Ghostly Fright

by K E O'Connor

  “She looks miserable,” Helen said. “I guess I’d be just as glum if I looked so odd.”

  I held out my hand, but Miltonia ducked down and closed her eyes as if wishing I would vanish. “She’s beautiful in her own way.” I lowered the blanket and backed away, not wanting to stress her out.

  “Miltonia’s never been a people person,” Zara said. “I’m hoping she’ll get used to company now you’re here. And when I heard you came with a dog, I thought that would help get her out of her shell.”

  “If anyone can charm her, Flipper can. He’s great with other dogs. I can bring him to work, and they can spend time together.”

  “He sounds like just what Miltonia needs. She gets lonely. I’m often out at meetings or have my head buried in work and forget she’s here; she’s so quiet.”

  “We’ll have her bounding around in no time. I bet she’ll be the star of the party with her quirky looks.”

  “She won’t need a scary costume,” Helen muttered. “Did you see her tongue sticking out the side of her mouth?”

  “Don’t be mean,” I whispered. “We can’t all be as gorgeous as you.”

  Helen batted her eyelashes at me before turning to Zara. “Are you planning on decorating the house for the party?”

  “No, I don’t think so. Providing the weather holds, we’ll have everything in the marquees. Oh, there’s so much I have to tell you. Actually, I can show you some of it. The spooky barn is almost set up.” Zara hurried out of the office and led us to a large set of wooden double doors. She pulled them open and stepped inside.

  As we walked into the barn, a mist drifted around our feet. The barn was strung with fake cobwebs and realistically scary looking giant spiders, along with angry-faced bats.

  Zara laughed and clapped her hands. “Everything looks to be working. You need to watch out; some of these displays have lives of their own. This way.”

  Helen grabbed my hand and squeezed tightly. “Do not let go of me. You know I’m not fond of being scared.”

  I smiled at her. “You do remember how much of our time we spend being surrounded by ghosts.”

  “Yes, I know you’re a ghost magnet, but that’s different. They leave me alone unless they’re mean. This place is too realistic for my liking.” She shrieked. “Look at that werewolf. I’m sure he moved.” Helen peered at the seven-foot furry werewolf whose eyes glowed.

  “Keep up,” Zara called. “You don’t want the ghosts to get you. I want everyone who comes to the party to have a super spooky experience in here.”

  “It works for me.” Helen raced past the werewolf, dragging me along with her.

  “So long as I don’t have a super spooky real-life experience, that’s all I care about,” I whispered to Helen.

  “Me too,” Helen said. “I don’t mind making Halloween themed treats for this party, but I do not want to be covered in ghostly spider webs or cursed by a witch.”

  I turned to see where Flipper was, but he was nowhere to be seen. I took a few steps back. “Go on without me. I’ll catch up.”

  “You’re abandoning me in a spooky barn? Don’t you watch horror movies? The first rule is never split up. Only idiots who want to die split up.”

  I grinned at her. “Catch up with Zara. I want to make sure Flipper isn’t sticking his nose in where he shouldn’t.” He might have returned to Miltonia, curious about this new dog who wanted nothing to do with him.

  Helen grumbled as she walked away. “If the undead ghost of a zombie killer gets me, I’m coming back to haunt you in revenge.”

  I shook my head as I watched her go. “Flipper, where are you?” I didn’t want him getting lost in his new surroundings. I caught a glimpse of movement out of the corner of my eye and hurried after it. “Flipper, come back here.”

  I ran round the corner and straight into the arms of a ghost. This was not your typical ghost. It was solid and warm and grunted in surprise as I slammed into it.

  I bounced off the ghost and gasped. “Oh, sorry. I didn’t realize there was anyone in here.”

  The ghost stared down at me, a costume concealing the person’s features. From the height of the ghost, I guessed he was male.

  A scream had me spinning on my heel, and my heart pounded. That scream came from Helen. I looked back at the ghost, but he was already hurrying away.

  I ran toward the sound of Helen’s scream. As I turned the corner, I found her in the arms of a ghoul with red eyes.

  “He’s got me.” She struggled in the ghoul’s arms and kicked him in the ankle with the sharp toe of her high heel.

  “Ouch!” The ghoul let go and staggered back. “I was only playing with you.”

  “Go play with someone your own size.” Helen glared at him as she straightened her skirt. “And don’t go grabbing someone you’ve never met before. I might have had more than a pair of high heels to defend myself with, then you’d have been in real trouble.”

  Zara rounded the corner, her eyes widening as she took in the scene. “Oh, I am sorry. We’ve got a few actors as part of this experience. They’re role-playing today to get a feel for the venue. They can be a little too scary for their own good.” She shooed the ghoul away. “Don’t mind him. Most of them are drama students looking for extra credit. They can get too into their roles at times.”

  “He came off worse,” I said. “Helen’s got a mean kick.”

  “You’re right,” Helen said. “There’s nothing worse than a handsy ghoul.”

  Zara laughed. “I couldn’t agree more. This way. There might be a few more scares, but I’ll warn you before they happen.”

  I turned as I heard a bark. Flipper ran toward me, his tail in the air.

  “Where have you been?” I said to him. “You need to protect me from all the scary stuff, not run off looking for fun things to do.”

  He trotted along beside me, not seeming concerned by his spooky surroundings. I noticed he had some pale fur on his nose. It looked like Miltonia’s fur. He must have gone back to make friends. I looked around, but there was no sign of the other dog.

  “Stay by my side and protect me from all the ghouls and werewolves,” I said to Flipper.

  He licked my hand and gave a quick bark.

  Actually, I didn’t mind this kind of fright. If these were the only scares I got this Halloween, I’d be more than happy to do this job. Spooky spider webs and all.

  Chapter 2

  Once we’d finished looking around, Zara left us to settle into our accommodations.

  The units were pristine, and we were the first to stay there. Each unit had its own bedroom, modern bathroom, and lounge. There was a small kitchenette, but Zara said we were free to use the kitchen in the main house, which came fully equipped. She’d also invited us to dine with her and the Fleur family that evening, so we’d get to see the inside of the house, as well. That wasn’t something I was looking forward to but felt I couldn’t decline.

  As I unpacked my case, I felt excited about the upcoming Halloween party. It would be a lot of work pulling everything together, but if we got this right, it would be incredible. And I liked Zara. She was smart and funny and passionate about the launch of the new flowers. I wanted to make sure I did an excellent job for her. She seemed stressed about everything that needed doing, and if I could help to alleviate that, I would.

  Helen hurried into my room. “What do you think, so far?”

  “Apart from the ghoul incident in the barn, it’s going well. Oh, but I did bump into a ghost just before you screamed and kicked that poor acting student.”

  “A ghost! Did it want anything?”

  “It wasn’t a real ghost. Well, it was someone dressed to look like a ghost. I didn’t get the chance to talk to him before he ran off.”

  Helen snorted a laugh. “So long as the real thing leaves you alone, that’s the main thing. That ghoul was too realistic for his own good. I hope all these guests coming to the party have strong constitutions. We don’t want any of them collapsing because
the spooky barn is too realistic.”

  “Most people love a good scare. But it might be wise to print out some signs saying not for the fainthearted, just in case.” I hung up the last of my clothes and put away my luggage. “We only saw a small part of the grounds. It’s an enormous place.”

  “We’ve got nothing to do this evening,” Helen said. “Let’s take a look around before dinner and get a feel for it all.”

  I nodded as I pulled on my shoes.

  “I need to check out the kitchen,” Helen said. “You might not have to deal with the spooky old house, but I’ll have to use their facilities. It had better be up to scratch.”

  “If it’s anything like the rest of the place, it will be.” I looked at the new fittings in the bedroom. “They’ve spared no expense here.”

  After Helen had finished her unpacking, we hurried out of our accommodations and back into the grounds.

  Flipper stopped and nudged open the door of a barn as we walked past. I hurried over to pull him away. The door opened wider, and I saw more ghostly props inside. “Hey, come take a look at this.”

  Helen hurried over and groaned. “Not more spooky things. Haven’t we got enough already?”

  I pulled out a long black cloak and swirled it around my shoulders. “Maybe we should dress up on the night of the party. We don’t want to look like party poopers.”

  “Yes! Great idea. We’d look silly if we were the only ones not in costume.”

  I grinned at her. “What will you be?”

  “A fairy princess.”

  I twisted my mouth in disapproval. “You can’t be a fairy princess. It’s Halloween. If you’re going to be a fairy, it has to be an evil one.”

  Helen flicked her blonde curls over her shoulder. “I don’t want to be an evil fairy. How about a unicorn?”

  “Unicorns aren’t terrifying. They’re magical.”

  “I bet those horns can cause some damage if jabbed in the right place. What about a princess?”

  I shook my head. “How about a goblin, complete with warts?”

  Helen scowled at me. “If I’m going as a goblin, you’re going as a gnome.”

  I chuckled. “Gnomes aren’t scary.”

  “They are. They all have those little screwed up evil faces, like they’re having naughty thoughts and plotting the demise of their owners. Gnomes are not benevolent. Gnomes have a dark side. Never trust a gnome; that’s what I say.”

  “I’ve never met an evil gnome. Maybe you’re thinking of gremlins. The green, scaly guys you should never get wet or feed after midnight.”

  “No, you’re definitely going as a gnome. One with a fishing rod and a pointy hat.”

  I scanned the contents of the barn. “Sorry to disappoint, but there are no gnome costumes in here. I’ll have to go as something else. Something that’s scary rather than cute.”

  “What are you doing in there?” I turned toward the sound of an angry male voice. A dark-haired muscular guy wearing navy overalls strode toward us, his brows pulled down and a frown on his stubbled face.

  “Oh, sorry. We didn’t know it was out of bounds.” I placed the cloak back in the barn. “I’m—”

  “I don’t care who you are. You shouldn’t be snooping. This is private property.” The man grabbed the barn door and pulled it out of my grip, leaving behind a couple of splinters in my palm.

  “We’re not snooping,” I said as I squeezed out the tiny pieces of wood from my hand. “Well, we sort of are, but we’ve just started working here. We work for Zara.”

  He glared at us and grunted as he slammed the barn door shut and locked it. “Then go work for her. Keep your nose out of my barns.”

  I exchanged a startled glance with Helen. “We wanted to get familiar with the place. I’m sorting out the Halloween party for launch night.”

  “Get familiar with something else. I look after these barns and the equipment inside. I can’t afford to have anything broken or damaged.”

  “We weren’t going to break anything.” Helen jammed her hands on her hips and glared at him. “We’re interested in our new place of work. I’m catering the party, and Lorna is making sure it goes off without any problems. We’re professionals. We know what we’re doing. For all we know, you could be the one trespassing. You haven’t even bothered to tell us your name.”

  The man glared at her and shrugged. “I do the maintenance. I’m Luke Walsh. I make sure everything runs smoothly, as well. That gets harder when people interfere in things that don’t concern them.”

  Helen’s mouth dropped open. “We weren’t interfering. We’re curious.”

  “It doesn’t matter. You know now not to do it again.” Luke turned to leave but stopped as he looked down at Flipper, who watched him with a cautious interest. He bent and held out his hand. “Who’s this lovely fellow?”

  “That’s my assistance dog, Flipper. He goes everywhere with me.” I took a step closer to Flipper. So far, Luke had been nothing but mean, and I didn’t want him to do the same to Flipper.

  Flipper stood and sniffed Luke’s fingers before allowing him to stroke his head.

  “What a lovely dog. He looks like a wolf with that unusual coloring. Have you had him long?” Luke’s angry features were transformed from a mean grinch to an attractive guy as he fussed over Flipper.

  “Since he was a puppy.” So, Luke liked dogs. He couldn’t be all bad if he was into his animals. Sometimes, people preferred animals to other humans. I understood that. And we had been snooping around where we probably shouldn’t have been. If Flipper accepted Luke, I was willing to give him a second chance.

  “You can tell he’s clever by looking into those eyes. What does he assist you with?” Luke asked.

  “Just about everything. I have a... medical condition,” I said. At least, that’s what I told everybody. And you could say it was a medical condition, seeing the unhappy ghosts of people who’d died while leaving something unresolved.

  Luke stood after giving Flipper one more stroke. He gave my hand a brief pump. “I didn’t get your name.”

  I resisted the urge to tell him that was because he’d been too busy telling us off. “Lorna Shadow. This is Helen Holiday.”

  Luke scuffed a booted foot in the dirt. “Sorry if I came across as rude. I get so sick of the family poking around and checking up on me. They pay me to do a job. They should let me get on and do it.”

  “I promise we aren’t planning to get in your way.”

  Luke nodded and ran a hand down his face. “That’s good to hear. I’ll stay out of your way if you stay out of mine.”

  I glanced at Helen, who looked like she wanted to carry on arguing with him. “That sounds fair.”

  “And I’ll give you a bit of advice about this business and the people who work here. You need to be careful. The flowers they produce may be beautiful, but they’re deadlier than you can imagine.”

  “Deadly how?” Helen asked.

  “Beautiful things often hide something deadly. Stay away from the beautiful things, the plants and the people.” Luke strode off without a backward glance before I had a chance to ask him what he meant by that cryptic statement.

  My happy mood darkened as I watched him go. “That was quite a welcome.”

  “I’m taking no notice of him. He was trying to scare us,” Helen said. “What a grump. He acted like he owns these barns, as if we were going to break any of his precious things.”

  I watched Luke as he disappeared around the corner. “Plants are deadly. That was an odd thing to say. Deadly to whom? Was he trying to warn us about something or someone?”

  “Who knows? I’m taking his advice and staying out of his way.”

  I arched an eyebrow. “Didn’t Luke say to stay away from the beautiful people? Do you think he’s beautiful?”

  She smacked my arm. “No! I mean, he’s okay to look at. With an attitude like that, you can bet he’s single. No woman in her right mind would put up with such a grouch. Maybe that’s his probl
em; he’s lonely.”

  “Don’t try matchmaking the grumpy maintenance guy,” I said. “The only thing you’ll get for your trouble is shouted at.”

  “You saw what love did to Gunner. He turned from a loud, abrupt buffoon into a sweet, caring guy who always puts his woman first.”

  I laughed. “Gunner is still loud and abrupt. You’re just wearing love-tinted glasses.” Love had changed them both for the better. Gunner was softer around the edges, and Helen was more relaxed, knowing she was adored by a guy who’d never let her down.

  “Ahoy there! What brings two beautiful ladies to these gardens?” A tall, broad-shouldered man with a neatly trimmed dark beard and a big smile on his face strode toward us.

  “We were looking around,” I said, “getting to know the place.”

  “You must be the two girls Zara hired to make sure our party goes with a swing.” He pumped both of our hands as we introduced ourselves. “I’m Julius Fleur. I live here.”

  “You must be looking forward to the party,” Helen said.

  He laughed and nodded. “Quite right. I love a good party. This place needs something to cheer it up a bit. This launch party is the thing we need. Lots of booze and music and people running around having a good time in scary costumes. We’ll sell a shed load of flowers, as well, which is good for the bottom line. Have you seen everything you wanted to see?”

  “Zara gave us a tour of the main buildings when we got here. We were having a look around everywhere else,” I said.

  “Excellent! I hope Zara invited you to dinner.”

  “She did.”

  “Good show. There aren’t many of us, and you’ll have to excuse the shop talk at the table, but it’s only right you’re included on your first night here.”

  “You’re involved with the business, as well?” Helen asked.

  “In a hands-off kind of way.” Julius grinned as he petted Flipper on the head. “Have you been inside the greenhouses? Every time you step inside, it’s like being in a jungle, almost like stepping into another world. It certainly beats the cold autumn nights that have us running to grab another sweater.”