The kids gathered up their gear, and any garbage they had dropped and started for home. Jacob and Samantha thanked William and Matthew for taking them along. They also asked if they could come along again sometime. William and Matthew were both pleased to see the interest they showed in what was their favourite past time, and they both agreed that they could come along any time.

Jessica was having a family night out with her mom and dad. They would go to a restaurant for dinner and then a movie or something else afterwards so they can just be together at least once a month. Jessica looked forward to this day as it allowed them time to catch up on what was going on in each other’s lives. It seemed to help bring her and her parents closer together. They would normally only discuss things that would not upset the others so the evenings were always an enjoyable time.

The next morning, as Jessica was woken by her phone indicating it had a text. She rolled over and picked it up to see just who was up so early. William had sent her a message that he’d like to meet at school a little earlier, around 8:00, to go over what they would like to discuss with Miss Waters. She responded back that she would be there. She looked at the time on her phone and realized she had actually slept in a little so she started to quickly get ready for the day. William had sent the same message to all the group members and all were responding yes, they could make it.

At school, the group all met at their usual meeting spot near a large tree. William was handing out a list of what they had written on the board at his place and gave a copy to each group member. He instructed everyone to go over it to see if they would like anything to not be discussed, or if anything should be added.

Matthew: “Are you guys sure you want to discuss all this stuff with a scientific person?”

Jessica: “Why wouldn’t we? This could be our best chance to find out if what we saw is real or if there are some logical explanations.”

Matthew: “Are you going to tell her about your dream?”

Jessica: “Of course. It ties directly in to the whole story from the note book to the picture William printed off. I’d like to know what it all means.”

William: “Besides, if she can shed some light on what we saw, that’d go a long way in helping us determine if we are going about ghost hunting the right way.”

Sarah: “It does seem weird to be talking about this stuff to a complete stranger. I feel kind of funny about the whole thing.”

Jacob: “Me too. I don’t even like telling my parents what we do, let alone a complete stranger.”

Jessica: “If anyone is too uncomfortable to do this, they don’t need to come. It’s not like this is a mandatory thing that everyone must do. We just figure the way everything happened, and the fact that she just showed up at the school and is willing to talk with us is something we should take advantage of.”

Matthew: “It is a weird coincidence that someone like that just happened to show up the next day after we experienced what we did at the old mill. I guess it couldn’t do any harm.”

William: “Exactly, and we could learn from her experience. When is the next time a knowledgeable adult will be willing to waste their time talking to a group of teenagers about something most adults refuse to admit is real?”

Alexis: “So we are all in agreement that we will meet with this Miss Waters and tell her what happened at the old mill, and the whole story about the gold and everything.”

As the group was carrying on their discussion, they didn’t realize that Miss Waters was walking past them heading into the school. She looked over at them and smiled, “Good morning students.”

The group turned and William and Jessica both responded, “Good morning Brenda.”, while the other kids just said good morning.

Alexis: “You guys call her by her first name?”

Jessica: “She told us that’s what she prefers. She says “Miss Waters is my mother’s name, so just call me Brenda. Miss Waters sounds too old to me.”

The other group members were just staring at her. Matthew watched her walk past and said quietly, “She’s gorgeous. That’s your teacher?”

The other group members agreed that she was very attractive. Sarah looked at Alexis and said, “That’s the lady we saw the other day who we thought was someone’s big sister or something.”

Alexis: “Yeah, I never would have dreamed she was actually a teacher. She seems far too young.”

William: “We thought the same thing when she walked into our class the first day. But she is very unique in her teaching methods. She gets the entire class involved in her lessons and even the guys who normally goof around pay attention to her.”

Jacob: “I can see why. I’d definitely be paying attention to the teacher in that class.”

Matthew gives Jacob a little push sideways as he continues to watch Miss Waters walk into the school. As he turns back to the group, he notices that Alexis is looking at him with a slightly angry expression. He quickly looses the smile off his face and puts his head down. William, noticing this says to the group, “I forgot to mention the secret place she brought us too yesterday.”

Sarah: “She took your class to a secret place? How far from the school is it?”

Jessica: “William left out the fact that the secret place was in our minds. She took us through this hypnosis exercise that allows you to imagine a fantasy word that you control. It goes through visualizing the colors of the rainbow to help you relax and then down a path to a locked door that only you have the key to.”

Sarah: “Can’t you just close your eyes and imagine the place directly?”

Jessica: “No, this is different. You are completely relaxed when you get there so you really visualize the place in your mind like you’re really there. It’s like it’s on a different level of consciousness or something.”

Samantha: “Maybe we can all go through this exercise ourselves sometime. Sounds like a nice way to recharge our batteries.”

William: “That it definitely is. After we went through the exercise, everyone was alert and really involved in any class discussions we had in the morning. Maybe next time we meet at my house we can go through it.”

Matthew: “So back to current business. We were discussing yesterday that we should just meet at the school after supper around 6:45.”

William: “That’ right. Then we can all go down to Miss Waters’ house together.”

The group agreed this was a good idea and that they would all meet at the same spot.

Jessica asked, “How was fishing?”

Samantha: “I never realized how much fun you could have with a stick and some string.”

Jacob: “I caught a monster size catfish.”

William: “Yeah, everyone caught something. It was a very relaxing evening.”

Jessica: “Well next week I’ll be coming along as well.”

Matthew: “Our fishing group is getting larger. Good thing our fishing spot is large.”

The group continued talking about what each did on the night before until it was time to head into the school. As they were walking into the school, Jessica noticed Miss Waters looking out the window of her class at them. She thought it was a bit strange, but didn’t mention it to the group.

During lunch, Miss Waters went to the councillor’s office to discuss what she had noticed from the self hypnosis session she put the students through the day before. She explains to the councillor what she did, and how it is believed that the type of door each student saw gave a bit of insight into their own personality based on the type of door they had on their secret place. She was showing him the sheets the students handed in and explaining that some had normal doors, some had fancy ornate ones and some had vault style doors. One student even had a glass door. The student with the glass door had nothing to hide, and was a very open and trusting person. The ones with the normal doors were just average everyday people, with little secrets and relatively normal lives. The ones with the fancy ornate doors were all living in a bit of a fantasy world, or trying to portray themselves as better off than they were. Her concern however, was with the ones who had the vault style doors, as they were indicating that they were hiding something. It may be nothing to serious, but it may also indicate that there are things they are going through that they are trying to hide from everyone. This was a concern to her because she was worried if they try to deal with issues themselves and not seek help, they may experience anxiety and frustration that they really didn’t need to go through. The councillor listened to Brenda and took what she was saying rather seriously. The two of them have had discussions throughout the week about a multitude of topics, and he was aware of the list of social courses she had degrees in. He agreed to keep the information secret and to talk with the students who seemed to be hiding something over the next couple weeks. He suggested that they bring a couple students who were not showing signs of any hidden issues, so that the troubled students don’t feel like they are being singled out. Brenda agreed that that would probably be the best way to deal with their issues. She thanked the councillor for his time and headed off to class to prepare for the afternoons classes.

As the group was continuing their tasks, Jessica was arriving at City Hall. She looked around, as she still felt like someone was watching her. Jessica walked up the staircase and into the building. She headed straight to the archives and as she walked up to the counter she said, “Hi Dot” to the lady behind the counter who was looking down at some papers. Dot, who’s actual name was Dorothy, was a very courteous woman who treated all visitors with respect, no matter what their age, and she liked the nickname Jessica had given her. Dorothy looked up and smiled, “Well hello Jessica, how have you been?”

Jessica: “I’ve been good Dot, just coming to the Hall of Records to do some research.”

Dorothy laughed as she always got a kick out of the archives section being referred to that way.

Dorothy: “What weird thing from the past are you investigating now?”

Jessica: “Well you know the abandoned house on the north side of town that’s been vacant for about 20 years?”

Dorothy: “Sure, it’s the old Anderson home that’s been vacant since Margaret passed away. It’s had strange stories about it for over fifteen years.”

Jessica, rather excitedly: “Really, like what?”

Dorothy: “Well it’s rumoured that people hear noises coming from it and some have even claimed to have seen lights and figures moving around in the house.”

Jessica: “But do you know any facts about the place?”

Dorothy: “A little. There was some talk when I was younger about Margaret Anderson always sitting on her front porch or in her picture window just staring down the road. Her husband went off to do a tour with the United Nations Peace Corps but he never returned. He was killed in an accident.”

Jessica then thought to herself; “That must be the ghost we saw, wow that was easy.”

Then Dorothy’s expression changed, “I remember my mother saying that the Anderson’s thought their house was haunted.”

Jessica: “You mean Margaret Anderson thought that her house was haunted, don’t you, not both of them?”

Dorothy: “No, I remember my mother and father talking about what each was told separately by the Anderson’s. They said they heard footsteps at the top of their stairs, and voices on the main and second floor.”

Jessica: “Really? Did they mention ever seeing a ghost in their home?”

Dorothy thought for a moment: “Not that I can recall. All they told my parents was that they had heard strange things.”

Jessica, a little disappointed: “Are there any records of the old house that you know of?”

Dorothy: “Quite a lot. Actually, a very attractive lady I have never seen before was in here a day ago and asked me to pull some records on the house. She hasn’t come back to look at them yet, so you’re welcome to go through them.”

Dorothy pointed to a stack of books and old papers on a table, with a box underneath as well. Jessica thought, “What a weird coincidence, but since it’s all there, I might as well have a look.” She then looked a Dorothy, “That’s quite a bit of information! Thanks Dot.”

Jessica walked over to the table and put her purse on the back of the chair and took off her sweater and hung it on the chair as well. “This could take a while,” she whispered to herself. She sat down and started going through the documents.

Jessica was trying to find anything she could to explain what they saw. She had already gone through most of the old records of the house, with no luck. The house wasn’t built on some ancient burial site, and no one was ever found in the well out back. She did find an old turn of the century book that mentioned the house was briefly used as an office for the Union Army during the Civil War, but no mention of any battles or disasters. She had put on a pair of white gloves so the acid in her skin wouldn’t damage the books as she was flipping the pages. As she turned her attention to the stack of old newspapers, she was glad her hands were covered. The old ink not only rubbed off on your hands, but it was not easy to wash it off once it got in your skin.

One of the top newspapers was about twenty years old, and right on the side of the front page was a heading “Local Man Dies Helping Strangers”. She proceeded to read the article, and it was about Mr Anderson being overseas on a peace keeping mission when he saw a bus plunge into a river. He jumped into the water and started to help people get out of the bus and onto the shore. While crawling through an open window to try to save an injured man, the bus flipped over the ledge it was resting on and into the deeper water with a strong current. He was trapped inside and drowned with the others that couldn’t get off the bus in time. His body was recovered a few hours later when the bus hit a sand bar downstream. They tried to revive him but had no luck. Nine children and five adults were still alive thanks to his bravery. He was buried overseas buy the people of the village, as a local hero. At the service he was displayed in his full uniform before being buried.

That settled it, there is no way Mr Anderson could have been the disfigured image they saw. He was buried after an open casket funeral, and there is no way the man they saw would have had an open casket. She had to keep digging further back in the newspaper achieves.

Page by page Jessica searched going further and further back in the archives. Her eyes were tired and she was over sixty years in the past after switching to microfilm. It looked like the answer just wasn’t there. Frustrated she sat back in the chair and looked up at the ceiling, rubbing her eyes. She turned to look at the collection of material on the old house. Being lower down and back from the table, she could see right under it to the wall. She noticed a green journal or notebook between the table leg and the wall, just behind the box she quickly went through when she started her research. She walked over and crawled under the table to retrieve the book. As she stood up, she looked at the cover and noticed some faint writing on it. She tilted the book in the light and noticed it had impressions. The front desk always had onion skin or tracing paper and pencils for people who needed to sketch documents. She went and grabbed a sheet and a pencil and sat down at the table she was at originally. She placed the paper over the book and started shading it with the pencil. Slowly she could see words starting to take shape “My Journal”.

Jessica’s heart started racing so fast she could feel it beating in her chest. She started thinking this was what she had been searching for. She opened the book to the first page on the inside cover was a note, “Property of Sherry-Anne Johnson”. Jessica knew the last name. The Johnsons were one of the towns founding families. They settled in the area in the early 1800’s, and by 1850 they had built a mill on the river that now runs through town. This book seemed to be in pretty good shape, so she didn’t think it could be that old.

As she started reading the first page, she was instantly intrigued. It started out “I cannot tell a soul what I know, but cannot keep the knowledge inside me any longer.” Jessica settled in for what she thought would be a couple hours. She continued to read the journal:

A few months back, a traveller had stopped by to water his horse near the mill. It was shortly after war had broken out and everyone was suspicious of strangers. The traveller left his horse drinking by the river and walked up to the front door of the mill. It was always open in the summer due to the heat, so he walked in. My dad was out in the storage shed getting some wheat to make flour and my mother was out by her stove in the yard baking bread. I can only assume what happened next, perhaps the traveller was looking out the window at my mother, who was quite striking, but we do not know. Somehow, the traveller ended up caught in the spoke of the gear that turns the grinding stone. We heard a scream and my father ran to the mill. Inside he found the traveller caught between the gears of the mill. He tried in vain to pull the traveller free, but his body was jammed between the gears. He released the locking pin that stops the wheel from turning on the outside of the mill. He then forced the gear backwards, causing the traveller to be pushed free of the gears.

My father carried the traveller to the main house and placed him on a blanket my mother laid out on the sofa. The traveller was barely conscious when he whispered something to my father. He pointed to a pocket and my father reached in and pulled out a sealed document.

I do not know why, but my father opened the envelope. In it were two separate pieces of paper. He unfolded one, read it through and then put it back into the envelope. He started to unfold the second paper, but with the first glance of it, he appeared very concerned and quickly placed it in his pocket. He took the envelope with the first document and through it on the fire and stared at it until it burned completely. He then moved the ashes so you couldn’t tell an envelope was in the fire.

At William’s house, the younger group members were still interrupting William. They were showing him all kinds of images and sounds that they thought were paranormal. Everything from what looked like orbs flying across the screen, to sounds of floors creaking as the house settled. After explain why each one was a normal occurrence individually, he decided to explain the differences to the group so he could concentrate on his video without interruptions.

William pulled out a white board and placed it against a wall. He took a marker off the base and started writing:

1. Audio

• Creaking wood – normally a house settling or caused by an investigators movement. Exception: If all investigators are in same location or their whereabouts are accounted for and footsteps are heard in a different location, or on a different floor.
• Doors closing – only considered paranormal if caught on a video and full opening is visible. Exception: If all group members are in the same location or their location on the property is known and a door shuts with no wind blowing through the area or other force causing it to close, like gravity due to a slope in the doors frame. You should always try to reproduce the action you deem paranormal while at the scene right after it happens.
• Voices – not considered if other background noise is present (cars, trains, wind) as this could indicate an open window or other opening that allows sound into the room (sound carries extremely well over water and also over open areas like parks and fields or meadows). Exceptions: when a voice is heard by group members and caught on tape, and a thorough search was done for a source; a voice is heard right after a question (a response or answer); the voice is directed at a group member. All other sounds must first be reviewed with logic before they are considered as evidence.

2. Photo

• Orbs – When an Orb is caught or a bunch of Orbs, look for positioning in a photo. A dust particle will look like an Orb due to the flash and camera speed (especially with a digital camera). Exceptions: an Orb that is only partially visible and not a complete circle are not normal and should be considered (especially if part is hiding behind an object); An Orb that is a lot brighter than others or a different colour can also be considered as a potential catch at a location. Orbs that change size should also be looked at more closely.
• Mist or Transparent Image – look for reflective surfaces that could be reflecting or projecting an image (mirror, glass, shiny appliance). Also look for similarities between image and photographer (ball cap, colour of clothes, and appearance such as hair). All others could be investigated further.

3. Videos

• Orbs – Orbs on video in low light conditions are usually dust or bugs. Use the same logic as for photos. Exceptions: Orbs in brightly lit videos; Orbs that move in unusual flight patterns or change colours; Orbs that are stationary, especially if they change size or colour.
• Mist or Transparent Image – Same logic as for photos. Look for outside sources first. What and how the image moves (a reflection will not remain the same size going across an open doorway, for example)

In large letters at the bottom of the white board William wrote “VIEW ALL DATA AS A SKEPTIC, LOOKING FOR LOGICAL EXPLANATIONS FIRST – PARANORMAL EXPLANATIONS ARE FOR WHAT’S LEFT OVER”.

He then told the group to make a note of anything they are not 100% convinced it’s a logical occurrence and the group can review it later. Only ask for a second opinion from a group member if you are less than 80% sure during the review. This way all members can concentrate on what they are reviewing. Every time they are distracted, a potential piece of evidence can easily be missed.

The group seemed to fully understand the crash course and went back to reviewing.

While the group was moving forward with their evidence search, Jessica was back at city hall still reading the notebook she found:

The officer’s came up and talked to my father. I heard one of them ask what happened to the man and also did he say anything at all to him. My father told them about the accident, and how it happened before we even knew he was in the mill. The officer’s told my father that the man was a Confederate spy from the south, who robbed a train carrying government gold coins. The officers then walked outside to talk to some soldiers who were going through the traveller’s saddle bags. They took the traveller’s horse and belongings to the other soldiers, threw his body on a wagon and hauled it away.

On a few occasions, Union soldiers would come by the mill and look around. They didn’t say much, and since it was during the war, they had every right to come on anyone’s property whenever they wanted. For about a week the Union army even set up their base in our house before moving further south. While they were here, they spent a lot of time walking around the property, like they were looking for something. During this time my family had to move into the guest house.

About six months after the war was over, my father went on a hunting trip. He came back a couple days later, but instead of an animal tied to his pack horse, there was a wooded box. I never asked him about it, since he always told us, “If I want you to know my business, I’ll tell you my business”. A couple nights later, I overheard him tell my mother that the paper he took off the traveller was a map to where he had hidden the gold coins. He said to my mother that the traveller asked him to take the map, recover the coins and take them to General Lee’s army. My father, not wanting to cross the Union lines, chose to keep it a secret.

My father hid the gold at the mill in some old, torn flour bags. No one would buy them for fear that rats were eating it. My father would then melt some coins into small bars, and then tell the merchants in town that this was how he was paid for flour by settlers heading west, or cattle drivers. He even took a few trips south to San Francisco, California and west to Hill City, South Dakota in the Black hills and cashed in some bars at a few banks. He figured he could just tell people he traded goods for gold nuggets from prospectors and then melted it down for ease of transport. With the gold fever spreading through the states, nobody ever really questioned how he obtained it.

Shortly after my father started spending the gold, strange sounds were heard at both the house and the mill, and we would see a shadowy figure moving around in the parlour as well. My father started drinking heavily, to deal with the strange sounds or maybe the guilt he felt, I am not exactly sure. I even saw my father arguing with himself, saying that he did “nothing wrong”. He was explaining to some invisible person how he couldn’t keep his word in fear of his family’s safety and how he was just using the gold to give his family a better life. It was as though he was arguing with a person, that I couldn’t see, someone who wasn’t there. He would say something, and then stop like he was listening to a response. Then he’d start yelling again. This went on a couple times a week, usually after he had too much to drink. Then one day my father had an accident at the mill, and a few months later he had passed due to an infection from his injuries. My mother stayed on for a few months, but she was a broken woman without the love of her life. She decided she couldn’t continue on at the mill without my father, and she moved back out east to her family’s home shortly after that. I had recently been married around this time and we were staying in the guest house. After mom moved back east, I moved from the guest house to the main house. It seemed that my mother had tooken the rest of the gold with her, as we never did find any left in the house, or at the mill.

John and I made a decent living at the mill, and since my parents furnished the main house with all the finest things, we got by quite well. Things quieted down over time, but we still hear screams from the mill once in a while, and walking on the main floor when no one is there. My husband John never believed in ghost so he always said the sounds were “just the wind” or “the house settling”. Since the spirit never harmed me, I grew accustomed to his being around and never thought much of it, though it still would give me a chill once in a while. I never told John the truth about my family’s wealth. John just assumed my father was a brilliant business man and I saw no point in changing his perception of my father.

Jessica paused and closed the journal. “Why would a ghost from the civil war still haunt the house” she wondered. She put the journal down and went to the washroom to splash water on her face. She stared in the mirror talking to her reflection, “Okay, so it makes sense that no records exist of the dead traveller, since he was considered a war criminal, but why would he still be haunting the house if the family spent all the gold?” Jessica dried her face and went back to the archives.

Back at Williams, the analysis was going along smooth, without much being found. A couple whispering voices could be heard answering the odd question off the voice recorders, but no visual evidence. William was wishing he had given the group the crash course in what to look for right from the start. As he was scanning his video he noticed the frame lit up, almost like a flash. He rewinds the tape and views it again in slow motion. He notices an outline with-in the bright light, but he cannot make it out. He records the time on the tape this occurs and continues going through the rest. William figured he’d just copy the video to a computer and extract the video into photo’s that he could view at a slower rate. After a little while William tells the group, “Let’s take a break, it’s nice out and we can continue the analysis later with fresh eyes and ears.” Everyone agreed that it was an awesome idea, so they turned off what they were working on, and headed upstairs and out into William’s back yard.

William followed out a couple minutes after with a cooler full of drinks and ice and a few bags of chips. Everyone helped themselves to a drink, and they were stretching and rubbing their eyes.

Sarah:”I wonder if Jessica is having any luck finding out information about the old mill? Maybe it was built on an ancient burial ground or something?”

William (looking at his phone): “No text yet so I assume she hasn’t found anything significant. As far as the ancient burial ground thing, that’s just in movies. Back when the mill was built, if there was an ancient burial site on the property, I am sure the local inhabitants of the area would have told them about it, and they would have just moved the mill downstream a little.”

The younger team members were all stretching out on the grass staring at the clouds and trying to see what shapes they could see.

William looked over at Matthew, who seemed to be staring into space. Suddenly he realized that Matthew was actually staring at Alexis. William just smiled a sly grin as he watched Matthews eyes follow Alexis as she walked over to the bridge of the pond to look at the fish. She looked over at Matthew and William and asked them if he knew where the food was. At first Matthew seemed a little stunned like he was busted staring at Alexis, then he looked at William. William just smiled and pointed to the patio bar. A little red faced, Matthew walked over to the bar and took some food over to Alexis. She smiled at him, and shyly said “Thank you”, as Matthew poured the food into her hand. The fish started swarming the surface as a couple pieces fell into the water. The motion of the fish caught Alexis attention, and she quickly looked down and started dropping more food. Matthew just backed up off the bridge with his mouth partially open, as if he was going to say something. He closed his mouth and turned and walked towards the patio set.

As Matthew pulled out a chair to sit down, still staring in the pond direction, William nudged his arm saying “Don’t worry, you’ll get another chance”. Matthew just pushed his arm away and blurted “Whatever dude, what are you talking about?” William just smiled and took a sip of his drink. William new part of the reason Matthew even stayed with the group was because he had a crush on Alexis. He didn’t believe in any of the things the rest of the group did, so why else would he hang around?

As Jessica returned to the table to continue her research, she was stunned to find the journal missing from the rest of the archives on the table. She frantically started looking all over the area for it. She even went back to the washroom to see if she had taken it in there. A little panicked that she couldn’t locate it, she went to the front counter and asked Dorothy if she had taken the journal, “No I didn’t. I didn’t even know there was a journal in that collection of documents. I was in the back putting away some other documents and hadn’t even noticed that you left the room.”

Puzzled, Jessica thanked Dorothy for her help. Jessica made one last quit search around the area, grabbed her purse and sweater, and left the building. As soon as she was outside she started digging for her phone in her purse so she could call William and tell him about the strange experiences she had while trying to research the old mill.

William heard his phone ring with Jessicas ringtone. “It’s about time” he thought. He picked up the phone and before he could say hello, Jessica started talking with excitement in her voice and real fast, “You’ll never believe what I found, the apparition we saw, isn’t actually Mr. Anderson, its Mr. Johnsons. He’s been haunting the house since he took the map from the traveller and went and found the gold and spent it.”

“Whoa, whoa, slow down. You’re not making any sense. Take a deep breath and start over”, snapped William.

“Look”, said Jessica, “I found a journal that told of a traveller who showed up unannounced and was injured in an accident at the old mill that is on the property by the river. It turns out that he had robbed a train carrying government gold which was supposed to support the Union army, that he intended on giving to the Confederate army in the south. He hid it before the Union soldiers caught up to him.” She continued to explain the rest of the story and the connection to the original owners of the home.

William couldn’t believe what he was hearing. He asked if anything else was in the journal, then Jessica explained how it mysteriously vanished when she took a break to splash water onto her face. “That sucks” replied William, with an angry tone.

Jessica: “You’re telling me. I was hoping to find out more about the past of the old mill and the Johnsons. When I get back to the house, we’ll try to find a connection to what we saw and what I read.”

William: “Okay, but don’t take too long. Pops ordered some pizzas and they should be here soon.”

Jessica: “Sounds great, because I’m starved.”