****
Sandy sighed. She missed her Grandma, but didn’t want to get too emotional in front of the kids. A few times in the past few weeks both the kids were acting strangely. At first Sandy thought it was because they moved to a new house and they had to get used to their surroundings. Since school had finished she thought Michael was missing his school friends and being around deaf people. Today was just the tip of the iceberg.
“Thanks for telling me. I loved that doll Baby. Grandma used to read to me and Baby. Thanks for letting me know. Next time you talk to Grandma tell her I miss her reading to me too,” Sandy said, but not believing truly that her son was talking to her Grandma while sitting on a cloud. She humoured him and he stood up and started to choose what he wanted to wear to the swimming pool park.
She stood in the door frame and recalled more than one instance where the kids were following something or babbling to some make believe object. Sandy humoured the eldest as she knew that all children talk to their imaginary friends.
One of her best friends passed away in an accident a few years ago and he was very close to her son. She remembered him saying a number of times, “I’m talking to Ash.” She humoured him then too and said, “Say hello to Ash for me too. Give him a big hug and a kiss.”
Sandy went back to the table and put the baby in the high chair with some cereal for him to nibble on. She put some upbeat music on in the background. She made some toast with peanut butter for Michael and sat back down with a coffee. Michael toddled to his chair and plopped himself up to the table and had his breakfast.
Sandy’s head was busy and full of thoughts. She messaged her husband and inquired if he saw anything funny recently, but he hadn’t a clue what she was talking about. She assumed he didn’t understand. When he got home from work, he would turn on the television and wait for his dinner. Since Sandy mostly worked from home, she always saw to the dinner and inside stuff, whereas, Bill tended to the outside stuff as needed.
Her mind whirled as the past years came back to her, as did, her days as a little girl and the people she talked to. She stifled those memories for years as she didn’t want people thinking she was crazy. She often talked to her Grandparents and heard people walking on the floor. Even recently, she felt someone behind her touch and rest a hand on her shoulder. She startled, thinking it was her husband, but he was still at work. She turned around and no one was there. She could smell the ‘pipe.’ Her Great Grandpa always smoked a pipe and every once in a while she had that smell in her nose and no one smoked in the house.
“What would she tell her husband Bill?” He would probably think she lost her marbles. He didn’t believe in ghosts and spirits. She tried to explain to Bill before about some things that had happened and he brushed them off as random coincidences. She stared across the kitchen, not really focusing on anything in particular, and vaguely listened to the children’s babble. She tilted her head towards the smell.
The kids stopped and looked towards the door frame. “Ash! Ash!” yelled Michael, and Sandy dropped her coffee.
She ran to the sink to grab some kitchen towel to wipe up the coffee that spilled across the table and her newspaper.
“Mommy, say hi to Ash! He’s trying to say hi,” signed Michael.
He got up from his chair and nodded to the figure in the doorway. Sandy could smell it stronger as she neared the door opening; it was Joop. Her friend Ash always wore Joop. He bought a bottle of men’s Joop for her birthday one year because she was always using his cologne. It was suddenly cooler near the opening and Sandy squinted her eyes to look and see any hint or suggestion that someone else was in the kitchen with her and her kids. She was slightly disappointed because she couldn’t see anything.
Michael went back upstairs to his mom’s bedroom. Sandy followed behind. He grabbed the bottle of Joop perfume that was on the dresser and started spraying it.
“Ash said it’s your favourite perfume, that’s why he bought you your own bottle so you wouldn’t steal his,” signed Michael. To Sandy it came out like, “Perfume there, favourite. Ash tell to-me. You perfume, steal. Not yours, his. Mommy funny.” Sandy laughed.
She signed, “Where is he standing right now?” and he pointed beside the dresser. Sandy went over to the dresser and rested her hand on the dresser. She closed her eyes and drank in his smell. “Hand yours, Ash touch finish,” he signed.
Sandy felt a cold feeling on her hand and smiled. She did miss her best friend.
They were together all the time but they lived far apart. He lived in England and she lived in Canada. It was too far away, but she still wrote and visited as often as she could.
Sandy started dating another guy, Bill. Ash and her still remained good friends. She went to England to see him for Easter and they had a great time together. She loved Ash, but knew they lived too far apart. Sandy got pregnant with Michael. She was already living with Bill. When Michael was a few months old, Sandy went back to England to see her family and friends and Ash. He just adored Michael and said that if things didn’t work out for her and Bill, he’d always be there. She was saddened to leave and knew he was seeing a new girl too, but deep down they knew they’d always be a part of each other’s lives.
She didn’t understand the urgency of her Easter visit at the time. She was sitting at the table with Bill and baby Michael on a Friday afternoon; it was a few days from Easter. She suddenly thought, “I gotta go to England, now!”
She assumed that she missed her family, friends and Ash and was homesick for them. She was born in Canada but she went to England when she was 21 to meet family and see the country, when she met him and fell in love. She was back and to England for years and never felt settled. She wanted to be in England, but her parents and siblings were in Canada. She was torn so she kept going back and to. She worked in a factory in England and stayed for quite a while until her parents were missing her, so she came home.
That was at a time where they didn’t have computers or cell phones that fit in one’s pocket (she smirked to herself)
She never forgot that phone call from his brother a month and a half after she got back from England. She had just got home from picking up Michael from the bus and saw a message to call Ash’s brother. So she called on the phone.
“You sitting down?” he had said. He told her that Ash had an accident. The wind fell out of her sails and she crumbled. Tears rolled down her face.
“Mom! Mom!” Michael said pulling on her sweater. “He’s OK. Don’t worry. I know you are sad, but he says be happy. You have a great life and he watches me and Kyle all the time,” Michael signed to her. It was as if he saw what she was remembering and reminded her that he was OK, he was near. “Mom he said, he loved you!”
Sandy touched the side of her head to sign, “I know!” Sandy tried to put on a brave face and went to the bathroom and sobbed. She did adore him. It was like she never really cried before and she let it all out. She wiped her face and put herself back together again.
“OK, time to go to your swimming lesson, Michael,” Sandy said and he skipped to the landing and down the stairs to get his backpack that was in the hallway.
Sandy thought about Ash quite a bit that day. She couldn’t shake the feeling that she was being watched or followed. Many times the next few days she jumped every time she heard a noise and had to shake the goosebumps off her.
Bill took a few days’ holiday to relax with the family. They were going to do some day trips with the kids. They thought of going to this local wild cat zoo. Bill loved that the wild cats were hand raised and they were in the cage, but a few feet away. It was eerie yet exciting. They would swim in the backyard pool and enjoy the warmth of the too short summer. Sandy was looking forward to the four of them spending time together.
They got to the zoo. Sandy was very edgy. Bill kept asking if she was OK, but she didn’t want to talk about it in front of the kids. The kids were watching a cartoon from the backseat. They never hea
rd a peep from them all the way to the zoo. They were too busy giggling and watching the funny cartoon. The kids happily walked along the paths tugging at them every which direction. Michael was ecstatic and enjoying every minute. Kyle was still young. He was giggling at Michael as he skipped and laughed.
Suddenly, her nose perked up again. It was the smell of a pipe. Sandy didn’t know anyone who smoked a pipe anymore. Sandy started to think that either she was pregnant what with all these funny smells and her super sensitive feelings or someone was messing with her head.
Sandy looked around and laughed to herself. She saw this old man sitting on a bench in front of the giraffe enclosure and he was smoking a pipe. He nodded at Sandy as if he knew her. The hair on Sandy’s arms started to calm down along with her heart beat.
“Mommy come on. You are a slow poker!” Michael said. “Slow poke not a slow poker,” Sandy corrected him and Michael burst out in laughter as if what mommy had said was the funniest thing.
They had gotten to the place where the polar bears were swimming and the smell of a pipe was there again. Sandy laughed as she imagined the older gentleman following her with his slightly vanilla and tobacco scented pipe. She turned to wave and couldn’t see him and assumed the gentleman likely walked past.
They went to this large enclosed building and inside it was home to many fruit bats that flew freely through this part of the enclosure. It was a dimly lit room. The man must’ve been in the bat enclosure too and she laughed; as he seemed to be following them. She turned around and followed where the strong odour was coming from but the man was not anywhere to be seen.
Sandy turned to Bill and said she was going to take the kids to the bathroom around the corner. She opened up the door and let Michael go to the bathroom behind her while she changed Kyle’s wet diaper. Sandy laughed because she could still smell the pipe in her nose and thought that it was awfully creepy that this old man appeared to be following her around. Michael was playing in the water and Sandy leaned forward to get him a piece of paper towel and a big whiff of pipe smoke seemed to fog up in front of her and she saw words scribbled on the side of the paper towel dispenser. ‘I love you little beetle!’ and Sandy dropped the paper towel to the floor as she stared at the writing. She whipped out her phone quickly and took a picture of the sign while there was still a puff of fog in the air.
Every hair on Sandy’s body stood erect and she felt like the blood had fell to her feet. Sandy had to hold the wall for a second and quickly got Kyle to his feet while she regained her balance. Her great granddad always called her little beetle because she was always carrying little bugs and worms everywhere as if it was her favourite pet. Sandy would name every little insect that she found.
Sandy ran out to Bill, who immediately asked if she was OK because she was suddenly quite pale. Sandy showed him the picture on her phone and proceeded to tell him about the pipe smoke. Bill said he didn’t smell anything. Bill thought it was a coincidence and they moved on.
Sandy text her mom the picture and asked her what she thought about the picture. A few minutes the text came back and her mom didn’t get what she was trying to get her to notice in the picture. Sandy opened the picture again and all that was there was a picture of the paper towel dispenser and no words on it. Sandy was totally mystified. She felt dazed the rest of the day. She tried to go on about her business the next few days but Sandy couldn’t shake her uneasiness.
“What was it she was meant to know? Was she losing her mind? Was she supposed to get a message?”
After days that turned into weeks, she decided to let it go. Nothing new or spooky had happened for a while so with her busy day to day life, she forgot about it. Life went on and her kids started to grow up.
Several years later, her kids were in their late teens and life was moving along. They had been busy with day to day family activities and there wasn’t time to dwell on the odd things that happened with the kids and her experiences with spirits or ghosts. They really enjoyed their time together as a family. It was finally the weekend and everyone was having a lie in. The kids were out of high school and working at their part time jobs.
Michael had just got into work with his dad for the summer to make money for University in the fall. Sandy never slept in but didn’t mind walking the dog. Sandy started to cook some bacon and got the coffee pot ready, she had a craving for a toasted bacon and tomato sandwich, so she got hers ready first for a change. Usually Sandy was the last to eat, but no one was up and Sandy decided to eat before the others. A rare occasion indeed. The house was very quiet and the only person who was right beside her was the drooling dog who hoped to catch any dropped crumbs.
Sandy sipped her coffee. Every smell tickled her nose. She was reminiscing over the children’s baby pictures on her social media sites. She smiled, and thought to herself that it seemed like yesterday when her two boys were babies. She smelled it again; Joop. She closed her eyes and drank in the smell.
She recalled a time her and Ash went camping and he almost burned his eyebrows off as he put too much kerosene on the campfire and bent forward to light it. Sandy had warned him not to use kerosene and instead be patient with the little bits of kindling and paper to start it up slow, but her silly friend wanted big and bad. Sandy shook her head at the typical macho man ideals.
She smiled. “Ash I do miss you loads. Wish I could feel you one more time?” she said aloud.
She heard footsteps on the stairs and turned to look to see if it was Michael as it was too quiet for it to be Bill. She stood at the stairs and didn’t see anyone. Putting her hand on the railing, with a foot resting on the bottom step, she could hear the light steps and could almost feel the tapping under her feet. Her heart quickened and she was very hyper aware of her surroundings. Going back to her chair, the smell of Joop still lingered in the kitchen. She sipped her coffee and noticed her newspaper was opened to another page. Sandy gasped when she looked down to see it was the travel page. Not only was it the travel page, but it was on Algonquin park where the two of them had gone camping together and he started that huge whoosh of a fire.
“Are you here Ash? Are you really here baby? I miss you so much,” she said and a tear rolled down her face.
She startled as she thought she felt something brush against her face. She felt a warmth inside her chest as her heart pounded nearly outside her chest. She smiled as tears trickled down her cheeks.
She heard the thudding feet come down the stairs.
“Hey Mom, Hi Ash!” said Michael. Sandy nearly fell off her chair. She turned when she heard her husband Bill walk across the landing upstairs and the chatter of Kyle and Bill upstairs.
“Hi Ash!” she said and the smell of Joop and the warmth that she felt was gone as quick as it came.
Out of nowhere, she came across a poem she wrote while she was in England as she sat in the park thinking about Ash after the funeral. She didn’t remember taking it out, but it was there almost as if by magic and she had to stifle her tears so Michael wouldn’t get concerned. As she made him some cereal she read it again…
The other day I went to the park
I walked along the fields of daffodils, crocuses
And other spring flowers.
Although the sky was full of black clouds
Rushing quickly by,
It was a lovely day for a walk about.
I stood by a narrow river and
Spotted may geese standing by the riverside.
Then I moved onto a child’ s swing.
I swung to and fro, feeling so happy
About the wind tossing my hair
And my feeling of being free as a bird.
I gazed across the horizon
And there I saw the most beautiful rainbow ever.
It went from one side of the sky to the other.
I tried to touch it but it was too far from my reach.
Instead, I made a wish on the pot of gold
That lies beneath it.<
br />
The clouds were rolling in much quicker now.
A storm was on its way.
Then a quick as the rainbow and the happiness that I felt, came;
It all disappeared.
And all that was left
Was my memory of it.
She knew she felt him near her, she smelled him, she felt him touch her, she heard him walk down the stairs. Sandy knew all those things, yet if she told anyone, no one would believe her. She felt a little bit more at peace after that. She finally realized she had to let go of her anger at him leaving her so suddenly. She had to let go of her pain as he was OK and she was OK. She had two beautiful grown up children and a lovely husband. She realized she did believe he was watching over the kids and she was OK to move on.
It was almost like he was saying, ‘Hello’ and checking up on her.
She decided while Bill was having breakfast with the boys that she would take the dog for her walk. Their dog was a big furry friendly giant of a dog. It was so hot and she did not do well in the heat so Sandy walked her early in the morning and later at night. Bailey was skittish and didn’t like noises of cars or anything loud so Sandy walked her near the escarpment at the park which was behind her son’s elementary school. She’d spent many years walking back and forth to the school, and every time she shook her head wondering where all those years had gone.
The morning was quiet and the heat was coming in quickly. There was a lot of trees around so it was somewhat shady. At the far end of the field there were a few clearings to hike around and up the little hill. Sandy unleashed Bailey and let her sniff about following one scent after another. A little to the right, about thirty feet away, was a steep hill Sandy liked to climb up and scurry down. She saw a teenager near the top of the hill with a pink tee shirt and shorts. Sandy watched as her feet appeared to go faster than her body wanted her to, turning she watched her puppy flit from one branch to another throwing up a branch and catching it, then gnaw on it as she had her paws holding it down. Then Bailey would catch sight of a falling leaf; it was like one adventure after another. Sandy spent time laughing at the silly dog.
Sandy caught sight of the girl again and immediately thought to herself she’d better walk the few feet over towards the now running girl, because Sandy knew it would be a matter of time before she went head over tea kettle. Sandy looked down so she wouldn’t trip stepping over two huge felled twenty foot trees. When she got to the clearing where the girl should have intersected with her, she looked with confusion. Sandy cocked her head to the side and her eyebrows furrowed. She looked to the left and the right then straight back to the view of the whole baseball field. Sandy saw nothing, she heard not a twig crack or a sound of anything but her puppy behind her. Bailey rushed to sit beside her and looked straight up the clearing and sat patiently for Sandy to move. She scratched the dog behind her ears and again scanned the area which was clear so anything or person could easily have been spotted. Sandy stood there around twenty minutes watching and listening for any movement. Her dog went back to sniffing any scent it would pick up.
Sandy was mystified, she had no clue where the young girl had disappeared to. It was like she had vanished into thin air. Bailey came skipping along to Sandy and looked into the field as if to say, “Come on, what are you waiting for? Let’s go!” Sandy and the dog finally made their way back towards home, though she kept looking back. If the girl came out of the woods she’d have to come from those two areas that were cleared, but Sandy saw not even a tree shake and stir.
When she got back home she told Bill what had happened and Bill brushed off her story. He said she likely didn’t notice the girl probably went another direction she didn’t see. Sandy knew differently because if she had been there. Bailey would have found her for sure. Sandy decided she’d go back the next day and look for more clues, if any. The mystery left her unsettled for the rest of the day. For days nothing came to her.
“What was that girl trying to tell her? Were there clues she was missing? What did this all mean with Ash showing up and this strange young girl?”
Sandy wasn’t sure what caused the surge of strange happenings again. She talked to Michael and Kyle one day and they remembered bits and pieces of random stories. Michael smiled as he recalled pieces of sitting on a cloud with Great Grandma. He couldn’t remember the day she nearly fainted in the bathroom at the zoo, but Sandy finally shared her thoughts with the kids and Bill. Sandy didn’t know what to expect, but finally came to peace with the fact that someone felt the need to contact her to let her know the people who had crossed over, were doing fine. She smiled and the kids huddled closer to hug her.
Bill finally believed she really was feeling spirits when he had smelled for himself one day a random smell of someone smoking a pipe. He knew, he saw the picture with his own eyes, he read the writing and then it was gone. It was OK now. They came to understand people sometimes cross over, but need the people they left behind to know, that they are watched over. They felt at peace with that. Bill really started to believe when he felt his Nan behind him one day. He too could smell her perfume, Nanny only wore that perfume and no one else was about that day.
He smiled and said, “Hi Nanny. I’m doing great. How are you?” He heard Nanny’s empty rocking chair - they inherited after her passing, start to creak and rock on the old wooden floors. He reached out to hold Nanny’s hand from beside his chair and he truly felt she was right there beside him too.
Soul Man
Claire Plaisted
The moon shone down eerily on the green-gray waves glancing on the body guiding it to the shore. Gently the waves propelled him towards the sandy beach. His body rolling over as it hit the sands; his empty eyes staring blankly up towards the wan moon as his body finally settled onto the sand. His long black hair swirled in the seawater each time the waves rushed over his body leaving seaweed and sand on his semi-naked body.
His soul lifted from his body looking around in surprise. Shaking his hair out of the way, he tied it back off his face. Glancing down he saw a body, frowning, he knelt beside it peering into the face stumbling away, a choking sound escaping him. Lifting up his hands, he gazed as them, they looked real enough. He whipped his head around searching for whoever was playing with him. How could he be standing here on the beach looking at his own body? It wasn’t possible surely?
He was so intense in thought; he didn’t see the golden retriever racing down the beach barking with excitement enjoying its freedom. He looked up just before the dog knocked him to the sand washing his face confusing him even more. If he was dead, and that was his body why could the dog could see him and knock him down. Things were getting really weird.
Dawn was rising, the grey sky getting lighter as the stars started to wink out, an orange glow in the horizon, the sun crept came up. The dog raced around him, jumping joyfully. Suddenly, the dog paused; his nose sniffing the air. The dog found the body in the edge of the waves, covered with seaweed and sand. Sitting down beside the body he began to howl.
“Oscar where are you?” a female voice carried over the beach, “What’s wrong.” A young woman came running past the headland, racing towards her dog skidding to a stop when she saw the body.
“Oh my god,” she whispered rapidly backing away. Yanking out her cell phone she rang the police before cautiously approaching the body. Crouching beside his head, she put two fingers against his throat hoping to find a pulse, there wasn’t one. Looking up into his handsome face, she gently closed his eyes murmuring before making the sign of the cross.
“Hush Oscar, there’s nothing we can do.
“Excuse me miss, could you tell me where I am?” The dog whined, looking at him before barking at his mistress. Standing Oscar walked over and lay next to the man, licking his hand. “She can’t see me like you can eh Oscar?” he said quietly scratching the dog’s ear watching the woman pace up and down as if she was waiting for something or someone.
“Do you think I’m
really dead Oscar? I can’t say I feel like I am.” Oscar whimpered licking his face the woman turned.
“What’s the matter Oscar?” The dog ignored her laying his head on the sand closing his eyes. “You’re acting really odd today,” she said,
The police and ambulance finally arrived. Susie turned looking up towards the car park listening to car doors slamming. A detective with his partner walked slowly towards her. “Ma’am,” said the detective.
“Over there,” she said pointing towards the waters’ edge.
“Please take a statement Konrad,” he said to his partner as he casually walked the short distance to the body.
The paramedics were next to arrive along with the coroner. Detective Caldwell looked down at the body, sadness filling his eyes at the waste of yet another young life. Turning towards the woman, “Did you touch him at all ma’am?”
“Only to see if he was alive or not,” she replied, tears suddenly tumbling from her eyes.
“Do you know him?”
“No detective, I’ve never seen him in my life.”
“Did you or your dog find the body?”
“Oscar found him. He was off the lead and rounded the headland behind us. Barking happily, he took off, and I found him sitting here howling.”
“Strange he is lying over there now,” he said frowning.
“He looked like he was jumping up at something, then he settled on the sand. As I approached he moved to where the body is and howled,” she said. “Then went back to where I saw him jumping.”
The detective looked over at the dog wondering what he’d seen. “After you’ve given your statement and contact details to Detective Konrad you may go,” he said, looking up as the coroner and paramedics’ started to do their jobs.
“Could you keep me updated? I’d like to know what happened.”
“I’ll see what I can do ma’am,” he replied before turning away to speak with the coroner.
Calling Oscar to her side, she put his leash on, he whimpered turning back to look at the man sitting on the sand. Susie walked away pulling Oscar along. Looking back, he barked once making everyone jump. The man smiled getting to his feet following them across the beach.
Happy now, Oscar jumped and ran trying to pull Susie over, eager to get home for his breakfast.
“Will you behave,” she said sternly pulling him back.
“Shush Oscar, your worrying your mum,” said the man. Barking once, he settled down, happy with his lot. “I wonder why she can’t see me.”
“I wonder who he was. It’s sad to see people dying at such a young age,” she muttered her head down, tears sliding over her cheeks once more. “He was so attractive too; I wonder where he came from.”
“Hey Oscar, she thinks I’m handsome,” he laughed delighted. “Must admit your owner is rather cute,” Oscar barked as if agreeing with him.
Rounding the headland, Susie made her way to the steps cut into the cliff face, slowly walking up them. Oscar off his leash again bounded on ahead while the soul man followed Susie watching her lush hips sway from side to side, a smile crossing his face. At the top of the cliff, Susie caught her breath while Oscar ran for home barking excitedly, he jumped over the gate skidding to a halt at the back door panting.
“You’re eager today sweetheart,” she said opening the gate and walking through. Behind her, the soul man stopped, looking up at her home in awe. It was a simple yet beautiful two storey stone house with huge bay windows on the ground floor. Towering over it was a lighthouse which seemed to hit the sky. Everything was painted white except the roofs which were a bright-red slate. Lush green grass surrounded the cottage; it was mixed in with beach grasses and flowers. The place looked grand, sturdy and well kept.
Approaching the gate, he walked through it and up to the door, it wasn’t until he was beside Oscar that he looked back; blinking realizing he’d not opened the gate.
“I must be dead,” he muttered shoving his hands in his pockets. “Who am I, where did I come from, and why am I hear. Those are the questions I need answering,” he sighed.
The breeze from his sigh caught the back of Susie’s hair lifting it gently. She turned frowning, looking him directly in the face; not seeing him. Brushed her hair back into place she turned away, unlocking the door.
Walking inside Susie fed Oscar his biscuits; pouring herself a coffee. Sipping it, she sat at the counter pulling the newspaper in front of her to catch up with the local news. Nothing much happened in small-town New Zealand, though finding the body would make big news. She wondered how long it would be before reporters arrived, if at all. The last thing she needed since she was in hiding. She was glad her home was a few kilometres outside the town, generally nobody bothered her. Soul man sat on the couch Oscar laying at his feet a happy smile on his face.
“So Oscar; dog of the lovely lady; how am I supposed to find out who I am?” Susie turned the page of the newspaper; one hand stilled the other rested against her throat; blood draining from her face. Soul man jumped up rushing to the counter peering over her shoulder wondering what was wrong; nothing seemed to be out of place. The news was unexceptional.
“Oh god,” she whispered shoving back on her stool right through him shivering as goose-bumps spread over her body. “Shit,” she muttered beginning to pace the kitchen. Soul man stared looking down at his body realising once and for all; he was dead.
Susie grabbed the phone punching numbers in waiting for it to connect. “I can’t do this anymore,” she whispered, “What’s wrong Susie?”
“First I find a body on the beach and now my stalker’s back. You’ll have to move me.”
“You’ll be fine,” said Aimee.
“It’s not fine. He’s murdered one of my best friends in town,” she replied fiercely.
“I’ll look into it; hold on tight Susie, we’ll sort it out.” Susie slammed the phone down, sitting on the couch her knees drawn up; she rocked back and forth tears streaming across her face. She prayed the horror would stay away, knowing it probably wouldn’t.
Oscar climbed on the couch snuggling into her, nuzzling her face making her smile weakly as she buried her face in his soft silky coat. Soul man watched on. “Lucky bugger,” he muttered.
Looking down at the newspaper, he found the article about the woman who’d been murdered during the night. Finding her name, he wondered if her body would be at the morgue with his, if so just maybe her soul was walking around too. His decision made he looked at Oscar.
“Look after your mum while I go see what’s happened to her friend,” he said. The dog whined before settling down for a long cuddle with his owner.
Walking out of the house, he made his way towards the town, looking around him in curiosity. He’d never seen such lush and beautiful countryside before. The roadside was tidy and not overgrown. He saw some strange plants; some he was sure were ferns; however, they were enormous instead of the usual small ones he was used to. He continued forward entering a glade where the road ran through, it was rather narrow, the huge trees making it look like a tunnel. He was awed by this place. Cars drove past him seemingly on the wrong side of the road; he shook his head in disbelief until he saw two cars travelling in opposite directions pass each other with care.
“Well, I sure as hell ain’t in America,” he muttered.
“Nah mate you’re in Aotearoa,” laughed a Maori guy walking beside him.
“Who the ... Who are you and where did you come from?”
“I live here mate.”
“Where the hell’s Aotearoa, or however you say it? How come you can see me?”
“I’m like you lad,” he grinned, “you’re in New Zealand in a small town on the east coast.”
“How the heck did I get to New Zealand?”
“Can’t say, I never left these shores,” he shrugged. “You got a name?”
“No idea.”
“Clever that,” he said.
“What�
�s your name?”
“Irirangi,” he replied.
“It means spirit voice.
“Rather apt I suppose,” smiled soul man.
“So where you going?” Asked Irirangi.
“There was a murder in town last night; I was going to see what I can find out.”
“Yeah Shelly died,” Irirangi said sadly, “she was a wonderful young woman.”
“You knew her?”
“She was born long after my death, though I still see what’s going on walking the town like I do.”
“Just how long have you been here?”
“I don’t really know; time isn’t the same. I died in 1889, been lots of changes since then.”
Soul man spluttered stopping in his tracks, “bloody hell you’ve been dead and wandering for over 120 years Irirangi.”
“No wonder so much has changed,” he laughed.
By this stage, both soul men were in the town standing by the clock tower watching the comings and goings of the locals.
“Why’d you think you’re still here Irirangi?”
“Well I’m not sure. I think I’ve something I need to do, and so far I haven’t found what it is.”
“You visit your family here?”
“They all gone now mate, left for bigger and better places.”
“How sad for you, it makes me wonder how long I’m going to be here for. By the way, what’s the name of the town?”
“Castle Point, named by Captain Cook himself,” he laughed.
“The original Maori name is Rangwhakaoma which means ‘where the sky runs’ this here is the site of the first settlement. The lighthouse is automated now. However, the cottage was bought a few years back by a young woman. She’s a bit of a mystery.”
“You know a lot of the history,” he smiled.
“Yeah I do. You the bloke they found at the beach this morning?”
“Yeah, was a bit of a shock to the system.”
“I bet. You remember what happened?”
“No, though the lady who found me, her dog can see me, for some reason.”
“Yeah well animals are rather sensitive. You know who she is?”
“It was your mystery lady who found me, well her dog anyway.”
“Bit of a shock for her, the poor woman,” he said. “So why you interested in the woman who was murdered?” He asked.
“Apparently, she’s a friend of the lady who found me.”
“Oh, not good, I bet she’s frantic.”
“Aye she is,” he sighed. “You know where it happened, has her soul stayed behind?”
“Yeah, over by the small theatre, and with been murdered her soul won’t be back, until such time as she wants revenge or visits someone. Murder takes a lot out of the soul.”
“Well if that’s the case maybe I wasn’t murdered.”
“Likely.”
“Well maybe I’ll catch up with you later. I’m going to see what happened.”
“Be careful, things are not always what they seem, haerea ra.”
“Whatever, seems you’ll be teaching me a new language next time,” he laughed.
“Means good-bye,” he said chuckling, wand
To Be Continued…
Spools of Thread
Ashley Uzzell
Ghostly Writes Anthology 2016 Page 42