Free The Black by D. J. MacHale

it you?"
    She gave me a subtle nod.
    "You pulled me back here? Why? How?" I said as I climbed the first stair.
    She quickly backed off and started to close the door. "No, wait! I'm not mad. I just don't get it."
    She didn't close the door all the way and peered out through the crack. I stood on the bottom stair, not moving any higher for fear she'd slam the door and be gone for good.
    "I'm Cooper Foley. My grandfather is the guy who lives next door. I mean, who used to live next door. Or… I don't know what I mean. What's your name?"
    The girl looked like a frightened kitten with big brown eyes that watched my every move, waiting for me to do something that would prompt her to slam the door.
    "I'm pretty confused," I said. "My gramps says you've been around for a while, so you must know how things work here. Right?"
    She gave me a slight shrug.
    "Okay, cool, I'll take that as a yes. Maybe you can tell me why things look different. I mean, you saw me with Gramps, right?"
    She nodded.
    "So what happened? I mean, all the leaves were on the trees and now it's, like, almost winter. And my grandfather's house is a different color. That's… weird. Or maybe I'm the weird one. What do you think? Am I weird? I feel weird."
    The girl smiled. I saw it. It wasn't a big smile but it was there. I was getting through to her.
    "I wish you'd come out," I said. "I'm not going to hurt you."
    She pushed the screen door open tentatively and I backed away so as not to intimidate her. She stepped outside but kept her back against the wall, ready to jump inside at the first hint of danger.
    I'm guessing she was around my age. Her hair was dark and cut very short. The flowered dress went below her knees and she wore gray socks and brown shoes that looked like something a guy would wear… a guy from another time. She had on an old blue sweater that was open in front and at least two sizes too big for her. Seeing her up close like this, wearing such old-fashioned clothes, made me understand what was happening.
    "Wait, you didn't live here when my grandfather did. In the Light, I mean."
    She didn't react.
    "I'm guessing you lived here a long time before that. Is this what the place looked like when you were alive? I mean, is this your vision in the Black?"
    She nodded.
    "Yeah!" I exclaimed, and punched the air in victory. The girl frowned and inched away from me.
    "Sorry, sorry. Didn't mean to go off like that. I'm totally normal. Usually."
    She stopped moving, though she looked ready to bolt at the next sign of lunacy.
    "I'm scaring you and I don't mean to," I said. "I'm just as scared as you are. No, I take that back, you look pretty scared. I hope it's not about me because I'm not a scary guy. At least I don't think I am."
    She gave me another small smile. That was progress. "Can you talk?" I asked. "I mean, are you able to speak? I'd love to know your name."
    I was afraid that she was actually mute and our whole conversation would have to be about yes and no.
    Finally, in a voice that was so soft I could barely hear it above the wind, she whispered, "Maggie."
    "Maggie!" I exclaimed, making her jump again. Bad move. "Whoa, sorry. Maggie. Great name. Good to meet you. Sort of. This isn't the kind of place that it's good to meet anybody, right? I mean, we'd all just as soon not be here."
    I was talking too fast. She looked confused.
    "Sorry, my mouth's outpacing my brain. So… who are you? If you lived in the Light a long time before my gramps, then you've been here in the Black for a while. Why is it taking you so long to move on?"
    She scowled and ran back into the house.
    "No, wait!"
    Too late. I had just asked her the all-time worst question possible. You don't meet somebody and immediately ask about what's wrong with them. Idiot.
    "Maggie! Wait, I'm sorry! I'm a dope. Really. Everybody thinks so. I won't ask you any more stupid questions. I promise."
    She peeked back out the door with those big, frightened eyes. It looked like she was on the