Ghost Story
Well. Ghost story it is. I was rather surprised at how well this one flowed. I’ve got some stuff to think about, but I plan to toss another blog post later today with those thoughts.
Till then, enjoy!
"Daddy?"
Raphael Larsen looked up from his half-done crossword at his five year old daughter Cassandra. She rubbed her eyes sleepily as she stood in the doorway of Raph's office.
"What is it Cassie honey?"
"There a woman in my room. She's really annoying me."
Alarmed, Raph stood up and walked to his daughter, "Are you sure? It wasn't a bad dream?"
She shook her head. "No, Daddy."
"Okay peanut," he picked her up and carried her back down the hall to her bedroom. He looked around the room. "I don't see anyone, sweetheart. Are you sure?"
"Yes, she was in the rocking chair in the corner. Tell her to stop looking at me, Daddy!"
Raph smiled at Cassie and put her down on the bed and tucked her in. "Okay peanut, I tell the nasty lady to stop looking at you and go away."
"Thank you, Daddy!" His daughter looked at the rocking chair and said, "Now you're gonna get it!"
Raph laughed and turned to the rocking chair, shaking his index finger at nothing and said, "Please leave Cassie alone. She needs her sleep or she gets cranky!"
"DADDY!" She shrieked in five-year-old outrage.
Raphael laughed, smoothed his daughter's hair and kissed her forehead. "Go to sleep, peanut. I'll see you tomorrow."
"Okay. I don't get cranky," she huffed.
"Of course not. Goodnight, Cassie."
"G'night, Daddy."
He flicked off the light and wandered down the hall. Once in the kitchen, Raph snapped on the light over the sink, to try and keep from disturbing Cassie. He filled a cup with cold water and drank it down.
"I'm not nasty you know."
Raph blinked as he put his glass into the rack and stopped. "Uh?" he asked intelligently.
"I was just watching over her. It's such a coin toss with children. Some see me, others don't. I honestly didn't mean to upset her."
Raphael slowly turned around. Standing in the doorway was a striking, yet quite transparent, woman. She had dark, slightly wild hair, and was wearing a dress out of the 19th Century. "Buh?" Raph said.
The woman cocked her head and pursed her lips briefly. "You do speak English. I heard you, not more than a moment ago." She spoke with a cultured accent that he could seem to place.
He gaped like a fish for a moment more then managed to stammer, "Who, what?"
The apparition smiled. "I am called Gloriana Moore. I am a," she paused, "A nanny of sorts. It's all a little hard to explain."
"Please try?" Raph was feeling a bit shell shocked.
She nodded and walked a few steps into the kitchen. All the stories say that ghosts glided more than walked. Gloriana didn't. If he couldn't see through her, he could almost believe she was in the room with him. "As you might have guessed, I am rather dead." She favored him with a wry smile. "I was mildly surprised to find that not only was there an afterlife, but it was quite as busy as the Before."
"The Before?"
"Hmm? Oh, yes. Sorry. We call our former lives the Before."
"Oh," Raph said.
"It's alright to be a little distraught at this, but please listen." She waited for him to nod then went on. "It's not quite what one would expect, the afterlife. It's not all Cherubim and all that. Mostly, we just go on. Those of us that need to, ah, work on our karma, I guess you'd call it, are assigned special tasks. Mine is protection."
"Like," he paused and nervously licked his lips. "Like a guardian angel?"
She laughed, "Oh heavens no. I'm no more angel than you. Trust me. You know an angel when you see them. Anyway, " she went on, "I protect people, mostly children and their families, that are considered important."
"Important? Important how?" Now his paternal instincts were kicking in. Bull or not, this involved Cassie. This involved his child.
"I don't know! Nothing earth-shattering, I'm sure!" She said the last hastily, seeing his instinct to defend Cassie come to the fore. She held up her hands placatingly, "Please, Raphael. Cassandra is in no danger." She relaxed a bit, seeing him sigh with relief. "Honestly, we're not told the whys or wherefores. Just that they are important."
Raph sat himself onto a chair and pushed one out, indicating for her to sit, then hesitated, "Uh, can ghosts sit?"
She smiled, and blushed prettily. "Oh, yes of course. I was in the rocking chair when you put Cassandra back to bed." She settled into the chair, arranging her skirts comfortably. "I have to admit, it's been a while since I've sat with a man, or human really, for quite some time." Before Raphael could respond, she went on. "Often the children grow up to be famous or influential people. Albert Einstein, Franklin Roosevelt, that sort."
He nodded, "But they don't tell you the why."
"No." She shook her head. "Questions aren't exactly discouraged, but they are frowned upon."
"Do the families you protect normally see you?"
She glanced in the direction of Cassie's room and shook her head again. "No. Generally, we're not supposed to be seen, even by the children. Although it does happen. The parents usually dismiss it as a passing fancy."
"So, why appear to me?"
She started to say something then closed her mouth, looking very puzzled. "I am not quite sure." She said slowly. "Odd. I don't even remember making the decision to appear."
Raphael just stared at her and adjusted his glasses.
"Quite."
They sat there in silence for a few moments before Raph broke the silence. "Can I ask you something?" She nodded. "Were you there when my wife's car was hit?"
She almost didn't hear him, he said it so softly. She raised a hand to her mouth briefly, "Oh, Raphael, no. I've only been assigned to you for three years. I don't know who was with you before. Or even if there was someone at the time. I am so very sorry." She put a hand his arm. Even though she was a ghost, he felt the light pressure of her hand.
"Thank you. I'm sorry, I had to ask."
"I understand. I cannot imagine how difficult it has been."
He didn't say anything for a long while. When he did it surprised her.
"So, now that we've seen you, does that mean you have to leave or be replaced?"
She laughed and smiled kindly, "No. Though I imagine someone will talk to me about it, its not cause for change."
He blinked at her. "Good. This may sound strange but," he paused, lowered his voice, "I'm not much of a social person. Between that and Cassie, I don't really get out much. Which is fine really. Rachel was really the social person."
"Rachel, your wife?"
He nodded. "As much as I love Cassie, I think it'll be nice to talk to another adult." He smiled, a little shyly, "Even if she is a ghost."
Gloriana laughed quietly, a low chuckle that put him at ease. "Very well good sir. I would be honored..."
Till then, enjoy!
# # #
"Daddy?"
Raphael Larsen looked up from his half-done crossword at his five year old daughter Cassandra. She rubbed her eyes sleepily as she stood in the doorway of Raph's office.
"What is it Cassie honey?"
"There a woman in my room. She's really annoying me."
Alarmed, Raph stood up and walked to his daughter, "Are you sure? It wasn't a bad dream?"
She shook her head. "No, Daddy."
"Okay peanut," he picked her up and carried her back down the hall to her bedroom. He looked around the room. "I don't see anyone, sweetheart. Are you sure?"
"Yes, she was in the rocking chair in the corner. Tell her to stop looking at me, Daddy!"
Raph smiled at Cassie and put her down on the bed and tucked her in. "Okay peanut, I tell the nasty lady to stop looking at you and go away."
"Thank you, Daddy!" His daughter looked at the rocking chair and said, "Now you're gonna get it!"
Raph laughed and turned to the rocking chair, shaking his index finger at nothing and said, "Please leave Cassie alone. She needs her sleep or she gets cranky!"
"DADDY!" She shrieked in five-year-old outrage.
Raphael laughed, smoothed his daughter's hair and kissed her forehead. "Go to sleep, peanut. I'll see you tomorrow."
"Okay. I don't get cranky," she huffed.
"Of course not. Goodnight, Cassie."
"G'night, Daddy."
He flicked off the light and wandered down the hall. Once in the kitchen, Raph snapped on the light over the sink, to try and keep from disturbing Cassie. He filled a cup with cold water and drank it down.
"I'm not nasty you know."
Raph blinked as he put his glass into the rack and stopped. "Uh?" he asked intelligently.
"I was just watching over her. It's such a coin toss with children. Some see me, others don't. I honestly didn't mean to upset her."
Raphael slowly turned around. Standing in the doorway was a striking, yet quite transparent, woman. She had dark, slightly wild hair, and was wearing a dress out of the 19th Century. "Buh?" Raph said.
The woman cocked her head and pursed her lips briefly. "You do speak English. I heard you, not more than a moment ago." She spoke with a cultured accent that he could seem to place.
He gaped like a fish for a moment more then managed to stammer, "Who, what?"
The apparition smiled. "I am called Gloriana Moore. I am a," she paused, "A nanny of sorts. It's all a little hard to explain."
"Please try?" Raph was feeling a bit shell shocked.
She nodded and walked a few steps into the kitchen. All the stories say that ghosts glided more than walked. Gloriana didn't. If he couldn't see through her, he could almost believe she was in the room with him. "As you might have guessed, I am rather dead." She favored him with a wry smile. "I was mildly surprised to find that not only was there an afterlife, but it was quite as busy as the Before."
"The Before?"
"Hmm? Oh, yes. Sorry. We call our former lives the Before."
"Oh," Raph said.
"It's alright to be a little distraught at this, but please listen." She waited for him to nod then went on. "It's not quite what one would expect, the afterlife. It's not all Cherubim and all that. Mostly, we just go on. Those of us that need to, ah, work on our karma, I guess you'd call it, are assigned special tasks. Mine is protection."
"Like," he paused and nervously licked his lips. "Like a guardian angel?"
She laughed, "Oh heavens no. I'm no more angel than you. Trust me. You know an angel when you see them. Anyway, " she went on, "I protect people, mostly children and their families, that are considered important."
"Important? Important how?" Now his paternal instincts were kicking in. Bull or not, this involved Cassie. This involved his child.
"I don't know! Nothing earth-shattering, I'm sure!" She said the last hastily, seeing his instinct to defend Cassie come to the fore. She held up her hands placatingly, "Please, Raphael. Cassandra is in no danger." She relaxed a bit, seeing him sigh with relief. "Honestly, we're not told the whys or wherefores. Just that they are important."
Raph sat himself onto a chair and pushed one out, indicating for her to sit, then hesitated, "Uh, can ghosts sit?"
She smiled, and blushed prettily. "Oh, yes of course. I was in the rocking chair when you put Cassandra back to bed." She settled into the chair, arranging her skirts comfortably. "I have to admit, it's been a while since I've sat with a man, or human really, for quite some time." Before Raphael could respond, she went on. "Often the children grow up to be famous or influential people. Albert Einstein, Franklin Roosevelt, that sort."
He nodded, "But they don't tell you the why."
"No." She shook her head. "Questions aren't exactly discouraged, but they are frowned upon."
"Do the families you protect normally see you?"
She glanced in the direction of Cassie's room and shook her head again. "No. Generally, we're not supposed to be seen, even by the children. Although it does happen. The parents usually dismiss it as a passing fancy."
"So, why appear to me?"
She started to say something then closed her mouth, looking very puzzled. "I am not quite sure." She said slowly. "Odd. I don't even remember making the decision to appear."
Raphael just stared at her and adjusted his glasses.
"Quite."
They sat there in silence for a few moments before Raph broke the silence. "Can I ask you something?" She nodded. "Were you there when my wife's car was hit?"
She almost didn't hear him, he said it so softly. She raised a hand to her mouth briefly, "Oh, Raphael, no. I've only been assigned to you for three years. I don't know who was with you before. Or even if there was someone at the time. I am so very sorry." She put a hand his arm. Even though she was a ghost, he felt the light pressure of her hand.
"Thank you. I'm sorry, I had to ask."
"I understand. I cannot imagine how difficult it has been."
He didn't say anything for a long while. When he did it surprised her.
"So, now that we've seen you, does that mean you have to leave or be replaced?"
She laughed and smiled kindly, "No. Though I imagine someone will talk to me about it, its not cause for change."
He blinked at her. "Good. This may sound strange but," he paused, lowered his voice, "I'm not much of a social person. Between that and Cassie, I don't really get out much. Which is fine really. Rachel was really the social person."
"Rachel, your wife?"
He nodded. "As much as I love Cassie, I think it'll be nice to talk to another adult." He smiled, a little shyly, "Even if she is a ghost."
Gloriana laughed quietly, a low chuckle that put him at ease. "Very well good sir. I would be honored..."
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