Free Adelaide Confused by Penny Greenhorn

dresser,
just a cheap bead and some wire. I didn’t want to wear it, but I
was afraid the damn thing wouldn’t give me a choice.
    “ Fine,” I said out loud. I
slipped it onto my index finger. It fit perfectly, nice and snug,
but not too tight. I glanced around the room, waiting for something
to pop out. When nothing happened I shrugged, continuing on with my
morning routine.
    I spent some time in the
living room, concocting a puzzle. Teetered on the tip of my couch,
I hunched over the coffee table staring down at the classic red
truck I’d pieced together. The puzzle was, well... laughable. The
truck was boldly parked king-of-the-mountain style at the top of a
grassy green incline. Amused, I’d been unable to resist buying such
a hillbilly gem.
    A bowl of half-eaten cereal
was perched to my right. Soggy and forgotten, it left a wet ring on
the glass tabletop. I was totally preoccupied, and yet I noticed it
immediately this time. No subtle sneaking, though the feeling was
still subtle.
    The little ghost pranced in
from the kitchen, swirling and shifting, fading and misting.
Details appeared when its form flashed in solid. This only happened
for a few brief moments, tiny blips, and even then the ghost was
nothing more than a lumpy blob with four dainty paws and a nub
tail. Nancy had said they projected the image they remembered,
which made more sense just then.
    I sat completely still as
the little dog flounced about the room for a minute, then it ran
through the front door. The closed front door.
    I sat for a moment longer,
staring after it. I reluctantly got up and walked to the window,
wondering what Percy would do. It was, after all, his gift I was
wearing.
    Outside the dog was busy
trying to dig up my front lawn, but it was unsuccessful. I couldn’t
put animal feelings in human terms, but all the same I recognized
neediness. As it danced in circles, I didn’t doubt that there was
something buried out there that it desperately wanted.
    I deliberated for a second
or two, though I’d already made up my mind. I left the house
through the back door, walking the ever more familiar path. I
doubted Lucas would be home, but it was worth a try. He surprised
me, answering the door amid my knocking.
    “Do you have a shovel I can borrow?”
    It must be his day off as
he wore only a pair of cargo shorts. I tried not to look at his
muscly chest, and I especially tried not to look at his
preposterous tan lines. I couldn’t help it though. His arms and
neck were ten shades darker than his stomach. It was funny, but he
wasn’t the type of person you could laugh at.
    He stared at me in his
typical fashion, face masked of any emotion but unnervingly direct.
Finally, “Yeah, hold on.” He disappeared inside the house,
returning a minute later with a ring of keys.
    The shovel was inside his
shed, which he kept locked. It was a place I recognized as every
man’s treasure trove. An endless variety of tools neatly lined the
walls while other manly gadgets filled the space between. He held
up two different shovels. One had a wide but rounded edge. The
other’s was narrow and pointed.
    I shrugged.
    “Have you ever used a shovel?”
    I gave him a condescending
look, though I couldn’t recall an exact instance.
    He kept the pointy one and
left the shed, walking barefoot to my yard. “What do you want me to
dig?”
    If he had been anyone else
I would have refused the offer. “It’s out front.” I took the lead,
guiding him around the house.
    The ghost hadn’t moved. The stubborn little
snot had even managed to swipe up a bit of dirt. I pointed,
“There.”
    While he worked I moved a
few paces back, allowing him some space. After a minute of shifting
from foot to foot, I sat, twirling grass as I idly watched. It was
nice.
    The shovel met resistance
all too soon. I stood abruptly. For the first time I wondered what
was buried there. Lucas bent closer, using his shovel to scrape
away the dirt.
    A horrible image came to
mind and I