Bring Your Fiction to Life: Crafting Three-Dimensional Stories with Depth and

Complexity By Karen Wiesner

Published by Writer's Digest Books

Three-Dimensional Character, Plot and Setting

Sketch Worksheet Example

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BOUND SPIRITS, Book 1, Bloodmoon Cove Spirits Series by Karen Wiesner

http://www.angelfire.com/stars4/kswiesner/fiction11.html

“Harrity Scaritty, on the mountain-side, in the realm of the dead, how will you escape, how will you be fed? With the living and the undead”…

Nestled on Lake Superior in northern Wisconsin is a small, secluded town called Bloodmoon Cove with volatile weather, suspicious folk…and newly

awakened ghosts bent on revenge. Esmeralda “Esme” Dumas comes to the town looking to find work surrounded by wide-open nature, [Present

Dimension] and most of all looking for a place to hide. [Future Dimension]

Park Ranger John Kotter has returned to his hometown [Present Dimension] after a decade away. He left Bloodmoon Cove under the cruel

and mistaken accusations of the townspeople that he was to blame for the suicide of his girlfriend, a local daughter. [Past Dimension] When his

father goes missing on the mountain and is presumed dead, his mother asks him to come home and take over the family legacy. [Present Dimension]

Generations of Kotter men, including his great-great grandfather Harrity, have run Bloodmoon Cove Park, and John can't help but remember how

much he loved this place as a boy. [Past Dimension] When he finds the

squatter in the campground host house, he can't help wondering if she had anything to do with his father's disappearance. [Future Dimension] John

also senses Esme has ghosts of her own. [Present Dimension] As a child, Esme was kidnapped and locked in a cold, dark basement.

Her friends were rodents, insects, and the changeable terror that held her hostage. The only thing that kept her sane those nightmare years were her

books. [Past Dimension] She’s been on the run since her escape a few months ago, [Present Dimension] never expecting to find another bound

spirit come back to life. [Future Dimension]

CHARACTER: PRESENT SELF

Name: John Kotter

Character Role: Hero

Physical Descriptions: Six foot and muscular. Dark, wavy hair, a rugged tan

face and lean, muscular frame that said he spent a lot of time outdoors, even in the winter. Deeply green eyes, like a sage leaf. "Those kind eyes had

eased the panic that'd been growing inside her."

Personality Traits: Kind. Accepting. Generous. Sheltering. Saved those who were threatened. Calming, unrushed, rational and gentle. He was raised to

give people chances, help whenever he could. Like his parents, he lived on the principle that hospitality starts with Hebrews 13:2: 'Be sure to welcome

strangers into your homes. By doing this, some people have welcomed

angels as guests without even knowing it.' His mother says of him: "John is an honorable man just like his father.

He won't give up hope easily. He truly is a selfless being. He searched for more than a week before the sheriff gave up trying to find his father's body.

He wouldn't have given up at all if that first winter blizzard hadn't hit when it did last year."

Strengths and Weaknesses: While all the men in his family had married late,

John understood that he was different, that something was wrong with him. Sometimes he wondered if he was capable of falling in love or feeling

anything but trapped by the relationships he attempted. He'd been terrified of any woman becoming too needy. He couldn't even let himself be friends

with a female because of the fear that one of them might get the wrong idea about his intentions.

Relationships: Parents: Mother, Natalia, a nurse at the small hospital in Bloodmoon

Cove. Father, David, former ranger at Bloodmoon Cove Park; gone missing in September of the previous year, presumed dead.

Other important family: Patrick, his grandfather and Twyla, his cousin. Friends: His father's German Shepherd Robert. The county sheriff--the

only law enforcement in Bloodmoon Cove--Graham "Gray" Mecham. Romantic interests: None currently.

Enemies: He'd alienated a lot of the people in Bloodmoon Cove that he thought were his friends with the situation with Cara-Marie Broucher before

he left 10 years ago. They blamed him for daring to consider a life for himself away from their hometown, something most of them would never

do. Now that John is back, the townspeople would rather hang for his crimes

than welcome him back with open arms.

Skill Set:

Occupation: Law enforcement ranger at Bloodmoon Cove Park. Education: Bachelor's degree, specializing in natural resources, and

completed the Seasonal Law Enforcement Training Program. Hobbies: Reading

Interests: Orienteering.

Plots/Subplots for this Character: Internal Conflicts: When John returned for his father's funeral, thinking

he'd only be there for a few days, he never considered saying no when his mother asked him to come home permanently and take over their family

heritage. After a decade away, John was back in Bloodmoon Cove, back to the life he'd spent his entire childhood dreaming of until the dream turned

sour and wrong. His father's death had put him in charge of the park his

family has run for generations. He can't allow the family legacy to die. External Conflicts: John's dad "went missing" on the mountain. The

backcountry permit he filled out stated he'd been heading toward Spirit Peak and would return by noon that day. He never did. After multiple searches,

his body was never found. John doesn't believe, like the sheriff does, that his father tumbled from one of the many treacherous cliffs, possibly after a

heart attack precipitated the fall. His father believed in the buddy system, yet he didn't even take him faithful dog with him--and he never went

anywhere without him. John has no idea what caused his father to go up there by himself, but he intends to find out as soon as spring comes.

Goals and Motivations: Coming back to the park where he grew up, his favorite place in the world when he was a kid, affected him. Being away,

wrapping up his life in Arizona the past nine months, had kept him from feeling the grief he was afraid to give in to. John suspected without seeing

his father's body, finding it so they could have some closure that he was

truly gone, he'd have as much trouble accepting his death as his mom. When he finds the squatter in the host house of the campground, he

wonders if Esme knows why his dad went up to Spirit Peak by himself, without his dog, last September.

Important Settings for this Character: Nestled on Lake Superior in northern

Wisconsin was a small, secluded town called Bloodmoon Cove with volatile weather and suspicious folk. The townspeople believed the park and

mountain were haunted. They all knew things happened there, especially up on the mountain, that couldn't be explained. The population hadn't risen

above four hundred in centuries. Those who remain were loyal and considered the town the only home they could ever know. In Bloodmoon

Cove the population was so small, everyone truly did know everyone else. A

new face consistently drew attention and tongue-wagging.

CHARACTER: PRESENT SELF

Name: Esme Dumas

Character Role: Heroine

Physical Descriptions: "Her dark blond hair had been raggedly cut, pulled

back in a messy ponytail away from her strangely beautiful face. With no bangs, the way her hair framed her tiny face made her seem more fragile

and even whimsical. If she'd told him she was really a fairy from some magical woods nearby, he would have been hard-pressed to dispute her.

Everything about her fit that description. Her light brown eyes, so child-like without a hint of makeup, nevertheless belonged to a grown woman who

clearly retained a semblance of innocence he'd never seen before. He

couldn't help noticing how golden her skin was in glimpses beneath the far too large clothing she wore. Her strong, white teeth were framed by full lips

that trembled slightly. Her neck seemed almost too long and narrow for her small, woman's body. Who was this waif? Her abrupt vulnerability tugged at

him. She seemed shy and unsure of herself, even a little afraid."

Personality Traits: "John found he wasn't surprised to hear that this woman was so keen on learning everything she could. If she'd read all the boring

files and manuals in the office multiple times, she'd been serious about digesting the information, filing it in her brain whenever she'd need the

information. He'd met few people as interested and eager as Esme seemed to be about what others might consider dry and boring. He couldn't help

wondering if life had taught her to become hard and cynical. She'd obviously been afraid of him after she realized he wasn't his father. But she didn't

seem scared anymore--just desperate to prove her worth here."

Strengths and Weaknesses: Trusting someone, especially after all she'd

been through, wasn't easy for her. Yet, inexplicably, the moment John Kotter had appeared in the upstairs bedroom of the cabin she'd been

secretly staying, she'd felt relieved and safe. Believing him to be the tall, muscular park ranger who, in his gentle, non-intimidating way, had

befriended her since she came to the park, she'd trusted him implicitly.

Relationships: Parents: "I don't know my parents. If I ever had them..."

Other important family: None that she knows of Friends: Topaz, a fat orange and yellow tabby that a camper from the

previous summer left behind. Robert, David and John's dog. A shoebox with

two female mice and a lidded tote filled with a noisy swarm of crickets. Esme

didn't like to be alone, even when the only friends to be had were bugs and rodents.

Romantic interests: None. "Meeting John made her think about things. That she'd never gone to college, never would. Would never get married,

buy a house, have children..." Enemies: The Old Woman, the changeable terror who'd held her

captive in her basement before Esme escaped.

Skill Set: Occupation: None

Education: Books Hobbies: Reading

Interests: Nurturing life in animals.

Plots/Subplots for this Character:

Internal Conflicts: "The fact that John hadn't reacted with anger at finding she'd invaded his family property after his father's disappearance still

made her shake her head in wonder. What kind of person was so accepting and generous? John had even offered her a job. He'd offered her exactly

what she'd been praying for without hope for the last nine months." She realized, having met John, that she's never truly been alive before. She's

only been existing, surviving, getting by. Love wasn't an emotion Esme had been familiar with beyond the books she'd read, and she couldn't have

imagined what it would be like to love and be loved. "She'd longed for the sight with another human since the place had been deserted in the fall last

year. Like his father, John seemed to care about people in a way she'd never experienced. John had seemed concerned about her staying here alone,

hiking the mountain by herself. She'd never had anyone care about her before until she'd come to this amazing place."

External Conflicts: Esme had been here in the park for more than a

year. Even in the worst storms--whatever the season--she'd never heard the wind howl like it had the night before. "The shrieking had been like all the

demons in hell amassing at the border, intent on escape. Like the unearthly shrieks of the Old Woman when she became possessed and wanted to

destroy me... Along with that shrieking, Esme had heard a dog barking all night, too. Robert? But John had just come to the park that morning."

Goals and Motivations: "John had welcomed her, given her a job and a place to live. She could stay openly. This was her dream come true. How

often had she worried about what would happen when spring and summer rolled around? She'd survived in the woods most of last summer, but she'd

worried she would be caught sooner or later. Someone would ask her to leave. Where could she go? I know nothing about who I am and where I

come from. All I remember is the Old Woman, and then escaping her finally.

But this place is my home and I never, ever want to leave it. What if the Old

Woman finds me or someone else finds me just like she warned me, and I'm sent back to that cage? I can't run. I can't talk. I can't tell anyone. If I keep

my secrets, maybe, just maybe, I can stay here." But she'd learned that trouble started when people started asking

questions. She'd had to run many times because someone got curious and then suspicious. "Human beings didn't seem to like mysteries. If you didn't

answer their questions, they became driven and even aggressive in satisfying their quest for 'the truth'. For all of the life she could remember,

she'd been locked in the cold darkness, forbidden from seeing the sun or any other living being besides the Old Woman. She would never let anyone lock

her away from the world again. She'd rather die.

Important Settings for this Character: "I can't explain why Bloodmoon Cove is so familiar to me, it's like home in a way that can't be possible. I knew as

soon as I looked at a map after escaping the Old Woman that Bloodmoon

Cove was the place I had to go. When I got here, I understood why. It felt right to be here. I actually believed I'd been here before."

CHARACTER: PAST SELF

Name: John Kotter

Character Role: Hero

Physical Descriptions: John showed Esme a picture of himself, looking

incredibly young, with a girl about his age. "That's me and Twyla when we were kids. She's six years younger than I am, but that never made a

difference between us."

Personality Traits: "I wanted to see life outside of this place. Never left here

as a kid, not even to visit relatives. I decided it was my chance to see the world while I got my education. Arizona was a place I'd read about all my

life--their state and national parks--and I wanted to see it for myself. I admit I chose that place because it was where my aunt and uncle lived after

they moved with Twyla."

Strengths and Weaknesses: John dated Cara-Marie Broucher a handful of times as a teenager. Out of seemingly nowhere, he couldn't detach himself

from her. She wouldn't let him. She didn't want to hear she wasn't the one for him, that he wanted a life away from here, away from her. He'd decided

after high school graduation he would attend college in Arizona. He'd worked hard on setting up a life for himself outside of Bloodmoon Cove in secret.

Even his parents had been kept in the dark out of necessity until his last

month of high school. He'd realized how they'd feel about him leaving and

would try to stop him. Finally, he could no longer wait to make his departure known. Cara-Marie had made sure he paid for his unwillingness to commit

himself to a life with her by committing suicide.

Relationships: Parents: David, father, presumed dead; Natalia, mother.

Other important family: Patrick, grandfather. Twyla, his cousin. Friends: His dog Robert, Sheriff Gray.

Romantic interests: Cara-Marie Broucher. About a year before my dad disappeared. He met a park ranger who worked at Patagonia Lake State

Park. "We went on a single date and she told me she'd been in a really bad relationship. She escaped it and never wanted to commit herself to another

man. She wasn't interested in one-night stands. So she wanted a monogamous, uncommitted relationship." He'd had nothing to lose, beyond

his own self-respect, and he'd ignored that easily enough most of the time in

exchange for having his own sexual needs met unconditionally. Enemies: The whole town but especially Larry and Ethel Broucher,

Cara-Marie's parents. "Their mutual, scathing expressions said they truly would never forgive him for the death of their daughter. Until the day they

died and joined her wherever she was, they would hold him accountable for her mental instability and subsequent suicide ten years ago."

Skill Set:

Occupation: Worked seasonally for five years as a law enforcement ranger at the first national park that hired him out of college in Arizona.

Education: Bachelor's degree, specializing in natural resources, completed the Seasonal Law Enforcement Training Program to become a law

enforcement ranger at Tumacacori National Historical Park full-time. While the field wasn't very open, he'd never had any trouble getting a job because

he grew up in a park and he had more than just an education to back him.

Hobbies: Reading; his favorite book is Never Cry Wolf by Farley Mowat Interests: When John had been a boy, he'd known how to read a

compass--albeit an old-fashioned one without all the bells and whistles--yet no matter how many times he'd tried to find the clearing on Spirit Peak he

and Twyla entered that one time, he hadn't been able to. He found it once and not since, even knowing exactly where it was supposed to be.

Plots/Subplots for this Character:

Internal Conflicts: 10 years ago, John left home. "His intention hadn't been to abandon his parents and never see them again. More like I fully

intended to abandon Bloodmoon Cove and the park I spent my life in...loving. I wanted to leave to escape the censure of the town's last

memory of my selfish failure."

External Conflicts: John had been the happiest kid in the world

growing up. "He and his cousin Twyla had been given free reign of the family park and campground. They'd gone everywhere, seen everything of their

little piece of the world." Goals and Motivations: "When John was only seventeen, tragedy that

he'd never, ever considered could happen did happen with Cara-Marie's suicide. His only recourse had seemed black-and-white to him. Leave

Bloodmoon Cove and his dream of running the park like his father, grandfather, great-grandfather and great-great-grandfather. Make a life for

himself anywhere else because he couldn't live here anymore, where everyone looked at him with blame, accusation, anger. So he'd left."

Important Settings for this Character: John grew up "in a park complete with

a campground, living at the base of the most majestic mountain he'd ever laid eyes on." Folks didn't leave Bloodmoon Cove. They grew up, found

employment usually in the family business, started a family, and life just

went around and around like a circle.

CHARACTER: PAST SELF

Name: Esme Dumas

Character Role: Heroine

Physical Descriptions: Dark blond, waist-length hair, long and straight. Small and thin. Brown eyes.

Personality Traits: "I have more reason than most to consider the

supernatural. I've wondered non-specifically if the Old Woman was possessed. If there was an evil spirit inside her. Sometimes I believed she

was someone...something...else. I suppose because of those terrifying times

I endured and somehow survived at her clawed hands, I'm more inclined to believe in ghosts and hauntings."

Strengths and Weaknesses: After she escaped, she'd been so worried about

spending the money she'd found. She hadn't known what a meal would cost and so assumed crazy things, like a bowl of soup costing a hundred dollars.

How would she survive once the money was gone? That worry had ridden her every minute of every day back then. She'd vowed to never go hungry

again, but she hadn't wanted to become a thief to honor her own vow.

Relationships: Parents: None that she can remember.

Other important family: None

Friends: As long as she could remember, Esme had wanted

companionship from anyone or anything but the Old Woman. She'd found crickets and mice in the basement where she'd been held captive, and they'd

become her friends. Romantic interests: None, but "she'd been reading about men and

women in love for most of her life. The Old Woman had brought her lots of romance novels, some that were classics and some that were more modern.

Esme had devoured them. Of all the reading material brought to her, those were her most favorite. The idea of giving herself to a man the way the

women in those books had given themselves to the one they loved had fascinated her. A relationship like that, a love like that, made life worth

living. To not be alone, to be touched, to be free to feel such pleasure...that was so much more than simply having human contact. At the same time she

was terrified of becoming attached to someone so she'd have trouble extricating herself later, deep down she knew the situation was everything

she'd ever wanted."

Enemies: The Old Woman, the only contact she'd had in the world. She'd hated her and yet sometimes she'd felt a strange joy at seeing her.

Skill Set:

Occupation: None Education: Books. "All Esme remembered was the dark, being

immersed in it most of the time. Sometimes the woman brought her candles and books. Esme had read until the candles had extinguished their precious

light. She'd known of the world only through books. But the light had never lasted long enough. When she'd escaped, she'd taken a book of Wisconsin

maps from the Old Woman's isolated house miles from any other human inhabitation. She'd studied them obsessively as she made her way,

searching for something--a place to go, to belong. Weeks after her escape, she'd come across a map of Erie County and she'd seen the town of

Bloodmoon Cove listed. She couldn't explain it, but she'd known that was

the place she had to go. She'd moved quickly then, barely stopping in the towns and cities along the way."

Hobbies: Reading Interests: Nurturing life in animals.

Plots/Subplots for this Character:

Internal Conflicts: "I don't know why I came to Bloodmoon Cove, but I knew instantly it was home. Because I've been here before? How? All I

remember is the Old Woman and that basement. I didn't exist before that. I have no memories of anything else. But...why do I feel like I knew this girl

Twyla, knew Bloodmoon Cove, in another life?" External Conflicts: "I killed the Old Woman. Because I found her dead,

or thought I did, and I panicked. I took everything I needed from her house,

essentially pillaged it, because she owed me. Because it was the only way I

could escape." Goals and Motivations: "I had no choice about what I had to do. But would

anyone else understand? The Old Woman told me over and over that if I ran, if I told anyone, she would made sure I'd be punished--that I'd be returned

to my cage. She was a witch, possessed sometimes. I believe she could do unnatural things. I can't shake the fear that--if I tell anyone about her,

where I was and what she did to me there--some way, somehow, someday she will find me and send me back to that hell."

Important Settings for this Character: The cold, dark basement she was held

captive with the tiny bathroom and only a sink and toilet. No windows anywhere.

CHARACTER: FUTURE SELF

Name: John Kotter

Character Role: Hero

Physical Descriptions: Same as Present

Personality Traits: Same as Present

Strengths and Weaknesses: "He's too much like his father. Too noble. And everyone else suffers for it."

Relationships:

Parents: David, father, presumed dead; Natalia, mother. Other important family: Patrick, grandfather. Twyla, his cousin.

Friends: His dog Robert; Sheriff Gray

Romantic interests: Esme Dumas Enemies: Anyone that threatened Esme

Skill Set:

Occupation: Law enforcement ranger at Bloodmoon Cove Park. Education: Bachelor's degree, specializing in natural resources, and

completed the Seasonal Law Enforcement Training Program to become a law enforcement ranger.

Hobbies: Same as Present. Interests: Same as Present.

Plots/Subplots for this Character:

Internal Conflicts: "John could understand wanting things to stay the

way they were, because, other than a ghost that seemed capable of killing

real people, everything in his life was good--the way he'd only imagined it could be. He didn't want that to change. And, just like she'd said, he wanted

some guarantee he'd never lose this woman he loved as easily as a butterfly flapped its wings."

External Conflicts: John attempted to find the cave by himself, to appease the ghost on his own. He was afraid for all of them and he knew

enough that he couldn't protect any of them against a supernatural ghost with powers he didn't possess.

Goals and Motivations: "'The plan is insane. Suicidal. Something'll go wrong. And then what? I'm not letting any of them put their lives in danger.'

The kid. Granddad or his best friend. My dog. Most of all, not Esme."

Important Settings for this Character: Same as Present.

CHARACTER: FUTURE SELF

Name: Esme Dumas; real name Suzanna Monkholm.

Character Role: Heroine

Physical Descriptions: Twenty-one years old. Same as Present.

Personality Traits: "I can't handle change. Change has never been good for

me. My life is so perfect now. I don't want anything to change. There's no guarantee that life will get better if I make waves that might make my life

change."

Strengths and Weaknesses: Esme's biological mother struggled with her illness all her life. She struggled with sin. In the end, she let both win. Esme

was afraid she'd let the circumstances of her life sway her to do the same.

Relationships:

Parents: Biological mother, Greta Schuler, a schizophrenia who'd been hospitalized and institutionalized most of her life. She tried religion as a last

resort to help her become normal. But the disorder took over again, Greta got pregnant and gave birth in an institution. The baby was taken from her

by the state. An adoption that was supposed to be closed followed--an attempt to keep Greta from finding the child. Unfortunately, when her

daughter was nine years old, Greta stole her from her adoptive parents and ran with her. The girl was so traumatized by this event, by her imprisonment

in the basement and the woman's psychotic episodes, that she lost her memory.

Other important family: Terry and Elaine Monkholm, her adoptive

parents

Friends: Monkholm and his wife brought Esme to the Bloodmoon Cove Park twice before she was kidnapped--the summers Esme was seven and

eight. Apparently Esme had a good friend while she was there--Twyla Romantic interests: John Kotter

Enemies: Greta, her schizophrenic biological mother

Skill Set: Occupation: Park ranger in training

Education: Online classes; EMT course Hobbies: Same as Present

Interests: Same as Present

Plots/Subplots for this Character: Internal Conflicts: If Esme inherited the same disorder her biological

mother suffered from, in a schizophrenia-induced rage, she may have killed

those boys after she'd heard the story of Harrity Scaritty. External Conflicts: Greta held Esme in captivity for twelve years. In

March of last year, Esme's adoptive father was required by Greta to pay up. After Greta was found dead, he went to check the drop-off. The money was

still there. No one ever retrieved it. Mr. Monkholm had the police and a private detective looking for his daughter since she was kidnapped.

Goals and Motivations: Esme was afraid. To meet her father. To remember her old life. Afraid someone will try to take her away from here.

From John.

Important Settings for this Character: Terry and Elaine Monkholm, Esme's adoptive parents, live in Erie County, not far from Bloodmoon Cove.

Three-Dimensional Scene Worksheet

Opening Setup (Prologue)

Set-up (When): "Early May was a bad time of year to be hiking on the

mountain, though there were certainly worse times. Even in May, a freak blizzard could descend out of the proverbial clear blue sky. Today was a

clear day, too. Not so much as a snowflake in sight. Yeah, the snow got worse the higher up in elevation they went, and the temperature dropped

with every step they took."

Who: Troy Mulvaney Additional characters in scene: Sam Holt, Danny Yanzer, and Roger Rowlee

Where: Whoever named the counties in Wisconsin had named Erie County

appropriately, only they'd spelled it wrong. Should have been called Eerie

County. And Bloodmoon Cove, a tiny town smack-dab in the middle of it, received the full concentration of eeriness.

Spirit Peak was the most remote high point outcropping on Bloodmoon Mountain. There was a gorge near there that was, most of the time, a dead

zone, without coordinates. Sometimes the gorge wanted to be found; hid when it didn't. No one wanted to be around when that hellhole showed itself.

What: Twelve-year-old descendants of the men who killed Harrity Kotter

ascend Bloodmoon Mountain to discover for themselves whether the legend of Harrity Scaritty and his demon dog is true. Troy tells his best friends the

true story his father revealed to him this past weekend: "The legend of Harrity Kotter is a hundred years old--not all that long ago. My great-great-

great granddad, Dennis Mulvaney, was alive when Harrity Kotter was. All his life Harrity Kotter was a wuss and somebody had to make sure he knew it.

Dennis knew how to take care of business--him and his pals. So easy to

come up with a reason to beat him silly most every day. Harrity just didn't get it, never changed or toughened up. Harrity 's family owned the

Bloodmoon Cove Park, and Harrity was one with nature there, as park ranger. He took his German Shepherd with him all the time, wherever he

went, and he named the mutt Charles. He treated it like it was a real person, like a brother. That dog was with him every second of every minute of every

day of his life. So Harrity gets married when he's practically an old man, and him and the wife have a son, and they all live together in the host house at

the campground at Bloodmoon Cove Park. "Halloween night, Dennis and his buds got drunk and decided to have

some fun with the noble Charles. Wasn't easy luring the dog away from its master, but the sound of his dog howling got Harrity out to the campground

real quick. Dennis and his friends tied the dog up between the trees. Harrity

tried to defend him, but one of the guys held him so he couldn't do anything

to rescue Charles. Wouldn't let Harrity look away either. Dennis slit the dog open from one end to the other with his hunting knife. Harrity started

screaming, but Dennis wasn't done. "He and his friends took Harrity up Bloodmoon Mountain to a cave

Dennis knew about. He'd found it during one of the hiking trips the youth camp took in the summer. The entrance to the cave was hidden behind a

waterfall off some trail in the gorge near Spirit Peak. Legend has it that this entrance leads to the realm of the dead--the place where evil spirits live.

The Mino-Miskwi Native Americans found it first, long ago, and they hid it with a man-made waterfall to cover it--to keep it sacred ground for their

rituals. Whenever they went back, they'd find large and small animal bones and sometimes even human remains at the entrance. Nothing lives or grows

in that gorge. There aren't any birds or insects or flowers or plants anywhere near it. No crickets chirping, no birds nesting or flying nearby, no

mosquitoes or gnats buzzing around. They threw Harrity into the cave, then

they blocked it up with rocks. When Dennis and his friends sobered up the next day, they remembered what they did but figured Harrity already

escaped their little trap. They waited to catch a glimpse of the dude for days afterward, but they didn't go back to the cave even when people were

talking about where Harrity disappeared to. "Nobody ever found the cave, and even a couple weeks later when Dennis went back, they couldn't

find that cave again, no matter how hard or where they looked. The Mino-Miskwi Indians say sometimes the cave wants to stay hidden. But, to this

day, you can still hear Harrity shrieking and wailing and howling for miles around at night. You can hear him calling for his dog, grieving for it. The

ghost dog roams the park and the mountain, defending its master's remains. Bad blood up by that gorge, like the Mino-Miskwi say. As long as no one

removes the rocks that block up that cave, as long as they don't let Harrity out, he'll stay with the dead, the undead, in the realm of evil spirits. Harrity

's ghost dog can pass freely through the stone, in and out of the cave, and

bring his master food."

Why: At Spirit Peak, the entrance to the cave, the boys found the body of David Kotter, Bloodmoon Cove Park Ranger. They took his wallet so the

sheriff can find it later. A face in the rocks blocked an obvious entrance into the cave. It looked petrified in the rock, grotesque and horrifying. A sad face

with giant, demon-black eyes. Troy stepped forward and started pulling rocks away from the entrance with one hand, the other still holding his

flashlight. Surprisingly, the three others helped him. They'd only gotten a few off when a sound like a scream of deliverance, or vengeance, roared out

of the small opening they'd made. The rocks they'd taken away had formed a kind of mouth in the creepy petrified face. A mouth opened wide to

scream."

Inside the tight passage to the entrance of the cave, Troy saw "the

skeleton, half buried in the ground. Harrity Scaritty. Something white flashed in front of him and, just as abruptly, a dog started barking like mad.

A salt-and-pepper German Shepherd. Charles, defending its master, its brother." Troy realized he was wedged in the opening. When he screamed

for his friends to pull him out, he heard answering shouts growing in the distance. The other boys had run away and abandoned him to Harrity

Scaritty and his demon ghost dog. Troy desperately tried to break free of the cave. "There was something building before him--a thick, black fog, ethereal

and yet tangible. It filled up the space between Troy and the dog and formed itself into the terrifying face--closed eyes even bigger than Sam's--he'd seen

in the rocks not long ago. Petrified, horrible. Sad. The darkness emerged directly before him, the huge eyes opened, and they were filled with black

demon smoke and unearthly fire. The mouth yawned wide directly in front of him, howling for revenge. There was evil in that face, in that ghostly shriek

let loose like a plague of locusts spit straight from the mouth of hell."

Extending the Bridge toward the Next Scene: "The demon face rushed at

Troy and he could feel it against him, tearing its way against him, drilling into him as it tried to get free of the hole he was wedged into. Pure evil. And

I let it out. I freed it. Troy screamed..."

Scene 1

Connecting the Bridge to this Scene from the Last: John Kotter drove toward his family legacy, Bloodmoon Cove Park, at first light on May third. Despite

the potential for bad weather, John knew he couldn't put this trip off. "No one had been here since the camping season had ended abruptly last

September, when his father disappeared, presumed dead. John had expected to see the place a wreck. For almost nine months, no one had been

here to take care or 'winterize' before the park abruptly closed for the

season."

Who: John Kotter Additional characters in scene: Esme Dumas

Where: "Weather conditions had always been volatile this close to the base

of the mountain. Bloodmoon Cove's winter wouldn't end until, maybe, late June, and sometimes longer than that."

Before the gatehouse was the entrance station with huge panes of glass, a visitor's first stop into the park. The only other way in or out of the

park was a service road that only employees were allowed to use. Inside the strangely immaculate campground office, he pressed the button to

automatically open the gate barrier outside.

"He drove slowly through the campground first, marveling at the

condition of the park considering how long it'd been neglected. His mom had specifically told him she hadn't done anything that wasn't absolutely

necessary. Someone had been taking care of this place. For one thing, all the roads were plowed. The campground house itself was another surprise.

The two-story German log and stone structure was unusual with the logs exposed to the outside. John had always found the place charming and a

little creepy because of that break from traditional German-built log-and-stone houses. Something about it looked unfinished and even mismatched.

The symmetry was off somehow. The inside had everything anyone could need, of course, and it was comfortable. But someone had been here. The

sidewalk leading up to the house had been shoveled recently. Thick smoke wound its way out of the chimney, mostly blown apart by the wind but still

noticeable. Long before winter, John and his dad had always been preparing the woodshed next to the house, filling it with wood that would last them

through the winter. Since their family lived at the campground back then,

they'd used the wood burning stove instead of electric heat that'd been put in by his grandfather. His mom had moved into a small rental house in town

with Patrick after David went missing." "When John closed a hand around the doorknob to unlock it with the

key, the knob turned easily. Maybe his mother had done little to close up the park, but she would have locked the front door for sure. The house felt cozy

and warm. And it looks lived in. Dishes in the drainer...from supper last night? Book--one of the old classics Mom and Dad love--next to the sofa in

front of the wood burning stove in the living room, where we used to gather at night and play board games. John nudged open the door of the one

bedroom that was downstairs. While the bed was neatly made, there was the impression of a head on one of the pillows. Someone had been sleeping

here. He moved out and entered the small bathroom with the free-standing shower, toilet and sink. A towel hung next to the shower--it was dry, as if

waiting to be used. He opened the medicine cabinet and saw a toothbrush,

travel-sized toothpaste and lotion, a comb, and feminine products. Okay, so the squatter is a woman. All 'mini' items that could have come from the

camp store. One door on the second floor was open a crack, and Robert disappeared soundlessly into it after sniffing the hallway runner. John didn't

have time to call him back. So much for sneaking up on this squatter."

What: In the campground host house, he found a small woman huddled in the corner upstairs, hands over ears, shivering and singing an old hymn,

obviously fatigued from doing so, under her breath. Seeing John, the woman jumped to her feet, threw herself into his arms and exclaimed, "You're

alive!" John wondered who she was and who she thought he was. She tells him, "Screaming was coming from the mountain where your father

disappeared last night. The wind at the base of the mountain can sound like

screaming. But this wouldn't stop. It wasn't like before, like other times. It

was horrible. Evil..." "Just as lightning quick as she'd come at him before, the woman's

expression changed now and she fumbled for a moment before she backed off with a flare gun held tightly before her--trained straight at his chest.

She'd realized he wasn't the park ranger David who was here before, though John looks like him. Before September, his father's dog had lived his whole

life in this park. He knew every square inch. He knew all the regulars who came here. Obviously he knew this woman...and John's dad had obviously

known this squatter, too.

Why: "John had come home to take over the park, fully expecting to have to hire someone to help him get the place back up to code. While his mom

didn't want the family park to close indefinitely any more than her elderly father-in-law, Patrick, did, she knew she couldn't run the place herself. So

many generations of Kotters had run the park. John's father, David, had

wanted him to be the next in line. When he'd come home for his father's funeral recently thinking he'd only be there for a few days, John had never

considered saying no when his mother asked him to come home permanently and take over their family heritage."

"Even if John wanted to be mad at Esme for taking over the house like it was her own, he couldn't get himself to be. While he knew nothing about

her, she didn't look the type to be bent on anything criminal." When she told him her name, John remembered the open book downstairs and knew she

pulled the name from it because she wasn't ready to trust him. "She'd clearly been through a lot. Maybe she'd been in trouble and down on her

luck and his father had befriended her."

Extending the Bridge toward the Next Scene: Esme goes on to tell John that she had no place to go, so, when everyone left the park, she stayed. "I love

this park. I know it by heart. I've explored the grounds and some of the

mountain last summer--as much as was possible on foot. I came last year. Summer. When your dad was here with this dog. I camped out in the woods,

and your dad was nice to me. I never met him officially. I only know his name because I heard people say it. He let me stay. Without paying. I

looked for him everywhere after he disappeared. I didn't want to believe he was dead. I wanted to believe he came off the mountain and went home.

"I've been trying to fix things around here, maintain them and take care of them. Keeping the roads clear was part of it. I really wanted to make

sure the place was well-taken care of. I realized how much I'd come to love this place. I can't explain it, but something about it feels familiar to me, like

it's home. I thought if I took care of it, maybe nobody would mind. Please don't send me away."

John realized that finding someone who loved this place as much as he

had when he was a kid wouldn't be easy. Esme was what the park needed.

He had to get this place in shape for the camping season in June, and she'd done a good job of keeping it maintained so far. He offered her a job,

getting the park ready for campers, then, when the season started he'd need a campground host. Though he couldn't pay her much, she could continue

staying in the host house as part of her job. She agreed. John intended to find out if she knew more than she was letting on about his father's

disappearance. Scene 2

Connecting the Bridge to this Scene from the Last: John and Esme left the

freezing upstairs of the host house together. His phone rang. Sheriff Gray Mecham calling John to say the youth camp not far from the park contacted

him to report that a kid was missing, Troy Mulvaney, Four of the boys got separated from the group during a short hike yesterday afternoon. Three of

the boys returned to the youth camp and said they'd gone off the trail, went

for a hike up the mountain on their own.

Who: John Additional characters in scene: Esme

Where: The youth camp had been a fixture in Bloodmoon Cove.

Not much of Bloodmoon Mountain was passable in May. Without specialized equipment, the mountain was all but off-bounds in the dead of

winter. "There were a lot of legends, most of them spread by the local Mino-

Miskwi tribe, but John had never been able to dispute them. There really was something unearthly strange about Spirit Peak. He'd been over every inch of

the mountain--mostly with Twyla. The legend that there was a place in the gorge that hid but sometimes revealed itself, he'd seen it himself. But when

he'd searched for it later, countless times, he hadn't been able to find it

again. He hadn't gotten a good look at the clearing--it'd been getting dark and he'd known he and Twyla had to be off the mountain before dusk. He

only knew that he'd never forget the waterfall and the total lack of life surrounding it. There hadn't been so much as a blade of grass or a pesky

mosquito to be found. Both he and his cousin had felt something not human in that place."

"Bloodmoon Mountain was called a mountain, but it was just a massive hill that had pretty much everything that you associate with a mountain:

streams, dense vegetation, trees, peaks, gorges, waterfalls, rolling hills, standing rocks, ridges, cliffs, and a remote high point outcropping."

What: Sheriff Mecham had gathered volunteers to help search for the boy,

but it'd be a big help if John went along since he knew the area better than

anybody. Could he meet them at the youth camp in a half hour? John

agreed, and Esme insisted on going, too.

Why: Spirit Peak was a place where a lot of hikers had gone missing over the years. Sometimes the bodies were found. Usually not. Esme didn't like

that place, which she'd hiked to. The wind howled there like "all the demons in hell are amassing at the border for a mass escape". John was bothered

that one of the boys might be missing, and he suspects it happened near Spirit Peak.

Extending the Bridge toward the Next Scene: John had seen "bigger, more

impressive, steeper, sprawling, sloping mountains with his own eyes. But Bloodmoon Mountain had captivated him all his life. It was the most

beautiful place in the world to him, and he'd never been gladder to be home. This mountain had haunted him for so long. Since his cousin Twyla, he

hadn't truly shared it with anyone either. Until now."

Scene 3

Connecting the Bridge to this Scene from the Last: Esme and John headed

over to the youth camp to assist in the search for the missing boy.

Who: Esme Additional characters in scene: John

What: "Even though Esme believed John wouldn't hurt her, she couldn't

prevent herself from being afraid. He could give her away. He could make her have to leave this place. One way or another, he could hurt her. Why did

she suspect that would be worse than even the Old Woman's need to hurt her?"

They arrived at the youth camp, and the sheriff and John questioned

Troy's friends. Troy had told them that the legend of Harrity Scaritty was true and he knew where to find his remains. They found the cave behind the

waterfall in a gorge near Spirit Peak. Troy got stuck in the opening, Harrity's ghost dog showed up, and Troy started screaming. When his friends couldn't

get him out, they ran back to get help. There was still a chance they could find him.

Where: "In winter, it storms more than not around Bloodmoon Cove,

especially all the way up at the top of the mountain. It's dangerous to trust the weather. A blizzard could hit at any time. The people living up at the top

are completely isolated, so they have to be self-sufficient. There are no roads up the mountain. Only trails. You can cross the lake on deep ice, but

to get up there you need a snowmobile and snowtrack to make the trip up

the mountain. So far it hasn't happened, but if anyone got sick or injured

during the winter, we might not hear about it until spring. Electricity and phone cables aren't exactly reliable during bad weather."

The youth Bible camp was run by Larry and Ethel Broucher. "It's been in their family for a long time. Unfortunately, if it's anything like when I was

a kid, too many parents use the camp as a free babysitting service on the weekends. Even with volunteers, it's not easy for the Brouchers to watch all

the kids that show up there at any given time."

Why: John tells Esme the urban legend of Harrity Scaritty. "Folks around here believe Bloodmoon Cove Park is haunted by Harrity and his dog. They

believe the whole mountain and town are haunted, and not just by Harrity. The Mino-Miskwi tribe practiced some dark magic back in those days. Maybe

the haunted legends of Erie County are part of the tourist appeal in the summer. The legend goes that if anyone ever found the cave and removed

the rocks, they'd let Harrity's vengeful spirit out. Release him from the

realms of evil to seek retribution for what was done to his dog and to him. The kids chant, 'Harrity Scaritty, on the mountain-side, in the realm of the

dead, how will you escape, how will you be fed? With the living and the undead.' Legend is, Harrity's dog makes sure he's fed."

Esme had heard a dog barking loudly--even over the how of the wind--last night. Nothing about that bark had been normal or natural. And the

bloodcurdling screams, like someone was trapped and in pain. She'd been terrified listening to it because she'd felt deep down that something bad was

trying to break free. Something that wanted to kill, to take revenge.

Extending the Bridge toward the Next Scene: Esme asked John, "What if Troy found this hidden cave, a portal to an evil place? What if he released

Harrity's spirit from the realm of the undead?" John laughed at her, but she continued, "Don't you believe it's possible for the body to live without the

spirit and vice versa? I do. It's more than possible. With all your local

legends, how can you claim you've never seen or heard anything supernatural here?" What she'd heard last night had been nothing short of

supernatural.

Scene 4

Connecting the Bridge to this Scene from the Last: "The search group reached the place the boys had ditched the youth camp leader Sunday

afternoon, split into three separate groups, then, four hours later, returned to the place of origin. None of the groups had discovered anything, and John

hadn't expected them to. The blizzard that had hit in the night effectively covered any sign of human activity on the mountain. Spirit Peak showed a

barren and desolate landscape blanketed in a shroud of never-ending white.

And, if such a thing existed, the gorge with the waterfall hiding the cave

made no appearance."

Who: John Additional characters in scene: Esme

What: The sky had continued to become blacker and more threatening

during the morning hours. Weather reports were saying the storm wouldn't hit until that night, but John suspected its fury would be unleashed much

sooner. The one thing the sheriff wouldn't do was risk more lives, especially for what he considered a hopeless cause, but he and his men and the dogs

would give it one more shot after lunch, and he asked John to join them. They'd search a couple hours--do what they could before the storm hit.

Gentle yet bitterly realistic, the sheriff concluded, "Likely as not, the boy's body won't be discovered until this summer. He probably fell off some cliff or

into a gorge, like we suspect your dad did."

John thought, Like my dad supposedly did...but I can't imagine. He knew this mountain better than anyone else in the world, except maybe his

own father. Unless someone pushed Dad off the cliff--and that's just as unlikely--he wouldn't have met his end that way. A heart attack is more

likely, though he took such good care of himself, even that's questionable. John had called his mother from the trail, before the whole group

reached the mountain and split up, and told her about Esme. She seemed to know about the "elusive pixie fair" because her husband mentioned her

before he disappeared. He said she was harmless and fed her as often as she could. His father believed she was down on her luck. John wondered

silently whether Esme could she been involved in his dad's disappearance somehow.

His mom agreed to pick up clothes and food for Esme in Grimoire before heading out to the campground. Meanwhile, he and Esme returned to

the host house until the sheriff and his men get back from lunch.

Where: Grimoire, about forty-five miles away and one of the largest cities in

Erie County, was the closest decent shopping in the area. "The sheriff and his men headed into town for lunch at one of the only

two places to eat in Bloodmoon Cove. While the diner's menu offered homey, plentiful food, Cappy's Cove (a tavern also on Main Street) was the

place most of the citizens preferred despite the certainty of clogged arteries after a single meal."

Why: John wondered what Esme was doing out there. She'd said she'd come

here about a year ago. She'd hid in the park, sleeping in the woods. But why? Had she been on the run from something or someone? While his father

had given her the benefit of the doubt by simply assuming she was down on

her luck, John couldn't help suspecting there was more to it. The fact that

she'd made up a name for herself was suspicious. Yet he didn't want to do anything to spook her and send her running again, if that was what she'd

been doing before she arrived in Bloodmoon Cove. He warned Esme that he'd called his mother and she was coming out.

At Esme's look of worry, he reassured her that his mother knew about her just as his father did. "She'll mother you. It's her way. You look like you

could use some serious mothering, a few more solid meals and some human contact. You've been out there alone for a long time. People need people."

Esme admitted she'd been alone all her life. She never knew what it was like to have human contact. She asked why his dad helped her, and

John said, "He knew you weren't there to get in trouble. Trust me, we get that kind all the time in parks. You learn to pick out the troublemakers and

those who just genuinely need help. If you'd asked him for help, he would've done a lot more for you, you know."

Extending the Bridge toward the Next Scene: Esme asked if John would return to the host house once he and the sheriff's men search for Troy

before the storm hits, John realized she didn't want to be alone anymore. He assured her he'd come back right after the search before returning to his

mother's house in town.

Scene 5

Connecting the Bridge to this Scene from the Last: After John left with the sheriff's posse, John's mother broke out the cookies and cocoa, then they

settled down to talk.

Who: Esme Additional characters in scene: Natalia, John's mother

Where: In all the time she'd been on the run, Esme had noticed that in big cities, a person could hide, unnoticed and virtually unlooked upon. In a small

town like Bloodmoon Cove, everyone knew everyone and they noticed strangers as if they were wearing neon. Trouble started when people started

asking questions. She'd had to run many times because someone got curious and then suspicious. Human beings didn't seem to like mysteries. If

you didn't answer their questions, they became driven and even aggressive in satisfying their quest for "the truth".

What: This past winter, Esme had feared someone would find out she'd been

living illegally at the campground. As much as she'd tried to be inconspicuous this morning during the search, she suspected people would

be talking about her soon. Esme didn't like holding back anything from

people as kind and generous as John and his mother, but she knew she

couldn't give them complete trust. She'd have to be wary and on her guard. Esme didn't want to be here at the host house all alone, especially

after what had happened last night. The darkness had fallen, all the lights had gone out, and the unnatural barking had started. Her mice and crickets

had fallen utterly silent. Then the violent shrieks had begun. I can't go through that torment again another night. It went on endlessly, my terror

growing with each one and the screams increasing in volume even over the winter storm. She'd done the only thing she'd ever known to do with fear

like that. She'd run to hide, covered her ears, and starting singing the one song she knew. How she'd come to know the melody and the words, she had

no idea. But the song soothed her, and, more importantly, it'd soothed the Old Woman.

Esme recalled the enormous relief she'd experienced at the sight of John this morning. She'd no longer been alone, and that was all she'd

wanted in the world. I don't want to be alone tonight. Ever anymore. And

now that I've been touched by a human being, touched by John, I don't know how I'll ever be the same. Already I feel like I could love John and his

mother to unknowable degrees. I should simply be afraid of them and what they could tell others, but I can't. John's father was kind to me, but John

touched me. John held me, gently and with comfort, when he didn't know me as anyone but the squatter who took over his family's cabin.

Why: Life had been so good since Esme escaped. Could she afford to trust

John and Natalia? When Natalia promised that John would do what he could to "get around the paperwork" of her employment at the park, Esme became

afraid.

Extending the Bridge toward the Next Scene: For her own safety, Esme couldn't forget the words the Old Woman had threatened her with: "Don't

run. Don't talk. Don't tell anyone. If you do, you'll die. I've made sure of

that." I can't take any chances. The first sign that anyone here wants to know about me, my past, of turning me over to the sheriff and revealing my

secret, I'll have to run. The mere thought made her want to cry.

Scene 6

Connecting the Bridge to this Scene from the Last: John and the sheriff's team had searched far longer than they should have and in places even John

knew the boy couldn't be. Until summer thaw was in full-force, any more searches for a dead body would be dangerous if not outright foolish. Even if

John didn't like giving up hope, he'd finally backed down last fall when Gray officially called off the search for his father because deep down he'd known

he would be risking his own life when there was nothing to save. His dad

was dead. The only thing left, when the weather became safer, would be to

find his body. He could be searching for two bodies, Troy's and his father's. But John was reluctant to quit so soon. If Troy Mulvaney was alive, he'd

never survive the blizzard headed their way. John drove back to the campground host house, wanting to make sure

Esme was tucked in with everything she'd need to withstand a blizzard that would be with them for the next couple days. His mother had gone

overboard with enough groceries to last for weeks, and he was glad about that. He also wanted to ensure his mom got back to town before the storm

hit. Hopefully he could do everything he needed to before then, too. When he arrived at the host house, his mother was heading out. She told him

Esme was exhausted and went to bed.

Who: John Additional characters in scene: Natalia, Esme

Where: He and his dog Robert blew into the host house kitchen on a vicious, ice and snow flecked wind. The dog all but wiped his paws on the mat before

making his way into the living room to lie down in front of the wood-burning stove. John sat on the bench of the farm table nearby so he could take off

his boots before he tracked through the house.

What: John asked his mother her medical opinion about Esme. "I suspect she's an innocent young woman who's been traumatized, maybe even

abused. She's on the run from whoever hurt her. I've seen my share of victims who've been through that kind of long-term torment. There are

ghosts in that sweet girl's eyes. It'll take a lot of convincing to get her to stay here and trust us. At the first sign of trouble, she'll try to run. It's a

miracle she's stayed as long as she had. Something must be holding her here, some kind of comfort or peace. But that might not last much longer,

now that she's been discovered. You'll have to be a step ahead of her and be

waiting in case she does take off."

Why: John barely knew Esme yet she'd already slipped past his usual, lightning-fast, ultra-sensitive defenses. He wasn't sure how she'd done it

either. But he'd worried about her most of the time he was out this afternoon. He'd wondered who she was, why she was hiding out here in

Bloodmoon Cove of all places, who or what had hurt her, why she looked so lost and scared and yet seemed so open and eager about life and getting

every experience she could from it. Life had taught her hard lessons, too. He didn't doubt that. Nevertheless, she didn't seem afraid of finding out what

else life had to offer her. She had both arms open, waiting to embrace the adventures that came her way. He marveled now, if she had been

mistreated, how could she still be so innocent, even naïve and untouched,

when it came to evil and bad people with bad intentions? How could she

have stayed so sweet? His first memory of utter terror in Esme's beautiful eyes just before

she launched herself into his arms filled his mind. That's how she slipped past my armor. She didn't give me the chance to get my guard up. One

minute she wasn't there, and the next she was. Done deal. And now she's inside. Instant, enormous protectiveness rose in him like an army ready for

battle at a moment's notice. He didn't want to leave her out here alone. But he couldn't make her any promises. He already knew where promises would

lead. To me hurting her. Because the last time a woman foolishly invested her entire being in me and trusted me to do right by her, she killed herself

rather than have to face a life without me. I can't let that happen again. I won't let it happen to Esme.

Extending the Bridge toward the Next Scene: John decided he'd make his

rounds to check the house, then he'd get out of there before the storm hit,

before Esme could wake and rattle his vows right off the hinges he'd secured so tightly, he'd actually believed nothing and no one could ever dislodge

them again.

Scene 7

Connecting the Bridge to this Scene from the Last: Esme dreamed of her captivity. This had been her life for as long as she could remember. She had

no recollections whatsoever of another life, another place, other people. In this place, the Old Woman fed her most days at least one, small meal, some

days sat and talked to her in a perfectly normal manner, but never, ever let her follow her up the staircase and out the door of the basement. For hours,

Esme had wondered what was up there in the bright light. All she knew was that there was salvation on the other side of that painted wood door, and

that the Old Woman didn't want her to get to that place, ever. Always, the

Old Woman frightened her. Even when she was trying to be nice, bringing her new books for her to read often, sometimes with candles, food, soap and

toothpaste so she could clean herself in the sink, Esme had been terrified of her.

Once Esme had thought, "She takes care of me like a mother," but that thought wasn't a pleasant one. The woman inspired fear, distrust,

shudders of horror. Esme learned to be wary around her because she would turn sometimes. Without warning, some evil spirit would enter her, she'd

become possessed with fury, and she would scream and shriek her rage, scratching at Esme, pulling her hair, punching and kicking and biting. There

was nothing Esme could do but run to any safe corner, to cower and huddle into herself, trying to escape the blows, and to cover her ears so she

wouldn't have to hear the awful wailing. And then she would sing "Silent

Night" very softly, without stopping because her singing was all that could

calm the demon and turn the Old Woman back into the beseeching hag who wanted to be kind to her even if she couldn't always control herself.

Who: Esme

What: Esme hadn't had nightmares about the Old Woman since those first

few months after her escape from the basement. When the old horror rose again with the unnatural sound of the screaming wind last night, Esme had

nightmares when she finally slept. She dreamed that the Old Woman's face had become petrified wood, her huge dark eyes closed, her expression sad.

But then her eyes had opened to reveal black demon orbs and the mouth split open with the sound of ancient wood cracking. An ungodly scream filled

the entire world, shaking the foundations and sending her fleeing to the corner, her hands over her ears.

With a start, Esme came awake. All around her, she heard the

screaming wind slamming icy shards of snow against the house, berating the windows with its demonic fury. But the sound isn't like last night. Still, I

can't stay in Bloodmoon Cove much. Before long, he and his wonderful mother would be asking questions, too many for her comfort, out of the

goodness of their hearts. But she had no answers she could give them. I killed the Old Woman. Because I found her dead, or thought I did, and I

panicked. I took everything I needed from her house, essentially pillaged it, because she owed me. Because it was the only way I could escape. Would

anyone else understand what I had to do? The Old Woman told me over and over that if I ran, if I told anyone, she would made sure I'd be punished--

that I'd be returned to my cage. She was a witch, possessed sometimes. I believe she could do unnatural things. I can't shake the fear that--if I tell

anyone about her, where I was and what she did to me there--some way, somehow, someday she will find me and send me back to that hell.

When she'd fled to Bloodmoon Cove, she'd known she'd come home.

That had been enough--more than enough after the cage she'd been in as long as she could remember. But until she'd met John, she'd never

experienced true warmth, life, and she had no idea how she would survive without it now. There was no way back to death after life. She knew the

difference, and a part of her realized she'd rather die than turn her back on this newborn flame inside her. But how could she stay? If she stayed, she

risked the authorities checking up on her, maybe finding out the truth of what she'd done to escape her hell. She risked the black magic of the Old

Woman, snatching her back into her poisonous maw. That would be death. If I'm alone, free in the world under the big sky, I can go on. I can find a way

to survive without this beautiful flame.

Where: The basement Esme was held captive was cold, never warm enough,

and the candle wouldn't last long enough to fight the shivering-chills that

came over her when the darkness descended, complete. In this hollow space, she'd learned to navigate in the dark. She knew where everything

was. There were no windows, and she could move from her small bed to the tiny bathroom with only a sink and toilet on the other side of the room.

Why: She had to go before John returned. The blizzard was a problem. Esme

doubted it would blow over by morning. What would she do then? Would John come back even if it was in full-force? She couldn't see him again. Her

determination to save herself would wane at the mere sight of him. Instead of dying, the newborn flame seemed to flare hotter at the hope that John

wouldn't let her go, would search for her, demand that she stay with him.

Extending the Bridge toward the Next Scene: Even above the howling storm, she could hear the distant sound of another dog barking. All the hair on her

body seemed to stand at attention with the preternatural sound. The barking

that preceded the unnatural screams last night. It's starting. God, please, not again. The hellish scream came, drowning out nature's fury beating

against the house. Someone, something was screaming and it was getting closer, so much closer than it'd been the night before. The windows rattled

menacingly as the full-force of the icy, snow-driven wind slammed into them. Esme dove into the nearest corner and put her hands over her ears,

trying to block out the relentless sounds. Under her breath, she sang the song, panting raggedly in fear, not wanting to hear the demon wailing for

revenge. There was nothing she wouldn't have done to have John there with her. She'd never wanted anything more in her life. Blissful separation of her

mind and body were all that saved her. Only when a strong morning light filtered through the windows,

battling against the storm to get through, did she get up on shaky legs. As numb as she felt, she couldn't fight the facts. She couldn't leave yet--not

without risking her life. She'd fought too hard to escape death. She'd just

have to be ready to flee when the weather let up. Had to steel herself against wanting all the wrong things. She packed the maps, her new clothes,

the seemingly endless rolls of money she'd found in the Old Woman's house.

Scene 8

Connecting the Bridge to this Scene from the Last: John informed his mother the next morning that he planned to brave the blizzard, return to the park

and wait out the storm there in the host house with Esme.

Who: John Additional characters in scene: Natalia, Esme

Where: At Natalia's house, the kitchen window couldn't be seen out of at all.

The icy snow had slammed it with its unending wrath all night. The frost was thick and beautiful on the glass. Beyond it, they could still hear the blizzard

in full force. There was no doubt about that. Bloodmoon Cove had some of the worst, unpredictable weather in the state. In the night, Esme had

heard something far and beyond what she'd experienced before. Whether it really was a ghost accompanied by the hounds of hell, John couldn't say. He

didn't like to talk about the weird stuff he'd experienced in this town while growing up. Who did? Admitting to those things and actually believing them

was crazy. Until he had a reason not to, he'd accept the logical explanation of the storm making so much noise.

Even in his dad's four-wheel-drive truck built for harsh winters, the trip out to the park was pure stress. He'd chosen the right time to be out

though. The snow had let up temporarily, increasing visibility slightly, and the worst he had to battle were unplowed roads that his heavy-duty winter

tires, fortunately, handled grudgingly. Once he made it to the host house, he

trekked back and forth three times from his truck to the porch, battling the wind continuously until he got everything inside the kitchen and pushed the

door shut behind him against the force of the blowing snow. Bloodmoon Cove shuts down when there's a bad storm, especially for

those people living up on the mountain. Nothing gets in, nothing leaves until it blows over.

What: From the bedroom doorway inside the host house, John saw Esme

packing and he's jolted. He informed her she wouldn't get a mile in this weather that wouldn't let up for days. Didn't she say she wanted to stay

here, work at the park? Esme pointed out the paperwork--she couldn't fill out any of that. John's goal was to pacify her any way he can. "I know

you're hiding from something, maybe running from something. I'm not gonna try to force the truth out of you. So maybe we can make a deal.

Instead of you getting a paycheck, you only volunteer here so I'm not

required to perform a background check. As a volunteer, you can swap work for staying in the host house, which I'll keep stocked with the food, supplies,

and clothing she needs."

Why: John knew this deal would only forestall the inevitability of her leaving, but he cautioned her to wait out this storm and maybe even put off leaving

until late June, when a freak storm would be less likely. Esme agreed to the deal, wondering what he wants in return--this wasn't much a deal for him.

"Someday, if and when you feel comfortable, you'll tell me your real name and your story."

Extending the Bridge toward the Next Scene: Esme asked John whether the

fact that the storm wasn't over meant he wouldn't be able to rescue that

boy.

"I think those boys were scared. They abandoned their friend and didn't want to admit it. And I think I know where they left him. Spirit Peak."

When she clarified whether he would go there, John admitted it. But he won't be going alone. Esme told him, "You won't let me go there,

anywhere on the mountain, without a hiking buddy. So I'll do the same for you. You need me. I'm going with you."

Scene 9

Connecting the Bridge to this Scene from the Last: While they were making

breakfast, John commented about how being free was so important to Esme, yet she kept mice and crickets in box-prisons. Esme had never considered

what she'd done in keeping mice and insects her pets as imprisonment. Yet it was. She hadn't wanted them to go away so she couldn't find them, but

now she knows she has to free them.

"You take good care of them," John rushed to reassure her "These boxes are their homes. If you do let them go, wait until summer so they'll

survive. We'll take them out to the woods then." John distracted her after that, talking about foods that are aphrodisiacs.

Who: Esme

Additional characters in scene: John

What: John was an aphrodisiac to her. Not simply because he was attractive in a way she'd never noticed a man could be. She'd seen handsome men in

magazines and books, but none of them had ever made her feel something personal the way John did. She wanted more. More of everything with him

and only him. She didn't know why or what had changed. She'd never willingly let another human being touch her before. She wanted John to

touch her.

They decided to spend the "snow day" eating, making pizza and donuts, playing board games, and John agreed to spend the night--on the

foldout couch.

Where: John told Esme, "When I was a kid here at the park, if it was raining really hard during the summer, we'd stay in and play board games. Twyla

was always here. She was here more than she was at home with her parents. She had a room upstairs. Gran would whip up fresh bread dough

and we'd all make homemade donuts." They ate at a card table he pulled out of the living room closet and set

up near the stove in the living room. In the background, they listened to the staticky radio telling them about the terrible weather, road conditions, and

warnings to stay inside. Esme felt cozy and warm with John sharing the

house with her. While they ate with aphrodisiac-loaded pepperoni pizza good

enough to blow her mind and donuts that she understood why he and Twyla had plowed through as they were being made, they played Battleship,

Scrabble, and Monopoly. In the middle of the second game, the wind started up again and the windows rattled with the sound of scouring snow flying

against them.

Why: In the back of her mind, Esme thought constantly about the fact that tonight she wouldn't be alone. John would hear the horrible screaming and

he would know just like she did that it wasn't the wind. She believed "The screaming was Harrity Kotter's ghost. The ghost of your great-great

grandfather. And the barking that precedes it is his dog. A ghost dog. Even though Harrity has been dead a hundred years, a body can live without its

spirit, so why can't a spirit live without its body? Maybe those boys killed your great-great grandfather's body, but his spirit was alive, especially in

that place, if your local Indian tribe believe it's a sacred cave that leads to

the realm of bound spirits. Those boys let him out. Troy did. He freed his spirit. And now he wants revenge."

John refuted this. His grandpa talked about his dad as the most peaceful man alive. People compared Harrity to Johnny Appleseed. He loved

nature. He respected human life. Esme remained firm. "Things happen to bodies and spirits that have

been bound in captivity. The mind gets twisted in only the darkness, trapped, no freedom, no fresh air."

Harrity had a reason for wanting revenge on Dennis Mulvaney and his offspring. Dennis murdered his dog in front of him then tossed him in a cave

and blocked him up in it to die Killing a man's dog like that could turn any gentle man into a vengeful one. Harrity's dog was closer to him than a

brother.

Extending the Bridge toward the Next Scene: A wind more fierce than Esme

had ever experienced blew the front door open with a crash that made them all jump. John ran in that direction while Esme followed close behind. The

napkins on the table flew around as the blizzard entered the house with a full stream of icy shards of snow. Robert ran to stand protectively in front of

John, who was trying to see if someone was outside on the porch and had opened the door--the locked door. The dog was full-out barking now, and

the sound mingled with the ghost dog's snarls. With seemingly all his strength, John pushed the front door shut and locked it again. When he

turned, his face was tense, and Esme murmured, "He's arrived. Harrity Scaritty.”

Scene 10

Connecting the Bridge to this Scene from the Last: John's dog continued to

bark and, just as abruptly as last time, the front door smashed open again

despite that John had just locked it. Snow drove into the kitchen as if through a chute. When John put his shoulder to the door to close it again,

Esme rushed to help him. As soon as he relocked it, silence returned and Esme's pets resumed their noises. What did the way the front door had

blown open twice despite being locked mean? That Troy Mulvaney entered the dead zone with his friends and let the spirit of my great-great

grandfather out of the cave Troy's ancestor shut him up in? When Harrity woke up, all he knew was he wanted revenge for what Dennis and his gang

did to him and his dog? John would resist believing that craziness as long he possibly could. Esme seemed to be embracing the ludicrousness.

Who: John

Additional characters in scene: Esme

Where: John's dog was quiet now, sitting like a guard near the front door,

his attention not wavering from it. At John's urging, Robert reluctantly followed them into the living room to clean up the game. The canine didn't

get comfortable or relax. He went to look silently out the window.

What: John acknowledged as he held and comforted Esme that barely knew her. He'd never wanted a woman this badly so soon. In the past, even when

that eventually happened in a relationship, he'd longed for nothing more than to run blindly from the whole, strangling thing. With Esme, all he could

do was hold on, longing to never let her go. Sam Holt, Troy Mulvaney's friend, calls on the satellite phone. "We left

Troy," Sam said all in a rush. "That ghost dog chased us. But after a little while, it was gone, and we decided to go back. The exact coordinates to the

cave were still programmed into the GPS unit when we tried to go back for Troy. Have you heard that the cave doesn't wanna be found sometimes?

Well, it's true. It wasn't there anymore. No matter what we did, we couldn't

get it to take us back to the coordinates. It's like that place disappeared off the face of the earth."

When John asked for those coordinates, Sam gave them. As soon as the storm let up, John planned to go there in a snowtrack and see if he could

find Troy--hopefully alive. But unless Troy had found shelter, like one of the homes up near the top of the mountain, what were the odds he could

survive this storm? Especially for days?

Why: They needed to get some sleep in case there was a break in the storm tomorrow, but Esme insisted she'd never be able to sleep. She wanted to

talk and get to know John better. When she asked to hear why he wasn't married, he figured maybe telling her might make her keep her distance.

That would prevent him from becoming too involved in her life as well. The

last thing he needed was another romantic entanglement. So he tells her

about Cara-Marie. That he's never wanted more from a relationship, not even the one long-term and oddly monogamous, non-relationship that'd

carried on in Arizona and he'd been unable to break off until his dad's disappearance.

Extending the Bridge toward the Next Scene: In return, Esme told him, "I've

never had the means or opportunity to get to know anyone, let alone have feelings for him. But I've dreamed about it for as long as I can remember."

Scene 11

Connecting the Bridge to this Scene from the Last: Esme didn't want to be

alone and fell asleep on the couch repeatedly, so John sends her to bed. She goes to the bathroom to get ready while he makes up the sofabed.

Who: Esme Additional characters in scene: John

Where: The bathroom in the host house.

What: The lights go out in the bathroom. When Esme turned on the

flashlight, the beam caught something in the mirror before her. There was a face there. Her own was superimposed over it. Whatever it was looked like

black, petrified wood. Obviously dead. But it also appeared to have a face. A sleeping face, tilting slightly to the right. There was an impression of huge,

slanted eyes, a nose, and a wide, downturned mouth. Sadness permeated that face. Emanating from the face was the sound of harsh, ragged

breathing. Then the darkness beneath her own face in the mirror was moving, shifting, dragging itself forward as it gasped for breath. Esme's feet

wouldn't move, not even when the blackness was directly in front of her. A

creaking noise came, and she realized the eyes were opening--and there was nothing there but horrifying black in the eye sockets. She backed away

as the mouth yawned wide, again coming with the sound of an ancient tree creaking, and then an unnatural scream issued forth from the chasm. Her

own scream, her own face, and yet neither belonged to her. The face crumbled like ash before her eyes.

Why: Esme knew what she saw in the mirror, though John adamantly denied

it, claiming she'd been spooked by the storm and darkness, the abrupt loss of electricity. She'd seen the face of Harrity Kotter, dead and then alive. His

spirit had been set free and he wouldn't go away until he got what he wanted. She believed, rather than deny the supernatural, better to accept

what was there right in front of you--whether it was darkness or freedom.

Then you wouldn't go crazy. You wouldn't be haunted until you longed for

death to escape.

Extending the Bridge toward the Next Scene: John headed to turn the generator on in the basement. Esme followed.

Scene 12

Connecting the Bridge to this Scene from the Last: They were halfway down

the basement steps when the lights came back on. But, as his dad always had, he planned to go down anyway and checked to make sure everything

looked all right.

Who: John Additional characters in scene: Esme

Where: Even with electric lights, the basement tended to be dark.

What: John tried so hard to deny the supernatural. "Try living in Bloodmoon Cove--Erie County in general--and not seeing more than your fair share of

unexplained things. It's that kind of area. Weirdness is centered here. If I can't ignore it, I try to find a logical explanation. If I just accept there's evil

or supernatural at work every time something strange happens, then I have to accept I'm helpless. I can't fight a ghost or its demon dog. I wouldn't

even know where to start. What made you so eager to believe in spirits?" Esme insisted she wasn't eager to believe. She'd seen evil. It had a

face. She'd seen evil enter a person and completely change her so she had no doubt she'd kill her if she couldn't find a way to stop it. Esme stopped her

by singing until she calmed down.

Why: John didn't understand ghosts. But he knew what he'd been told about

his great-great grandfather. "Harrity was hunted constantly by Dennis Mulvaney. This was a ruthless enemy who didn't stop even after they

graduated high school and were supposed to be grown up and mature. Mulvaney enjoyed bullying the nature-loving, peaceful, gentle loner. He'd

come to the park just to torture Harrity as often as he could, even after my great-great-grandfather married and had a young son. He didn't defend

himself. His only goal was escape. But then his enemy carved up his dog like a Thanksgiving turkey, blocked Harrity himself up in a dark, cold cave

hidden in the mountains and left Harrity to mull what he'd put up with from this jerk all his life for no good reason. As far as anyone can tell, Mulvaney

did what he did--killed a man and his dog--strictly for his own amusement. My great-great grandfather was alone with his grief until the end."

But Esme saw another side of this: "Harrity was a bound spirit for a

hundred years before Dennis Mulvaney's ancestor freed him from that cave

for no more reason than Dennis blocked him into it--for his own amusement. Harrity couldn't escape his enemy even in death. He was completely alone in

the world before he died. He must have spent that time before he died thinking about everything, everything he would have done differently--how

he would have stopped the torment, escaped it, stopped his enemy. His hate took over until there was nothing else."

Abruptly, Esme made this speech personal. Her face was haunted with the past--her own past, not just John's great-great grandfather's.

Extending the Bridge toward the Next Scene: Esme had inadvertently

revealed to him that she, too, had been a bound spirit finally freed…and maybe she'd gotten her revenge along with her escape.

Scene 13

Connecting the Bridge to this Scene from the Last: Esme woke the next morning after fitful sleep filled with bad dreams of that horrible face she'd

seen in the mirror, of being trapped in the darkness again--not alone; she could feel the evil spirits around her.

Who: Esme

Additional characters in scene: John

Where: John led the way out to the vehicle shed. The snow was up to the middle of their calves and higher in some places. In the pure white world,

nothing stood out. The buildings in the campground hardly did, especially because the sun was so bright, it would have been blinding without the

goggles. She kept her head down, cowering from the wind, but the transformation around her after the ruthless blizzard in the night caught her

attention.

What: John was going up to search for Troy today since the snow would hold

off most of the day. He'd planned to do everything he could to talk Esme out of coming with him, but suspected she'd try to follow him on foot if he left

her behind. On the way out to the vehicle shed, Esme saw something bright red in

the white landscape. Though it meant slogging through deeper snow, they headed in that direction. Robert was growling low in his throat the way he

had last night. John seemed to recognize what was before them because he ordered the dog to stay and not get any closer. Just as abruptly, what she

was seeing registered in her mind. A brown-haired boy was stretched out by the arms and legs between four trees. He wore a blood red shirt and jeans.

Nothing else. No coat, no hat or boots. It was Troy Mulvaney. He'd been

sliced open from one end to the other. This was where and how Dennis

Mulvaney killed Harrity's dog. However, there were no footprints and no blood. He should have been drenched in blood from his wounds. Yet not a

drop had fallen into the pristine white snow or showed on the body. John called the sheriff then tried to talk Esme out of joining them since

the sheriff will take more notice of her this time. But she seemed to thinking just telling him she was a volunteer, helping John get the park ready for the

upcoming season, was enough. But John worried because he knew what the sheriff was thinking once he saw the body. That kid was murdered in a

colossal blizzard. Even if he somehow made it down the mountain on his own, without a coat or shoes in a blinding snowstorm, Troy couldn't have

sliced himself open like that. Someone murdered him. Esme and John were the only ones in the park during this storm. So what killed a kid in such

brutal fashion without leaving behind a trace of a footprint or blood? Beyond that, this murder mirrored the slaying of an innocent dog a hundred years

ago by the victim's ancestor.

John didn't believe Gray suspected him for a minute. But the sheriff didn't know Esme. She was a stranger in Bloodmoon Cove, even if John

vouched for her. They shouldn't have let him see her, even if hiding her would look more suspicious once she was inevitably discovered. "I don't

know how to assure him you weren't involved in what happened to Troy. I can't even explain to him where you came from, who you are. Because I

don't know myself."

Why: Esme had put John in the position of having to lie to protect her. He would stand with her, but who knew if that would be enough? She couldn't

escape reality. Even after this amazing time they'd had together, she really didn't know John and he knew almost nothing about her. One way or

another, she had to keep it that way.

Extending the Bridge toward the Next Scene: Esme had two options: Tell

John everything and hope for the best. Or not trust him and leave as soon as possible when she'd rather die than do that.

Scene 14

Connecting the Bridge to this Scene from the Last: When Esme went to take

a nap, John was certain she was planning to run soon, which would only make the sheriff a million times more suspicious of her. Caught in the

middle, he couldn't give her up, couldn't tell Gray the truth. He didn't know the truth anyway. But he suspected a lot. Nevertheless, his instincts felt

wrong to him. He wanted to protect this woman even if it meant lying. He hadn't been raised a liar--quite the opposite. But for Esme... She was too

important to him. He had an idea about a way to get her out of this, and he

might be able to pull it off because it was mostly true.

Who: John

Additional characters in scene: The sheriff, Esme

Where: John had already gone out and plowed the areas the sheriff had approved for it in the park and the road so the forensics team could get in to

do their job. In every direction he'd looked, it was obvious to him no one had been in the park since the snow started.

He made himself a sandwich and ate it while leaning in the doorway between the kitchen in the living room. His focus was on the bedroom door

where Esme was hiding.

What: John went out to meet the forensics team when they arrived. When the sheriff asked about Esme, John told him, "She's my girlfriend. She was a

park ranger from Arizona--worked at a state park near the national one I

was employed at over there. She was trying to get a job where I was, and that's how we met. When I decided to come back to Bloodmoon Cove to run

the family park, it only seemed natural for her to come, too. She just got here a few days ago after wrapping up her life in Arizona. She arrived before

the storm hit--but you knew that. You must have seen her the first day we searched for the boy."

John was only too aware of how deep he was digging himself in. He'd decided earlier to keep this deception simple, uncomplicated. Regardless,

the lie felt huge to him--complicated and downright dangerous. He'd have to explain to Esme as soon as possible what he'd done--to make sure she didn't

contradict him if Gray mentioned anything to her about who she was.

Why: By lying, John realized he'd implicated himself as well and, if the truth came out, he'd have to pay for trying to protect her. John couldn't help

thinking that after how far he'd gone out on the tightrope for her maybe she

should give him something in return. At the very least, he wanted the truth about where she'd come from, what she was running from. Because,

whether the sheriff had realized it or not, or would later, there might be a connection between the boy's murder and Esme's appearance in Bloodmoon

Cove. "If someone's after you, Esme, that person might've killed Troy. Did you consider that?" The female she'd implied had tormented her might have

followed her. But Esme insisted that the woman who hurt her was gone. Dead.

John admitted to her what he told the sheriff. Part of it was true: About a year before John's dad disappeared, he met a park ranger who

worked at Patagonia Lake State Park close to the Tumacacori National Historical Park where he was employed in Arizona. In reality, this has been a

monogamous though uncommitted relationship. No one knew her. She'd

never met any of his work friends who only suspected he was someone he

was seeing. So there was no one who can dispute anything John had told Gray. The sheriff now believed John and Esme were engaged to be married,

that she was the park ranger in Arizona he'd been seeing.

Extending the Bridge toward the Next Scene: The only iffy area in the deception was that Esme wasn't officially trained to be a park ranger. To

work in any state or national park, the proper training was required--usually a degree combined with experience, and the woman he'd been seeing in

Arizona had had both. The field is competitive. Esme needed to take some online courses and John planned to talk her through everything he knew so

no one would question her ability to do the job. His mother's already enrolled her in the EMT course, starting soon. Esme assured him she was a

fast learner.

Scene 15

Connecting the Bridge to this Scene from the Last: The weeks flew by after

that. Esme had talked herself into staying because John's lie had afforded her the opportunity to follow her heart. No one questioned her presence. It

was almost as if it was accepted wordlessly that she belonged in Bloodmoon Cove--because she was engaged to John Kotter--and there was no reason to

question it.

Who: Esme Additional characters in scene: John, Natalia, John's grandfather Patrick and

his oldest friend George Maulson

Where: The weather had been surprisingly gorgeous. Esme loved seeing the snow melt in the park and campground. Even the mountain was changing

before their eyes. She and John had been working steadily together,

whipping the campground and park into shape. Some adventurous campers had been coming to stay, and many more had booked reservations for the

coming months.

What: Esme had been keeping an emotional distance from John, but it'd been anything but easy. The case of Troy Mulvaney's murder remained a

mystery. The ghost had, strangely, been at rest. As horrible as the boy's murder had been, she wondered if Harrity had been appeased with Troy's

death. Now he was gone and would leave them alone. She hoped. What would they do if the ghost hadn't exacted the full extent of his revenge"

On June eighth, she and John went to his mother's house after work for dinner. Patrick and George are there. George is a member of the Mino-

Miskwi tribe. A hundred and twenty-five years ago, the tribal culture was

rich, though they were always small. But the elders at that time became

involved in bad magic. To make a long story few know the details of short, during a ritual that involved the tribe elders in the mountain's sacred place--

Spirit Peak--they all disappeared. They were never found again. They'd invoked bad spirits. Evil. The tribe was left with males who were scared of

their traditions and rituals and the bad spirits that took their holy men from them. Many of the women left the tribe altogether. The history of the Mino-

Miskwi was essentially lost. The elders never wrote anything down--said the knowledge was too sacred for that. The men remaining didn't pass the Mino-

Miskwi way down to their children. The culture disappeared on that day along with their elders. George knows almost none of the rituals and

traditions of his ancestors.

Why: In Bloodmoon Cove, Esme had found a home, she'd found family. She cared deeply for John and his beautiful mother. She'd found what she'd

never had before, and only an obvious threat could convince her to leave.

When she and John returned to the host house later, John presented her with her very own park ranger jacket and equipment. In a tender

moment that followed between them, Esme suggested, "You said that all the men in your family marry late. Maybe they were just waiting for the right

woman. Maybe they don't want to settle for anything else." Even as she told herself she barely knew him, she knew everything she needed to know. She

would feel this way about John whether a month or a year had gone by. John couldn't dispute her words. But what they felt for each other

wasn't enough. They have to trust each other. If the past didn't matter, why couldn't she tell him? Nothing could ever change between them, whatever

she told him. Until she was ready to trust him, it was better not to start something that would only hurt later.

Esme was aware that John had told her everything about himself, every dirty little secret. He'd never held anything back. The things he'd done

in the past had shaped the person he'd become. He'd learned from his

mistakes. He'd tried to make amends. He wanted to be a good man. He'd even implied he wanted to be a man worthy of her. I love the man he is. But

will he feel that way about me if he knew I killed a woman who proved she wasn't dead the way I thought and then ransacked her house, taking all the

money there and then some?

Extending the Bridge toward the Next Scene: Once John left, the sheriff drove up, asking Esme questions to casually verify the cover story John had

told him. But Gray went further--asked about her supervisor at the park she supposedly worked in Arizona while she and John were dating, about her

supervisor there, her living arrangements and address. Every lie digs the hole deeper for me and John. I'm not being fair to him. He could get in

trouble. And I don't want him to. Why else would the sheriff ask all these

questions, come out here in the evening obviously with the sole purpose of

hearing my answers? He must suspect me, suspect John's story about who I am and where I came from. At the worst, Gray suspected her of murder.

And that meant that he'd pretended to be satisfied with John's answers about her. He'd probably been checking up on her ever since and not finding

any satisfactory answers. The threat, the only thing that could get her to leave John and the

park, had come, and she didn't hesitate. John had said he didn't want to get in any deeper with her, not knowing her past, believing she didn't trust him.

That means he is in deep. That he is involved more than he feels he should be. And now it's over. Even trusting him wouldn't have changed this. Maybe

it's for the best that I kept my secrets. Esme knew she could be out of town before morning, on her way to

somewhere else. She wouldn't stay in the same place for any length of time. She'd keep moving so she'd never get close to anyone ever again.

Scene 16

Connecting the Bridge to this Scene from the Last: As he was leaving the campground, John passed the sheriff's vehicle on the road. Because Gray

neither stopped nor acknowledged him, John knew he was going after Esme. Running to her rescue this time would only serve to make the sheriff more

suspicious of her. When John got to his mother's house, he called Esme but she didn't answer. A surprise visit from Gray, asking all kinds of questions,

would send her running for sure. John gunned it back to the campground house.

Who: John

Additional characters in scene: Esme What: John realized he went too far, asking her questions before he left her

earlier, demanding answers to his questions about her past--probably

solidifying her decision to run once Gray left. The park ranger jacket was gone. She must have taken it with her. He could find her! The jackets had

tracking chips--SOP in aiding rescue operations. As he followed the signal, he wondered, Could Esme have done something bad, something criminal?

Did she kill someone? The woman she said hurt her? Could Esme have done that? Even accepting that Esme would do whatever she could to survive, he

couldn't get himself to believe she was a cold-blooded murderer. If she hurt someone, it was in self-defense. She'd done what she had because she'd

had no other choice, to escape.

Where: John caught up with her signal on the edge of town, grabbed the tracker and got out with Robert on his heels. He was worried because the

shadows of the night were descending rapidly. She'd obviously decided to

stay off the road to avoid contact with anyone as she fled in the dark. John

rushed into the darker woods that ran along the edge of the road on the opposite side of his truck. She stopped abruptly, collapsing on the muddy

ground just beyond the ditch on all fours as if she couldn't take another step beneath the weight she was carrying. When she asked how he knew where

to find her, he offered, "Three ways out of town, unless you count Dead Man's Road, and I don't." The road on the far side of Bloodmoon Cove called

Dead Man's Road got its name from another urban legend. Seventy five years ago, a woman's car had broken down. Some guy stopped supposedly

to help her but ended up raping and killing her instead. Now she haunted the road and killed any man who traveled on it. The men in Bloodmoon Cove

had devised alternate means of getting anywhere that roads led. If Esme had really wanted to leave, she would have taken that road, since he'd have

to go miles out of his way to avoid it. One way or another, though, he would have followed her.

Why: John planned to talk her out of her flight. They'd deal with the sheriff together. Esme insisted there was no reason in the world John should

believe in her. He didn't know her, couldn't imagine what she'd had to do to escape. To be free. "If you hurt someone, it was in self-defense," John

stated. "I know through and through that the other person got what she deserved. I'll never be convinced you're anything but pure."

Extending the Bridge toward the Next Scene: They kissed, but how could

they be together if she remained in the shadows? She agreed to tell John everything, and hope rushed through him like a second wind.

Scene 17

Connecting the Bridge to this Scene from the Last: Esme had half let the

vow that if John came after her, she'd tell him everything flit through her

heart as she'd run. After they returned to the house together, she'd determined to reveal the ugliness of her life in the safe circle of his arms. He

assured her that nothing can change how he felt about her. He'd be on her side whatever she told him.

Who: Esme

Additional characters in scene: John

What: Esme's story: "I don't remember anything before her. I never had any sense of time. Of my age. If years were going by. I knew nothing,

remembered nothing before my life because a routine of waking in that cold, dark basement with the tiny bathroom with only a sink and toilet. No

windows anywhere. Sometimes the Old Woman would bring me candles.

Always, she brought me books. Dozens of them. In every conceivable genre.

The Old Woman was the only person I knew. She kept me in the basement. She never let me follow her upstairs. She kept the door locked at all times.

The books came from interlibrary loan. There was a sticker on each one that said that. The local library must have believed she was house-bound. Most

days, she fed me, but never enough. I had a change of clothes, soap and toothpaste. I had my crickets and mice. They were my friends. She would

come down and give me the books often. Sometimes she would brush my hair or ask me to brush hers.

"I don't know my name, how old I am, how I learned to read. I don't know anything about myself but my time there. It's all I remember. As far

as I know, it's the only place I'd ever been. If she was a relative, a stranger, I never found out. All I know is that, although I loved when she brought me

books and food and candles, I never liked her. I never wanted her there. I dreaded having her come down to sit with me. Because sometimes she'd

become insane, and she scared me. She was possessed. She'd scream at

me, 'Don't run. Don't talk. Don't tell anyone. If you do, you'll die. I've made sure of that.' Then she'd become one of the evil creatures in the books I'd

read. She'd come at me with her claws, her hair long and snarled, looking crazed."

"Those were the only times she'd try to hurt me. I never knew what to do to defend myself. I would just try to get away, and I would sing the only

song I knew. She was soothed by my singing. Then she would go away and leave me alone, sometimes for days. But she always came back just when I

thought I would die of starvation. She never went more than three days without bringing me food."

"When everything changed, it'd been days and days since she'd brought food or books. I had no energy, but I knocked on the door often and

begged the Old Woman for food. When I couldn't stand it anymore, I pounded on the door and screamed for her until I was hoarse. I knew I was

alone. The woman had gone. I didn't know what to do. There was no way

out of the basement. I'd looked for an escape, but there was only one way in or out. Through that door. I thought if I could remove the hinge pins maybe

I could take the door off and get upstairs. It took me days, but I managed to open a gap. It wasn't a wide gap, but I was nothing but skin and bones. I

slipped through easily." "I found her sprawled face-down on a desk in a brightly lit room. My

eyes hurt from it. I'd never been outside, as far as I knew. How would I survive? I had no food, and what was in her fridge wouldn't last. I'd read

about money and life outside of my basement. For a long time, I thought about staying there. I watched her for hours while eating as much as my

stomach could hold, but she never moved, and I started to wonder what would happen if she did wake up. She would put me back in the basement,

and there was no way I would ever go back. I had to leave to prevent that,

and that meant I had to take stuff so that I could survive. I was afraid of

meeting up with people. I didn't know if the police would send me back, and I was too afraid of that to consider going to them.

"I would need clothes and I took hers, though they didn't fit me. I took books, as many as I could fit in the suitcase, one that had maps of every

county in Wisconsin. There was a stack of newspapers that must have come through the mail drop in the front door, and they told me the date and

county I was in. But there was no other mail or anything else in the house that could tell me who this woman was or who I was. I later found a bunch

of burned papers in the fireplace--nothing readable--along with this rosary. While I was packing food, I discovered huge, empty plastic mayonnaise jars

in the fridge. Inside each of them were rolls and rolls of money. "I was ready to go, but she was suddenly there. She was alive. She

grabbed me by the hair and started to drag me back to the basement, screaming that she would kill me if I ever left her. I've never felt so insane

in my life. The thought of going back to that basement, the cold and dark,

made me insane. I grabbed a lamp and started hitting her with it as hard as I could. She finally let me go and collapsed on the floor near the basement

door. I yanked the basement door open as far as I could get it and I pushed her until she was in the darkness and I could close her inside. I wanted to

kill her. I wanted her to experience what it'd been like for me to be trapped in the darkness, no way to ever see the sky or light.

"With all I'd packed, I ran. I had no idea if she was dead or alive this time. If I'd killed her."

Where: "I didn't stop running for a long time. I spent a lot of time studying

the maps, and one day I saw the town of Bloodmoon Cove. The name of this town was familiar somehow. I knew if I came here, I'd find forests,

mountains, infinite places to hide from the world. I knew once I got here I'd never want to run again. I told myself I wouldn't have to. That I'd find safety

here."

Why: John assured her, "It was self-defense, and no law enforcement

agency in the world would ever say differently. She held you prisoner for God knows how long. She tortured you, starved you, hurt you. Nothing can

compare to what she did to you all that time. You're the victim in this scenario. You didn't do anything wrong. The police would have protected you

if you'd gone to them and told them everything you've told me. You never had any reason to hide. There are laws to protect people from the very thing

you went through." Why did her crime not sound so bad when he spoke of it and defended

her actions? Esme could almost make herself believe she hadn't sinned so much as reached for survival. John asked her to confide in the sheriff, trust

him to find answers. Gray might be able to tell Esme who she was, where

she came from, who that woman was and why she had all that money.

Extending the Bridge toward the Next Scene: Esme was afraid of knowing

the truth, but John wouldn't let her hide. "You're strong enough to save yourself. You did it before. You can do it again."

Scene 18

Connecting the Bridge to this Scene from the Last: Esme fell asleep in his

arms, and John marveled that someone this fragile could have had the strength to do what she had. It'd happened the way it'd happened, and the

only thing left was to convince Esme to see that Sheriff Mecham had to be told the truth. It was the only way they could be together; the only way she

could ever truly be free. If she ran again, John suspected he'd never find her. She'd spend the rest of her life hiding. A bound spirit in every way.

Who: John Additional characters in scene: Esme, Twyla (on the phone)

Where: He should go home, even if he was tired and didn't want to leave.

Twenty-seven years old, and my mother still dictates my decisions. Like it or not, he and Esme weren't married and he didn't want anyone to assume

something that wasn't true. Bloodmoon Cove was a small, traditional town that didn't subscribe to big city corruption. John had been raised with too

many principles to allow Esme to be gossiped about like that.

What: He went to the bathroom to splash cold water on his face. The water seemed to freeze against his skin, and he shivered at the shocking drop in

temperature. His breath came out in a thick, white cloud. Movement in his peripheral vision made him turn his head back toward the mirror. The last

thing he expected was to a see a face in the mirror--not exactly his own

either. His own seemed superimposed over something else emerging. The thing looked like something petrified in wood with the appearance of huge,

black eyes and a crack below that might have been a mouth. John leaned closer as the darkness in the mirror came closer. It was dragging itself

forward, toward him. Behind it, he saw something like black hands, reaching out as if trying to stop the thing coming toward him. The eyes flew open to

reveal swirling black depths. He jumped back just as the line below opened with a loud creak, and a scream spilled out of the wide abyss, growing in

intensity and volume. John drew all the way back from it and covered his ears at the wailing. He could breathe again and gasped raggedly. That was

when he saw his dog standing in the doorway, his ears alert, a low growl coming from the back of his throat. Robert wasn't barking. So where was the

barking coming from?

He shuddered, wishing he could easily talk himself out of what he was

thinking, the way he often did when Esme insisted the same thing. His great-great grandfather was here. He knew it, couldn't deny it. Esme had

been right. Those kids had let the ghost out because they didn't know any better or thought they were having fun, and now Harrity wanted his

revenge. Troy Mulvaney's death hadn't been enough.

Why: Esme screamed. The ghost didn't go away like they hoped. It was still here, waiting for something. What they both saw in the mirror was Harrity

inadvertently telling them what it was like for him before he died. Darkness, unable to breathe, suffocating, trying to drag himself out."

Extending the Bridge toward the Next Scene: The Mino-Miskwi's sacred

ground was the same place their elders disappeared and it was the same place Harrity haunts. The Native Americans consider it to be the gateway to

the realm of the dead. It was filled with evil spirits that preyed on living

spirits. It was the place Troy disappeared and maybe John's father. What if there was some way that place could be sealed? Most tribes had rituals that

could seal the cave entrance. George probably wouldn't know a ritual of that kind, since the Mino-Miskwi's rituals and traditions were lost with their holy

men, nor would he be likely to perform it if he did know, considering what happened to his ancestors in that gorge. But that place only showed itself

when it wanted to be found. John had only found it once in his life. A kindred spirit might be allowed passage though, another bound spirit. Even if it was

their last choice, John wouldn't agree to let Esme risk herself.

Scene 19

Connecting the Bridge to this Scene from the Last: At barely six in the morning, a camper pounded on the door, insisting that the sheriff be called

because Danny Yanzer had been found dead, strung up by his arms and legs

across four trees at his campsite, and sliced open just like Troy had been.

Who: Esme Additional characters in scene: John, Natalia, Patrick, George, and Gray

Where: Most of the campers were Bloodmoon Cove and Erie County citizens.

People in these parts didn't want to stay at home all the time, yet they were reluctant to get far from home either. Camping at the park was the perfect

solution for a mini-vacation they could return home from quickly.

What: After they call the police, Esme said to John, "We can't deny what we know anymore. Harrity wants revenge on the four who killed him and his

dog. I saw the ghost's face in the mirror the night before we found Troy

dead. You saw the face last night, and this morning Danny is dead. Harrity

will go after the other two boys, too. What are we going to do? How do you get rid of a ghost?"

"Sing to it?" John offered. "That appeases him temporarily, but he'll come back and get his revenge

until it's finished."

Why: When the sheriff arrived on the scene, Natalia and Patrick did as well, and Patrick announced they, along with George Maulson and Sam Holt, had

been having bad dreams about darkness, suffocating, evil spirits reaching for them, and a sad, horrible face. George had checked into a long-term site

yesterday. Patrick wanted to stay in the host house because he believed Troy had let his father's spirit out of that cave. George believed that ghosts

retained the soul of the human heart and spirit, but sometimes their vision was clouded by the need for revenge. Patrick's father wouldn't hurt anyone

in life, but, in the limbo between life and death, he'd become confused. Deep

down, if he was in his right mind, he would want this to stop. But George says only revenge will lure Harrity back to the cave, where they can maybe

appease him and then seal him in. John refused to hear of using Sam Holt or Roger Rowlee as bait.

Patrick seemed to think his father would recognize him. Cortisone injections would get him up to Spirit Peak despite his osteoarthritis. He was the only

one who could get through to his father. If Patrick could show him the truth, he might let George performing a cleansing ritual. Then John can seal up the

cave. John declares them all nuts for considering such an insane plan. It would never work. None of them are going up there.

Extending the Bridge toward the Next Scene: Along with telling the sheriff

about her past, Esme considered everyone in attendance. She trusted them as much as she did John. Maybe they would understand, like John had, and

not blame her for what she'd done. When she finished her story, she pushed

the Wisconsin map book she'd taken from the Old Woman's house over to Gray. "I know her house was in Green County, in this area I circled, but I'm

not exactly sure where. When I left, I ran and I can't be sure where I started out from." The sheriff agreed to do everything he could to find the truth.

Scene 20

Connecting the Bridge to this Scene from the Last: Not more than a few

days later, Gray called and said he looked for an old woman with bludgeon wounds and her house robbed in Green County about a year ago. There

were surprisingly few. Who: John

Additional characters in scene: Esme, Gray

Where: John and Esme had just returned to the host house for lunch.

What: Gray tells them the story: "The old woman who held you captive. Her name was Greta Schuler. She was found dead on the basement stairs. The

police discovered evidence in the basement that the woman had been keeping someone prisoner, quite possibly for a long time. Although the old

woman had contusions that were a couple days old, she'd died of an overdose of mesoridazine--deliberate by all appearances. Mesoridazine is an

antipsychotic drug used to treat schizophrenia. She'd been hospitalized and institutionalized most of her life for the disorder. According to her parents,

she tried religion as a last resort to help her become normal. Her parents said it seemed to be helping her, too. But then abruptly the disorder took

over again, and her old, destructive behaviors escalated. In the process, she got pregnant and had a baby, but the child was taken from her by the state.

An adoption that was supposed to be closed followed--an attempt to keep

Greta from finding the child. Unfortunately, it didn't work. She located her years later. Terry and Elaine Monkholm adopted the little girl. They live in

Erie County, not too far from Bloodmoon Cove. They named the baby Suzanna. When the girl was nine years old, Greta stole her from her

adoptive parents and ran with her. The woman's psychiatrist tells me that the little girl was probably so traumatized by this event, by her

imprisonment in the basement and the woman's psychotic episodes, that she lost her memory.

"Greta knew she couldn't take care of the girl herself. She couldn't hold a job for long, and she'd broken out of the institute a judge sentenced

her to be held in until such a time as her doctor deemed her condition stable. Greta blackmailed the little girl's adoptive father for years. She killed

the mother when she kidnapped the girl and blackmailed the father by saying she would kill Esme if she had to. She forced him to pay or she'd hurt

the girl. She'd apparently videotaped herself doing just that, claiming worse

would follow if the father involved the police and didn't pay. He believed her threats and paid. The woman was never caught. The money drop-off

locations were different each time. When I put the Green County police force onto this, they found that a nurse who'd left the institute just before Greta

escaped--and probably helped her escape--was living in the same town in Green County. She worked at the local library. The house belonged to her

family, and she claimed Greta was just renting it. The detectives over there now know the nurse was sending Greta her share of the blackmail money in

interlibrary loan envelopes with books. The nurse has been arrested as an accessory to kidnapping."

Why: "Suzanna Monkholm was twenty-one years old. She was in captivity

for twelve years. Mr. Monkholm has had the police and a private detective

looking for his daughter since she was kidnapped. He and his wife camped at

Bloodmoon Cove Park with their daughter twice before the kidnapping, the summers she was seven and eight." Esme must have subconsciously

recalled Twyla and the park as a happy place for her and returned here when she escaped."

When John asked if Esme was still a suspect in Troy and Danny's murders, the sheriff couldn't neglect the fact that Esme may have the same

disease her biological mother did. In a schizophrenia-induced rage, she may have killed those boys after she heard the story of Harrity Scaritty. Getting

tested seemed like a good option.

Extending the Bridge toward the Next Scene: After hanging up with the sheriff, Esme admitted she was afraid. "I'm afraid to meet my father. I'm

afraid to remember my old life. Afraid someone will try to take me away from here. From you."

John reassured her: "This Greta struggled with her illness all her life.

She struggled with sin. In the end, she let both win. But you can't let this sway you. My mom can take you to a place to get tested, just like Gray

suggested. Then the sheriff won't have any ground to stand on if he pursues a course that leads to you being guilty of anything in these murders. Your

diagnosis will convince him of your innocence."

Scene 21

Connecting the Bridge to this Scene from the Last: Spending the next almost three days with Natalia was a blessing Esme couldn't have foreseen. Her

medical knowledge alone calmed her and the diagnoses that Natalia had predicted on the long trip to the huge schizophrenia clinic in Appleton came

true. Esme had gone through every conceivable test and screening. While the experts couldn't rule out the possibly of schizophrenia in the future, she

currently didn't have any of the symptoms or markers for it. John had been

right about insisting she get tested. She wouldn't have had any peace for the future if she hadn't heard medical experts say she didn't have the disorder

at this time. Maybe inconceivably, she felt prepared--for the present and the future.

Who: Esme

Additional characters in scene: Natalia

Where: In Bloodmoon Cove, no one left. Those that did were ostracized and shunned--like some non-religious Amish community. Family was everything

to them.

What: Natalia encouraged Esme to meet her father--he might have pictures

he could show her that could trigger her memories. "Why not give yourself

the chance? I know you're afraid, and that's to be expected. This man lost everything when he lost you. That's how I felt when John left Bloodmoon

Cove and didn't come back for ten years. He only came back then because his father disappeared. When John came back for good recently, it eased

some of my pain, even though nothing could be the same. You may be able to ease the pain your father went through. And, who knows, maybe you'll

also find joy in the relationship, even if you never remember your childhood with him and your mother. The answers he gives you will be good ones, not

like the answers to your questions about your birth mother which you may never have and wouldn't be satisfied with if you did. Your life with them

might have been ideal and truly happy." Esme didn't like change. With no guarantee that her life would get

better by contacting her adoptive father, she couldn't get herself to do it. She was sorry he'd lost his daughter, but she wasn't the person she was.

She couldn't give him anything. She didn't know him.

Why: When Natalia talked about her marriage to David, Esme thought about

marriage to John.

Extending the Bridge toward the Next Scene: Esme's relationship with John had become the very center of her life in such a short time. It was too soon

for a huge commitment like marriage, but she also couldn't shake the feeling that she'd been waiting for John all her life. She wasn't sure of anything in

her life, but she was sure she was ready to marry him.

Scene 22

Connecting the Bridge to this Scene from the Last: Esme called and said she and Natalia would be back in less than a half hour. During the phone call,

she'd imparted to John the semi-good news that, while schizophrenia could

come on suddenly in the future, right now she didn't have any symptoms or markers. They could present Gray with her clean bill of health, negating a

psychotic break that had led her to murder two boys in an impossible, horrifying fashion.

Who: John

Additional characters in scene: Patrick, George, Sam Holt, Esme, Natalia

Where: in the living room of the host house.

What: John listened as George told them, "The cleansing ritual isn't complicated--one of the few traditions anyone in the tribe cares to recall. It'll

drive away bad spirits, maybe unfog the ghost of Patrick's father, but that's

all. If we want to seal the cave, we have to do that manually--with boards

and nails and warning signs." Before Esme had gone off with his mother these past few days, she'd

begged John not to try to find the cave until she got back. She'd pointed out rightly that he couldn't do any good himself anyway. Even if he found it,

Harrity's ghost had no reason to follow him there, not without the lure of the boys he believed had helped destroyed him and his dog. But John had gone

twice anyway--for nothing. The cave had been hiding. Sam Holt called and confessed: He and his friends found the body of

John's father up in that gorge. The chewed-up remains were wearing the park jacket. He'd looked like something had been eating him, but there was

nothing alive there, nothing that could feed off him. Sam took his wallet so someone would know the body was there. More than once John had

considered that his father had stumbled upon that gorge, and that was where he'd disappeared. But why had he gone up there in the first place?

John suspected they'd never know. Nevertheless, if the cave reappeared for

his dad, it was clear that he'd become food for the dead, just as someone had every year for the past one hundred years. John had done research and

verified that one person a year had gone missing near the dead zone on the mountain. Last year, it was my dad.

Why: Sam knew what Patrick and George were planning, knew the ghost of

Harrity would come after him and Roger one way or another. Sam agreed he'll go with them and be the lure to get Harrity's spirit back into the cave. It

was the only way. John asked Sam, "What makes you think the same thing wouldn't happen to you as to your friends if you went up to the gorge

again?" This plan was beyond insane and just plain stupid. The chances it would work were slim to none.

Extending the Bridge toward the Next Scene: When Esme and Natalia

return from their trip, John refused to allow Sam or the others to carry

out their plan. The safest thing the kid could do was keep his distance from the park and any surrounding areas. The dreams would subside

for all of them eventually. He refused to let any of them put their lives in danger on the foolish hope of talking down a ghost.

Scene 23

Connecting the Bridge to this Scene from the Last: John had told Esme he'd

attempted to find the cave while she was gone, told her about his father's body being found by Troy and his friends near that cave, along with his fears

of letting any of them go ahead with their plan. He was too honorable to allow them to do it because he couldn't protect any of them against a

supernatural ghost with powers he didn't possess. She felt the same way,

yet she knew there was simply no other way. She understood Harrity Kotter.

He was a bound spirit, just as she'd been, and it'd taken her a long time for her to figure out what was wrong and right after she escaped. She'd done

wrong things, bad things. But she'd come back to herself, her true self. Harrity had had a gentle spirit in life and just needed reminding of it in

death. She could help this ghost.

Who: Esme Additional characters in scene: None

What: Right after lunch the next day, John told her he was going to mow the

pavilion lawn--a huge job that would take him most of the afternoon. Once he set out, she packed what she needed and headed to Spirit Peak.

Where: The trail that would take her onto the mountain, to Spirit Peak.

Why: Esme didn't think she'd come back from this. While the ghost hadn't been interested in John's attempted visits to the cave, she suspected Harrity

would see her as a kindred spirit and follow her to the cave. He wouldn't like what she had to say about his activities of late. She wasn't entirely sure she

could talk him out of his need for revenge, she had to try.

Extending the Bridge toward the Next Scene: If she did come back, Esme decided she would ask John to marry her and she'd meet her adoptive

father, even if she never remembered anything about her parents. She was determined not to be afraid of anything anymore. She had choices now, the

way she hadn't all those years she'd been locked in the basement, hidden from the world, and terrified of the Old Woman. She was free to make her

own decisions. If she made it through this, her choice would be John and this park for the rest of her life.

Scene 24

Connecting the Bridge to this Scene from the Last: When John cuts his hand on the blade trying to dislodge a hunk of grass clippings from the

lawnmower, he heads back to the host house for the first aid kit and Esme's new nursing skills.

Who: John

Additional characters in scene: Patrick

Where: His grandfather was sitting on the porch almost looking like he was waiting for something.

What: Patrick tells John that Esme left. She seemed to think she could lure

his father to the cave and pacify him herself.

Why: John didn't hesitate. He knew where he's going. He'd been to Spirit Peak enough times to know the area by heart. If the cave decided not to

show itself, well, that was a different matter altogether.

Extending the Bridge toward the Next Scene: John ran toward the trail up the mountain.

Scene 25

Connecting the Bridge to this Scene from the Last: It was after five o'clock

when Esme reached the gorge. Inexplicably this high up on the mountain, it was already getting dark. Esme had studied a map of the mountain and

coordinates in particular. She knew where to go, had been in the area many

times in the past. But the scene she stumbled upon was different than she'd ever seen before.

Who: Esme

Additional characters in scene: Harrity's ghost

Where: A waterfall gushed in the gorge she found at the coordinates. There was no sign of life here. No birds flew overhead, no wildlife. Even the plants

seemed to be missing in budding spring. She didn't hear a single insect, not even her crickets in her pack. As she stepped into the clearing, her gaze was

drawn to a huge boulder near the waterfall. She found David's desiccated body there and approached the waterfall from a different angle. Finally, she

saw an opening. The space behind the water was littered with bones. Rocks had also been tossed among them, leaving a hole just big enough for a

young kid to get into but not easily out of. Esme slips into the cave entrance

with her backpack leading the way. Inside, the cave was tall enough that she could stand in it. She saw skeletal remains in the back portion of the cave.

There was a smaller tunnel there. The realms of the dead?

What: Esme started talking as if Harrity's ghost was there inside the cave with her, telling him about his son, John, herself and her own experience as

a bound spirit.

Why: Esme said, "I understand your need for revenge is justified, Harrity. Those men did a horrible thing to you and to your poor dog. But killing the

descendants of the men who tormented you and Charles won't bring either of you back. Killing those boys, who have nothing to do with what happened

to you isn't right. You have to see that. In life, you never could have done

that because you know they're innocent, as innocent as you and your dog

were."

Extending the Bridge toward the Next Scene: The dirt in the cave starts whirling like mini cyclones all around. And then a dog starts barking.

Scene 26

Connecting the Bridge to this Scene from the Last: There was something

almost palpable in the air as John closed in on the coordinates. This was different than the other times he'd been to the area--similar to the one time

he and Twyla found the gorge. Something restless had been there then and it was here now. Had Esme succeeded in finding the cave?

Who: John Additional characters in scene: Patrick, George, Sam

Where: John recalled how often it'd felt to him like he was circling around an invisible, locked room without a door when he got near these coordinates at

Spirit Peak. That door was open now, but the second they crossed the threshold something blindingly white flashed in front of them. The orb

coalesced into a dog...only not a flesh and blood dog. It was transparent, wavering in front of his eyes as it barked like mad. Its paws were planted

firmly on the ground, head down slightly, obviously protecting its master's physical remains nearby.

What: A murderous, enraged wail filled the gorge, blasting out of the

waterfall and sending rock and water in every direction. As if from a muffled distance, Esme's scream reached him. Instinctively, John knew the ghost

was trying to block his path to her. He couldn't allow that.

Why: Once he saw the entrance to the cave behind the waterfall, John

started pulling rocks out to make a bigger entrance for himself. Three other sets of hands joined him, making quick work of the task. Patrick, George and

Sam followed him up the mountain.

Extending the Bridge toward the Next Scene: As soon as he knew he'd fit through the hole, John plunged inside the cave just as Esme screamed

again.

Scene 27

Connecting the Bridge to this Scene from the Last: The screaming face of a ghost few at Esme, and his energy slammed her to the ground. Her face was

next to the skeleton she'd placed a small, makeshift gravestone over with

the words "Harrity Kotter of the mountain, may he rest in peace with his

brother Charles" scratched on it. The ghost pinned her flat on her back with whatever energy he'd hit her with. His huge, black eyes swirled with evil, his

mouth a black pit issuing unearthly wails. She couldn't think, couldn't remember the reason and purpose she was here. Her mind slipped from her,

and she cried and screamed without fighting. Once again, she was back in that basement without light, without company. All she was left with was the

knowledge that the Old Woman would come eventually, for good or evil, and then she would disappear through that door Esme could never go through.

Who: Esme

Additional characters in scene: The ghost of Harrity, John, Patrick, Sam

Where: The cave of "the realm of the dead".

What: John's voice penetrated the horror she'd become trapped in, telling

her to sing. While she soothed the ghost with her song, the three of them step inside the cave, forming a protective circle around Sam, since Harrity

sensed his prey nearby and became enraged, attacking but unable to penetrate their shielding perimeter. John shouted to George to do whatever

he was planning. George began the purification ritual and, while he chanted, the ghost was seemingly confused and appeased for the moment, Patrick

implored his father to remember him, to remember himself, to see Sam as innocent--not the person who killed Charles or him. "You'll never have peace

if you take another life. The evil spirits in this place twisted your mind while you were alive, and that's what you remember now in death."

All around Harrity was the peace and serenity that was his in life.

Why: When John's dog entered the cave, his ancestor, the ghostly canine, followed, and Harrity focused on his dog--the best friend he'd grieved. John

urged Esme, Patrick, George and Sam to get out of the cave while Harrity

was calm and focused on his dog. While George, Patrick and Sam dragged David's body out of the gorge to retrieve at a later time, John set charges in

the mouth of the cave. When they come back for his father's body, he intended to bring signs to put all around the area to keep hikers away, but

Esme had the feeling the gorge would no longer be there tomorrow.

Extending the Bridge toward the Next Scene: Esme had known John would try to come up here alone--only he wouldn't be able to do anything on his

own. In the end, as group they'd done the one thing John had been trying to avoid to keep them safe. Fortunately…hopefully, it'd worked. Harrity had

come back to himself and there would be no more killing or disappearances at Spirit Peak.

Resolution Scene

Connecting the Bridge to this Scene from the Last: Fittingly, Esme's

birthday, her real birthday, was July fourth--a day of freedom.

Who: Esme Additional characters in scene: John

Where: The birthday party lasted into the evening. John had planned it in

the park pavilion, and luckily the weather cooperated with beautiful sunshine for the day and a light, cooling, soundless wind at night.

What: They hadn't had any more deaths or ghostly activities in the park or

on the mountain since George had performed the cleansing ritual and they'd sealed the cave.

Why: Maybe the spirit of Harrity Kotter had been appeased by more than George's rite. Harrity had met another bound spirit in Esme, who'd soothed

him with her peaceful song, as well as the pleas of his own son, who'd reminded him he was a gentle man who, in life, had protected the land and

wildlife from people, protected the people from land and wildlife, and protected people from people. They'd put up enough signs to keep hikers far

from that gorge and what John hoped would remain a dead zone forevermore.

Tie-Ups and Resolutions: John's father's official funeral had been attended

by nearly everyone in Bloodmoon Cove. The coroner had listed his father's cause of death as a heart attack. His mother's grief had started again with

finding her beloved husband's body, yet John suspected she might heal now that she'd gotten some closure. Besides, she said she was grateful now that

she had her and David's family around her. She was looking forward to

becoming a grandmother in the future. Esme had called her adoptive father and invited him to celebrate with

them, telling John she was ready for change this time. She'd been strong enough to seek out the answers she needed, even if the truth ultimately hurt

her. Her father was willing to let her call all the shots and set the pace in rebuilding their relationship. All he wanted was a chance to have her in his

life again. After Esme had blown out the candles on her cake, her eyes closed to

silently make her wish, John got down on one knee beside her and proposed. Instead of being thrilled, she seemed disappointed. John assumes

the setting was too public for her. Instead, she insisted, "No. You stole my thunder! I was planning to propose to you."

As they exchanged the rings they'd each bought for their proposals,

John said he didn't care who asked who, just as long as her answer matched

his: "Yes." Esme's mutual response followed with: "We're kindred spirits, and as

long as we're together, we'll both be free."