{"id":3708,"date":"2017-03-21T16:47:30","date_gmt":"2017-03-21T23:47:30","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/pasadena-library.net\/teens\/?p=3708"},"modified":"2017-03-21T16:47:30","modified_gmt":"2017-03-21T23:47:30","slug":"alaina-joby","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/pasadena-library.net\/teens\/2017\/alaina-joby\/","title":{"rendered":"The Ghost of Theodore Bushnell — a story by Alaina Joby"},"content":{"rendered":"

One City One Story 2017 Writing Contest<\/em><\/p>\n

3rd place<\/em><\/p>\n

High School category<\/em><\/p>\n

\n

Alaina Joby<\/strong><\/p>\n

Grade 9, Anderson W. Clark Magnet High School<\/p>\n

\u201cThe Ghost of Theodore Bushnell\u201d<\/p>\n

Summary: \u00a0Catherine and Mandy stay at an old church rumored to be haunted.<\/em><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\n

The wind blew in a fury against the trees that danced its wild routine as Mandy and I followed the guide to the inn. Rudderford Fields had only one inn\u2014if you could call it an inn. The hamlet didn\u2019t have enough money to operate one so they set up an old church for housing its sparse visitors. Mandy insisted we come here; she had but a couple weeks to turn in her report about some mysterious plant that only grew in these neck of the woods. Truth be told, I was looking for an adventure. And this ghost quiet village of Rudderfield Fields seemed to be the apt place for one.<\/p>\n

The church was a run down Gothic structure, the type you would expect from the movies. The sprawling gardens all shared a grey hue, with wild brambles that rubbed against our legs as we made our way to the entrance. Shadows welcomed us when the guide opened the rickety door.<\/p>\n

Inside, makeshift room-dividers separated the rooms, allowing for a limited amount of privacy. That wasn\u2019t really required, considering we were the only visitors this village had at the moment.<\/p>\n

We dumped our luggage into the far corner of our \u201croom\u201d and went down our separate ways. Mandy scheduled a tour with the innkeeper while I paged through a small booklet about our vacation place. Mandy seemed excited to come here; it would help her research after all. As a staunch friend, I just had to accompany her. I knew this little village would satisfy my sudden thirst for adventure. Something was creeping in between the crippling buildings; I could smell it.<\/p>\n

\u201cOh, yeah,\u201d Mandy was saying to the guide, putting her glasses back on, \u201cI heard he used to be the mayor? What was his name again?\u201d<\/p>\n

The guide was a thin little man whose skin looked like it had been stretched across his face. Everyone around here knew him as \u201cMoony\u201d so that was what we called him.<\/p>\n

\u201cThat is right, Ms. Garcia. Theodore Bushnell was a loved mayor. He started the Department of Agriculture & Tourism sometime during the 20\u2019s, but it died with him.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cRudderford Fields was a farm?\u201d I asked, surprised at how such a desolate place could have once been an agricultural booming spot.<\/p>\n

Moony looked sad, or, to be more accurate, sadder. \u201cThis place used to be a traveling hotspot. That all stopped when Mayor Bushnell passed. A couple tourists from Mexico once saw a fat burly man, pearly white-almost transparent, walking around this church. Folks say it is the ghost of Bushnell but none of us folks from Rudderford Fields has seen him. It\u2019s always tourists.\u201d<\/p>\n

I felt Mandy\u2019s shoulders tense.<\/p>\n

And right on cue, a flash of lightning followed by the low rumble of thunder announced the beginning of rain as the familiar patter of water hitting the weak church roof rang throughout the inn. The sound of rain seemed to be the only thing familiar to us in this melancholy place. That, and Mandy\u2019s usual glances at the altar to look out for the ghost of Theodore Bushnell.<\/p>\n

\u201cI hope Moony didn\u2019t scare you, Mandy,\u201d I ventured after Moony had left.<\/p>\n

Mandy managed to hold a brave face, \u201cWhat? No! There\u2019s no way one little \u201cghost\u201d is ruining this trip! We will both get what we want and have fun doing it. One little story won\u2019t scare me.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cGood,\u201d I told her, \u201cbecause, traveling always brings up weird stories which we should not let intimidate us. Embrace the oddness.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYeah,\u201d Mandy muttered, \u201cEmbrace.\u201d<\/p>\n

Nothing eventful happened after that and we settled into bed. The rain gradually stopped and left the earth soft and musty as the hours slowly dwindled away.<\/p>\n

I was all snuggled up in bed when a sharp scream rang through my dreams and woke me up. Bolting up in bed, I realized the scream had not come from my dream, but from Mandy. Her eyes were focused on the decaying altar and her whole body seemed to be shaking.<\/p>\n

\u201cMandy, everything okay?\u201d I asked, hurrying to her.<\/p>\n

\u201cC-Catherine! There, o-on the altar. I saw him!\u201d she stuttered.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe ghost?\u201d I asked instinctively.<\/p>\n

She nodded.<\/p>\n

I went up to the altar to get a closer look but there wasn\u2019t a single living, or undead, thing to be seen there. Even the rodents of Rudderford Fields had standards.<\/p>\n

\u201cMandy, there\u2019s nobody here. It was probably your brain playing tricks on you,\u201d I went back to her, \u201cYou should really get some sleep. That ship ride was tiring.\u201d<\/p>\n

We went back to bed but I could see Mandy restlessly turn around.<\/p>\n

\u201cCatherine, you awake?\u201d she called out softly after a while.<\/p>\n

\u201cYeah.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m booking plane tickets back to San Diego right now. I don\u2019t want to spend another second here.\u201d<\/p>\n

I sat up in bed. \u201cWhat, why? What about your research? That\u2019s the whole reason\u00a0you\u00a0dragged\u00a0me\u00a0to this place. Besides, this is an interesting place don\u2019t you think?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cA bit too interesting, yes,\u201d she said using that tone she uses when she has set her mind on something. I could hear her scuffling around to get her phone. Oh, well. It was interesting while it lasted.<\/p>\n

—OOO—<\/p>\n

\u201cHey, it was nice of Moony to get us this casserole dish for our trip back, wasn\u2019t it?\u201d Mandy asked me later on, the next day, while we were on the plane. \u201cDid you tell him we were leaving?\u201d<\/p>\n

I looked up from my magazine and saw Mandy holding a small box wrapped in brown paper.<\/p>\n

\u201cNo, we just left. I didn\u2019t tell anybody. Moony didn\u2019t give us that. I\u2019ve never seen that box before.\u201d<\/p>\n

Mandy looked confused. \u201cWell, I found it in my backpack. Nobody could have sneaked into the church,\u201d she paused. \u201cThere\u2019s a note.\u201d<\/p>\n

And I have to say, that one note changed our entire trip.<\/p>\n

You guys were fun! Come back soon!<\/em><\/p>\n

-T.B.<\/em><\/p>\n

\n

To view the list of the contest\u00a0winners: \u00a0OCOS 2017 The Traveler Contest Winners<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

One City One Story 2017 Writing Contest 3rd place High School category Alaina Joby Grade 9, Anderson W. Clark Magnet High School \u201cThe Ghost of Theodore Bushnell\u201d Summary: \u00a0Catherine and Mandy stay at an old church rumored to be haunted.   The wind blew in a fury against the trees […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":34,"featured_media":3709,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[28],"tags":[92],"class_list":["post-3708","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-writing","tag-contest"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"http:\/\/pasadena-library.net\/teens\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/18\/files\/sites\/18\/2017\/03\/ocos2017_ajoby.png","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p5ZwbD-XO","jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":3694,"url":"http:\/\/pasadena-library.net\/teens\/2017\/the-traveler-contest-winners\/","url_meta":{"origin":3708,"position":0},"title":"The Traveler Contest Winners","author":"Jane Gov","date":"March 21, 2017","format":false,"excerpt":"We are pleased to announce\u00a0the\u00a0One City One Story 2017 \"The Traveler\" Art and Writing Contest winners! The winning entries were honored during an award ceremony followed by a reception on March 18, 2017.\u00a0The winning entries are\u00a0currently displayed\u00a0at Central Library in the Great Hall, and will remain in exhibit\u00a0for the next\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Agendas & News"","block_context":{"text":"Agendas & News","link":"http:\/\/pasadena-library.net\/teens\/category\/agendas-news\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/pasadena-library.net\/teens\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/18\/files\/sites\/18\/2017\/03\/ocos2017_contest_title.png?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/pasadena-library.net\/teens\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/18\/files\/sites\/18\/2017\/03\/ocos2017_contest_title.png?resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/pasadena-library.net\/teens\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/18\/files\/sites\/18\/2017\/03\/ocos2017_contest_title.png?resize=525%2C300 1.5x"},"classes":[]},{"id":4884,"url":"http:\/\/pasadena-library.net\/teens\/2018\/syria-to-europe-by-anni-guo\/","url_meta":{"origin":3708,"position":1},"title":"“Syria to Europe” by Anni Guo","author":"Jane Gov","date":"November 16, 2018","format":false,"excerpt":"Young Readers League 2018 Writing Contest 2nd place Category 2 (ages 12-14) \u00a0 Anni Guo Age 12 (Grade 7), Blair Middle School \u201cSyria to Europe\u201d \u00a0 Two young refugees seek a safe haven. \u00a0 \u201cI\u2019m scared. 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She\u2019ll be right back.\u201d Fatima, an eleven year old\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Features"","block_context":{"text":"Features","link":"http:\/\/pasadena-library.net\/teens\/category\/opinion\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/pasadena-library.net\/teens\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/18\/files\/sites\/18\/2018\/11\/image_yrl2018_writingcontest.png?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/pasadena-library.net\/teens\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/18\/files\/sites\/18\/2018\/11\/image_yrl2018_writingcontest.png?resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/pasadena-library.net\/teens\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/18\/files\/sites\/18\/2018\/11\/image_yrl2018_writingcontest.png?resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/pasadena-library.net\/teens\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/18\/files\/sites\/18\/2018\/11\/image_yrl2018_writingcontest.png?resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/pasadena-library.net\/teens\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/18\/files\/sites\/18\/2018\/11\/image_yrl2018_writingcontest.png?resize=1050%2C600 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":4877,"url":"http:\/\/pasadena-library.net\/teens\/2018\/who-reads-the-waterfall-on-the-other-side-by-hannah-cahalan\/","url_meta":{"origin":3708,"position":2},"title":"“Who Reads the Waterfall on the Other Side” by Hannah Cahalan","author":"Jane Gov","date":"November 13, 2018","format":false,"excerpt":"Young Readers League 2018 Writing Contest Honorable Mention Category 2 (ages 12-14) \u00a0 Hannah Cahalan Age 12 (Grade 7), Blair Middle School \u201cWho Reads The Waterfall On The Other Side\u201d \u00a0 The mage stared at the waterfall as it glinted in the sun The water rushing down as it filled\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Features"","block_context":{"text":"Features","link":"http:\/\/pasadena-library.net\/teens\/category\/opinion\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/pasadena-library.net\/teens\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/18\/files\/sites\/18\/2018\/11\/image_yrl2018_writingcontest.png?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/pasadena-library.net\/teens\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/18\/files\/sites\/18\/2018\/11\/image_yrl2018_writingcontest.png?resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/pasadena-library.net\/teens\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/18\/files\/sites\/18\/2018\/11\/image_yrl2018_writingcontest.png?resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/pasadena-library.net\/teens\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/18\/files\/sites\/18\/2018\/11\/image_yrl2018_writingcontest.png?resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/pasadena-library.net\/teens\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/18\/files\/sites\/18\/2018\/11\/image_yrl2018_writingcontest.png?resize=1050%2C600 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":4880,"url":"http:\/\/pasadena-library.net\/teens\/2018\/trapped-by-amber-elias\/","url_meta":{"origin":3708,"position":3},"title":"“Trapped” by Amber Elias","author":"Jane Gov","date":"November 14, 2018","format":false,"excerpt":"Young Readers League 2018 Writing Contest Honorable Mention Category 2 (ages 12-14) \u00a0 Amber Elias Age 12 (Grade 7), Blair Middle School \u201cTrapped\u201d \u00a0 I had always thought that there was no other way. 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