Before me the Queen Mary stretches, as majestic as its namesake. If I remembered the rules, I could go inside. The first rule: never let your emotions rule you, or small disasters will begin. The second: don’treveal anything, except to the person you are supposed to find.
I smooth the skirt of my blue velvet dress and begin scanning the other guests. My eyes are drawn to a girl with light brown hair wearing a breezy sundress. Her aura is bright, but tinged at the edges with blue. I stride over to her.
“Hello, my name is Delores, and I was hoping to find someone to walk around with today. I’d be happy to show you aroundthe ship.” She is polite enough to ignore the forced brightness of my smile.
“I’m Nora. I’d love a tour. I’ve heard the ship is haunted, and I’m very interested to go explore.” She says.
“I can show you.” I say with another smile. “Follow me.”
“This is the Queen’s Salon where people see a lady in white dancing. Can you not hear the music? They say the band had to play until the last guests stopped dancing, but they always seemed happy. Everyone was happy, until they weren’t.” Did you know the Queen Mary was painted gray and used as a transport ship during the Second World War? It was know as the Gray Ghost and on it’s return it was packed full of the critically wounded.” I pull her toward our next stop. “Can you not feel their anxiety? The uncertainty of war weighing on them? It permeates the atmosphere.”
“I suppose so.” Nora answers uncertainly.
“I’ll show you where the saddest deaths happened. This is the bow of the ship, where the Queen Mary collided with the HMS Curacoa killing 239 British soldiers. You can still hear the screams of the men dragged under the propeller and cut up.” She seems uncomfortable.
“Delores, I really would prefer to stop now.” Nora says.
“Stop? We’ve just begun.” Nervous laughter bubbles up and escapes. “You must come see the first class swimming pool. Don’t talk to Jackie, the little girl by the pool, she is drawn here by the negativity surrounding the ship, but she is not a little girl.” I warn.
“You talk as though you know them all.” Nora comments.
“But I did. I drowned in the swimming pool after all. I was so unhappy. My fiancée had left me at the alter, and they said it would do me good to get away. When I came here I was so happy, so very happy. I never wanted to leave, and then I drowned.” She stares at my unflinching smile in horror. Comprehension comes to me.
“Your Grandfather’s name is Stephen isn’t it?” She nods. “Now I understand why I found you. I watched him be transported to Europe, but never learned his fate. Give him this broach and ask to see my travel journal.” She stares at me dumbly. “And Nora, stay away from water. If you don’t it will be the death of you.” She calls out for me to wait, but I vanish leaving behind a puddle of water, watery footprints, and the soundof a splash.