Whisper

57

It was late August.

.

I was playing darts at Alice's Pub. We had formed a rough dart league through the summer.

I had never played darts before, but with Bobby and Jessie's help, I learned the game and I also learned that I loved it. It was an amazing feeling, getting together on a Friday night, with so many others from the community. So many people were in the league that we had to move the actual playing to the gymnasium.

We had 24 dartboards hung along one wall of the gymnasium and three times a week, the boards were all in use. There was a man's league on Monday's. A woman's league on Tuesday's and a mixed league on Friday.

I played in the man's and mixed league and kept stats for the women's league.

I loved it.

.

Whisper, of course, was there every night and she loved watching the games and she would yell and scream when I won a game, which wasn't very often.

She offered to 'help' me play better, but I reminded her that would be unfair and besides, I just loved the community feeling that came with the get together.

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Over the course of the summer, Whisper developed a friendship with Franklin Murphy, who was always at the Pub. Since they were the only two Spirits in the Rock, it was a natural thing.

They would sit on the stage of the gymnasium and watch the games for most of the night, but often they would disappear.

I was concerned at first, but Whisper reminded me that there was nothing that could happen to her and that she and Franklin would just go and visit, 'friends'.

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At the end of the night, I hung around for a couple beers and then walked home. Bobby offered to drive me, but Jessie reminded him that if he did, she would have to go to, just to make sure he made it back.

I assured them I would be okay.

Besides, not that I told them, but I had Whisper to accompany me and most nights, Franklin would walk along with us.

.

As we passed the cemetery, Whisper and Franklin stopped.

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"Hey, what's wrong?"

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"Youse kno dere be more of us, Will."

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I looked at Franklin.

"More of you?"

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He pointed to the cemetery.

"In dere, me son."

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I took a deep breath, as I pulled my smokes out of my pocket. I lit one, despite Whisper standing there, hands on her hips, glaring at me.

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"Just one," I assured her.

I stared into the cemetery. I could see some faint images.

.

"They get lonely too, Daddy."

She turned to Franklin.

"That's why me and Franklin come here once in a while. Many of them have not been outside in a long, long time."