Page 80 of The Ghost of Ellwood

Oh, great. This damn movie’s gonna traumatize him.

Once, during an intense scene, Theo grabbed my hand. I shifted toward him and let him bury his face against my shoulder. The moment passed almost as soon as it began. He sat back up and released my hand, offering me a shaky smile.

After the movie, we threw away our trash and walked into the lobby. There were scattered conversations about the movie, some saying it was scary as hell while others said they liked the first one better.

“What did you think?” I asked, turning to him.

“I’ve decided I no longer like clowns.”

“Join the club.” I laughed and headed for the door.

When we left the movie theater, shivers erupted over my skin at the coldness in the air. I felt sorry for the girls we’d seen earlier who were wearing practically nothing. I was in jeans and a sweatshirt and was still shaking.

“Anywhere else you’d like to go?” I asked, checking the time. It was a few minutes until ten. We still had two hours before he had to be back at the manor. A total Cinderella situation.

“Home,” he answered, linking his fingers with mine. “I want to go home.”

Shocked, I looked at our joined hands. People surrounded us, some leaving the theater while others went inside for the late shows. And yet, he was openly showing affection.

“Is this okay?” he asked, as his smile began to falter.

“It’s perfect,” I said, holding him tighter.

Right as we turned to go down the sidewalk, my insides froze. They just stopped working; my heart, my lungs, my ability to think.

“Ben?”

The woman in the black gown stood fifteen or so feet away, her mourning veil drifting upward in the breeze. The same woman I’d seen at Redwood Manor. People walked around her, none of them giving her a second glance. Almost as if they didn’t even see her there.

“Do you see her?” I croaked. Surely he did.

He had to.

Theo followed my gaze. “I see many people, but no one in particular. What’s wrong, Ben?”

The barrier between the worlds was thin tonight. Theo was allowed to leave the property…so that meantallghosts could leave their dwellings. Including her.

Why did no one else see her?

“Oh my God!” a girl shouted, pointing at the woman. “That’s a scary fucking costume.”

“Who?” her friend asked.

“The lady in the black dress, bitch. Are you blind?”

“You’re cut off, Ashley. You’ve had way too much to drink.”

“I’m not drunk!”

They continued on their way as I stood in stunned silence. Or hell, maybe it was shock. Someone else saw the woman. It wasn’t just me. However, it appeared as if only certain people could see her.

Why?

“Let’s get to the car,” I said, pulling Theo along with me as I cut across the street. Avoiding walking past the woman. I chanced a look at her, though, once we were on the opposite side of the road, and nausea bubbled in my stomach.

She had turned and was still watching me, her veil and the lace on her gown blowing in the wind.

I walked faster, desperate to put distance between us. A dark cloud hung over me. It followed me down the street and to the parking lot. Everything was so heavy too, as if I was being weighed down by some unseen force. Each time I looked behind me, I expected to spot the woman. She was gone, though. For now.