The Golden Arm

My mind was transported back to my own childhood, telling ghost stories in the neighbors play house, really just an old shed attached to their garage.

The fire glowed in shades of amber. The resulting heat helped to ward off the crisp fall air. My eyes teared up from the smoke. The chestnuts, I had tossed into the fire, smelled delicious, almost like roasted potatoes.

It was a perfect fall evening, just a week before Halloween. The grandchildren were gathered around the fire, roasting marshmallows. I helped Jasmine blow out the fire on her marshmallow, before placing it onto a Graham Cracker and topping it with a square of chocolate. Marshmallow oozed out rolling down her chin, as she bit into her S'more.

"Tell us a ghost story grandma!" they begged.

My mind was transported back to my own childhood, telling ghost stories in the neighbor's playhouse, really just an old shed attached to their garage.

"I'm going to tell you the story of the Golden Arm," I explained.

"Once upon a time there was a man who had a terrible workplace accident, which caused him to lose his arm. He sued the company, and they gave him a golden arm as a replacement.

People gossiped about how much that golden arm must be worth. For one man, who was down on his luck, it was too much.

I've got to have that arm, I would be set financially for life!

One night this man broke into the house of the man with the golden arm. Creeping up the stairs, ax in hand, he tried not to think about what he was planning to do.

Entering the bedroom, he raised the ax and chopped off the golden arm.

The victim looked up at him, "Why? I would have given it to you..." were his dying words.

The man ran from the house with the bloody golden arm, never looking back.

He melted the arm down and took the gold to a dealer, where he received a very good price. He was now rich!

Though rich, he was not happy. His nights were filled with nightmares of bloody axes.

One night, as he lay tossing, and turning, he thought he heard the creak of a step.

Just the house settling He lay back down.

Wait, what was that? It sounded like a voice.

Sitting up again he strained to listen.

There it is again, it sounds like someone is coming up the stairs.

" I want my arm, I want my Golden Arm. "

Chills went up the man's back, his hair stood on end.

"I'm on the second step...I want my arm, I want my Golden Arm."

The man lay frozen in his bed with fear. Memories of the night of the murder flooded back.

The blood, so much blood!

" I'm on the third step...I want my arm, I want my Golden Arm. "

"I'm on the fourth step...I want my arm I want my Golden Arm. "

Maybe it's just a nightmare, I'm really asleep. I fell asleep from pure exhaustion!

"I'm on the fifth step...I want my arm, I want my Golden Arm."

I'm asleep, but this seems so real. I'll just pinch my arm and...I felt that! I felt that!

"I'm on the sixth step...I want my arm, I want my Golden Arm."

This can't be real, someone must have found out what I did, and they are playing a cruel joke, trying to get a share of the money. Yes, that's it!

" Not funny, whoever you are, how much do you want? "

"I want my arm...I want my Golden Arm..."

" Gotcha!" I yelled, grabbing Hope by the shoulders, laughing at the squeals of terror.