Ghosts

Chapter 7

'How did it go last night?' Violet took the mug of tea off her father. Her head was still swimming from the powerful joint. 'Not good, Dad. Shit. How does Grandma manage to smoke so much of that stuff?' He smiled. 'I thought I could smell it in here. Things must have been bad for you to smoke.' She sipped the tea and placed it on the cabinet next to the bed where the clock radio said nine thirty seven. She had slept the clock round but still felt like crap. 'Wanna talk about it?' 'Yes.' He sat on the corner of the bed. 'Go on.' 'All day I was there. I kept calling out to them. Nothing. Then, just as I decided to go to bed, they appeared. Not Harmony. Just Uncle and Aunt. She ...walked through the wall, Dad. Freaked me out.' 'You are one amazing girl, Violet. I couldn't even go in there. You were talking to ghosts.' 'Grandma said something odd last night.' He laughed. 'Odder than usual?' 'Well, she did say something about Bob Dylan, but when I asked about ghosts, she said we are all ghosts. It's just that the rest of us aren't dead yet.' 'Oh. That's quite deep, for her.' 'How come when I told you I saw ghosts a few weeks ago, you believed me?' He seemed surprised at the question. 'Why wouldn't we believe you? One thing you have never done is lie to us. I don't think you know how to lie. The first time you said you saw them, I thought perhaps it had been a trick of the light, or something. The second time, and I saw that terrified look on your face, I knew it was for real.' 'Thanks, Dad.' He reached out and ruffled her wavy brown hair. 'So what happened last night?' 'It was...weird. Not just seeing ghosts, but the way they behaved.' 'Yes?' 'They couldn't understand why I was trying to sell the house. I explained, we need the money. They got angry with me.' 'Ben and Daphne? Angry?' 'I know. That's what scared me the most. I never saw them really angry before. Daph...Aunt Daphne ordered me out of the house. She said I had no right trying to sell their home. I tried to explain. Then....' 'What?' 'They sort of went for me. Well, not actually like they were going to attack me or anything. But they both closed in on me. That's when I ran for home.' He seemed to be thinking over what she'd told him. 'They would never hurt you. Even as ghosts, I'm sure they wouldn't. They sound confused.' 'Oh, my God. That's it. I just figured it out. They don't realize they're dead.'