Chapter 2 – "Ghost in the Glamourama"

Opal dropped two curlers, her favorite hairbrush and her jaw. There was no denying that the blob of light walking through the door to the Glamourama's main salon was in the shape of Edmund Grey, a man she had known and respected when he was alive, and mourned for along with the rest of the town when he was so tragically cut down smack in his prime.

"Hi, Opal," Lily was saying to her. She was standing right next to the blob.

"Opal!" her client cried out. "You're pulling my hair!"

"I'm so sorry, Mrs. Santos," Opal murmured. "Child, please get away from that apparition!"

"Apparition?" Mrs. Santos spun around in her chair and faced Lily and Edmund. "Opal, what are you talking about? Lily is standing by herself. Lily, is anything the matter?"

"Not exactly," Lily estimated. "Opal, Edmund needs your help."

"Edmund?" Mrs. Santos echoed. "Lily, my son-in-law is – "

"Kaput," Edmund agreed. But only Lily and Opal heard him.

"Uh, Isabelle," Opal said, searching for the words, "we're gonna have to reschedule."

Isabelle frowned. "Opal, you just washed my hair. I'm wringing wet!"

Opal handed her a towel and her coat. "Isabelle, I'll make it up to you. You know me! I'll be in touch!" In another ten seconds a completely confused and annoyed Isabelle Santos was out the door of the Glamourama, the towel wrapped topsy-turvey around her still dripping hair.

"My best client, and on account of you two I hadda make her skadaddle!"

Edmund chuckled. "Well, Opal, you know I'd let you give me a permanent, only I don't think it would take because of all the formaldehyde they used on me."

Opal plopped down on the seat Mrs. Santos has just been ushered out of. "My stars! Who'd have thought I'd ever be talking with a ghost right here in my salon! And here I sit without so much as a crystal ball or a ouji board or a Tarot deck!" She sniffed in frustration. "Or a camcorder. I'd sure like a picture of this for my next Christmas Card!"

Edmund had to smile. "Opal, you're a treasure!"

Lily shook her head. "No, she isn't, Edmund. Opal is a real person. Like I am and you used to be!

"I know what he means, honey," Opal smiled. "You were always on the top line of my book, Edmund. Sorry you're no longer with us."

"He is with us," Lily corrected her. "And he has a problem."

"I'll say!" Opal said.

"I need to know why I was written out," Edmund revealed to Opal.

Opal grimaced. "Salary, was what I heard. Why, you think there was a plot?"

"There's always a plot," Lily told them.

"Not always," Edmund differed with her gently. "Sometimes there's only a storyline." He sighed. "And sometimes not even that."

Opal and Lily nodded in sad agreement.

"Edmund," Opal asked suddenly, "Why are you here? What do you really want?"

That was easy for Edmund to answer. "I want things to be the way they were. I want to go back in time."

Opal bent down and picked up the dropped curler. "I hear that. Too bad there isn't a time machine in Pine Valley."

Edmund grinned. "Funny you should say that!"

There's a time machine Pine Valley? What happens next? Lots of chapters, lots of surprises still to come! Please read on! Your Review is welcome!