Family Ghosts
Chapter Seven
The first thing Gerard saw when he woke up the next morning was total darkness. For a moment, he felt dazed and disoriented. Slowly it dawned upon him that he was still nestled under the covers.
Upon pushing the covers off, the second thing that he saw was Mikey's foot about an inch away from his nose.
What the hell?
The events of the night before came slamming back to him. Terrified, the two brothers had hidden under the covers of Mikey's bed until sleep had overcome them.
"Mikey!" he cried, slapping the offending foot out of his face. "Wake up, you coward!"
"Coward?" Mikey groaned groggily. "Who came running and squealing for his little brother when he thought Casper was out to get him?" He sat upright quickly. "It was just a dream, wasn't it, Gee?"
Gerard was silent for a moment. "It had to have been. It must have been!" He paused. "What the hell did you see out there?"
"I didn't see anything," Mikey replied. "But I heard something. Somebody whispering."
Gerard shook his head. "It was a dream. It had to have been. It was just a dream." He got up and began to make his way back to his bedroom.
"Get dressed and let's go downstairs for breakfast. But for the love of God, don't mention this to Hamish or the girls. At least not unless they mention it first..."
* * * * *
Everyone was relatively quiet during breakfast that morning. After eating his eggs and sausage in utter silence for several minutes, Hamish cleared his throat.
"So lads," he said. "Did you sleep well?"
Mikey and Gerard exchanged a glance. "Fairly well, thanks."
"How did you sleep?" Gerard murmered, looking at Mina.
"All right, I suppose," she answered hesitantly.
"You suppose?" Mikey repeated.
"Well, I may as well come out and say it," she began. "We told you we'd been hearing noises. We heard things again last night."
"All of you?" Gerard said quickly.
Hamish turned a bright shade of red, and Lucy nodded, staring down at her plate.
"A woman crying?"
Mina's head jerked up quickly.
"Did you hear it, too?" she asked.
"Yes, I did. Mikey didn't." Gerard paused, gazing at her with interest. "It wasn't a dream after all, was it?"
Mina and Hamish shook their heads. Lucy continured to stare down at her plate. She looked terrified.
"You heard nothing, though, Mikey?" Hamish asked.
"Oh, I heard something, all right," Mikey answered. "Not crying, though. Just whispers..."
Upon pushing the covers off, the second thing that he saw was Mikey's foot about an inch away from his nose.
What the hell?
The events of the night before came slamming back to him. Terrified, the two brothers had hidden under the covers of Mikey's bed until sleep had overcome them.
"Mikey!" he cried, slapping the offending foot out of his face. "Wake up, you coward!"
"Coward?" Mikey groaned groggily. "Who came running and squealing for his little brother when he thought Casper was out to get him?" He sat upright quickly. "It was just a dream, wasn't it, Gee?"
Gerard was silent for a moment. "It had to have been. It must have been!" He paused. "What the hell did you see out there?"
"I didn't see anything," Mikey replied. "But I heard something. Somebody whispering."
Gerard shook his head. "It was a dream. It had to have been. It was just a dream." He got up and began to make his way back to his bedroom.
"Get dressed and let's go downstairs for breakfast. But for the love of God, don't mention this to Hamish or the girls. At least not unless they mention it first..."
* * * * *
Everyone was relatively quiet during breakfast that morning. After eating his eggs and sausage in utter silence for several minutes, Hamish cleared his throat.
"So lads," he said. "Did you sleep well?"
Mikey and Gerard exchanged a glance. "Fairly well, thanks."
"How did you sleep?" Gerard murmered, looking at Mina.
"All right, I suppose," she answered hesitantly.
"You suppose?" Mikey repeated.
"Well, I may as well come out and say it," she began. "We told you we'd been hearing noises. We heard things again last night."
"All of you?" Gerard said quickly.
Hamish turned a bright shade of red, and Lucy nodded, staring down at her plate.
"A woman crying?"
Mina's head jerked up quickly.
"Did you hear it, too?" she asked.
"Yes, I did. Mikey didn't." Gerard paused, gazing at her with interest. "It wasn't a dream after all, was it?"
Mina and Hamish shook their heads. Lucy continured to stare down at her plate. She looked terrified.
"You heard nothing, though, Mikey?" Hamish asked.
"Oh, I heard something, all right," Mikey answered. "Not crying, though. Just whispers..."