Chapter 1

 

'Claudia are you sure you are all right staying in your new apartment by yourself?' I heard Debbie, my best friend's, concerned voice on the other end of the line.

'Yes, of course I will be okay, Debbie. Don't worry about me, there really is nothing to fear I can assure you, this house is far from hunted!

'But seriously Debbie I cannot believe in this day and age you actually believe in a foolish story about some dumb ghost!' I tried hard not to completely mock her misplaced fears in my reply, even though I still found it totally ridiculous that Debbie, who was usually so level headed and sensible, believed in the supernatural.

'That's the problem with you, Claudia you're such a cynic. Just because you cannot imagine it, doesn't mean strange things don't exist in this world that cannot be rationally explained. I'm telling you this because I have had first-hand experience of such things.' Debbie said stubbornly; she was not prepared to back down.

'I am sorry, Debbie. I should be more sensitive, and I remember what you told me about the bogeyman that you saw when you were a little child and how traumatic it was for you.'

'Claudia, knock it out! You're teasing me again - I can hear it in your tone of voice. You really should take what I say to you seriously for once.' She sighed.

'Okay, I will tell you what, if I hear or see anything out of the ordinary I will be straight out of my building like a shot, before driving to yours for my own protection.' I decided to be kinder to Debbie and concede to her in part, despite having big doubts concerning her childhood ghost story, which I rather took to be a description of a young girl with an overactive imagination.

'Well, as long as you promise. I suppose that perhaps is one reason that one might need a man for?' Debbie's voice became calmer as she changed the direction of our conversation.

'You mean having a man to cuddle and protect me from the big bad ghost? No I am old and ugly enough to look after myself, thank you.' I snorted as we reopened our earlier debate on whether we should both enjoy our status of being independent and semi-happy women, rather than it perhaps being time for us both to actively search for a meaningful relationship with some reasonably attractive and intelligent guy.

Debbie of course wanted to try out the latter whilst I championed the former option of ditching men altogether - okay, what could I say? I'd had a bad break up just a few months ago with my ex-boyfriend Tony, who had been an inconsiderate, lazy ass of a boyfriend. Tony had strung me along for years not ever wanting to commit to me properly right until I pulled the plug on our doomed relationship. He rather wanted to remain a real life adult Peter Pan living at home with his folks at just shy of twenty nine so he would have little responsibility.

'Come on, Claudia. You're turning into a man hater. At least you can admit to me that there is one thing a man is good for, something we cannot do ourselves,' Debbie giggled as she tried to tease me out of the dark mood that had come over me.

'Really? I am not so sure I would agree with you on that point,' I said sarcastically as I thought of my beloved and reliable vibrator that had been more effective at giving me orgasms than Tony had ever been!

'I give up, Claudia!' Debbie laughed out in defeat. 'You're just impossible to make see sense sometimes.'

'Love you too! Speak to you tomorrow,' I answered cheerfully. I was glad that Debbie was gradually coming to accept my viewpoints.

'Love you, too. Just don't forget what I told you about looking out for any ghosts. Goodnight, honey.'

'I won't. Goodnight, Debbie.' I yawned as I ended the call and placed my mobile phone down on my bedside table.