Free Ghost a La Mode by Sue Ann Jaffarian Page A

God!"
     

"MILO, WE HAVE A problem," Emma snapped into her cell phone. "A big problem."
    She was still in the Pioneer Cemetery. Across from her, the ghost of Billy Winslow kept his vigil on the bench.
    "There are ghosts everywhere," she continued, without waiting for Milo to speak. "I feel like I'm on the Haunted Mansion ride at Disneyland. All I need is the spooky music and mouse ears."
    "What do you mean by `everywhere,' Emma? Where are you? In Julian?"
    "Yes, in Julian. At the cemetery."
    "And you can see them?"
    "Yes! Why do you think I'm so upset? I mean, one or two, here and there, maybe I could absorb that idea. But this-this is like a ghost convention."
    She looked out across the uneven land that comprised the graveyard. Even though it was daylight, she could make out numerous images, some more distinct than others. Some were moving, some stationary, but all were obviously spirits of the dead. Except for Billy Winslow, none had spoken to her or even looked in her direction. She started counting.
    "There's about a dozen that I can make out," she said into the phone. "Various ages, both men and women." On the other end of the phone there was a long silence. "Milo, you still there?"
    "This is incredible, Emma." Milo's voice was filled with excitement. "The most I've seen at any one time is three."
    "What? You think this is a contest?"
    Milo laughed. "No, of course not." Another pause. "Emma, is Granny there?"
    "Not at this moment. At least not that I can see. Of course, she could be lost in the crowd."
    "Emma, listen to me." Milo's voice was stable and comforting. "These spirits are not going to hurt you. Just go about your business. What's up with the cemetery, anyway?"
    "I wanted to see if Granny and her husband were buried here. Not sure why. It was just a whim."
    "Well, your whim answered our question of whether or not you'd be able to see other spirits besides Granny and your aunt. Did any of them speak to you?"
    "Just one. A young man. He introduced himself and apologized for giving me a fright."
    Milo laughed again. "A well-mannered ghost."
    "This isn't funny, Milo. I about had a heart attack."
    "Just relax, Emma. Apparently, these spirits feel very comfortable around you. They trust you."
    "What about my comfort level?"
    "You'll get used to it."
    "I don't want to get used to it, Milo. I want to help Granny Apples, then be done with this."
    Milo paused before speaking, taking a minute to weigh his next words. Emma again thought the call had been dropped.
    "You there, Milo?"
    "Emma, you may not have a choice in the matter. Now that you've opened yourself to the other side, it may be difficult to shut the door. Not impossible, but difficult."
    "You mean, I'm stuck with this for the rest of my life?"
    "I'm not sure. I've never met someone like you before. But for now, why don't you just go forward with your research for Granny, and ignore the others. Pretend they're not there. When you get back home, you and I can try to figure this out."
    "I don't have much choice, do I?"
    "Emma, these spirits allowing you to see them is a privilege and an honor. It's not a curse."
    "Depends on your point of view."
    After her call with Milo, Emma gave Billy Winslow a nod goodbye. He gave her a cordial wave in return.
    Even though there was a narrow roadway winding through the cemetery, Emma took a deep breath and started making her way among the graves, scrub grass, and spirits lingering in the graveyard. None of them paid attention to her. The roadway circled a knoll that contained most of the graves. On the far side of the road, facing the town, the land sloped, forming natural graded levels that contained more graves. She decided to explore the central area first.
    She noted that some of the graves were arranged in obvious family plots. Others were scattered helter-skelter throughout the place. It was almost as if someone had decided to dig a grave wherever the coffin was dropped, with no eye to order and placement. The dates on