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Laura shivered. “Creepy, but continue.”
“Then, one day, he spoke for the first time. He said the name Sarah Lennox. Not long after that, you visited, and he’d show up from time to time. He seems interested in you.”
Laura’s eyes widened. “Interested how? Should I worry?”
“I don’t think so. He’s nice. Still doesn’t say much. I’ve never gotten bad vibes, even though Apollo doesn’t like to be in the same room as him.”
“Why do you think he’s interested in me?”
“Still trying to figure that out.” Cassie shifted and tucked her feet underneath her to warm them. “My nightmares have slowly transformed. At the end of the one I had on our drive over here, five-year-old you told me it was my fault Sarah died.”
Laura brought a hand to her mouth. “I’m sure that’s not true.”
“It might be.” Cassie ran a hand through her hair, picking apart the knots with her fingers. “Either way, I don’t remember what happened that night. But that’s not the weird part.”
“Oh, we haven’t gotten to the weird part yet?”
“Last night, I had the same dream, but instead of you standing there at the end, it was him. The little boy.” She held up the teddy bear. “Last time, you handed me this and told me it was my fault Sarah died. This time, he handed me the bear and told me, ‘They need you.’”
“They? Who’s they?”
“I got this sense of people surrounding me, like ghosts I couldn’t see. Then everything faded, and I woke up. He was standing in the corner of the room, staring at you.”
Laura swallowed and looked around the living room. “Is he here now?”
“No.” She placed a hand on Laura’s arm. “I don’t think you need to worry. He won’t hurt you. I think he’s trying to tell me something. I’m just not sure what it is yet.”
“Maybe it has something to do with Mr. Brownie?”
“Mr. Brownie!” Cassie held up the stuffed animal like it was Simba. “You really weren’t clever with your names, were you?”
“I was three.” Laura took the bear and looked him over. “He’s seen better days.”
“Speaking of those days, a memory resurfaced when I picked him up.”
“Of what?”
“Sarah Lennox.” Cassie jabbed a finger at the bear. “Specifically, about holding Mr. Brownie and being told she couldn’t come over to play anymore. Mom and Dad were telling me she died.”
“That must’ve been weird.” Laura looked at Mr. Brownie like he had powers of his own. “Do you remember anything else?”
Cassie’s throat was dry, and she had to swallow before she could speak again. “When they told me this, I don’t remember being sad or angry. I was confused.”
“I feel like I won’t enjoy what’s coming next.”
“Sarah was standing in the corner of the room. More specifically, her ghost was standing there. She was waiting for me to play with her.”
Laura held up her arm. “You’re giving me goosebumps. That’s super creepy.”
“It wasn’t creepy to me.” Cassie shrugged and looked back down at Mr. Brownie. “I knew she wouldn’t hurt me. I’m not even sure she knew she was dead.”
“Did you know she was dead?”
“I don’t think so. I guess I thought she was invisible? I knew Mom and Dad wouldn’t understand, so I kept it a secret and probably didn’t tell you because you were my little sister.”
Laura threw her head back and laughed. “Yeah, that sounds about right.”
“It wasn’t hard for me to keep those kinds of secrets.”
