Trista has always loved abandoned houses and the paranormal. Now that she’s at college only fifteen minutes from the notoriously haunted Hollow Street house, she knows exactly where she’s spending Halloween. She packs a bag, puts on her favorite vintage dress, and sets off, hoping to spot the ghost of the young, dark-haired woman who’s said to haunt the house’s living room.<br><br>Fellow student Keira does not like abandoned houses, and she isn’t particularly interested in ghosts. Visiting the Hollow Street house was not how she’d planned to spend Halloween. But her little sister, who loves all things spooky, has begged Keira to check out the haunted house next to her university, and Keira has trouble saying no. She doesn’t expect to see anything supernatural, so it’s quite a shock to find herself face-to-face with a mysterious young woman in old-fashioned clothing who seems to have appeared from nowhere.<br><br>When the two ghost-hunters come face to face, each mistakes the other for the ghost she’s looking for. How tragic, they both think, that such a beautiful person should have died so young. Of course, things aren’t as bleak as they seem, and the two women might find themselves pleasantly surprised ... if they can make it to the morning. Because real entities haunt the Hollow Street house, and they’re anything but friendly.

Spirits in the Dark

Resolutely, Keira changed the subject. The least she could do was offer the poor spirit a friendly conversation for as long as they were together. “So, you came here on your own?” she said lightly. “Are you into ghost stories?”


“Yeah,” Trista said, “or at least I thought I was. I’m starting to think the real thing is a lot crazier than the stories would have you believe.” There was an odd note in her voice as she continued, “Do you believe in ghosts?”


Given the circumstances, Keira could only say, “Oh, yes.”


Trista chuckled, and began to respond. Then she fell silent. “Did you hear that?” she whispered after a long moment. “I thought I heard someone calling me.”


Keira strained her ears, but heard nothing—only the faint pulse of distant music in the nightclubs far from the house. “No,” she said. “Nothing.”


Trista shook her head. “I’m sure,” she said. “I know I heard it. Listen! There’s someone here—there’s—”


Chapter 9