Haunted Barn

I stood outside the high school, facing down four jocks.
I'd been walking outside, halfway between the school newspaper and play practice, when they'd shown up. They were coming back from the stadium after football or something. When they'd seen me alone, they'd decided to declare it Pick On Lou Day.
"Back off," I said warningly.
They surrounded me, one on each side. I was unarmed---I hadn't really thought to bring my whip to school. I turned, shifted into a fighting stance like I'd learned, and balled my fists. My gym bag with all my books in it was slung over one shoulder. I slid it down my arm, letting it dangle and wrapping the strap around my wrist.
One of them moved toward me. I swung the gym bag, and he jumped back. Another one, behind me, came closer, and I spun, swinging at him and driving him back, too.
They stopped and stared at me, the kid with the glasses that was holding them back.
"I don't believe this," one of them said.
"No more warning shots," I said. "Get lost."
One of them made a grab for me. I swung the gym bag, clipping him in the side of the head. He staggered back, clutching at his ear.
I didn't wait. I swung the bag again, catching one in the neck. I turned and kicked the first one. The other two moved back, out of range, and I stepped forward, swinging the bag with some heat.
"That's not fucking fair!" the one I'd hit in the face claimed.
"Like four on one was so nice?" I said. I took a step forward again, and he dodged way back.
All of them were in front of me now; I'd herded them into a cluster. They were looking more hesitant than they had. I came forward again and swung wildly, and they all ran, getting about twenty feet away.
"Get out of my sight," I said. "Don't make me tell everyone how I beat four of you."
They retreated, heading back for the stadium.
I shrugged and headed to play practice.
Just another day.

In the dark, I walked across the lawn. It was late October, a little chilly, and I was wearing my green denim jacket and bright blue Slatington sweatshirt. I was looking for some kids.
My mother was two doors down at a PTO meeting with several other parents. Most of their kids had been sent out to go play in the neighborhood, and I'd been asked to go corral them and make sure they weren't in trouble. I walked over toward the yard where they'd been playing.
As I got closer, I looked around the property. I could see the kids, several of them, scattered throughout the yard. They were crouched in the grass and approaching the neighbor's property, hiding behind trees, and crawling closer to the neighboring house. I watched them for a moment.
"Hey!" I called. "What are you guys doing?"
They all turned around, saw me, and ran to me all at once. Lisa, Brian, Jamie, Suzie, Renee, Jason, and Danica---All kids i knew. They gathered around me and began frantically explaining, all talking at once.
"Hey! Hey! Down shift!" I held up my hands, quieting them down. I turned to Lisa, marginally the most mature one. "Lisa. Explain."
"It's almost Halloween, and we were talking about ghosts," said Lisa. "And, like, the old barn over there, we think is haunted, and Jason and Brian dared each other to go and find out, so...."
"Oh christ," I said.
"So we were going to go explore it and find ghosts," said Renee.
"Oh my god, no," I said. "That barn has been in ruins since before I was born! You guys could have been hurt! What were you thinking?"
"We just wanted to see if we could explore a little," said Suzie. "Please don't tell our parents on us."
I looked at her, considering.
"No," I said. "I won't. Your parents sent me over to keep you busy. I'm going to teach you how to do this right."

"Here's my pack," I said. "I usually have some adventure stuff on me."
We were all sitting in a circle on the grass. My backpack was a battered blue thing that Kline had given me. I began pulling items out to show to the kids.
"Camera. Look. I got a Polaroid. This thing develops pictures in minutes, so you know right away what you got. I've got some spare flashes for working in the dark. And a couple of flashlights, too. You never know when you're gonna need one. I mean, what were you guys planning on doing? Just stumbling around a haunted barn in the dark, crashing into things?"
"We didn't think that far ahead," Renee admitted.
"Yeah, well, you'd have needed this, too. First aid kit. I always carry one. When you get hurt, it's too late to go and find one." Mine was in a big metal box that Kline had stolen from one of the school buses, and we'd filled with first aid stuff. I opened it to show the kids.
"What's this stuff?" asked Suzie.
"Science stuff. Litmus paper. Filter paper. A beaker. That's more for hunting water monsters, but I use it all sometimes." Kline had stolen all that, too.
"Can we hunt water monsters?"
"One thing at a time."
I pulled out my binoculars. "Binoculars. They're for watching from a safe distance. A lot of ghost hunting is just waiting for stuff to happen. You hear the part about the safe distance? This way, you don't go stumbling around a dark yard and getting killed."
"We didn't get killed," pointed out Brian.
"You didn't get killed because I showed up before you could get to the barn. I also always carry my Swiss army knife and my whip, in case I need them."
"Can I try the whip?" asked Jamie.
"No. Now, what makes you think the barn is haunted?"
"We hear noises in there," said Lisa. "Sometimes it sounds like screaming."
"Okay. We're gonna go take a look. We are staying safe." The fact that I myself had not always made a policy of being safe was something I ignored for the moment. "Everyone stays behind me. Do not run off. Do what I say, no matter what. Understand?"
They all nodded.
"Okay," I said. "I'll even let you guys hold one of the flashlights. Let's go."

We walked up to the barn, looking around the outside. I said,"Okay, let me turn on my official ghost detector." I clicked on the flashlight. "Hey. There any ghosts in here?"
Nothing happened. As we walked along the side of the barn, I saw a spot where a few boards were missing, leaving it open. I said,"We'll go in there, but let me check first."
I slipped in through the broken boards. I shined my flashlight around. The inside was big. And rickety. I could see moonlight through holes in the roof. The floor was packed dirt, and there were stables on each side.
It certainly looked haunted.
I took another step inside. A moment later, someone was slipping in through the cracks beside me. Suzie.
"I told you to wait outside," I said.
"I wanted to see," she whispered.
I nodded. "Let's check it out. Stay behind me."
We walked further in, into the center aisle of the barn. Suzie said,"Hey, Lou? I'm sorry."
"For what?"
"For doing something dangerous. I didn't know."
I looked at her in the flashlight beam. "It's okay, Suzie. I'm sorry I yelled at you guys. I just don't want you to get hurt."
She smiled. "Okay."
"Come on," I said. "Let's go get the others."

All together, we walked into the barn. The kids behind me, shining our flashlights.
"Everyone stay behind me," I said. "Do not touch anything. Step where I step."
There was a noise from up ahead.
I felt Jamie grabbing my arm. "What was that?"
"Careful. Let's find out."
We carefully turned the flashlights, looking across the barn. Lisa pointed. "There!"
We looked at something moving, up ahead on the other end of the barn. I shined my flashlight on a raccoon, crawling across the floor. It looked up at me for a moment, then continued on.
"There's our ghost," I said. "There's raccoons living in here. They make a lot of noise, and sometimes even a screaming sound. I used to hear them a lot on the farm when I was little."
"Mission accomplished," said Renee.

We gathered back outside the barn, standing in the moonlight.
"That was fun," said Brian.
"We solved it," I said. "A lot of them come out like that, something you can find and explain. A while ago I went looking for Bigfoot and found a horse. Everyone learn something?"
They all nodded.
"Now you guys can do it, too," I said. "But be careful. Always. Stay safe."

Books Across Slatington

The forest would have been peaceful if it hadn't been for the sound of Kline's machete. Or my Swiss Army knife, using the saw blade to chop fallen branches to the right size. Or the occasional curse word as something went wrong.
The fort was coming along. Composed of heavy branches and stolen string, the thing was now taller than I was, about ten feet long and three wide, with three rooms inside and a six-foot doorway. It stood on the high ground between two streams, deep into the forest on our farm.
"So, your plan for this is what?" Kline asked me as we worked.
"Gonna be my secret base," I said. "Once we get this place up and waterproofed, I'll stash some of my equipment here, a couple of jackets. This will be where I plan some of my adventures."
"How come you're building your own fort in the woods? You have a bedroom, and your dad has like a million old barns."
"All of which my parents go into sometimes. Nobody ever comes this far down into the woods. This spot is all mine. I want something hid, it's going in here."
"Also, the Great Christmas Tree Goblin might show up."
"We'll see."
"What you got coming for the weekend?" he asked.
"Got a service project with the scouts. Our troop is helping to move the library."
"Wow. You think you guys can lift it by yourselves?"
"Not the whole building, you mope. The books. The library is moving to a bigger building up the road. They're gonna get everyone out there and pass books up the road. I'll be going with Troop 58, and helping out."
"Hey, cool. Call me when you're done, okay? Maybe we can go blow some stuff up." Kline looked around at the fort. "Okay if I leave some homemade bombs here?"
"See? This place is useful already."

Mark was there on Saturday. Jonas was there. So, tragically, was Rusty. In fact, most of Troop 58 had shown up to help pass books. We lined up on the street, making a human line that stretched for over a block, from the corner up to the new library on Main Street.
Mark was on my uphill side. On the other side, there was a line of younger kids---A couple I already knew, a couple of newer ones. Lisa, Jaime, Susie, Renee. Nice kids; I tried to supervise them a little as we passed books.
"No rush," I said. "Just keep it steady. You're doing fine."
"You guys! Spread out! And be careful, don't take more than you can handle! We don't want anyone getting hurt here!"
That was Esther. Esther had been in my class since the fourth grade. She was a know-it-all, a straight-A student who never so much as bent a rule. Basically the opposite of me, and it was just like her to walk in and assume that I couldn't handle it and she was in charge. Cute, though.
"Esther," I said,"I been here all morning. I got this."
"I'm making sure this gets done right," said Esther.
"I was doing it right," I muttered.
"Lou," said Mark. "We're passing the word down the line. Joey just went for a bathroom break, and he says Troop 66 is one the lower end of the line, and they're just putting books into a shopping cart."
"Those bastards!" I said. "They're gonna move more books than us!"
"So what?" said Esther. "It's not a competition. Who cares who's doing more, as long as the work gets done?"
We both stared at her. Clearly, she'd gone insane.
"What's the plan?" Mark asked.
"We're gonna take a quick break." I turned to the kids. "Be right back. Can you guys cover for me?"
"Sure," said Lisa. "We can do that, Lou."
"Thanks. Back in a  minute."

Mark and I hid behind the fireman statue, a ten-foot sculpture of a fireman with a fountain on the bottom, at the corner of Main and Third Streets. When I'd been about ten years old, it had been knocked over by a drunk driver, and then rebuilt. As far as I know, they never got the guy.
"See them?" Mark asked. I was holding out a signal mirror, trying to see from the reflection. Yeah. I carry a signal mirror.
"Not yet, I----Wait a minute. There they are." I watched them in the mirror, exiting the old library doors.
"Are they using a shopping cart?"
"Yeah. They're not in line, they're just piling up books with the shopping cart. And that idiot Walker is in charge."
"Bastards."
"Let's go tell the other---" I turned. Mark was no longer hiding behind the statue with me. He was storming out to confront Troop 66. I sighed and followed him.
"Hey! You! Dumbasses!" Mark stormed across the sidewalk, standing in front of the other troop. "What do you think you're doing?"
Their patrol leader, Walker, looked up at him. Walker was a tall kid with curly hair, the kind of insensitive jerk who usually says the wrong thing. He did that this time, too.
"Helping out," he said. "Better than you guys."
"It's not a competition, you asshole," I said.
"Good. Then it won't matter when you lose."
"I'm gonna hit him," said Mark. "Can I hit him?"
"Not yet," I said. "Look, Walker, just pick a place in the line. We're all in this together."
"Well, no," he said. "Troop 66 is in this together. Meanwhile, you guys are losers."
"Quit acting like a jackass, Walker. The last time I saw you was at that camporee where you were selling solar flashlights."
"Yeah, and you threw a cooler at my head," he said.
"You did," admitted Mark.
"I couldn't find anything heavier," I said. "And I will find a way to screw you up this time, too."
"Sure, go ahead," he said. "And with every second you waste now, we're loading up our shopping carts."
"Carts?" shouted Mark. "You guys are using more than one?!?"
I grabbed him by the collar. "Come on, Mark. Let's tell the troop."

"So, are you done acting like insufferable morons?" asked Esther when we returned to the line.
"Probably not," I said. glaring at her.
She turned to the younger kids. "Remember, lift these books safely, the way I showed you."
I was annoyed. It gave me a bit of a pang when she just walked in and took over like that. She turned and walked into the new library.
"Did you find out what you needed?" asked little Suzie.
"I think so, kid. Thanks."
"What're we gonna do?" asked Mark.
"I don't know yet. Maybe nothing. Walker's a jerk, but does it really matter?"
"We may lose this move, but we'll win the fight after."
We heard the sound of the shopping cart coming up the sidewalk. Walker and another kid were pushing it, and they were accompanied by a reprter from the local newspaper, strolling along with a pad and paper.
"I mean, I'm glad to be here," Walker was saying. "I like what we're doing, though the air is a bit nippy."
:What? Hey, interview me!" said Mark. "I'm not cold."
The reporter turned to him. "Are you with the same troop?"
"God, no. I'm with Troop 58. We're better."
"And how do you feel about today?"
"I like it," said Mark. "It's a really good cause."
The reporter wrote that down, and went to interview someone else. Walker pushed the cart into the new library. Mark said,"Why didn't you say anything?"
"I don't need to get into the newspapers. I'll just write an article for the school paper. It's almost lunchtime---Tell the guys we're gonna have to meet."

"Check it out," said Jonas. We were all sitting together at a table in the new library, eating lunch. "They got stacks of old books from the school for sale. Dollar apiece."
"I remember this one," I commented. "We used these books fro my seventh-grade English class. My old book is probably in here somewhere."
"Let's talk about Troop 66," said Mark. "This is important."
"Rusty's in the restroom," said Jonas,"But he was wondering what the big deal is."
"The big deal is that Rusty acts like a dumbass," I said. "We can't let Troop 66 do better than us. They're losers. Walker is the poster child for birth control. We have to move more books than them."
"They're using shopping carts," said Jon.
"We did come here in a pickup truck," said Mark.
We all looked at him. I said,"We did, didn't we? We have a pickup truck."
"Your dad has a pickup truck," Jonas pointed out. "We have a ride home."
"But if we can convince him to use it after lunch," I said,"We can probably get the rest of the books in one or two trips. And it's just a matter of driving the thing up the alley. Hell, I could do it."
"Don't."
"No. You talk to my dad," I said to Jonas. "He likes you. Convince him to let us load up the truck. Mark and me will check out the back of the old library, see where we can load up. And we'll get more books than those jerks over in 66."
"Okay," said Jonas. "I'll try."
"We'll help," said Lisa.
I looked at them. The kids had been sitting quietly at the next table eating their lunches. I said,"What?"
"We'll help you load the books," said Renee. "If you need us, we'll help. It'll go faster with all of us."
"Why are you helping?" I asked.
"You've been good to us," said Suzie. "You're our leader."
I smiled.
"Okay. Thanks. Let's get to work."

Mark and I walked through the library, looking at the mostly empty shelves. I said,"My mom used to bring me here when I was little. Had some good times in this library."
"We'll have good times in the new one, too," said Mark. "And I sent Rusty to start up with Walker, as a distraction."
"That's about all Rusty's good for."
"How about that door?"
"Let's try." We walked to the back of the building, and I tried the door. "Locked."
"I can probably pick it. Or bust it down."
"Mark. We're on the inside." I unlocked it. "Now, if Jonas just talked Dad into showing up with the truck...."
I opened the door. Out back, in the alley, Jonas was sitting in the back of my father's blue pickup truck.
He grinned at us. "About time you guys got here."

"Stack them---It'll save space!"
We began carrying books out the back door to the alley, loading up the truck. I had Suzie and Jaime in the truck, organizing and trying to be as space-efficient as possible. With all of us working, we got the truck loaded up---It was most of the remaining books, probably the last load of the day.
I ran to the back door with the final stack of books, threw it into the truck, and then jumped in after it. With everyone in the truck, sitting on top of books, we held on as Dad backed up the alley. Safety-wise, it was a much different time.
We backed up the alley to the loading dock on the new building, and I reached up and opened the doors. We began unloading the final books into the new library, and Mark and I high-fived.
I stepped off the truck and into the building. Lisa walked up to me, holding one of the English books.
"We found your old book for you," she said. "It's a present."
I opened the cover, and there was my signature, scribbled in the handwriting of seventh-grade me. I smiled.
"You guys dug through all those books to find this for me?"
"It's because you've always been so good to us," said Renee.
"Thanks," I said. "I know just where I'll put it."

I had a small shelf in my fort, composed of a small piece of wood propped on the branches. I set the book on the shelf, took a step back, and looked it over.
"Your first trophy," said Kline, standing beside me.
I nodded. "Now that we have the waterproofing done, I figured I'd keep it down here."
He looked it over. "It looks good. Like it belongs there."
"Yeah," I said. "It does."