A Very Old Ghost!

                “Take it or leave it!”

                “What?”

                “Take it or leave it?”

                “I’ll take it.”

                “Good. You are indeed a true man.”

                That house. Tony said it was spooky. It was spookier than haunted mansion. Tony once told him that he had seen a figure of an old lady in that house. Tony also added that house was always sombre and gloomy. He stared at that house. It was red with tinted glass windows, a huge door made of mahogany, two short chimneys and an ancient lamp situated next to the main door. He gulped a few times. He could not imagine himself being in that house. Tony dared him to enter the house and he thought he would be foolish if he did not accept the challenge as Tony promised him to set up a blind date with his charming youngest sister, Julie. Thinking of Julie made him braver even he felt weak at his knees just by looking at the compound of that house. He had prepared everything; flashlight, candles, three bars of Whittakers, a can of soda and matches.

                “Ready?” Tony smiled cynically.

                “Absolutely. Bring it on!” He said, standing still in front of the door of that house.

                “Be there for 15 minutes and SHOUT if you see or hear anything,” Tony gave the instruction as if he would come to save him if anything happened.

                He turned the doorknob, he stepped his feet into that house slowly and before he shut the door, he looked at Tony straight into his brown eyes. Tony just winked at him and pointed his index finger to the door signalling him to close it. He closed the door. It was very dark and he could not see anything ahead. He then tried to search for any switch to turn on the lights but he was touching the wall instead. He made a move step by step. Suddenly, he remembered his flashlight that he brought along. He grabbed his backpack and looked for the thing. Yes, he got it! He switched on the flashlight. Yes, it was on! The flashlight was in his right hand but he would not have the courage to flash in front. He just flashed it to the floor and he walked slowly hoping he would not step on dead bodies. After a few steps away from the main door, he finally came to a room on his left. He knew there was a room as he could spot a door when he flashed to his left. He braced himself to enter the room. With the help of the flashlight, he could see that the room was undeniably a small neat bedroom. The furniture was appropriately arranged and the person who did this was truly an organised person, he presumed.

                After a while, he went out from the room. He took a deep breath and was astonished to smell something nice, something pleasant, something appetizing. Chicken pie! Somebody was cooking! Strange. That house was extremely dark and it was a miracle if someone could cook in that kind of environment. He began to track for the aroma. His pace was quicker. He totally forgot his flashlight. He did not even use it to torch the way to the smell.  He just followed his instinct and the smell became stronger and stronger as he already arrived at the kitchen. He stopped. He stood still, seeking for the object which people called it chicken pie. Although he could not observe anything ahead, he knew it was there. How did he know? He just knew it.

                “Want some?” What? A voice! He did not expect to hear any voice in that house.

                “Sure.” He braved himself replying to the voice.

                “Here it is.” Where? He could not see anything. Ah, the flashlight! He took it out and thanks to the flashlight he could see a very old lady holding a transparent plate with a nice looking chicken pie on it. He was in gape. Tony was right! A ghost! A ghost that could cook a delicious chicken pie.

                “GHOST!” Tony! Help!” He yelled his lungs out hoping Tony would help him get out from there.

                “Silence! I’m not a ghost!”

                “You can cook in the dark. Humans can’t. You are a ghost.” He was sure of what he said.

                “I don’t need lights to cook. I don’t need lights at all.”

                “But why? Don’t you have money to pay for the electric?”

                The very old lady heaved a sigh. She looked so pathetic. She was very old and did not have money to pay for the electricity. He felt sorry for her. She was silent for a moment. Perhaps she was thinking of her pitiful life. Finally, she broke the silence.

                “I am blind, you fool!”