Page 8 of The Neighborhood Ghost

“How are the Raskins doing?”

“Carol isn’t talking to me. She blames me, and rightly so. Oliver does the talking for her. He’s holding up well. At least, he seems be holding up well.”

“How are you doing?”

Fine. I’m fine.Hugo’s words from the night they first met raced through her mind.

“I’m fine.”

“You most certainly arenotfine.”

“What answer do you want me to tell you?” She flipped the page in the book.

“Alice Lorina Primrose, don’t you ever lie or hide or shy away from me. I want you to tell me the truth. How are you doing?”

Alice slammed the book shut and shoved it back into place on the shelf. She gave two taps to Guinevere’s purplish broomcorn, and they descended. Alice stretched out her legs, her feet dangling to meet the ground. She stood. “The truth is . . .”

Her words trailed off as she stumbled, catching herself on the ash white broom handle with one hand and the mahogany case with the other. Alice’s legs had fallen asleep. She sat in her cross-legged position, so focused on the book that she was unaware of her legs falling asleep. She wobbled back and forth, awaiting her legs to regain their steadiness.

Alice fixated on Ez and continued, “The truth is I’m a fucking wreck. I can’t eat. I can’t sleep. I’ve lost track of time. It’s been an hour, and it’s been a week and a year. Hell, it’s been an eternity. All at the same time. My reflection won’t give me a moment of peace. If I don’t continue my work, then the thoughts overwhelm my mind. It consumes me.”

Tears welled in her eyes as they turned bloodshot. She paused before adding, “This is all my fault. Hugo is dead becauseof me. I should’ve stayed. If I didn’t drive up here to see you, then he would have never confronted the Savinos. He would’ve never become a vampire. He would still be alive.” She pounded against her chest with her palm with every word as if she was punishing herself for her misdeeds.

Alice let go of the broom handle and the shelf.

She continued, “I never gave a second thought to him staying behind. It seemed like a good idea at the time. Now look.”

Alice slapped the sides of her hips. She pursed her lips to hold back the tears. She paused for a moment before pleading, “I don’t know what to do. If there was a body, this would be so much easier.”

“If there was a body . . .?” Ez interjected. “Dark magick isn’t to be trifled with. You can’t bring him back to life like replacing batteries.”

“Well, it would be better than not having a body at all. He’s dust now. Gone. Evaporated into nothingness. I don’t even have a body.” She gripped her black onyx engagement ring and gave two twists. “I don’t even have a body to mourn.”

Ez glanced at Alice’s finger. “So, you’re doing the ring turn now?”

“I understand why he did it.” She let go of the ring. The purple amethyst stone rested upright on her finger.

Alice used the sleeve of her black shirt to wipe a tear from her cheek. “All I have is this work. It’s the only thing keeping me sane. I couldn’t make wine now if I wanted to. Not without him by my side.”

Alice could no longer hold back the tears. They fell down her cheeks like snaking rivers. She sobbed. “I’ve read through page after page of these stupid books, hoping to find an answer. There’s nothing. Nothing can bring him back. I owe it to him to keep trying. Keep searching. Even if it takes my whole life.”

Ez slumped her shoulders and lowered her head. “Contacting the dead isn’t something easily done. It’s risky. You never know who might answer on the other side. Besides, what if he doesn’t want to come back?”

Alice sniffled, once again wiping the tears with her shirt sleeve. “What do you mean?”

Ez stood upright. “What if he’s happier on the other side? What if he’s reunited with his first wife and happy? Would he want to leave his reunion and return here?”

Alice pursed her lips. She furled her eyebrows and shook her head. “Why would you say such a thing?”

“It could be true. You have to consider that if they’re reunited on the other side, he wouldn’t want to return, even if given the opportunity.”

“This conversation is done.” Alice hopped onto the bicycle seat and crossed her legs once more. She gave two pats to the broomcorn, and they rose back up. She pulled another book from the shelf, opening a random page in the middle of the book.

“You won’t find the answers you seek there.”

Alice didn’t respond. She flipped through the brown, time-stained pages.

Ez added, “They aren’t there because I keep those texts hidden. I don’t want any witch or wizard to stumble across them.”

---