In the prompt, it quotes from the book, Walking on Alligators by Susan Shaughnessy. In it she quotes Voltaire: "The secret of being tiresome is to tell everything." Sunday Scribblings goes on to say... In writing and in life, the secret is sometimes in what you leave out.
The following is a short piece I wrote several years ago, it echos through many memories, but also what is not said eludes to so much more.
Living Ghost
You walked in, immediately I knew what you would pull from the shelf. You'd take the V-8, then put it back. You wanted tomato juice, only Campbell's would do, your "lunch" in a can. And of course a Budweiser, but what size. I also knew when you came to the counter you'd ask for salt and you did.
As afraid of the memories as I was, I had to ask, "Do I know you?" "Not unless you know my little girl, I'm not from here...," you replied. "I'm trying to find my girl. The vibes told me she was to be hurt with the mudslides... those Nina Rains. California will slide into the water."
I gave you the total for your items and saw the blank stare in your eyes... "Where's my salt, I need salt, it's no damn good without salt!"
I should probably add as an Essential part of this post, the memories were of a man who had died 16 years prior under suspicious circumstances... and there was evidence of the sale actually taking place.
8 comments:
eerie, leaves you wondering. what a sad thing to die, and no one know for sure what happened...
I like a story that makes me think...this one did. Also, I used to be hooked on TJ/Beer and salt and I am sure if I had died I would have haunted bars and cafes across the state looking for a cold glass. I don't care for it anymore. Not sure why..mybe the salt and blood pressure.
A haunting write - fits well with the prompt on several levels...
Story left me still for a moment or two.
Living Ghost - haunting title. I'm confused about the evidence of the sale?
@ Ana The person who came into the store... had supposedly died in 1981, drowning, with suspect identifaction due to time in water before the body was found. 16 years later, a man who appeared to be him only older came into the store, the quotes are word for word things he had said/written in letters prior to his death... then he frequented the store a couple more times, not being able to identify him, a couple months later an unsigned birthday card appeared on the counter (on my birthday) when I was stocking the refrigerator items, then was never seen again. I had friends try to be there and follow to identify, as he never stayed long enough nor would he respond to questions after this sale.... We could never follow or identify him, but I would swear he was the man who had supposedly died. Todays forensics would identify through DNA, but in 1981 was by fingerprint or dental record only.... neither of which would have been plausable. People at the time of the sale questioned if he existed or if I imagined it.
Oh, thanks for explaining that! I did get the part about the "living ghost since he died 16 years prior" now I understand that people thought it was all imagined - but that there was proof it actually happened. Interesting.
I was one of the friends that were part of that story. I don't know how many times I followed the car from the store but the car would disappear.
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