up and flung
herself at Belladonna, but fell right through her.
“You’re free,” explained
Elsie. “Not alive.”
“I don’t care. I don’t care.
This is…how do I get to…to…”
“Um…actually, I don’t know,”
said Elsie. “I seem to remember someone helped me. I’m not sure how it’s done.
Not the first time.”
She looked toward the crowd
expectantly.
“A charnel sprite showed me
the way,” said the smart-suited man.
“Me too,” said the Flapper.
Most of the others agreed and
started discussing their own experiences, and how nice it was to get some tea
and cake and relax a bit underground with the charnel sprites after all the
fuss of their funerals.
They were still comparing
notes when the bushes next to the parking lot started rustling and a small
purplish man stepped out onto the gravel. Silence fell over the crowd.
“Perhaps I can be of help,”
said the purpleish man. “I received word from regional head office that there
might be someone in need of a guide for the initial journey.”
“Yes,” said Belladonna,
stepping forward. “That was Aya. We spoke last night.”
“Oh, right,” said Steve, “and
I was the one who stayed up too late.”
“I visited the graveyard for
five minutes, I didn’t stay up all night watching a zombie flick!”
“What’s…I mean who…?” Branwen
was staring at the newcomer, confused and a little worried.
“This is…I’m sorry, I don’t
know your name,” said Belladonna, anxious to do things properly.
“I am Nolo, and I will be
your charnel sprite.”
“This is Branwyn,” said
Belladonna. “She’s been waiting for two thousand years.”
“Well, then, we’d better get
going,” said Nolo. “It is my job to show you the way to the Other Side, young
lady. Unless you’d prefer to stay for a party? There are a great many of them
tonight, you know.”
“Does the sun shine on the
Other Side?”
“Almost all the time, I
believe.”
“Then I’d like to go. I’d
like to be warm again.” She turned to Belladonna and Steve. “Thank you. Thank
you both. I didn’t think it would work. But…oh, I wish I could touch you!”
“Perhaps you’ll meet again,”
said Elsie, helpfully. “When they’re over on our side, you can hug to your
heart’s content…if you’re that sort of person. It’s not very British, you know,
all that display of emotion.”
Branwyn smiled.
“I don’t care,” she said.
“I’ve waited a long time.”
Nolo held out his hand and
led Branwyn gently back toward the bushes. She glanced back, her eyes shining.
“Goodbye! And thank you.
Thank you all!”
The crowd of ghosts applauded
again, then started wandering away in small groups, still chatting excitedly
about what they’d just seen. Belladonna watched until Branwyn and Nolo had
vanished into the thicket, then picked up her backpack and turned back to Steve
and Elsie. Steve brushed himself off and shrugged on his jacket.
“Right,” said Elsie. “Shall
we go?”
“Go?” said Steve. “Where?”
“Why to Belladonna’s house,
of course.”
“My house? What for?”
“Well, partly because I’ve
never seen it and it’s Halloween, so I can,” said Elsie. “But mostly for the
party.”
“What party?”
“Oh, you are dense! The party
your mother’s been planning for months.”
“So that’s why she hasn’t
been home so much?”
“I think this might be a
‘duh’ moment, Belladonna,” said Steve, grinning.
“Did you know?”
“No, of course not. But it
makes sense. Come on, I think there’s a bus in a few minutes.”
“A bus?” said Elsie,
excitedly. “An omnibus? Oh, how spiffing! My parents would never use them. They
said they were--”
“Yes, we know,” said
Belladonna and Steve, laughing. “ Vulgar. ”
herself at Belladonna, but fell right through her.
“You’re free,” explained
Elsie. “Not alive.”
“I don’t care. I don’t care.
This is…how do I get to…to…”
“Um…actually, I don’t know,”
said Elsie. “I seem to remember someone helped me. I’m not sure how it’s done.
Not the first time.”
She looked toward the crowd
expectantly.
“A charnel sprite showed me
the way,” said the smart-suited man.
“Me too,” said the Flapper.
Most of the others agreed and
started discussing their own experiences, and how nice it was to get some tea
and cake and relax a bit underground with the charnel sprites after all the
fuss of their funerals.
They were still comparing
notes when the bushes next to the parking lot started rustling and a small
purplish man stepped out onto the gravel. Silence fell over the crowd.
“Perhaps I can be of help,”
said the purpleish man. “I received word from regional head office that there
might be someone in need of a guide for the initial journey.”
“Yes,” said Belladonna,
stepping forward. “That was Aya. We spoke last night.”
“Oh, right,” said Steve, “and
I was the one who stayed up too late.”
“I visited the graveyard for
five minutes, I didn’t stay up all night watching a zombie flick!”
“What’s…I mean who…?” Branwen
was staring at the newcomer, confused and a little worried.
“This is…I’m sorry, I don’t
know your name,” said Belladonna, anxious to do things properly.
“I am Nolo, and I will be
your charnel sprite.”
“This is Branwyn,” said
Belladonna. “She’s been waiting for two thousand years.”
“Well, then, we’d better get
going,” said Nolo. “It is my job to show you the way to the Other Side, young
lady. Unless you’d prefer to stay for a party? There are a great many of them
tonight, you know.”
“Does the sun shine on the
Other Side?”
“Almost all the time, I
believe.”
“Then I’d like to go. I’d
like to be warm again.” She turned to Belladonna and Steve. “Thank you. Thank
you both. I didn’t think it would work. But…oh, I wish I could touch you!”
“Perhaps you’ll meet again,”
said Elsie, helpfully. “When they’re over on our side, you can hug to your
heart’s content…if you’re that sort of person. It’s not very British, you know,
all that display of emotion.”
Branwyn smiled.
“I don’t care,” she said.
“I’ve waited a long time.”
Nolo held out his hand and
led Branwyn gently back toward the bushes. She glanced back, her eyes shining.
“Goodbye! And thank you.
Thank you all!”
The crowd of ghosts applauded
again, then started wandering away in small groups, still chatting excitedly
about what they’d just seen. Belladonna watched until Branwyn and Nolo had
vanished into the thicket, then picked up her backpack and turned back to Steve
and Elsie. Steve brushed himself off and shrugged on his jacket.
“Right,” said Elsie. “Shall
we go?”
“Go?” said Steve. “Where?”
“Why to Belladonna’s house,
of course.”
“My house? What for?”
“Well, partly because I’ve
never seen it and it’s Halloween, so I can,” said Elsie. “But mostly for the
party.”
“What party?”
“Oh, you are dense! The party
your mother’s been planning for months.”
“So that’s why she hasn’t
been home so much?”
“I think this might be a
‘duh’ moment, Belladonna,” said Steve, grinning.
“Did you know?”
“No, of course not. But it
makes sense. Come on, I think there’s a bus in a few minutes.”
“A bus?” said Elsie,
excitedly. “An omnibus? Oh, how spiffing! My parents would never use them. They
said they were--”
“Yes, we know,” said
Belladonna and Steve, laughing. “ Vulgar. ”
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