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from Contest #2

All the trouble began when my grandfather died and my grandmother - my father's mother - came to live with us. Well, Grandmother and every one of her thirteen ghosts. Neither my brothers nor I knew Grandmother very well. We had met her only a handful of times and I had very few memories of her. Father was an only child but he had never been close to Grandmother and they saw very little of each other. He hardly spoke about her or of his childhood.

We were in the middle of dinner one evening when the phone rang. Mother came back into the dining room a moment later and silently handed Father the phone. He left the room without comment. My brothers and I stared at one another, eyebrows raised, wondering what was going on.

Father came back after a while, looking grim.

‘That was the hospital. Your Grandmother had a heart attack,’ he raised his hands as we started to speak, ‘No, she’s fine now…’ his voice trailed off and he looked worried and miserable. Mother rose to hug him. Father was not someone who showed his emotions openly. He was a man of Science and ruled by logic and cold hard facts. Perhaps that was why he never got along with Grandmother who was as far away a believer of Science as one could possibly be.

They left for the hospital at once and my brothers and I finished dinner in near silence.

‘She wouldn’t be able to live on her own anymore, you know. Especially with Grandfather gone,’ Alex said.

‘Do you think she would have to move in here?’ Six pairs of incredulous eyes swung to Evan. ‘What? We are her only family,’ he said reasonably.

‘That’s fine for you, Alex and Jake! You three live on campus and only come home on weekends. The rest of us would have to put up with her.’ Will groaned.

‘I don’t get it…what’s so bad about Grandmother? Why don’t we ever see her?’ I asked. My six older brothers stared at me in a sort of horrified fascination before they started talking all at once.

‘She’s crazy as a bat!’

‘She talks to ghosts and sees dead people!’

‘She invites ghosts to have tea and cookies with her!’

‘Did Father tell you this? Where did you hear this nonsense from?’ I asked.

‘It's not nonsense, Em!’ Ryan leaned closer and whispered, ‘The night before Grandfather's funeral…I went downstairs for a glass of water. I heard Grandmother talking and thought I would say hello so I went towards her….only she wasn’t talking to anyone I could see! She saw me and insisted that she introduced me to some ghost named Wocky.’

We burst out laughing but quickly stopped at the look on Ryan’s face. He looked solemn and a little scared. ‘That was the creepy thing…I felt something…a…a sort of presence…I don’t know…,’ he muttered. Matt suddenly slapped Ryan hard on his shoulder and made ghostlike wooing noises as he flapped his arms around like a giant bat. That quickly escalated into a free-for-all brawl. I grinned at them fondly. It was at times like these that I was glad I was the only girl in the family.

The next few days passed in a blur as we made arrangements for Grandmother’s imminent arrival. Mother decided that Grandmother should have the large guestroom opposite the only other room, my room, on the right wing of the house. Matt and Jake teased me about having to put up with Grandmother’s “ghosts”. Grandmother arrived a week before Halloween. The doorbell rang and Alex jumped up to open the door.

She was smaller than I remembered, and looked a lot more fragile. Her stick-like arms hung precariously around my father and she walked slowly, carefully like she might fall if the pace increased. Her hair was snow white and her skin, fair and wrinkled. She sat down and gazed at us as curiously as we must have looked at her. The corners of her lips tugged and she gave us a dazzling grin which lit up her entire face, seemingly melting away the wrinkles and years. It was a beautiful smile, cheery and genuine and her eyes sparkled with life and vitality. Grandmother may be old and sick, but the beauty of her eyes did not diminish with the years. They were of the darkest grey, with a ring of lighter grey surrounding the pupils. They twinkled merrily now, the color arresting in its brightness and intensity. They were wise eyes, eyes that had seen things and knew of things. She looked like a tiny sweet old lady with a glorious smile and friendly eyes. I wondered then where all the rumors had come from for there was nothing sinister about her.

‘As you can see, I’m shriveled as a prune and older than you can count,’ she said charmingly as we laughed, ‘Let me see if I can still get your names right...Alex, Evan…Jake, Matt, Will, Ryan and of course, Emmaline. How did I do?’ she whispered conspiratorially with a wink. Only Father looked uncomfortable as he stood in the corner.

**

I wasn’t entirely sure what woke me up. I was asleep one second and jumped up suddenly, my heart pounding thunderously as the hairs on my neck stood up. I peered into the darkness, my eyes sweeping around my room but saw nothing out of the ordinary. I was about to settle back into sleep when I heard footsteps outside. I froze, wondering what to do when I heard Grandmother’s voice. Relief flooded me. Grandmother was probably lost in the dark and I threw open my door to help her.

She stood there in the near darkness, illuminated only by the soft glow of the moon through the window and I felt goosebumps raising all over my arms. She looked eerie and strange, her face dreamy but her eyes wide and alert as she spoke to someone or something I could not see. And then I heard a different voice speak.

‘We have company,’ a booming voice rang out. I could not see who was speaking. I wondered for a moment if one of my brothers were playing a trick on me. I bit back a sharp cry as Grandmother suddenly moved with a speed that belied her age and clamped her hand on my mouth.

‘Shut the door, Marshall! Sally and Rendall, guard the door. Wocky and Trist, you come in here with the girl!’ Grandmother commanded in a voice that brooked no argument. I was both terrified and angry at the same time. I felt invisible movements around me and heard sounds and footsteps though I saw nobody. I finally shrugged Grandmother’s hand away from my mouth, careful not to be too rough and hurt her. I swung around to face her, anger rising by the second.

‘What’s this? Who’s there with you? What the hell’s going on?’

‘Language, young lady. Where are your manners?’ someone drawled lazily. I turned a full 360 degrees and saw absolutely nobody.

‘An explanation, Grandmother. Tell me what’s happening or I’m going to Father!’

Grandmother looked at me appraisingly, looking as if her mind were going a hundred miles a second. ‘So you can hear them, Emmaline?’ she asked.

‘Hear…well yes, I hear them…but who are they? What am I hearing exactly?’ I demanded, not entirely sure if I wanted to hear her answer. She gazed at me, her eyes bright.

‘The seventh child…just like myself…yes, yes…of course! But why can’t she see them? Hmm, ahhh…,’ she sounded quite deranged, muttering nonsense and I walked towards the door, frightened and worried.

‘How old are you Emmaline?’ she asked. I turned back and looked at her.

‘I turn sixteen on Halloween,’ I answered and she whooped as if that explained everything.

‘Better enjoy your last days of freedom,’ a voice snickered. I was so irritated I forgot about my fear.

‘Oh wow, did someone speak?’ I shot back at the voice, whoever or whatever it was.

‘She’s a feisty one, Julia,’ said a gentle feminine voice to Grandmother. I swung around but again saw no one. I wondered if I were going crazy or if this were a bad dream.

‘Don’t worry. All will be clear when the time comes,’ a voice that sounded eerily like a small child’s said comfortingly.

I strode over to Grandmother and took her hand gently. Mine was shaking and cold and I was tired and scared but I wanted an explanation. I pleaded silently with my eyes and after a moment, she gave a nod.

‘Summon the others, Marshall.’ I shook when I saw my bedroom door opened on its own and heard footsteps hurrying away. After a deathly silent five minutes, I felt the hairs on the back of my neck rise again and felt the room temperature dropped rapidly. It was all I could do not to bolt and ran screaming from my room.

‘All here and accounted for,’ boomed the mysterious Marshall.

Grandmother looked at me gravely. ‘I’m sure you must have heard the rumors, the gossip…that I’m crazy because I see ghosts and talk to them,’ she began softly. I heard a sarcastic snort at her words and knew instinctively it was the same…ghost who had irritated me earlier. ‘I do see ghosts and talk to them, Emmaline, but I’m not crazy,’ Grandmother looked me straight in the eyes. ‘I possess the Sight,’ she said seriously.

I made a choked sound, a cross between a laugh and a cry. My Grandmother possessed the Sight. She must be joking! And then she turned my whole world upside down.

‘And it looks like you have the Sight too,’ she said gently. ‘Don’t be afraid of it, Emmaline. It’s a gift.’

I shook my head in denial. This couldn’t be happening. She was just a crazy old lady! But what about the sounds I had heard? And the presence I felt and the door opening on its own…I cursed the logical side my brothers and I inherited from our father.

‘Meh, she doesn’t believe you. All that crackpot Science rubbish has blinded her to the truth.’

That sarcastic drawl drew me out of my fear and denial and I strode angrily towards the direction of the voice. ‘Look pal, I don’t know what your problem is, but you are the most annoying jerk on the face of the earth, alive or dead!’ I snarled. I felt a movement to my right and turned towards what seemed like a wall of utter coldness billowing in front of me. I felt a slight tickle to my ear and heard a gleeful whisper, ‘Oh, you have no idea. Takes one to know one though!’

Laughter rang out in the room and it was so infectious I couldn’t help but joined in.

‘She thinks Trist’s annoying!’ snickered a new voice I hadn’t heard.

‘Pretty good at reading people ain’t she?’ a raspy female voice joined in.

‘You mean ghosts, Jemma!’ laughed another female voice.

‘Yeah, I’m laughing with ghosts! And I don’t even believe in ghosts!’ I laughed almost hysterically, still afraid but somehow the idea did not seem so ludicrous anymore.

**

I learnt a lot about ghosts over the next few days. I was sad when I discovered that ghosts were spirits who were unable to move on because of earthly ties which bound them here. I learnt that most ghosts were benign and went about their own business, hardly crossing paths with the living. But there were also vengeful ghosts, spirits who were malicious and seek to hurt and damage the living. People like Grandmother who possessed the Sight try to help those who were unfortunate enough to have attracted the attention of these evil spirits.

‘So you’re like some kind of Ghostbusters, only dead?’ I asked Grandmother and the ghosts incredulously. Her eyes twinkled as she laughed.

‘Something like that, but with better fashion sense. I wouldn’t be caught, pardon the pun, dead in those awful coveralls!’ I rolled my eyes at Trist and his ever insightful comments and heard him laugh. Little by little, I slowly got used to Grandmother’s band of ghosts. It took me only a day to stop shaking from fear and though I wondered from time to time if I were crazy or delusional, a small part inside me knew Grandmother and the ghosts spoke the truth. I was one of them. A shiver of excitement rose at the thought but being my Father’s daughter, I struggled sometimes with the logic of it all.

Grandmother was wonderful. She was patient in answering my many questions and she was an excellent teacher and guide, firm and gentle in what I could or could not do. She explained the history of the Sight, the boundaries between the living and the dead and how to handle myself. I got to know her band of ghosts better each day, all thirteen of them. Grandmother allowed me to come with her and the ghosts on “excursions” to help those under attacks from the malicious spirits. I was terrified but determined to learn as much as I could for I now knew that it was inevitable that I would do the same once I turned sixteen, only a few days away now.

Grandmother seemed to have blossomed in health and spirits. She was gracious and talkative with Mother, charming to my brothers and every bit as mischievous as they were and she was always kind, gentle and witty. My brothers grew to love her as much as I did and they wondered why we were kept away from her all our lives. Only Father seemed immune to Grandmother’s wits and charms. He was stoic and silent around her and kept her at an arm’s length. She hid it well, but I could sense her hurt and pain under her smiling face. She glanced at me then, and I knew she knew that I had sensed her feelings. She had told me that those with the Sight were extraordinary in sensing and feeling others' emotions. We went out every night after everyone had gone to bed and roamed the city, going to those who needed our help.

The night before my birthday, before Halloween, we were out until almost dawn trying to help as many people as possible before Halloween arrived. Grandmother had explained that it wasn’t a myth that there were more ghosts around wreaking havoc on this day than any other. We were so engrossed in our conversation that we did not see him sitting on the sofa in the dark. We nearly stumbled over his feet before he leapt up angrily. He glared at Grandmother furiously. I had never seen Father not being in control of his emotions before. He pointed a finger at us and barked, ‘Sit!’ I sat but Grandmother stood her ground stubbornly.

‘How dare you, Mother? How dare you drag Emmaline into your nonsense? She’s only a child!’ his voice trembled with the effort of not screaming.

‘I know you don’t understand, Daniel. But like me, it is who she is. Would you rather her stumble into this blindly?’

He lost his temper then and yelled, ‘This is madness, Mother! Ghosts do not exist! There is no Sight! There are no spirits or ghosts!’

‘Just because….,’ Grandmother started but Father interrupted her savagely.

‘Just because I can’t see something doesn’t mean it doesn’t exist! Yes Mother, I’ve heard this rubbish all my life! When will I ever be free of this?’

I was shocked at his vehemence and could sense all his emotions. He was worried for me, he was afraid to believe like he had his entire life and he was both confused and worried for Grandmother. My eyes snapped up and I realized that my entire family had gathered around us, pale and silent, eyes wide watching Grandmother and Father arguing with each other.

‘Father please…,’ I tried to speak but he pointed a finger at me and suddenly I was angry. All his life he had kept Grandmother at a distance because he could not explain her Sight with Science and even worse, he had kept us all away from a wonderful person because of it. I leapt to my feet and joined Grandmother.

‘I will not be quiet, Father,’ I said calmly, ‘I can tell that you know Grandmother’s telling the truth and you’re only angry because you cannot explain it by logical means.’

Silence. I looked around me. My mother and brothers stared at me as if I had grown three heads, their eyes identically wide and their mouths opened in shock. I felt a movement between Grandmother and I and heard Trist whispered, ‘It’s 6 o’clock…let us do this, Julia.’ I understood immediately and saw Grandmother pondering his request before finally nodding reluctantly.

Trist whooped and before the astonished and slightly frightened but fascinated eyes of my entire family, the thirteen ghosts were given free reign to prove their existence. Tables and chairs flew into the air and danced around in circles, books flipped open, plates and forks and spoons looped over one another.

For one day a year, from 6 am to the following 6 am, ghosts were stripped of their weaknesses and given strength to wreak havoc. Only our ghosts had no intention of doing so. Out of loyalty and affection for Grandmother, they had chosen their only free day a year to prove their existence and to exonerate her of all false rumors and gossip that had plagued her all her life. The truth finally. Grandmother and I grinned at each other as the rest of my family gazed in wonder at the spectacle before their eyes.

‘Happy Halloween,’ I heard Trist whisper. ‘And Happy Birthday,’ he said quietly as he and the other twelve ghosts became visible to me for the very first time.

back to Contest #2