Ghost of a Chance Book 1 in Above the Grave Trilogy (11 page)

“Nope, it’s my turn. What
made you decide to let me
stay?” She asked, taking another sip of her wine and trying to
think of what in the world she was going to tell him about the
library when it came time to answer his question as she knew
that he would make her come back to it.

Ag
gravated he replied, “I didn’t seem to have much
choice. You are a stubborn one, Miss Drew. I couldn’t scare
you and I would never hurt you. So, how else was it that I was
supposed to get you to leave?”

Something told her that it was more than that.
She
knew that there was no point in pushing it though. Not right
now anyway.

“Now, tell me about the library. What did you learn
about me?” He asked.

 

“Well, I…” She didn’t know what to say.

 

“It’s fine, I promise, Love. I need to know what you
have learned, please.”

“Ok,” she said still uncomfortable with the whole death
topic, “I read that your sister was murdered by your lover and
that you hung yourself afterward.” She said it quickly then
cringed, waiting for him to explode.

“Why do you draw back as if I were to hit you?” He
said calmly, the Irish fading in and out again.

“I didn’t think that you wanted to talk about death. If
you want to it is fine with me I guess. I wish that I could see
you. It would make it so much easier to talk to you.” She said
looking for him. She didn’t really know how she would react
to him appearing in front of her, but she wanted to see him.

“Nay, ‘tis too soon and I can only show myself in the
mirrors. So, do you believe all that ye hear, Miss Drew?” He
stood upoff of the bed then. “Or read shall I say?”

“No, I don’t. Given the circumstances and the fact that
I know absolutely nothing about ye, what else would ye have
me believe? I’ve only heard one story and it was obviously not
yours.”

He laughed at her mockery of his fading Irish accent.
He supposed after hundreds of years things would be apt to
change a bit, and he also knew that she was right about not
knowing anything about him. He didn’t know anything about
her either. How could she believe anything he would have to
say to her and vice versa?

“I would have you believe the truth.” He finally said
after thinking it over.

“A
nd how would I know that you were telling me the
truth? I can’t even see your eyes.” She yawned with the latter.
She wanted to see him, but her eyes would barely stay open to
see anything.
The back of her own eye lids were what her
mind and body were telling her she needed to be looking at.

He couldn’t have shown himself to her if he wanted to,
only by having her look through the mirror at him. He only
wished that he knew what he would look like to her. He had
seen himself in the mirrors, but he had turned them all around
or had them covered many years before. It wasn’t until tonight
that he had caught his own reflection again. It was exactly as
he had remembered himself though, after such a long time not
much had changed about him, in the mirror that was.

“If seeing me will help you to believe in me than here I
am.” He stepped in front of the mirror and turned it towards
her.
He then saw that her eyes were closed and the glass of
wine she held was just about to tip out of her hand. He reached
down to grab it and laid it on the nightstand beside her.

“Miss Drew?” He said quietly.

 

“Hmm?” She mumbled back still with her eyes closed.

 

“I am here for you to see. Would you talk to me
now?” He asked near her ear.

 

“Of course.” She said and fluttered her eyes open.

“My Prince Charming, you’ve come to save me from
the evil sorcerer.” She said smiling right at him as if she was
looking right into his eyes and then she drifted off to sleep.

He knew that she didn’t really see him and lay down
beside her. He also knew that she was out of it and pressed his
luck a little further by putting his arm around her and snuggling
close. He thought that he would just enjoy the warmth of a
human being, the feel of a beautiful woman next to him for just
a moment, but somehow, someway, he slept for the first time in
one hundred and fifty years.

Drew woke the next morning feeling more rested than
ever. She felt absolutely, wonderfully fresh and clear headed.
She still had a lot to do around the house and was ready to get
started. Trimming up the yard and the cemetery were the first
things on her list. She also had some more dusting to do. A
swim in the pool would feel great after all of that. What she
really wanted to do was to stay away from the paint brush for a
couple of days though she just wasn’t allowing herself to admit
it.

She made it a point to call Liza first thing though. She
had to let her friend know that she was doing just fine. Liza
didn’t act quite as suspicious as the day before, but she wasn’t
really up to completely believing that everything was ok either.
Drew calculated that Liza only asked her about ten times if she
wanted to come and live with her. Drew calculated that she
told her about fifteen times that she was fine. So, one of them
had to finally give in.

As soon as she hung up the phone she headed for the
kitchen.
Drew decided that it was time to start eating on a
regular base as well. She didn’t want to lose her mind again.
(If indeed that was what had happened.) After cramming down
a bowl of Special K and a banana she was energized and ready
to go to work.

She started out the door and realized that there had
been no sign of her new friend that morning.

 

“Brendan?” She called out. “Brendan, are you here?”

 

“Where else would I be?” A voice answered from
what sounded like the top of the stairs.

 

“Oh, right. I don’t know, maybe Heaven (or Hell).”
She said the latter part quietly.

“Actually,” He said very close to her ear all of a
sudden, “I have been patiently waiting for either one for a very
long time. Unfortunately, for some unknown reason I am stuck
in this God forsaken house. For all of eternity it seems.”

“You can’t leave the house?” She said half
embarrassed that he heard her and half pitying him that he was
stuck there.

“No. Every time I try I end up back in here.” He said
annoyed.

 

“Well, I was going to go clean up the yard and the
cem…e…tery.” She said slowly. “Sorry.”

 

“What cemetery?” He asked.

 

“Yours, Lezetta’s, and your sisters.” She said sadly.

“I see.” He said. “Why don’t you have a servant to do
those things for you? A lady has no business in working the
grounds.”

“Well, I am what you w
ould call mid to lower class
and mid to notta on the lady part. I guess mostly lower class
now since I am unemployed. Either way, I can’t afford a
servant. Plus, this is the 21st century. Women do a lot more
for their selves than they use to.” She replied.

“I see, and how is it that you managed to end up here if
you have no money. This house was built for the upper class.
It is a very expensive home. I can’t imagine that a woman,
lady or not, would be able to afford it without a proper dowry.”

“Well,
I did have some money saved up, and I did have
a job. I purchased this house with my own money. It was very
cheap because a very boisterous tenant came with the home. I
got a great deal because no one else wanted it in other words.”

She felt his breath on her neck now. It was cool at first
then it felt warmer, she assumed the closer he got. She closed
her eyes.

“And why is it that you want it, Miss Drew?” He said
his lips against her skin now.

“Want what? Oh, the house, you mean.” She said a
littleembarrassed then opened her eyes. “There is something I
have to do here.” She said almost a whisper. “I mean,” She
said louder, “I don’t know why I said that.” She cleared her
throat and took a step back towards the door. “I needed a
place to live and this was perfect. It spoke to my heart. If you
will excuse me I have to go now. I have a lot of work to do
today.”

She went out of the door quickly then, leaving it
opened behind her. He wanted to follow her but; he knew that
he couldn’t, of course.
He tried to
holler
after
her
but
somehow his voice was trapped inside just as his soul was. He
didn’t care how trapped he was though he knew that his heart
followed her and he had no idea why. He did know that he
wished that it wouldn’t.

Drew pushed the lawn mower with one hand and
carried the weed eater in the other hand through the cemetery
gates. It felt colder there somehow even though it was only
nearing September. She picked up the branches that had fallen
from the trees around the cemetery and the candles that lay
around the grave of Lezetta.
They had been newly lit she
noticed.
Why would anyone be worshipping a no name witch
one hundred and fifty
one years after
her
death?
She
wondered.

She felt a warm breeze blow by when she headed for
the smallest
grave.
She now knew that
it
was probably
Brendan’s sister’s grave even though she hadn’t really given it
a second glance either time she had been there before. The
trees there were beautiful yet sad. The moss that hung from
their crooked branches made them look even more mystical,
like they had a story to tell, a very old story that she wanted so
badly to hear.

Mary Ann O’Keefe 1840 to 1859 the tomb read.
“Beloved sister, May you fly in peace with the Angels.”

“You were only nineteen years old.” Drew said to the
grave that lay before her. “I’m so sorry sweet heart.” She felt
her eyes tear up as she saw the child Angel on top of the tomb
holding a bird with its wings spread. It reminded her so much
of herself when she was young for some reason, before her
stepfather. “So, Lezetta held his heart what does the bird
stand for? Freedom I suppose. Were you not so free here?

Why would Lezetta still hold his heart if she murdered
you? You were his sister after all, and he had to bury you first.
There is more to the story isn’t there? Did she really murder
you?” Drew continued to speak to Mary Ann as she brushed
the leaves off of the tomb with her hand. She felt like she was
talking to a child even though she knew Mary Ann hadn’t
really been a child anymore.

“Maybe I will have to find out the truth. Maybe that is
why this house fell so easily into my hands.” She said aloud as
she looked back at the house. “Your brother is very nice. I
wish I could have known him in his time. I would have been
an outcast then I suppose. I’m not much on being proper and
such.”

She traced Mary Ann’s name with her finger then
paused over the O in thought. “I will find out the truth for you
Mary Ann. I believe that was why I was sent here.”

Drew felt a harsh cold breeze blow across her face,
almost as if she had been slapped. If she hadn’t been living
with a poltergeist she would have thought that was crazy. She
was certain that she must have over done her welcome for the
day. As she started to leave the cemetery, mower and weed
eater in tow, she felt someone push her in the back.

She fell forward and then knocked the lawn mower
over on its side as she tried to catch herself. The blades of the
lawn mower lay less than an inch from her face.
The lawn
mower started up then just as Drew was reaching for it to lift
herself. It cut the inside of her palm fairly deep. She screamed
and felt someone else pull her back. She felt the tension in the
air. It was so thick she thought she could cut it with a knife or,
the lawn mower blade as it was evidently pretty sharp as well.

She stumbled her way towards the fence. She swore
she saw the leaves move toward her as if someone was running
and kicking them out of their path. Then she heard a young
woman’s voice scream, “Run!” only it was more like the fading
end of an echo.

She ran as fast as she could back to the house.
There
had only been one other time when she had been that scared in
her life. As soon as she reached the house she slammed the
door behind her. She didn’t know what the hell had happened
in that cemetery. Whoever was there wanted to harm or even
kill her and they had almost succeeded. It felt as though two
spirits had been fighting over her.
She looked down at her
hand that was now shaking and covered with blood.
She felt
herself go limp and the world started to fade.

“Brendan!” She tried to cry out but it sounded more
like a croak. And then she fainted.

When Drew woke she was in her bed. She felt the pain
in her hand and looked down to see that it was wrapped tightly
in one of her white tank tops.

“I don’t think Clorox is going to clean that up.” She
moaned as she saw the start of blood seeping through.

 

“What the bloody hell did you do to yourself?” She
heard him say beside her.

 

“I didn’t do it.” Drew answered him weakly.

 

“Well then who the hell did?” She felt him stand up
off of the bed. “Who would cut your beautiful hand?”

She blushed. “Thank you, and I don’t know. I
imagine it was either your sister or your dear Lezetta. Your
spirit seems to be stuck in this house and they are the only
other people buried in that cemetery besides yourself.”

“What?” She felt him sit beside her again. “You
believe that Mary Ann and Lezetta’s spirits haunt the
cemetery?” He said worried.

“I
s it so hard to believe that you are not the only ghost
in the world?” She said sitting up. “Are you that naïve or are
you just that full of yourself?”

“Neither. I had just hoped that they were able to move
on, to a better place.” He said sadly.