Haunted Ever After Page 2

  I froze. ‘The dryer?’

  ‘Yeah, it’s still soaked as you can see.’

  And as he couldn’t see, there’d been a ghost in our dryer only moments ago and no way in hell was I going near that appliance again. I never thought a clothes dryer could give me Post Traumatic Stress Disorder but I was sure I’d collapse in a fit of panic if I had to open that circular door.

  ‘Um, I’ll just…’ I walked to the dining table, which also had PTSD potential thanks to the memory of Ghost Woman perched on it. ‘…hang it on this chair overnight. No need to waste electricity when good old air can do the trick.’ I forced a smile as I positioned the jacket on the back of the chair, and from behind it looked like the ghost of a headless man sitting at the table waiting for his dinner. Not that he’d be able to eat it on account of the missing head, but still. Freaky.

  ‘As long as it doesn’t get that rain smell. Maybe it should be washed instead, whack it in the washing machine overnight?’

  ‘No. Let it dry first. It’ll be fine.’ I ushered him to the bedroom before he decided to unpack his suitcase and instigate a washing and drying spree.

  Greg kicked off his shoes and yawned. ‘I need a quick shower, back in a sec.’

  I huddled under the covers as still as a rock until he returned, thankful that a certain woman didn’t return. Maybe Greg had scared her off. Maybe she’d had her fun and was making her way down the street, visiting every house to see what other terror she could evoke. But the woman had said she’d dated someone I knew, so it mustn’t have been a random visit. Did she mean Greg? Greg had never mentioned anyone he knew dying. Maybe it was Rick. My brother was never that talkative about his love-life, or apparent lack of one. Or it could be Dale. But why would she haunt me, why not Dale’s sister or someone else closer to him?

  Greg’s warm, fresh-smelling body sidled up close to me and I sighed with relief. It was all okay now. I was safe. I strung my arm across his chest and nestled in.

  ‘Mmm,’ he whispered. ‘I’ve missed you.’

  ‘I’ve missed you too.’ I smiled and kissed his forehead, then his nose, then his mouth, and he moaned in that way that told me he wasn’t quite ready to fall asleep. He rolled on top of me and caressed my face, sprinkling me with warm, soft kisses, his lips still wet from the shower. I wrapped my arms around him and savoured his affection. It had been two weeks since we’d had any. As his kisses trailed down my neck I ran my fingers through his damp hair, watching the shadows from the windswept tree dance across the ceiling.

  ‘Sure, go right ahead. Forget I’m even here!’ Ghost Woman appeared above us, her arms crossed and face creased in annoyance.

  ‘Argh!’ I pushed Greg off and scrambled to my feet, yanking the blanket off the bed and wrapping it around me. My heart pounded and my nerves sharpened at the ready like soldiers awaiting attack.

  Ghost Woman laughed her ear-splitting laugh.

  ‘Sal, what on earth is wrong?’ Greg’s dumbfounded expression replaced his desire-filled one from before, as he lay semi-reclined on his back, propped up by his elbows.

  There’s a ghost watching us make out.

  I drew a deep breath and clenched the blanket to my chest. ‘Um…it was just…’ I glanced at the ghost who was circling her hand as though waiting for me to spill the beans. ‘There was a spider. On the roof.’ I pointed.

  ‘Where?’ Greg stood and turned on the bedside lamp, peering at the roof. ‘I don’t see it.’

  ‘You don’t see anything?’ The woman was still there, floating near the ceiling.

  ‘Only the peeling paint in the corners. We really must get this place repainted.’

  Oh great. I was dealing with an annoying, perverted ghost and all he could think about was home renovations?

  ‘Are you sure it wasn’t just a shadow?’ he asked, glancing around the room, lifting pillows and peering behind furniture.

  ‘Oh. Maybe it was. It looked like a spider, but I’m probably still on edge from before.’

  ‘Well, I can’t see anything. Let’s forget about it and continue where we left off, yeah?’ He flashed a grin and the room darkened as he flicked the switch.

  My body was tense and the moment was gone. I couldn’t exactly get in the mood with some otherworldly being floating above us, could I? ‘Actually, I think I’ll go get a drink. I need to calm my mind.’ Even though I knew the woman might follow me out there, I had to get out of the bedroom. Sure, I was scared, but I wanted to tell her off. How dare she interrupt our…our…our romantic endeavours. What a cow.

  I hesitated near the door and turned back to my fiancé. ‘Ah, Greg? I was just thinking…we’ve never really talked much about our past relationships. Who were you with before me again?’ I leaned against the doorframe like it was the most casual thing to chat about at this moment in time.

  ‘Huh? Why are you asking this now?’

  ‘Curious, that’s all.’

  ‘Becky. Remember? She was the one before you. Ran off overseas with that Italian guy?’

  ‘Oh yeah. And before her?’

  ‘Sal, do we really have to get into this now? C’mon!’

  ‘Did you ever date anyone who, I dunno, later…died, or anything?’

  ‘What? Why would you ask that? Sal, I think you should have some of that chamomile tea or whatever it is and chill out.’

  ‘I’m just interested. Did you?’

  ‘No. I mean, I don’t know. I haven’t exactly kept in touch with all my exes, so how would I know? But I’m sure they’re all alive and well.’

  ‘What about a redhead? Did you ever date a woman with red hair?’

  He shuffled awkwardly on the bed and sat with his hands clasped around his bent knees. ‘Um, I might have, a couple of them had red hair, I think.’

  ‘You think? Have there been that many women that you can’t remember?’ Whatever ‘mood’ I’d had before was long gone now.

  ‘Oh Sal, give me a break. It’s late and I’m tired. I can’t think straight. And women are always changing their hair colour, it’s hard to keep up.’

  ‘Fine,’ I sighed, and exited the bedroom. I wanted this night to be over. As soon as I could say my piece to this woman, I’d go straight to sleep and leave this crazy night in the past where it belonged.

  I switched on the kitchen light. A sudden noise sounded to my left and I flipped my head to the side. A photo in a frame lay face down on the floor. Had she knocked it off, or was it a draught? Where was she? I inched closer to the fallen photo, cautiously, as though it might spring up and hit me in the face if I got too close. I picked up the frame. The photo was of Greg in his golf attire, proudly standing with one foot crossed over the other, his hand resting on his expensive golf club set like it was his most prized possession. Well, it probably was. Apart from me, of course. Not that I was a possession, but I’m sure if there was a fire he’d grab me first and not his golf clubs.

  Hang on. If she did knock it over. That probably meant…

  ‘Uh-huh.’ Ghost Woman manifested right in front of me, nodding. ‘Me and Greggy-boy were once an item.’

  I glared at her. ‘So you think you can just come in here and get in our way, huh?’ I whispered in the harshest whisper I could muster. ‘Well you can go jump. Greg’s mine, so leave us alone!’

  She stepped backwards and seemed to shrink, then sat on the floor and hugged her knees, her head bowed.

  Oh geez. Talk about giving me the guilts. Maybe I shouldn’t be so hard on her. She wasn’t exactly in the most enviable position right now, being dead and all.

  ‘Hey, what’s your name?’ I asked. ‘Do you want me to, ah, let Greg know what happened to you? Is that it?’ She shook her head. ‘Then what do you want?’

  She stood and glanced around as if she was considering her options, then her gaze focused beyond the kitchen window and her eyes widened. ‘I want to swing on that!’ A swirl of colours replaced her form, then nothing. I dashed to the window and peered outside into the small yard, the moo
nlight casting an eerie glow on the roof of our shed. Colours swirled again and she appeared outside, her hands gripping the clothesline as she swung around in circles, a childlike grin of delight on her face.

  I shook my head in disbelief, and as I turned around my gaze fell on the invitation stuck to the fridge with a Basic First Aid instruction magnet. Bridal Bonding Weekend. My shoulders relaxed. Only one week to go and I’d be enjoying a couple of rewarding days away with my best friends. No ghosts invited.

  CHAPTER 3

  YOU ARE INVITED TO SALLY’S BRIDAL BONDING WEEKEND!

  Join us for a long weekend of fun, frivolity and food as we celebrate Sally’s upcoming transition into wifehood.

  When?

  Friday 21st June (Winter Solstice) to Monday 24th June (one week before the wedding!)

  Where?

  Barron Springs Country Guest House, Barron Springs

  Who’s invited?

  Sally, of course (last one to get hitched!)

  Mel (leave the kids at home please)

  Georgie (our appointed bridal bodyguard — and chef)

  Moi — aka, Lorena (maid of honour and organiser extraordinaire!)

  What’s on the agenda?

  Several exciting ‘Bridal Bonding Activities’ — you’ll have to wait and see!

  RSVP ASAP (or else)!

  It must have been a fluke. A one-off. I hadn’t seen Ghost Woman all week, and thank God for that, because I’d told myself if I saw her again I’d book in for an MRI and neurology assessment at the hospital. A bonus of working in one meant I had connections and could get the odd favour granted if needed. I’d decided I’d say I was suffering with constant headaches, or dizziness, or something so they’d have to do immediate testing to rule out anything sinister. But luckily it hadn’t come to that. Maybe I imagined the whole thing, somehow. Pre-wedding jitters? Pre-wedding psychosis? Women could get pre-menstrual psychosis, although rare, so why not pre-wedding? All the planning, decisions, flowers, dresses, hair, makeup, guest lists, music, calligraphy place cards, menus…it was enough to send anyone bonkers. Even an organised person like me.

  Anyway, all was good with the world again. Things were back to normal. As normal as they could be when my wedding was only a week away. Lorena’s well-planned bridal bonding weekend would be a welcome escape from flitting about at home or work, obsessing over last minute wedding details. My friends were the best. And I trusted Lorena’s promise that this would be an enjoyable weekend to remember, just for the girls.

  I smiled as I turned the shopping trolley into aisle eight of Barron Springs Supermarket, where we were stocking up on supplies for the weekend. But despite the promise of fun and frivolity (not that I was frivolous, that was Lorena’s domain), I couldn’t quite shake the memory of last weekend…

  I’d never believed in ghosts. Not once did I consider that a person’s soul, or spirit, or whatever you wanted to call it, lived on after death. Even after seeing countless patients die on the hospital ward, and hearing distraught family members talk about their loved one now ‘being at peace’. I’d nod in sympathy of course, but I knew, or thought I knew, that death was the end. You die, and that’s it. That’s what I was taught, that’s what I believed. Until now. Now things weren’t so black and white.

  I distracted myself with the shopping list Lorena had given me. All four of us were spread throughout the supermarket like a search party, each with a designated list of supplies to get. Toilet paper, toilet paper…yes, you never could rely on self-contained accommodation to have enough. Good thinking, Lorena. I took my attention off the shopping list and peered down the aisle, when a rude woman grabbed hold of my trolley and pulled it so it went faster.

  ‘Um, excuse me!’ I attempted to be assertive.

  She turned around, her red curls swinging and bouncing around her pale face.

  Oh no. No way. ‘You again,’ I sneered.

  ‘Well, good afternoon to you too, Miss Friendly!’ She huffed, then sat on the edge of the trolley with perfect balance. She wasn’t as translucent as before, and could almost pass for a normal, living human.

  ‘Go away!’ I whispered between gritted teeth as I pushed the shopping trolley. ‘Leave me alone!’ My vision obscured, I leaned to the side of the ghost and spotted the toilet paper up ahead. Maybe if I went about my planned task and ignored her she’d leave. Stopping next to the array of white rolls, I plucked a couple of six-packs that were on a two-for-one special.

  ‘Why don’t you get the deluxe four-ply rolls? I thought this was supposed to be a luxurious weekend away,’ Ghost Woman said. If she kept bothering me I’d need to buy a six-pack of another kind to get through the weekend.

  ‘I’m not listening to you.’ I covered my ears for a moment, then pushed the trolley further down the aisle, grabbing two bottles of anti-bacterial hand sanitiser from the shelf, two boxes of tissues, and two bottles of bug spray.

  The ghost crossed her arms and pouted, then disappeared and reappeared directly in front of me, making me drop the packets of paper towel I’d just picked up.

  ‘Geez!’ My hand flew to my chest to ease my thudding heart.

  ‘I’ll make you listen to me.’ She sang an out-of-tune rendition of Beyoncé’s All the Single Ladies, complete with a pathetic attempt at dancing.

  ‘Shhh!’

  ‘Only you can hear me, you know,’ she said between ‘Oh-oh-oh’s’.

  ‘Exactly, so be quiet so I don’t look like a complete nutcase!’

  She sang louder, her mouth only an inch from my ear as she floated alongside me. I came to an abrupt halt and covered my ears. I grabbed one of the cans of bug spray and took off the lid, spraying the chemicals towards her.

  She laughed riotously. ‘Like that’s going to get rid of me!’

  I glared at the purple polka dot pyjama-wearing nuisance, when Lorena turned into the aisle carrying a basket of meat, eggs, cheese, and crackers. ‘Why are you spraying that stuff around?’ she asked, waving her long fingernailed hand about.

  I popped the lid back into place and tossed the can into the trolley. ‘Um…there was a fly. A big nasty fly that wouldn’t leave me alone.’ I slid a menacing glance toward the ghost as I spoke.

  ‘That’s weird, flies in the middle of winter?’ Lorena looked around, coughing at the mist of insect neurotoxins in the air. ‘Well, you must have got rid of the sucker, I can’t see it.’ She glanced at my shopping trolley and furrowed her brow. ‘Sally, why have you got two of everything? We’re only staying a couple of nights at a guest house, not Noah’s Ark.’

  ‘I want to be prepared.’ My voice became high-pitched in defensiveness. ‘We don’t want to run out of supplies in the middle of the night or anything.’

  ‘Somehow I don’t think we’ll need two cans of bug spray, probably won’t even need one, hun.’

  ‘You never know, it’s an old house. There could be spiders. We can put one can upstairs, one downstairs.’

  ‘But hand sanitiser? They said soap would be provided for us at the house.’

  ‘Lorena, soap is not the same as sanitiser. It doesn’t kill all germs. If you only knew the bugs that roamed around the hospital you’d carry a bottle of hand sanitiser in your handbag at all times.’

  ‘Fair enough.’ Lorena shrugged, adjusting the strap of her Gucci handbag on her shoulder, a cheeky smile arching into her warm, brown cheeks. ‘We should have put you in charge of buying the treats instead of the household supplies. We certainly could make use of two boxes of chocolates, two tubs of ice cream, and two bottles of wine. Although not that I can drink any.’ She winked, rubbing the mound of her belly. ‘I’ll go and tell Mel to double up so we don’t run out.’

  With Lorena out of sight, I turned my trolley around and pushed it back to the hand sanitisers, grabbing an extra bottle. One for each bathroom, and one for the kitchen. I nodded sharply in satisfaction.

  ‘You really should see a professional about your issue,’ Ghost Woman said, jumping into the trolley like a
child.

  ‘What issue? I don’t have an issue.’

  ‘Your germ phobia.’

  ‘It’s not a phobia, I’m simply being cautious.’

  The ghost nodded, as if saying, ‘Oh, yes, of course, dear.’

  ‘Don’t patronise me!’ I blurted a little too loud, then quickly covered my mouth and faked a cough.

  ‘I didn’t say anything.’ The ghost held her palms up and shrugged, feigning innocence.

  ‘You didn’t have to. The look on your face said it all.’ I pushed the trolley back down the aisle.

  ‘Look, if we’re going to be spending time together, we really should learn to get along with each other.’ She held out her hand.

  ‘Are you kidding? I don’t want to spend time with you, and I certainly don’t want to shake your ghostly hand!’ I gripped the trolley and pushed it faster down the aisle, hoping the speed would somehow make her fall off.

  It didn’t, but still I pushed, swerving around the corner as the cart bumped over something and skidded to a halt.

  ‘Christ!’ A man bent down to rub his foot. ‘What do you think you’re doing, going that fast around the corner?’ He winced as he removed his shoe and a red bruise manifested across his bare foot. ‘You might have broken my toes!’

  The ghost shook her finger at me like a naughty child and heat rushed up my face. ‘Oh my God. I’m so sorry! I didn’t see you there.’ I bent down and reached towards his foot. ‘Let me take a look, I’m a nurse.’

  He pushed my hand away. ‘Don’t touch it! You’ve done enough damage for one day.’ He glared at me and put his shoe back on, hobbling away.

  I stared helplessly at the man, and couldn’t help but notice his sculpted arms bulging beneath his long sleeved shirt, and the tight roundness of his —

  I shook my head. What was I thinking, drooling over the incredibly attractive man I’d injured? I’m a happily engaged woman!