Grave Danger Read Online Free PDF Page A

living woman had spoken. “How is it that
she can see us, but none of the others can?” waving her hand at the
living patrons in the tavern.
    It was Richard who answered her. “Most of the living
can’t see us,” he explained, “or more likely they don’t want to see
us. But some of them are intuitive enough to see beyond their own
barriers of reasoning.” He rubbed a hand along his otherworldly
chest. “We don’t exactly fit into what is normal to them. Most
think of us as a novelty item or only fit to be seen on ghost tours
or in the movies. They never imagine us as humans existing
alongside of them day after day.”
    “ I have to say that I was probably one of
them,” Clarissa admitted to them all, though she wasn’t sure that
was entirely true. She had to wonder if she wasn’t excepting all of
this too easily. “The idea of a ghost just seems too fantastical to
be reality.”
    “ And yet here we are,” Eleanor spoke as she
reached out and put her hand over Clarissa’s, patting it in
understanding. “We are very real, indeed.” Being dead wasn’t easy,
she could attest to that from personal experience. But she knew it
was the comfort of friends like Henry and pseudo-bad-ass Richard
that kept her from a lonely and tortured afterlife. Even Mrs.
Connors was a blessing. Through her, she could still be a part of
the living world.
    Just then their orders came up. Richard exclaimed
triumphantly as his beer came floating down to land on the table
top in front of him along with a mammoth burger and a plate of
fresh steaming fries, lightly salted. A Ketchup bottle manifested
itself on the table too. More plates and mugs floated down from
above like manna from heaven as Clarissa watched wide eyed at the
spectacle.
    Clarissa picked up her own glass as she watched
Richard tear into his burger with the gusto of an animal or a
teenage boy. It felt solid and very real in her hands. It was even
icy cold, as it should be. Taking a hesitant sip of her beer she
realized it even tasted real. Amazing, she thought.
    Henry took a big bite of his burger and turned to
look at Clarissa. He swallowed before he spoke. “Tastes pretty good
doesn’t it? You should try the food.”
    Clarissa picked up her burger from the plate in
front of her, bringing the tantalizing monster slowly to her mouth.
She took a small, hesitant size bite. As the spectral food touched
her taste buds she could feel their collective gazes on her,
watching as she tried her first ghost meal. She chewed the very
tangible food around in her mouth before swallowing. Putting the
burger down on the plate, she looked at each of them, reading in
their faces their excited expectation for some response.
    “ It’s very good,” she appraised the food, “I
don’t think I could have made it better myself. The living chefs
have nothing on Clare’s cooking.”
    They all smiled and laughed in agreement before
returning to their own food and drink. There was little
conversation as the four of them devoured their meal.
    Just as they were almost finished, several spectral
staff members from the tavern came through the kitchen door, coming
over to stand in a formation around their table. They all had very
welcoming expressions of their ghostly faces as they gazed down at
Clarissa, the newest citizen of their community.
    Clarissa knew she would likely forget their names as
they introduced themselves to her, but at least she might remember
their faces if she met them again. In turn, each spoke welcoming
words, saying how glad they were that she would be staying on in
their city.
    Then as a surprise, Josh presented her with a small
round chocolate cake.
    “ We had Clare make it up especially for you,”
Josh said with tender smile, as his laid the cake in front of her.
“If there’s anything we can do, don’t hesitate to ask.” Then he
stepped back with the others as they broke out in song.
    It was a sweet little number, a celebration of
ghost-hood. Clarissa enjoyed