Thomas Kingsley Troupe - Spirits of the Storm

Spirits of the Storm 2019 by North Star Editions, Mendota Heights, MN 55120. All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever, including Internet usage, without written permission from the copyright owner, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.

Book design by Sarah Taplin

Illustrations by Maggie Ivy

Published in the United States by Jolly Fish Press, an imprint of North Star Editions, Inc.

First Edition

First Printing, 2018

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are either the product of the authors imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual persons living or dead, business establishments, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data (pending)

978-1-63163-212-9 (paperback)

978-1-63163-211-2 (hardcover)

Jolly Fish Press

North Star Editions, Inc.

2297 Waters Drive

Mendota Heights, MN 55120

www.jollyfishpress.com

Printed in the United States of America

Thomas Kingsley Troupe

Illustrated by Maggie Ivy

Mendota Heights, Minnesota

Chapter 1

Hungry

S ara Leung unwrapped her Meaty Burger with cheese as soon as she sat down. It had been a long time since shed had one, and she could hardly wait to eat it. Her mom shook her head and gave Sara one of her trademark half-mouth smirks.

What? Sara said, holding the juicy burger in front of her lips. Its been a long time!

Yes, Mom said. But you act like I dont feed you at home, Sara. People sitting near us are going to think Im a terrible mother, starving her poorly treated thirteen-year-old daughter.

Sara looked around at the rest of the booths in the fast-food restaurant. There wasnt a single person looking at them. Instead, they were biting into their burgers and swabbing ketchup up with their fries.

No ones watching, Mom, Sara said. Youre just being difficult. Besides, your food is amazing!

It was true. Her mom cooked traditional Chinese dishes for Sara, her dad, and her older sister, Jess. Kung Pao Chicken was a household favorite and the golden spring roll recipe handed down from her great-grandmother was legendary.

Hard to tell sometimes, her mom said with a wink.

Hey, I love zha jiang mian more than just about anything, Sara said, looking over her dripping sandwich. But a girl just needs a burger every now and again.

Before her mom could interrupt her again, Sara took a bite. She savored every single delicious morsel. The juicy beef, the gooey melted cheese, the pickles, the tangy sweetness of the mustard and ketchup mixed together. It was heaven on a bun.

Mmmm, Sara murmured through her mouthful. After she swallowed, she continued, Its so good its scary.

You could write ads for this place, Mom said. She hitched a thumb at one of the promotional posters in the window. It simply read: Meaty Burger. Where Good Taste Meats. Beneath the catchy slogan, it showed a picture of an animated burger high-fiving a pack of french fries.

Sara shrugged and took another bite and watched her mom slowly unwrap her grilled chicken sandwich. It was probably the healthiest thing on the menu. She knew her mom wasnt a big fan of fast food or restaurants in general, but it was a sort of special occasion. As manager of the Galveston, Texas, ValueMart, her mom was in charge of running the biannual store inventory.

Because it was Friday night and Sara didnt have much homework to speak of anyway, she was going to help out. She thought it would be fun to be in the store after hours.

So, what did you decide about Halloween? Mom asked, finally taking a bite of her sandwich. Are you hanging up the mask for good this year?

Sara smiled. The way her mom said it, it sounded like she used the same costume for trick-or-treating every year. That couldnt be further from the truth. Though she was in seventh grade, she still loved the holiday and wanted to keep celebrating it for as long as she could get away with it. Jess stopped after sixth grade, but that didnt mean Sara had to.

No way, Sara said. I cant retire yet. Ill trick or treat until people give me dirty looks when I come up to the door. So, maybe a couple more years?

Candy and hamburgers, Mom said. Im afraid American culture has influenced you too much.

Maybe it has, Sara said. You know, probably since I live here and everything. Besides, its hard to deny delicious.

Sara finally paid some attention to her french fries and washed a few down with a sip of her orange soda. She glanced at the dark sky outside the window of the restaurant. Tree branches blew and swayed in the early October wind. Halloween was coming.

All these scary costumes and decorations, her mom muttered. I think the stores Halloween section gets bigger and bigger every year.

It was true. Sara was at the store a week or so ago and it seemed as if the Halloween section took up twice as much space as it had the year before. Not only did they have costumes for kids, adults, and even pets, but ValueMart also had an area with animatronic monsters and skeletons.

I still think we need to get one of those ghosts for our house. We could hang it in the front window, Sara said. You know, the one with the red eyes and the chains? It makes noise when you walk past it.

No thank you, Mom said. Much too noisy for me. And not like the ghosts I was used to as a little girl.

Sara turned her burger around, looking for the next perfect bite.

Wait, you were used to ghosts? Sara asked. What does that even mean?

In China we used to celebrate the Hungry Ghost Festival, Mom said. It was a way for us to worship our ancestors.

What? Sara asked. You guys had a thing where you had to feed ghosts? Last I heard, they dont even have stomachs!

You make fun, Mom said, but it was important to us.

Sorry, Mom, Sara said, seeing that her words had unintentionally hurt her mother. How did it work?

We would display our ancestral tablets along with pictures of our departed family members, Mom explained. Then we would put food on the table as an offering to them. We would tell them what we did over the last year. It was thought wed receive a blessing or a punishment, depending on our behavior.

Sara put her burger down. Mom had gotten her attention.

Did you ever hear or see any ghosts?

Mom looked away and laughed.

It wasnt like the ghosts you see on the TV, Mom said. It was more like a feeling. Like connecting with the spirits of our past. I could feel the eyes of my ancestors watching us during this time.

Wow! Do you really believe in that stuff, Mom? Sara asked.

Her mom picked up her cup of water, thinking it through for a moment.

I used to, Mom replied after a moment. It was fun to believe in that kind of thing.

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