Haunted Hearts

by Jenny Bloom

  “Well, if that was really an option, I think I'd go for it. But none of my exes were bad. All of those guys were just confused or experimenting. I'm just a guinea pig.”

  Lynda patted his knee sympathetically. “Oh, Ray. You're way more than an experiment. You're worth so much more than that.”

  He placed his hand over his heart dramatically. “You're going to make me cry which is going to make me dehydrated and then I might faint.”

  “Whatever, Ray. I was trying to have a moment.”

  He laughed. “All right, you had your moment. We should get back to it before the professor gives us lip for sitting.”

  “Honestly, I didn't realize volunteering would feel like prison.”

  “Don't say that too loud.”

  She laughed and turned to head back to the front but collided instead with someone dressed as a vampire. All the telltale signs were there: the black and red cape, the smooth black hair, and even a well-tailored suit that appeared to be from the 17th century.

  Lynda hopped back with a gasp. “God, I'm so sorry!”

  “Don't call me God,” the person replied in a poorly constructed European accent. “Call me the Count!”

  The person turned while holding their cape, waving it dramatically.

  Lynda immediately burst into giggles. “Oh no, Count Ruby!”

  Ruby's mouth dropped open, causing one of her fangs to fall out. She dropped to the ground just as Lynda did, their heads colliding just as their bodies had done seconds ago.

  Lynda groaned. “Two for two. I'm so sorry, Ruby. I'm so clumsy!”

  “Oh, it's fine. Don't even worry about it. I have a dozen of these teeth laying around my apartment, so it's no big deal. None at all!”

  Ray stood nearby. Lynda spotted his tennis shoes and flushed red, snatching up the fang to hand back to Ruby. When Ruby accepted it, Lynda shot Ray a “go away” look. He rolled his eyes and sauntered off to the front counter.

  “Sorry,” Lynda repeated while turning her attention to Ruby. “You look fantastic. I mean, fang-tastic.”

  Ruby burst into laughter while running over to the sink to rinse off her fang. She held it up to the light, wiped it on her cape, and popped it back into her mouth.

  She bowed her head and said, “Fang-k you.”

  “I do love puns.”

  “Me, too. Helga gets really upset when I say too many.”

  Lynda smiled. “What's the point in saying puns if it doesn't upset people?”

  “Everyone knows the pun is good when people get mad.”

  “Exactly!”

  She folded her hands over her skirt and swished nervously, staring down at her pink flats. They were the same color as her skirt which was the same color as her glasses. She even had her matching bow perched just over her right ear to add extra pink flair. The combination of it felt just right, although she felt so exposed suddenly in the middle of the donation clinic with Ruby right next to her.

  She looks cute even as a vampire... I usually don't like costumes, but she's really pulling this one off.

  She cleared her throat. “So, how's business?”

  “Busy as usual,” Ruby replied. “And the blood drive?”

  “Oh, it's...uh...bloody.”

  Ruby chuckled. “I donate every year and I always wear my vampire outfit. What do you think?”

  “I think it's wonderful. But where's the blood for your fangs?”

  “I figured the blood coming out of my veins would be enough. I love Halloween, but the gore tends to make me nauseous.”

  “That's interesting.”

  Ruby arched her eyebrow. “How?”

  “I figured the gore would go with the spooks.”

  “Well, you haven't seen my kind of spooks yet.”

  Lynda groaned internally. No spooks for me. But if it means spending time with her, I'd be down to see the spooks.

  “Well, would you like to show me?”

  Ruby grinned, her fangs curling over her bottom lip. “How about a ghost tour in a schooner? My friend Ernest does some pretty impeccable story-telling while sailing.”

  “I'd like that.”

  “So, it's a date?”

  “Yes, it's absolutely a date. What time should I be ready?”

  “Meet me at the docks at 7:30 PM. We'll go on shortly after that.”

  Lynda smiled. “Sounds perfect.”

  “Well, I ought to get my blood into one of those bags. Can I grab a few cookies?”

  “Oh, of course! Yes, go for it. Take as many as you want.”

  “Don't tell me that. I might devour the whole table.”

  Lynda giggled while Ruby grabbed a few cookies. Ruby waved and went over to one the nurses who was preparing paperwork. When the two of them went to a chair near the back, Lynda flipped around. She held the edge of the table.

  That went better than expected. A ghost tour would make me shiver, but at least I could hold her hand.

  “So, is that the crush?”

  She hiccupped, jumped, and flipped around to shoot Ray an angry glare. “Hey, don't sneak up on people like that! You could give someone a heart attack, you know.”

  “We're in the perfect place for any medical emergency. There's nurses everywhere.”

  “You're ridiculous.”

  He smirked. “And your face is red. Care to share with the class?”

  Lynda glanced around anxiously. “Let's go outside for some air. I don't want to be within earshot.”

  She did her best to resist the urge to look at Ruby. Not only would the sight of blood make her woozy, but the sight of Ruby would make her symptoms worse. She fanned herself as her and Ray pushed through the double doors and stood out on the sidewalk.

  “All right, dish it out,” he insisted. “Or else I'm going to scare you into spilling the tea.”

  “She's so cute. I just can't help staring at her!”

  “Where did you meet her?”

  “In the Halloween store just up the street. She was working when I picked out this costume.”

  He wiggled his eyebrows. “Did she help you try it on?”

  “Oh my God, Ray!” She giggled while covering her mouth. “No, she just pointed me in the right direction. I mean, if she had offered...” She shook her head. “I have to see if we have a connection first.”

  “I'm sure there's a spark there somewhere. You two were like gawking at each other in the middle of the clinic.”

  “Ugh, was it that obvious?”

  “Only mildly.”

  She closed her eyes as the wind greeted her cheek and sighed. “I just can't help it. I haven't had this type of attraction in a while.”

  “So, explore it! You're only here for the duration of your studies. You might as well enjoy your time spent in little old Salem.”

  “I'm not used to feeling things, Ray.”

  “Aw, Logical Lynda is growing up.” He wiped at a fake tear at the edge of his eye and sniffled. “Look at you having a crush!”

  She shoved him playfully. “All right, that's enough tea for you, mister. We should get back in there before the warden locks us in solitary.”

  “You really are the most, you know that?”

  “And so are you. That's why we were instant besties.”

  He chuckled while grabbing the door. “After you, Miss Pinky.”

  “What a gentleman.”

  The clinic was filled with the sound of hushed conversation and white noise from the televisions in each corner of the room. As Lynda went back to helping the nurses behind the front desk, she couldn't help stealing glances from Ruby.

  And Ruby was looking right back at her.

  Chapter Three

  Ruby

  The boat creaked as Ruby stepped on the deck and led Lynda to the front bench. She patted the space next to her with an inviting grin. “This is my favorite spot.”

  “Why is that?”

  “It's the perfect place to catch a view of a few ghosts.”

  Lynda smiled while bi
ting her lower lip. “You're really into the supernatural, huh?”

  “I always have been ever since I was a kid. I used to see ghosts passing by my door in the middle of the night.”

  Lynda stared, wide-eyed. “What?”

  “Yeah! I swear! I lived with my grandmother for eight years and her house was totally haunted. You can ask Ernest—it's part of one of the carriage ghost tours.”

  Ruby nodded toward a short man wearing cut-off jeans and a plaid shirt. The man looked up and smiled, tapping the bill of his hat as a greeting. Lynda raised a hand in his direction and turned back to Ruby.

  “So, what else did you see?” she asked. “Are you sure it wasn't just the lights of cars flashing over your bedroom window?”

  “I would have known if it were cars. I did all the proper tests.”

  “And what does that entail?”

  “Do you know the baby powder trick?”

  Lynda frowned with confusion.

  Ruby smiled as she continued, “You pour a thin layer of baby powder wherever you think you might have ghosts, somewhere like a doorway or hallway. In the morning, you check it for footprints.”

  Something flashed over Lynda's eyes—was that fear? Ruby took Lynda's hand and patted it reassuringly. “Trust me, there's nothing to be afraid of.”

  “Oh, I'm not scared.”

  “Well, if you do get scared, you're welcome to hold my hand.”

  Lynda smiled slowly and gave Ruby's hand a squeeze. “That sounds like good news.”

  “I promise you'll love this tour. It's the best one Salem has to offer.”

  “I believe you.”

  While the sun set over the horizon, more patrons arrived and filled the seats behind Ruby and Lynda. Ruby glanced back to see that the boat was nearly full. Ernest cleared his throat, commanding her attention as well as the attention of the other tour attendees.

  “Welcome, ghosts and ghouls, to the Wicked Ghost Tour of Salem!”

  A light round of applause erupted all around Ruby. She grinned and nodded encouragingly at Ernest.

  He lifted his hat and ran a hand through his hair. “So, we're about to set sail. Would anyone care to help me with the ropes?”

  Ruby raised her hand immediately. Ernest pointed to her and she hopped up, helping handle the ropes of the sail that would help them out over the water. When she was finished, she took her seat and flashed a smile at Lynda.

  Lynda elbowed her teasingly. “Have you done this before?”

  “Only a handful of times. I can't help myself.”

  “I think you did a fine job.”

  “Do you know much about boats?”

  Lynda shook her head. “Actually, I've never been fond of the water.”

  “Well, that gives you another reason to hold my hand.”

  “I'll gladly take it.”

  Ruby held out her hand and Lynda grasped it, squeezing it as the schooner glided away from the dock. The breeze picked up and caught Ruby's hair. It blew back away from her face and exposed her content grin, causing her to close her eyes as she lent herself over to the salty air.

  “You look so natural here,” Lynda whispered. “Are you this relaxed all the time?”

  “Always,” Ruby replied without opening her eyes. “It's like I'm one with the universe.”

  “Sounds spooky.”

  She giggled. “Only at night, I'm sure.”

  “Do you really think we'll see something tonight?”

  “Are you afraid that you will?”

  Lynda giggled low. “I mean, I'm open to the experience.”

  When she squeezed Ruby's hand, Ruby grinned wider. She directed her gaze to Lynda for a moment, noticing the specks of dusk flickering over Lynda's chestnut brown eyes. There were tiny flecks of gold laid into the brown, giving them a woodland appearance. When Lynda smiled, her eyes seemed to shine brighter.

  Ruby struggled to tear her gaze away. She didn't want to see anything but Lynda, especially since the sun would soon steal away all the light. As the schooner bobbed over the waves, she listened to the rustling of the sail above and honed into Lynda's features. Her eyes wandered from Lynda's eyes to Lynda's chin and then fell below to Lynda's outfit.

  She giggled. “I'm glad to see you're still enjoying that costume.”

  “I didn't have time to change.”

  “It suits you.”

  Lynda blushed. “Thanks.”

  “Do you think, um…?”

  She looked curious. “What?”

  “Could I…?”

  The boat rocked a little harder than usual. Ruby gasped and clung to Lynda's hand, turning to see what in the world Ernest was doing. Ernest blushed and waved nonchalantly.

  “Just a little turbulence as a pilot might say,” he assured. “If you look to your right, you'll find the miniature island where it's rumored a ghostly man with a lamp wanders.”

  The crowd murmured behind Ruby. Lynda squeezed Ruby's hand.

  “Since the sixties,” Ernest went on. “Any ship that sails past this island can catch the slightest groan on the wind. Listen close.”

  The boat fell silent. Ruby's ears perked up, truly listening to see if she could catch the groan of the ghostly man who was troubled. But she didn't catch anything, at least not yet, and she could feel the attention on the boat shift. The wind tickled her skin and she rubbed at the goosebumps forming.

  “Are you cold?” Lynda whispered. “I could give you my cardigan.”

  “I'm just fine. I left my jacket behind because this suit is thick.”

  “You really look dashing in a 17th Century suit.”

  Ruby flushed red. She grinned and tried not to look at Lynda, unwilling to share the image of her reddened cheeks. “You're too sweet.”

  “No, really—I've met a lot of vampires in my life and you're one of the cutest. You smell good, too.”

  “Oh, stop.”

  Lynda giggled and nudged Ruby with her shoulder, keeping their hands together. “You could say it makes me vant to kiss you.”

  Another giggle erupted from Ruby as she covered her mouth, flushing red again when Ernest shot them both a look.

  He cleared his throat. “Would you ladies like to share a little more about the history of Salem's spooky waters?”

  Lynda sat frozen while Ruby perked up. “During the burning times, women were dunked just off the shore over there to see if they were really witches.”

  “That's a good fact, Ruby. Many women endured the fate of witch trials in our very own town. In fact...”

  As Ernest continued spewing facts about the Salem Witch Trials, Ruby returned her conscious attention to Lynda. She could feel Lynda's energy swirling next to her, tickling the very edge of her personal bubble. She scooted closer and closed the gap between them while resting her head on Lynda's shoulder, inviting Lynda to rest on her as well. The simple gesture made her want to burst.

  “...and they would meticulously check the women for marks,” she heard Ernest say. “It was said that any birth mark could be easily misconstrued as the mark of the devil.”

  A round of murmurs erupted behind Ruby. She cocked her head to listen to the whispers between the tourists. Most of them seemed to approve of the tour. She flashed a smile at Ernest as he maneuvered the schooner around the small island and back to the docks.

  “In a moment, we'll return to shore and we can continue our journey through spooky Salem with a carriage ride. Please, ready your tickets for the ghastly coachman who will take you through the streets,” Ernest announced.

  “He's really into it,” Lynda whispered.

  “He learns from the best.”

  Lynda perked up. “Are you referring to you?”

  “Maybe.”

  She laughed. “Well, tell me about it.”

  “I couldn't possibly tell you everything on the first date. I think it requires a second round.”

  “Hmm...I wonder how we'll remedy that?”

  “Are you really that curious about me?”
r />   Lynda nodded warmly. “You caught my eye the other day. Wasn't it obvious?”

  “Oh, I'm a terrible flirt. I can't ever tell if someone is interested in me.”

  “Well, someone is interested in you. And that someone happens to be me.”

  As the boat came to a rocky stop at the docks, Ruby stared at Lynda. She studied Lynda's warm brown eyes; the ones that had gone dark since the sun had set. It hadn't taken long for the light to leave them but the lanterns picked up the slack, barely illuminating the surface of the boat and the brown eyes that were staring right back.

  She gave Lynda a crooked grin. “That's pretty cool.”

  “I mean, that's one way to put it.”

  “I'm not used to this.”

  “To what?”

  Ruby shrugged shyly. “Having someone interested.”

  She felt a magnetic tug in her gut. It inspired her to lean forward, keeping her gaze locked on Lynda. While she parted her lips, she considered how Lynda's glossy lips might taste. The pure attraction of Lynda's lips was what was pulling her in and she couldn't stop—not even if she wanted to stop. The darkness seemed to shroud them like a curtain as she lifted her hand to touch Lynda's cheek, guiding Lynda closer.

  Ernest cleared his throat. “Would you two like to, uh, stick around for a few more minutes?”

  Ruby blushed and blinked away her embarrassment. She looked around and noticed the boat was empty of tourists. Most of them had trickled up the dock toward the carriage with a white horse that was waiting to take them around the town.

  “Sorry,” she said quickly. “I got lost.”

  “That happens. How did I do for my first time?”

  “It was excellent!”

  “Five stars, truly,” Lynda added. “I'm not usually into ghost tours, but it had me hooked.”

  “From what I could tell, there wasn't a piece of fish bait that could have possibly pulled you two from each other,” Ernest teased. “But thank you for the vote of confidence.”

  “We'll just be a few more minutes. I know how the boss gets when we linger on his precious equipment.”

  Ernest laughed. “I trust you'll put it back the way you found it if you happen to make a mess.”

  Ruby's eyes widened. “Ernest!”

  He laughed as he stepped from the boat, waving his hat behind him as a farewell. When he was gone, Ruby bit her lower lip. She was blushing again.