The Visitor 2

I don't own these characters; I just like to spend time with them. No other profit to be had.

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Kitty looked down at her son as they walked along towards home. "You warm enough?" she asked him, as he tucked his head a little tighter into his jacket collar. The late October weather seemed to be especially cool this evening. Looking up, she could see clouds scudding across the almost full moon and hoped it didn't rain until after Matt got home.

Benjamin shrugged, but kept his silence. He knew Mr. Bishop had talked to his mother right after school, and he was afraid he was going to be in trouble when he got home. But he couldn't help it. He hadn't lied. He had seen the Lady. He just hoped he could convince his mom of that.

When they reached the house, Kitty quickly unlocked the door and let them in. "Benjamin, go change your clothes. I'll get a fire started and some dinner, okay?"

"Yes, Ma'am," he answered unenthusiastically, as he moved towards his bedroom.

Kitty shook her head, took off her cloak and went to the fireplace. Reaching for some kindling, she was surprised to see a fire already laid out and ready to light. She knew it hadn't been that way when she left the house this morning. She hadn't had time to do that.

A little chill crept along her spine, until she decided she was wrong. She must've done it without thinking. No one else but Matt and Doc had a key to the house. Matt had ridden over to Cimarron. He wouldn't be back till the day after tomorrow. And Doc had been in his office all day with a plethora of patients. He hadn't had the time.

Shrugging, she quickly got the fire going then went on into her bedroom to change clothes before cooking supper. Though she had spent most of the day in her office, the smell of smoke and whiskey still clung to her like a shroud.

Kitty stopped in her tracks. Why had she thought of it like that, she wondered. Mr. Bishop's talk of ghosts, and the discussion she was going to have with Benjamin, was weighing heavily on her mind, she decided.

As she walked into her room, she nearly jumped out of her skin as something brushed up against her. Looking down, she saw Rosemary, their calico cat, had wondered in and was rubbing against her leg.

"You've got to stop doing that, Rosemary." She scolded the cat, as she changed her clothes.

Rosemary ignored the reprimand and jumped upon the bed, preparing to settle down, when all of a sudden she tensed. Her back and tail up, hair standing on end, Rosemary looked intently at a corner of the room as though she saw something terrifying there. Her green eyes were wide and frightened.

Kitty followed the direction of the animal's gaze but saw nothing except an empty corner by her wardrobe. "What's got into you?" Kitty asked the petrified feline.

Rosemary's only reply was a screech as she hurtled off of the bed and disappeared quickly into the other room.

Kitty felt a chill in the room, but saw nothing. Shrugging it off, she finished dressing and headed into the other room, trying to ignore the tingling down her spine and the goosebumps on her arm.

Over a meal of stew and biscuits, Kitty tried to engage her son in small talk, asking about his day at school and how his friends were. But Benjamin gave only monosyllabic answers and refused, for the most part, to even look at her.

Kitty sighed, looked down and shook her head. The boy was just like his father. When he didn't want to talk about something, he didn't. But whether he wanted to or not, Kitty knew, Benjamin would talk to her tonight. She would make him.

"Benjamin," she said, trying hard not to sound harsh. "I received a visit from Mr. Bishop today."

Benjamin kept his eyes downcast, but nodded. "Yes, Ma'am," he muttered.

"He said you told your friends that we have a ghost around here." She continued, watching him closely.

Benjamin's head came up and he shook his head. "No, Ma'am," he refuted. "I said there's a lady here, and she follows you. I didn't call her no ghost. Honest, Mama."

Kitty was now fairly curious about this visitor, Benjamin claimed to see.

"What does this woman look like?" she asked curiously.

Benjamin shrugged. "I don't know." He said seriously. "She ain't as tall as you are. And she's real nice. She don't talk much but she's always smiling."

Kitty let his English slide for a moment, as she considered his words. The description he gave was of no one she knew, no one living anyway.

"Benjamin," she asked. "What does this woman do? I mean, besides follow me around."

Benjamin thought about that for a moment and for a second time, shrugged. "She don't do nothin', Mama. She just kinda hangs around and watches you. The other day, when Papa was leaving, she touched you, but she tole me not to say nothing when she done it."

Kitty nearly choked on the coffee she was sipping. She remembered having the feeling of a hand touching her on the shoulder from behind, as Matt was getting ready to leave this last time. She thought, for a moment, it had been him but when she turned around, she found herself to be alone, save Benjamin who was sitting at the table staring curiously at her.

Then Benjamin's words caught her. "She told you not to say anything?"

Benjamin nodded. "And she put her finger on her lips, like you do when you want me to hush."

Kitty felt a chill creep up her spine at Benjamin's revelations. Though he was imaginative, he wasn't a liar and she could tell he wasn't lying now. Though she wasn't sure she was ready to believe in ghosts, she knew something was up.

"Am I in trouble for talking about the Lady?" Benjamin asked. He didn't want a spanking, but he wasn't going to say he hadn't seen her when he had.

Kitty's expression softened as she scooted back from the table and held her arms out for her son. As Benjamin ran into her embrace, she kissed him on the forehead. "No, Sweetheart." She said. "You're not in trouble. But I would like it if you would not mention her anymore, around your teacher and your friends."

"But it ain't no lie." He protested.

"Isn't," she corrected him. "And I didn't say it was a lie. But your talking about her is making Mr. Bishop, and the other kids, a little uncomfortable. Do you understand what I mean?"

Benjamin nodded. "Un huh. They're scaredy cats." He said.

Kitty tried not to laugh. "Well, it's something like that." She smiled. "Anyway, I want you to promise me that you won't talk about her at school anymore. Okay?"

Benjamin nodded again. "Can I tell you about her?" he asked hopefully.

"Of course," she said. "As a matter of fact, I want you to tell me the next time you see her."

"Okay," her son said happily hugging his mother, grateful she wasn't mad at him.

Kitty hugged him back tightly, then pushed him back and kissed him. "Now, young man, you go get ready for bed. I'll be there in a minute to tuck you in and hear your prayers."

Benjamin nodded and took off for his bedroom, as his mother sat there in confusion for a moment. Though she had no doubt that Benjamin believed he saw the 'Lady', she just couldn't believe she had a ghost in her house.

Shaking her head, she got up and began clearing the table, making a mental note to add more wood to the fire. For some reason it seemed chillier in the room all of a sudden.

While Kitty worked, a pair of eyes watched her from the shadows of the room.

TBC