Free Paula Morris by Ruined Page A

that dense. Sooner or later, they'd be spotted; maybe Marianne would scream, or
Toby would grab them.
    Part of Rebecca just wanted to make a run for it, to sprint away
into the darkness and hide herself in the thicket of tombs. But something about
Lisette's calm insistence that they wouldn't be seen made her stay put. And
they were in this together, after all. Both were outsiders, sure to be derided
by this group: Lisette because she was black and poor, and Rebecca because she
would never belong to their social set -- or to this city.
    One of the boys staggered up to throw away his cigarette butt,
leaning one hand against the tomb --just inches from her flinching face -- and
it was only then that Rebecca realized why Lisette was so certain they were
safe, why nobody was going to find them. All of a sudden, it was obvious.
    Nobody could see her, and nobody could see Lisette. They were
invisible -- as invisible as ghosts.
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    ***
    CHAPTER TEN
    ***
    Another ten minutes passed before Marianne, Julie, and the St.
Simeon boys meandered off into the night. When the voices had receded, Lisette
let go of her hand, and Rebecca slumped on the steps of the tomb, wondering if
this whole adventure was just some strange nightmare. She was shaking so hard,
she could barely speak.
    "Why couldn't they see us?" she managed to croak, at
last.
    "We were invisible to them," Lisette said, sitting down
next to Rebecca on the steps, stroking her dusty skirt as though it were a
mermaid's tail.
    "But how?" Rebecca asked. "I mean, I've
never been invisible before."
    "You should hold my hand more often." There was just
enough moonlight for Rebecca to see the small smile creeping onto Lisette's
face. "I'm invisible all the time. It's not so bad."
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    So that was why Aurelia couldn't see Lisette the other day: Nobody could see Lisette! But wait: Rebecca could see her perfectly well. This was
just too weird.
    "What do you mean you're invisible?" Rebecca asked. It
wasn't that cold, but her teeth were chattering so much she could barely form a
coherent sentence. "I can see you. And people aren't just invisible. It's
not possible."
    Lisette gave a soft sigh.
    "People aren't invisible," she said, picking at a
congealed spot on her skirt. "Living people, that is. Ghosts are
invisible."
    Rebecca shook her head hard, as though she was trying to clear
water out of her ears: Something was clogging her brain, because she couldn't
follow what Lisette was saying.
    "So you're trying to tell me that you're a ghost and
that's why you're invisible."
    Lisette nodded. Rebecca slapped a hand against the stone step.
    "But I don't believe in ghosts!" she protested. "At
least -- I've never really thought about it before. Ghosts are just something
from ... I don't know, horror stories. Creepy films. Ghosts are something you
dress up as at Halloween. And you're not invisible -- I can see you!"
    "Other ghosts can see us."
    Rebecca couldn't believe her ears.
    "Oh my god," she said slowly, her heart thumping.
"Can ... can I be a ghost without knowing it? Have I died without
realizing it? Is New Orleans hell or something?"
    Lisette laughed.
    "It's not heaven, that's for sure," she said. "But
don't worry.
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    Sometimes other people can see us as well. You're not a ghost. By
now I can tell the difference." "Really?"
    "It took a while, but I learned, Ghosts can be seen by other
ghosts, but we can make our presence known to the living as well. There has to
be a reason. Say, when some long-dead queen appears in a castle tower and
someone sees her, it means she's trying to send him a message."
    "What kind of a message?" Rebecca asked, hugging her
knees, willing herself to calm down. Ghosts didn't exist in her world: They
were just made-up things, like gremlins and elves and unicorns. Lisette might
be a crazy person, telling her this ridiculous story. But then, those kids
tonight in the cemetery were right there, just feet away, and they'd looked
right through Rebecca and Lisette. What was