To Catch a Ghost

By Ann Brophy

A weekend retreat on an isolated island, a strange old man, Wilson, who lives there, a haunted lighthouse and an accident that happened sixty years before blend together in To Catch A Ghost.

This is a story of possession, not evil but good, and the eleven-year-old girl who solves the mystery with the help of her seven-year-old twin brothers and her self-absorbed older sister.

Lucy, the protagonist, is obsessed with writing, and she enters colorful remarks and nagging questions into her ever-present pocket notebook. She also volunteers to take care of her lively brothers for the weekend so her mother and father can have a vacation. George is obsessed with ghosts and vampires, and Adam becomes possessed by an island ghost who is held hostage in the lighthouse. Both Lucys family and Wilsons past family become entwined as a result of that long ago accident.

The setting is vivid and eerie, and the characters are real and amusing. The story is upbeat as the mystery unravels in a logical and positive way. There is a hint of young romance along with compassion and a developed respect for old age.

All in all, this book is a good read for the middle-graders, both boys and girls, with a strong, chilling and satisfying climax.

• Language: English
• Publisher: AuthorHouse
• Release date: Aug 22, 2005
• ISBN: 9781463497095

Ann Brophy

Ann Brophy was born and grew up in Indiana. She graduated from college in Ohio with a BA degree in Creative Writing and English Literature. She then moved to New York City where she fulfilled her high school dream of working with Broadway playwrights. For the next 10 years she was affiliated with Samson Raphaelson, Robert Sherwood, Sidney Kingsley, George Kaufman and the syndicated cartoonist, Walt Kelly. After marriage and three children, Ann began writing seriously when she took a writing course at Fairfield University in Connecticut and had a narrative poem published in Humpty Dumpty magazine. Other poetry and short stories followed in childrens magazines. Her first book, a Young Adult novel, Flash And The Swan, was published by Frederick Warne. After that, a non-fiction book, John Ericsson And The Inventions Of War, with an introduction by Henry Steele Commager was published as part of a Civil War series from Silver Burdett Press. She also wrote The Story Of Jennie Wade, a true account, for the Jennie Wade museum in Gettysburg, followed by an historical novel, Summer Storm In Gettysburg, based on Jennie Wade, her family and friends. She has written several picture books (two in rhyme), a collection of short stories for children and most recently has published a memoir about her most unusual grandmother titled, Best Friends Are Better Than Diamonds, A Story of Diamond Heels and Stepped-on Toes. Her mystery novel To Catch A Ghost is scheduled for publication later this summer. Ann taught Writing for Children at Fairfield University for 10 years and conducted writing workshops in Southport. She also has done editing for publishers and for private students.

Book preview

© 2005 Ann Brophy. All Rights Reserved.

No part of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted by any means without the written permission of the author.

First published by AuthorHouse 08/05/05

ISBN: 1-4208-5758-4 (sc)

ISBN: 978-1-4634-9709-5 (ebk)

Printed in the United States of America

Bloomington, Indiana

Contents

CHAPTER ONE

CHAPTER TWO

CHAPTER THREE

CHAPTER FOUR

CHAPTER FIVE

CHAPTER SIX

CHAPTER SEVEN

CHAPTER EIGHT

About the Author

This book is dedicated to Charles, my guardian ghost

CHAPTER ONE

Last night I dreamed about Star Island, Lucy told her mother. It was wonderful and scary. Her sneakers skidded on the rain-washed deck as the ferry boat bounced along.

Mrs. Walsh smiled. Scary? What was scary about it? They both grabbed the rail when a wave struck the vintage boat broadside.

Well, there was this old hotel, a spooky lighthouse and a crazy old man with a wooden leg.

Mrs. Walsh laughed. My goodness, is that all?"

No, but I’ve forgotten a lot. I should have written the whole dream down the minute I woke up, Lucy said, patting the pocket of her slicker. She always carried a notebook and pencil. She was going to be a writer.

I do hope we get there soon, her mother said, wiping drizzling rain from her forehead and straining to see through the fog. I’m a natural born landlubber.

Lucy knew that her mother didn’t like the water. She didn’t insist that her children learn to swim, but she signed them up for lessons at the YMCA just in case of an emergency she said, and they all loved it. Lucy was quite proud that she was the only sixth grader on the school swim team.

Suddenly the fog lifted and the island sprang into view. She saw her mother relax. It’s all right now, Mama. We’re here. And the hotel—it looks almost exactly like the one in my dream. Ohhh, she gushed, this is sooo wonderful!

She whipped the notebook and pencil stub out of her slicker pocket and began writing as the boat wobbled back and forth in the choppy waves: Star Island. Portsmouth, New Hampshire. August 23, 1985. Come here, Hannah! Hurry, come here! she called to her older sister.

Hannah slouched further down on the bench in the center of the deck. She pulled her scarf tighter around her head and shuddered, reminding everyone that this definitely was not her idea of a vacation. Hannah had told the family over and over that religious retreats were boring and grim with people kneeling and praying a lot. And on top of it all, Hannah predicted rain, frizzy hair and puckered skin. It will be awful, she announced often. Absolutely awful.

Hannah, come here! Lucy demanded. It looks like a great place! She continued scribbling in her notebook: Gigantic rocks rising out of the water. Waves crashing against them, throwing salt spray into the wind. And my dream hotel stretching across spacious skies from sea to shining sea. Not bad writing, she thought, even if that last part did sound awfully familiar.

She grabbed her mother’s hand. I love it, Mama! I’m so glad we came. I’ll write the best vacation essay in the whole class. I’m inspired.

Her mother gave her a hug. I’m sure you will, dear.

Hannah! Lucy screamed, turning around and stamping her foot.

Leave your sister alone. She’ll be all right. Mrs. Walsh patted Lucy’s arm. It’s too bad that Aunt Alice couldn’t come over this weekend, but your father and I were not about to leave a fifteen-year-old girl by herself in the house. So let’s not push Hannah, dear. Just be patient with her, all right? She winked at Lucy. I’m sure she’ll find something to do that’s fun, and it’s only for two days.

I wish it were longer, Lucy said, scribbling in her notebook again: Great walls of water from the ocean floor rise to touch the ceiling of the sky. She flipped her notebook closed with a satisfied smile.

The boat gave a sudden jolt as the reverse gears were applied. Then a whirring noise and a gentle rocking fore and aft brought them to dockside. Mr. Walsh appeared from the inside cabin, a camera around his neck and two seven-year-old boys scampering ahead of him.

Adam! George! Come here! Lucy called. Look. She pointed to the old hotel covering the top of a hill. That’s where we’re going to stay.

Looks okay, Adam said, stuffing the remains of a hotdog into his mouth.

Looks spooky. Boo! Boo! George reveled. Ghosts and bats and vampires. He pushed a comic book up the sleeve of his parka and began hopping in circles beside his mother.

Looks a bit primitive, Mrs. Walsh whispered to her husband.

Rustic, he replied. It was once the lighthouse keeper’s home, but the brochure said it’s been added on to and modernized.

I’m sure it will be fine. Be careful, George. Calm down. She smiled an apology to the rest of the group on deck.

Lucy ignored everyone. She was busy writing again: A steep staircase of weathered stone steps leads from the dock through amber waves of grain and winds up purple mountain majesties to a castle in the clouds. Our refuge high above the teeming shores. Lucy was filled with the beauty