Mystery Mission
The Morton relatives filled the hallway. They were scared, worried, and frustrated, and they wanted someone to blame for Mac’s poor health. I was that someone.
Stepping away from Mac’s room, I tried to navigate through the collection of dirty looks. Grabbing the strap of my backpack, Big Mouth Aunt spun me around. “Just because your lawyer daddy is coming to pick you up, doesn’t mean that this is over. If Mac doesn’t make it, so help me, I’ll make it my life’s mission …” Stopping mid-sentence, Big Mouth Aunt screamed as if she had seen a ghost. “Ack!”
No, she hadn’t seen a ghost, she had felt one. I spotted Sandra’s ghost body sliding out of Big Mouth Aunt’s body after a brief occupation.
“Awful-awful woman. And such a bore,” Sandra said. Floating ahead of the Morton gang, Mac’s ghost mom said, “Hurry, Bertie. Snack room. We don’t have much time.”
The Morton relatives parted like the Red Sea, and I ran to meet Sandra. In the snack room, she floated down to my eye level.
“Earlier, you said you wanted to help Mac. Are you ready to do that?”
“Of course,” I said. “Whatever I can do!”
“Good, because I’m sending you on a mission.”
“What kind of mission?”
“Don’t talk, just listen. In nine minutes, a purple Subaru will pull up in front of the hospital. The driver will power down the window and ask for Tabitha Morton. You and Tabitha will get inside the Subaru, and it will take you where I need you to go.”
“Whoa-whoa. Did you say me and Tabitha?”
“Yes. And I also said don’t talk, just listen.”
“But Tabitha isn’t gonna go anywhere with me.”
“Not unless you convince her.”
“Convince her to do what? I don’t even know what we’re talking about, Sandra. But I do know I can’t convince your daughter of anything. She hates me.”
“Bertie, I don’t have time to explain all that’s happening. The gears of the universe are turning as we speak. Now, I have to get back to Mac, and you’ve got to do what I’m telling you to do, or Mac will die. Do you understand, Bertie? Tell me you understand!”
“I don’t understand.”
“Good, let’s go with that. In fifty-five seconds, Tabitha will walk into this room and put quarters into the soda machine for a ginger ale, but she will be a quarter shy. She’ll be irritated. You have some change in your left pocket, so give her a quarter. From there you are on your own. Eight minutes, purple Subaru. Good luck, got to go!”
Before I could object, Sandra whisked through the wall and vanished.
A moment later, Sandra’s ghost head popped back in and said, “One last thing. Don’t forget to buy the cookies, okay?”
I said, “Cookies? What cookies?”
But Sandra was gone.
“Okay, fine, cookies, whatever,” I muttered, shaking my head.
That was when Tabitha walked in.
We locked eyes for a moment, but Tabitha didn’t say a word. Turning to the soda machine, she pumped quarters into the slot. She huffed, irritated. She was one quarter shy of buying a ginger ale.