Ghost of a Chance Book 1 in Above the Grave Trilogy

by Kara Kirkendoll

  “Absolutely gorgeous.” She said aloud.

  It was time to check out the rest of the house. She debated where to go first. She decided on the door to the right.

  “You can’t go wrong with right.” She said as she started to sprint in excitement towards the doorway. The dining area was huge. There were two tall pieces of furniture covered by dust clothes on each end of the room and what she assumed was the very long dining room table and chairs in the middle that were also covered with a dust cloth. The chandelier in this room was made of iron and held what looked like at least thirty candles that had been used quite often at one time. She could actually imagine a family sitting at the table in their fancy dresses and expensive coats. She wondered what they talked about back then, evidently not about the latest movies or whether the stock market was rising or falling. “How ‘bout them Saints?” She said laughing.

  She had to see what was underneath the cloths. She slowly lifted the cloth off of the tall furniture that was against the wall closest to her. It took her breath away. It was a beautiful cherry wood china cabinet filled with very expensive looking dishes, real china she presumed. Plates, cups, and bowls were neatly stacked in the cabinets. It was absolutely amazing. Everything that she had seen so far looked practically brand new yet it was so old.

  Drew started to lift the cloth to peak at the dining room table when she immediately felt a presence in the room. It should have given her the chills from head to toe. Instead she just felt annoyed.

  “I’m just looking.” She said to the air. “I promise I won’t hurt anything.”

  When nothing happened she bent back down to peak again at the table. Just as she had suspected it was a deep cherry wood just like the china cabinet that she had just looked at.

  “I don’t know why you keep it all covered. I know that you can uncover it, otherwise you wouldn’t be able to play the piano.”

  There was still no answer from her invisible friend.

  “It is absolutely beautiful. Can I see the rest of the house?” She said again to the air.

  Since she didn’t get a response she continued to the swinging door that lay on the far side of the dining room. She stepped into the most remarkable kitchen she had ever seen in her life. She could see, and was absolutely mesmerized with how antique the oven and the cabinets were. There was an adorable little island that stood in the middle that had pots and pans hanging above it. She imagined what once was fresh grape vine were entwined between the hooks that the pans hung from.

  The neatest thing of all was the old stone fireplace that was built next to the clearly new sink and refrigerator. She didn’t like the look of the refrigerator and sink in this kitchen. It didn’t belong. Maybe someday she could find a way to build them into the wall so that they were hidden. They were obviously necessary, but they stuck out like a sore thumb.

  Feeling kind of silly now she turned to go back into the living room. She stopped when she noticed that there were two other doors in the kitchen. They blended in so well with the wall that she almost missed them. She walked around the table and pushed on one of the doors. They must have been servant rooms as they held no more than a single sized bed, a very small chest of drawers, and a wash stand with a pitcher and bowl.

  Whatever had been in the room with her must have stayed back as she no longer felt its presence. She figured that as long as they weren’t bothering each other she would keep looking. She was even more curious about the house now than she had been before. Whoever lived here in the past just up and left things behind it seemed. Whoever had updated must not have realized that an antique dealer would have hit the jackpot here.

  She turned around and went back through the kitchen and dining room area. When she reached the bottom of the stairway on the other side of the living room she looked up towards the top and decided that she would check out the other room first. Something told her that walking up those stairs might wear out her already not so welcome.

  The doors on the other side of the staircase were closed. They were beautiful, heavy French doors that were engraved with dancers and music notes. As she swung the doors inward she felt her legs go weak beneath her. The room that lay before her was the exact same ballroom that she had dreamt of the night before, and she was very certain that she hadn’t gone past the living area last night.

  The room was huge. It had four chandeliers hanging from the ceiling. Two were made of crystal and the other two were filled with candles as the dining room had been. There was another grand piano that was set upon on a small stage. The floor was made of a light oak that in her dream was polished to a perfect shine. It was now covered with dust that made her want to find a broom and feather duster immediately. She was determined to have this place dust free and shining in no time. Due to the eeriness of seeing the same ballroom as in her dream the night before though, she felt that she would have to worry about cleaning it another time.

  She was through searching the downstairs for now, even though there were a couple of doors underneath the stairs that she hadn’t checked out yet, and a long hallway that she hadn’t noticed the night before that ran back behind where the piano was sitting, she thought that she may as well check out the outside and bring the rest of her stuff in that the cab driver had just thrown out in the driveway.

  As she started to walk towards the door she heard a car driving down the gravel.

  “Liza!” She yelled and took off running out of the door and towards the gate.

  ******

  The girl was a very curious one, Brendan thought as he watched her make her way through his house in a black shirt that sparkled, some type of pants that didn’t even go past her thighs (that were quite beautiful actually), black boots and white socks. Her wavy blonde hair with its pink stripe was bunched up in a crazy knot that still allowed the back of it to hang almost to her hips. She was quite stunning. And as he had thought the night before she looked very angel like only without the grace.

  He almost stopped her from getting too nosey when she obviously felt his presence and stopped to talk to him. It was strange. No one had ever really talked to him before unless you counted screaming as they were running out of the front door. Well, all except for his cousin Mary Ann who thought she was going to inherit the place. She took the liberty of jumping out of the back sitting room window. He wished he had waited to throw her skirt up over her head to scare the crap out of her until she had been upstairs.

  As he watched the girl roam through the house with such a look of wonder on her face, he wasn’t quite sure how he was going to get rid of her yet. He didn’t want to hurt her for some reason, buthe didn’t want her in his house either. He was quite used to being alone and he had no intentions of letting someone come in and take over his things.

  He wasn’t quite sure what “Liza” meant but it reminded him entirely too much of his Lezetta. It had been so long ago when he had lost her and it had been quite a while since he had even thought of her that he was surprised to learn that the pain didn’t seem to reach quite as deep as it used to.

  Brendan watched the girl run across the lawn, trip, and then get right back up and start running again without even wiping herself off.

  “Strange girl.” He said to himself out loud. He almost frightened himself when he heard his own voice in the silence. It had been a very long time since he had spoken out loud as well.

  ******

  “Damn it!” Drew said as she tripped over a stone that had been over turned in the yard. She was definitely going to have to get busy on the yard work. She loved being outside so she was actually looking forward to it.

  As the moving van came through the trees, Drew damned it as well. She was really hoping that it was Liza. The van was moving pretty quickly she noticed and hoped that they saw her standing in the middle of the drive.

  They came to a screeching halt just before they hit the pile of her things in the drive in front of her. The driver looked like he was probably in his mid-thirties.
<
br />   “Lady, I don’t know what the story is, but my boss told me that I wasn’t to unload anything until I knew for sure that you really wanted the stuff here to stay.”

  “Well, of course I want the stuff here.” She said aggravated. “I asked you to bring it didn’t I?”

  “Ya, well, I guess our company has been asked to move stuff out here several times and no one ever stays long enough to unpack. Then we always got to go back in and get the shit. So, are you sure you want the stuff here or not. I’m not really in the mood to load, unload, and then load the same crap in one day.”

  “Yes, please take them to the room on the left of the living area with the French doors. I will decide what to do with it all from there.” She said, then added, “and be careful not to scratch the floor either.”

  “Yes, ma’am.” He said. She watched as he struggled with the Iron Gate for a moment then shook his head as he realized what he was going to have to drive through. The other two guys that had been riding along in the van were nice enough to get out and put her things that were in the middle of the drive in the van and haul them up to the house for her as well.

  As soon as the van reached the house she saw Liza’s husband’s truck come through the trees. Drew felt like a kid at Christmas time. She was so happy that her friend had come that she was standing there jumping up and down clapping her hands together.

  Liza pulled to a stop and rolled her window down. “Do you have any idea how ridiculous you look standing there doing jumping jacks like a child?” She said.

  “I was not doing jumping jacks.” She laughed. “Please tell me that you love me and you brought a weed eater and lawn mower.”

  “I do love you, and yes I did, but I think that you are going to need a tractor and a brush hog.”

  They both stared at each other in silence for a moment.

  “Drew, it is probably the creepiest yet beautiful thing I have ever seen. I still don’t understand how you got it for only $5,000. It has to be a scam.”

  Just then the girls heard the doors slam almost simultaneously on the moving van and then the van peeled out and headed back towards the gate.

  “You want your crap? You come and get it from the storage shed. You got thirty days free storage. We are getting the hell out of here.” And they peeled out again, in a hurry leaving Drew and Liza standing there with their jaws dropped to the ground.

  “What the hell was that?” Liza asked wide eyed.

  “Hmmm. They must have met my roommate.” Drew said biting her lip.

  “You’re what?” Liza asked.

  “Well, it’s a long story. Bring the truck up and we will get the lawn equipment unloaded then I will give you a tour of the house while I explain.” Hopefully before you find out for yourself, Drew thought.

  Liza’s mouth dropped to the floor again as soon as she walked into the front door. “This place is unbelievable, Drew. I still don’t understand…”

  “You know what? Let’s go back outside its really stuffy in here.” She said and pushed Liza back out the front door.

  “Don’t I get to see the rest of the house?”

  “Well,” Drew was saying as she hurried to shut the front door. “Let me get the place cleaned up and get rid of all of the dust clothes first, and then maybe next week you can come back and have a better look at the place.”

  “Drew, what the hell is going on?” Liza said, worried about her friend. “How many times have I helped you move and clean up your new apartments?”

  “Nothing! Nothing is going on. You know what a clean freak I am, and this time I just want it to look really nice when you see it for the first time.” Drew laughed.

  “Honey, you don’t have the first clue as to how to use a dust cloth.” Liza said still worried.

  “Well, I am changing. I want this place to be perfect,” and not so hostile, she thought. “when you really get to see it.”

  With a huff and a shrug of her shoulders Liza backed away from the house. The girls got the riding lawn mower unloaded as well as the weed eater, a tank of gasoline for the mower and a mixture of gas and oil for the weed eater.

  “Plea se remember which fuel goes to which equipment! Tim will kill me if you break his stuff, and I will be back in one week to pick it up. Okay?” Liza warned.

  “Got it! I love you! Thank you so much I will call you tonight!” Drew said as she practically shoved Liza back into the truck.

  “Okay. Are you sure that everything is alright, Drew?” “Things have never been better.” Drew smiled a very honest smile then as she knew what she had just meant to be a lie was actually the truth. She had never been happier in her life.

  She decided that she was going to have to have a serious talk with whoever was left behind in that house. Whoever or whatever it was, was going to have to straighten their act up and learn to share. Putting a dust cloth over their head and coming towards her and her friend was not very hospitable. Things were going to have to change because she wasn’t going anywhere, and she imagined that unless she hired an exorcist neither was her new friend.

  It took her almost three hours to mow and weed-eat the yard area. She was exhausted. There was a lot of acreage, but she chose to just mow about two of them. She still needed to mow up towards the road, but that was going to have to wait until the next day. She was feeling sick and realized that it was probably because she hadn’t eaten anything since the day before.

  She remembered that she had packed some granola bars and a couple of diet sodas in her emergency pack. That was going to have to do until she could shower and then go to the market place. It dawned on her then that she had more exploring to do. She had yet to find a bedroom and she had snuck out behind the privacy fence to pee earlier that day since she hadn’t found a bathroom yet and hadn’t been in the mood to deal with any ghostly arguments. That reminded her… she was anxious to see what kind of shape that swimming pool was in as well.

  As soon as she walked up to the house she found that her bags were stuck back in the door way again. She shoved them back inside and shut the door.

  “Persistent are we?” she asked.

  She dug into her suitcase and found a matching cotton t-shirt and shorts to lounge in, some shampoo, soap, a razor, towel, and rag. She grabbed the box of granola bars and the diet sodas as well and headed towards the kitchen. She hoped that whoever had ran off without all of their furniture had left a glass in one of the cabinets and some ice in the freezer.

  The scene in the kitchen was a bit disturbing. Every one of the cabinet doors was wide open. She imagined that if she had that little kiddie alphabet magnet set for the refrigerator they would say LEAVE NOW. She rolled her eyes, and yelled, “Is that all you got? Dust clothes over your head and cabinet doors standing open? Please, I’ve seen scarier stuff on the Disney Channel.”

  Just then all of the cabinet doors started slamming around her. Drew jumped and covered her ears. Goose bumps climbed her body from the tips of her toes to the top of her head. It was trying to scare the bejeezus out of her. It was working, but she couldn’t back down, no matter what!

  “Stop it!” She yelled. The cabinets stopped and they remained closed. “All you are doing is giving me a headache!” She waited a beat and hoped that it had used up all of its energy for the day.

  When she finally got to the refrigerator she realized that it was brand spankin’ new. It still had the stickers on it. When she opened it though she found that it wasn’t even working. She thought that she would check out the plug in. She pulled and shoved until she could get to the back of the refrigerator.

  “Well, damn. It’s plugged in. There must be another short or, it could be the fuse box.” She said out loud.

  Well, she wouldn’t be getting any ice, but she was determined to find a hot shower. She remembered the hallway on the other side of the living area. Surely there was a bathroom that way. Drew grabbed her shower things off of the couch where she had left them, and stuffing her mouth with granola headed towards t
he hallway.

  There was very little light shining in from what looked like a patio door in a room at the end of the hall. It was quite dark down there. She found the light switch finally after feeling the wall with her elbow, but nothing was happening.

  “Great! I guess I need to call the ele ctric company after all. No refrigerator, no lights, what next?” It dawned on her then that there was probably no water either. A couple of nights stay in a hotel room was starting to sound pretty good after all.

  It was still early enough that she could call the utility companies and with any luck have them out there that day. She would have to call information.

  After she got off of the phone with the electric company she had been ecstatic. They would be there this afternoon as long as she was able to pay the cash deposit to the electrician. The water company hadn’t been so nice, but when she told them the address they said that the water had never been shut off and they would be happy to switch the bill into her name.

  She decided to check out what was in the hall way via candle light while she waited for the electrician. The first door that she came to on her left was a very large bedroom. Of course everything was covered up, and with only candle light to see she was pretty much in the blind as to wait lay in the room. However, she could tell that there was a small desk and chair that sat in front of what looked like window covered by a huge, thick curtain.

  She made her way across the room to open the curtain, letting some light in. When she turned around it took her breath away. There in front of her was a gorgeous canopy bed with curtains that were tied together, a very old claw bathtub that had been updated with a shower nozzle, and a new sink took up residence in the corner of the bedroom. There was also a huge chest of drawers, an ancient trunk at the end of the bed, a very large stand-up mirror, and a vanity. This was going to be her room she decided. It was way more girly than what she was used to, but to her surprise she loved it.