The Grave

           Miss Kitty, sweat pouring down her forehead, walked into the cabin, followed by Miles the packrat, who wiped his paws on the doormat before entering.

            Harold, upstairs in his attic pacing the floor, ran down the stairs as soon as he heard them come in. In his excitement, he forgot to apparate clothes on his ghostly frame.

            “Harold,” Miles said. “I think you forgot your robe.”

            Harold turned pink, and before Miles could say, “Bob’s your uncle,” a pink robe appeared around Harold’s bony body.

            “Sorry, Miss Kitty,” Harold said, lowering his eyes (but not his head because he didn’t want it falling off and further embarrass him).

            Miss Kitty flashed her new smile. “No worries, Harold.”

            “Well,” Harold said. “Did you find anything?”

            Miles twitched his tail back and forth. “Harold, where have your manners gone? Flown East for the day, hmmm? Miss Kitty and I are hot, sweaty, thirsty, and famished.”

            Harold rubbed his bony fingers together as real salty tears gathered in his big blue eyes.

            “I’m sorry. Sit down, Miss Kitty. Would you like some tea and cookies, or perhaps some cool water from the Artesian well?”

            Miss Kitty wasn’t sure what Miles had said to Harold, but she suspected that Miles had chastised Harold for his impatience.

            “Harold,” Miss Kitty said, “Thank-you, but I think you need to sit down. I’ll go and fetch Miles and I some water.”

            Miss Kitty left the room, giving Miles a look that, well, could kill. Miles understood that Miss Kitty was uncomfortable giving Harold the news. Indeed, when they found Lilith’s grave beneath the white pine, they had agreed with nonverbal communication methods that Miles would be the one to inform Harold of the results of their expedition.

            Miles stood up on his hind feet and held on to the tip of his bushy tail.

            “We were successful, Harold,” Miles said. “We found the site, and Miss Kitty and I carefully dug up the grave and uncovered the remains of your Lilith.”

            Harold stood up, and said, "If tears could build a stairway, and memories a lune, I'd walk right to heaven, and bring you home again."