Free The Ghost Runner by Blair Richmond Page A

the thought, bringing me to a skidding halt.
    Stacey.
    I force myself to keep running, to keep chasing her. This is crazy , a voice inside my head screams out. But I don’t care. I’m not afraid.
    I flash back again to Cloudline, when I fell down the side of a hill. I remember the ghost I saw—the ghost that frightened me back onto my feet and up that trail, with my scratched and bleeding leg, within seconds. And I remember silently thanking that ghost for giving me the jolt I needed.
    But I can’t maintain this pace; my legs tire out, and I have to walk again. When I stop, all I can hear is my own heavy breathing. Soon I begin to doubt myself. Maybe it wasn’t a ghost but just a cloud. The clouds tend to sink down into these trails, low and wispy, clinging to the hills and getting whisked around by the wind. A light cloud and a rush of wind through the trees can easily look like a ghost. Especially to someone who has an active imagination and who misses her friend.
    I shake off the doubt and stand there, looking around, hoping to see the ghost again.
    But there is nothing. Just silence. I stand patiently, looking up at the birds, the branches swaying above.
    Even as I head back down the trail, I’m filled with hope. Hope that this really might be the ghost of Stacey. It would make so much sense—the runner, the female spirit—and we’re not far from where her horrible murder happened. I want to see her again, to ask for forgiveness for leaving her alone on the trail that fateful day.
    I think the hills of Lithia just might grant me that wish.
    ~
    The next day, Alex and I have a picnic dinner in Manzanita Park. It was his idea; I think he wants to make up for our arguing over my dad. He brings a blanket and food from the co-op, and we sit near the creek and listen to the water rush past. Dribble is more like it, since there is not much water in the creek these days. I watch as two ducks huddle together in a shallow pond. A deer stands by the water’s edge, having a drink.
    I can’t help thinking about what Lindquist said in class today. Someone was talking about all the deer in town, how they had become a nuisance. And Lindquist said, That’s your point of view. But look at it from their perspective. They were here first. We are just as much of a nuisance to them as they are to us.
    I think about the water, or lack of it, and what would happen if a fire did start up on the hills. This park is like a long driveway, extending from the deep forest right into the heart of Lithia. A fire would travel like a high-speed car down that driveway and into downtown.
    We aren’t saying much, Alex and I, but it’s not exactly an uncomfortable silence. There’s something about being out in nature that soothes all my wounds, and Alex seems to feel the same way.
    But finally he speaks. “I’m sorry about being so hard on your father. I’m just trying to look out for you.”
    â€œI appreciate that,” I say. “But I wish you’d give the guy a break.”
    â€œI know, I know. Just because he stands for everything that’s wrong in the world today doesn’t mean we can’t be friends.”
    I can’t help but laugh. “Come on, seriously, Alex. I’ve never had much of a family, and I’m just trying to meet him halfway. I know he’s not perfect. But nobody is, right?”
    â€œTrue,” Alex says. “But be careful, Kat. It just seems odd that he’d show up all of a sudden and want to be your best friend.”
    â€œDon’t you think I know that? I am being careful. Look, if anyone should understand second chances, it should be you. People can change, can’t they? Like you did?”
    He nods thoughtfully. “You’re right. I’m in no position to judge. I guess I’m a little protective of you, that’s all.” He leans over to give me a kiss. “I can’t help that I’m crazy