Mary Kendall, A Ghost Story

Mary Kendall, A Ghost Story
Clear as Mud

Towards dawn Bekka wakes and looks out the window, peering through the frosted panes. More snow. She smiles loving this time of year. Closing her eyes, she asks the Fates to keep Jamie safe as he travels and thanks them for another glorious morning. Opening her eyes, the moon disappears behind the mountain. Rebecca is an early riser and this her favorite time of day. The town is peaceful but will awaken before long. Her cats are still lying in their beds curled up and sleeping soundly.The only sound is her coffee machine gurgling as it prepares her morning brew. The timer is always set to go off and be ready early in the mornings. She writes in her journal so it will be ready for her appointment later today. Pouring herself a cup, she carries her mug to the studio and spends some time conscientiously working on designs for her prospective clients.
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Layla is up early as well considering all the rest she obtained yesterday. She dresses and goes downstairs and prepares breakfast. Crepes, one of her favorites. Damien arrives in the room just as she sits down. “Grab a plate and join me,” she tells him.
“You should be resting, you did not need to get up and cook.”
“I’m tired of resting and needed to move around and do something. I love crepes and love making them. I was delighted to find all the ingredients I required in your kitchen, which is horrible by the way.”
“They are delicious,” he tells her as he dispatches the ones on his plate and goes back for seconds. ”The kitchen renovation is first on Rebecca’s list.”
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Mary wakes up and laughs watching Sherlock play with his ball. She showers and changes and goes downstairs.
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Mary comes in and they talk while she eats. Layla tells them she wants to go over the prophecy once breakfast is done. Mary enjoys her crepes and finishes quickly. “We need to learn how to make these Damien. They are delicious.”
“I can teach you both how to make them,” Layla offers.
“That would be awesome.” Mary beams a smile at her.
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Bekka finishes in her studio and tries to call Jamie. There is no answer. She sends him a text. ‘Good morning. I hope the flight was good and you got some rest. Miss you. Xoxoxo.’
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Almost immediately after closing her phone, Bekka receives a call. She answers, “Jamie!” without looking at the ID.
“Sorry Rebecca, it’s just me Damien. I wanted to let you know the truck just arrived with appliances and cabinets and lots of other lovely things. I peeked inside when the driver opened to start unloading.”

“That is terrific. I’ll be there in about fifteen minutes to be sure everything is as it should be. Don’t let him talk you into signing anything until I’ve checked.The company is good, but they have made a few mistakes on recent orders so I’m checking every item against what I ordered.”

“No problem. I will let you deal with him. Oh...by the way, I got a text from Jamie sometime during the night. He arrived safely. He didn’t sleep on the plane. He never sleeps on a plane. I think he feels like he needs to be awake to help the pilot. He’s going to sleep for a couple of hours and then head out to find the witch and the materials.”

“Thank you for letting me know. I did try calling and didn’t get an answer. I hope I didn’t wake him.” She softly smiles knowing he arrived safely and is probably still sleeping.
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Layla calls Damien and Mary into the living room to sit on the floor. Damien begs her not to try any more meditation. She tells him not to worry, she won’t attempt to contact the Fates until she is restored from the curse. “I’m used to sitting on the ground rather than furniture. Yes, I know it is a little uncivilized but it is our way to connect with the spirits, the earth, our surroundings.”
She sits down and gets comfortable as Damien and Mary both sit across from her.

“For some reason, known only to the Fates and not revealed to me as to why, the Fates tied Mary’s spirit life to winter. When spring arrives, she is propelled into the netherworld where she is unaware of the passage of time, neither flesh nor spirit. Mary, Jamie said you noticed periods of time when several years passed when you returned. Are you sure of this?"

"Yes, one of the first things I would do is check the date when I returned either using the newspaper, radio or the computer. I have a diary I kept with the dates and the new discoveries I found when I would return."

Damien looks from Layla to Mary. "What has the time got to do with anything?"

"I think the cycle must be disrupted in order for Mary to stay all year round."

"The prophecy says not to fear spring and love is the key. I love Mary with all my heart and soul. She is my soulmate. I am hers. Is that enough to prevent her from disappearing in spring?"

"I can't answer that with certainty, Damien. I wish I could. It is still a possibility that she will go back into the netherworld. As usual, the fates are as clear as mud and I cannot make heads or tails out of the meaning. Jamie is correct, you are soulmates. If Mary had not suffered an untimely death, your souls would have met in the past. After the curse is lifted, I will speak to the Fates and request guidance about you, Damien. Perhaps the meaning may be made clear with your prophecy. Alternatively, it may muddy the waters even more.”
Layla shrugs, “That is the way of the Fates. We can only try and seek guidance. They don't always like to give it.”
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Bekka arrives as the others finish their chat and is anxious to get started. She chats briefly with Damien and Mary before they head to the library to start the next investigation and be out of her way.
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Layla asks Bekka for a moment of her time. “I was sorry to hear of Jerich’s passing. He was a dashing and hard working man when I knew him. You could depend on him. He was very encouraging when the Fates called me to serve as Oracle.”
“Thank you for telling me that. I didn’t know him well as I was very young when he passed.”
“You seem to have inherited his ginger hair, or at least partially.”
“That is what my Mom always told me. She said I inherited my independence from him as well; only she called it stubbornness.” Bekka grins at Layla.
“He could be a little stubborn but he usually had a compelling reason behind it. I’m sure you do too. I will get out of your way, so you can get to work. I will be resting upstairs.”
“I hope the noise does not disturb you.”
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Bekka tears out the old cabinets and they are sent to a recycling center. The old stove is sent to an antique store, and Damien will collect a nice check from them. The room is empty and Bekka uses her powers to spotlessly clean the entire room.
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The back wall of the kitchen is quickly demolished. She discovers a few bottles of extremely old nectar, some empty crates and lots of cobwebs in the space. She cleans it up using her powers. Damien and Mary's vision is to modernize the inside to look more like a home, rather than a holiday lodge. It also needs improved insulation to be warmer in winter. She installs insulation and wallboard over the rock wall, primes and paints it twilight blue. The cabinets are added next with the modern appliances. Bekka lays new flooring in the kitchen, but the floors in the rest of the downstairs will be done last. She adds a few plants and herbs to surprise Damien and Mary when they return. Bekka places a cookie jar on the shelf with fresh chocolate chip cookies baked this morning. She looks around and is delighted with her work so far. Suddenly, realizing the time, she stops her work and washes up. Her appointment with Dr Pena is in fifteen minutes. She will have to soar down the mountain to get to the hospital in time.
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