The Ghost of Grania O'Malley. Michael Morpurgo

it occurred to Jessie that the face smiling down at her, her mother’s face, was much like the face she had seen in the mirror. They smiled the same smile. They had the same hair, the same mouth even.

      ‘You weren’t in here a moment ago, were you, Mum?’ she asked.

      ‘No. Why?’

      ‘Maybe I dreamed you,’ said Jessie.

      ‘Maybe you did. Sleep now.’ And she went away, leaving Jessie alone in the dark. I have seen a ghost, Jessie thought. I have heard a ghost. I have felt the cold of a ghost. I should be frightened out of my skin, but I’m not. The snoring next door lulled her into a deep sleep.

      Jessie and Jack were walking down the farm lane towards school the next morning, Mole following along behind. ‘You snore, do you know that?’ Jessie said.

      ‘I do not.’

      ‘How do you know? If you’re asleep you can’t tell, can you? I heard you.’

      ‘Well, at least I don’t talk to myself.’

      Jessie knew at once what he had overheard. ‘Oh that. I was just talking to a ghost, wasn’t I?’ She said it half to tease, but half because she longed to tell someone, and she knew he wouldn’t believe her. She was right.

      He looked down at her and smiled. ‘Oh yeah?’

      Jessie shrugged her shoulders. ‘You think what you like. I’m not bothered.’ The school bell was ringing. ‘Sometimes I think Mrs Burke’s a ghost. She sort of floats, and she’s always appearing suddenly out of nowhere.’

      ‘Who’s Mrs Burke?’

      ‘She’s my teacher, your teacher now, head teacher too; real old stick. Come on, we’ll be late. And she eats you if you’re late.’ She looked up at him and smiled. ‘Don’t worry, you’re too skinny for her. Mrs Burke, she likes little fat things like me.’ When his smile opened, the sun glinted on his silver brace.

      They hurried on, passing the abbey and the church, and then turning up the school lane towards the playground. It was ominously quiet, and Jessie soon saw why. The whole school was waiting for them, staring at them through the playground fence, all silent and wide-eyed.

      ‘He’s my cousin,’ Jessie announced. ‘He’s called Jack and he’s from America. And you can all stop your gawping so you can.’