~The Case of The Prankster Ghost~ Blue~ Halloween Story Category# 3

“The Case of the Prankster Ghost”

This had to be the biggest mess CeCe Taylor has ever found herself in the middle of. My friend, my dear sweet friend Andrea Dalton, who has been the sister I grew up longing for but never had, that is until I met her of course. Knowing one another well over twenty plus years. And, I sigh…..Knowing her as well as I do and I have to say, I do agree this is the ultimate record breaker-----it has surpassed all other past present and probably future complete “Mess---ups”. How did I ever allow her to talk me into this Ginormous mess? Wait….one minute….. Is that a word?! Well, it is now.

I’ve gotten ahead of myself here a little. Allow me to introduce myself, I’m CeCe that’s short for Cecelia, don’t even ask me what my middle name is and Taylor is the last name, at your service. Well to understand this entire fiasco, I guess it would be best to simply tell it from the very beginning. Buckle up and let’s head out on this Wild goose……It will take us to One Fall afternoon, when Andie & me were driving along Interstate 64, we were out and about just driving, sightseeing, something to do on a Saturday afternoon. I love to do that, just get out and drive, looking taking nature landscape photographs finding new places to visit and new friends to meet.

I turned onto a busy US Highway 23 N. driving a few miles then again turned at exit 179 following Route 7 South to the AA Highway then turned once again onto Kentucky Highway10 but it used to be #9 on the old maps, we were heading to the border of the Greenup and Lewis county line. There is a Junction there, a Crossroads. Carver City it’s a small country town outside Greenup, Kentucky. When you turn down Ramey Road drive up to the top of the hill, you’ll see, the hill itself is Rose Hill. Big as life and all that entails believe me. There’s a two story farmhouse that sits there alone in the meadow. Pretty that it is, we later learned the house is really old.

Yes, you guessed it Andie saw it first and being the romantic that she is she just had to talk me into buying it. We never checked the history behind it, the previous owners whether the plumbing, the electricity was good, no cracks underneath the doors, or creaking noises on the stairs or the floors. You know what I mean. We meet up with old man Dan Williamheimer, ma—jig something like that., the owner and overseer of the property. He gives us a little tour of the house and the forty—seven acres of ground that surrounds the house with its porch swing along with a couple ponds some Willow and Pine trees a few Oaks down the lane a flower garden and courtyard all around the house, one barn with cows, a couple horses, ducks, geese, lambs, goats oh and a chicken house and a wild stream that flows parallel to the place that runs along Route 10, well wouldn’t you know it, I fall in love with the place too, end of story, right? Well….no not quite. Not so fast.

A little inheritance comes along with this special picturesque house, the clause in the contract after I signed it, before I actually read all of it without my reading glasses to boot. When Andi kept telling me, “Oh honey live a little, take a few chances, it will be alright, this is an adventure! A once in a lifetime opportunity kind of thing that makes me wonder why I didn’t just go ahead and get it over with and jump off the cliffs at Caney Creek! The contract, yes of course it said that it stipulates that two little inheritances are included in the sale of the property in the form of two of the most mischievous cats Andie or I have ever had the misfortune of meeting!---

Oh, but it doesn’t stop there! No, no no, that would be just simply insane to think I of all people had only inherited those mild mannered little criminals! But, look out when there is a “but” in there you can rest assured there’s a loaded gun in that little word just waiting to explode, let me tell you. I was informed by Mr. handsome Dan who told me with such kindness in his voice that I reminded him so much of his dear sweet daughter Suzy. I assumed that the young woman must no longer be with us. I never asked and he never said. Thinking back on it now, I’m sure he must have gotten a good chuckle when he saw me coming a mile off! My dear CeCe he exclaimed. You have also inherited not one but seven dogs of all different breeds, imaginable!........Imaginable!? What!? Oh, no. I sigh……

These too must go with the property!------there’s that little clause again, if you don’t take them then you don’t get the house…….. Many and I mean many months later of hard work removing all the old furniture, since I admit to having a weakness for antiques I removed the pieces at least that wasn’t salvageable, then kept the rest and I must admit they are gorgeous pieces. Then, I removed the piteous junk from every nook and cranny, restoring and painting every inch of that big old lovely house, when I fell down the stairway one evening after the rug was literally pulled out from underneath my feet. I screamed out, “What are you doing!? I could have broken my neck!” I bounced, down the stairs one by one I went!

When I managed to get back up, checking to make sure nothing was broken in this well beyond 40 something year old body. I looked up toward the stairs but there was no one there. I was shocked to say the very least. I had thought Andi was still upstairs cleaning, polishing the banisters on the stairway, was in one of her pranking moods and as the result there was me sprawled out in the middle of the floor. But when I looked up, she was already gone. When I yelled up the stairs, she said she had went into one of the bedrooms at the end of the hallway. Looking for the furniture polish she swore she hadn’t moved, she hadn’t been pulling any pranks.

Just then Sabien one of the cats from down around Hades’ Way climbed on top of the peninsula in the kitchen after I had slowly made my way there like a ship moored in the sand. I looked at him, “What do you want?” I asked. No climbing on the table….or the countertops. He flicked his tail, stared back at me with those enormous emerald jewels of his, answering with a meow….meow as he flicked that big bushy tail again and when he did, it brushed my face. How on earth did I manage to get myself into this one?” I asked to no one there. “Are you hungry?” I walked to the pantry, opening the door, looked inside and picked out a salmon dinner courtesy of Fancy Feast. “I may as well get your partner in crime a can, too.”

Both cats were as different as day and night. Sabien a black and white Tabby, I had no idea what breed GiGi was. A scoundrel disguised as a cat that’s really what he was! I took a spoon that I used to dip their cat food and put it into their separate food bowls, I picked up four bowls on a trip to town six months ago, they had a picture of a cat inside that said the cat’s meow. It was a cat’s meow alright. Bending over I started refilling their water bowls. When I was whacked from behind! I wasn’t hit hard but it stung and now I was mad.

What in the world was that?! I looked around thinking one of the cat’s had been on the attack. Nothing. It had to be Andi playing a prank. “Alright Andi, you can stop that any time.” I said aloud. Momentarily distracted by the cats, looking in the direction of the living room. It was dark. I hadn’t turned on the lamp in front of the two recliners or the double picture window yet. I walked into the living room with both cats on my heels.

I did hear a noise of some sort, looking around then, checking a closet looking inside, there was nothing…..nothing but a couple of work coats, red rubber boots and a couple wool hats for cold weather. I turned on not one but three of the lamps anyway. It fully illuminated the room. But, there’s that ‘but’ word again. When I turned to walk back into the kitchen, I thought I saw something….what I don’t know. Maybe one of the cats moving about, I reasoned.

At 4:00pm every evening the cats got dry cat food for their supper but for breakfast and lunch they got to have their Fancy Feast special varieties, like chicken or turkey, salmon, sole cod, turkey and giblets in gravy, they had to have the gravy mind you. This evening I gave them their gravy treat. The boys and girls as I called the huge dogs I had inherited, they lived outside, they weren’t picky, not in the least they liked Ol’ Roy from a Wal mart super store just fine and without any complaints except for one dog I kept inside, Egan.

He had a preference alright an expensive preference and it is called Beneful. Both he and the German shepherd preferred Beneful and that’s what they got. Sheyoni, a beautiful girl loves it as much as the Egan Boy does. Life is short, why not get what you want. They depended on me and I was attached to them. A German Shepherd, Rotweiler, Australian Shepherd/Airedale Mix, and four huge Anatolian Shepherds. I had my hands full, that’s for sure. Not to forget all the chickens and the rest of the crew. The package also included a variety of gorgeous birds indigenous to the area then there was an occasional wild turkey, a bobwhite, whippoorwill or geese, a crane, deer a wild cat and if you were really lucky you’d get to see a hawk or an eagle flying every now and then.

Andi had said, “Maybe you can give them to good homes.” “No way, most would be afraid, intimidated of dogs this big, no they’re here to stay. They’re stuck with me.” End of subject. Though I remembered that my mom had said something not long ago that she would like to have one of the Anatolians if I wanted to give him up. Maybe…..but it would be difficult now. The cats finished their late supper then followed me back to the stairway., lying there on the floor.

They had the habit of staying close to my feet, were all cats like that? GiGi, he was the instigator, I knew it from the first moment I saw him. But wouldn’t you know it, Lil Girl, she’s the Rotweiler, had him up in the tree beside the barn on the first day after I had moved in. I had to take the rottie to her doghouse leaving her inside then found a ladder inside one of the barn’s stalls then coaxing the cat down out of the tree, that took two hours. Now he thinks all dogs are as loving as Egan, he must have a short-term memory, he’s forgotten Lil Girl wanted him for breakfast. He climbs all over Egan while we are sitting in the living room watching tv.

The Anatolian lies patiently on the floor until he finally gets up and moves away from the cats. Sabien is a laid- back little dude he does his own thing most of the time, often sitting in the double picture window. The same one everybody asked me about when I moved in. Actually there wasn’t one there, there was, then there wasn’t by the time I moved in anyway. But, I moved with a nice pair of curtains my mom had given me that would fit perfectly there, there just wasn’t any window….yet. *smiling* Ha! So I hung them anyway, to keep them from being dreadfully wrinkled actually.

But when some smart alec who wanted to see the house, asked me whether or not there was a window there knowing full well there wasn’t. I didn’t bother with explaining that I didn’t want the curtains to wrinkle so I told them the story about the train tracks instead and how the Italians built it in the Alps long before a train was ever there, still they knew one day there would be a train just as I knew there was going to be double windows here. It was a hmm moment for them I have no doubt. By the time the cats had finished eating, I went upstairs in search of Andi, I looked into the rooms and found her in the last one. There she was sound asleep, kinda reminding me of goldilocks. She sure knew how to search for trouble and how to find it too.

Going downstairs, re checking the doors making certain they were locked, I turned off the lights in the living room, but leaving a nightlight on in the kitchen. Checking the back door, I headed back upstairs. Egan and the boys on my heels. That’s when it happened. I was ready to turn in when there was an extremely loud noise down the hallway. Egan ran for the door, barking ferociously. I could hear the other dogs barking outside. Something was definitely wrong. Standing there nearly pinned to the floor, I was shocked.

But thankfully I recovered quickly, I ran for my closet and lifting some clothing I had stacked on the top shelf, I found my .38 Smith. As I ran toward the stairs I turned the hallway light on. Andi met me in the hallway. “What in the world is happening!?” She asked out of breath. “I don’t know but we may be finding out real quick.” I replied. Strange enough I almost laughed when I heard Sabien, actually growl when he was running after seeing Egan. It had been several times I had heard him, it was a low growl each time Egan would bark. I never knew cats would do that. I guess he wanted in on what was happening, too. We looked all around, searched the grounds, the house inside and outside.

There was nothing, nothing at all. But when we went back inside…….there it was again! A loud clanging noise it seemed to be coming from the very foundation of the house itself. Andi and I went into the kitchen. I made us some hot chocolate. I checked the time on the stove, it read 2:00am Then suddenly, she and I both heard it. Even the dog and cat heard it. It was almost comical how they looked at me then looked around. There it was, laughter. Actually laughter. I pulled out one of the high backed chairs at the peninsula, sitting down, Andi joined me. I didn’t know what to make of it, I didn’t want to even believe it, much less say it.

All the time spent searching for a nice house then, finally finding one, wouldn’t you know it, I bought a house that was haunted, a house that had a prankster for a ghost. All these past few months since moving in. there had been little things moved around here and there. I guess I just didn’t know what else to think and didn’t want to admit to what it was I was thinking. Sometimes while working in the kitchen I could hear something move around upstairs when Andi wasn’t visiting. Another time I heard what sounded like something being moved across the floor in the attic. I would walk into the kitchen and the water faucet would be turned on. Lights on in one or two of the bedrooms.



Another time, a smiley face had been left in my peanut butter sandwich. Unless Egan, Sabien or GiGi had learned to write, something real strange was going on. Glasses and dishes had been moved elsewhere in the kitchen. Crafts and decorations would be rearranged. I wondered whether Mr. Dan knew there was something not exactly right here.

Of all the places I’d have to share my home with a ghost!------a prankster ghost at that! Oh but this is just the beginning….the best is yet to be!

~The End

Copyright © 2017 Sara A. Lawson (KYBluebird)

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