City of Ghosts

Cassidy describes the fear of crossing the Veil as the feeling of opening her closet door as a child, wondering if there were monsters inside. Chilled by her fear, Cassidy is transported back to the traumatic memory of her accident one year earlier. Jacob’s voice brings her out of the memory, but she is now on the other side of the Veil. Crossing over works like a time machine, transporting her to the night of the fire and the memories of the ghost. She and Jacob switch roles as he feels more solid, and she is somewhat faded, save the bright light coiled like a rope shining in her chest. Cassidy watches as children in costumes skitter across the stage to take their places; she snaps a few photos, knowing they will only develop as blurry shadows. Searching for the source of the fire, Cassidy thinks she can bring closure for the ghost, but Jacob whispers, “That’s not how it works” (16). She spots a boy with brown, curly hair and knows he is the victim.

Captivated by him, Cassie restrains herself from speaking to the boy. Jacob senses it is time to leave. The boy’s release of the sandbags holding the curtain sparks a fuse that catches on the stage props. The fire is small at first, but it does not take long to spread to all the painted wood and set dressings. Cassidy can feel the heat and smell the smoke as she watches the boy rush to the trap door for safety, just before a piece of wood falls on the door and traps him inside. Cassidy is frozen with fear, and Jacob forcefully shoves her out of the Veil into the present, extinguishing the light in her chest. Sometimes Cassidy gets stuck on the other side of the Veil if she stays too long. She is relieved to know the truth about the auditorium ghost, but the tapping remains. After she thanks Jacob for saving her, he reminds her of rule number 21 of friendship, which forbids a person from leaving a friend in the Veil. 

Cassidy says there are three things one needs to know about her as a person. Through this list, she tells of her bike accident one year ago. First, she always loved photography. Experiences and memories shift and change, but a photograph captures and preserves a moment exactly the way it is forever. Second, Cassidy’s birthday is in March, a time of shifting seasons. This prompts her mother to say of Cassidy, “[…] I was born with one foot in winter and the other in spring” (22). Third, Cassidy and her family live in an area she loves to photograph. After receiving her camera as a gift for her 11th birthday, Cassidy set out on her bike to test it out.

The early spring day was bright but still cold. As she crossed a bridge, a truck swerved, causing her to crash into the railing. Cassidy went over the handlebars and plunged into the icy water below. Paralyzed by the cold, she began to drown, her vision fading to black. Her memory of the event is vague, but she remembers feeling time skip, and the next thing she knew, she was on dry land with a pale boy next to her. He explained that he pulled her from the water—but his clothes were curiously dry. After they introduced themselves, Cassidy lost consciousness. When she awoke, she was in the hospital with her parents and Jacob in the room. Cassidy knew he was a ghost since no one else could see him. Cassidy explains that she never felt the same after the accident; she feels like she hovers between being alive and being dead, saying, “I have one foot in winter and one in spring. One foot with the living, and one with the dead” (27).

One week after the accident, Cassidy—with Jacob now as her constant companion—found the Veil for the first time after experiencing the now familiar tapping sensation. When the Veil first appeared, it was like a spider web, difficult to see but alluring and entrapping. Falling into it felt like falling into the frigid water all over again, just as disorienting and frightening. Her first time on the other side, she visited a warehouse, and it was an unsettling experience she swore she would never repeat. However, just a week later she found herself passing through the Veil again. Though she is not certain what happened that day in the water, she knows she and Jacob are linked in a mysterious way, hovering between the living and the dead.

Back in the present, Cassie half-heartedly listens to Jacob discussing which of his favorite comics to pack for the beach vacation as they walk home. Jacob loves comics, but Cassidy must turn the pages for him. She is still thinking about what happened in the auditorium, specifically what Jacob said about how things work on the other side of the Veil, since he rarely comments on her trips to the other side. Since he can read her thoughts, he responds to her question reminding her of rule number seven—avoid being nosy—explaining there are rules governing the spirit world and he cannot reveal everything to her. Cassidy snaps a photo of Jacob, but as usual, he does not look at the camera: “Haven’t you heard? […] Pictures steal souls. Besides, it’s not like I’ll show up” (32). Cassidy’s Victorian-style home is not haunted, except by Jacob. The walls are stacked with her parents’ book collection.

Known as the “Inspecters”—a play on words incorporating specters, or ghosts—Cassidy’s parents write books about ghost stories and mythology, though Cassidy notes her father does not even believe in ghosts. He focuses on the history, and her mother investigates the mysterious and unknown side of paranormal occurrences. Though she is uncertain what her mom believes about ghosts, she thinks her mother is aware of Jacob’s presence; however, Cassidy never told them about his rescuing her or their trips through the Veil. Her mother is conducting a phone interview about her work when she comes in but whispers that there will be a family meeting later. After making a snack, Cassidy goes to her darkroom to develop film from the most recent investigations. Jacob is already there, having passed through the walls; though it is dark, he dimly glows.

Most of Cassidy’s photos are unremarkable, but occasionally she captures ghostly presences in the image. In one photo of a haunted house on her street, she sees the shadow of a girl in a nightgown. Cassidy vows never to show these photos to the world, fearing the spectacle that would ensue: People would expect her to act as a medium and speak to the dead. Jacob sits on the bed next to Cassidy’s cat, Grim, who seems to sense the invisible spirit, and proclaims he was glad he acted like Captain America the day she fell into the water. Cassidy wonders if he will ever tell her the entire story of what happened that fateful day.

When Cassidy’s parents order her favorite pizza for dinner, she knows the family meeting involves either very good or very bad news. Her dad announces they are under contract to make a documentary-style television show investigating the most haunted cities in the world. Shocked into silence, all Cassidy can think of are the ghost hunter shows she loathes. Her mother assures her she will not have to appear on camera. Production for the show will begin soon, so they will have to postpone their beach trip. Cassidy is not thrilled about traveling all over the world, but Jacob is most worried about haunted cities. Cassidy is reminded of how frightened he is of ghosts, despite being one. She remembers a day when Jacob finally explained it is bitterly cold behind the Veil, and he never wants to lose the warmth he has when he is with her. Now, Cassidy wishes she could transfer her warmth to him but reminds him in her thoughts that she will never leave him behind. Cassidy hides her disappointment about the change of plans, feigning interest in their first destination of Edinburgh, Scotland, the “City of Ghosts.”