“Is that story real?” Priya asked. “Or is it just a creepypasta?”

“A creepy what?” Hawkes asked.

“Urban legend,” Xander explained. “A ghost story.”

“Oh,” Hawkes said. “Well, I don’t know. It’s as real as any story about this place is. Believe what you want. I just know that my uncle was relieved when he was finally able to retire.”

Perkins poked her head out of the car window. “Okay, you kids head home. This is your one and only warning. Stay away. Understand?”

They all nodded.

“Now get going,” she ordered.

The kids hurried down the block, away from the police car and the haunted hospital. Priya kept glancing back at the car, which did not pull away.

“Do you think they’re going to search the hospital for Quest and his friends?” Priya asked.

Xander shook his head. “I think they bought our story. They’re probably just going to sit there for a while to make sure we don’t come back.”

“Now do you want to tell us what’s going on?” Li asked. “First you tell us to call the police. Then you tell us to stall them. What’s the deal?”

Omar agreed. “Yeah, those squatters scared the crap out of me, and you’re helping them?”

Xander explained what had happened with Quest’s group. He left out the detail of Priya’s illness. He thought that was her story to tell, not his.

“So they didn’t want anyone to know they were living in the hospital,” Xander concluded. “That’s why they were trying to scare us away.”

“I’d hate to be on the street when the temperature drops below freezing,” Omar said. “Still remember when I first moved to Edmonton. I was seven, and I had never seen snow in Egypt. I thought the sky was falling, I was so scared. And it was so cold that first winter, I don’t think I wanted to leave the house for a month.”

Priya laughed. “That’s so cute. I’d love to see the photos of you from back then.”

“Mom bought me a winter coat that was waaaaay too big. I looked ridiculous in it,” Omar said.

Li stopped and patted her body. “Oh no. I left my backpack in the hospital.”

“Well, the cops aren’t going to let us back in,” Priya said. “How important is it, Li?”

“My tablet is in it,” Li said. “I can’t leave it behind.”

“Seriously?” Omar said. “The cops let us off with a warning. I’m not going to take the chance of getting arrested for your tablet. Leave it, Li.”

“I can’t,” she said. “My mom will kill me if she finds out I lost it.”

“Maybe we can come back tomorrow and ask Quest and Rainbow to grab it,” Xander suggested. “I mean, they’re going to come outside at some point, right?”

“Not a bad idea,” Priya said. “We keep our word to stay out, and Li gets her tablet back. Sound good?”

Li agreed.

Omar shrugged. “Still think we should just stay away.”