Farewell Summer ~ Ray Bradbury - Marimarister

―Heck,‖ said Tom, ―I don‘t know.‖
―Don‘t ask me,‖ said Bo.
―Well,‖ said Charlie, ―it‘s sure a god-awful racket. If there‘s another scream, I‘m getting
out of here.‖
They stood alert and waited, almost not breathing. Silence. And then, suddenly, more
groans and cries and then something that sounded like a weak cry, ―Help.‖
Then it faded away.
―That‘s it,‖ said Charlie. ―I‘ve had enough.‖
―Me too,‖ said Bo.
The two boys turned tail and ran.
There was a great whispering and the hair stood up on the back of Doug‘s neck.
―I don‘t know about you,‖ said Tom, ―but I‘m get-tin‘ out of here. If you want to stay to
listen to some darned ghosts, you can, but not me. I‘ll see you at home, Doug.‖
Tom turned and ran.
Alone, Doug stood for a long while staring at the old house. Then he heard someone
coming up the path behind him. He turned, his fists clenched, ready to defend himself against the
midnight assailant.
―Lisabell,‖ he said. ―What are you doing here?‖
―I told you I‘d be here. But what are you doing here? I thought you were a scaredy-cat. Is
it true what they say? Did you find out anything? I mean, it‘s all darn foolishness, isn‘t it?
There‘s no such thing as ghosts, is there? That place can‘t be haunted.‖
―We thought,‖ said Doug, ―we‘d come here and wait and see. But the others got scared
and left and now it‘s only me. So I‘m just standing here, waiting, listening.‖
They listened. A low cry wafted out of the house into the night air.
Lisabell said, ―Is that a ghost?‖
Doug strained to listen. ―Yes, that‘s one.‖
A moment later they heard another great whisper and cry.