Page 21 of Ghost
“I guess I’ll finish up here in the kitchen, then,” Mason said, finishing his bottle of water.“It won’t take me too much longer I don’t think, but if you need me, I can drop it and help.”
Mitch shook his head.“Naw, I think Paul and I can manage, but we’ll holler if we need ya.”
“Okay then, sounds like we’re all on the same page.”Mason took his own shirt off and dropped it on the floor in the dining room, close to the cooler.
Paul and Mitch each took another bottle of water and headed off downstairs to start.Mason got out a heavy-duty trash bag so he could finish cleaning up the mess he’d made the day before.It wouldn’t take him but a few minutes and then he could start ripping out the rest of the old wall plaster.
He’d bent over to pick up a large piece of old plaster when he saw a movement out of the corner of his eye.When he stood up, he saw his handsome ghost standing in the doorway between the kitchen and the hall.Today, Mason could make out the little bit of color on his vest, a deep burgundy with some kind of embroidery.He was even less transparent than he had been the day before.It was like his image was getting stronger.
Mason looked into his eyes and was surprised that the man’s expression seemed heated.He watched as the ghost’s eyes traveled up and down his body, then locked onto Mason’s eyes.Mason knew that look and it was the look of desire.
“Good morning,” Mason said, keeping eye contact with the ghost.“You like?”he asked, running his hand down his chest, flattening the little bit of chest hair he had.There was a coat of sweat covering Mason’s entire body.
There was no mistaking the look as the ghost followed Mason’s hand, which stopped just at the waistband of his cut off Levi’s.
Mason watched as the ghost’s eyebrows shot up, his eyes locked on Mason’s again and then he quickly vanished.It wasn’t that slow fading away that Mason had started to get used to.It was more like someone turning off a light switch.It was instantaneous.
“Guess he couldn’t quite handle that,” Mason chuckled and then started working.Hmm...a gay ghost.How cool wouldthatbe!
A little while later, Mason stopped and retrieved his shirt with the sole purpose of using it as a sweat rag.The sweat was pouring off his head, stinging his eyes.Once he could see, he pulled three bottles of cold water from the cooler with the intent of taking two of them down to Mitch and Paul.When he turned around to go downstairs, he came face to face with his handsome ghost.
“Shit!”Mason jumped back slightly.“Damn, you scared me.”Mason couldn’t help but smile at the ghost, who seemed a bit startled himself.“You know, we really should stop meeting like this.”
The ghost’s eyebrows rose slightly.“It’s a joke,” Mason explained, gaining a slight grin from the guy.Then, his head cocked slightly to the right, his eyes appeared to sparkle a little.
“Can you tell me your name?”Mason asked.
The ghost opened his mouth, but there was no sound, and then he frowned.He looked into Mason’s eyes and then faded away.
Mason sighed.“Guess not.”
He shook his head slightly and went downstairs to the lowest level to check on the guys’ progress.When Mason stepped off the last step, he was instantly accosted by the screeching woman with both fists clenched and coming right at him again.As before, she went right through him, leaving him with that same feeling as before, but even more damp, and a stench that made him want to hurl.This time, there was also a distinct bad taste in his mouth.
“Yuck!”He wiped his lips with his sweaty forearm.“That’s just gross.”
“What’s gross?”Mitch asked as he approached Mason.“That for us?”He reached for one of the bottles of cold water.
“Yeah,” Mason answered, looking behind him.
“What’s the matter?Seen a ghost?”Mitch laughed, before chugging half the water.
“You didn’t?”Mason asked, really wanting to know.
Mitch’s eyebrow shot towards the ceiling.“You still going on about that shit?Naw, man, I ain’t seen no ghosts.”
Paul came in from the back door, his face flushed from the heat.“You seen another ghost?”He also took a bottle of water and drank half of it in one go.
“Not another ghost, but the same one.”Mason also took a long drink.“An old woman, gray hair, a long black dress, screaming her head off.”
Mitch looked at Paul and then back to Mason.“You’re serious about this shit, ain’t ya?”
“I can’t believe you didn’t see her, or even more, didn’thearher!”Mason looked at Paul who shook his head.
“Nope.Didn’t see or hear anything, but then I’ve been outside for the last bit,” Paul said, shrugging his shoulders.“I believe ya, though.”
Mitch’s mouth fell open as he looked at Paul.“Really?You believe in ghosts?”
“I think I do now.”Paul shrugged again.“I’m starting to think that anything is possible.”
