My Run in with a Ghost
By Beth Connolly
Published by Beth Connolly at Smashwords
Copyright 2011 Beth Connolly
Thank you for downloading this free eBook. Although this is a free book, it remains the copyrighted property of the author, and may not be reproduced, copied and distributed for commercial or non-commercial purposes. If you enjoyed this book, please encourage your friends to download their own copy at Smashwords.com, where they can also discover other works by this author. Thank you for your support.
The room was dimly lit. I could just barely make out the writing on the small piece of paper that came out of the fortune cookie I was just handed. My friends were busy looking at theirs. They didn’t notice the odd way that mine was filled front and back with words, or so it seemed. I took a closer look and noticed that not only was it a larger paper folded small but, when I opened it up fully, those words that were clearly printed on it were directions, but to where I had no clue.
My friend, Janice leaned over and looked at my “fortune” her eyes knitting together as she started to read it. Her brown eyes were slightly confused. What kind of fortune was this? “That’s weird,” she muttered as she grabbed my paper taking a closer look at the yellowed paper. “Looks like directions. I wonder where to,” she muttered again as she got up from the table in the Chinese restaurant we were eating in. She grabbed her bag waving to the girls that it was time to go.
Following her we went out the door. The bell rang as it opened and closed singing a slight jingle. We got into our car, Janice taking the driver seat. I took shotgun, our friend Maria taking the back seat. “Where does it say to go?” I asked curiously leaning over in my seat to look at the directions while Janice put the key in the ignition getting ready to start the car. “Here,” Janice said handing me the yellowed paper, “You tell me.” Glancing down at the paper I read aloud, “To the old fern near Park Hass you must go following the footsteps of the old maid. Look to the clock tower and when the clock strikes eight follow the small hands direction. Walk until you see a graveyard with no one else in sight. There you will find the grave of the old maid, a withered spirit who once loved but was killed by that same love. Only you can set her spirit free but it is easier said than done. A curse was placed on both her and her lover’s house and to this day it guards her grave. Go to the tombstone marked ‘Juliet C’ and you will find a single rose. That rose sent from loving wife to exiled husband was all that kept the lovers together when the old maid’s husband was exiled from their fair city. Stab it and she will be free but beware. If the rose is not stabbed by midnight tonight her spirit will forever be trapped. Her lover will forever wait for her at heaven’s gate. You have until midnight tonight. Good luck.”