Just Visiting

Contest Submission
Dialog Only
Prompt: A Spooky Meeting

Just Visiting

"Good afternoon, Madam."

"Hello." Who are you supposed to be, George Washington? And WHAT is that smell?

"Beautiful day."

"Yes." Ok, now go do your trick or treating somewhere else.

"Are you here for the funeral?"

"No, just visiting." And it's painful enough, so leave me alone.

"Family member?"

"Yes. My daughter." Are you writing a book? Go away.

"Oh that's tragic. I'm sorry. "

"Thank you. I came to do some gardening at her grave. Ah, here we are."

"This her place? What nice roses."

"She loves roses. I transplanted this bush from my garden. Time to get to work. Well, it was nice meeting you; I don't want to keep you from your costume party."

"Oh, you're not keeping me from anything. Can I help with the pruning?"

"I'm fine. Look, Mister, uh, I'm sorry; what did you say your name was?"

"Nathan."

"Mr. Nathan, it's very kind of you to offer to help, but--"

"No, it's not Mr. Nathan. It's Nathan O'Hara."

"All right. Mr. O'Hara. And what brings you out to the cemetery on Halloween?"

"I'm always at the cemetery. I think it's loneliness that brings me out."

I'm a wacko magnet! "So did you come to visit your wife's grave?"

"My wife isn't here. She never came."

"I see. Aren't you going to be late for your costume party? Let me guess: It's Revolutionary War era. Am I right?"

"I'm not going to any party. I sure do miss her."

"Who?"

"My wife."

"Why doesn't she come with you?"

"I can't talk to her anymore. Not like I can talk to you."

"I see..." Here it comes. This jerk's trying to pick me up at the cemetery! Now, I've seen it all.

"No. I don't think you do. You're the only person I've really spoken to in many, many years. She doesn't see me, not really. Not like you do."

"OK, Mr. O'Hara. You're making me uncomfortable, and I want you to go now, and leave me alone with my daughter."

"I don't mean to upset you. I'll be going, but I want to thank you for giving me someone to talk to again, even if only for a few short minutes. I'll return the favor by sharing some information about your daughter."

"About my daughter? What do you mean? I want you to leave right now, or I'll be forced to shout out for the grounds-keeper."

"Easy now, Missus. I don't want trouble. Just want to tell you she's quite happy here, and she loves the roses. She remembers fondly when you and she picked out the bush at the garden-nursery when she was a wee girl."

"How did you know that? Who are you?"

* * *

"Mister Wolstenheimer! Mister Wolstenheimer! Come quick! There's a man by my daughter's grave. He won't leave me alone."

"What man, Mrs. Reynolds? I've been out here all afternoon. Only one I've seen in the cemetery all day is you."

"He walked me up the hill from my car. But then he started talking about my daughter and how she's happy here... He was trying to pick me up. Where did he go?"

"Sorry Ma'am. Only one out there was you, and you was talkin' up a storm all by yourself."

"What are you insinuating?"

"Nothing. I don't make no judgment. Most folks react in some way - go a little strange in the head when they bury a loved one. It's just your way of dealin' with things as they are, is all. My experience is it'll pass in its own good time."

"Look, he was right over here talking to me for almost 20 minutes. His name is Nathan O'Hara, at least that's what he said it was. Look there; his boot prints plain as day. I want you to call the police right now."

"I see the foot prints all right, but I tell ya, there was no one here except you. O'Hara, you say? Nathan?"

"Yes. That's right."

"I'll be wantin' to show you somethin'. It's just over here."

* * *

"Oh my goodness. He used a name from a gravestone? How-- Wait. It says he died in 1779. His wife's name was Isabelle...Beachler!"

"Aye. Funny he would choose that name. The Beachler-O'Hara love story was the cemetery's big claim to fame once upon a time. I don't remember the way it goes anymore. Somethin' about him being a traitor - unjustly accused - they discovered the truth in, oh I guess the 18 hundreds and granted him a pardon in 1930 something. Don't know nothin' about her story."

"Mr.Wolstanheimer--"

"Oh, here now, what's the matter, Missus? You all right?"

"Isabelle Beachler-O'Hara was an ancestor of mine."


END
920 Words