Page 25 of Ghost
“Yeah, I thought a lot about it as I was trying to fall asleep last night.”Mason was about to walk into the small kitchen but stopped before crossing the threshold.“Holy shit!”
“What is it?”Mitch asked, sounding alarmed.
“Look,” Mason said, pointing to the center of the room.
In all the dust a word had been written.Francis.
“Uh, who the hell is Francis?”Mitch asked, looking over Mason’s shoulder.“Who could have gotten in here?I’m sure that we locked everything up.”He started to look around.“I’ll go check on the tools.”
Paul looked over Mason’s shoulder, then at Mason.“A friend of yours?”
Mason smiled.“Yeah, I think so.”
“A ghost?”Paul’s voice was a whisper.
“I’m thinking so.”Mason took a step into the room to take a closer look.The word was in an old-fashioned script.It was almost pretty to look at.
“Is it that woman you were talking about yesterday?”His voice a bit shaky this time.
“I don’t think so.”Mason looked back towards his friend.“There’s another one that’s been hanging around up here.A man.I have a feeling this is his name.”
“All the tools are there, right where we left ‘em,” Mitch reported.“That’s just...creepy.”
“Naw, it’s all good,” Mason said.“Let’s get this day started.”
“Yeah, we’re almost done with all the wiring.Then we can start running tests,” Paul said turning and pushing Mitch back towards the stairs.
“But what about...that name and all....”Mitch started to complain.
“I think Mason’s got that covered.”Paul physically turned Mitch by the shoulders making him face the stairs.
“What the hell, man,” Mitch said.
“We got work to do,” Paul chuckled.
“You guys are freaks,” Mason heard Mitch’s voice sounding almost shrill.He couldn’t help but laugh at his friends.
Looking around at the gutted room, Mason smiled.“So...your name’s Francis?”He slowly turned back towards the kitchen door, knowing he’d see his male ghost.Sure enough, he was standing there, smiling.
Mason could see yet more color, the sepia tones seeming to fade towards the outside of his image.“You look really good today,” he said, smiling back.
That appeared to make Francis smile even more.
“How come you can’t talk but that woman downstairs can?”Mason asked.
Francis’ face changed dramatically.First it was shock, then anger and then something that Mason couldn’t figure out.Francis was starting to fade.
“Please, don’t go,” Mason rushed to say before he was completely gone.“I want to know all about you.”
Francis didn’t fade anymore, but his face was without expression.
“I like it when you’re here.”Mason took a step towards Francis.“I just wish you could speak to me.You’re very handsome, by the way.”
That pleased Francis apparently since he became more solid looking.He even smiled a bit, then looked down towards the floor.Mason was sure that he would have been blushing had he been standing there in person.Alive and not...well, dead.
“Hey, I have an idea.”Mason started to walk towards Francis.“Excuse me,” he said, wanting to pass Francis.
Mason was startled when Francis tilted his head back, clearly laughing but with no sound coming from him.A moment passed but he did step aside.
