The Spirit of Cattail County by Victoria Piontek

Author:Victoria Piontek [Piontek, Victoria]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Scholastic Inc.
Published: 0101-01-01T00:00:00+00:00

By the time they’d finished looking at the headstone, Eli had gone. This turn of events disappointed Sparrow. She liked Eli and wanted to talk to him some more. Talking to people who came from different parts of the country reminded her that life was made up of more than Castos, Daltons, and Monroes, and that made her world feel bigger.

Maeve nudged Sparrow in the ribs to get her attention. “He’s got to be the one, right?”

Sparrow didn’t know. She’d had a strong reaction to the grave, but the Boy hadn’t shown himself. She expected to see him or at least see a sign from him to let her know she was on the right track, but he remained missing.

“It makes sense. If that is his grave, something sad happened to him. It’s almost like he was put in that corner to be forgotten.”

Maeve shuddered. “I’d hate to be put in the ground without even a lamb to keep me company and no inscription to say anything nice about me!”

“It’s heartbreaking.” Sparrow remembered the stone Auntie Geraldine put at Mama’s grave. It was a marker of remembrance, not of forgetting. She’d done right by Mama and Sparrow in that small act. A rush of gratitude for Auntie Geraldine flowed through Sparrow. Then she recalled the FOR SALE sign and Auntie Geraldine’s plan to take her away, and the anger surged back. Getting one part right didn’t absolve Auntie Geraldine of the rest.

Johnny nodded his agreement. Sparrow was learning that Johnny wasn’t much of a talker. He usually waited until he had something to say before speaking, said it, and then clammed up again. It was probably why the spirits liked him so much.

Maeve, on the other hand, chatted endlessly.

Sparrow liked both approaches and both Castos immensely. She’d never had a circle of friends before. At school, everyone clumped in groups, except Sparrow. She spent most of her time alone. The other kids overlooked her as if she were as much of a ghost as the Boy. She liked the comfort of her newfound group. It made everything easier.

Sparrow recalled her earlier conversation with Elena. She had mentioned that knowing who the Boy had been in life would help Sparrow figure out what was preventing him from finding peace. That logic made sense to Sparrow. Coming to the graveyard had been a good beginning, but with an unmarked gravestone as their only clue, it felt like starting back at square one. Tomorrow she’d find Elena and tell her what they’d discovered. Sparrow hoped Elena would have advice about what to do next.

The three kids started along the main road back to town. The day had turned oppressive, the heat so stifling it felt like walking through the swamp rather than near it.

Maeve pushed her red hair back from her face. “I’m practically … well, I was going to say dying, but it seems tacky. Anyway, I’m parched. Anyone got money?”

“Nope,” Johnny said.

“Nope,” Sparrow said.

“Figures. You know, if we stop by the

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