The Part-Ghost Family on Oaktree Way

I’m standing near the tiny kitchen window with cracked glass, remembering the very day we decided to move into The Haunted Mansion on Oaktree Way. Its bark-like exterior, jagged appearance, and the fact it balances upon an oak tree repel people more than any bug repellent I have known. 

This is why Fred, Luna, and I moved in this summer. I distinctly remember Luna speaking to the agent when we considered moving to Raffashire, just outside London. 

“We want to see the quietest house in this town; somewhere people hardly cross by,” Luna said that day as I nodded in approval while strolling by her side. 

Like everyone else, the agent asked Luna where her parents were and she gave the usual response. “They are both busy at work. They trust me to do the viewings.”

I smiled; Luna caught on quickly. Fred squeezed my hand while his other one strayed away to pluck a beautiful pink rose from the bush to our side. As usual, I slapped his arm reminding him to touch absolutely nothing. 

We couldn’t give ourselves away. 

After seeing many humble abodes and quiet places that weren’t quite isolated enough, the agent eventually showed us The Haunted Mansion on Oaktree Way. As the eerie mansion came into view, she leaned in and in a hushed tone, told Luna this mansion had been empty for the past hundred years and no one ever dared to cross it or come near. No one in Raffashire has been within a five-hundred-meter radius of this year-round haunted mansion for a very long time. Luna smiled with satisfaction and told her we would take it. 

My gaze breaks from the cracks in the window glass as Luna hops down the rickety staircase in her pristine white shirt and plaid skirt. Seeing her ready for the first day of school put tears in my eyes.

“I can’t believe my baby girl is in year eleven!” I cry as she rushes over to the kitchen and jumps up onto the stool. Her straight black hair is pinned back with colourful clips and she is wearing the watermelon lip balm she adores. “You’re all grown up.” I wipe my eyes with the back of my hand while placing a plate filled with scrambled eggs, toast, and bacon in front of her.

“Mmmm, that looks so good, Mummy,” Luna says while her hand flies towards the fork. 

“It smells good in here.” Fred comes bounding in from the living room filled with old floral sofas and worn-out wood tables that I loathe. 

“Wow, you suddenly seem to have so much energy for someone who is dead,” I say while Fred tries to pull a piece of bacon off of Luna’s plate as she laughs and pushes him away. 

“Haha,” Fred performs his usual fake laugh. “You just never stop saying that, Mara.” 

“I’ll stop saying it once you start helping around once in a while Fred O’Reilly.” I point at Fred while he rolls his eyes towards Luna comically. It was always a joy to see her laugh. 

“Daddy, you could help once in a while. Mummy does most of the work,” Luna says with her honey-like voice.

“Okay fine, darling, I will try.” Fred pats the air around Luna’s head and I give her a quick air hug before she goes down the steps alongside the oak tree and skips down the dense forest-like path out onto Crow Street and towards the school. Fred and I stand by the window and watch our little girl, all grown up, head off into the distance with both hands clasped around the straps of her purple backpack. 

“I wish I were here in the flesh to see my daughter grow up,” Fred says as he wraps his left arm around me. 

“I wish that too, but we got lucky. Ghosts aren’t allowed to be parents. Somehow, we managed to fall off of that cliff in the middle of nowhere and no one saw us die.” I rub Fred’s back. 

“It’s a miracle Luna can still see us.” Fred sighs with relief. 

“And it’s a miracle we have survived like this so far.” I place my head on Fred’s lean shoulder for a moment and then ruffle his curly brown hair before heading to the kitchen. 

“You are awfully busy for someone who is dead.” Fred smiles slyly before heading into the living room. 

“Really?” I look at him furiously. “After we discussed you weren’t doing enough around here?”

“Oh, don’t give me that look. I can’t keep myself away from you when your freckles glow with anger.” 

I try to keep my face scrunched up, but can’t help it when a smile crawls up my lips. “You’re cute for someone who has been dead for six months.” I hear Fred chuckle as I begin to clean up the never-ending cobwebs and shoo away the white mice that find themselves far too often in The Haunted Mansion on Oaktree Way. 

***

The past month has been particularly dull—especially today with Luna at school after a long summer.

With not much work to do, especially in Raffashire, I find myself scrubbing the scratched floors of the mansion obsessively each day and experimenting with catastrophic recipes that have me cleaning the kitchen again and again in an infinite loop. The worst was the spinach and ground beef pannacotta covered with strawberry jelly. Luna said I’d taken things too far that time, but what can I say, not being alive doesn’t leave me with much to do or much to eat for that matter. I swipe the mop one last time along the dark wood floors and look around, feeling empty and being quite literally empty, with nothing inside me but air.

I take small heavy steps towards Fred, who was sleeping on the musty floral sofa with a book on his chest. I sit with a thud next to him and he wakes up with a snort.

“Hey honey, done with all the cleaning?” Fred tilts his head up with half-open eyes.

“Yes,” I sigh.

“Do you want to go for a stroll?” Fred asks.

“Oh, God no, remember what happened last time?” I shudder at the thought of our last stroll across Crow Street adjacent to Oaktree Way. 

“Oh, it wasn’t that bad. The baby in the pram was laughing when you picked up the stuffed rabbit,” Fred says with a soothing voice and sits up to rub my back. 

“No, I’m not talking about the baby. I’m talking about the mother. She fainted at the sight of a floating stuffed rabbit in front of her child. They had to call an ambulance and I stood there while it all happened. I was frozen in place and frightened out of my mind that I may have left a child motherless.” I pretend to shiver without really being able to do so. 

“Don’t be dramatic. You couldn’t have killed her.” Fred stands up and tugs at my arm. “Why don’t we go up to the roof and jump down a few times?” 

“Ergh, this again. We did that yesterday. Aren’t we getting old for that kind of fun?” I say.

“We can’t get old, honey.” Fred elongates the last word and starts to pull at my arm again. 

“Oh, I know, I’m going to see how Luna is doing at school!” I clap my hands in ecstasy. “It’s her first day at Raffashire School England. She might like a surprise visit from her mother.” I brush my skirt before heading towards the door. 

“I think the last thing a teenage girl wants is her mother to come and check in on her. It’s embarrassing Mara. Don’t do it.” Fred tilts his head towards the side but makes no immediate gestures to stop me. 

“You forget, no one can see me!” I’m out the door before Fred can say anything more.

***

I walk right out onto Crow Street; the sun is shining its light gloriously. It’s a bright day as the children play in their lush green gardens. I urge myself not to pick up any tennis balls rolling my way. I wouldn’t want to frighten the living mothers sipping iced tea on wooden chairs in their quaint cream-coloured patios. 

The school isn't far from Oaktree Way, which is what we want for Luna. Driving her is possible, although not a reasonable option as a moving vehicle with a ghost in the driver's seat would spark too many questions in Raffashire—not to mention, more fainting mothers with babies in prams. I roll my eyes, glad I’m nothing like them. 

The school comes into sight and I’m elated to find Luna sitting by the window in one of the classrooms; her gaze is intently focused at the front of class. My dedicated girl. I rush towards her while walking through a grey-bearded man in a top hat.

“Sorry!” I make a futile attempt to apologise as he shudders along the way.  

I hate it when that happens. 

I crouch by the window and tune in as Luna’s name is called in the classroom. 

“Luna O’Reilly.” A woman says with a deep voice that sends chills down my non-existent spine. 

“Here Mrs. McDonald.” Luna raises her hand as I daringly peer through the window to take a look at Alexandra McDonald—Luna’s frightening history teacher with moles across her face and three chins instead of one. 

“Yes, Luna. I hope your first day is going well. I didn’t know you’d make it as your parents never came to orientation. We only received a call from them.” Mrs. McDonald’s accusatory tone makes me swallow hard. 

We’ve been managing as an unconventional family this far without any hiccups along the way, but things could change for the worse. I yelp slightly, but duck the minute Luna jerks her head towards the window. 

“Miss. O’Reilly, is something more interesting outside the classroom?” Mrs. McDonald’s voice falls two notches lower. 

“No, Mrs. McDonald. My parents, you see, are always wrapped up in work. But they will pick up the phone no matter what. You can always call them.” Luna is accustomed to our situation by now and no one has questioned her further—at least until now. But something about Mrs. McDonald’s face makes me feel like everything will change. I look through the window, directly into her soulless dark eyes, and for a moment, I think she can see me. 

***

I run through the entrance of our home and take a seat next to Fred in the living room with so much force his lean frame bounces up slightly. 

“Act cool,” I say while crumpling up my skirt and hair to appear like I was at home all day. 

“You’re the one who needs to act cool after snooping on our daughter. I’m already cool.” His expression is smug and I can’t help but pinch my face at him with irritation. 

The front door opens with its distinct creak and I slowly walk towards the entrance. 

“Hi honey, how was your day?” I say, trying to sound relaxed. 

“Did you stop by the school today?” She asks with quizzical eyebrows. 

“Of course not! Why would you think that!” I pretend to be offended by her accusation but sigh when she tilts her head to the side. “Okay fine, I was there, but only because I wanted to check if you were okay. I’m glad I came. That Mrs. McDonald was horrifying. I hope she doesn’t give you and for that matter us, a hard time.”

Luna looks at the floor pensively and I quickly rush towards her to give comfort, but my arm goes straight through her shoulder.

“Ergh, I forgot about that.” I shake myself off. “What happened?” I ask Luna with an urgent voice. 

“After class, Mrs. McDonald said she would call you. She needs to ask something.” Luna’s lower lip trembles and mine does too. At that moment, my phone rings loud with a reverberating sound as I bound towards it, lying on the kitchen table to the left.

“Hello?” I say.

“Is this Mrs. O’Reilly?” I instantly recognise that deep manly voice. 

“Yes, this is she.” I maintain my composure. 

“This is Alexandra McDonald, Luna’s history teacher. Do you have a moment?” 

I mumble and she carries on without much of a pause.

“I think it is in the best interest of all of my students that I meet with the parents. Would you be able to come to the school this evening?” She sounds stern and I feel like she is my teacher.

“Umm, uhh,” I can’t form a sentence and I cover the phone while I catch my breath. “Unfortunately Mrs. McDonald, we can’t leave the house tonight because of work. But I am happy to speak with you over the phone.” 

“I can come over, that’s not a problem. Where do you live?” 

I hesitate for a moment and a smirk crawls up my lips. No one ever crosses by or comes to The Haunted Mansion on Oaktree Way. “Yes, you can come today evening. We live at The Haunted Mansion on Oaktree Way.”

“Okay, I will be there. Quarter to seven, sharp.” Even I can hear Mrs. McDonald’s rock-solid voice tremble for an infinitesimal second. But she still agrees to come and I can feel myself sink. 

“Mummy?” Luna’s eyes pop out. “You invited Mrs. McDonald over! How are we supposed to manage when she can’t even see or hear you!”

“Yes, I don’t think you thought this through,” Fred says with fear crawling up his throat.

I’m shaken, but slowly, a mischievous plan forms in my mind. “No, no, I think this could work in our favour.” I look at Fred and then Luna. “We are going to give Mrs. McDonald the Haunted Mansion experience.” I smile broadly, ready for the adventure ahead. 

***

I’m looking outside the second-floor window with Luna and Mrs. McDonald arrives sharp quarter to seven, as told. Her three chins look thicker than ever with her salt and pepper hair tied up in a tight bun. On cue, Fred opens the creaking door just as Mrs. McDonald is about to knock. She appears puzzled but still walks in with her thick feet and proud stance. 

“Hello,” she says. And then she says it much louder, her voice booming through the mansion. 

On my cue, I call Mrs. McDonald on the phone while looking over the banister from the second floor. 

“Hi, Mrs. McDonald! I’m so sorry, but Luna suddenly got sick and we have just left for the pharmacy together to get her medicine. I knew you would be coming, so I left the door open for you! Feel free to take a seat inside and we should be back in no more than fifteen minutes!” I do my best to sound frazzled and breathless. It works. I see Mrs. McDonald’s face soften and she takes a seat on the old floral sofa while staring timidly at the never-ending cobwebs.

“Oh, don’t worry. Take care of your little one. I’ll wait.” 

“Thank you so much! We won’t be long.” 

I nudge my head at Fred and he slams the door shut with so much force the entire house shakes. He opens it and then repeats the action. 

“Ahhh!” Mrs. McDonald gasps and I place a hand over Luna’s mouth to muffle her laugh. 

“Go to your room and don’t say a word,” I tell Luna. “She can still hear you.”

Luna slouches and follows my command, although I know she wants to stay by my side.

I sway back and forth then run down the staircase, allowing its loud floorboards and creaking to make Mrs. McDonald’s eyes pop out. 

“Is someone there?” Her voice wavers as she stands up and goes to the staircase. Fred opens the kitchen window with a swift motion and Mrs. McDonald gasps while taking a couple steps back. 

“Hello?” She says while inching towards the kitchen. Her legs shaking and her all-too-rugged facade was crumbling down. I run up behind her and begin to pull the pins out of her coarse hair. She twirls around screaming as I play with her voluminous skirt and tug on her brown leather purse. 

“Ahhh!” She shrieks and runs out of the door, down the steps of the oak tree, and onto Crow Street.

“One, two, and three.” I languidly pick up my phone and then dial.

“Hi, Mrs. McDonald. We have just pulled up into the driveway. We’ll be inside in a few minutes.”

“Oh, yes, I’m really sorry,” Her breathlessness is clear as day and I stifle my giggle. “I had to go back home, there was a family emergency.”

“Oh no! What happened?” I fake concern while Luna and Fred, now by my side, laugh uncontrollably. Their shoulders heaving up and down. 

“Nothing to concern you, don’t worry.” 

“Would you like to come again tomorrow?” I ask.

“No!” Her voice reaches a high pitch and she tries hard to bring it back down. “I mean, it won’t be necessary. If you have any concerns, we can speak over the phone. Have a nice rest of your evening.” She cuts the line abruptly. 

I look over at Fred and Lucy with a grin. “We’ll be okay.” The Haunted Mansion on Oaktree Way was proving to be the perfect home for us to stay.