Shillings

By J. N. Sadler

SHILLINGS

Two friends, Holly Cooper and Morgan Platt, dine at Thorntons haunted inn on Halloween night. A disgruntled psychic sends them on a strange journey two hundred years into the past where they solve the mystery of the resident ghosts murdered child.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Xlibris US
• Release date: Nov 27, 2013
• ISBN: 9781493127627

J. N. Sadler

Janet Sadler is a resident of Havertown, Pennsylvania. She has published two volumes of poetry with her illustrations: Headwinds and Full Sail and has been published in many small literary magazines. Once member of the Mad Poets Society in Media, PA, and also the Overbrook Poets in Philadelphia, she reads her poetry at local venues. She was the former poetry director at Tyme Gallery in Havertown, PA and at Baldwin’s Book Barn in West Chester, PA. She has authored thirty flash fictions novels. Twenty-seven titles have been published through Xlibris and can be found at Xlibris.com, under J. N. Sadler Author’s email address: [e-mail]

Book preview

CHAPTER 1

In a residential blue-collar neighborhood in late October, tatters of ghosts flew, tied to tree limbs; giant cobwebs clung to bushes, and pumpkins with cut-out faces sat next to front doors and in windows. Images of black cats and witches on brooms were plastered on windows. One house had tombstones with coffins and dummies dressed up as bloody ghouls propped against trees and bushes.

On one lawn, a coffin opened and closed, pushing a corpse into a sitting position, raising a bony arm, with a bloodied rubber knife in his hand. Recorded screams accompanied the action.

The small, bald-headed home owner stood next to it, admiring his special effects.

At the end of the block, train tracks ran by a dilapidated warehouse with a green door. Bricks were missing, and it was half painted, half crumbling. A crooked sign read: Cornwall, Inc.—Telemart Sales and Services.

A group of shuffling slackers sauntered to the door and disappeared up the narrow concrete steps into the shabby office upstairs, within.

Elfie, a skinny young girl, wearing black panty hose and mini skirt, stamped out a cigarette with her spiked heel, on the broken sidewalk. She wore a black leather jacket, and had a tattoo of a dagger on her hand.

Rose, a heavy twenty-something woman, wearing fluffy slippers and a long coat, hauled herself up the stairway, panting until she reached the top, while chewing gum with her mouth open.

Elfie shouted, Yo, Rose! Wait up!

Rose looked over the railing on her way up. She yelled back, Hey, if I can make it here on time, youse can, too.

Rose put her nose in the air, and pushed in the green door. It slammed shut. With a burst of speed, the little street fox clamored up the steps, pushed her way through the door and took her place at her beat-up old desk in the sales room.

The air was thick with cigarette smoke. It escaped into the hallway, where gusts of air blew through a large crack in the wall. Missing ceiling tiles revealed rusty, old pipes.

A locomotive with thundering wheels and a loud train whistle approached. It could be viewed as a white light coming out of a dark tunnel, rumbling, getting louder, growing bigger. It streaked by. The noise dissipated, and there was one last, soulful train whistle, echoing back.

In the sales office of Cornwell, Inc., old desks and chairs placed in rows comprised the room. Voices chattered in telephone conversations and keyboards clacked.

Morgan Platt, a big brunette with dark eyes, typed up an order and looked over at the clock. It was almost noon. She looked over to the far corner where Holly Cooper, a blond, smaller in physique than Morgan, sat. They smiled at each other. Morgan removed her glasses and organized her desk. She dashed to the time clock to punch out. Holly hurried behind her. The women hustled out the door on their lunch hour.

Once outside the office, Morgan sighed, Ah! Smell that air! She reached into her pocketbook for a cigarette. Holly ran out behind her. She made a sour face, watching Morgan inhale.

Holly snapped, I thought you quit. She tried to grab the smoke out of Morgan’s mouth. Morgan turned away, and gave Holly a dirty look.

Yeah, and I saw you eat that Hershey bar. What about your diet?

They walked toward the parking lot. When they reached the blue Honda, Morgan stomped out her cigarette. They got into the car. Morgan inquired, What do you have for lunch?

Holly glanced behind her, and pulled out of her parking space. Stiff bologna on stale bread and a black banana. Why? What did you bring?

Morgan answered, Same old tuna.

They arrived at a park. Holly pulled the car up to the curb. They unwrapped their sandwiches. Two young mothers with toddlers played on the swings. A young boy and an old man sat at a picnic table, eating their lunch. A couple crossed the ball field, holding hands.

Morgan commented, So, this is the free world. I like it. She took an apple out of her lunch bag and threw the other half of her sandwich back in the bag. She crunched into the fruit.

What are you and Justin doing this Halloween? She watched Morgan take another bite of her apple.

"I guess we’ll give out candy, just like we do every year.

Holly rolled her window down.

Why? What are you two doing?

Holly answered, "Nothing.’

Morgan finished her apple and crunched her empty brown bag up in a ball. Hey! I have an idea!

What? Holly showed interest.

Let’s go out to dinner. We can go to Thornton’s Inn. Morgan lit another cigarette. She continued, They’re supposed to have a ghost. She wiggled her fingers in front of Holly’s eyes and gave a ghoulish laugh.

That’s a great idea! And you know what else we could do? Let’s dress in colonial costumes. We can even get them for the guys. I’ve always pictured Jerry in one of those three-cornered hats.

Morgan asked, Dress like seventeen hundreds’ wenches?

Holly expounded on the idea. Yeah, what do you think? We can rent the costumes from Mario’s Costume Shop. She turned in her seat to face Morgan.

Morgan smiled, deviously. This could be a lot of fun!

Holly said, I’m sure they carry those wench’s outfits with the gathered mob caps. She pushed her hair to the top of her head demonstrating the illusion of the cap.

Morgan added,  . . . and those off-the-shoulder blouses that show a lot of cleavage. They laughed. Morgan looked at her watch. We better get back. I don’t feel like crawling past Pearson’s desk on a full stomach. Holly pulled away from the curb and headed back to the office.

CHAPTER 2

Holly and Morgan pushed through the crowded aisles of Mario’s Costume Rentals. Women pushed, and pulled out selected garments, going from the rack to rack. Morgan slid through the crowd.

Holly tried to keep up. Morgan lifted an Indian headdress off a mannequin, and slipped it on her head. She turned to Holly, smiling.

Cute, but we’re supposed to be wenches. Let’s try these.

Holly took two peasant blouses and two long, black skirts with wide, laced belts off the hangers. She put one up to herself and then, held one up to her friend. Morgan grabbed the items and held them to herself, putting on mob cap that came with the outfit.

Morgan looked into the mirror. This is it! We have our costumes for tonight… they are perfect for Halloween!

Both women vied for position in the full-length mirror. They struck poses, admiring themselves.

Holly said, Don’t we look sexy?

They pushed their way to the end of the line at the counter. The proprietor, a big-boned, mannish-looking woman, sixties, waited on a customer. She wore a powdered wig, and had an exaggerated beauty mark on her cheek. She wore a great deal of make-up. Her dress was a low-cut with a full-bustled satin gown of the French royalty of that period.