Earlier on that same day back at the blue cottage, a young ghost of about fourteen peered through the kitchen window above the sink, checking to see if the room was empty.
Natalie Thompson walked to the front door of the blue cottage, bowed her head and stared vacantly at the floor. The girl stood still for a few minutes, letting herself lose all thought and allowing her body to transverse into the underworld.
The underworld was much like the human world. It shared the same space as the human world but was in a different dimension. Non-living entities like buildings were the same in both worlds and people still very much lived their lives as they would in the human world but they just happened to be dead.
The underworld unsurprisingly, as it was called the underworld only housed that which was dead. There was not a sun in the underworld or stars or water or wind or fire, nothing that took part in the creation of life.
The sky was just a blank canvas of grey and always remained as such.
Natalie Thompson had forgotten what a horrid place the underworld was. Everything about the world seemed like it was suppose to remind the undead that they were dead.
Still standing on the same spot, but now in a different world, in front of the now grey cottage, she knocked on the door and entered. A faint smell of rotting food welcomed her.
‘Who goes there?’ a voice called from somewhere in the cottage.
‘Hi Ray, it just me,’ she greeted the old man who lived inside. ‘I’m not stopping for long, just needed to cross the veil to enter the cottage.’
An old round man with a round face and a broad smile walked into the kitchen.
‘You’re taking a risk, coming back here,’ the man frowned. ‘You know Caisus is after you.’
‘I know Ray,’ Natalie nodded.
‘A ghost who can transverse between the human world and the underworld whenever she likes undermines their rule.’
‘I know Ray,’ Natalie nodded again - she heard the same thing every time she crossed into the world of the dead.
‘We’re all rooting for you though’ the old man grinned, ‘you show them they can’t control us all!’ the man clenched his right hand and raised it into the air.
‘I’m trying my best’ Natalie smiled.
The old man bustled over to the stove and put some rotting fish onto a chopping board – that’s the smell that greeted Natalie upon her arrival.
‘I’m just about to have some dinner, would you like some?’
‘No thank you’ she politely declined; she had been away far too long to be able to tolerate the smell of rotting food anymore.
‘I know it’s silly, we don’t need to eat but sometimes it’s nice to do things that remind me I once had a life’ he chuckled.
The man put the fish in a frying pan and pretended to cook it. He made a hissing noise, imitating the sound of spitting oil and pushed the fish around with a spatula.
‘It still amazes me how we have spatulas in the underworld and not fire or water.’
‘Hmmm,’ the girl agreed, not really listening.
The underworld had things that were dead or had never been alive to begin with. Brick, motor and plastic were present in the underworld as were other kinds of materials, however.
The astronomers policed who or what was allowed in. It was therefore very strange that Natalie could move freely between both worlds, bringing whatever she wanted. She usually brought fruit, real fresh fruit for the other ghosts to taste but she didn’t have any with her this time - she wasn’t planning on staying long, she shouldn’t be staying long.
Natalie looked out the kitchen window above the sink, a little agitated. She dragged her hands through her hair and peered into the grey outside world, checking to see if the astronomers had become aware of her presence.
‘Anyway how’s my grandson?’ the man asked, who then pretended to turn off the gas hob and put the rotting fish onto a plate.
‘He’s doing well,’ she said still looking out of the window. ‘He’s going to be a Star Catcher...’
‘He’s wha...what?’ the man stuttered and set the plate with fish down on the side.
‘Going to be a Star Catcher,’ Natalie repeated.
The old man grabbed onto Natalie’s arm and started to breathe heavily.
‘Are you sure?’ he asked, his voice shaking a little.
‘Yes,’ Natalie frowned, still looking out the window. She had just glimpsed something move in the distance. ‘Astrillus sent a letter to Major Cadwalder informing him of your grandson’s fate.’ Natalie now turned to face Ray. ‘I thought Astrillus told you,’ she shrugged.
‘Oh he only visits me when he wants to know something!’ Ray snapped. ‘But when it’s about me and my family – he obviously couldn’t care less.’
The old man let go of Natalie’s arm and started to pace around the room.
‘Where is he now?’
‘Astrillus?’ Natalie asked, squishing her eyebrows together.
‘No not Astrillus – Robert! Where’s Robert now?’ Ray’s body tensed.
‘I don’t know,’ Natalie shook her head. ‘He went off somewhere earlier this morning with his grandmother...’
‘Oh don’t mention that witch to me!’ Ray shouted.
The old man stomped across the room, his breathing quickened and his face reddened.
‘So why are you here then?’ he asked flapping his arms in the air. ‘You should be with him, keeping him safe - he can go to The Fox Hole with you?’ Ray walked over to Natalie and nodded his head, urging her to say ‘yes’.
‘I’ve only been asked to pick up a book...’
‘A book? What book?’ Ray span round and started pacing again.
‘Some book that Astrillus wants Major Cadwalder to keep safe – I don’t know what the book is though.’
‘And Robert has this book?’
‘I don’t know’ she shook her head, ‘I was just about to search the cottage.’
Ray stopped pacing and looked at Natalie, forcing her gaze to meet his.
‘Natalie,’ he said his voice lower and much sterner than usual. ‘Promise me that you’ll find Robert and keep him safe.’
Natalie looked at the floor and exhaled loudly. ‘I will try my best...’
A loud knocking at the door then interrupted the two and Natalie and Ray both froze.
‘Is anyone in?’ A shrill voice asked from the other side of the door.
Natalie looked at Ray and they both knew that she had to leave.
‘Hello?’ the voice called again. ‘Anyone in?’
‘Coming,’ Ray answered and walked over to Natalie. ‘You will try and help him,’ Ray whispered, ‘please...he will need your help; I could not bear it if something happened to him.’
‘This is the last time I am going to ask!’ the shrill voice threatened.
Raymond Clarke moved to the front door and looked back at Natalie. The ghost girl slowly nodded and then stared distantly at the ground traversing back into the human world...
YOU ARE READING
The Bearded Man and The Ghost Girl
Teen Fiction'Robert first saw the ghost girl standing in the churchyard. Her hair was long, her skin was pale and her body glowed, bathing the nearby graves in a cool white light. She was unlike any girl Robert had seen. Her face was unconventionally beautiful...
