The Attic

Daniel moves into the big house.

 Daniel moved the last of his worldly objects from the home on Tuckerman Street into his large bedroom in the Blundon House. There were five bedrooms upstairs. One for Brenda, one for Daniel, two for guests, one with a treadle sewing machine, and a "Ghost room." Daniel's lights would be visible to many of the other houses, and no one would suspect that he and Brenda were anything other than friends.

Her bedroom was on the opposite side of the house above the living room, which faced Oglethorpe Street. Daniel was amused by the ghost room. It would be decorated in due course. Brenda had been into the attic several times since the weather had cooled off. Daniel got his first look after dinner. It was huge. It had been refurbished, had insulation behind the wood, and sported fancy metal ceilings. Brenda would have her Spiritualists and Seance organizers meetings in the attic. It was perfect for the Blundons and any other spirits that wanted to come through any way they wished.

Brenda believed in life after death. She was raised by a Catholic mother, and "not sure about that religious stuff" father. Her mother was also a  7 Day Adventist who never ate meat after the age of 30. "Mama" was also a Spiritualist, but believed, as Brenda did, that spirits could be reached through telepathy, and having  a desire to find the truth about life after death. She felt that many mediums were frauds. There were several in her circle she trusted. They came from Washington, DC, Beltsville, and Tacoma Park.

When Brenda walked around the attic, she made notes about the importance of lighting, and felt that one of the young men who had been killed by the train in 1895 was watching her. She immediately walked to the far corner of the room, and said "Okay. I will do it for you three." Daniel asked her who she was talking to, and she said that she had to pump Mr. Griffin for details about the 3 boys killed. 

Brenda was not a full medium, but she told Daniel that is important to keep his mind channel open. Daniel wanted to believe in the same things, but retained his healthy skepticism since he was a detective.

Brenda just had a way of putting things so that they made sense. A priest had told her to steer clear of any such "nonsense" and to "pray for protection." She found him rather goofy, and continued her cemetery visits. She said that The Blundons were still around the house in a "resolved way." 

There were no angry ghosts. She invited them to "come by any time." Daniel smiled at her sincerity. It began to rain, and the two lovers ended up on the iron bed in the middle of the attic. During their encounter, Daniel said that Mr. Blundon was "watching them."

Brenda didn't know if he was joking, but hoped that he was serious. She needed to surround herself with open minded people. She suggested that they put on quite a show for him, but Daniel teased her and said "Oops. He left. He's kind of shy about watching. He would rather "do" than watch."  

The rain poured all night, and Daniel was very happy with his new bedroom. Brenda had a bout of insomnia, and didn't mind sleeping alone. She talked to the Blundons in a whisper "I want to know all about you."

C J Marks