembered how, in the days following the surgery, it seemed to hit her all at once. The fact that her failing lungs had been removed from her body and she’d been given someone else’s healthy lungs suddenly became real. Like everything up until that point in her life had just been a dream, and she was just now waking up to a new reality. The emotions that followed were bittersweet and intense. She was overjoyed to have been given a second chance at life, but was burdened with the awareness it had come at the cost of another life.
She hadn’t anticipated how that would feel, hadn’t expected she’d need to grieve for a person she had never met. She didn’t even know their name.
But she was overwhelmed with gratitude and love for them; equally overwhelming was her sorrow for their loss.
Once she’d been able to articulate those complex emotions to the people caring for her in the hospital, she was reassured that all of her feelings were normal, and grief for the donor was part of the journey.
She was given the book ‘The Next Place.’ The lady who gave it to her explained the donor’s family received the same book, and offered to read it aloud for Cassie at her bedside. Cassie gave her a nod and listened as the woman read.
The book was an illustrated poem that imagined the next place we go after death. It was not religious and held no agenda for the reader. It simply described a place of wonder and peace, where love lived forever and people were free of the earthly burdens of pain and sorrow.
Cassie had wept while the words were read to her. She imagined her donor in the next place. She imagined making the journey there herself someday. She remembered how peacefully she had slept that night, and how much she’d been comforted by the book’s beautiful message in the days following.
She carried the book with her as she peeked in on Chris, who was still on a call with a client on the west coast. Once she got his attention, she motioned toward the door to let him know she was stepping outside.
Cassie made her way to the playground behind their building. She sat on one of the benches that hugged the perimeter and opened the book, resting it on her lap.
“Hi Macey and Ty,” she said, in barely a whisper. “I can’t see you, or hear you, but I’ve heard about you from my little neighbor, Tori. Do you like bedtime stories? If so, I’d love to read one for you. You’re welcome to come sit near me so you can see the pictures in the book.” Cassie paused to take a few deep breaths.
She rubbed her arms for warmth; the air had grown chilly all of a sudden.
“The Next Place, by Warren Hanson,” she began, opening the book to the first page. She fought back tears as she read through the story. She imagined a little boy and a little girl sitting on either side of her.
She spoke to them as if they were real.
At the end, she closed the book and held it against her chest.
“Macie and Ty, I hope you liked the story,” said Cassie. “And I hope you can find your way to the next place. It sounds so lovely. I hope I get to meet you there someday.”
Unable to hold back any longer, Cassie wept.
As the setting sun cast different hues of orange, pink, purple, and blue in layers across the sky, her baby stretched and kicked in her belly.
She closed her eyes and breathed in, breathed out, clutching the book to her chest as if she were holding on tightly to the moment itself, feeling it living and dying, embracing all of its joy and sorrow.
The end of one story, the beginning of another.
A cool breeze kissed her face and rustled her hair.
“Good night, Macie and Ty,” Cassie whispered into the wind.
***
The following morning, Cassie woke up early.
She couldn’t remember what she had dreamed, only that she’d had a good dream. The details lingered in the corners of her mind but were fading fast. She was okay with that.
It was just a dream.
Chris remained sound asleep as she dressed and stepped outside to see the sunrise.
To her surprise, Tori was swinging on the playground. She waved to the little girl.
Mid-air, Tori jumped from her seat on the swingset, landed not-so-gracefully on the ground, then stood and brushed the sand from her pants. She dashed toward Cassie.
“What are you doing up so early?” Cassie laughed as she made her way to the playground, easing herself onto a bench.
“My friends Macie and Ty woke me up early,” Tori said as she approached. “I couldn’t go back to sleep!”
“My goodness,” said Cassie. “Do your mom and dad know you’re out here on the playground?”
“Yes. They get up early for work so they’re awake too. They told me it’s okay to be out here as long as they can see me, and I can see them through the window.” She turned toward the building and waved in the direction of her apartment. Cassie glanced up to see that Tori’s dad was sitting by the window drinking coffee. She waved in his direction as well. He waved back.
Tori climbed onto the bench, scooting next to her neighbor until their legs were touching. She straightened her fingers and held up her hand to the corner of her mouth, leaning toward Cassie, to whisper in her ear. “I have to tell you a secret.”
Laughing, Cassie leaned closer. “Okay, I’m listening!”
“They liked the story you read them last night. They told me to tell you thank you.”
Cassie’s heart skipped a beat. “What?”
“They liked your story. They said thank you for reading to them.”
“Oh,” Cassie took a deep breath, feeling her stomach flip-flop. “Tell them they’re welcome.”
“I can’t. They left Wayside. They woke me up so they could tell me goodbye.”
“They did?” Cassie pulled back, faced Tori. She blinked her eyes in disbelief.
“Yeah.” Tori nodded, her curly pigtails bobbing up and down. “They said their grandma has been coming here to get them, but they thought their parents might still be here and they didn’t want to leave without them. Last night, they finally decided to go with their grandma. It was because of the story you read them.”
“Did you hear me reading the story to them?”
Tori shook her head. “I didn’t. I promise.” She looked down. “Miss Cassie, your hands are shaking. Are you okay?”
“Yes, sweetheart, I’m okay. Just… emotional.”
“Maybe I can hold your hands, to keep them from shaking.”
“I’d like that.”
Tori wrapped her own tiny hands around Cassie’s, giving them a gentle squeeze.
“Thank you, Tori.” Cassie’s heart was pounding in her chest, her respirations picking up. “You really see these kids, and you talk to them?”
The little girl nodded. Unflinching, her big brown eyes held Cassie’s gaze. “They liked your story about the next place. At first, they thought it was make-believe. But then the baby told them it was real.”
“Baby?” Cassie said in barely a whisper. “What baby?”
“Your baby, silly. He told Macie and Ty that the next place is real. It’s where we all come from, and where we all go back to. We forget when we’re born, but we remember when it’s time to go back, so it’s like coming home. And all of our loved ones will be there. We just take turns. We go at different times.”
Tears spilled from Cassie’s eyes. She exhaled loudly. “Really? They could hear him?”
“Yes,” said Tori. “They said he knows all about it because that’s where he was before he was in your belly.”
“He’s kicking right now,” said Cassie. “Would you like to feel it?”
“Yes, please!”
Cassie took the little girl’s hands, gently placing them on her belly. Tori gasped at the sensation of the baby’s movements beneath her fingertips.
“Can you hear him too?” Cassie asked.
Tori shook her head. “No,” she said. “I could only hear Macie and Ty. But they’re gone now. And I’m sad, because they were my best friends. Now I’m going to be lonely.”
“I bet when the baby is born, he’ll want to be friends with you. And I’ll be your friend too, of course.”
“I’d like that,” Tori said, then wrapped her arms around Cassie in an embrace.
Cassie hugged her back.
“All the kids at school think I’m weird,” said Tori.
“Oh honey, there’s nothing wrong with being weird,” Cassie laughed. “I’m weird too. I bet we’re a lot alike.”
“Really? Do you see things nobody else can see?”
“Yes I do,” Cassie smiled. “There must be a reason why we’re like this, don’t you think?”
Tori nodded her head furiously, setting her curls into motion once more.
Cassie leaned in closer to the little girl, holding a hand around her mouth to shield the words she would speak next. “So maybe we’re not weird after all,” she whispered in Tori’s ear. “Maybe we’re special.”
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