Chapter 26: Ontario's Star Canopy

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        Something amazing happened that night on Red Squirrel Lake, but before it did, the night was cool and windy. I had a very rough time falling asleep. My mind was too focused on the Ghost of Ontario and the mysterious Ihaan. I had to get Mom to believe me. But how? As I lied snug in my sleeping bag, with Annie under my arm and blanket on my back, I thought about this. Thinking about it made me tired, and after forever so long, my eyes started to droop. However, just before I could doze off, from out of the blue, there was a gush of wind outside. I heard another crack of a stick. I gasped and opened my eyes.

"Oh no." I whispered. I thought I heard a "Whoo." It was the Ghost of Ontario! He was here to take me and drown me! I mean, that's what I thought at first. Lightly screaming, I pulled Annie close to me and started to pant. I waited.

Very gradually, I could hear leaves rustling, and a faint, orange light appeared on my tent from outside. Feet came towards it, and gripping Uncle Bart's whistle, I listened as they came closer and closer. I started to shudder. Peering forward to the back of my tent, I gasped at what I saw. It was him! An ominous shadow of a person holding the orange light hovered outside it. I held my breath.

Very slowly, the ominous shadow lifted its free fist and tapped on the tent's cloth a couple of times.

Whimpering, with shaky hands, I brought the whistle to my lips and prepared to blow it. This was petrifying! The Ghost of Ontario was standing just outside my tent! I had to be ready. I wasn't ready to die yet! Tears ran down my cheeks, and still whimpering, I put my whistle in between my teeth.

I was just getting ready to blow it when suddenly, from outside, the ominous shadow asked, "Kylie?" in a rather familiar voice, and I screamed.

The whistle dropped out of my mouth. Dropping Annie, I immediately begged for mercy. "Please, Ghost of Ontario, don't drown me! I'm not ready to die yet! I'm only fifteen years old!" Sobbing, I buried my face in my hands.

After a bit, from outside, the shadow said, "No, Kylie, you have it all wrong. It's me!"

        "Huh?" I asked. Finally, I recognized the voice. It was Ihaan the Hermit! I unburied my face, rubbed my eyes, and asked, "Ihaan?" in a whisper, "Ihaan, is that you?" Ah ha, audience, I did tell you that Ihaan would be staying from this point on, right? That night, he showed me one of the most remarkable things ever.

After I asked if the shadow was him, he answered, "Yes, it's Ihaan, and I can assure you that I am no ghost." That was true. Ihaan was not dead. He was alive, very alive.

"Ihaan!" I whispered, shocked, "What are you doing here?!" I quickly pulled off my sleeping bag and crawled to the back of my tent, placing my palms on its cloth. "I thought you were scared of humans!"

"I am," Ihaan's shadow spoke, "and I apologize if I startled you, Kylie, but I have come back to ask you something."

Ask me something? What did he want to ask me? Don't tell me he wanted to ask me to marry him! Oh goodness! No way! He was way too young! I wouldn't mind if he just asked me to go on a date with him, though. He, however, didn't. Poor me.

"Ask me what, Ihaan?" I asked, and I felt myself blushing.

"Kylie," Ihaan said in a nervous voice, "wo-would you like to see something amazing with me?"

"A-Amazing?" I questioned in a shaky voice. "Like what?"

I heard Ihaan sigh. Strange, his sigh actually sounded a little sad. For about a minute or two, he went quiet, and after that minute was up, he finally answered, "A star canopy," and his orange light waved a bit. I guessed that light was his torch. Now, I feel stupid for not knowing what a star canopy was, but I didn't know. I mean, isn't it obvious?

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