Page 19 of Scammed

“Amy, you said you thought you saw Marcel float across the water. Well, he actually did,” said Gaspar. Marcel stared at her, his face a mask of uncertainty and pain. If she rejected him, who he was, he didn’t know where he would go or what he would do.

“Magic. You’re a magician?” she asked.

“No. I am not a magician. I did not lie to you. I am, or I was a sailor. I transported goods for the British Crown to and from Europe. In the 1700s.”

Amy opened her mouth, then closed it, repeating the process several times. Then she burst out laughing, staring at the group. When they didn’t smile back, only looking at her with concern, she swallowed and straightened, pushing her food away from her.

“Y-you’re a ghost?”

“I was. I mean, I might still be. I honestly don’t know,” said Marcel.

“He is alive, warm flesh, heartbeat, and fully human,” said Noah. “There is nothing nefarious about Marcel’s being here. He was murdered near this coastline and was stuck alone for many years. Our property has many spirits due to its very rich history.”

“You’re alive now? I mean, like alive, alive.” He smiled at her, touching her hand.

“Do I feel alive?”

“Very much so,” she swallowed.

“We can’t explain it,” said Julia. “This has never happened before. Let me introduce you to a few other spirits here. Please meet our newest guests, Eagle Feather, Archie, Genvieve, and Charity.”

“Oh,” she said in a whisper of air.

“We are pleased to meet you,” said Archie.

“Y-you speak?”

“We do, ma’am,” he smiled. “We’re very lucky to have found our way here. We were all killed on this property at different times, decades, even centuries ago. Somehow, we were brought back to tell our stories, and now we’re here.”

Archie reached for Charity’s hand while Eagle Feather held tightly to Genevieve’s. Amy smiled at them, then looked at the group.

“They can, I mean, can they have, do they have…”

“We do,” smiled Archie. “It is a miracle that we are able to love wholly in this world of in-between.”

“Something else has happened as well,” said Gaspar. “Whatever occurred to make them come forward has now allowed all of our ghosts to be able to enjoy food. It’s pretty remarkable.”

“Okay. Okay, so you’re all still ghosts. But Marcel is not. What happened?” she asked. “I mean, I’m very glad you’re not a ghost, but is this permanent?”

“I’m not sure,” he said. “I did not want to be untruthful to you, and I would very much like to continue getting to know you. But there are no guarantees that I will be here for the foreseeable future.”

Amy stared at him, then at the others around her.

“Do you all see ghosts?” she asked.

“Initially, it was just me, Noah, and Irene,” said Julia. “At least as far as we knew. Then, one day, they were apparent to everyone. It was wonderful to not have to hide our gifts any longer.”

“Do you see them everywhere? I mean, New Orleans has to be very difficult for you with its history,” said Amy.

“It can be,” said Noah. “We tend to stay away from hospitals, morgues, cemeteries, that sort of thing. It can be very hard on Julia especially.”

“This is a lot to take in,” she whispered. “I’m not sure what to say.”

“I understand. I’ll leave you to your meal,” said Marcel. She looked up at him as he stood, open-mouthed surprise on her face. Gaspar gripped his shoulder.

“Cousin, she didn’t ask you to leave.” Amy gripped his hand, feeling the warmth and strength.

“No. I didn’t ask you to leave. I just said it’s a lot to take in. But I feel certain that any time spent with you, Marcel, would be the most memorable of my life. Now, are there any other secrets I should be aware of? Were you married? Children?”

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