“It was a night just like tonight,” Karyn began in a playfully-ominous tone, “in a small town just like Lake Point. A young girl was home with her older sister’s friend while her family was away, and they were telling ghost stories.” Karyn paused. “Ghost stories just like this one.”
“Stop it!” Dawn made the appropriate mock protest.
Karyn continued. “All of a sudden, the young girl realized that she couldn’t find her friend. Where had she gone? She wasn’t in the kitchen. She wasn’t in the garage. She wasn’t in the back yard. And as the young girl was searching, she heard KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK, a knock at the door. So she went to the front door see who it was.”
“Who was it?” Dawn interrupted.
“Nobody. There was nobody at the front door.” Karyn’s eyes got wide. “But while the girl was there she heard KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK another knock. This time she could tell the knock was coming from inside. So she closed the front door, and she tiptoed to the staircase. KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK. This time she could tell that it was coming from upstairs.”
“Don’t go upstairs!”
“The girl went up the stairs, and when she reached the top KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK she heard yet another knock. Now she could tell it was coming from the inside of her bedroom door.”
“Maybe it’s her missing friend?”
“The girl crept down the hallway, slowly and carefully. Every few seconds she could hear KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK louder and louder the closer and closer she got. She was at the door. KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK. She put her hand on the knob. KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK. She twisted the handle. KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK. And when she opened the door, she saw…”
“Don’t tell me!”
“DEREK JETER!” Karyn shouted, her hands splayed out on either side of her face.
Dawn screamed the loudest scream she could ever remember screaming. She ran towards the stairs, but then stopped. What if Derek Jeter really was in her room? She turned around and bolted for the kitchen, sliding under the kitchen table for protection.
Karyn gave herself a small chuckle. She felt a little bad about scaring the poor girl so badly, but at the same time she loved seeing how Dawn was at the same time both just like Jon, and also so much unlike Jon. The way she’d listened to the story with rapt attention felt so familiar, but her expressiveness, her willingness to scream and be vulnerable… Jon, at any age, would never have intentionally let Karyn know he was afraid, even when she knew that he was.
“I’m sorry,” Karyn cooed as she knelt on the tiled floor next to the kitchen table. “That story was maybe a little too scary. I promise that Derek Jeter isn’t here.” Karyn could see an involuntary shudder work its way though Dawn’s body. “And even if he was, I’d protect you.”
“For real? You won’t disappear like in the story?”
“For real.” Karyn bent over on all fours then extended a hand out towards the table, inviting Dawn back out.
But the younger girl narrowed her eyes as she looked at her friend and cocked her head to the side. “Karyn…”
