CONVERSATION PEACE
James had a secret. A big secret. He had a ghost in his wardrobe. You may sneer and laugh but it was so. He spent long hours talking to her with the wardrobe door ajar. Yes, another secret, she was a girl. He had been confined to bed these last few weeks, with one illness after another. James had always been a weak child. He knew this,he was told it.
Holly, yes, that was her name, first appeared a few days ago. I say appeared but it would be more truthful and accurate to say she was first heard a few days ago. A disembodied voice calling James from the recesses of the wardrobe. Was he scared ? You bet. But intrigued too, intrigued enough to open wide the wardrobe doors and call " Who's there please ? "
" Hello James....my name is Holly....and you may not believe this, but I am a ghost. "
" A real ghost ? In my wardrobe ? What are you doing there ? Can you come out ? "
" No, I am forbidden to come out of the wardobe but I will be your friend if you like ." came back Hollys' disembodied voice.
" I do like Holly, I like very much.....can I tell anyone else about you ? " James asked.
" No, it will have to be our secret James".
That's how it started with the two of them, one living, one dead but both able to talk for England and how they talked.Being a weak child, remember it must be true, he was told it, he had never made friends, never in school long enough to do so, truth be told and if now his only friend was to be of the phantom variety, then so be it. Holly had lived in the house a few years before, when she lived of course although technically you could say she still lived there but the definition of living may have to be strained to its limit. James loved the stories she told of growing up in the house, how she fought with her brothers and sisters. He had never had any brothers or sisters and even if he had he seriously doubted his ability to fight any of them, even the sisters, big or small. He was weak, remember ?
One evening not so long ago, in fact very recently, a question popped into James' head, one you would think he would have asked long ago.
" What's it like to be dead Holly ? "
" It's like living in a way minus the chocolate of course. I spend my time thinking about my life, it's like total recall, you remember absolutely everything, so it's like living it again."
" Am I the only one you talk to ? " He certainly hoped so, he was not at all keen on sharing his one and only friend with just anyone.Even if she was a ghost.
" Yes, James you are, that's why whenever you call, whatever you say I answer immediately. "
" Like my own hot line you mean ? " Although cold line may have been more apt.
" Exactly like that James. "
" What about other ghosts, do you talk to them ? "
" No, I can only see them, not talk to them.Well, we can say things to each other, it's certainly noisy in the spirit world I can tell you, but there will be no response at all. The only ones we can have a conversation with are the living. "
" I'm glad about that Holly. " James replied. " Think I will say good night now, I feel very tired. ' Night Holly..talk to you tomorrow".
" Goodbye James. " said Holly very quietly.
James came out of his long sleep, and what do you know, he felt good, dare I say it, not weak in the slightest. He bounced out of bed and knelt down by the wardrobe door.
" 'Morning Holly. "he said excitedly.
" ' Morning Holly. " he said again, just as excitedly.
There was no reply.
James had a secret. A big secret. He had a ghost in his wardrobe. You may sneer and laugh but it was so. He spent long hours talking to her with the wardrobe door ajar. Yes, another secret, she was a girl. He had been confined to bed these last few weeks, with one illness after another. James had always been a weak child. He knew this,he was told it.
Holly, yes, that was her name, first appeared a few days ago. I say appeared but it would be more truthful and accurate to say she was first heard a few days ago. A disembodied voice calling James from the recesses of the wardrobe. Was he scared ? You bet. But intrigued too, intrigued enough to open wide the wardrobe doors and call " Who's there please ? "
" Hello James....my name is Holly....and you may not believe this, but I am a ghost. "
" A real ghost ? In my wardrobe ? What are you doing there ? Can you come out ? "
" No, I am forbidden to come out of the wardobe but I will be your friend if you like ." came back Hollys' disembodied voice.
" I do like Holly, I like very much.....can I tell anyone else about you ? " James asked.
" No, it will have to be our secret James".
That's how it started with the two of them, one living, one dead but both able to talk for England and how they talked.Being a weak child, remember it must be true, he was told it, he had never made friends, never in school long enough to do so, truth be told and if now his only friend was to be of the phantom variety, then so be it. Holly had lived in the house a few years before, when she lived of course although technically you could say she still lived there but the definition of living may have to be strained to its limit. James loved the stories she told of growing up in the house, how she fought with her brothers and sisters. He had never had any brothers or sisters and even if he had he seriously doubted his ability to fight any of them, even the sisters, big or small. He was weak, remember ?
One evening not so long ago, in fact very recently, a question popped into James' head, one you would think he would have asked long ago.
" What's it like to be dead Holly ? "
" It's like living in a way minus the chocolate of course. I spend my time thinking about my life, it's like total recall, you remember absolutely everything, so it's like living it again."
" Am I the only one you talk to ? " He certainly hoped so, he was not at all keen on sharing his one and only friend with just anyone.Even if she was a ghost.
" Yes, James you are, that's why whenever you call, whatever you say I answer immediately. "
" Like my own hot line you mean ? " Although cold line may have been more apt.
" Exactly like that James. "
" What about other ghosts, do you talk to them ? "
" No, I can only see them, not talk to them.Well, we can say things to each other, it's certainly noisy in the spirit world I can tell you, but there will be no response at all. The only ones we can have a conversation with are the living. "
" I'm glad about that Holly. " James replied. " Think I will say good night now, I feel very tired. ' Night Holly..talk to you tomorrow".
" Goodbye James. " said Holly very quietly.
James came out of his long sleep, and what do you know, he felt good, dare I say it, not weak in the slightest. He bounced out of bed and knelt down by the wardrobe door.
" 'Morning Holly. "he said excitedly.
" ' Morning Holly. " he said again, just as excitedly.
There was no reply.
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