Thomas Small

Thomas Small is the narrator of the book. Thomas is a young boy, around twelve or fourteen, who has just been uprooted by his father and moved to Ohio from their home in North Carolina. Thomas is sad to leave behind family and friends, especially his great-grandmother, but excited about the house his father is taking him to live in. The house was once a stop on the Underground Railroad, a series of places and people where slaves could get help making their escape north. Thomas, as a young black boy, has a special interest in this history not only because of his heritage, but because his father is a historian who has filled him with stories of the past.

Thomas immediately becomes convinced that the house, which is reportedly haunted, is not haunted, but harassed by the local caretaker. Thomas believes the caretaker does not want...