Shirtwaist Ghosts Chapter 3

3

The maid service made no comment on the mess left in the condo nor asked any questions when Allen moved into another one across the hall. The predominately black and gray colors matched his mood for the next few days. Since nothing else freaky happened, he chalked it up to a bad case of delayed stress.

Allen brightened up considerably when his wife, Laurie, called to talk. He started walking on air after she mentioned plans to bring the girls for a short visit.

Allen had laid low when he first arrived in El Paso, but now, hooking up with old high school friends seemed like the perfect way to celebrate the completion of the apartments. Allen found out a good friend also moved back in town and opened a restaurant on the west side.

Ruli was thrilled to hear about Allen’s plan for a mini-reunion of their Entrepreneurship Club from High School and offered up his place for a beer tasting and tapas party. Ruli’s International Kitchen consisted of twelve tables and a long bar. Behind the bar, Allen perused a collection of fine imported beers and wines.
“What do you like?” asked Ruli.

“You know, I really go for the dark, strong stuff,” said Allen.

“Then you’re going to love this.” Ruli reached behind the bar and popped the top on a bottle of Dixie Blackened Voodoo Lager. When he poured it into a clear glass mug it became a dark, swirling liquid topped with a coffee-colored head of foam.
Allen tasted the beer. “Wow, you weren’t kidding. I do love this!” He swung around and surveyed the rest of the small room.
People started arriving and gathered in groups of four and five. Ruddy faces shone under the soft track lighting and laughter rose and fell in quick bursts. Allen lifted his mug in greeting to several friends as they passed by a little wobbly on their feet. “Hey, I thought this was supposed to be a ‘beer tasting’ not a ‘beer drinking’ party.” Scattered laughter broke out again. He leaned back to Ruli and said, “This sure is different from the wine tastings my wife takes me to.”

Ruli slapped him on the back, “This was a great idea, man, thanks.”

***

Allen stumbled against the door frame to the condo, clutching a six-pack of his new favorite beer. He chuckled to himself for no reason. After three swipes, he managed to fit the key in the lock and entered the condo. The twinkling orange and yellow lights of downtown El Paso lit the living room enough that he didn't even bother turning on a light. Allen put his package on the living room coffee table, took out a beer and picked his way past furniture to the patio.
I’m back, he thought to himself. Once Laurie gets here with the girls, we’ll sit down and talk this all out. It’s my fault. I’ll own up to everything. He missed his family, and right now getting them back was the most important thing.

Coldness interrupted his thoughts. He frowned. His back was colder than his front, which was exposed to the cool night air. In alcohol-induced slow motion, he turned around.

A young girl, of fifteen or sixteen ran straight at him. Her arms reached out and her mouth was open in a silent scream, eyes wide with terror. Her hair was a long train of flames.

Allen held up his hands in an attempt to slow her down. She passed by him as he grabbed at her clothes. Momentum almost carried Allen over the edge himself. He gripped the railing and stared into empty space. There was nothing there. Nothing at all.

He stumbled back around and sat down. Holding up the beer bottle in his hand, he thought, At least I didn’t waste my beer. He rubbed his face with his free hand thinking, What if it had been one of his own daughters?

***

Allen woke up on the couch with the T.V. blaring and the condo ablaze with light. He tried to prop himself up with his hands, but a sharp pain made him fall back onto his elbows. When he dragged himself to the bathroom to splash cold water on his face, he noticed his left palm was bright red. It looked like a burn.

Back in the living room, numb and hung-over, Allen turned the T.V. remote over and over in his hands. The local news team was interviewing a man dressed all in black, including a cowboy hat. The scene changed to night-vision. The scrolling caption under the video read “Ghost Hunt - El Paso Downtown Library.”

The man in the cowboy hat was speaking directly to the camera when something clattered off camera behind him. He moved to investigate a book that apparently had fallen to the floor all by itself. As the camera cut back to the interview, Allen learned they were talking about ghost hunting and the man in black, Hector, ran ghost tours in El Paso. Allen leaned over the coffee table and jotted the number down on a scrap of paper in front of him.