Creek Waters Road

A medium is hired to get rid of a ghost in an old colonial home, a seemingly simple task. However he isn't prepared for the grief stricken ghost he finds and his inability to save it.

 

Persephone was startled to life by a groan coming from the bed in the corner. She adjusted her wings in displeasure as her owner lifted his stiff body from his sheets.

“Damn paper boy!” she squawked at him.

He waved her off as he made his way through the darkness to his bathroom. Persephone readjusted her wings. She had been sleeping so nicely.

“We have an appointment today, Persephone,” said a voice from the bathroom. She could hear the water running and the sound of an old toothbrush being dragged across coffee stained teeth. Her hearing was quite good for a bird.

Persephone hopped off her perch and began pecking at the grains at the bottom of her cage. They were from a week ago but her owner always forgot to feed her so she had to learn how to ration it.

The light from the bathroom closed as the curtains drawn across the window were opened. Bright sunlight streamed into the small apartment.

“Damn it, I think we are late,” said her owner as he wiped the water off his chin, “What time was the appointment?”

Persephone chirped in disapproval.

“Look, I don’t need this from you at-” he looked at his watch as he put it on, “eleven fifty in the morning.”

Persephone, if she could chuckle, would have. All their appointments were scheduled for twelve o clock.

 

 

            Samuel W. Hade walked out of his apartment building and greeted the outside world with a parrot on his shoulder.  Persephone nuzzled against his head and nipped his ear as he stared at the attractive businesswoman who lived in the apartments across the street from him.

            He turned his attention to the piece of paper in his hand.

            “Fifteen miles? Jesus.”

            Hade walked to the complex parking lot mumbling all the possible routes he could take to cut down the distance. Gas was expensive and clients were scarce. Ever since that Catholic Church opened its doors, people turned to traditional exorcisms to solve their problems.  Damn priests don’t know what the hell they are doing. He knew once the public realized that it was all a load of bull and incense he’d start getting some business.

            He found his car in a spot he didn’t remember parking in and mumbled under his breath about aging and memory loss.

            “One of these days I’m going to die,” he said softly to Persephone, who ruffled her feathers.

            Death was not something Hade feared. He dealt with the happenings after death so much that he had become curious as to what it was like. He was not scared of death, but he liked life.

            As Hade drove he recalled his conversation with the client from the other day. The client was a male but his voice was high pitched and slightly disturbed. He sounded like an older gentlemen. From what Hade knew, he’d just moved into a house in the rural area after getting out of the city. Hade expected that it was just a case of old house creaks. He had gotten them often. Young married couples that bought a romantically old house and were disturbed by the creaks and groans it made at night. They somehow worked themselves into frenzy about it. They cried malicious ghosts while all Hade could find was a squeaky pipe.

            It was a clear afternoon, Hade noticed. The sky was a beautiful blue and as he drove his way out of the city limits he was greeted by the intense green and gold of rural grass. He wasn’t fond of the country. The most twisted happenings seemed to occur there.

            Next to Hade sat Persephone. She squawked on the perch he had fastened to the car door.

            “Where is the key?!” she said happily.

            She was quite fond of long drives with Hade.

            As they turned down a dirt road he consulted his directions. If the satellite map was correct, he had to turn down another road on his left. Creek Waters Road. As Hade looked around he saw no Creek Waters Road. There was not a sign down a single of the roads he passed.

            Persephone tutted on her perch as he swerved around.

            Eventually, at 1:34 in the afternoon, they arrived at 431 Creek Waters Road. The house was almost exactly what Hade had expected, an old colonial home with pillars and a green porch that was host to an old man Hade could tell was not yet comfortable with rural life.

            He was a slight man with tufts of gray hair and small eyeglasses. He looked as if he was prone to coughing and small panic attacks.

            “Mr. Hade?” he called getting up from his rocking chair and waving stiffly.

            “Persephone,” Hade mumbled softly to the parrot, “Kill me before I get that old.”

            The bird nodded her head but cawed in disapproval. It was not the time for such foolishness.

            “Garret Snaps?” Hade called to the man, “Sorry for the delay. We had an emergency call from that Catholic Church that opened up. Exorcism gone wrong.”

            “Oh, yes,” he coughed, “Well, its all right. Come in.”

            Hade followed Snaps into the house and marveled at the interior. Everything was renovated. He couldn’t see the point in living in such a house and in such a place if the inside looked like it belonged in a city pent house. Everything glared with stainless steel and marble.

            “How old did you say this house was?” Hade asked staring at the fake stuffed parrot on the bookshelf.

            “Over one hundred years old, give or take a decade,” Snaps replied as they sat down on sleek leather couches, “I hope you can get rid of this thing.”

            “I’ll be blunt with you, Mr. Snaps, from what you told me on the phone, I find it hard to believe that there really is a ghost in this house. Now that I’ve seen the house I’m almost certain,” Hade began.

            “But I"”
            “Please, let me finish. In houses such as these it is not uncommon for the houses to creak and make weird noises. Now, this is even truer for old houses that have been renovated. Everything needs to settle.”

            “Mr. Hade,” said Snaps, “I understand what you are saying but I’ve seen the ghost!”

            “You didn’t say that last week,” said Hade, “I asked you.”

            “Well, I hadn’t seen it last week!” Snaps said, getting up and hobbling towards the kitchen, “I saw it last night. My heart nearly stopped.”

            “It wouldn’t be untimely,” Hade mumbled.

            “Tea or coffee?” Snaps asked.

            “Coffee. Now tell me about the ‘ghost’ you saw.”

            Snaps fiddled with a new coffee machine but didn’t respond. Only when he sat down in front of Hade and handed him a cup did he start.

            “I had been in bed sleeping when I heard the sound of footsteps going down the stairs. I had never heard such distinct ones before and I thought perhaps it was an actual person. I followed down stairs and heard the footsteps outside in the garden…” he trailed off, “When I looked outside I saw this… It was like a person. It had color but it was blurred and transparent. I couldn’t see much but its head was turned to the sky and it was howling.”

            Hade nodded. He was beginning to change his mind about the case. Snaps had described a non-medium sighting of an actual ghost perfectly. He kept this to himself though.

            “What happened then?” he said.

            “Well, it disappeared… then I went back to sleep.”

            Hade thought it over. He had a good idea it wasn’t malicious. If his luck was good it was some old woman who had lost her cat in the area and was desperately trying to find it.

            As they walked about the house, searching for signs of the ghost, Hade asked, “How long have you been living here?”

            “Three months. Renovations were finally completed one month ago.”

            “Before you moved in,” he asked, “How long was the house empty for?”

            “If I'm not mistaken, just over fifty years,” replied the old man as he showed him into a spare bedroom.

            Suddenly, Persephone’s feathers rose. The air took on a stagnant feeling and Hade knew the ghost was near.

            “Go downstairs, Mr. Snaps,” he commanded, smoothing Persephone’s feathers.

            Snaps obediently followed, asking no questions.

            Hade stepped out of the bedroom and hide around the corner. He could feel the apparition but needed it to come out of where ever it was hiding. Persephone flapped a wing nervously.

            A soft voice cried from the room.

            Hade nodded to Persephone and entered.

            The ghost before him was a very old one. Its edges were frayed with too much time out of a body and away from the light and it shown dimly. Hade had never come across a Native American ghost before. The ghost’s head was framed with long gray hair, decorated with feathers and beads. His wrinkled face was warm but spoke of perpetual sadness. Hade watched him cry softly in a language he couldn’t understand. It sounded like sad music.

            “Excuse me,” Hade said, interrupting the ghost,

            The ghost looked at him, his eyes glazed over. The response was unusual. Normally ghosts would look at him shocked or with some sort of joy. Humans who could see and help ghosts were rare.

            “Why are you still here?”

            The ghost looked away and began crying and wailing as he descended out of the window.

            Hade cursed as he ran down the stairs. He flew passed Snaps who dropped his cup in surprise.

            “Did you see it?!”

            Hade didn’t respond but threw open the new sliding glass doors. In the backyard he found the ghost, weeping with his head pressed to the ground. Hade felt as if he was witnessing something private and sacred but couldn’t take his eyes from it. Never had he come across a ghost so devastated.

            “What is going on?” asked Snaps nervously behind Hade.

            “Shut up,” Hade snapped. Snaps’ voice caught the attention of the ghost who suddenly stood up and walked slowly towards Hade.

            He spoke and wept as if begging, holding out his hands.

            “What is that noise?!” said Snaps.

            “Shut up.”

            The ghost stepped closer and begging more earnestly with every step.

            “What is it?! It’s coming closer!”

            “Shut up!” Hade growled angrily.

            At last the ghost stood in front of Hade. He lifted his frail, wrinkled hands and pressed each to the side of Hade’s face. Hade didn’t move. The faint presence of fingers on his cheeks captivated him. It was as if the ghost was trying to impart some knowledge… some vision on him that he could not receive. The fingers trembled.

            “I wish I could help you…” Hade said softly staring into the eyes of the ghost.             

   “What are you talking about?! You better be able to help me!” Snaps said angrily, his high-pitched voice becoming shrill.

            With that the ghost turned around and walked back into the yard. His steps were slow and deliberate. He turned for a moment and looked back at Hade. A golden field reaching for miles and miles flickered around the old ghost and Hade’s breath caught in the back of his throat.

            “What is it?!”

            The image and the ghost faded from view and Hade was left staring at the empty backyard. He turned around, knocking Snaps over and causing Persephone to lose her balance. Hade made his way out of the house and stood breathing heavily by his car.

            “Mr. Hade! If you don’t start explaining what went on in there or how you are fixing my problem I refuse to pay you!” Snaps said storming out of his house.

            Hade ignored him as he pulled his cell phone out of his pocket. He dialed quickly.

            “Sam!” screeched a woman’s voice from the other end, “Do you know what time it is?”

            “No, I don’t but I need you"”

            “It’s my time with my kids! I get four hours with them every other weekend! What the hell do you want?”

            “Sorry, Lina. I know, I know. But, damn, I need help,” Hade said, pressing his hand onto the glass of his car door.

            There was a pause on the other side, he could hear kids screaming happily.

            “You are surprisingly polite… Is everything okay, Sam?” Lina said.

            “What languages do you speak?”

            “What?”

            “God damnit, Lina. What languages do you speak?”

            “Hold on a second,” she said, “Kids! Stop that! Jenna, leave your brother alone. You guys be good for a second. Momma is going inside.”

            Hade heard replies and the sound of the phone being pressed to fabric.

            “French, Spanish, and conversational German,” she said, “Now what is this about?”

            “Do you know any mediums who speak Indian?” Hade asks.

            “Well, there is that one guy who owns the curry store. He made contact with me a few months ago,” she said.

            “Damnit, not that kind of Indian. The American ones!”

            “Native American?” she asked, exasperated. Hade grunted in reply. “I… I’m not sure. Jimmy had an uncle who was Native American but he died a few years back. What kind of Native American?”

            “I don’t f*****g know. Jeez… I forgot there was more than one kind,” he cursed.

            “Sam, I doubt I’ll be able to find someone… Not without specifics...” she trailed off, “How old is the ghost?”

            “Old. One of the oldest I’ve ever seen. His edges were so frayed…”

            “House?”

            “Yeah. Guy moved from the city to the country,” Hade muttered.

            “Malicious?”

            “I f*****g wish. Lina, he is sad. Sad is a s****y word. Something more than sad… Like sad is some terrible starting point and he is beyond that…”

            “Sam… Sam, are you all right?” Lina said, concerned.

            “Lina… If I can’t… If we can’t help him… He is going to be wandering around that place forever. He will never leave. Until the goddamn Earth blows up he is going to be mourning something while people live around him. Are we so useless?”

            “Sam, how can you say that after all the ghosts you’ve saved. It’s bullshit. Oh God,” she paused, “No, honey, Mommy did not just curse. Go back with your brother. Sorry about that.”

            “How many others are out there like him, Lina? How many ghosts are alive from so long ago that their language probably doesn’t exist anymore? How can we get them to move on if we can’t communicate?”

            “We don’t. Sam, don’t forget we are humans. For all our abilities and all the things we can do, we aren’t perfect. We aren’t angels. We can’t save every twisted soul we find. You have to accept that…”

            Hade took the phone away from his ear and kicked his tire. Persephone, showing her love, nipped him slightly on the ear. He stroked her head and brought the phone back to his ear.

            “Look around for me. I’m going to find out what Indi- Native Americans used to live here, so you just look for people who speak the language,” he said.

            “All right, Sam. Lord, I have to go. The kids are fighting,” she said with the sound of screaming in the background.

            “See you. Sorry about calling during your time with the kids.”

            “Bye, Sam.”

            He hung up the phone.

            “Well?” coughed Snaps.

            “Your ghost is Native American,” Hade said, opening his car door and sitting down, “Its old and I can’t understand it. I’ll call you when I have more information.”

            “So you are just leaving?” squeaked Snaps, “I’m supposed to live with that thing? Why the hell am I pa-”.

            Hade slammed the car door as Persephone settled herself on her perch. The engine was roaring and they were driving down the road before Snaps could hobble down his porch.

            The scenery passed them by but all Hade could see was the ghost and the field. He prayed he would never be so helpless and trapped but knew it was an easy thing to fall into. One regret or unfinished phone call could keep him forever in the limbo of invisibility. He shuddered at the thought and Persephone cawed at his discomfort as they turned off Creek Waters Road.  

 

Author's Note

Rough draft. Just finished writing it. Took awhile to get out. I feel it is a bit disjointed but hey, it is a first draft. Comments and opinions are always appreciated!

Reviews

[Ceara]

I really, really want to know more about the sad ghost and his story. I'm hooked like a trout. Persephone is adorable, and I like the idea of her being an "assistant" to the main character; very creative. I can't say much more that hasn't already been said, so please, continue writing!

[Nezetta]

this is amazing!! you should totally put this into a novel!

[jenniewren (J.W. Bouwma..]

this is incredible! i love where it is going.. i think it could so very easily be fleshed into a novel if you so wished. all the hallmarks are there for an excellent one. *ponders* course with the ending as enigmatic as it is, it stands strongly on its own

the only glaring error that popped out was this:
"Hade cursed as he ran down the stairs. He flew passed Snaps who dropped his cup in surprise."

should be "past". amazing amazing start, chica

[Mary Evans]

Very nice story. I like the imagery and characters. Its realty good for a first draft.

Some feedback:

"the street from him." You don't need "from" him, its clear enough when you say "across the street."

“Where is the key?!” I think it should be "where's" unless you really want him to say the whole thing XD.

"green porch that was host to an old man Hade could tell was not yet comfortable with rural life." Maybe you're just missing a comma but to me it sounds a bit confusing as it is.

"n houses such as these it is not uncommon for the houses " A bit of repetition.

"Snaps fiddled with a new coffee machine but didn’t respond." Sounds a bit awkward, maybe its just me but i would elaborate a bit.

"and hide" Typo.

So yeah, i really enjoyed it. It sound a bit incomplete though. You plan on continuing?

[.]

you are awesome with descriptive imagery-and
i think your dialogue is wonderful...
for a rough draft-
GOD!!!-wish mine turned out this well!:-)
i would say rewrite it carefully once more-
then it will be just Excellent!!!
i do love the story-and
Persephone is a great charater!
you have written this first draft well!!!
I Do Love It!!!

james:-)