Page 34 of Ghost
“Hmm...odd.”Mason turned to face Francis.“Does she ever come upstairs?”
Francis turned his head to look at Mason.“No.Not that I know of.”
Mason thought a moment.“I’m kinda new to all this ghost stuff so I’m not much help, I’m afraid.”
Francis smiled slightly.“I believe your being here is already a great help.”He turned and looked around.“I have a feeling that this home will be returned to what it once was.”He looked at Mason again.“This will once again be a home, which I will be forever grateful for.I have fond memories of being here even though I never considered this to be my home.”
“I’ve not forgotten my promise.”Mason wanted so badly to reach out and touch Francis.“I will try and find out what happened to your home.”
“I would be forever in your debt, Mr.Mason Montgomery.”
Francis turned to face Mason.For the first time, Mason realized how much taller Francis was compared to himself.They stared into each other’s eyes for a long moment.
“Hey, Mason, what are you doing, man?”Mitch called out from the back courtyard.“Your beer’s getting hot!”
“I guess I should go,” Mason said.
“Yes, you should go and be with your friends.”Francis smiled sadly.
“We’ll talk again soon,” Mason promised.
“I will look forward to that.”This time Francis smiled warmly before he gently faded away.
Mason stood there for a moment feeling a bit sad.Not sure why exactly, but he did.
“Mason, what are you doing?”Paul called out.“You okay up there?”
“Yeah, I’ll be right down.”
Mason rushed down the stairs to go out into the courtyard.As soon as his foot left the last stair, the old woman rushed at him, screaming.Her voice was high pitched and shrill.
“What did you do to Francis?”Mason yelled.
The old hag stopped short, a look of surprise on her face.It didn’t last long.With even more fury, she raised both fists into the air and charged towards Mason, her screeching even louder.Mason tried to dodge her, but she still managed to surge through the left side of his body, causing him to shudder.The faint smell of death clung to him, and that rancid taste was in his mouth that he’d experienced before.
“Yuck.”Mason sputtered.“Damn, I need that beer now for sure.”
“Who are you yellin’ at?”Mitch asked, standing just inside the door to the backyard, Paul behind him looking over his shoulder.
“It was your ghost, weren’t it?”Paul asked, his voice barely above a whisper.
“Pfft...no such things as ghosts.”Mitch turned and pushed Paul out the door.“I’m thinking that knock on the head loosened up some screws.”
Paul still stood there after Mitch had passed by him.Mason nodded to him.
“Yeah, it was the old woman.”Mason patted Paul on the shoulder as he passed him.“I think something bad happened here.”
Paul whispered, “Is it safe for you to be here?”
“Yeah, yeah.She can’t hurt me.”Mason picked up the beer that was waiting for him on top of the cooler.“I don’t think so anyway.”
“What are we going to do for dinner?”Mitch asked, then belched loudly.“And we need more beer.”
Mason couldn’t help but roll his eyes.“You do realize that we’ve been drinking almost a case of beer a day, don’t’cha?”
“So?”Mitch finished his beer and smiled.
“Fine.How about I run down and get some Popeye’s chicken and you two go and get more beer.”
