Dripping Wet by Carol Carroll SMASHWORDS EDITION * * * * * PUBLISHED BY: Smashwords Dripping Wet Copyright © 2009 by Carol Carroll All rights reserved. Without limiting the rights under copyright reserved above, no part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in or introduced into a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form, or by any means (electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise) without the prior written permission of both the copyright owner and the above publisher of this book. This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, brands, media, and incidents are either the product of the author's imagination or are used fictitiously. The author acknowledges the trademarked status and trademark owners of various products referenced in this work of fiction, which have been used without permission. The publication/use of these trademarks is not authorized, associated with, or sponsored by the trademark owners. Smashwords Edition License Notes This ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This ebook may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each person you share it with. If you're reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then you should return to Smashwords.com and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the author's work. * * * * * Dripping Wet * * * * * Clear water dripping from head to toe, moonlight glistening on their nude bodies, the three tow-headed friends stepped out of the river and climbed up the embankment. “There’s nothing like a good swim to cool you off after a long day,” Stan remarked while he made his way to where he had left his clothing. “You can say that again.” Frank agreed. He put on his overalls, struggling to get his wet extremities through the pant legs. “What was that noise?” Jerry whispered. “Did you guys hear that?” After being still and cocking his head to listen, Stan grimaced. “I don’t hear anything. Don’t be so skittish all the time.” “I’m telling you, I heard something moving around over there.” Jerry pointed toward the wooded area off to their right. “I don’t hear anything. If there was something, it must have run off,” Frank stated. “Come on. It’s getting late. My Ma will be calling out the troops to find me if I don’t get home soon.” “Let’s take the short cut through Riley’s place,” Stan suggested. “Are you kidding me?” Jerry’s voice shook. “I don’t go near that house during the day, let alone at night. It’s haunted. Ghosts wonder around that property at night. People have seen them.” “Ah, come on, Jer, we’re twelve years old, when ya gonna grow up?” Stan shook his head and started toward the old mansion that lay between them and town. Frank fell in behind Stan and followed his footsteps. “Don’t be such a sissy, come on.” Jerry ran trembling fingers through his hair. What’s worse, he wondered, following them through Riley’s or going the long way all alone? He finally walked fast to catch up with his friends. As the boys neared the abandoned property on the outskirts of town, they could make out the headstones in the Riley family burial plot. The crooked grave markers stood under the tall Oak tree near the property line. With the full moon shining through the branches, shadows moved with the wind. Stan and Frank hesitated momentarily before they climbed up on the rock wall that bordered the entire property. It was too late to turn back now, especially after having ribbed Jerry about growing up. A chill shuddered down Jerry’s spine. He took time to look closely around the yard, which was as big as the whole block of small houses where he lived. The other boys jumped off the wall and walked toward the huge, run down house. Jerry took a deep breath and followed them. Suddenly Stan came to a halt. Frank walked right in to him. “What’s the matter with you, stopping like that?” “Didn’t you see that? There’s a light flickering in that upstairs window, look!” Jerry caught up with them in time to hear Stan’s remark. “Whoa, let’s get out of here!” “No wait,” Stan insisted. “Let’s see if anything else happens.” “Are you nuts?” Jerry hissed. “Let’s go look in a window. If there are ghosts in there, maybe we’ll see one.” Stan led the way to the front porch. He slowly and quietly went up one stair at a time. “Shush, don’t make any noise,” he whispered back to his buddies. Jerry turned pale. He could feel goose bumps all over his arms. The last place he wanted to be was right there where he was. He was afraid to follow and even more scared not to. Being all alone on this creepy property was unthinkable. Slowly putting his weight on one foot at a time, he climbed the rickety stairs. The three boys cupped their hands around their faces and put them up to the parlor window. The glass felt cool against Jerry’s nose while his eyes traveled over the moonlit room. Relief washed over him when nothing frightening popped out at them. Keeping his voice low he said, “Come on you guys. Frank’s Ma will be mad if he doesn’t get home. We’re already late.” “Let her, it won’t be the first time. I want to see if this place really is haunted. Let’s see if the door’s locked,” Frank spoke softly, and then walked over to try the knob. It turned. The door squeaked as he pushed it open. “Be quiet for Pete sake,” Stan hissed. He followed Frank into a wide front hall. Strips of loose wallpaper hanging from the walls could be seen even in the semi-darkness. It appeared as though nothing had been done to fix up the place in a very long time. It was downright unnerving. Jerry was right on Stan’s heels. “This is a really bad idea. I think we need to get out of here right now!” Stan turned around, “Will you quit talking, so I can hear? If there is something in here, I want to know before it knows we’re here.” Jerry turned white as new fallen snow, his ears strained to pick up any sound there might be. Moving one careful step at a time he silently stayed close behind his friends. His heart started thumping wildly against his chest. What am I doing? This is the dumbest idea these guys have had yet. I wish I was home. Frank could feel the hairs standing up on the back of his neck. He sensed, rather than saw, a presence nearby. Still, he stealthily made his way down the hall. When he came to the doorway to the old library he halted. He blinked. He turned toward Stan with his mouth wide open. Stan peeked around the doorjamb. He covered his mouth with his hand and stared. Jerry moved up behind Frank and looked into the room. Weakness washed over his legs. He couldn’t move, so he just gawked. Sitting in the chair in front of a roll top desk, a translucent apparition, dressed in old time attire, moved as if he were shuffling papers that really were not there. The ghostly figure with wild, gray hair and spectacles on his nose turned his head toward Frank and looked right at him. Frank gasped. The spirit stood and took a step toward the boys. All three shrieked and ran for the front door. Stan reached it first. He was shocked to see it was now closed. He grabbed the doorknob and turned it hard. “It’s locked,” he yelled, looking at his companions with eyes twice their normal size. They turned in unison to see the gray-haired man standing in the hall outside the library watching them. Jerry’s eyes darted to the staircase that led to the second story. He froze. A semi-transparent lady, dressed in white, seemed to float as she made her way down the steps coming toward them. “Look! Up there!” He pointed a shaky finger. “Let’s get out of here,” Stan rasped. He shoved Frank to make him move. They ran into the parlor, through the dining room, across the kitchen floor, and out the back door. Frank dared to look behind him. He gasped. “They’re following us! Hurry up!” The closer the specters got, the faster the boys pumped their legs. Racing as fast as their feet would go, they ran around the side of the house, made it to the gate in the stone wall, shoved it open, and tore through it. A short way down the road, Frank turned again to see if they were getting away. He slowed his pace. “Wait, stop, look,” he hollered. The boys looked back just in time to see the apparitions, who had been immobilized at the rock wall, fade slowly away. They simply disappeared. Hearts pounding and short of breath, Stan, Frank, and Jerry stood in the middle of the road and tried to pull themselves together. Seconds ticked by while they bent over, with hands on their knees, and tried to catch their wind. Finally, Jerry stood up straight and tall. “Well, I hope you two are happy now,” he barked, turned around, and left them standing there. He headed for home, not caring if they came with him or not.