From: magsrose@comcast.net   
      
   By MagsRose   
   See chapter 1 for headers   
      
      
   Chapter 6 - 8   
      
   The Highland Games were finally over. It was a well-established   
   tradition that Pat and Rosalie took everyone out to dinner that had   
   helped in the booth during the weekend. It gave them all a chance to   
   share their experiences and to generally wind down after the event.   
   Sales had been good. Actually sales had been very good. More of the   
   antiques had sold then Pat had even dreamed of selling. People on the   
   east coast seemed to have more of an appreciation of historical items   
   than those on the west coast. This had been his hope in taking on the   
   expense of coming so far just to work at another Highland Games when   
   he could have done one closer to home.   
      
   "Does this mean that you'll come back next year?" Emma asked.   
      
   Rosalie didn't want to make promises she couldn't keep. "We'll   
   seriously think about it."   
      
   "What about Grandfather Mountain in North Carolina?" This was another   
   Highland Games that was close enough that Emma figured she could get   
   someone to take her to. "They're in July also and you could always   
   stay with us in between times and we could do stuff together."   
      
   Rosalie looked over at where Pat and Jimmy were deep into a discussion   
   on 'football'. Jimmy loved the game but he called it 'soccer'. "We   
   would have to talk about it but it would make sense. Coming this far   
   to do two Games would be more economical than doing just one."   
      
   Emma liked the way the conversation was going. Rachel had been   
   listening but wanted to change the subject. "Grandma, you said you   
   would ask them tonight."   
      
   "All right, all right, I will. Melvin?" Frohike was talking to Bruce   
   farther down the table and hadn't been following what was going on at   
   the other end.   
      
   "Yes?"   
      
   "Megan and Rachel were wondering if Emma could come spend some time   
   with us, maybe over the holidays or Spring Break? You are more than   
   welcome to come also."   
      
   Frohike smiled. "Let me guess. They've been plotting behind our backs."   
      
   A wide-eyed Emma shook her head. "No, I didn't know about this."   
      
   "But I'm sure you wouldn't mind."   
      
   "It would be great! Can I? Please, Dad?"   
      
   "I don't see why not. We'll have to take a look at dates later. But   
   I'd rather go with you than send you on a plane by yourself."   
      
   The girls started talking excitedly to each other. Rachel telling Emma   
   everything she wanted to do when they got there and everyone she   
   wanted her to meet.   
      
   Later that night, the lights once again awakened Emma. She tried to   
   ignore them. She put her pillow over her face but she couldn't breath   
   that way. Tucking the pillow back under her head, she noticed that   
   this time she could see them with her eyes open. There were more of   
   them but not as many as she had seen around the paintings. She closed   
   her eyes and willed herself to go back to sleep. It didn't work. In   
   the darkened room, she could see the lights through her eyelids.   
   Trying not to wake the other girls, she sat up and whispered, "What do   
   you want?"   
      
   The lights stopped moving and hung suspended in the air in front of   
   her but she got no response. She closed her eyes, took a deep breath   
   and let it out relaxing all her muscles as she did so. "Tell me."   
      
   She waited.   
      
   Finally, she got an answer. "Help us." Once again, the simple   
   statement sounded so desperate.   
      
   "How can I help you?"   
      
   "You must help us," came the tenuous reply.   
      
   "Please, what do you want me to do?"   
      
   "Look."   
      
   She lifted her head and opened her eyes. Right in front of her face,   
   about a foot away, was one of the lights. It grew brighter and more   
   distinct. It took on a form within the glow. She watched in awe as a   
   face became distinguishable then a body and arms, legs and finally,   
   shimmering wings.   
      
   At this point Emma had seen more than her young mind could comprehend   
   in such a short time. There was only one thing she wanted: her dad.   
   She scrambled out of bed, not even thinking of how it would disturb   
   the others and ran to her father's room. She stood in his doorway,   
   once again not wanting to wake him but needing his comfort.   
      
   Frohike woke up and his first thought was that she was having another   
   asthma attack. "Emma, what is it?" He got up, putting on his glasses.   
      
   "The lights, the lights in my room."   
      
   He brought her the rest of the way into the room and shut the door.   
   With his arms around her he asked her to be more specific. "What about   
   the lights?"   
      
   "I saw the lights in my room again."   
      
   Frohike was momentarily confused but then remembered their   
   conversation from the previous morning. "Like last night?"   
      
   "Yes, only I could see them with my eyes open and there were more of   
   them and they were brighter."   
      
   "Let me go take a look."   
      
   "But, Dad, wait!" she begged as he let her go.   
      
   "What?" But then she couldn't tell him. It was too much. She shook her   
   head. "Go ahead. But I don't think you'll be able to see them."   
      
   He left her standing there. He didn't turn on the lights in her room   
   but Emma's quick departure had woken up the other girls. "What's going   
   on?" Megan asked when he came in the door.   
      
   "Emma said she keeps seeing lights. Did either of you see them?"   
      
   "No," they both replied but then Megan added, "She did say she saw   
   lights when we were looking at the painting the other day.   
      
   "Yeah, but she said she was kidding," Rachel insisted.   
      
   "I don't know, Rachel, she was serious but then you said she was   
   joking and she gave up." Megan hadn't been convinced at the time and   
   this made her wonder all the more.   
      
   "But neither of you saw anything in here just now or last night?"   
   Frohike double-checked.   
      
   "No, I was asleep until she ran out of here," Megan insisted.   
      
   "So was I," Rachel agreed.   
      
   "Okay, girls, thank you. Try to go back to sleep now."   
      
   Frohike went back to his room. Emma was sitting in the big overstuffed   
   chair waiting for him. She was wrapped in one of her mother's quilts:   
   her legs tucked up under her body. Frohike sat down on the corner of   
   the bed with his elbows on his knees and his hands clasped together in   
   front of him. "Tell me what's going on. Megan said you saw lights near   
   the painting, too."   
      
   Emma took a deep breath and let it out. "I didn't know what it was and   
   Megan and Rachel said they couldn't see them."   
      
   "Hang on." He held up one hand. "Start at the beginning."   
      
   She told him the whole story about the lights around the painting and   
   how they were not there at first but then they were. She mentioned the   
   lights from the night before. She had to admit to going back to see   
   the fake and how they were still there even though the painting was   
   gone. Frohike chose to let that slide. Other things were more   
   important at this point.   
      
   "And what about just now? The other times didn't scare you all that   
   much but you were terrified by what happened tonight."   
      
   "There's something else I haven't told you yet." Emma admitted.   
      
   "What?" She hesitated. "Honey, you can tell me anything. I always want   
   you to remember that. No matter what it is, you can tell me."   
      
   "But you'll think I'm making it up or that I'm crazy or something."   
      
      
   [continued in next message]   
      
   --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05   
    * Origin: you cannot sedate... all the things you hate (1:229/2)