February 13, 1901

Tombstone.

I walked over to the orphanage tonight and knocked on the door, then tentatively pushed open the door. Miss Abi was talkin’ to Jeff, Millard, and Aspen at the table and I shifted on my feet. “I sorry if I interruptin’. Am I?” 

“Come on in Natalie,” Miss Abi greeted me. 

“I just thought I’d see what all my friends was doin’.” 

“There are dumplings on the stove if you are hungry.” 

“That sounds real good.” I went over to the table and sat down, taking two dumplings on a plate. “What ya’ll doin’?” 

“Now Nat I know you want more than that,” Miss Abi smiled at me. “Get you a bowl full. All of us have already eaten.” 

“We was talking about ghost,” Jeff said. “And today.” 

“Nah, I just had some dinner but I wanted to try what they tasted like,” I said. 

“A ghost?” I looked around. 

“Friday the 13th!” Jeff said. 

"We have been discussing the haunting of the orphanage,” Miss Abi said. 

“It’s haunted?” I looked around. 

“Some say so yes,” Jeff said.

“That’s what Jeff told us,” Miss Abi said. 

“Oh wow. Jeff that sounds like a story for the Bee.” 

“Yes it has the spirit of Frontier Missy,” Jeff said and I pulled out my notebook. “No Natalie, I won’t add her story to the Bee.” 

“Oh.” I closed the notebook. “How come?” 

“Just won’t.” 

“Well that ain’t no reason.” 

“It’s a very sad story,” Miss Abi said. 

“‘Sides, it is Friday the 13th. Surely we can come up with something good. No?” 

“Write about how people feel about Friday the 13th. Superstitions,” Miss Abi suggested. 

“Well your oatmeal cookies with raisins sounded real good Jeffy,” Aspen said. 

“Yeah superstitions. Why not talk about that?” Jeff said. “Oh oh and ask folks what they believe in.” 

“I don’t know much ’bout that.” I looked around, still wanting to hear the story about Frontier Missy. 

“Well some folks believe if you walk under a ladder you will die soon. Or something like that,” Jeff said. 

“Yeah?” I asked, taking out my notebook again. 

“Or black cats bring bad luck,” Miss Abi said. 

“If a dog howls three times at your door for three days someone is gonna die,” Jeff said. 

“Break a mirror and seven years of bad luck,” Aspen said. “I didn’t know the dog one, Jeff.” 

“Okay but here’s what I wanna know. What makes Friday the thirteenth so special?” I asked. 

“Step on a crack break your mother’s back,” Miss Abi said another one. 

“My momma told me, Aspen,” Jeff said. 

“I heard… if a bird flies in your house, some one will die,” Aspen said. “Oh I believe it Jeff. I had never heard it.” 

I ate my dumplings and smiled, “These are real good Miss Abi.” 

“Why is today so special anyways?” Jeff asked. 

“That’s what I wanna know. I wanna write an article about it.” 

“It could be someones birthday,” Aspen said. “That would make it special.” 

“Maybe there’s a book bout it in the library. Miss Abi do you know?” I asked. 

“I was born on Friday the 13th,” Miss Abi said. 

“Oh! Happy birthday miss Abi!” 

“Not this month. It was in September.” 

“Oh… Well Miss Abi do you know why today’s so scary?” I asked. 

“All I know is 13 is supposed to be unlucky.” 

“How come though? Somethin’ musta happened.” 

“If you have ever been in a realy tall building there is no 13th floor,” Miss Abi said. “No 13th block of the street.” 

“I’m gonna go to the library!” I said as I finished my dumplings. “Anyone wanna come? I’ll find out why!” 

“People get real superstitious with 666 too,” Aspen said. 

“Maybe thirteen cats bitted thirteen mices,” Jeff said. 

“666 is in the bible Aspen,” I told her. “It’s the mark of the beast. It’s in Revelation.” 

“Yes Nat I know that but…” Aspen started. 

“Well then that’s a real good reason to be scared of that. I’m goin’ to the library,” I said. “I’ll let ya know what I find out when I give the article back to Jeff!” 

I went to the library and opened a book that I found and researched Friday the 13th. I wrote some notes for the article and walked back outside seeing Aspen on a horse. I walked over and stood behind Mill, scared of the horse. They talked about how the horse had Indian feathers on it and Aspen said it was her second time she’d ridden it. Millard had been working with the chickens all day and I told them I didn’t learn much from my reading. Miss Joan came over then and I decided to head home for bed.