Liam’s father was busy painting the living room. The place looked like a disaster area, with furniture pushed to the middle, empty beer bottles, half-empty cartons of Chinese food, and drop cloths scattered across the floor. Mr. Finn had earbuds stuffed into his skull. “Hi, Dad!” Liam shouted.

“Oh, hey, sport,” Mr. Finn said. He waved without looking back, kept right on rolling the paint onto the wall.

“Looks good,” Liam said.

“What?” Mr. Finn shouted. He twisted his head to look at Liam.

The boy pointed and gave a thumbs-up.

“Glad you approve,” Mr. Finn shouted above the music from his iPod. “Everything okay?”

“Yeah, Mitali wants us to talk to a ghost,” Liam told his father.

Mr. Finn pointed to his ear and shook his head. “Whatever!”

Liam returned upstairs with the lighter.

They crowded inside the bathroom. Mitali lit the candles and placed one on each side of the sink.

She turned to Kelly. “Does he really have to be here?”

Kelly looked at freckle-faced Liam. His hair a mess, as always. “He’s okay,” she decided.

“Shut the lights,” Mitali whispered.

The room went dark, except for two flickering candles and the shadows that swayed on the walls.

Mitali placed her hands on Kelly’s shoulders. “Ready?”

Kelly nodded yes.

“Remember, each time you turn, you say ‘Bloody Mary’ and look into the mirror. Your voice should get louder each time.”

“Got it,” Kelly said. And so slowly, slowly she turned, round and round.

Liam stared at the mirror. Mitali counted out the turns, her lips quivering with excitement. A cold feeling of dread gripped Liam. He wanted to end this game, pull his sister into his arms, cry out, “Stop!”

But the words never reached his lips.

“BLOODY MARY, BLOODY MARY, BLOODY MARY, BLOODY MARY, BLOODY MARY, BLOODY MARY, BLOODY MARY, BLOODY MARY, BLOODY MARY, BLOODY MARY, BLOODY MARY, BLOODY MARY,” Kelly began in a whisper, softly and gently, until now, finally, on the thirteenth turn, she bellowed in a thundering shout,

BLOODY MARY!

7. Breathe In, Breathe Out … Now Scream

7

BREATHE IN, BREATHE OUT … NOW SCREAM

They stared in the mirror. Nothing changed.

Liam sighed with relief.

Breathe in, breathe out.

All was calm, all was clear.

And then the candles began to flicker, as if blown by swirling wind. The flames guttered and failed, and the light in the room died with it. The children were plunged into darkness, relieved only by the waxing moon outside the window. And now a fiery glow came from the mirror, as if lit from within.

A shape formed in the glass, a shadowy figure, an ancient face.

Bloody Mary, Liam thought.

Her hair was blood-red and hung loose and shabby around her thin shoulders. A sharp nose and chin gave her face a V shape. And her eyes glowed like flames.

Kelly stood trembling. Mitali inched toward the door, reached for the knob.