Jillian Chantal

this week, the writers of Tuesday Tales are writing to the word prompt, icy. I am still sharing from my paranormal story.

Check out the other tales here.

Instead of going back to bed, Lu paced her bedroom. Livid and ready to punch something. The nerve. The actual nerve of the man. Lord.

Even though she was tired and still drowsy, she decided to dress and walk down to the Barkley house and look across the bay to see if she could spy that pirate ship again. She didn’t want to be home if Malcolm decided to come visit in person to berate her some more. What an awful way to start the day. Mad and stunned at his behavior, her hands shook as she tugged on some jeans and a thick Irish sweater. 

She hooked Aneto to his leash and grabbed her cross-body bag and shoved some money and her ID in it so she could grab breakfast while she was out.

When she opened the back door, a gust of icy wind hit her in the face. “The temperature dropped, Aneto. I guess it’ll keep us both alert.”

Glad for the warmth of her sweater, she walked briskly toward the end of the street, scouring the area for signs of the ship or even George Barkley. If he was out and about, maybe some of the fear in the spirit world had dissipated. After all, there hadn’t been any new crimes that mimicked old deaths in the last day or so. The General would’ve told her even if Malcolm wouldn’t have.

Shoving an errant tear off her cheek, she deliberately pushed away any thought of Malcolm and that phone call.

No sign of George as she passed his house. No sign of the pirate ship either. Maybe I just imagined it. Or it was some weird sun shimmer off the water.

“Come on, Aneto, let’s take a walk down Main Street and see if there’s a place at the Ruby Slipper for breakfast. It’s early and I’m thinking the outside tables won’t be occupied since it’s so cold—if they’re even set up, that is. If not, we’ll get something at the Bodacious Cafe and eat it on the run.”

The wind was piercing and no one was out except her and her dog. They moved quickly and were soon close to the Pensacola Little Theater. Lu glanced up as she always did to see if she could see their resident spirit. Nope. Not there.

She found she was missing seeing the town filled with both the living and dead. How did I get so used to seeing spirits as fast as I did that I now miss them?