Free Lovely Shadows by Kendra Kilbourn

her. I had no stone to throw.
    “Sorry,” I said.
    “Forget about it. We're in this together.” She kissed her hand then tapped my cheek, our secret best-friend-forever gesture we created in grade school.
    “Thanks.”
    She laughed. “I still can't believe you are in love with a ghost. Isn't that wild?”
    Wild wasn't the word I had in mind.

    Luke and I ate a late dinner with Grandpa. No one appeared to be in the mood to talk, so we ate in silence. After Grandpa retreated to his study, Luke and I did the dishes then sat on the back porch. The temperature dropped so a cool breeze blew across the back field. In the distance, dark clouds built up high into the sky. Storms seemed inevitable.
    Luke plucked a blade of grass and held it between his thumbs. Then he blew hard against his hands, creating a whistling sound. I never mastered the art myself, but Luke was gifted. I listened to him create one note after another, enjoying the music. The wind picked up, bringing other sounds with it. Thunder rumbled. I shivered. I loved storms.
    “How was your date?”
    His cheeks reddened. “It was good.”
    “Well, Billie had a great time. Said you were the best kisser ever.”
    “She did not!”
    “Yes, she did. Are you guys going out again?”
    “Friday.”
    “Is she your girlfriend now?” I couldn't resist the urge to tease him just a little.
    “We haven't declared anything, but maybe we are together. I'm not good at those kinds of talks.”
    “You don't have to rush anything, kid. You need to do what feels right to you.”
    He snickered. “Yeah, thanks. Are we done talking about this now?”
    “Yeah, I'm done.”
    We watched the storm approach. Little dust tornadoes kicked up along the trail. The tall brown grass whipped in the wind. Lightening flashed along the horizon. Though the storm was still a ways off, it seemed as close as skin.
    I turned to my brother. “Do you believe in ghosts?”
    He shrugged. “I guess. I mean, I believe in the possibility that we're not alone on this planet. Like Gramps has said dozens of times: What is so special about us that we assume God didn't create life forms on other planets? As for ghosts and spirits, I've seen enough horror movies to believe the potential is there. Why do you ask?”
    “I was just wondering,” I sighed.
    Luke stood up. “We should probably get inside and batten down the hatches.”
    We went through the house closing windows and gathering flashlights and candles just in case we lost power. Grandpa pulled out the generator and tested it. Thankfully, it worked. We took up residence in the living room, watching the news channels for any sign of severe weather. Over in Brewster, one-inch hail was being reported.
    “It's been awhile since we've see a storm like this,” Grandpa said.
    “Cool,” Luke replied.
    Grandpa didn't look as optimistic. He stood at the big picture window, gazing up at the blackening sky. The fast-moving wind rattled the whole house. Storms in general didn't bother me but there was something sinister about the weather this time. At the same time I debated calling Levi, the weatherman issued a tornado warning for our county.
    “All right kids, let's go.” Grandpa ushered us down the hall and into the basement. No sooner did he close the door behind us then did every window blow apart.

7.

    Or at least it seemed that way.
    There was so much noise above us it was difficult to separate the sounds. I winced as something crashed. Whatever it was, I hoped it wasn't important.
    Grandpa clicked on a flashlight, the bright beam illuminating the dark room. Luke leaned against the far wall picking at his nails, unperturbed by the mayhem outside. The house shook on its foundation like it was inside a snow globe in the hands of a very small child. In all my life, I don't think I had ever been so scared. Tornadoes are as common in Kansas as dust but Browton sat above the tornado alley. Very few ever came through there and especially not in