Ghostly Inheritance

Ghostly Inheritance

Macey Williams sighed as she walked out of her work. It had been a long hard day and all she wanted to do was go home to a nice hot bubbly bath. The drive out of the city was just as stressful as the never ending line of patients that she had seen throughout the course of the day.

Working in a dental practice is not the glorious job she had once thought it would be. It did make her feel good though when she sees the finished product of the patient’s smile, even if she was only the receptionist there. She had a good job, a small yet comfortable home, kids that had gone to college and now had good careers, and a life she was genuinely happy with.

Sorting her mail and walking to her door, she smiled when she came upon a postcard from her best friend who was enjoying a warm beach vacation. ‘Wish you were here, well sister you and me both, she chuckled to herself. Just then she lost her footing and found herself in the bushes next to her porch.

“Well, what in the world…” She muttered to herself attempting to regain her composure. She looked towards the stairs and discovered the reason for her up close visit with the neatly trimmed hedges. Someone had placed a rather large box on her first step.

Glancing around the neighborhood to be sure no one noticed her little accident, she bent down to listen to the box. She had her ear to the box for a few minutes when a voice boomed from behind her nearly knocking her to the ground again but at least the fall wouldn’t be so far this time.

“Some guy in a white van with no logo dropped that off earlier today.” Jamie Jones continued not noticing the terrified look on Macey’s face, “He didn’t have a logo on the van so kept my eye out all day until you got home. Not much else to do today since I retired you know.

Anyways, I sure hope it isn't a bomb or anything! Have a good night!”

“Uh, okay, Thank you and you too, I think.” Macey stared at the 75 year old man as he walked across the street back to his house. Picking up the box she headed into her house and to the coffee table in her living room.

After tending to her physical wounds and letting her emotional ones calm down with a glass of wine, she sat on the couch pondering what could be in the box. Finally she felt relaxed enough to open it, only to be once again thrown into another puzzling situation. The only thing in the large box was a little black book taped to the bottom so that it would not move inside the container.

“Why would anyone tape a little black book to the bottom of a box? And what in the world does this have to do with me?” She asked out loud to no one. Just as she finished the words a picture fell off her wall. The sound of the glass shattering jarred her out of her thoughts and nearly caused her to spill her glass of wine.

Upon investigating, she discovered it was a picture of her and her grandmother. Great now I need to get a new frame for this and I loved this frame so much, She thought as she started to sweep up the glass and noticed on the back of the frame in the corner there was a series of numbers handwritten on it. Odd, I don't remember that being there before.

She finished cleaning up and sat back down on the couch with the frame in hand. The only thing in the little black book was an address. No name or anything else to indicate who left the box or what the address was to.

Tired from her work day and the strange events since she returned home she went to bed. I will call in sick tomorrow and see what this is all about, she said to herself as drifted off to sleep. She was so tired that she hadn't noticed the covers being pulled up on their own to her shoulders.

The next morning she woke up and went to step out of the bed to find her slippers set perfectly next to her bed. Frozen in fear she glanced around. She knew that she had taken them off next to the chair on the other side of the room. Unsure what to do next, she grabbed her battery powered alarm clock and set off to clear the house like she had watched cops do so many times on TV.

Relieved that no one was in the small home, she returned to her bedroom. The slippers were now over by the chair. She had checked every closet, every nook and cranny of the home. She had made sure that the doors and windows were all still locked. Okay, you just had too much wine last night maybe, she attempted to reason with herself.

Getting dressed faster than she ever had before, she rushed to get out of the house. I will just grab a coffee out today, she thought as she snatched up her keys, the little black book, the frame piece and her phone. Locking the front door behind her she wondered if she would have the nerve to come back home ever.

She sat in her SUV for what felt like an eternity waiting for the gps information to load on her phone before she slowly backed her way onto the quiet suburban street. She had no idea where she was going as a million thoughts raced through her mind. She had a gut feeling that if she didn't follow her GPS to this address, she may never get the strange things to stop in her house.

As she drove along the busy roads, she couldn't help but think of her grandmother from the picture. Macey and her grandmother were very close. Her death sent Macey into a deep depression that nearly destroyed her life.

After her parents had died in a boating accident that nearly took Macey’s life as well, it was her grandmother that had raised her. Every night she helped with homework and made sure she was well taken care of.

From the moment she saw that the picture had fallen, she was unable to get the thought that somehow her grandmother had something to do with all of this. She knew that her grandmother used to have feelings and intuitions about things. Now she realized that maybe she wasn't ‘eccentric’ as she once described her and that maybe, just maybe, it was heritidetery.

“You have reached your destination” The GPS woman called out to her as she parallel parked across from a tall vintage building with several windows. The only sign to indicate what it was hung above the double doors. It simply read ‘The Bank’.

Macey gathered up the little black book and the frame section with the numbers on it.

Saying a silent prayer in her head that she wasn't about to break the law, she got out and made her way to the large doors. The sound as she opened them was very ominous.

Standing in the middle of a victorian styled lobby, Macey was completely puzzled by the lack of personnel at this bank. Suddenly a door to her left opened and an attractive young woman approached Macey. She walked with such grace as her long brown hair swayed gently with the rhythm of her pace.

“May I assist you with something, Ma’am?” The women's silky british voice made Macey instantly jealous of the english beauty.

“Yes, I was given this address and these numbers.” Macey held out the frame section to show the lady. “Could you tell me if this is something that you are familiar with maybe?”

“Please follow me.” The woman replied as she began to make her way down a long hallway. Macey had to nearly run to keep up with the mysterious woman.

They came to a small room with a round table. There were two overstuffed arm chairs, one on either side of the table. Sitting on the table was two glasses and a bottle of what looked to be expensive bourbon. The only other thing in the room was a large safe.

“Just enter your code into the safe.” The woman handed back the piece of frame and walked out of the room closing the door behind her. Macey stood completely taken aback by the events of the day so far. She sat down in one of the chairs and stared at the door of the safe.

Well, here goes nothing. Macey stood and entered the numbers off the frame into the keypad. The door clicked unlocked and opened slightly. She peered into the dark space still uneasy about what may be inside.

Slowly she opened the door to find stacks of money. Had to be at least twenty thousand dollars in all denominations of bills. She reached out to pick up an envelope sitting in front of the stack on the lower shelf. Opening she read the letter.

“My Magical Macey,

I do miss you so much. If you are reading this then I know you have found my code. That or I was tired of waiting and decided to help you along, either way you are finally here. You may not know this but I worked days while you were in school at the local casino. Not many hours but I was able to save up enough to pay your college and saved some on the side! So everything you see in this safe is now yours. Your grandfather used to have an account here and when he passed he left it to me to carry it on as I will with you. You have lost so much in your life so here is all that I have left to give you. I do hope that you spend this inheritance wisely. Go live a little and remember I love you always.

Forever and always, Granny.”

Tears formed in Macey’s eyes as she held the letter close to her heart as if she were hugging it. She had been staying confined to her house for years since her grandmother died. She had only gone to work, the grocery store and home.

It wasn't until she read that letter that she realized she could no longer live in fear. She has the chance and the means to travel like she always wanted to do, but could never bring herself to do. She smiled and returned the letter to the safe.

Deciding that she would have to come back later she shut the safe. Sitting in the overstuffed chair once again, she poured herself a drink. Sipping it slowly she glanced over at the other chair. For a split second she was sure she saw her grandmother sitting there smiling at her.