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leave her thoughts . No, it hadn’t just been knocked off. The cup had moved with force, as if someone had shoved it to the floor.
    Serenity reached down and switched off the radio. The music was annoying her, interrupting her thoughts.
    No one had touche d the cup. She’d been alone and if someone else had been close enough , she would have seen them. Unless , of course , she had magic to blame ... . Or perhaps a ghost.
    The idea sent an awful, crawling, creeping shiver down her back and she pushed the notion away. She didn’t believe in ghosts.
    Did she?
     
    The parking lot for the campsite was located around the side of a log cabin with the sign for ‘reception’ hung above the door. Serenity parked the car and climbed out. Right away the sound of girls giggling and chatting caught her attention. Following the noise, she made her way around to the back of the building where rows of p icnic tables were filled with kids eating packed lunches. Serenity spotted Elizabeth quickly, sitting among a couple of other girls. Her head was tilted to one side as she spoke to the girl beside her. The girl said something in return and Elizabeth laughed.
    She paused for a moment, enjoying watching her daugh ter be herself. Elizabeth’s skin was paler than normal and bruised shadows hollowed her eyes. She looked tired—a result of the nightmares , Serenity guessed .
    Elizabeth must have somehow sensed h er mother’s arrival for she turn ed her head and caught Serenity’s eye. A wide smile lit her face and she lifted a hand and waved to her mother with a small, frantic gesture.
    Serenity lifted a hand in return and began to weave between the tables and children to reach her daughter. She squatted down behind her and Elizabeth twisted in her seat to give her a hug. Serenity breathed in her daughter’s familiar smell, felt the softness of her hair against her skin.
    “How are you doing?” she asked. “Still want to come home?”
    Elizabeth nodded. “I have to , Mommy. You and Daddy need me.”
    “Your daddy and I are fine. You look like you’re having fun now. If you want to stay, that’s okay too.”
    Elizabeth shook her head. “No , Mommy. I want to come home.” She lowered her voice. “I think everyone else wants me to go home too. I think I scared them.”
    Serenity’s heart broke for her. She wanted Elizabeth to fit in with the other children and hated for her to feel like an outcast. Part of her wondered if she was doing the right thing by taking her away. Wasn’t she only adding to E lizabeth’s isolation? Yet, if she refused to take Elizabeth home and the nightmares continued, she could scar the poor child for life.
    Serenity became aware of someone hovering behind her and she turned to see Veronica—the petite, short -haired Girl Scout leader—standing there, holding Elizabeth’s bags.
    “ Hi, Ms. Hathaway. Thanks for coming ,” Veronica said. “ I hope you understand that w e’re not in the habit of sending children home for this kind of thing, but these really are exceptional circumstances . With everything Elizabeth has been through over the last few years, we simply didn’t seem able to mak e her feel any better.” The young woman turned her attention to Elizabeth. “Your dreams are very real to you, aren’t they Elizabeth?”
    “Sorry I woke everyone up.”
    Veronica reached down and ruffled the girl’s dark hair. “It’s not your fault. But sometimes, if things are bothering us, it’s best to be with the people we love, isn’t it?”
    Elizabeth nodded again and Serenity reached out to take her bags from the Scout leader . “Perhaps you shouldn’t organize trips like this if you’re unable to take care of the needs of children.”
    Veronica blinked in surprise, but Serenity didn’t give her the chance to answer. She grabbed Elizabeth’s arm and hustled her away , ignoring shouts of “B ye! ” from the other children.
    She knew s he shouldn’t be annoyed with Veronica, she was sure