Short Story Saturday

I know it isn't Saturday yet, but I will be away this weekend so here is the other half of 'The ghost who ate peanut butter and jelly sandwiches' a day early.

All throughout the day, I couldn’t stop thinking about what happened early this morning. I couldn’t pay attention in any of my classes and I even ignored my friends at lunch. By the end of the day, I was so tired from thinking and getting barely any sleep that when I got home I crashed on the couch. I wasn’t until mom came in from work that I realized I’d slept until 9.

‘Honey, are you okay?’ Mom asked.

‘Yeah, I just had a long day.’

‘Well did you eat any dinner?’

‘No, I crashed when I got home. Where’s Billy?’

‘He’s still at his friends' house. Come on let’s go get something to eat.’

I got up off the couch and followed mom into the kitchen. I walked into the kitchen and the first thing I saw was my dad.

‘Shit.’ I said startled.

‘What did you just say young lady?’

‘Nothing.’

‘That’s what I thought, you know I don’t like when you curse. Now, what would you like to eat?’

‘I don’t know, something quick.’

‘How about sandwiches?’

‘Yeah, that will be fine.’

As mom got out the stuff for sandwiches I sat at the table watching my dad’s spirit cry while eating his peanut butter and jelly sandwich.

‘Mom?’

‘Yes, honey?’

‘How exactly did dad die?’

‘Why do you ask that?’ she stopped suddenly to answer.

‘Well, I was just curious, because I never knew the full story. You said I was too young, but now I’m 16 so I think that would be old enough to know.’

‘That’s right it is your birthday today, okay fine you’re right you are old enough. Let’s just finish making these sandwiches and then I’ll tell you, okay?’

‘Okay’

We finished up making the sandwiches, and while we ate mom told me all that happened the night dad died.

‘So to sum it up, Your dad had a heart attack from all the stress a work and he broke down while eating his lunch.’

‘Wow, that’s intense.’

‘Yeah. Well, I’m going to head out, I have to get back to work and finish the project Bonnie and I have been working on.’

‘Okay, well I got homework to do and then I’ll be off to bed.’

‘Okay. Hey, happy birthday, sorry I forgot I’ve been so busy at work I hardly know what the day is’

‘It’s okay mom, I know you’ve been busy.’

‘I’ll take you out for lunch tomorrow and we’ll go get you a birthday present, okay?’

‘Well, I have school tomorrow.’

‘Oh yeah, well don’t go to school, you deserve a day off. We’ll still do lunch and all that fun stuff too.’

‘Okay, cool.’

‘Bye sweetheart, I love you.’

‘I love you too, mom.’

After she grabbed her bag and keys she headed out the door. I just sat in the kitchen so I could talk to my dad.

‘Dad? You still there?’

‘Yes.’ He said startling me. I turned around and there he was.

‘So, now you know what happened to me.’

‘Yeah, I do. I’m sorry I flipped out this morning.’

‘It’s okay, the first time I started seeing spirits, I reacted basically the same way.’

‘Really?’

‘Yeah.’

For a couple of hours we sat there talking about random things, and just as it hit midnight, my dad told me I needed to go get some sleep. He was right, I was exhausted.

‘Good night, sweetie.’

‘Good night, dad.’

After that, I went up to bed and didn’t wake until 9 in the morning. Mom was already home so I got ready for our day out. After that when I heard noise in the kitchen at night I just went back to sleep because I knew it was just my dad eating another peanut butter and jelly sandwich.
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The prompt is from the book 'Writing Magic' by Gail Carson.

The prompt: The ghost was eating a peanut butter and jelly sandwich.