Outback Hero (10 page)

He let out a big sigh. 'Only my Grandpa
George and I can see ghosts. And, actually, Earthbound Spirits is
the correct term.' His voice was as posh as.

'Yeah, Earthbound Spirits, ghosts - same
thing. You weren't here the first time I came to the house.'

The boy shrugged. 'I must've been out.'

'What's your name?'

'Edward Lawrence. And you are Adam?'

'Castle.'

'Pleased to meet you, Adam. Your gift of
sight is extraordinarily good. It's a privilege to meet a member of
the Living who can tune in to our frequency.'

I don't like being called a 'member of the
Living' - as though we're the weird ones.

'Who knows you have the gift of sight?'

'Only my Grandpa George. He reckons if we
told my parents they'd send us to the nut house,' I said as Caesar
sniffed Edward's shoe. He shrank back - he obviously didn't like
dogs. I asked, 'Why are you wearing a blazer and tie?' I didn't
mention his ridiculous-looking shorts.

'Why are you wearing jeans and a dirty
T-shirt?' he replied.

When I didn't answer, he said, 'I died in my
school uniform. I always remove my cap before teleporting
inside.'

Ghosts move from place to place by thinking
where they want to be. 'Lucky,' I said. 'My parents wouldn't be
happy if the ghost of the house wore a cap inside.'

He rolled his eyes, but I could tell he
liked my joke by the pinkish tinge of his aura.

'What's that on the inside of your hands?' I
asked.

'Ink. Newspaper ink stained my hands. I used
to help out at my father's newspaper office after school.'

'Was this your home when you died?'

'Yes.'

'When did you die?'

'1945.'

'How old were you then?' I asked.

'Fourteen.'

The look of pain on his face told me he was
still upset about dying when he did. Ghosts were all the same. Most
people go into the Light as soon as they die. Well, their bodies
don't, just their spirits. That's what Grandpa George said spirits
should do. Some spirits go to their own funerals, which is okay
because they still have some time after the funeral before the
Light disappears. Grandpa George reckons when a spirit goes into
the Light it meets up with the spirits of the people they loved who
have already crossed over. 'Why didn't you go into the Light?' I
said.

He frowned. 'It was my choice. When you die,
you have the choice to stay or to go into the Light.'

I took a step toward him. 'Okay, but don't
suck out any of our energy. You have to get your energy from people
outside.' Ghosts are pure energy and can only exist by taking
energy from people. If they take too much energy, the person gets
sick. But most ghosts don't do that (so they reckon) and, usually,
it's just a bit draining for people who live with a ghost, like
being around someone who whines all the time. Ghosts can't give a
person their energy, like a happy fun person does when you hang
round them.

'Adam, I always obey the rules that
Earthbound Spirits are supposed to obey. Every morning, I go out
and I extract small amounts of energy from many people.'

'Good,' I said. 'You keep doing that. If
anyone in our house gets sick, I'll have to tell my Grandpa
George.'

'That won't be necessary.' He folded his
arms. 'Now, there are two urgent matters concerning the house that
must be fixed. The chime of the new doorbell gets on my
nerves—'

'You don't have nerves!'

'And there is a water pipe that knocks when
the tap over the laundry sink is turned on too hard.'

'Call a plumber,' I politely suggested. Soon
Mom and Dad would wonder what I was doing.

He huffed before he continued in a strict
tone, 'Now, Adam, these are The Rules of my house.'

I went to argue, but he talked over me.

'1. The dog must stay outside, because it
smells.

'2. The dog must not bark. A barking dog is most
unpleasant.

'3. No running up and down the hallway. You may run
outside.

'4. No banging doors. It's easier to close a door
than to bang it.

'5. No yelling, screaming or squealing.

'Loud noise goes right through me and upsets
my vibration. Those are The Rules, and you must obey them.'

'What?' I stared straight into his eyes and
took another step closer, which forced him to float back. 'Look,
Edward Lawrence, this is our house now. If you don't like dogs or
noise, you should move into a museum.'

'Adam, I was born in this house. I might not
own Woodlands, but I am the spiritual guardian.'

I gasped, unable to believe what he'd said.
'Spiritual guardian!'

'Yes.'

I could hear the removal guys bringing stuff
in. I couldn't talk to this ghost for much longer. 'I bet our house
has changed since you were alive.'

'Yes, actually, it has changed.' He pointed
to the front of the house. 'The outside is original, but the inside
has been renovated many times. In my day there was only one
bathroom, the kitchen had a wood stove and the laundry had a copper
for washing and a hand wringer. The room adjoining the dining room
was the drawing room. My father held informal meetings in there.
The room opposite, where the morning sun comes in, was my mother's
reading and sewing room.'

'Ancient history,' I declared as I realized
this ghost was so attached to Woodlands he was practically super
glued to the bricks. Child ghosts weren't usually attached to their
houses, but for some reason this ghost was different. He'd be tough
to get rid of. Grandpa George had gone back to Ireland for good, so
he couldn't help me.

As if he could read my mind, he leant
forward and said to me, 'Adam, already I can see that it'd be
difficult for me to put up with someone who can see me in my own
home. I'll give you and your family time to find another house to
move into. You can stay here for now ... as long as you follow my
Rules.'

I began to argue but Dad called out from the
other end of the house. 'Adam, come and help!'

'Not in a million years,' I said to the
ghost of Edward Lawrence before I turned my back on him and left
the room.

As I headed down the hallway, I realized the
home from heaven had been too good to be true. I'd have to get rid
of this stubborn ghost all by myself. But an uneasy feeling swept
through me. I'd never got rid of a ghost, because Grandpa George
had always been there to do it for me. At least Grandpa George had
left me with the things I'd need. Still, I felt unsure. Never could
I remember Grandpa George getting rid of a ghost like him. One who
was so confident and sure of himself, like a person who knew
exactly what he wanted and how to get it. A chill went up my spine
as I noticed Emily on the grass out the back. She was squealing at
the top of her voice while she ran around in circles taking in all
that space.

To buy
Dead Scary
please go to my
Smashwords author page:

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Sally Gould
loved books from a young age, but
never considered writing them. While she was busy getting up to the
mischief that teenagers get up to, she forgot about books all
together. Then total insanity took hold and she became a corporate
lawyer. Fortunately, she had two sons and they inspired her to
write stories for children. Of course, her oldest son is
responsible, logical, studious, considerate, grateful and even
makes his bed. The youngest one is only interested in having fun -
lots of it. And, except for his teachers, he makes everyone laugh.
Their antics have inspired many of Sally's stories. Sally lives in
Melbourne, Australia with her family and two dogs - Pebbles, who is
sensible, and Jade, who just wants to have fun.

Connect with Sally:

Website:
www.sallygould.com.au

Email:
[email protected]

Smashwords Author Page:
www.smashwords.com/profile/view/sallygould

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