Ghost Whisperer 2
Copyright© 2026 by Duncan7
Chapter 5: Pirates
The next morning, a soft, pearly light filtered through the blinds as Ed awoke, Ellen’s warm, sleeping form a comforting weight beside him. He pried himself free and visited the bathroom.
In the hushed quiet of the bathroom, he splashed cold water on his face. He returned to bed and found Ellen’s eyes, bright and alert, already open.
“Shower and breakfast?” he asked, his voice a low rumble in the still air.
“Sure, husband dearest,” she replied, her voice a silken whisper. The faint scent of her hair drifted toward him. “No sign of Conner and Jane?”
“Not yet.”
“Okay.”
The steam from the shower enveloped them, carrying the clean scent of soap.
Dressed for the day, they stepped out of their suite arm in arm and proceeded to the aft bridge deck. The morning was the same as yesterday.
Ed’s gaze swept over the sparkling turquoise waves, where the joyful squeaks and splashes of dolphins at play broke the ocean’s steady rhythm.
Florence, crisp in her uniform, stood like a statue beside their breakfast table; the aroma of freshly brewed coffee called to them.
They sat, and Florence poured the steaming liquid, the ceramic mug warm in Ed’s hands.
“Thank you, Florence,” Ellen said, her voice clear and bright.
“What has Chef planned for us this morning?” asked Ed.
“Chef suggests Bakes and saltfish, combined with tropical fruit.”
“I’m intrigued, Ellen, what about you?” Ed asked, leaning closer.
“Absolutely, dear.” Ellen’s voice held a warm, playful lilt.
Florence offered a brief, professional smile before departing, leaving them to the murmur of the sea and the anticipation of their meal.
Meanwhile, the ghosts Conner and Jane glided along the rugged coastline of Dominica.
“Wow, this is amazing!” said Jane.
“Just keep a lookout for the cove where you saw the smugglers.” The wind whistled past them.
“Understood.”
They soared over headlands and dived into coves. Jane had a memory of something, and she carefully searched for it.
Her focus, a palpable aura of determination, impressed Conner.
Eventually, Jane stopped, suspended in midair.
“This is it! That’s the cove. I remember a boat tied up to that dock,” she said, her voice tinged with triumph.
“Next, we need to get a name or map reference. Come with me.”
They drifted inland, the scent of pine needles and dry grass replacing the sea air. Their eyes scanned for street names.
“As a ghost, we don’t have notepads, so we must remember everything. We tell Ed the street names, and he can find them on a map,” Conner explained.
“So, are we ready to tell Ed?” she asked, a touch of eagerness in her tone.
“Not yet. We need more. This is the location. We’ll stay here and observe them. Remember, they can’t harm us; we’re already dead. They can’t see us either.”
Conner and Jane drifted, unseen and unheard around the area. Conner explained what information that would be useful to share with Ed.
Back aboard Mystic, Ed turned to Ellen. “If Conner doesn’t return today, what would you like to do?” he asked, his voice carrying over the lapping of waves against the hull.
“We could do more snorkeling. That was fun. Or we could sunbathe.”
“Okay. I’m thinking I want to avoid going ashore.”
“We have various things aboard Mystic. We don’t have to go ashore.”
“That’s true. We’re well equipped.”
Just then Florence and another server arrived with their breakfast. They placed warm plates of food in front of Ed and Ellen, the aroma of spices filling the air.
“Bakes and saltfish are traditional food here in Dominica,” she said, her voice bright.
Florence placed a dish of fruit on the center of the table, its colors a feast for the eyes.
“Thank you, Florence,” said Ellen. Florence and the other server departed.
Ed sampled his breakfast, a contented sigh escaping him. “This is delicious!”
Ellen smiled and nodded.
They both ate in companionable silence.
After a satisfying breakfast, Ellen gracefully rose from her seat.
“I’m going to enjoy a relaxing spa day,” she said.
“Mystic has a spa?”
“Oh yes,” Ellen said, a warm smile gracing her lips. “Fully equipped and staffed. You might try the sauna or the hot tub.”
“Perhaps later. I might enjoy a jet ski ride first.”
“Okay. Just let the bodyguards know. They can keep watch from a distance.”
“Okay.” Ed walked back to their suite and changed into swim trunks. Then he walked to the stern, the salty sea air kissing his skin.
“Good morning, Sir!” greeted a deckhand.
“I’d like to take a jet ski out for a spin. Can you arrange that?”
“Certainly,” the deckhand said with a crisp nod.
Ed put on a life jacket while the deckhand brought a jet ski alongside the swim platform.
He noticed Max was already out in a motor launch, about halfway between Mystic and the shore. Ed waved at Max, who returned a brief, acknowledging nod.
He climbed onto the jet ski and started the ignition. The jet ski purred to life, a powerful, steady rumble that vibrated through his hands, and he motored away from the shore.
“Hmm, no sign of the dolphins,” he thought. “I wonder where they went?”
Ed sped up and did laps around Mystic, the turquoise water spraying in a fine mist behind him. This was fun!
A while later, Ed spotted sails on the horizon, white triangles against the deep blue sky. It was a large, antique sailing ship with multiple masts.
The next lap around Mystic, Ed saw the sailing ship was now much closer, its presence growing with surprising speed.
“That’s got to be moving fast,” he thought.
He stopped his jet ski and watched the approaching sailing ship. He wondered what it was and why it was sailing towards Dominica.
Soon, the ship was even closer. It turned slightly, so that its starboard side was facing Ed.
“Hmm, what are those windows? They’re opening,” he thought, his eyes narrowing.
He didn’t have to wonder long. Multiple cannons fired! The sharp, deafening BOOM echoed across the water.
“Oh, crap!” he said as he sped up. His intuition told him that a moving target was harder to hit.
Ed watched projectiles zooming toward his location, dark streaks against the bright sky. With any luck, he was no longer in the same position they aimed at.
He turned toward the sailing ship and looked over his shoulder. As the projectiles hit the water, something strange happened. There was no splash whatsoever! The water remained eerily undisturbed.
“Hold on...” he said. “There should be a large splash.”
Ed steered directly for the sailing ship. As soon as he heard the boom, he veered right.
The projectiles hit the water, and again no splashes.
“I see and hear them, but no splashes. I think I understand,” he said, a dawning realization in his voice.
Once again, he steered for the sailing ship. He’d almost closed the distance.
“Parlay!” Ed yelled at the top of his voice, his words carrying over the wind and waves. “I claim the right of parlay!”
Ed remembered watching a pirate movie, and he remembered that “parlay” was a talk.
He motored alongside the sailing ship, which by now he figured was a pirate ship. There was no wake around the ship. It wasn’t disturbing or even displacing the water.
An enormous hat topped someone who leaned over and peered down. “Who claims parlay?” asked a booming voice.
“I do. My name is Ed. Can you lower a ladder and may I come aboard?”
Soon, a thick rope ladder unrolled down the side.
Now Ed got curious. Could he actually climb up? Was the ghostly pirate ship physical enough to support his weight?
“Don’t be a wussy about it,” he told himself. Ed took hold of the ladder. It felt surprisingly solid.
Ed stepped off the jet ski and onto the ladder. So far, so good. Ed climbed. The ladder swayed gently, each rung a solid anchor as he ascended until he reached the deck.
Ed stood on the deck, and ghostly pirates instantly surrounded him.
“What’s your business here?” he asked, his voice echoing in the eerie quiet.
“We be pirates. We sail these waters and make war on other ships. Then we saw your light, and came to investigate,” said the ghostly pirate captain, the one with the enormous hat.
“And why did you fire on me?”
“Avast ye, we were just being friendly. Ye had no trouble avoiding them.”
“So, you saw my light?” asked Ed. He remembered Conner told him he stood out in the spiritual realm. He shivered, though not from the cold.
“Shiver me timbers, ye be different, that’s for certain.”
“Well, I can see and hear ghosts. That’s all. Sometimes I help a ghost or two with their troubles.”
“So, ye be granting favors to ghosts? What favor do you think we be wanting?” the captain’s ghostly lips curled into a disbelieving sneer.
“I’m here talking with you now. I expect this doesn’t happen very often.”
“No, we’ve not talked with the living in nigh on a century.”
The surrounding pirates grumbled, their spectral forms swirling like mist.
“So, we could parlay some if it pleases you,” said Ed, his voice steady.
Another ghostly pirate spoke, “What manner of boat were ye sailing on?”
“Ah, that’s a jet ski. I ride it for my amusement, for fun.”
“But thar’s no oars on yer boat.”