Chapter 2

Jennie sat bolt upright in her bed. She blinked twice and prepared to let out a scream that her father in the States would hear.
"No, wait! Please don't scream," the boy said softly.
This caught her off-guard. She stopped and looked in his eyes...his BIG eyes...his big, beautiful, brown eyes...they looked so sad...
She shook these thoughts out of her head quickly. "Why shouldn't I? And who are you, anyway!?"
He sighed, and his eyes looked even sadder. "Don't you recognize me? I'm Freddie."
She froze. All of a sudden, she had a flashback. She saw it like somebody was playing a film in her head.

FLASH:She was four, Freddie was six. They were playing hide and seek.
FLASH:She was five, he was seven. He was pushing her on a swing-set.
FLASH:She was six, he was eight. She was talking to a doctor, who was telling her that Freddie wasn't real. Freddie was standing in the back round, his eyes sadder than ever.

She gasped as she returned to the present. She looked at Freddie. "It IS you."
He looked relieved and smiled just a little.
She shivered. "Why is it so cold in here?"
"Oh, sorry. I'm a ghost, so it's kind of an occupational hazard."
Jennie stared. "WHAT?"
Freddie sighed. "I died in 1886."
"Then how come when I was little, you were too?"
"We can make ourselves appear younger than we were when we died."
"I have to be hallucinating."
"Think what you like, but I'm real."
"You can't be. You died a hundred years ago!"
"Technically, it was a hundred and twenty three years ago."
"Shut up! You're not real."
"Yes I am."
"How come no-one else can see you?"
"Ghosts choose who they reveal themselves to."
"That actually makes sense, but I still don't believe you."
"If I wasn't real, could I do this?" He slapped her.
"Ow! What'd you do that for?!"
"Well, I had to prove I was real somehow."
"Yeah, well, you're still not."
"Oh, I'm not?" He slapped her again.
"Ow, would you stop that!?"
"I can't. I'm not real." He slapped her a third time.
"Ow! I said STOP IT!" She shoved him. He chuckled.
"Now THAT'S something you couldn't do unless I was real."
She was stunned.

"So..............you ARE real."
"Yes."
"And you died in 1886."
"Yes."
"Can you tell me how?"
He was hesitant.
"I could, but it'd be easier to show you."
"How could you do that?"
"It's complicated, I'm not even sure how it works. But I've done it before. I just need you to trust me."
He held out his hand.
Jennie thought about it for a moment, then she took a deep breath, and took hold of his hand.
"Okay, let's do this."
"Alright, this is very important. Don't let go of my hand until we get back to the present. If you do, you'll be stuck in 1886 forever."
"You mean we're time-traveling??"
"Yes."
"Is it safe?"
"Of course. Although I've never done it with a living person before."
"WHAT?"
"Hold tight!"
All of a sudden, she felt like she was being shoved through a tube three sizes too small. She couldn't breathe.
She grabbed Freddie's arm.
"Hold on! We're almost there!"

They landed hard on the ground. Jennie fell to her knees and started gasping for air.
Freddie pulled her up and showed her where they were. It was her house, but it looked brand new. Of course, that's because it was.
"Come on," he said. "It happens inside."
She took a deep breath. It suddenly occurred to her what she was about to see. She was extremely grateful to be holding Freddie's hand.
They went inside the house. Freddie pulled her along to a study, her bedroom in 2009. Inside was Freddie, a breathing Freddie, writing a letter.
Jennie looked at the Freddie in the study, then at the one holding her hand. He looked mournful.
All of a sudden, a loud crash came from the attic. The Freddie in the study jumped up. "Mother?" he called. He ran for the attic. They followed him.
When they reached the attic, they saw a woman with long, curly, strawberry blond hair. She was standing by a broken window.
Living Freddie stopped. "Mother?" he said. "Are you alright?"
"Come here, Freddie," she said in a eerie whisper. "I need to show you something."
Jennie gasped. She knew what was coming. Freddie's hand was shaking in hers.
Living Freddie walked slowly over to the window and looked out. Jennie closed her eyes.
She heard Living Freddie gasp. There was a slight scuffle, the woman grunted. Freddie was yelling, but was silenced by a sickening thud.
Jennie opened her eyes. The woman was standing directly in front of the window.
Living Freddie was gone. Jennie put her free hand over her mouth as the woman took a deep breath and jumped out the window.
Jennie sobbed. "Take me home, Freddie."