The Ghost Wife

Andrew pulled up to the house. It was a bright day in August. His wife beside him, newly weds, things were good. It was an old house, a special house. And they had just finished unpacking after the honeymoon. They lived in Portland, Maine and in this late summer, they found a joy unsurpassed. Andrew was a minister, and Grace was caretaker for the elderly. They got out of the car, kissed and embraced. Love was fresh, new, palpable. They had just come home from the clothing drive, so the car was full of old, wrinkled clothing. They would iron it later. Andrew unlocked the door and opened it for his new wife.

“Well, I thought that went well,” Grace mused.

“I wish I knew a better way to distribute the clothes,” Andrew pined.

“We'll get plenty of people coming in the church.”

“I'm still scared we won't. This is a new church after all. It's only been around for a year.”

“There were a lot of people at the clothing drive.”

“But who knows how many people will actually come to services. That's where we get the money.”

“Don't worry about money.” And she kissed him. She went back out to the car and got more clothes. “Could you get out the ironing board, honey.” She wanted to get right to work. She wanted her husband to feel like something was getting accomplished this beautiful Thursday. She walked back into the house and looked at the clock. It was 3 pm. Plenty of time to iron some shirts. Her husband handed her the heating iron and kissed her.

“This is going to do a lot for the poor in the community.”

“I hope so.”

As she ironed, he decided to read the Bible and quickly flipped to Proverbs. He read, “For they see the death of the wise man and do not understand what the Lord intended for him, or why he made him secure.” Just then, his wife collapsed. He ran to her.

“My heart.” She said and clasped her chest with her right hand. “I think I need to go to the hospital, Andy.” He picked her up in his arms and rushed her to the hospital.

“I'm sorry sir. She's passed.” The doctor said and calmly walked away. Andrew broke down into tears. The kind of tears that don't cleanse a heart. The kind of tears that express utter anguish and deep despair.

“What will I do? Who will love me? Who will help me?” He trudged from the hospital and returned to his car. He thought about the Bible verse and thought to himself about how insecure he was.




Grace felt heavenly love and utter peace. She was in Heaven. She was floating in light and absolute pleasure. She suddenly realized that she was on the other side of life. New life, New birth. But something felt empty and unresolved. She wanted to be with her husband. She couldn't believe that she'd abandoned life and left him all alone. She began to weep. A glowing presence floated toward her.

It said, “I am the angel Sandolphin. I take messages from you to God. Is there anything you'd like to say to God?”

“Yes, tell him I miss my husband and I want to be with him.”

“That can be arranged,” It said. “Let me tell God.”

“Oh, thank you Angel.”

She felt warmth running through her and cool breezes on her face. She looked around and there were shining points of light everywhere all facing a center point of heavenly light. In a flash, she realized that she was in her house. Her husband was on the couch, sobbing.”

“My baby. She's gone. What will I do? What will I do?”

She wondered if she could talk. “It's Grace,” She said. He didn't notice and went right on sobbing. It hurt her to see him in so much pain. She wanted to comfort him. She walked up and held his face. A cool breeze caressed his face, but he was in too much pain to notice.  

“The Angels are weeping,” He exclaimed. “Spirits, guide me.”

“I'm here.” Grace said. This time he did notice.

“Who are you?” He cried. “Who are you and what do you want?”

“It's Grace,” She repeated.

“Where are you?”

“I'm back from the other side. From Heaven. I wanted to be with you and God let me.”

“I can't believe I'm hearing voices.”

“You are, Andrew. It's me, Grace. I will always be with you.”

The police officer prepares.

The police officer pulled up next to the house in the unmarked car. The sun was at its climax of sunset and the moon began to appear in the sky next to the sun. He felt a surge in his chest. His animal instincts began to exhibit themselves. He knew this was the house where the doctor lived and he had seen an unconscious person dragged into the house this morning, but he was frozen without his mystical powers. Another surge in his chest as hair began to quickly grow on the backs of his hand and huge claws began to jut out from where his fingernails used to be. This was the time, he must act.

The Mad Doctor

It was a dark and cloudy night in October. The moon lay full on the horizon and you could hear the baying of wolves off in the distance. The trees looked ominous and sullen on the hillside and people were walking peacefully in the square, but all was not well in Norwich. With a full moon in October, you never know what's going to happen.
 Norman smoked a cigarette on the balcony, working on a puzzle in his head. But what is really puzzling is the absence of his wife. At this moment, in this time, she should be home. He begins to worry.  
 “Where could she be?” he thought. “I've never known her to be late.” He began preparing dinner when there was a knock on the door. He left his pan of hamburgers off the stove and answered the door. It was the police.
 “This is official business.” It was a phlegmatic cop in a trench coat. “This is a missing person's case. Your wife Elinor is missing. She didn't show up for work this morning and neighbor's reported some screaming from your house earlier today. Sir, do you beat your wife.”
 Norman was shocked. “No, I've never laid a hand on her officer. But I'm worried. She hadn't left before I left for work this morning and she's usually out the door before me.”
 “Do you know what time she left?”
 “No, I left before her, don't you remember?”
 “Well sir, do you know where she is?”
 “No, I don't. I've been smoking like a fiend worried about her.”
 “Well, this is my card. We'll be talking more real soon buddy. I hate your kind. Lying, hurting people. Let me tell you, as soon as I get the evidence of what you did, I'm sending you up the river pal.” 
 “But I didn't do anything.”
 “That's what you say, but the proof is in the pudding buddy and you've got a noxious brew!” And with that, the detective stormed out.
.
Elinor tried to scream, but it was impossible with the tight duct tape over her mouth. The room was cramped and unseasonably warm. She feared for her life. She didn't remember everything that happened and that made her worried. She just remembered someone sneaking up behind her and injecting her with something. She felt dizzy and fell to the floor, screaming.
A man entered the room and made a heavy breathing noise as he entered. He must have been the mad doctor that injected her in her room.
 “Don't you remember me?” He hissed in the distance. The space between them seemed very far away even though he was right next to her. “I'm the man you sent to prison for 6 months for the criminal negligence case this past winter. I've been looking for you Elinor. I know you were on the jury. I know you voted to put me away.” Elinor stayed silent, trying not to arouse his anger. “You're a pig, Elinor. A pig. I knew who you were as soon as you walked in. The most judgmental bitch I'd ever seen. Well, now I'm going to judge you Elinor. See what it feels like to be judged! I used to be a doctor. Respected, admired. But then I lost it all because I refused to prescribe a girl some antibiotics. I thought she had a virus. She had pneumonia and died. It wasn't my fault. Oh, shit. I guess it was my fault, but I didn't deserve to lose my practice over it. And now you're going to pay.”
He pulled out a knife and began to walk toward her. With a flick of his wrist, he cut her arm. Deeply and swiftly. “I hope you bleed to death you bitch,” and with that, he left.
 Elinor was bleeding badly. She couldn't believe the situation. She wished there was some excuse for jury duty, but she remembered that case. This guy has lost it and just then, there was a crash in the window. It was what looked like a man sized wolf. The wolf snarled and then stood up on it's hind legs.
 “Where is he?” the wolf spoke in a low, growly voice. Elinor screamed as best she could with duct tape over her mouth and pushed her head in the direction of the door. The wolf slinked over to the door and burst through. There was a scream and then a growl.
 “Stay away from me!” the doctor scream. The werewolf emitted a low growl and slashed his claws at him. The doctor dropped his knife and backed up.
 “I'm going to stop you.” The werewolf hissed in a high whine and lunged forward and tackled the doctor. The doctor laid on the ground while the werewolf drooled in his face and panted. The wolf bit his neck and he emitted a low gurgling sound as the life seeped out of his body. When he laid motionless, the werewolf got up and returned to the room where Elinor was tied up with duct tape.
 “I'm sorry I can't change form for you. I'm the next door neighbor and I saw you get dragged in unconscious. I'm sorry it took so long, but I had to wait for the moon the make me transform.” The werewolf flicked his claws through the tape and Elinor stood up and hugged the wolf.
 “My arm is bleeding,” Elinor remembered.
 “I'll help you with that,” the werewolf said. “This guy was a doctor, there must be some medical tape in here.” He left and went to the bathroom, found some tape and returned. He wrapped up her wrist in tape and bandaged the wound. “I think you should go back home now. Someone is probably worried about you.”
 “Thank you so much,” she exclaimed.