"Mary dinnertime!" Mary's mother shouted a few hours later. Mary jerked up on the bed. Wiping a bit of drool off her cheek.

"Coming Ma!" She shouted as she wiped the puddle on her homework  with her sleeve and tried to salvage her work. "I must have been wrecked to pass out like that." She mused allowed.

Emelia appeared from her closet. "You were drained from the magic." She accused. "Not to mention you were snoring like a lumberjack. I couldn't rest at all!'

Mary rolled her eyes. "You are a restless spirit remember?"

"Well I certainly got more rest before you moved into my room with all the teenage moodiness." Emelia retorted crossing her arms. The wrinkled jiggle of her plump arms made Mary laugh.

"You're adorable when you're mad." Mary giggled. "You look like Mrs.Butterworth."

Emelua grimaced. "Hurry up now dinners getting cold." Then with a wink she dissapeared.

Mary plunked down the stairs in her battered black converse sneakers and wandered into the kitchen  "Something smells good " she said sniffing appreciatively.

"Its garlic roasted chicken and red potatoes." Her mom turned from the counter with a smile her hands cradling a glass baking dish. "I found the recipe in the old cookbook that was left under the counter."

"That was mine." Emelia whispered. Mary glanced at the fridge where the old ladys head poked out of the icemaker.

"Soinds delicious!" Mary said filling her plate quickly. She slid into her chair and began cutting up her chicken.

She paused with her fork halfway to her mouth, as her best friend Ava appeared in the chair across from her. She was dripping wet, the soft trickle of water splashing on the floor. Mary looked under the table, sure enough there was a puddle. She only looked solid though, she was a ghost.

Mary went pale as Ava spoke. "Mary can you see me?"

Mary nodded her head yes as tears pooled in her eyes.

"Can you help me? I'm so cold." Ava begged.

"Mom can I eat in my room? I've got a ton of homework to finish." Mary blurted.

"Well ok but bring your plate down when you're finished, we don't want ants." Mary's mother replied.

"Ok thanks mom." Mary said gratefully. Then turning to Ava, Mary whispered "Follow me." Ava nodded as she floated up and trailed after her. Mary pounded up the stairs and as soon as her friend cleared the threshold she shut and locked her bedroom door.

Ava sat on the computer chair, still dripping. "What happened to me?" She wailed. "Why are you the only one who can see me?"

Mary met her friends eyes. "Ava I need you to not freak out okay?" Ava nodded. "You're dead, you're a ghost, but I'm going to help you.

The lights flickered as Ava began to sob. "No, no, nooooo!"

"Ava, calm down I need you to focus." Mary said urgently. "Tell me everything you remember."

Ava sniffled. "Remember how I told you about that boy I met online?" Mary nodded. "Well we decided to meet, I mean we had been texting for weeks. I drove out to the swimming bridge out on Route 249, you know the one we always go to in the summer. Anyway he was going to set up a picnic for us. But when I got there..." Ava sniffled again. "He wasn't there. But there was someone else and he hurt me. Please Mary I'm so cold, please help me."

"Oh Ava!" Mary bit back a sob. She jumped to her feet and crouched down and began dragging things from under her bed. A black leather bound book of the occult, a shoebox full of herbs, a canister of salt, and a bag of white and red candles. She reached for her backpack and dumped its contents on the bed and then filled it with her supplies. "Come on, we are going to fix this." She opened her window and climbed out, carefully walking along the ledge until she reached the overhang. She swung down gracefully and landed on the porch nearly soundlessly. Ava flashed down as well her feet not quite touching the ground. Mary quickly retrieved her bike from the shed and began pedaling quickly towards the swimming bridge. She knew it was about seven miles from her house and she pushed herself hard to get there quickly. Ava floated along beside her, somber and quiet. Forty minutes later Mary skidded into the small path that led to the swimming bridge. She dropped her bike to the ground beside Ava's cherry red mustang. She cautiously made her way down the path towards the water.