CHAPTER ONE

 

Peyton Delaney sat pouting in the backseat of her stepfather's Lexus LX 470. She doubted that her mother, seated in front next to the man she had married six months ago, cared. Otherwise she wouldn't have made her leave California and all Peyton's friends to move across the country to Minnesota, of all places. But when her stepfather, Vance McIntyre, was offered a new job as sales director for an advertising firm, the decision was made.

She was about to be stuck in the middle of nowhere in the dead of summer and there was nothing Peyton could do about it, other than voice her displeasure through stone cold silence. And the occasional barrage of complaints. But even that could only last so long.

At sixteen, this was the second major blow dealt Peyton in recent memory. Three years ago her father was killed in a car accident.

I'll just have to find a way to deal with this unwanted move. Dad would tell me that.

"I'm hungry," she complained, tossing back her long blonde hair. "Can't we stop at McDonald's or something?"

"We're almost there, Peyton." Melody Delaney-McIntyre glanced back at her daughter. "After we make sure the house is still standing, we'll find a restaurant."

Peyton rolled her green eyes. "Whatever."

When her mother and stepfather had twice come to scout the town of Shadow Bay, Minnesota and pick out a house to purchase, Peyton had chosen to stay behind and savor every last moment of home and spend time with her friends.

"You just might surprise yourself and like it here," Vance said. "The town has character, history, and plenty of open land one can only dream about in San Diego."

"Yeah, right," Peyton said. "This is your dream, not mine."

"It's our dream of a better life for all of us," her mother said. "Give it a chance, honey. Is that too much to ask?"

Peyton sighed. "I guess not."

She was acting like a spoiled baby instead of a girl less than two years away from adulthood. But Peyton wouldn't hide her resentment over a move she never wanted.

As the car turned off the main road to head down a winding lane, Peyton caught sight of the bay. It was wide, sapphire blue, and very inviting. She couldn't wait to dive in, imagining the water was a perfect way to cool off in these parts. The view disappeared and it was back to open land dotted with farmhouses and livestock.

She noted a guy about her age playing in a grassy field with a German Shepherd. Beyond them was a cottage, where Peyton assumed they lived. When he heard their car, the boy looked up, seemingly in a straight line at her. Peyton thought she detected a smile on his lips and smiled back.

He's really hot. Maybe life in Shadow Bay has promise after all.

Vance pulled the car in the driveway of a big white Victorian that stood on a hill.

"Well, this is it!" he said as if they had won the lottery. "Home sweet home."

Peyton wasted no time getting out, if for no other reason than to stretch her legs after they had driven nonstop for several hours. She peeked in the direction of the guy with the dog. Both were gone.

She hid her disappointment and turned to her parents who were patiently waiting.

"Do you want to see inside?" her mother asked.

"Or we could just camp out here on the lawn and make it our home," her stepfather joked.

At six-four, he towered over Peyton's mother.

Peyton sneered at him. She glanced at the house before zeroing in on one upstairs window in particular. Peyton saw a girl standing there. She took an involuntary step backward and shivered.

"What is it, honey?" Melody asked.

"There's someone looking out the window."

"Where?"

Peyton pointed to the bedroom window, but the girl had vanished. "I could've sworn there was someone--"

"I'm sure it was only your imagination, moving to a new house and all."

"Either that or the caretaker's inside and heard us drive up," Vance suggested, digging a key out of his pocket.

Peyton was inclined to agree, all things considered. But she had a bad feeling about the place. For some reason it reminded her of the Amityville Horror movie that she and her friends had rented and watched one Saturday night. She'd had nightmares for a week afterwards.

Peyton was thankful that evil spirits and wayward ghosts didn't really exist.

* * *

The movers arrived later that afternoon with the furniture and other household items. Suddenly the place began to look like a home someone actually lived in.

Peyton sized up her room. It faced the front of the house and was painted a pretty shade of violet. She sat on the loft bed as if for the first time and felt a sense of comfort when looking at her computer, television, and beanbag chair. If only her best friend Erica had also relocated to Shadow Bay, it might actually be livable.

Peyton sighed and resigned herself to having to make new friends locally.

She stood up and looked out the window. It occurred to Peyton that this was the same window where she thought she'd seen the girl looking out at her. But when they had gone through the house, there was no one to be found, to which Peyton breathed a sigh of relief.

Must have been the light or shadows, she thought. Or maybe it was the gothic nature of the old house and atmosphere that spooked her.

She headed out of the room, wondering what secrets a house that was probably a hundred years old or more had buried within those walls.

Peyton wasn't sure she wanted to find out.

* * *

Caitlyn watched with interest as Peyton left the room.

She's so pretty. I wish my hair was golden like hers.

Though wanting to follow her, Caitlyn realized she couldn't yet. Her father would be very angry if she did and make trouble for all of them.

She drifted to the window and looked out. Peyton had sensed her there earlier, just as Caitlyn had sensed that Peyton would arrive here to save her.

I knew you would come one day and rescue me from decades of solitude, pain, and regret.

When that time came, she would be as light as a feather and ready to feel her spirit released and soul at ease.

Caitlyn smiled at the mere notion, replacing the perpetual frown that had seemingly been etched on her face forever.