was one of the side effects of my accident—the one I didn’t like to dwell on. But, I’d found out the hard way that if I ignored it, things only got worse.
So, I straightened my shoulders and walked toward it.
I marched past the rows of books to the end of the aisle. Rounding the corner, my breath caught in my throat as I came face to face with … Lavinia Babbage.
***
“Eeek!” Lavinia screeched, her ghost turning to static like an off-air channel on an old television set.
“Lavinia!” I squawked, my heart thumping in my chest. I knew the swirl meant a ghost was around the corner, but I wasn’t expecting it to be Lavinia’s ghost.
Ever since my accident, I’d been seeing ghosts. It started off as just random sightings of misty swirls. Then the swirls started to form into human shapes. Then they started talking to me. It wasn’t something I wanted, it just happened … and it was impossible to ignore them. Each one of them seemed to want something and would pester me until they got it. I wondered what Lavinia wanted.
“Sorry, Willa,” she said, her form materializing into a semi-solid shape. “I wasn’t expecting you to come barreling around the corner like that. And I’m sorry you had to find me … you know … at the library.”
“Oh. Right. Sorry you … umm … died.”
“Thanks.” She held her hand up toward the window and we both watched the sunlight filter through it. Lavinia waffled her hand back and forth, apparently fascinated with the effect.
“So, did you want something?” I prompted as I glanced over my shoulder into the shop, praying no customers would come in and find me talking to thin air.
She put her hand down. “Yes, sorry, I’m still getting used to being dead. It’s not easy, you know.”
“I’m sure it’s not.”
“Anyway, I didn’t fall down the steps.”
I was afraid she was going to say something like that. “What do you mean?”
“I mean I didn’t trip and fall. I got whacked on the back of the head and was pushed!”
“Pushed? Are you sure?”
“Sure as shinola,” Lavinia said, then leaned forward and lowered her voice. “I was on my way to church to … umm … light a candle for my Harry. I often did that before opening the library. Anyway, I was on my way when I saw the lights on in the library. I knew I didn’t leave them on, so I went in to investigate. I thought I heard something downstairs, but as I approached the steps, I heard something behind me. I turned to see what it was and then … whack! Lights out!”
“You didn’t see who it was? Did you get any sense of whether it was a man or woman?”
“Nope. All I saw was a big shadow … like the person was wearing a cape.” Lavinia pressed her lips together and looked out the window. “Oh, and they wore a big ring.”
“Ring? What kind of ring?”
She looked back at me, her ghostly form rippling like water disturbed by a pebble. “I’m not sure. It was chunky, like a class ring. I remember hearing the noise, seeing the shadow, feeling pain and getting pushed. I saw the ring in a blur as I went down. Next thing I know, I’m waking up on a steel table inside Stilton’s funeral home. Scared me half to death. Of course, I didn’t realize I actually was dead at first. Anyway, once I figured it all out, I knew I had to come here and get your help.”
“You did? How did you know to come to me?” I felt a little disturbed by this. Was there some sort of sign in the afterlife telling these ghosts to seek me out? I certainly hoped not.
Lavinia tilted her head. “You know, I’m not rightly sure about that. Might be because I know you were a crime journalist down south. Anyway, I just got this feeling and it must have been right because you’re the only person that’s been able to see and talk to me since I … err… died.”
“Okay. Well, I’m not sure what you think I can do for you. I didn’t see any evidence of anyone being there in the library. Maybe
So, I straightened my shoulders and walked toward it.
I marched past the rows of books to the end of the aisle. Rounding the corner, my breath caught in my throat as I came face to face with … Lavinia Babbage.
***
“Eeek!” Lavinia screeched, her ghost turning to static like an off-air channel on an old television set.
“Lavinia!” I squawked, my heart thumping in my chest. I knew the swirl meant a ghost was around the corner, but I wasn’t expecting it to be Lavinia’s ghost.
Ever since my accident, I’d been seeing ghosts. It started off as just random sightings of misty swirls. Then the swirls started to form into human shapes. Then they started talking to me. It wasn’t something I wanted, it just happened … and it was impossible to ignore them. Each one of them seemed to want something and would pester me until they got it. I wondered what Lavinia wanted.
“Sorry, Willa,” she said, her form materializing into a semi-solid shape. “I wasn’t expecting you to come barreling around the corner like that. And I’m sorry you had to find me … you know … at the library.”
“Oh. Right. Sorry you … umm … died.”
“Thanks.” She held her hand up toward the window and we both watched the sunlight filter through it. Lavinia waffled her hand back and forth, apparently fascinated with the effect.
“So, did you want something?” I prompted as I glanced over my shoulder into the shop, praying no customers would come in and find me talking to thin air.
She put her hand down. “Yes, sorry, I’m still getting used to being dead. It’s not easy, you know.”
“I’m sure it’s not.”
“Anyway, I didn’t fall down the steps.”
I was afraid she was going to say something like that. “What do you mean?”
“I mean I didn’t trip and fall. I got whacked on the back of the head and was pushed!”
“Pushed? Are you sure?”
“Sure as shinola,” Lavinia said, then leaned forward and lowered her voice. “I was on my way to church to … umm … light a candle for my Harry. I often did that before opening the library. Anyway, I was on my way when I saw the lights on in the library. I knew I didn’t leave them on, so I went in to investigate. I thought I heard something downstairs, but as I approached the steps, I heard something behind me. I turned to see what it was and then … whack! Lights out!”
“You didn’t see who it was? Did you get any sense of whether it was a man or woman?”
“Nope. All I saw was a big shadow … like the person was wearing a cape.” Lavinia pressed her lips together and looked out the window. “Oh, and they wore a big ring.”
“Ring? What kind of ring?”
She looked back at me, her ghostly form rippling like water disturbed by a pebble. “I’m not sure. It was chunky, like a class ring. I remember hearing the noise, seeing the shadow, feeling pain and getting pushed. I saw the ring in a blur as I went down. Next thing I know, I’m waking up on a steel table inside Stilton’s funeral home. Scared me half to death. Of course, I didn’t realize I actually was dead at first. Anyway, once I figured it all out, I knew I had to come here and get your help.”
“You did? How did you know to come to me?” I felt a little disturbed by this. Was there some sort of sign in the afterlife telling these ghosts to seek me out? I certainly hoped not.
Lavinia tilted her head. “You know, I’m not rightly sure about that. Might be because I know you were a crime journalist down south. Anyway, I just got this feeling and it must have been right because you’re the only person that’s been able to see and talk to me since I … err… died.”
“Okay. Well, I’m not sure what you think I can do for you. I didn’t see any evidence of anyone being there in the library. Maybe
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