A Guilty Ghost Surprised (An Indigo Eady Paranormal Cozy Mystery series) by Gwen Gardner Page B
Authors: Gwen Gardner
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right. Let’s find the dog. Up here.”
I led the way up the staircase, Badger following. Where was the dog? I shined my light around. The last time, he’d been right behind us. I didn’t want to experience that heart-hammering incident again. Turning left, we slowly made our way down the hall. I stopped in front of the same door where all the activity took place when Simon and I were there before.
With my heart pounding, I pushed lightly on the door, afraid that it would slam open again. It didn’t. And the green light didn’t race around the room. A woman stood at the window, looking out. She floated above the floor and emitted a green glow. Hearing the door creak, she turned to us.
“Mrs. Cuttle?” I asked.
She nodded, wide-eyed. “What do you want?”
She didn’t ask who I was and I could swear she recognized me. Probably from walking by and staring up at the window so often.
“Why can you see me?” she asked. “Nobody else can see me.”
I shrugged. “It’s what I do. An ability I have.”
Badger stood in the doorway and watched my apparently one-sided conversation.
Mrs. Cuttle began to pace. Or rather, she floated back and forth a foot above the floor.
“Why are you still here?” I asked her. “You…” I hesitated. Sometimes spirits didn’t respond well when told they were dead. But she couldn’t cross over to heaven unless she knew, so I asked. “Do you know you’re dead?”
She turned to me. “Of course I know it. I’m dead, not daft, child.”
“So why are you still here,” I repeated. I wanted to get the information quickly before she did a disappearing act.
She continued pacing. “I’m stuck. I don’t know why.”
Mrs. Cuttle broke eye contact, eyes focused on the floor. Her whole body shuddered and the corner of her lips twitched. No doubt about it. She knew exactly why she couldn’t cross over.“I can help, if you’ll tell me. What’s the last thing you remember?”
She began to pace more quickly, becoming agitated.
I stumbled a couple of steps back. Badger pulled me against his chest. The green light that became Sadie Cuttle in an agitated state made herself known, even to Badger.
“What’s happening?” he said. “What’s going on?”
The bulldog appeared in the doorway. He cocked his head to the side as he watched Sadie. His head moved back and forth, eyes trained on her.
“Mrs. Cuttle is becoming agitated,” I whispered, following her with my eyes.
A low rumble came from the ghost-dog’s throat and his lips began to twitch. His nose crinkled, revealing sharp, white teeth. A dark shadow-like figure emerged through a corner in the wall.
The dog’s growl grew deeper, louder. He placed himself in front of me, chest puffed out, presenting a defensive stance. He continued to rumble.
Badger’s grip squeezed my arms tighter.
“The Shadow - the Soul Collector,” he whispered.
“Y-yes. I c-can s-see that,” I said, shivering. At least with S.C. here, I knew he couldn’t be anywhere near Bryan.
A whirling wind roared through the room like a tornado. It grew colder. Puffs of condensation issued from our mouths. Continuing to snarl, with his nostrils flaring, ghost-dog looked like a smoke-breathing dragon. The door clicked shut behind us and dead-bolted, the echo picked up by the wind and added to the chaos. Stink followed, like a room full of rotting corpses.
Badger turned and yanked on the doorknob to no avail. “What do we do?” he yelled above the cacophony.
Mrs. Cuttle swirled faster and faster, caught up in the windstorm. The dog barked ferociously, the room grew colder and colder. The odor permeated everything and the shadow filled the room, second by second.
“Light! We need light!” I yelled.
The swirling swept up a loud wind and the ghost dog kept up a continuous barking cacophony. A keening moan added to the chaos.
My numbed fingers lost their grip on the flashlight and it clattered to the floor, rolling across the
I led the way up the staircase, Badger following. Where was the dog? I shined my light around. The last time, he’d been right behind us. I didn’t want to experience that heart-hammering incident again. Turning left, we slowly made our way down the hall. I stopped in front of the same door where all the activity took place when Simon and I were there before.
With my heart pounding, I pushed lightly on the door, afraid that it would slam open again. It didn’t. And the green light didn’t race around the room. A woman stood at the window, looking out. She floated above the floor and emitted a green glow. Hearing the door creak, she turned to us.
“Mrs. Cuttle?” I asked.
She nodded, wide-eyed. “What do you want?”
She didn’t ask who I was and I could swear she recognized me. Probably from walking by and staring up at the window so often.
“Why can you see me?” she asked. “Nobody else can see me.”
I shrugged. “It’s what I do. An ability I have.”
Badger stood in the doorway and watched my apparently one-sided conversation.
Mrs. Cuttle began to pace. Or rather, she floated back and forth a foot above the floor.
“Why are you still here?” I asked her. “You…” I hesitated. Sometimes spirits didn’t respond well when told they were dead. But she couldn’t cross over to heaven unless she knew, so I asked. “Do you know you’re dead?”
She turned to me. “Of course I know it. I’m dead, not daft, child.”
“So why are you still here,” I repeated. I wanted to get the information quickly before she did a disappearing act.
She continued pacing. “I’m stuck. I don’t know why.”
Mrs. Cuttle broke eye contact, eyes focused on the floor. Her whole body shuddered and the corner of her lips twitched. No doubt about it. She knew exactly why she couldn’t cross over.“I can help, if you’ll tell me. What’s the last thing you remember?”
She began to pace more quickly, becoming agitated.
I stumbled a couple of steps back. Badger pulled me against his chest. The green light that became Sadie Cuttle in an agitated state made herself known, even to Badger.
“What’s happening?” he said. “What’s going on?”
The bulldog appeared in the doorway. He cocked his head to the side as he watched Sadie. His head moved back and forth, eyes trained on her.
“Mrs. Cuttle is becoming agitated,” I whispered, following her with my eyes.
A low rumble came from the ghost-dog’s throat and his lips began to twitch. His nose crinkled, revealing sharp, white teeth. A dark shadow-like figure emerged through a corner in the wall.
The dog’s growl grew deeper, louder. He placed himself in front of me, chest puffed out, presenting a defensive stance. He continued to rumble.
Badger’s grip squeezed my arms tighter.
“The Shadow - the Soul Collector,” he whispered.
“Y-yes. I c-can s-see that,” I said, shivering. At least with S.C. here, I knew he couldn’t be anywhere near Bryan.
A whirling wind roared through the room like a tornado. It grew colder. Puffs of condensation issued from our mouths. Continuing to snarl, with his nostrils flaring, ghost-dog looked like a smoke-breathing dragon. The door clicked shut behind us and dead-bolted, the echo picked up by the wind and added to the chaos. Stink followed, like a room full of rotting corpses.
Badger turned and yanked on the doorknob to no avail. “What do we do?” he yelled above the cacophony.
Mrs. Cuttle swirled faster and faster, caught up in the windstorm. The dog barked ferociously, the room grew colder and colder. The odor permeated everything and the shadow filled the room, second by second.
“Light! We need light!” I yelled.
The swirling swept up a loud wind and the ghost dog kept up a continuous barking cacophony. A keening moan added to the chaos.
My numbed fingers lost their grip on the flashlight and it clattered to the floor, rolling across the
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