Morris Feldman’s s’more dropped onto his lap, but he
picked it up and ate it anyway. “Hot,” he mumbled as he sucked
air into his mouth. “Jake, one of the maids told me Rest Thy Head
is supposed to be haunted. Have you ever seen a ghost?”
Jake paused to lick marshmallow from his fingers. “A couple of times I’ve seen something.”
An expectant air filled the crowd. They had everyone’s attention now. “What did you see?” Feldman asked.
Jake pursed his lips in a way that made Peyton think he intended to scare everyone. “Once I went to the second floor to do some repairs and saw a mist swirling in the air in front of the window on the landing.”
Jake paused to lick marshmallow from his fingers. “A couple of times I’ve seen something.”
An expectant air filled the crowd. They had everyone’s attention now. “What did you see?” Feldman asked.
Jake pursed his lips in a way that made Peyton think he intended to scare everyone. “Once I went to the second floor to do some repairs and saw a mist swirling in the air in front of the window on the landing.”
“It was probably just dust in the sunshine,” Morris
disagreed. “I’ve seen dust motes dancing in the sunshine many
times.”
“It didn’t look like dust.” Jake’s head tilted to the side as he considered his memory. “The mist was thicker, and it didn’t seem to just float in the air; it swirled.”
Feldman grunted. “It would take more than that to convince me.”
“I’ve seen curtains sway in the breeze too,” Jake continued “even when the windows were closed and the heating or air conditioning wasn’t running.”
Mrs. Feldman slid a little closer to her husband. “Have you ever actually seen a person, I mean an apparition?”
Jake hesitated and the thoughtful look on his face made Peyton think he wasn’t trying to scare anyone now. “Maybe. Several times I’ve been outside working, and when I looked back at the inn I thought I saw a face watching me, but the moment I blinked it disappeared.”
“Why does it surprise you to see someone looking out the window?” Feldman scoffed. “You do run an inn.”
Jake struggled to explain himself. It seemed to Peyton that he wanted to understand what he’d seen as much as he wanted his guests to understand. “That’s true, but...well, it didn’t look right some way or other. I know that isn’t a good description, but it’s the best I can do.”
“Would you say that perhaps it looked a bit insubstantial?” tiny Lucille Chastain broke in.
“Yes, I think so.” He nodded. “Yeah, that’s a good description.”
Lucille smiled. “Most of the time you can see through them.”
“It didn’t look like dust.” Jake’s head tilted to the side as he considered his memory. “The mist was thicker, and it didn’t seem to just float in the air; it swirled.”
Feldman grunted. “It would take more than that to convince me.”
“I’ve seen curtains sway in the breeze too,” Jake continued “even when the windows were closed and the heating or air conditioning wasn’t running.”
Mrs. Feldman slid a little closer to her husband. “Have you ever actually seen a person, I mean an apparition?”
Jake hesitated and the thoughtful look on his face made Peyton think he wasn’t trying to scare anyone now. “Maybe. Several times I’ve been outside working, and when I looked back at the inn I thought I saw a face watching me, but the moment I blinked it disappeared.”
“Why does it surprise you to see someone looking out the window?” Feldman scoffed. “You do run an inn.”
Jake struggled to explain himself. It seemed to Peyton that he wanted to understand what he’d seen as much as he wanted his guests to understand. “That’s true, but...well, it didn’t look right some way or other. I know that isn’t a good description, but it’s the best I can do.”
“Would you say that perhaps it looked a bit insubstantial?” tiny Lucille Chastain broke in.
“Yes, I think so.” He nodded. “Yeah, that’s a good description.”
Lucille smiled. “Most of the time you can see through them.”
Good stuff, emotional and clear. You might consider ditching the line about hesitating. The passage in which she's going over it all in her head suggests that she takes a moment to consider her answer before speaking-- and that she already knew what she was going to say but felt compelled to try and talk herself out of it.
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