A spooky visitor.

In the back of beyond, a visitor with hands as cold as a grave.

I sat on my porch soaking up warm sunlight. It was a beautiful spring day. The scent of lilacs filled the air, the large purple blossoms waving in a light breeze. Bees buzzed, flying in and out of flowers collecting pollen. 

It was the first warm day, after a long wicked, nasty, frozen winter, I was glad to be outside in the sun. I watched white clouds lazily drift in a light blue sky.

"Pardon me ma'am." I was startled by a deep male voice. A man dressed in a tattered grey suit stood on my porch. He wore a shovel hat, his face in shadow.

"Awww hello?" I stammered. 

"Sorry to brother you ma'am. Could I trouble you for a glass of water?" 

What the? I lived in the back of beyond. My closet neighbor was at least a mile away. The man stood there, not moving. Odd, I had not heard a car engine. My cats napped. My dogs did not bark. My geese and ducks, always curious, swam in the pond, not investigating this stranger. He cast no shadow. Goose bumps rose on the back of my head.

"Just you wait here, I'll get you a glass of water"  My feet tapped on the wooden porch boards. The old screen door creaked when, I opened it. A pitcher of cool spring water sat on my sideboard. I poured some water into a pink plastic cup. I took the glass outside and gave it to the stranger. He grabbed the cup in a bony hand and drank the water in one swallow. He dropped the cup, l caught it in mid-air. When I looked up the stranger was gone. A puddle of water spread on my porch boards. My hands shivered holding a cup as cold as a grave. 

Reviews

[RKB]

Ooo, that was creepy. I loved the contrast between beauty: the flowers, the coming of spring with the stranger. It created this nice juxtaposition that was simple and atmospheric.

[Carrie]

Thank you for reading. Glad you enjoyed the story.

[Relic]

Nice and spooky, the way I like em. :)))

[Rosie E C…]

This is so moving..

I’m very captivated and curious for more. I’m intrigued by the cliff hanger ending.

So real, so characteristic. I enjoyed this a lot.

[Carrie]

Thank you for reading. Have you even seen a ghost?

[Rosie E C…]

I’m a spiritualist, so I refer them as spirit rather than ghosts.

[Carrie]

Ok. Ghost, haunt, spirit, have you ever seen one.

[Rosie E C…]

Maybe..

I’ve had a few extraordinary experiences.

[Carrie]

That's nice

[BellaBee]

I am absolutely in love with all the descriptive details you use. It really helps paint a coherent picture of what the environment and characters are like. Reading this feels like I am experiencing the story through the woman's eyes.

[Carrie]

Thank you for the review. I'm glad you enjoyed the story