“You’re there, no particular reason. You’re the only person I could think of as having walked past this house every single night. As for the whole Halloween thing, well that was for my own enjoyment,” Daray grinned at Annemarie. “I’ve always wanted to do something like that to someone, since I’m a ghost.”
“If you’re just wasting my time I’m leaving,” Annemarie announced. I can’t say that I like her lack of patience; I mean how many chances do any of us get to talk to a ghost at midnight on Halloween. Annemarie is wasting a fine opportunity, but I can’t get through the page to tell her as much so to continue.
“Wait, I do have my reason. I need help, it was merely the timing that was decided for my enjoyment, well and I was random about who to ask as well,” Daray admitted. “I want you to buy this house so I can keep it.”
Now before the reader throws down this story with disgust, I would like to assure you that I know how ridiculously cliché this is. As I said at the start of this story there are things from convention that will slip into a story even when one has no intention of including them. Besides, I am simply telling the story, so don’t blame me.
“I work at a fast food joint, something you seem to know, do I look like I can afford a house?” Annemarie demanded.
“No, but I know where some money can be found, you know these things after you’re dead but they don’t do you any good because I would like to see you try to dig up money when you pass right through the ground,” Daray said, sticking his hands in his pockets.
“So you want me to follow you to this money and then buy this house? Why? What do I get from it?” Annemarie demanded. For this I like, it’s hard to get a main character who is this blunt and straightforward, and not willing to help people for the sake of helping people. This is the sort of character I can respect.
“You can have any money left over, there should be some,” Daray said, shrugging. The last time I checked there was a lot, unless her family has finally actually found it of course, but that doesn’t seem like it’s going to happen, they’ve been looking for the last two hundred years after all.”
“I have no idea what you are talking about,” Annemarie admitted.
“I should take you to meet someone,” Daray announced. “The lawyer will drive you there; I’ll come with of course.”
While Annemarie, getting steadily more confused, is bustled into a car by a bossy ghost and an authoritative lawyer I suppose I should offer more commentary. After all, once again I am feeling like I’m not doing my job and I can’t have that. Daray certainly can’t be trusted to tell the reader about this stuff, though I’m afraid he’s the one who told Annemarie about what was going on during the car ride. Daray isn’t very reliable and tends to leave out details when he gets excited about something.
The lawyer works for a family who used to be rich, but are no longer. They own the house he has been living in, as well as a large house that has been mortgaged as much as it could be and is going into foreclosure. The lawyer had come to inspect the house before sale and had found Daray in residence. Rather then kick him out, which apparently had been her original threat, she had agreed to try and help him keep the house somehow, which is where Annemarie had entered into their plans.
To be continued...
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