THE GHOST CHILD APPEARSearly one morning. Clem notices
it on her way to the toilet. It sits in the hallway, sucking on one of
the dog’s bones. She is surprised that the child can pick up the
bone with its transparent hands. Surprised to see the bone wet
with saliva. But not so much that she stops to look for long. Sleepy
and cold, she needs to wee and the child seems content enough.
Clem wees and goes back to bed.
“There’s a ghost child in the hall,” she says, pulling the doona
over her head.
Eli mutters something and gets up. Moments later, he climbs
back into bed and confirms that, yes, there is a ghost child in
the hall.
“What shall we do about it?” he asks.
“Sleep on it,” says Clem.
The ghost child is in the kitchen when they get up. Playing with
the dog’s water bowl. Butch, the dog, is sitting there watching,
managing to look both curious and affronted. The child is dipping
the TV remote in and out of the water and laughing.
Clem and Eli agree that the child has a nice laugh. It makes
them laugh.GHOST
CHILD
BY
MICHELLE JAGER