Ghosts and Agatha

IV: Elizabeth on the Beach

One day after Grandmother and I had the conversation regarding Edgar's visit during suppertime, I found myself standing next to the window in my grandparents' lounge, my hands rested on the windowsill that was littered with dead flies. I peered at the view behind the windowpane. Rain was pouring out of the sky, and had seeped through the cracks in the glass, water droplets dripping down both sides of the window like tears. The corner of the curtain that was draped over the windowpane was the colour of violet, and was tucked in my hand, the curtain wrinkled because of my folding the material over. The downpour that emitted off of the sky battered against the windowpane, making the view in front of me slightly hazy, although I felt as if I could see everything crystal clear.

The sunset was rested at the edge of the sea, curving into the shape of a semicircle, and moulding into a full loop as it rose upwards to create a wet morning. I began questioning why the sunset hadn't snuffed out like a candle because of the downpour, although I knew that was an incredibly daft thing for me to ask myself.

Through the rain, I could see the rays of the sunset's light making the ocean glitter, the hoarse wind the sky delivered to Chester making violent ripples slide through the top of the water, the sunshine that seeped through the rain making the sea glimmer like lollies coated in sugar. The waves lapped onto the shore, helping the rain smooth down the shoreline like sandpaper rubbing against coats of beige paint.

I pulled back the curtain, and decided to walk back to the spare room I was staying in. Briefly, I ascended the stairs, walked down the hallway, and entered my bedroom. I slouched onto my bed and buried my head in my hands in exasperation because Edgar would be coming to my grandparents' house this morning, and I had to choice but to include him in today's activities, which I was previously planning to spend alone.

Grandmother had made me wear this hideous dress made of stretchy, cream material, and was decorated in intricate patterns at the rim. The dress was all frilly at the bottom, and had a musty smell which made me have to constantly wrinkle my nose. The dress was so tight you could see my ribcage, which made me want to retch.

Grandmother had gone way too far trying to impress Edgar's father that she had dusted practically everything in the house and even bought herself a new hair curler.

I removed myself from the cherry bed I was sitting on, and walked towards the mirror, which Grandmother had decided to attach onto my dressing table. Lines of patterns that were painted a pastel blue surrounded the mirror. I looked at my reflection, grimaced and quickly smoothed down the duvet's crinkled cover with my hands to avoid seeing it again, tucking the quilts underneath the mattress.

I flinched when I heard the distant muttering of conversation being exchanged downstairs. Rolling my eyes, I removed my hands from the bed. I walked back down the hallway and descended the staircase; stopping at the place Grandfather had deemed the TV Room.

I peered from behind the door that was attached to the hinges on the doorframe that was cut into the wall bordering around the TV Room like the crust of a sandwich, and glowered when I spotted Edgar. He was wearing a plaid T-shirt in which was tucked into pair of tight pants that were the hideous colour of green-brown, and had suspenders clipped onto them, which eventually strung over his shoulders. Edgar looked as if he was trying to dress like a school kid in the 1960s. His long neck was extended, and his back was as straight as a ruler, giving him an arrogant exterior that made me fluster with rage.

"I'm rather astonished by the tackiness of my own father's home," Edgar remarked. "I expected it to be a lot more quality."

Grandmother, I assumed, was the one Edgar was talking to, and she looked dismayed and tried to maintain her content expression by smiling slightly. "Well, this house does need some renovating...." She nodded, faking agreement.