Ghost Story

Posted on Oct 9, 2020 by TanGental

‘Catch me!’

Just the wind in the trees. Another ‘fake’ memory, they’d have said.

‘Come on.’ She tugged at his hand.

She wanted to understand. He released the brakes of two decades.

‘Is this it?’

Was it? Twenty years of sea and bleaching. It had been new then. They had to explore it, didn’t they? That’s what boys did. Explore.

She ran her hand on the friable surface. ‘It’s amazing. Beautiful. Tragic.’

Beautiful? Tragic? No words can describe something that hollows you out daily. His finger traced some faded symbol on the hull.

‘How many died when she went down?’

Only one who mattered and he’d not gone down, not like she meant it.

He stepped back and looked up at the gunwale, now frayed like his memory. Jake’s face peering down at him. That last image, those last words. Then he’d gone, disappeared. Like a ghost.

He’d made it up, he’d been kidnapped, caught by the tide, runaway, they said. No believed him when he’d told them about the voices, the hands that had dragged Jake into the boat. Maybe it was right to say he’d gone down with the rest after all.

About TanGental

My name is Geoff Le Pard. Once I was a lawyer; now I am a writer. I've published several books: a four book series following Harry Spittle as he grows from hapless student to hapless partner in a London law firm; four others in different genres; a book of poetry; four anthologies of short fiction; and a memoir of my mother. I have several more in the pipeline. I have been blogging regularly since 2014, on topic as diverse as: poetry based on famous poems; memories from my life; my garden; my dog; a whole variety of short fiction; my attempts at baking and food; travel and the consequent disasters; theatre, film and book reviews; and the occasional thought piece. Mostly it is whatever takes my fancy. I avoid politics, mostly, and religion, always. I don't mean to upset anyone but if I do, well, sorry and I suggest you go elsewhere. These are my thoughts and no one else is to blame. If you want to nab anything I post, please acknowledge where it came from.
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26 Responses to Ghost Story

  2. derrickjknight says:
    Oct 9, 2020 at 3:39 pm

    So well crafted

    Liked by 1 person

  3. Elizabeth says:
    Oct 9, 2020 at 4:11 pm

    Nicely creepy as Halloween approaches.

    Liked by 1 person

  4. robertawrites235681907 says:
    Oct 9, 2020 at 4:39 pm

    This is quite creepy.

    Liked by 1 person

  6. willowdot21 says:
    Oct 9, 2020 at 11:53 pm

    I really like this one Geoff💜

    Liked by 1 person

  8. Colorful Sisters says:
    Oct 10, 2020 at 12:23 pm

    so happy i ran across your blog. great content 🙂

    Liked by 1 person

  10. Jennie says:
    Oct 19, 2020 at 1:21 pm

    Creepy, and quite good.

    Liked by 1 person

  11. Claire says:
    Apr 12, 2021 at 10:56 pm

    Very atmospheric!

    Like

Comments are closed.