Ben was driving toward the property, listening to the radio and absently drumming the steering wheel. He could help push with his tongue the tooth that was sending a slow throbbing pain in his gum. I have to get that checked.
The street was deserted; there were a few vehicles, but no one in sight. It looks like I'm the first to arrive. Good, that's the first rule of a successful sale. He parked and got out of the car. A chill autumn breeze gave him the shivers.
Leaves danced in the air before falling to the ground. I might as well stay warm. He slowly walked toward the property and unlocked the door. Inside, it was not really warmer. But at least there was no wind. Why do ghosts always choose old houses to live in?
Strolling around the house, he didn't notice anything out of the ordinary. But I understand, silence and emptiness can be worrying. He pensively looked at the unkept garden through the window. He heard the motor before he saw the car, and nodded appreciatively. Nice car!
He opened the door and walked toward the newcomer. A woman in her early fifties, wearing expensive clothes. Her hair was well done, its natural greyish color a screaming challenge to the world. "Ah, Ben! It's you! I'm happy they sent you." Ben smiled and shook her hand. "Good morning, Mam." The woman swatted Ben's shoulder. "Don't Mam' me, call me Elizabeth." Ben's smile widened, and she mirrored it. "Yes, of course, good to see you, Elizabeth."
Back in the house, they were slowly visiting each room. The silence was not uncomfortable, but a tension filled the air. Then, without warning, Elizabeth jumped right in, "You must think I'm crazy."
Ben stopped and looked at her. "About the ghost? I understand you find something worrying about this house." Elizabeth looked around. "I don't say there's a ghost, but … there's something. I never felt like that anywhere else before. Don't you feel it too?"
Ben focused on his feelings. Of course, talking about it made the house look creepier than it was. He carefully answered, "Empty old houses are unsettling." He walked a bit further into the room. "I'm not sure I sense anything out of the ordinary here. Maybe I visited too many of them to be affected."
He looked at the woman and gave her a genuine smile. " I'm sure the feeling will pass once the house is cleaned, newly painted, and furnished with your vibe." Elizabeth gave a thin smile. "Can we make another trip around the house? To be sure?" Ben walked toward the door. "Of course, let me know where you feel the unsettling presence. Maybe I'll be able to feel it too if you point it out to me."
Thirty minutes later, they were on the top floor. Both looked tense and tired. Elizabeth laughed, "I think we're just scaring ourselves… well, rather I scared us…" She affectionately patted Ben's arm. "Sorry to have put you through this," Ben smiled. "I'm alright, better be sure. I'm glad we didn't find anything, to be honest."
He started to chuckle, and she mimicked him. It increased to a full laugh, their shoulders shaking and holding their belly. Elizabeth wiped a tear from her eye. "You have to let me buy you dinner to make up for that." Ben nodded, "Sure, I would like that."
Ben was the first to reach the stars and began walking down. Midway, it felt like something had grabbed his ankle, and he missed a step. Eyes wide, he fell forward, raising his arms to break the fall. As his hands were about to cushion the fall, he felt a pressure on his wrist, it moved his hand enough that he could cushion the impact.
His Jaw hit the side of a step with a sickening crunch sound. He spat a tooth that fell with a tingling sound, going down the stairs and leaving a small red trail behind it.
Ben was dizzy and slowly sat on the steps. He heard hurried footsteps. "Oh my god, Ben, are you ok?" He gave a thumbs-up. "I'm fine, just lost a tooth." Elizabeth said, "That's not being fine!" Ben shook his head. "This tooth was hurting before. I had an appointment at the dentist later. If anything, I saved up on my bill," he added, chuckling.
He took out a handkerchief and started wiping the blood. "But I think it will be mashed potatoes for our dinner." Elizabeth tried to stifle a laugh with moderate success. "Ben, stop, that's not funny." Ben grinned, his teeth streaked with pink. "Let's clean this up and go."
The stairs were quickly spotless. They searched for the tooth for a few minutes. They couldn't find it, as if it had vanished into thin air. Ben finally said, "Let's go, we're done here."
The door closed. The clicking sound of the lock was the last sound to break the silence.