Sam and I went to the Sailing Club the following day at eleven. Her dinghy, Bubblegum the Third, was on a stand along with other dinghies. It was dry but it needed to be cleaned out. We climbed inside it. We started filling Sam’s black bin liners with the seaweed, stones and shells that were strewn all over the bottom of the boat. We pulled the sails out to let them dry out. Luckily, it was a sunny day.
“Thanks for your help with this. Mum said I can’t take the boat out for a while. She thought I was a gonner!” said Sam laughing.
“Well it was a bit scary seeing you go over like that so I can understand what your mum means.”
“Yes, it did shake me up a bit but I do love sailing. I can’t wait to learn to drive. All that freedom. Just jump in the car and off you go. Sailing is like that…jump in the boat and sail away, but it is dangerous. The sea is dangerous.”
“Do you want to come back for lunch? Aunty M said it is fine,” I said.
When we arrived Aunty M was in the kitchen and she smiled at us saying,
“Hello girls. There’s chicken gougons, chips and beans. Then there’s strawberry cake with ice cream.”
Sam and I looked at each other. We were both starving after working on the boat.
After lunch, we decided to go back up to the attic. First, we tried on some of the dresses.
“You look gorgeous, Sam. That hat looks simply divine,” I said mimicking the lady on the fashion programme on TV.
“You look simply wonderful in that creation, Flo. The colour is perfect on you.”
We both fell about laughing because we looked really silly. Sam wrapped a gruesome fox stole around her and paraded up to the end of the attic like she was on a catwalk. Then we sat down together on the sofa and looked through the window. Far below we could see the sea and Aunty M’s garden.
“Sam, do you believe in ghosts?” I asked.
“No I don’t. I think when you’re dead you’re dead. But some people do. My mum does.”
“Really does she?” I said astounded that a grown up would.
“Yes. She says she’s had some odd experiences when she feels she’s being ‘watched over.’ That someone is sort of taking care of her. She’s a bit religious so I guess that’s the reason. Dad says it’s a load of old twoddle and I sort of agree with him. Why do you ask?”
“No reason really,” I said.
“Go on there must be a reason.”
“No there isn’t. Well at least I thought there might be, but Aunty M explained to me about being in old houses.”
“I don’t understand. What about being in old houses?”
“Well you know creaking floorboards, wind howling through the windows and doors slamming. You get all these noises in old houses. I live in a new house and the only noises we get are the London traffic. That’s all you can hear.”
“You live in London? That’s cool. I’d love to live there. All those shops and restaurants and loads of things to do. There’s not much going on down here. Anyway you thought you heard a ghost?” Sam continued.
“Yes I did. It seems daft now but it was a bit scary at the time.”
“Well you weren’t to know and you are in a strange house without your parents. Lord, look at the time. I’ve got a dentist appointment at four. Mum’ll murder me if I’m late. Must dash.”
That night as I lay in bed, I heard a click. I opened my eyes wondering what I was going to see and hear this time. There on the end of the bed was the girl. She looked just like me. She had a sort of white ‘glow’ around her and I could clearly see she was staring at me with those dead eyes, piercing through me. Terror shot through me and yet I could not stop staring. The way she looked at me made me feel cold and empty. I was shocked and frightened. I lay still as I could, unable to breathe. I mustn’t make a sound. I couldn’t anyway. Then she started to fade and I strained my eyes to keep her in view but as I blinked, she was gone.