Page 26 of Ghost
“I’m not sure what’s so funny,” Mason said, frowning.“I just wanted to get past you.”He looked at Francis again and then it dawned on him.“Oh.I could have just...walked right through you?”
Francis nodded, smiling, and probably laughing.Mason just rolled his eyes.
“Anyway, I was wondering if you could use this?”He pulled a small writing pad and pencil down from the fireplace mantle in the dining room.He’d use it to make lists of things they needed or measurements for things.“If you can write in the dust, then maybe you could use this?”
Francis shrugged, and then slowly nodded.Then the handsome ghost pantomimed how it would tire him and take time.
“Ah, okay.”Mason shrugged as well.“Only if you can or want to.”
Francis smiled again, and then nodded towards the fireplace.
“You want me to put this back there?”Mason asked, holding up the pad and pencil.
Francis nodded.
“Sure.”Mason replaced the items back where they were.“You can leave me notes if you would like.”
Francis nodded, then looked towards the stairwell and then slowly faded away.There were only wisps of smoke, or fog, or whatever it was, remaining when Mason sighed.
“Guess I should get some work done.”
It was getting close to lunch time by the time Mason had finished everything in the kitchen area that he could do.He was about to get some water when he heard a ruckus coming from downstairs, Mitch yelling and then Paul.
Mason flew down the stairs.“What’s happened?What’s wrong?
Paul started laughing, pointing at Mitch.“He just got a mouthful of brick, but only after one fell on his foot and another nearly hit him in the head.I tried to warn him.”
Mitch was hopping around on one foot, one hand holding his ankle and the other wiping dust from his face.
Mason quickly approached Mitch.“You okay, buddy?Do you need to go to the hospital?”
Mitch glared at Mason.“No.I don’t need no damn hospital.”He then pointed to the brick wall that stuck out into the room.“That wall ain’t too solid.I should sue your ass, ‘cept you ain’t got nothing.”
Mason rolled his eyes, knowing that Mitch didn’t mean a word of it.“Just sit down and let me have a look at your foot.Paul, would you run upstairs and get a bottle of water and one of those towels?”
Paul chuckled again.“Yep.I’m on it.”
Mason looked towards the wall.He could see where Mitch had been trying to knock a hole into it to run some wiring for an outlet.
“I thought you could use a couple of outlets on that wall,” Mitch said, nodding his head to where a few bricks had come loose and fallen, causing the injury, not only to his foot, but his ego as well, it appeared.
“Thanks for that.”Mason helped his friend get his shoe off.“I’d thought of that but hadn’t said anything.”
“That wall is only one brick deep, so it’s not structural.”
Mason pulled Mitch’s sock off.He flexed the foot as he examined it.
“Ouch, that fucking hurts, ya know!”Mitch jerked his foot away from Mason.
“I’m just making sure it isn’t broken.Sorry for caring about my best bud.”Mason sat back on his heels, kneeling next to Mitch.
Mitch huffed a bit.“Okay, sorry.I don’t think it’s broken.Might be a little bruised, is all.”
“Okay, that’s a relief.Can’t afford another hospital bill right now.”
“Here’s the water and towel,” Paul said as he came down the stairs.He handed it to Mason.
“Thanks, Paul.I think the foot is okay.”Mason smiled at Mitch.“It’s probably going to be sore.”
