Page 15 of Ghost
Mitch turned to face Mason, his face deadpan.“I’m going to need alotmore beer tonight.”He turned back to Paul.“Come on, let’s get this over with.”
“I’m still not gonna look at your ass,” Paul commented over his shoulder as they both climbed the stairs.
Chapter Seven
Mason did a quick surveydownstairs.There was a bathroom, such as it was.It was dingy and none too pretty, but with a good cleaning it would be functional, although it would have to be redone at some point.It appeared that there had been a small kitchen, but it had mostly been removed, leaving only a little cabinet.He figured he could hunt around and perhaps find a few cabinets at a salvage yard, and maybe even a sink and a secondhand stove.He might have to break down and get a refrigerator.That’s all he’d need to survive.When all that was done, he could actually move in, granted they actually got the power and water turned on.
Feeling very pleased with himself, he went back up to the main level of his new home to start work on tearing out the old kitchen.He wasn’t looking forward to demolishing it.A lot of the room was burnt, and he expected that there was going to be substantial water damage from where they’d put out the fire.Mason also knew that this was probably where the majority of what money he had left was going to end up.
“Hell,” he muttered to himself, “I’ll go broke on a room that won’t even be functional.”Mason had enough experience to know that with what little cash he had left, the most he’d be able to do would be to get the wiring done, and the bare minimum to meet the requirements to have the power and water turned back on in the place.He was going to have to find work soon.
Mason walked down the hallway intending to get the six-foot ladder from the front room, and then stopped dead in his tracks, looking up the stairs.He knew his mouth was hanging open, but he couldn't move.
At the top of the stairs there was a man.No, not a man, but the transparent figure of a man.To Mason he looked as if he were one of those sepia tone photographs.A really, reallyoldphotograph.He starred at the man, not moving.The...apparition was dressed in a long coat, vest, an old-fashioned necktie and black pants.His hair was dark and parted on the right side, and he wore a full dark beard and a mustache slightly curved upwards at either end.
And then the man smiled.Mason’s mouth snapped shut and their eyes locked.Mason wasn’t scared.He had the feeling that the man meant him no harm and was actually glad to see him.When he started down the stairs, more like floated, Mason couldn’t help but take a step back, mesmerized by the man who wasn’t a man at all.
As he got closer, Mason couldn’t help but notice how handsome the man was.His light brown eyes were warm, and he could see there was a kindness in them.His smile seemed to broaden as he got closer to Mason and then...he just faded away.
Mason could only stand there, stunned.He didn’t even notice how long he’d been standing there.He finally shook his head, trying to clear his mind, to come to terms with what he’d just seen.Slowly, Mason made his way back towards the burnt-out kitchen.He leaned against the doorway.
“Two ghosts.In one day.”He looked towards the back door.“And damn, he was so good looking too.Nowhecan hang around.”Mason smiled to himself.
After a few more minutes, Mason went and got the ladder that he’d intended to get in the first place, glancing up the stairs hoping to see his male ghost again, but wasn’t too surprised when he didn’t.
Humming to himself, Mason began to take down the few upper cabinets, which proved to be quite the chore.One of them simply disintegrated in his hands, turning to ash, but he got them all out.He’d opened the back door and started tossing out the bits and pieces as he went.
By lunchtime, when Paul and Mitch came down from upstairs, Mason had all the old cabinetry out and was about to start pulling down the bits of drywall that had been patched into and over the old plaster walls.It was going to be a total bitch to get all the old walls out.He’d worked on old plaster before and knew that not only was it a royal pain in the ass, but it was also messy as all get out to remove.
“Looks like someone’s been busy,” Paul said, a smile on his face, looking impressed.
Mitch looked like one of those chimney sweeps out of theMary Poppinsmovie.His frown made him look comical to Mason.
“I’m going to go take a shower,” Mitch said, looking down at himself.“I’ve got dust and grime in places where there should never be any.I’ve even got it in my mouth.”
Mason took pity on his friend.“Go on.”Mason handed him the keys to the apartment.“I’ll run and get us some lunch.Anything in particular you’d like?”he asked Mitch, feeling sorry for him.
