Ghost walk

Sarah' s relationship with Tom was definitely going to come back to haunt her¼

Aghost walk, Sarah?' repeated Tom, looking at me as if I had just stepped out of a spacecraft and was walking on six legs.

Yes,' I confirmed, nodding, a ghost walk. It' ll be brilliant! I' ve always fancied seeing a ghost.'

Tom looked doubtful. I sighed as it occurred to me that doubtful' was a word that could always be used to describe Tom.

Lately, I' d sometimes been wondering what possessed me to go out with him in the first place.

The other word that could be used to describe him was boring' . He was awfully cute though, and I knew that all my friends were jealous of me for landing such a catch.

I hadn' t quite given up hope that he could be moulded into the man of my dreams.

`A ghost you want to see a ghost?' His mouth fell open and I had to resist the urge to push his chin up to close it.

Stop repeating everything I say, Tom, and go and book the tickets.'

He wandered over to the hotel desk, shaking his head all the way. I heard the buzz of his voice as he told the receptionist what he wanted.

I also heard the way she giggled and used one of those little girlie voices on him.

Like I said, he was cute. Every time I decided to tell him that our relationship was over, something happened to stop me.

I had the speech all ready: It' s not you, it' s me' , kind of thing. But I simply hadn' t been able to do it.

When he cast those gorgeous, big brown eyes my way, I melted.

It was exactly the way the receptionist appeared to be melting while she booked our ghost walk.

It took a while to get over the eyes and the smile and to realise that Tom didn' t have too much else going for him.

This trip to the city was my final attempt to repair our failing affair. I was hoping that being away from our usual haunts would help to rekindle our passion.

I' m not so vain as to think that I was the only one who was nearing boredom overload.

There,' said Tom, thrusting two tickets into my hand.

I' m surprised you want to do this, Sarah, I didn' t think

I was hoping that being away from our usual haunts would help to rekindle our passion

it was your kind of thing.'

You don' t know everything about me,' I said, doing what I thought of as my wicked smile. I' m really interested in the paranormal. My mother was a witch, you know.'

That did it. A look of complete horror crossed his face and he took a step back.

Oh, Tom!' I managed to say once I' d stopped laughing. It was a joke just a joke.'

I didn' t think it was funny,' he said and scowled at me. Witches, ghosts and dead things aren' t funny¼ I' m not even sure I want to go on this walk with you now.'

It didn' t take too much to persuade him. I believed that he wanted to save the relationship as much as I did. I wasn' t sure why though. I wasn' t all that nice to him, but he never seemed to notice, let alone take offence.

The coach was waiting outside the hotel entrance at six o' clock, and Tom and I were the first to board.

I hadn' t exaggerated my interest in the supernatural. I felt like a child going on a Sunday school outing

it was all I could do not to bounce up the steps of the coach.

I demanded the window seat and pressed my nose up against the glass, looking out into the dark streets.

Calm down, Sarah,' said Tom. We probably won' t see a thing. It' s only a tourist attraction it' s not meant to be taken seriously.'

I know, but it' s still exciting, isn' t it?'

Not really,' he said. If you' re so desperate to see a black night. A lone street ghost, I' ll come back and light was the only source of haunt you myself.' illumination, and everyone

That' ll be nice,' I said shivered when the guide snuggling up against him. indicated a narrow alley.

I' ll look forward to that.' That' s where we' ll begin, Then he smiled for the first ladies and gentlemen,' said

wend time that evening, and as the guide. I hope you' re all shared a kiss, I entertained a feeling brave, because this hope that all might be well evening, we' re about to go with us after all. where most people would

That illusion was shattered fear to tread.' when the giggling voice of Then he chuckled and the receptionist attacked deepened his voice and said, my ears like the sound of a Into the unknown¼' chainsaw. The alley was even darker

Hi, Tom,' she said. I once we got inside it. thought I' d come along with I held tightly to Tom' s hand you on the walk. It sounds and absorbed every word the like fun.' guide whispered as he told us about ghostly sightings.

Every now and then, the spooky atmosphere was ruined by a certain breathless giggle that was very close to Tom' s side.

At one point I wasn' t certain that she wasn' t holding his other hand.

Where is this ghost, then?' asked our receptionist friend, who was apparently getting bored.

No imagination, I thought. The guide paused in his commentary and turned towards the group.

He shone a torch up into his own face and smiled. It was a very scary effect.

Oh, he' ll be along in a minute, my dear,' he said,

There had obviously been more going on between them than I had realised.

She smiled at me, but her eyes held an expression that I hadn' t seen since the day that I' d left fake dog mess on my school teacher' s chair.

As she plonked herself down in the seat across from Tom, I suddenly regretted grabbing the window seat and offered it to him.

I wasn' t surprised when he said he was all right where he was.

The coach journey was soon over, and the passengers spilled out of its lighted warmth into the inky

Now just you see hereÉ this is my boyfriend, so you take your hands off him and keep them offÕ

he' ll be along.'

We were out on the main road by this time.

Strangely enough, there were very few pedestrians about. Still, I suppose it was cold and dark, not really the weather for a stroll.

A few cars whooshed by, and each time the whole group jumped.

Oh, Tom,' said a little voice, I really am frightened.'

I'l l frighten her! I thought, seeing her grab Tom' s free arm and press it to her side.

What had Tom said to her about me, I wondered, that had made her so bold? That I was his sister, perhaps? Or was I suddenly invisible?

Tom glanced down at me and made a strange noise half cough, half giggle. I admit that I lost my normal calm outlook at that point.

So what if I had been about to finish with him? So what if I didn' t want him any more?

I still wasn' t about to let him wander off with the first girl who fluttered her eyelashes at him.

Now just you see here,' I began, and elbowed my way past Tom