Ghost story

Here is the story I entered for the competition. I've gone on so much about it, I thought you might like to read it.

Sisters

‘So Mum, let me get this straight. You’ve being seeing Aunt Till.’

‘Yes Ted.’ Sarah pointed to the Formica table in the corner of the kitchen. ‘She sits there.’

At eighty six Sarah’s eyes weren’t as good as they could be, even when she wore her glasses (which she hardly ever did) so she didn’t catch Ted’s grimace. It upset him to hear his Mum talk like this.

‘Does Aunt Till ever say anything?’

‘No she just sits there.’

‘Next time you see her why don’t you try talking to her? Ask her what she wants.’

Ted left soon after. He offered to stay until his aunt appeared, but Sarah said no. He had his own family to get home to. This time of year Sarah virtually lived in her kitchen, it was easier to keep warm. The kitchen was big enough for a small table and 2 armchairs, one each side of the electric fire. She had her radio, perched on the fridge, for company. Sarah sat thinking about Till. Sarah had been one of nine, but she had always been especially close to Till. She never thought the day would come where the thought of seeing Tilly frightened her. She decided if she saw Till again, she would talk to her. She was still her sister. Death doesn’t change that does it?

One of the nuisances of old age was that you woke up so early. It was only four, but she knew she wouldn’t drop off again. Stuffing her feet into her Dalmatian slippers (a present from one of her twenty seven grandchildren) she went to the kitchen to make some tea. Sitting in the corner was her unwelcome visitor. Motionless, her brown eyes fixed on Sarah. Sarah was frightened. She didn’t know if she was frightened of seeing a ghost, or seeing things that weren’t there. Averting her gaze Sarah put the kettle on. Then taking a deep breath, (she had lived through the Blitz, she had given birth to nine children and buried two, she could do this) she looked at the apparition.

‘What do you want Tilly?’

‘Just a chat Sarah. Reckon it gets lonely being on your own.’ Till smiled.

‘How come you’ve never said anything before. Just sitting there all quiet, staring.’

Till stood up and walked over to her sister, ‘I didn’t want to scare you, I wasn’t sure if you could see me.’

Sarah started to cry. ‘Of course you scared me! Sitting there all quiet. I thought I was seeing things. I thought I was going mad’

‘You seeing things. That’s a laugh, you’re too vain to wear your glasses.’

Sarah looked up at her sister, and they both started to laugh.

‘I only didn’t wear them in case I saw your ugly mug!’

Ted is pleased to see his Mum is wearing her glasses more often now. She told him that she doesn’t see Aunt Till anymore and he believes her.