Kelsey raised her eyes reluctantly, her fingers clamping onto Donna’s arm. Again it was there—again—that feeling of being watched… “They just let it go,” Donna said sadly.

“After all its years of warning people away from the rocks…of course it didn’t always help. Lots of ships went down in the cove. Lots of folks still think the lighthouse is haunted…that all the souls of the drowned walk in the tower…and cry…and try to lure new souls to their deaths…”

Kelsey squeezed her eyes shut, trying to force the fear away…the cry of the wind…the unseen eyes that watched…watched…

“Maybe it was them,” Donna whispered, “Maybe Beth heard them calling her and—”

“Come on,” Kelsey said firmly. She fought down mounting terror and pulled Donna along behind her, hurrying, not really seeing clearly, tugging her back down the embankment as she tried to keep her balance. She heard Donna stumbling along behind her, the wail of the wind, her own heart pounding—and she saw the rocks, weaving unsteadily beneath her feet—but not the thing—she didn’t see the awful thing sticking out of the grass, clawing at the air as if it were still alive, clawing at her ankle like a last hope—

She didn’t see the thing until she fell, and Donna fell beside her, until she heard Donna scream, and she rolled over, panicky, and reached out to grab Donna’s hand.

Only it wasn’t Donna’s hand she grabbed.

And it wasn’t Donna’s eyes staring back at her, empty and glazed with horror.

Chapter 7

KELSEY DIDN’T REMEMBER GETTING back down the cliff. It was as if some automatic pilot had taken over and flung them both onto the beach and set their legs in motion. She was vaguely aware of running, of Donna’s shout, of people looking at them as if they’d lost their minds, but it wasn’t until she heard a horn honking that she came fully to her senses.

“Skip! Skip! Oh, thank God—Skip!” It was Donna’s shrill voice that shattered the last of Kelsey’s stupor, and she saw the jeep slamming to a halt on the sand, and Donna throwing herself on Skip and crowds gathering to listen as Donna babbled. “Skip—up there—you’ve got to come—Skip—”

He was half out of the jeep with his arms on her shoulders. “Donna, snap out of it. Stop it now, tell me what’s wrong—”

“Oh, Skip—up there—”

“Where?”

“There—there—” Donna made a blubbering sound, and Skip shoved her into the jeep. The crowd was growing, people attracted by the shouts, some straining to look up the beach, others starting to walk in that direction.

“Come on, Kelsey, get in.”

They took off in a spray of sand, and Kelsey turned her face into the wind, glad for the stinging shock against her cheeks. Donna was still jabbering in the front beside Skip, and from time to time he reached over and patted her, nodding, his face anxious but baffled. As the curious dwindled away behind them, Kelsey could see the cliffs getting closer, and she pressed her fists into her stomach, trying to stop the awful dread.