The Starving Ghost: an Up2U Mystery Adventure [1 ed.] 9781614798637, 9781532130311

Citation preview

Copyright © 2017. ABDO Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

The Starving Ghost

by Kelly Rogers

illustrated by Ebony Glenn

The Starving Ghost: an Up2U Mystery Adventure, ABDO Publishing Company, 2017. ProQuest Ebook Central,

Copyright © 2017. ABDO Publishing Company. All rights reserved. The Starving Ghost: an Up2U Mystery Adventure, ABDO Publishing Company, 2017. ProQuest Ebook Central,

The Starving Ghost A n U p2 U M y s t e ry A dv e n t u r e by Kelly Rogers

Copyright © 2017. ABDO Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

illustrated by Ebony Glenn

An Imprint of Magic Wagon abdopublishing.com

The Starving Ghost: an Up2U Mystery Adventure, ABDO Publishing Company, 2017. ProQuest Ebook Central,

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abdopublishing.com Published by Magic Wagon, a division of ABDO, PO Box 398166, Minneapolis, Minnesota 55439. Copyright © 2018 by Abdo Consulting Group, Inc. International copyrights reserved in all countries. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form without written permission from the publisher. Calico™ is a trademark and logo of Magic Wagon. Printed in the United States of America, North Mankato, Minnesota. 052017 092017

Written by Kelly Rogers Illustrated by Ebony Glenn Edited by Bridget O’Brien Design Contributors: Christina Doffing and Laura Mitchell

Copyright © 2017. ABDO Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

Publisher’s Cataloging-in-Publication Data Names: Rogers, Kelly, author. | Glenn, Ebony, illustrator. Title: The starving ghost: an Up2U mystery adventure / by Kelly Rogers ; illustrated by Ebony Glenn. Other titles: An Up2U mystery adventure Description: Minneapolis, MN : Magic Wagon, 2018. | Series: Up2U adventures Summary: Shay meets a friendly ghost named Bridget while visiting her uncle in Ireland and sets out to discover what happened to her friend, but how the mystery ends is up to the reader. Identifiers: LCCN 2017930887 | ISBN 9781532130311 (lib. bdg.) | ISBN 9781614798682 (ebook) | ISBN 9781614798736 (Read-to-me ebook) Subjects: LCSH: Ghost stories. | Plot-your-own stories. | Ghosts--Juvenile fiction. Classification: DDC [Fic]--dc23 LC record available at http://lccn.loc.gov/2017930887

The Starving Ghost: an Up2U Mystery Adventure, ABDO Publishing Company, 2017. ProQuest Ebook Central,

Copyright © 2017. ABDO Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

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The Starving Ghost: an Up2U Mystery Adventure, ABDO Publishing Company, 2017. ProQuest Ebook Central,

Chapter 1 ".DV,@MC Shay looked up at the sign marked Customs. This was it, the official gateway into Ireland. The agent at the desk waved her forward. He was a short man with a bushy beard. He greeted Copyright © 2017. ABDO Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

her with a thick Irish accent that Shay couldn’t understand well. “Ha longll ya be stain Oirland?” he asked. She looked blankly at the man. She had no idea what the man was saying. He looked at her with narrowed eyes and slowed way down, as though speaking to a toddler. “How. Long. Will. Ya. Be. Stain. Oirland.”

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“Oh,” she said, flushing bright red. “How long will I be staying in Ireland? Ten weeks.” The interview lasted five more painful minutes. At the end, the customs man stamped Shay’s passport. She felt a slight sense of doom. She had secretly been hoping the agent would say, “No, sorry love. We can’t have you here in this country. Why don’t you go back home and have a nice holiday?” Instead, Shay thanked the man, grabbed her suitcase, and headed outside to the pick-up area. Shay thought of her little sister, Erin. Erin was Copyright © 2017. ABDO Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

probably sitting on the beach right now. Erin was too young to travel abroad, so she had been sent to California with their aunt Karen. Aunt Karen worked as a kayak travel guide. She spent her days giving ocean tours and talking about the wildlife. Erin was going to help her clean the kayaks and learn all about the animals. Erin was going to be able to wear a swimsuit all

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day. And Erin could drink as much free lemonade as she wanted. Unlike her spoiled little sister, Shay would be spending her days feeding sheep and cleaning up sheep poop and whatever other gross farm chores her “uncle” gave to her. Shay was staying with her dad’s cousin, Sean. Shay was supposed to call him Uncle Sean even though he wasn’t really her uncle. He owned a sheep farm and she had only met him once. Shay’s dad had grown up traveling to Ireland every summer to help on his grandparents’ farm, but Copyright © 2017. ABDO Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

he stopped when Shay was born. Then when she was eight, Sean had come to visit from Ireland. Her dad still talked about him like a brother.

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She looked down at the photo of Uncle Sean her dad had given her. Brown hair, slightly bald, wearing glasses. Where was he? she wondered. Shay looked at the crowded street in front of her. People were greeting family with hugs and kisses, car horns were honking, and taxis were driving in and out of the pick-up area. Shay brushed away the tears coming to her eyes. “Forget it,” she muttered. If she was old enough to fly across the ocean by herself, she could get to

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her uncle’s house by herself.

7 The Starving Ghost: an Up2U Mystery Adventure, ABDO Publishing Company, 2017. ProQuest Ebook Central,

Shay unzipped her hoodie, pulling out the money pouch hidden against her chest. She walked over to the taxi line as she took out two of the unfamiliar Euro bills. Each had the number 20 on them. Was that enough for a taxi? She also took out the piece of paper with Uncle Sean’s address on it and held it tightly in her hand as she moved up in line. Finally, it was her turn. She heaved her suitcase into the backseat. “Wher’ll it be, love?” The driver didn’t seem to think it was strange to have a girl all by herself in his cab. Copyright © 2017. ABDO Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

Shay felt the hairs on the back of her neck stand up, like somebody was watching her. She took one last look around to check for Uncle Sean. She shivered, still feeling like she was being watched. Shay bent down to get in the taxi and read the address to the driver. Suddenly a firm hand pulled her out of the taxi.

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Chapter 2 "M5MDWODBSDC6HRHSNQ “I still feel badly for scaring you like that, Siobhan,” said Uncle Sean for about the hundredth time since picking her up. He was the first person to call her by her full, Irish name—pronounced Copyright © 2017. ABDO Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

“she-von”—in years. It turned out that Uncle Sean had been at the airport the whole time! In fact, he was so nervous about missing Shay’s flight he got there two hours early. He had fallen asleep in a chair in the waiting area. “I woke up in a panic,” he explained to Shay in the car. “I ran quick as I could outside, and would

9 The Starving Ghost: an Up2U Mystery Adventure, ABDO Publishing Company, 2017. ProQuest Ebook Central,

you believe I saw young Shay Sullivan hopping into a taxi!” When Shay looked at it that way, she understood why Sean had pulled her out of the taxi so fast. Once she calmed down, Shay settled into her seat in Uncle Sean’s car and fell asleep. They arrived at his farmhouse almost three hours later. Shay was bleary-eyed from sleep and practically stumbled inside. She sat at the table and hungrily spooned the stew she was given into her mouth. After several mouthfuls she realized what she was eating— Copyright © 2017. ABDO Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

lamb stew! On a sheep farm!—but by the time she did, she no longer cared. She was hungry. And honestly, the stew was delicious. After a few more bites she was finally feeling normal. She felt less cranky than she had in the airplane. In fact, she was starting to look forward to this adventure. Two months in Ireland without her parents!

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Shay also felt much less nervous about Uncle Sean. He looked softer than he had in her picture. His brown hair was thick and a bit wild, and his green eyes were kind and warm behind his glasses. He was a bit taller than her dad, and much thinner. He wore a plaid shirt with the sleeves rolled up. She looked up from her bowl to see Uncle Sean staring. “Sorry,” she said. She wiped a drip of stew from her chin. “I was just—just hungry.” She looked down at her bowl for more, but found it was empty. Copyright © 2017. ABDO Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

“It’s me that’s sorry,” said Sean. He stood up to refill Shay’s bowl. “Don’t know what I was thinking, falling asleep. Then scaring you like that. What would your father say?” Shay had almost forgotten about her parents and why she was in Ireland to begin with. All of a sudden she couldn’t eat another bite of stew. “Uncle Sean, is it okay if I go unpack?”

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The upstairs of the farmhouse wasn’t like any second floor Shay had ever seen. It had angled ceilings that made Shay feel taller than usual. The walls were papered over in an old-fashioned floral print. They were covered with photos. There were probably more than fifty photos, all in wooden frames. They hung on the walls of the short hallway. Shay looked in fascination at the pictures. She had photos hanging in her own house, but nothing like these. For starters, every single one was in black and white. And most of them were Copyright © 2017. ABDO Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

of large families: parents and lots of children. None of them smiled at the camera. “Everyone loves these,” said Sean, noticing Shay staring at the pictures. “They’re nothing to do with me. All of these are people who lived here—or on the property. My grandmammy had ‘em all hung up when she and pappy owned the house.”

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Copyright © 2017. ABDO Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

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Shay nodded, only half-listening. She was drawn in by one of the photos. It was a family of five: a mother, a father, two girls, and a boy. The younger girl was about Shay’s age. She wore a plain, white dress. Her long, blond hair was caught up in a braid. Her eyes had dark shadows underneath them. She almost seemed to be looking right at Shay. “Do you know who this is?” Shay pointed at the picture. Sean shook his head. “Whoever it is, she’s long gone. These photos date way back, most of them to the 1800s even.” Copyright © 2017. ABDO Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

Sean pointed to the door at the end of the hallway, one of only two. “That’s your room for the summer.” Was it her imagination, or was he trying to change the subject? The room was small and had a sloped ceiling just like the hallway did. It was sparsely furnished: a bed covered in a green and blue patchwork quilt, a wardrobe instead of a closet, and a short,

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wide dresser with a mirror hanging over it. A thick layer of dust covered the furniture. Two windows looked out over the farmland below. Night had fallen, so she couldn’t see anything but dark, clear sky. “Well,” said Sean, “I’ll leave you to it.” Sean started to walk out of the room, then turned back to her. He opened his mouth like he wanted to say something, then closed it again. He walked toward her and stretched his arm out like he was going to hug her, but at the last moment, patted her on the shoulder as he might Copyright © 2017. ABDO Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

have done to a beloved pet. He nodded and left the room. Shay looked at her luggage. Despite her nap, she was still tired from the long flight and the time change. Just thinking about unpacking made her eyelids droop and shoulders sag. Instead, she turned to her new bed. The quilt looked so warm and fluffy. Without even

15 The Starving Ghost: an Up2U Mystery Adventure, ABDO Publishing Company, 2017. ProQuest Ebook Central,

changing out of her clothes, Shay crawled into bed and fell asleep. In the middle of the night, Shay sat up straight in bed. She didn’t know what had woken her. Maybe it was all the silence. Shay was used to the noise of a city—cars whizzing by, the occasional siren—but not this, this NOTHING. She regretted not taking the time to change out of her clothes. She was uncomfortable in her jeans. There was no overhead light in her room, but there was a flashlight on her bedside table. She turned it on, went to her suitcase, and began Copyright © 2017. ABDO Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

to rifle through her clothes. SNAP! Shay looked to the window. She was positive she had heard a sound from outside, like a tree branch breaking. She didn’t see anything. Shay turned back to her bag, searching for her pajama pants. SNAP!

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There it was again. She turned the flashlight to the window.

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Someone was staring back at her!

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Chapter 3 QHCFDS Shay shouted and dropped the flashlight. She scrambled to pick it up again and shined the light on the window. There was nothing there! The face was gone. Copyright © 2017. ABDO Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

Shay took a deep breath. Then she stood up and walked toward the window. She peeked out, holding the flashlight as far in front of her as she could. There was still nothing. She was sure she had seen a face. A girl’s pale face with shadows under her eyes. In fact, she could swear that it was . . . “Shay?” Uncle Sean yelled.

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Shay jumped and dropped the flashlight again. Before she could pick it up, Sean had already turned on the floor lamp by the door. Sean looked half-asleep himself, almost swaying in his bathrobe and plaid pants. “Are you okay?” he asked. “I thought I heard a scream.” “I’m fine,” she said, glancing at the window. “I thought I saw something, but—it was nothing.” Sean smiled kindly. “It’s hard to sleep in a new place.” He looked around the bare room. “We’ll see if we can brighten this room up in the morning. Now try to get some sleep, hey? Lots to Copyright © 2017. ABDO Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

be done in the morning.” Shay nodded. Sean flicked off the light and left, closing the door behind him. Shay clutched the flashlight and crawled into bed. She was still fully clothed. It took hours for Shay to get back to sleep. She kept hearing small noises. And every time she did, she was sure that she was going to see

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another face in the window. After sleeping for what felt like mere minutes, Sean was shaking her shoulder. “Rise and shine, Shay!” he said cheerfully. He had a mug in his hand. Sean was already dressed in dirty jeans and a work shirt. “Coffee?” he asked, shoving the mug underneath her nose. Shay turned away from the bitter smell in disgust. “No, thanks. I don’t drink coffee.” Sean’s smile fell just a bit. Then he recovered and brightened up again. “I’ve got some porridge on the stove and a list of chores on the table. Copyright © 2017. ABDO Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

You’ve done farm chores before, right?” He asked this like it was a normal question, like every kid grew up shearing sheep and mucking . . . whatever people on farms mucked. Yesterday’s positivity was fading away again. The reality of her summer was finally setting in. She was about to do real farm work. Today, right this instant.

20 The Starving Ghost: an Up2U Mystery Adventure, ABDO Publishing Company, 2017. ProQuest Ebook Central,

Shay thought back to last summer. They spent two weeks at her grandparents’ cottage, water skiing and eating picnics on the lakeshore. All four of them had such a great time. That was before all the yelling and fighting began. “No,” she said to Sean. “I haven’t done farm chores before.” Nothing got in the way of Sean’s smile. He was clearly a morning person. “No time like today to learn! Get dressed and I’ll see you downstairs.” Shay came downstairs in a copy of Sean’s outfit: old jeans and one of her dad’s work shirts. Copyright © 2017. ABDO Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

Sean was nowhere to be seen. On the table was what appeared to be a bowl of mush with raisins in it, a glass of juice, and a note telling her to go to the barn when she was done. The bowl of porridge turned out to be delicious. It was sweet and creamy and smooth, almost like warm cinnamon pudding. Shay ate hungrily then wandered out of the house.

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This was Shay’s first good look at the farm. The main building was a sturdy two-story house made from gray stones of different shapes and sizes. The doors and windows were painted bright red. A short stone fence surrounded the building on all four sides. The house stood on top of a low, grassy hill. More hills dipped and rose behind the house. Each hill was dotted with groups of sheep. Shay found Uncle Sean working inside the barn. He was using a large, metal rake to scoop piles of hay into a wheelbarrow. Every time he moved a pile of hay, Shay smelled a new wave Copyright © 2017. ABDO Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

of mold and manure. She wrinkled her nose and resisted the urge to cover her face with her sleeve. “Shay!” Sean’s face lit up when he saw her. She wondered if he thought she wouldn’t come. “Ready for some work?” “Sure,” she said, sounding not sure at all. Shay tried to smile in return, but it came out like a crooked grimace.

22 The Starving Ghost: an Up2U Mystery Adventure, ABDO Publishing Company, 2017. ProQuest Ebook Central,

“Let’s start you with something a little easier,” he said. “Farm chores for beginners?” Shay asked. “You got it,” he said. His eyes darted around the barn. They finally landed on a large rectangle of leather with handles on either end. “Wood!” he said, and got the carrier for Shay. “Why don’t you gather the wood I chopped yesterday. It’s just on the other side of that hill, near the woods.” Shay was relieved that she wasn’t going to be doing anything with the soiled hay in the wheelbarrow. She took the wood carrier and Copyright © 2017. ABDO Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

walked off in the direction Sean had indicated. She found the wood after about ten minutes of walking. She was in the clearing at the edge of a small forest. Near the edge of the woods, there were many roughly cut logs strewn around a tree trunk and an ax. Uncle Sean had obviously chopped the wood and left the logs wherever they fell.

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Shay had never gathered wood before. “But how hard could it be?” she said aloud. She bent to pick up her first log. “Pretty hard,” said a girl’s voice, “if you don’t know how to use a carrier.” Shay snapped to attention. A few feet behind her stood a girl about her own age. The girl had long, blond hair that was tied into a braid. She wore a dirty, white cotton dress. The plain dress seemed old-fashioned, like something from a costume trunk. But, Shay thought, maybe that’s what people in Copyright © 2017. ABDO Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

the village wore. The girl was very thin. And though she smiled at Shay, the smile didn’t quite reach her sad green eyes. If Shay didn’t know better, she’d say the girl looked like—but no, that was impossible. “Have you piled wood before?” The girl had a thick Irish accent. Her vowel sounds stretched long and she rolled the “r” in “before.”

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“No, but there’s a first time for everything,” Shay said. Uncle Sean’s positive attitude was growing on her. “I’m Shay. I’m staying here with Uncle Sean for the summer.” Shay didn’t know who this girl was, but she knew that she’d have a better time this summer if she could make a friend. She waited for the girl to say her name. The girl just continued to smile a little sadly. Finally, Shay asked, “Who are you?” The girl shook her head slightly as though she was snapping herself out of a trance. “Me?” she Copyright © 2017. ABDO Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

asked. “I’m Bridget. I’m . . .” She looked off into the distance behind Shay. She shook her head slightly and put a bigger smile on her face before meeting Shay’s eyes. “I’m just Bridget.” “Hi,” said Shay. She was feeling nervous, and when she got nervous she talked. “Do you know how to pile this properly? It’s my first ever farm chore.” She started to move logs onto the carrier.

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“My little sister’s with our aunt in California,” Shay continued. “I’ll bet the only chore she’s doing is filling up her lemonade glass.” Shay had piled four logs on the carrier. She tried to lift it by the handles. She couldn’t add

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any more without dropping the ones she already

The Starving Ghost: an Up2U Mystery Adventure, ABDO Publishing Company, 2017. ProQuest Ebook Central,

had. “Hey, Bridget, do you think you could put this last one on top?” Shay kicked a log at Bridget and sent it rolling down the hill toward her. “No, I don’t think I . . .” Bridget began. But it was too late.

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The log rolled right through Bridget’s feet!

27 The Starving Ghost: an Up2U Mystery Adventure, ABDO Publishing Company, 2017. ProQuest Ebook Central,

Chapter 4 4GD#NSS@FD Shay shrieked and dropped the logs she was carrying. All three logs followed the first one. They rolled right through Bridget’s feet. Shay started to back away quickly up the hill. Copyright © 2017. ABDO Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

“Wait!” shouted Bridget. Shay stopped. Bridget took a few steps toward her until the two girls were standing eye to eye. Both were thin. Both were tall. Both had long hair. If it weren’t for Bridget’s old-fashioned clothes, someone looking at them would have thought they were just two friends meeting on the farm.

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“Are you a ghost?” Shay asked. Bridget looked down at her body. It wasn’t see-through. It didn’t shimmer. It looked solid. “I’m not alive,” Bridget replied slowly. She tried to pick up one of the fallen logs. Her fingers swept right through the wood. “I guess I am a ghost.” “What happened to you?” Shay had been ready for an adventure this summer. But she hadn’t expected to meet a ghost. Bridget shuffled uncomfortably. “I don’t know. I don’t remember what happened.” She looked Copyright © 2017. ABDO Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

wistfully at the land around them. “I know that I lived here,” she said. Shay looked around the rolling hills too. There were no houses anywhere. “Where?” she asked, confused. “Follow me! Come on!” Bridget started running down the opposite side of the hill. Her braid flew behind her.

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Shay slowed to a stop in front of a broken down cottage. It was made from stones just like Sean’s house was. But these stones were covered in brown mold. Most of the roof was missing. Thick grass grew tall inside the house. Bridget waited outside of a doorway leading

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inside the abandoned cottage. Shay caught her

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Copyright © 2017. ABDO Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

31 The Starving Ghost: an Up2U Mystery Adventure, ABDO Publishing Company, 2017. ProQuest Ebook Central,

breath. Then Shay asked, “So this is where you used to live? With who?” Bridget looked sadly at Shay. “I don’t remember anything.” Then, Bridget’s face lit up unexpectedly. “But maybe you know!” Shay laughed uncomfortably. It was strange; just now, Bridget seemed like a normal girl. Shay found that she truly wanted to help her. She answered slowly, “Maybe I can help you find out.” Bridget jumped up and down and clapped her hands. “Really?” “Sure!” said Shay. She looked expectantly at Copyright © 2017. ABDO Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

Bridget. “So, should we go in?” Shay stepped inside the cottage. Shay could see the whole cottage. It was simple, just two rooms. There was a large main room, and behind it was a second room with a loft above. The floors were made of tightly-packed dirt. “Where did you sleep?” Shay asked. She turned, but Bridget wasn’t behind her. She leaned

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her head out of a window. But Bridget didn’t seem to be anywhere. Then she heard it. The sound of a child giggling. The hairs on the back of Shay’s neck stood up. A strong wind blew through the cottage. She whipped her head around. There it was again. A giggle. She was sure it was real. It was coming from the back room. “Bridget?” she called as she walked to the back of the cottage. Maybe there was a second door Bridget used? “Shay!” Shay felt so relieved to hear her friend’s Copyright © 2017. ABDO Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

voice. She looked around, but she couldn’t see Bridget. There it was, another giggle. And the sound of footsteps overhead. Bridget must be somewhere above her. Shay stopped and looked up at the lofted floor. A ladder leaned against the wood floor above her. Shay tested the first rung of the ladder. It seemed

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sturdy enough. So she began to climb the ladder .

slowly, one rung at a time. She was almost to the top of the ladder. She reached her hand up to grab the lofted ceiling. Then, the rotting wood in the ladder collapsed. The rungs broke in half. Shay screamed, and the

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world went black.

34 The Starving Ghost: an Up2U Mystery Adventure, ABDO Publishing Company, 2017. ProQuest Ebook Central,

Chapter 5 &@LHKX0GNSNR “Shay? Shay?” Uncle Sean was patting her cheek and saying her name. Shay opened her eyes. “Oh, thank goodness,” Uncle Sean said. He Copyright © 2017. ABDO Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

slumped back on his heels and put his hands on his face. “When you didn’t come back, I came looking for you. I saw you walk into the cottage. Next thing I know, there’s an almighty crash. And here you are on the floor.” Shay sat up. She blacked out for just a moment. Luckily the loft was short, and Shay only fell a few feet.

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“First I lose you at the airport.” Sean shook his head. “And now this. I’ll bet you wished you had never come to Ireland.” Shay stood up. To her own surprise, she said, “You know, Uncle Sean, I’m glad I’m here.” There was a mystery to be solved. Shay couldn’t think of a bigger adventure than that. Bridget was nowhere to be found. Working slowly, Shay and Sean gathered her logs together. After lunch, Shay was feeling good enough to get back to work. That day, she learned how to feed the sheep and freshen hay. While they worked, Copyright © 2017. ABDO Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

Shay asked Uncle Sean what he knew about the ghost haunting his fields. “Sean, do you believe in ghosts?” “That’s a silly question,” he said, not meeting her eyes. “Why do you ask?” “Oh, I don’t know,” Shay said. “This is such an old farmhouse.” She trailed off, hoping that Sean would fill the silence with Bridget’s story.

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Uncle Sean turned for the first time and looked her square in the eyes. “Ghosts are only real in stories, Shay.” After dinner, Shay headed straight upstairs. She told Uncle Sean that she was still tired from the time difference and the long day of farm work. But she really wanted to look through the photos in the hallway. Once upstairs, Shay looked at the pictures one at a time. About halfway down the hallway, she spotted what she was looking for. A photo of Bridget. Copyright © 2017. ABDO Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

Shay recognized her right away. The girl in the photo had the same sunken eyes and the long braid. She was even wearing the same dress. It was the picture that had captured Shay’s attention her first night. The portrait also contained four other people: an adult man and woman, a taller girl, and a boy shorter than Bridget.

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“She had a family,” Shay said to the empty hallway. Seeing the family—the two parents side by side—made Shay feel a pain deep in her stomach that had nothing to do with her dinner. She grabbed the photo off the wall and brought it to her bedroom. Shay propped it up on the dusty dresser. “Bridget will be so happy to see you tomorrow,” she said to the framed picture. Then Shay changed into her pajamas and crawled in bed. She immediately fell into a deep and dreamless sleep. CRASH! Copyright © 2017. ABDO Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

Once again, Shay jolted awake. She looked around, for a moment forgetting where she was. What had woken her up? Shay swung her legs out of bed. She stood and looked for the source of the big crash. She found it just outside of her room. A photo from the hallway had fallen to the floor. Shay picked it up. In it, there were four people.

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She rushed to her room and picked up the photo of Bridget’s family. Shay’s heart sank when she realized the truth. The second photo was of Bridget’s family, but without Bridget. Head hung and heart heavy, Shay moved to put the frames back on the dresser. What would she say to Bridget now? She was about to set the pictures down, but stopped when she saw something strange. The thick layer of dust on the dresser had something written in it. The word was written in clear, bold letters.

Copyright © 2017. ABDO Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

HUNGRY.

The Starving Ghost: an Up2U Mystery Adventure, ABDO Publishing Company, 2017. ProQuest Ebook Central,

Chapter 6 (TMFQX When Shay woke up the next morning, the first thing she did was check the dresser. There was nothing but dusty fingerprints on the surface. “You’re imagining things,” she told herself. Copyright © 2017. ABDO Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

She quickly got dressed for another day of farm work and headed downstairs. Uncle Sean sat at the table. But there was no breakfast, no pot of coffee bubbling on the counter. “Morning, Shay!” Uncle Sean said. “I was thinking this morning we could head into town. I’ll take you to my friend’s pub. We’ll have a real Irish breakfast.”

40 The Starving Ghost: an Up2U Mystery Adventure, ABDO Publishing Company, 2017. ProQuest Ebook Central,

Shay was itching to get back to the cottage. She wanted to see Bridget. But it was clear from Uncle Sean’s manner that he wouldn’t take “no” for an answer. “Sounds great!” she said. After just a few minutes in Uncle Sean’s truck, Shay found herself in front of yet another stone building. A simple wood sign outside told Shay that this was Mulligan’s Pub. Uncle Sean led her inside to a seat at the counter. They were immediately greeted by a woman around her mother’s age. She was wearing Copyright © 2017. ABDO Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

a cream-colored shirt and had brown curly hair tied back in a blue bandana. When she saw Shay, she smiled warmly and extended her hand. “Well, this must be the famous Siobhan Sullivan I’ve been hearing so much about. Sean’s been talking of nothing but you coming for weeks.” The woman winked at Uncle Sean. To Shay’s surprise, he blushed! “I’m Moira.”

41 The Starving Ghost: an Up2U Mystery Adventure, ABDO Publishing Company, 2017. ProQuest Ebook Central,

“Shay,” Shay replied, shaking her hand. “Well, Shay, what’ll you be having this morning?” Moira asked. Uncle Sean answered for them both. “Two full Irishes, Moira, thanks.” Moira went back to the kitchen, then came back to Shay and Sean. She leaned her elbows on the bar like she was settling in for a long chat. “So Shay, how are you liking the old Sullivan farm?” Shay searched for the right words. “I like it!” she said. “It’s . . . old.” Both adults laughed. “That it is!” said Moira. Copyright © 2017. ABDO Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

“Moira’s a bit of an expert on the area,” said Uncle Sean. “You’ve been asking questions. I thought you two would get along.” Shay turned to Moira, eyes wide, ears ready. Moira began her story. “All the land the Sullivan farm is on now used to belong to many families,” she said. “They worked together to farm the land. Then, they shared the crops and profit.”

42 The Starving Ghost: an Up2U Mystery Adventure, ABDO Publishing Company, 2017. ProQuest Ebook Central,

“So the old cottage I found . . .” began Shay. “Yes, another family owned it. But in the middle of the 1800s, most of the families left Ireland for one reason or another.” Moira and Sean glanced at each other at this. “And when they left on those giant boats, most could only afford to travel in steerage,” Moira continued. “They had to leave most of their things behind. That’s how Sean’s grandmammy ended up with all those photos.” “The furniture, too,” Sean added. “I replaced the bed, but the other furniture in your room Copyright © 2017. ABDO Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

was there when I moved in.” “So the dresser . . .” BING! Shay’s question was interrupted by a bell from the kitchen. “That’ll be your breakfast,” Moira said, straightening up. “Look, Shay, if you really want to know more about all this, you should go see my ma. She works at the Kilkenny Local Library in

43 The Starving Ghost: an Up2U Mystery Adventure, ABDO Publishing Company, 2017. ProQuest Ebook Central,

the village. Just ask for old Mrs. Mulligan. She’ll set you right.” Moira smiled and turned to get the food. “I hope you like black pudding, Shay!” When they finished eating, they returned to the farm. Uncle Sean enlisted Shay in another round of chores. It was after noon before she was able to get away. She made herself two sandwiches and packed them in a backpack. She also grabbed the pictures she had taken from the hallway. Shay was determined to learn more about Bridget. She wasn’t going to stop because it was Copyright © 2017. ABDO Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

time to eat. She left the house and headed toward the place she met Bridget yesterday. “Bridget!” she called as she walked up the hill. Bridget was already there. She sat on the stump Uncle Sean used for chopping logs. The outline of an ax wedged into the stump appeared through Bridget’s ghostly form. Shay shuddered, but tried to hide her discomfort.

44 The Starving Ghost: an Up2U Mystery Adventure, ABDO Publishing Company, 2017. ProQuest Ebook Central,

Bridget, meanwhile, had turned to face Shay. Her eyes were narrowed and she pouted. “I’ve been waiting all morning for you!” Bridget’s voice was clearly angry. Shay was surprised. She had seemed so friendly the day before. “Sorry,” Shay muttered. “I wanted to come right away. I was learning more about the farm.” Bridget’s face softened. “The farm,” she said as though she was remembering a sweet and sad memory. “This used to be my farm, too, I think.” Shay nodded excitedly. She sat down next to Bridget. The whole story started tumbling out. Copyright © 2017. ABDO Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

She told Bridget everything she’d learned from Moira. She decided not to say anything about the photos just yet. At the end of the story, Shay grabbed her bag. Her stomach growled as she thought of all the farm work she’d done this morning. Shay unzipped her backpack and pulled out her two sandwiches.

45 The Starving Ghost: an Up2U Mystery Adventure, ABDO Publishing Company, 2017. ProQuest Ebook Central,

“I’m starving,” she said to Bridget. “I’ve never worked so much in my life.” Bridget didn’t seem to hear Shay. She focused on the sandwiches. Shay unwrapped the first one and took a bite. She immediately felt better. “Do you remember anything else about the cottage?” Shay asked. Bridget shook her head as though to reset her thoughts. She smiled at Shay, a little coldly now. “Not much,” she said, still watching Shay. Shay took another bite of sandwich. Through a mouthful of food, she said, “Who else did you Copyright © 2017. ABDO Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

live with?” Bridget’s eyes swiveled back to the sandwich in Shay’s hands. She watched Shay lift it to her mouth and take another bite. Then she said, “I don’t know. I don’t remember.” Bridget didn’t sound excited anymore, Shay thought. She was starting to sound upset. Even angry. Shay wondered why as she took another

46 The Starving Ghost: an Up2U Mystery Adventure, ABDO Publishing Company, 2017. ProQuest Ebook Central,

bite of food. She chewed, swallowed, and took her final bite. Even after one sandwich, Shay was still feeling hungry. She picked up the second packet and started to unwrap it. “I can’t think while you’re eating,” Bridget snapped. Shay looked up, startled. “I’m so sorry!” Where are my manners? Shay thought. “Do you want some?” Shay held out her arm to offer the jam sandwich to her friend. Bridget

lunged

greedily

toward

Shay’s

Copyright © 2017. ABDO Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

outstretched hand. Bridget’s hand went right through the food. “I’m so sorry,” cried Shay, “I forgot!” But Bridget couldn’t hear her. She was reaching out, again and again, trying to grab the food. Her hair had come loose from her braid and her lips curled in a snarl. She made a sound somewhere between panting and crying as she

47 The Starving Ghost: an Up2U Mystery Adventure, ABDO Publishing Company, 2017. ProQuest Ebook Central,

swiped and snatched and grasped and grabbed at the sandwich. “I just want to eat!” Bridget finally screamed. Shay dropped the food on the ground. She curled up, away from Bridget. Bridget pawed at the sandwich one last time, but it was no use. She couldn’t pick it up. Bridget looked up at Shay. Her face was red. She had tears in her eyes.

Copyright © 2017. ABDO Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

“I’m just so HUNGRY!”

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Copyright © 2017. ABDO Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

49 The Starving Ghost: an Up2U Mystery Adventure, ABDO Publishing Company, 2017. ProQuest Ebook Central,

Chapter 7 4GD4QTSG Shay headed straight to the farm after Bridget left. She knew that she should find Uncle Sean and get back to work. But she couldn’t forget the look in Bridget’s eyes as she tried—and failed—to Copyright © 2017. ABDO Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

get the sandwich. She ran into the kitchen and scribbled a note to Uncle Sean. 7DMSSNRDD-QR -TKKHF@M @BJAXCHMMDQ i3G@X Shay had seen a bus stop at the end of the road. She walked to it and sat down on the bench. She didn’t know how long it would be until a bus

50 The Starving Ghost: an Up2U Mystery Adventure, ABDO Publishing Company, 2017. ProQuest Ebook Central,

came, but she didn’t care. She reached into her backpack and pulled out the photo of Bridget with her family. She looked into the girl’s sad eyes. Shay didn’t have to wait long. Moments later, a white and green city bus pulled around the corner and stopped in front of her. She got on the bus and paid her fare. The journey took almost no time. Before she knew it, Shay was walking through the doors of the Kilkenny Local Library. She felt like a detective. She ignored the books and computers Copyright © 2017. ABDO Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

and marched straight up to the desk labeled Information. The woman behind the desk looked like a storybook librarian. Her long, gray hair was piled into a high bun. She wore a gray sweater, even though it was June, and a pair of glasses attached to a chain draped around her neck. “Are you Mrs. Mulligan?” Shay asked.

51 The Starving Ghost: an Up2U Mystery Adventure, ABDO Publishing Company, 2017. ProQuest Ebook Central,

The woman looked up from the computer she’d been working on. “I am,” she said slowly. “And you must be Siobhan Sullivan from America. My Moira told me to expect you. I understand you want to know about the Sullivan farm.” Mrs. Mulligan shook her head slowly. “Lots of sad stories in that place.” Shay couldn’t tell her story fast enough. She told Mrs. Mulligan about the cottage and the pictures. She left out the part about seeing ghosts. “And now, I just want to know what happened to her,” Shay said. She took the photos out of her Copyright © 2017. ABDO Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

backpack. Mrs. Mulligan looked closely at the photos, her gaze shifting between them. She finally took her glasses off and looked directly at Shay. “It’s the town archive you’ll be wanting, then.” Mrs. Mulligan led Shay to a table with a large, leather-bound book next to a computer. “This computer only has information about the town.

52 The Starving Ghost: an Up2U Mystery Adventure, ABDO Publishing Company, 2017. ProQuest Ebook Central,

And this book,” she said, lightly touching the cover, “is our town record. Everyone who was born or died here is in this book.” “I’d start there, dear.” Mrs. Mulligan pointed to a computer file titled “Famine, 1845-1852.” Then the librarian left the picture frames on the table and walked away. Shay clicked on the file and read the information greedily. She was skimming—her brain was working too fast to read every word carefully. Words jumped out at her: potato crop failed Copyright © 2017. ABDO Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

no help starving one million dead Soon she had the story of what happened to Bridget. Shay removed the pictures from their frames. The dates written on the back of each photo confirmed Bridget’s family lived in Ireland when one million Irish people died of starvation.

53 The Starving Ghost: an Up2U Mystery Adventure, ABDO Publishing Company, 2017. ProQuest Ebook Central,

On the back of the first photo was written: Walsh family, 1846. On the back of the second: Walsh family, 1848. Shay turned to the leather-bound book. She opened the heavy volume and flipped to the year “1847.” There it was, written in clear black ink: Death: Bridget Walsh, May 22, 1847 Cause:

Copyright © 2017. ABDO Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

Starvation

54 The Starving Ghost: an Up2U Mystery Adventure, ABDO Publishing Company, 2017. ProQuest Ebook Central,

Shay didn’t see Mrs. Mulligan when she left the library. She boarded a bus back to the farm without paying attention to her surroundings. All she could think about was poor Bridget, who died because there wasn’t enough food for her to eat. Shay kept thinking about Bridget as she exited the bus. She walked toward the cottage. What was she going to tell Bridget? But when she got to the cottage, all thoughts of what to tell Bridget disappeared. Bridget stood in front of the cottage with a bright smile. Behind her, the cottage was lit up by a deep, golden glow. Copyright © 2017. ABDO Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

A fire flickered in the great room. Shay could hear the happy noises of people talking and giggling inside. Bridget waved her hands frantically. “Shay!” she called. “Shay! You’ll never believe it, I remembered what happened!” Shay was astonished. She slowly approached the cottage and Bridget. For the first time,

55 The Starving Ghost: an Up2U Mystery Adventure, ABDO Publishing Company, 2017. ProQuest Ebook Central,

Bridget’s skin was full of color and her eyes were bright. The tired, sunken look was gone. The smile on her face was genuine and reached all the way to her eyes. “I think I found out too, Bridget,” Shay said slowly. “Fantastic!” Bridget jumped up and down and clapped her hands. “Why don’t you come in and tell me everything?” Bridget grabbed Shay’s wrist

Copyright © 2017. ABDO Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

and started to lead her inside the cottage.

56 The Starving Ghost: an Up2U Mystery Adventure, ABDO Publishing Company, 2017. ProQuest Ebook Central,

The Ending Is Up2U! If you think Shay should yell for Uncle Sean and try to leave, turn to page 58.

If you think Shay should trust Bridget and

Copyright © 2017. ABDO Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

follow her into the cottage, turn to page 65.

If you think Shay should ask Mrs. Mulligan for help, turn to page 73.

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ENDING 1 4GD3VHSBG Nothing about what was happening felt right to Shay. The last time she’d been to the cottage, it had been broken down and abandoned. She had heard phantom sounds. She had been hurt. Copyright © 2017. ABDO Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

She wouldn’t go in the cottage without help. “I think Uncle Sean should see the cottage,” Shay said. She started to pull away. “No,” said Bridget. “I think you’ll come in right now.” “Uncle Sean!” Shay screamed. She tried to step away, but Bridget lunged at her. She grabbed Shay’s wrist and pulled her into the cottage.

58 The Starving Ghost: an Up2U Mystery Adventure, ABDO Publishing Company, 2017. ProQuest Ebook Central,

Shay fell hard to her knees. She stood up slowly. She brushed dirt off of her and rubbed her wrist. Earlier that day, Bridget hadn’t been able to touch her sandwich. What happened? Shay looked around the cottage. She expected it to be different. When she approached it earlier, it was all lit up. But there was nothing new about the cottage. It was empty and eerily quiet. Shay couldn’t even hear the sounds of the birds or the wind through the trees. She started to go out of the cottage. Bridget met her at the door. She looked different. Her Copyright © 2017. ABDO Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

smile was no longer kind; it was menacing. Her green eyes twinkled. There was something else different about Bridget. The ghost was no longer wearing her white dress. Instead she was in a flannel work shirt and a pair of old jeans. Just like Shay’s outfit. Shay was scared to look at herself. When she did, she gasped. She was wearing Bridget’s dress!

59 The Starving Ghost: an Up2U Mystery Adventure, ABDO Publishing Company, 2017. ProQuest Ebook Central,

“What’s wrong?” Bridget asked wickedly. Shay tried to run out the door, but she was stopped as if she had hit a wall. She tried again, more slowly this time. Still, she couldn’t get out of the door. Shay tried to climb out of the window in the front of the cottage. She couldn’t. And she couldn’t get out of the window on the other side of the cottage either. It was as though each opening to the house was covered by invisible glass. Starting to panic now, Shay rushed to the front door. She looked at Bridget. The ghost was Copyright © 2017. ABDO Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

still smiling. “Why can’t I get out?” Shay cried. “You’ll get out eventually. Soon, I’ll be headed to America. And you’ll be here, roaming the farm. But for now, you’ll stay in the cottage. I can’t have you ruining things for me.” “What do you mean?” Shay’s panic was leaving. It was being replaced by a sense of dread.

60 The Starving Ghost: an Up2U Mystery Adventure, ABDO Publishing Company, 2017. ProQuest Ebook Central,

“Bridget, I’ve been trying to help you! I even went to the library and met Mrs. Mulligan. I read all about the famine, about what happened here.” “Then you know exactly how long I’ve been waiting.” Bridget’s voice rose with every word. She looked just like she had when she’d been unable to eat the sandwich. “Over 150 years. My family gone. They moved to America without me. I can’t eat. And I’m always hungry!” “I know, Bridget!” Shay tried to keep her voice calm. “I know that your family ran out of food. That you didn’t have enough to eat.” Copyright © 2017. ABDO Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

“I was making sure Patrick had enough food,” Bridget softened briefly. “He was only eight when the food started to run out. I always gave him my share, I just didn’t realize . . .” Bridget then shook her head, as though she was shaking off the memory of her old life. “I’ve been tied to this land for far too long,” she said softly.

61 The Starving Ghost: an Up2U Mystery Adventure, ABDO Publishing Company, 2017. ProQuest Ebook Central,

Bridget turned her gaze back to Shay. “I knew from the moment I first saw you in your bedroom window—yes, that was me—I knew that I could get you to switch places with me. I just had to get you on my side. I had to be strong enough to build the cottage’s magic.” Bridget looked around the cottage with a look of disdain. “Once you’d learned my story, I knew that your feelings would help bring the cottage back to life. To keep you here.” “Shay!” To Shay’s relief, she saw Uncle Sean walking Copyright © 2017. ABDO Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

toward the cottage. He must have heard her scream. “Uncle Sean!” she cried, waving her hands frantically. “I’m here!” Uncle Sean didn’t seem surprised to see Shay trapped in the house, or to see Bridget. In fact, he didn’t seem to see Shay at all. He got closer to the cottage. But he never once looked at Shay.

62 The Starving Ghost: an Up2U Mystery Adventure, ABDO Publishing Company, 2017. ProQuest Ebook Central,

“What’s wrong? You sounded scared.” Uncle Sean directed this not to Shay, but to Bridget. “Oh, nothing,” said Bridget. “I just wanted you to tell me about this cottage I found.” “Uncle Sean, it’s me!” Shay cried. Again, he didn’t seem to hear her. His eyes scanned the cottage before he spoke again. “This has been here for ages. In fact, I’ve been thinking of bulldozing it.” He looked around again, then turned to Bridget. “Let’s head back to the farm, Shay.” Then he patted Bridget on the shoulder, just like he had done to Shay on her Copyright © 2017. ABDO Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

first night at the farm. “Uncle Sean! Wait! It’s me! I’m here!” But he still didn’t hear her. Both Bridget and Uncle Sean turned away from the cottage. They didn’t look back. Shay started pounding on the invisible barrier keeping her inside the cottage. “Uncle Sean!” she screamed. “Uncle Sean!”

63 The Starving Ghost: an Up2U Mystery Adventure, ABDO Publishing Company, 2017. ProQuest Ebook Central,

Shay watched helplessly as her uncle and the girl who switched places with her walked off to

Copyright © 2017. ABDO Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

the farm.

64 The Starving Ghost: an Up2U Mystery Adventure, ABDO Publishing Company, 2017. ProQuest Ebook Central,

Ending 2 4GD4QDD Shay let herself be led into the cottage. The first thing she noticed was the smell of soup that had been cooking all day. Then Shay looked around. Copyright © 2017. ABDO Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

She couldn’t believe her eyes. It was like the cottage had come alive! The fire was lit in the great room. Glowing lamps on the walls and table revealed the details of a home. There were two rocking chairs, each with a wool blanket draped over it. A pitcher of flowers sat on a wooden table. Then Shay heard it. The same child giggling that she heard the first time she was in the

65 The Starving Ghost: an Up2U Mystery Adventure, ABDO Publishing Company, 2017. ProQuest Ebook Central,

cottage. Then, a young boy leaped into the great room. An older girl followed him. “That’s my brother and sister!” squealed Bridget. Her eyes filled up with tears. The boy and the girl didn’t seem to notice them. They kept going up the ladder to the loft of the cottage. Both girls looked over at an old iron stove where a woman stirred a pot of soup. She bent over to pull a fresh loaf of bread out of the oven. Then she turned around to place it on the table. “Mother!” Bridget cried. But the woman, like Copyright © 2017. ABDO Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

the boy and girl, don’t seem to see or hear her. Bridget turned to Shay. She had tears in her eyes, but she was smiling. “This is my family, Shay. This is where we used to live.” Bridget led Shay to the rocking chairs by the fire and the girls sat down. “I couldn’t figure out why I was so angry today,” Bridget began. “When I couldn’t take your sandwich, it was like

66 The Starving Ghost: an Up2U Mystery Adventure, ABDO Publishing Company, 2017. ProQuest Ebook Central,

something else took over! I couldn’t control my anger.” Shay remembered the crazed look in Bridget’s eyes when she said she was just “hungry.” Now, it made sense. “I couldn’t figure it out. I hated that I got so mad at you! So I came back to the cottage to think. Then it came to me.” Bridget watched her mother set five blue bowls on the table. She began ladling soup into each one. “There wasn’t enough food for us all, you see,” Bridget continued. “The potatoes all rotted. We Copyright © 2017. ABDO Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

ate potatoes for every meal. That soup,” Bridget nodded to the table, “is made of potatoes.” “Patrick! Maggie!” Bridget’s mother called. The boy and girl scrambled down the ladder. They took seats at the table. “Everyone was eating less, especially Ma and Papa.” Bridget continued her story, “Patrick was always hungry. He didn’t understand why there

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was no more food. So I started to give him my share at mealtimes.” Bridget paused to look fondly at her brother. He was slurping soup into his mouth. “When I realized that I wasn’t getting enough to eat, it was too late. One day, I couldn’t get out of bed. Mother was worried. A few days after that, I . . .” Bridget didn’t finish the sentence, but she didn’t have to. “I’m sorry,” Shay said. She put her hand on top of her friend’s hand. Bridget smiled. “Don’t be sorry! I’m happy Copyright © 2017. ABDO Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

that I met you. If I hadn’t, I don’t think I would have remembered. The memory was too hard for me, so I blocked it away. But now . . .” She looked around the room. “Now, I have all the good memories back.” The front door of the cottage swung open and in walked a tall man. Shay knew from the picture that this was Bridget’s father.

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“Papa!” cried both of the children at the table. Bridget’s father kissed his wife and sat down at the table. Shay felt an ache in her stomach. She longed for her own home. “I think it’s time for me to stay,” said Bridget. Shay nodded. She knew it was true. The two girls stood up and embraced. “I’ll never forget you,” said Shay. She let go of Bridget. “Nor I you,” said Bridget. And she turned and walked over to the table. “There she is!” cried Bridget’s father as she sat Copyright © 2017. ABDO Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

next to him. He patted Bridget’s shoulder and gave her a squeeze. “Now, let’s eat!” Shay backed away from the scene and shut the door behind her. The smells, the sounds, and the lights all disappeared. She turned around. The cottage was back to the way it was when she’d first found it: a broken empty shell of what it once had been.

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“Good luck, Bridget. I’m glad you’re home,” she said. Shay walked back to the farm. Shay returned to the cottage the next day, and the day after that, and every day of her trip. Bridget never returned. On the last day of her visit, Shay visited the site of the cottage again. The bulldozer had come and gone. Now the site was just a blank piece of dark earth, waiting for something to grow on it. Shay huffed and puffed. She had been working hard to plant the small tree that she’d brought. As she worked, she talked out loud. Copyright © 2017. ABDO Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

“Uncle Sean told me about the bulldozer a few weeks ago,” Shay said to the open field. “When he first told me about it, I was really upset. But then I realized something. You’re free now, Bridget. You don’t need the cottage anymore.” Shay continued her work in silence for a few minutes. She thought about how much she had grown to love the farm.

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Shay had fallen into a routine here. Hard work on the farm, meals with Moira at the pub, days exploring the town’s history with Mrs. Mulligan, and nights at home with Uncle Sean. She couldn’t remember why she was so worried about this trip in the first place. “This tree is called a blackthorn,” she continued out loud. “It looks kind of scary with all the thorns. I had to wear gloves to get it, and nobody would sit next to me on the bus. But Mrs. Mulligan said that it produces berries when it grows older. She also said the thorns are our Copyright © 2017. ABDO Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

hardships.” Shay stopped piling dirt. She sat back to admire her work and the tree. “My parents might be getting a divorce,” she said for the first time. “I’m ready to face that. Just like you could face what happened to you.” She leaned over and patted the dirt flat as she continued. “But Mrs. Mulligan said that once you

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face your fears, good things will come to you. Just like the berries on this bush.” She stood up, her work done. “Bridget, I’m glad to have met you,” she said. “Good-bye.” And she walked back to the farm for one last dinner

Copyright © 2017. ABDO Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

with Uncle Sean.

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Ending 3 4GD'NNCAXD “She said she couldn’t come with me to the farm. And then she burst into tears!” Shay told Mrs. Mulligan. It was about an hour later. Shay was sitting Copyright © 2017. ABDO Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

in Moira’s pub next to Mrs. Mulligan. Shay had promised Bridget she would return. Then, she immediately ran to find Mrs. Mulligan. They went to the pub to talk. Shay spilled the whole story to the librarian, ghosts and all. Moira put a mug of tea in front of each of them. She slipped in the booth across from Shay. “What’s happened?” Moira asked her mother.

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“It’s the Walsh girl from the Sullivan farm. She’s been . . . well, Shay has been seeing her. Shay wants to help,” Mrs. Mulligan said softly. Shay looked up in astonishment. “You knew?” Moira and Mrs. Mulligan exchanged glances. Then, Mrs. Mulligan spoke. “I first met her when I was about your age,” she said. “And when Moira was a girl, she would go and help at the Sullivan farm on the weekends. She would come home with stories of a girl her age—” “It was Bridget,” Moira interrupted. “She was one of three Walsh siblings. They all lived Copyright © 2017. ABDO Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

in that cottage down the way. When the famine hit the potato crop, there wasn’t enough food to go around. She loved her little brother. Couldn’t bear to see him starving.” Moira paused to wipe a tear out of her eye. “She always gave him her share of the food, you see. But by the time she realized what was happening to her . . .” Moira trailed off.

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Shay could fill in the story for herself. Bridget had sacrificed herself to save her brother. Mrs. Mulligan reached across the table and patted her daughter’s hand. “Now the real question is,” said Mrs. Mulligan, “how can we help young Miss Bridget? I think maybe she needs some encouragement to leave.” Mrs. Mulligan led Moira and Shay back to the farm. If Uncle Sean thought it was strange that the librarian and the pub owner were strolling through his farm in the middle of the day, he didn’t say anything. In fact, he acted as though Copyright © 2017. ABDO Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

he expected to see them. He dropped his rake and fell in line with them. He put his arm protectively around Shay as he walked. When they got to the edge of the cottage, Mrs. Mulligan nudged Shay. “Ask her to come see us.” Shay poked her head into the cottage. “Bridget?”

75 The Starving Ghost: an Up2U Mystery Adventure, ABDO Publishing Company, 2017. ProQuest Ebook Central,

Bridget was balled up in a corner. She looked like she hadn’t stopped crying since Shay left. “Bridget, can you come out to talk to us? I brought Uncle Sean, and some other friends.” Bridget didn’t say anything. She got up to follow Shay. They couldn’t hold hands, but Shay walked close to Bridget. When the girls came out, the three adults were standing in a circle. They had their hands clasped together. “I’m going to leave here soon. And . . . and I think it’s time for you to leave, too,” said Shay. “I think you should be with your family.” Copyright © 2017. ABDO Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

“Join us,” Mrs. Mulligan said. “Shay, hold our hands. Bridget, we need you in the middle, love.” Mrs. Mulligan spoke first. “Bridget, you have brought so much joy to the lives of others. But now it’s time for you to go.” Bridget didn’t seem surprised to see them. In fact, a look of recognition, of serenity passed over her face. “Caitlin,” she said, “you’ve grown so old.”

76 The Starving Ghost: an Up2U Mystery Adventure, ABDO Publishing Company, 2017. ProQuest Ebook Central,

“I have grown old, love. Many years ago, you and I used to play on this land. My daughter, Moira, remembers playing with my ghost friend, too.” Mrs. Mulligan squeezed Moira’s hand. Moira spoke next. “Bridget, I’m sorry I stopped coming to see you. I loved having you in my life. But now it’s time for you to go.” Moira started crying again, slow tears. Then it was Uncle Sean’s turn. “You’ll always be a part of this farm, Bridget. But it’s time for you to go now. Your family needs you.” Uncle Sean squeezed Shay’s hand. She knew Copyright © 2017. ABDO Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

it was her turn. “I’m glad that I met you, Bridget. I wanted to help you.” Bridget jumped in. “You did! You did help me! I wanted a friend so much. It’s so lonely here without friends my age.” Her voice trailed off. “I understand,” Shay said. “You helped me too. My parents have been fighting. I think they’re getting a divorce. That’s why I’m here.

77 The Starving Ghost: an Up2U Mystery Adventure, ABDO Publishing Company, 2017. ProQuest Ebook Central,

They wanted the summer to sort things out. I was really upset when I got here, but you . . .” Shay looked around, reaching for the right words. “You gave me a purpose, Bridget. Thank you for letting me help you.” The words echoed around the circle, as everyone said it. “Thank you, Bridget.” Then, a giggle broke the silence. All five heads whipped around to look at the cottage. Bridget’s face lit up. “Patrick,” Bridget said. And it seemed that she had forgotten the people circled around her. Copyright © 2017. ABDO Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

The living people dropped hands. Bridget ran to the cottage. Just before she entered the door, she turned back and smiled. “Good-bye.” Bridget went through the door. Nobody knew quite what to say until Uncle Sean spoke. “Why don’t you all come back to the house,” he said. He put his hand on Shay’s shoulder. “I have a pot of stew on the stove.”

78 The Starving Ghost: an Up2U Mystery Adventure, ABDO Publishing Company, 2017. ProQuest Ebook Central,

Shay looked at the cottage one last time. It was still. There was no sign of Bridget. She turned back to her uncle. “I can’t think of anything I’d rather do,” she

Copyright © 2017. ABDO Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

said, and walked back to the farm.

79 The Starving Ghost: an Up2U Mystery Adventure, ABDO Publishing Company, 2017. ProQuest Ebook Central,

Write Your Own Ending There were three endings to choose from in The Starving Ghost. Did you find the ending you wanted from the story? Or did you want something different to happen? Now it is your turn! Write the ending you would like to see. Be Copyright © 2017. ABDO Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

creative!

80 The Starving Ghost: an Up2U Mystery Adventure, ABDO Publishing Company, 2017. ProQuest Ebook Central,

Rog e rs & Gl e n n

While staying with her uncle in Ireland, Shay

Bridget lashes out and writing appears on her CQDRRDQ3G@XUHRHSRSGDKHAQ@QX 7G@SVHKK3G@X

UP2U

SN zFTQD NTS VG@S G@OODMDC SN GDQ  7GDM

Adventures

meets a ghost named Bridget and promises

discover about her friend’s death, and how

The Starving Ghost

will Bridget react? The ending is Up2U!

Copyright © 2017. ABDO Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

BOOKS IN THIS SET: Backcourt Battle The Creepy Doll Lost in Space The Starving Ghost

I S B N 978-1-5321-3031-1

90000

9

781532 130311

The Starving Ghost: an Up2U Mystery Adventure, ABDO Publishing Company, 2017. ProQuest Ebook Central,