Part II - The Ghosts of Suffragettes

Ready for my next spooky story? 

This one takes place in the same 19th-century cottage we rented about fifteen years ago. A few months after the “walking behind me” incident, MTM and I were sitting across from each other at the dining table, finishing dinner. 

Twilight had begun to settle, the last pale light streaking the windowpanes while we ate. The Great War by Justin Currie was playing on the CD player, looping on continuous play. 

Then everything shifted, all at once. My fork jerked violently from my hand and clattered onto the table. MTM’s gaze darted toward the other end of the table, and the CD player skipped, the disc stuttering like it had a pulse of its own. 

We froze, staring at each other. What just happened? 

“I think I just saw someone.” MTM said. Out of the corner of his eye, he’d glimpsed a young woman, swaying back and forth, laughing - but when he looked directly, the room was empty. 

The CD was fine again, the track At Home Inside of Me was still playing, filling the space, but the atmosphere had changed completely. 

“It looks like we’ve got a ghost!” MTM laughed, a bit uncertainly

“Yeah?” I grinned, joining him in trying to keep it light. “But how do we really know?” 

The words were barely out of my mouth before the overhead light flickered off and on again, twice as if answering my question. The grin fell from both our faces. Later, I checked the lyrics of the song playing during the strange events: 

Armies of children / And ghosts of Suffragettes / Make merry in the cauldron of my chest 

In that old cottage, with twilight turning to dusk, the CD skipping, the lights pulsing, and a fleeting figure within reach of my fork, I couldn't help but wonder if the spirit of a young girl was trying to tell us she'd been a suffragette ... I don't really believe in such things, do I?

My Jack O’Lantern Jar Cover pattern is now available in my Ravelry  and Etsy  shops. Perfect for adding a little eerie glow to your own autumn evenings - friendly ghosts optional. 

And if you're curious about the man behind the music, Justin Currie's The Tremolo Diaries is out now - a look at life on the road, playing music whilst living with Parkinsons. It's a treasure of a book, moving, honest and utterly readable.