Ways to See a Ghost

started to cry.
    Isis unzipped her sleeping bag and got out of her chair. She crouched down next to Angel, and carefully took hold of one of her hands, like unfolding a baby’s whisper. Isis focused on her own fingers, using them to find the nothing-fizz of Angel’s cheek, and stroke away invisible tears.
    Gray pushed back in his chair. Its legs caught in the grass and it toppled behind him.
    “What are you
doing?
” he asked.
    Isis stayed kneeling.
    “You upset her. She’s crying now.”
    “I upset a ghost?”
    “She’s only three.”
    Gray’s sleeping bag was puddled around his knees, and his arms were out, as if he were trying to ward her off. Isis ignored him.
    “Are you all right?” she whispered to Angel. The little ghost head bobbed a yes. Isis stood up, keeping hold of Angel’s hand.
    Gray’s arms thumped to his sides.
    “You are
really
weird.”
    Isis’s heart was beating more slowly now, the calm pulse of hidden anger. He didn’t believe her, he thought she was weird. Well, so did everyone else.
    “Just forget it,” she said. “You were right, I was only joking.” She smiled, trying to look happy. “I had you going though, didn’t I?”
    His face was a blank, confused.
    “You were joking?” He was looking at her fingers, still curled around Angel’s. He shook his head.
    “Are you holding hands with it?”
    “I not IT!” shouted Angel. “I a girl!”
    Isis started laughing, she couldn’t help it.
    “What are you doing now?” snapped Gray.
    Isis caught her laughter, pulled herself back.
    “Nothing,” she said.
    Gray kicked his way out of his sleeping bag, staring hard at the space next to Isis’s hand, slightly off where Angel was standing.
    “I can’t see anything,” he said, squinting and frowning.
    But he was trying.
    “You looking WRONG way!” cried Angel, darting towards him. Isis felt a weightless pull on her arm, her fingers still linked with Angel’s. The ghost swiped with her free hand, trying to slap at Gray. Isis waited for the shiver, for the brief, unnoticed cold as the ghost passed through him.
    “Whuh?” Gray was staring, eyes wide. Angel’s hand was stuck to his.
    It only lasted for a moment, a heartbeat – Angel holding hands with Isis, and holding hands with Gray. A stretched-mist child, linking them together.
    But it was like a jolt of electricity. It was like when she first saw Angel, back at the roadside.
    Gray let out a wordless shout, amazement and fear working his face. He jerked backwards, his feet catching in the sleeping bag, and tumbled over his fallen chair, tripping on the thin metal legs. He landed heavily on the ground, his hand out of Angel’s.

I saw her! I know you aren’t going to believe this, but I did.
    This girl, this little ghost-girl, with curly hair and big brown eyes. She was see-through, but not like a skeleton or anything, actually she was sort of chunky. And she was wearing this pink dress and sandals with flowers on. I mean, she was right there, looking at me – but not, at the same time. Like she wasn’t quite in the right place, or your eyes couldn’t get focused or something.
    I’m not making it up. I was holding onto a ghost! I could see her fingers in my hand. I could see my hand through her fingers.
    Then I think I might have made a noise or something, cos she let go.
    And the next thing I was flat on my back on the grass, and the only person I could see was Isis.
    Angel? You saw her?
    I do believe you, Gray. You couldn’t make it up, even if you wanted to…
    But who will look after my little Angel, now Isis is gone?

Gray got to his feet.
    Isis hobbled back a step. Angel was clinging to one of her legs, freezing it into numbness.
    Gray turned his head from side to side, staring down, searching the dark grass. He picked up his chair, looking underneath it, then lifted his sleeping bag, opening it to peer inside. He turned to Isis, his eyebrows scrunched.
    “Are you okay?” asked Isis. “Did you hurt yourself?”
    He shook his head.
    “She’s got curly hair,” he said.
    Isis stared at him.
    “And she’s wearing this pink dress, and sandals with flowers on.”
    The world fell into silence. The wheat stopped growingand the stars froze onto the night. There was nothing, anywhere, except her own breathing.
    “You saw her?” she whispered.
    Gray nodded.
    “He SEE me!” shouted Angel. She flung herself away from Isis’s leg, jumping up and down without actually touching the ground.
    Her numb leg