Tuesday, October 24, 2017

Happy Halloween! A Ghost Story







Happy Halloween!

Ghost Story

Mom, Dad, Robby, and Sandra gathered around the campfire. The orange and blue flames crackled beneath the thick marine fog that shielded them from the outside world. It was the last night of their vacation, and they had to get an early morning start for home, the next day. So after the marshmallows had been roasted and consumed and snuggles had been shared all around, the children were ordered to bed. Each child begged their dad to tell one of his famous ghost stories before they retired.

“Not tonight,” mom said, after watching dad roll his eyes.

“Awww!” Came the chorus of disappointment from the kids.

“Hey, Dad! What is that smell?” Sandra asked, stalling, but wrinkling her nose at the putrid stench.

“Smells like someone forgot to close off their sewage hose. Now, get to bed. I’ll be there in a minute to kiss you good night.”

The children sulked up the steps and into the trailer. The water came on in the bathroom, the toilet flushed two times, and the sibling spats began.

“Robby, stop pinching me,” Sandra groaned.

“I didn't…” Robby snapped.

"But dad, Robby...," Sandra complained.

“Get in bed,” mom interrupted from her place at the bonfire. Dad stood, and after stirring the embers, he entered the trailer.

“Bed, both of you,” dad said, kissing each child on the forehead. He tucked the blankets in around them tightly. Dad turned off the lights and waited a moment. When he was satisfied, they’d settled in, and their breathing had become rhythmic, he crept back out to the fire.

“Sandra tried to tell me someone pinched her and that Robby was nowhere near her," dad laughed. "But she's right. The mixture of salt air and sewage smells like death!” dad said, sitting back in his camp chair, lighting a cigar. He blew out the smoke slowly, letting it mask the foul air. Mom handed him an open bottle of beer.

They sat back enjoying the rumble of the ocean in the distance and the crackling of the fire. Dad had just started to relax when the giggling and stomping began. The trailer rocked and shrieks of laughter pierced the quiet of the night. “They were asleep, I swear!” dad grumbled, standing. He doubled his fist and pounded loudly on the exterior of the trailer. The noise ceased.


No sooner had he relaxed in his chair, than the giggling returned. Dad sighed loudly, “If I didn’t know better, I’d say that sounded like the kids from next door.” Dad glanced in mom's direction.

“We haven’t seen them for three days. I heard they went to visit an aunt. Maybe, Sandra is right, and we have a ghost,” mom smirked as dad tossed the half-smoked cigar into the flames and stood. He looked over his shoulder and grinned.

“Here I come! You’d better get into bed! Any kid making noise is going to feel my wrath!” he growled a guttural, spooky, sound deep in his throat as he threw open the door. Dad clomped up the steps loudly, and then stomped through the trailer dragging a foot. He peered behind the curtain to see that the children were fast asleep in their beds. His spooky story evaporated from his mind as he wrinkled his brow and rubbed his chin, perplexed. A childish snicker broke the silence behind him, and someone cleared their throat. Dad spun his breath catching as he searched the dark with his eyes open wide. No one was there.

"That had to be Helen, teasing me," Dad muttered, turning to leave the trailer he walked through a spot of frigid air. "Burr!" he said, rubbing his arms. He reached for his beer, taking a big gulp and swallowing hard, he burped up foam.

Mom looked up with a grin, "Did you settle them down?" she asked.

"You know they were sound asleep," Dad whispered, glaring at Helen. "You followed me inside and giggled."

"What? I did not," Helen insisted. Dad stared.

"You didn't follow me inside and snicker!" he said, wiping perspiration from his brow and staring into mom's eyes. She shook her head. "Then what did we hear? Cause those kids are asleep," dad said, raising his eyebrows. Helen shook her head and shivered.

The next morning, the family awoke to flashing blue lights and police cars surrounding the trailer next door. The door was forced open and inside lay the three children and their father -- dead.

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