Work, week of wonders in my world, getting home after dark. No happy dog to greet me outside and inside she only wags her tail, doesn't even get off the floor. "Good evening ladies."

"Hey, Rob." Arlene smiles ready to talk to someone. "I take it bad days with you are marked by how late you get home?"

"Pretty much." Just curious if that would bother her as a couple query, "would that kind of thing get to you?"

Sounding like someone is willing to talk. "If I was going to cook something, it'd be nice to know. Use to guys not being there when they say. You late often?"

"Varies." Off with the shoes I see she's got another bottle open. "Might as well try a glass myself, eh. I never know when I'll be home. Could leave thinking all be gone all day. Find out that's been cancelled and be back 15 minutes later. Or the worst so far didn't get back until fifteen hours later. Oh on the two hour ride home I kept saying to myself if Sheena peed or shit on the floor it'd be understandable."

"Oh my, did she?"

"Thankfully no. But when I opened that door she bolted past."

Having contemplated cooking for me is thankful she didn't tonight. "You - the woman that ends up cooking for you will have to be used to eating alone and leaving leftovers. After awhile I would probably just cook for me."

With an amiable nod and smile, slip past to get comfortable. "Yeah I do prefer a fresh home cooked meal. So I eat better on the weekends. Cook something simple. Need to get more of those greens in me."

"I hear you there. What can you cook?" She is curious if there's any culinary skills.

"Nothing fancy, it's simple with me. Chunk of meat, not even much of one. Side dish, potato, perogies, rice and gotta have some garlic bread and cheese. The nights I'm not too hungry will cook up pasta before the snacks disappear."

Laughing at the truth, "I know those days. Finished the last granola bar today too. Hopefully I'll hear from one of those places, at least an interview soon. Can't expect you to pay or everything."

Not a real concern to me. "Accept for the bed, which was a hell of a deal, you aren't costing me anything - yet. If you feel like cleaning something I wouldn't stop you. But if you ever do, put things where I can find them again."

"I was actually going too but I don't want to organize your stuff for you."

"What I was really trying to say, since I can't find the stuff I put away maybe it would be better if you did it for me."

Not laughing, "that's funny Rob." She does agree with the logic. "I better get you to put things away for me," then laughs.

Amused by the idea I chuckle, "sounds perfect until one of us asks the other. Where did you put my whatever? The reply will sound like I can't remember where I put my things. I put it somewhere you would find it."

Smiling from a prior embarrassment that's happened more than once, she was thankful they were still there. "Honey have you seen my keys? Oh never mind here they are. Still in the lock."

"Oh I've done that one too."

Just wanting to keep the conversation going instead of zoning out to the television she tries to ask about the workday. "So did something go really wrong at work today?"

"Can we not talk about that? I was starting to enjoy your company."

She gets an internal oh with an extra external smile. "That bad eh?"

"I'll tell you this much about it. I sadly hadn't had a lot of time to see about a clothes hanger or shelf for your room. Most of the people I saw were in decent moods and I got lunch in, before four. You'll never believe what my highlight of the day was?"

Initial thought was correct but wonders. "Somebody paid for your lunch today?"

"Nope. It was seeing you two ladies when I got home."

"Oh Rob. You're going to have to stop it before you force me to get my bullshit meter out." She did however appreciate hearing the sentiment. "So do you ever, like get mad? I can't really recall a time even when we were kids. If you did, it was you just being silly."

"Oh yeah." A few times come to my mind. "But its' kind of controlled. I can get loud but yelling wears me out. And unless you're doing something mean or vicious to me I'm not going to get mad. Well I might yell and curse at other drivers but that happens - a lot - around here, especially Windsor."

"Why Windsor?"

"Fuck, I don't know what's with their little slice of Canada there. I get this from a lot of them, they wish they were Americans for cheaper consumables. Whenever they have a local issue, they think the government should be there for them because they have a border crossing. This is my favorite stupid Windsor by-Law. If your property is vandalized you have to fix it or face being fined. What the hell eh?"

That does sound off making her curious about other things there. "Windsor is really that different? Do they do anything else strange?"

"Oh yeah. They have an expressway runs through the middle. As roads go fairly straight, one hundred kilometer an hour speed limit, two lanes both ways. Most barely drive it at a hundred and they all complain about having to travel across town."

In London she knows the bus rides across the city can take two to three hours. By car in heavy traffic an hour could be lost. "How long does it take?"

"Most distances fifteen to twenty minutes. To go from Lakeshore at the east to LaSalle on the west end, if only on the expressway is fifteen minutes, ten if no traffic. On top of that there are a lot of drivers making up their own rules as they go. Winter the snowplow drivers don't seem to know what to do with the stuff. Can't even be bothered to do turning lanes. Then people won't use them either thinking something's wrong. There's two inches of snow there, better not drive on that could loose control."

"Mainly driving madness?"

"Definitely that. Got one other one for you. They spent years buying and redeveloping the waterfront to a pretty park, in front of their new casino. And the mayor wants to build a canal around part of the casino, just so the casino can have boat traffic."

"What? Didn't you just say there was a waterfront there?'

"Yeah. The Detroit river with a view of the cylindrical buildings in Detroit. I have a feeling though, with our Canadian systems it'd be easier to build a canal than develop more boat slips on a natural waterway."

In her mind can picture the buildings from television. "Yeah sounds like they got some odd thinkers there. How close to Detroit is it?"

"Not sure, close enough you could get shot anyway. You can see people walking on the other side but only if you're looking for them."

"Shot, that's funny."

Windsor does have an abundant variety of decent restaurants. "I'll be sure to get you there, one of these days. Maybe on a slow work day, or weekend."

Having heard the suggestion a few times Arlene is curious what a workday is like and how I conduct myself around professional people. "I might enjoy that. Would you get in trouble for taking me to work with you?"

"Only if we were causing problems somewhere that got back to the office. Most offices I go to are near some sort of shopping area. Feels odd to check out the same items and store in a different place. How many different ways aisles are set up. Cool thing can be finding clearance items you don't recall even seeing at your usual store. Of course Windsor has a Dundas St. east like London. It's a little nicer, Ottawa street, and has a big market at one end."

She's good with window-shopping, and new places is always fine. "I image they'd have those odd shops mixed in with the local, tattoo, pawn and head shops."

"Oh you've been there." Finding myself amusing ask. "What did you and Sheena get into today? Any call backs yet?"

"No, no one called, but since you mentioned it I'll need the numbers to check the messages. If you don't mind?"

"Yeah sure. That would help eh? Let me just write that down or you." Drawing out pen and pocket notepad search for a blank page.

"Actually Sheena and I did have some experiences. Oh and Rob, I have to tell you, Sheena made this howl that was soo cute..."

"What?!" Putting the notepad down know what she heard and am surprised, "you heard her 'yowling woo, ooo'?"

"Yeah - that was so cute."

"Ah-figures sleeping with you now - won't even come out see me off - and now yowling for you." I let out a big sad sigh,  "Sheena, why?" The dog's response is a thumping tail on the floor.

Lightly laughing Arlene still wants to tell me what really happened. "I was actually trying to get her to bark by teasing her and she yoeled there and I gave her back the bone. But I think she started teasing me."

"Oh yeah, basic play. Did she hide under the truck when you tried to get it back?"

"Yeah. She was messing with me wasn't she?"

"I think so. Well at least you know she likes you, or she wouldn't even pay attention to you." I finish writing down the numbers for her.

"After I took her with me to check out that, quarry you say? I hope that was okay taking Sheena I didn't even have a leash on her."

"Yeah she needs to get moving more. Me too, don't get out as much with her here as I did living in London. But I was living so close to the hospital linen place I'd take her on walks down there and back." Tearing out the page hand it over.

"Thanks. I remember that park." Old memories come to her mind,

"Not looking so good these days." I was curious if she had any womanly intuition about the quarry. "Hey when you were by the water did you notice that cable going into the water?"

"Yeah. Why is it there?" She was hoping there might be some manly insight on it.

"I have no idea. Saw the anchor points, which tells me it has purpose. Rarely see anyone but birders back there."

"Yeah there were a lot of different birds. These little black and white duck looking birds were there at first. But, they flew away."

"Oh I've seen those. Can't tell you the name of them. One year I left for work and headed that way. Just past the intersection, I thought, some bird watcher had decided to just stop his truck right there. Forced to pass on the scary side I give him the finger easing by. But when I came back and got to that point again couldn't go further due to police cars on either side of the truck. I wanted to say to them I passed him this morning. The officer, come up yelling to go around. You know how far around is. I wasn't amused and muttered, cops for you. He over heard me and yelled if I didn't get moving he was going to fine me for obstructing justice. As I backed up, there was the ambulance and you know the road isn't wide so now I'm obstructing him."

"Oh man what did you do? Fucking cops should've just let you through."

"I pulled up close to the ditch and tight to the police car to let the ambulance by. Fortunately at the time I had a shorter way to go around. The closed off road I showed you by east beach. Coming down Mersea rd B didn't even stop or slow down at the corner bounced across the intersection and screeched it into the driveway - Both cops just staring at me."

"Did you really? That would've been something."

"Oh I did. All that stuff in the back of my van became momentarily airborne, than forward as I braked. Stuff that landed on the seats, slid off when I went sideways into the drive. Glad I didn't roll it. I waited for them to at least come over and give a piece of their mind. Was ready for a fine too but in the end the guy had died right there in his pick-up truck. Found out on the local news later. Actually felt bad if a scared a heart attack into him as I passed."

"Yeah I guess."

"Looking back, the way he was parked I think he had one already and that's why he was parked so. Which still doesn't make me feel better. Those days I was always rushing around just to be home again - if I took a moment to check."

Arlene has had a few moments in life already, were it's either good timing or too late to be any help. "Yeah, I know, could you've saved him? Or at least helped out. Sometimes we forget others have their own problems we don't know about. But maybe he adds to our possibilities as what that mist was. Although I have to tell you something."

"Well the mist I saw before him. But go ahead tell me."

"I got royally, freaked out earlier. Sheena and I went into the barn. I was just curious and you did tell me you heard strange noises out there."

"Oh yeah, hear some eerie creaking out there. Had a door slam on me out there one night, just the wind though."

"I think certain creaking is fine. But I could've sworn, and of course when I'm in that front section furthest from the door, I heard a voice say, be true".

"What? Be true? Be true is what you heard? Could you recognize a voice or where it was coming from?"

"Yeah, be true. Been thinking about it since - just sounded like a woman's voice. Before we heard it Sheena was looking at this one spot and stopped wagging her tail - It dropped."

"Oh, did Sheena growl or look like she was going to back up?"

She has to think about it but gets why I'm asking. "You know what - no. Maybe she wasn't scared or defensive. But get this, this part has been bothering me. I went to the door thinking maybe someone was on the property."

"I was going to ask."

"I'm looking out that door, where you put your stuff. I swear to you, it felt like someone was behind me whispering, 'I'm watching you.' The hairs on my neck stood up and I jumped right out that door leaving poor Sheena behind. I'm sorry Rob for leaving her but I just got so rattled." She laughs at her self, "but still wanting her company, had to get it together just to open the door and let her out."

"Really? Oh, I see you're okay now - Are you?"

"Yeah. Had a lot of ideas on it, anyway. I actually thought and still want to think it's just the neighbors kids."

"Oh saw them today? Were they watching you?"

"Yeah. I first saw them in that window like you said. They looked so cute especially the little guy, you can only see his eyes and blonde hair. Later after hearing Sheena yowl I saw those two at the back of the fence line watching me. Took off when I waved to them. Must be a hole in the fence there?"

"No the fence just divides the two houses. But cuties eh?"

"Seeing them before and after getting creeped-out they now remind me of mini children of the corn."

Chuckling I think about what was out there last year, "children of the soya-beans here. But yeah, I could see, female voice, that girl can talk. I've heard her outside yelling. But whispering beside you. I've had that unsettling experience in a few old buildings. Started to wonder if I should get me head checked."

"Yeah me too there too. It did, could have sworn it felt like someone breathed those last words on me. I'm willing to accept that barn is not airtight. You can see right through it."

"I did say I heard some strange noises out there but never talking."

She's hoping for something interesting. "Why? What did you hear out there?"

"Well this a going to take a minute to tell you. Good thing we've nothing else to do. And since you're getting acquainted with the place it may make it more amusing."

Already content she's ready to hear more on the barn, "oh, go ahead and ramble on Rob. You got my curiosity."

"Alright. Remember I was telling you about the night I seen it while washing dishes? It was that night."

"Yeah okay."

"I was probably on edge that night and this is kind of the story you don't want to tell people. Starting with seeing the mist or vapor is hard enough to describe. The way it moved, like how you saw. Like a big plume of exhaled smoke. Len in the old days. Remember that lung thing they made. Oh my god that was rough."

Arlene warmly smiles in reminisce, "oh yeah. Even showed someone how to make one. Len sure could take in a lot."

"Not so much anymore. Sometimes he gets tied up with his kids and misses out."

"Ah, really eh? It's neat to see him as a dad. Now what you were saying, when you saw the mist that night?" She's more curious of possible spirits.

"Sorry, I do get sidetracked. I didn't hear any noises right away. Putting some of the dishes away after I could hear something that sounded like large wood twisting. You've probably heard something like it when heavy winds are blowing trees over."

"Oh yeah. But not the trees?" She recalls the sound.

"No. There was a breeze but nothing that should cause trees too bend. Plus there would be long gaps between sounds. That's what caught my ear. If you've ever lived with old wood floors that creak with every step picture something heavier. My mental image was an elephant trying to stealthily walk across the top of that barn. My rational guess was each timber in that roof had decided to shift."

"I've been in places like that. Where odd creaks happen." A couple of them freaked her out, unable to just explain it as simple expansion or contraction.

"I talked to a contractor who said mass shifting is possible but without wind could only suggest temperature change causing expansion. It was just your average July hoping for cool. That wasn't what finally got me out there. Later while watching TV with all the windows open could here stuff being knocked around out there. Figured it was more likely critter or curious thief, so better go check this time."

"Did you take anything with you? Like a bat and a flashlight?" She's considers possible critters to be found."

"I took a long heavy flashlight and Sheena."

"You know she doesn't seem to be much help. Won't even bark."

"I'll get her to bark. But actually you are right, she wasn't much help."

"No?"

"I went left to the barn, she went right, to do her own thing."

Arlene laughs speaking up for Sheena, "she was obviously smart enough to go the other way."

"You'd think. Anyway, cutting across to the building I couldn't see any lights on. The door to the area that freaked you out was closed and had a fresh spider-web across it. No way somebody could've got in without breaking it. Checking the windows all the way to the back were the same. I heard something move in the middle section, sounded like animal movement. At the time a farmer had three rows of those wheeled hoppers they use to collect grain and whatnot. I tried to go in the back way hoping to see some new wild critter. The back doors were latched from the other side. So around I went checking open areas on the ground. Still hadn't seen Sheena or any new foot prints by the time I got to the other door - The one you probably used today."

"If you mean the regular door, door, yes. I wasn't going to try sliding the other."

"Yeah, it doesn't glide smoothly either. Anyway I go in leaving the door open. Slowly I bend down checking under the first row. Not seeing any movement under that row of hoppers moved onto the second row. Still nothing seen, I eased over to the last row, just dirt and debris under the hoppers. If it wasn't for the occasional breeze blowing through, the place it would've been perfectly still. Already in there, I walked to the back checking away. At the back figured I'd missed out on what ever it was and just meandered to the last corner just in case. Almost disappointed with the venture out, head towards the door I came in. Could even see it, as it slammed shut on me, right there. I clutched my heart gasping air in like Fred G. Sanford about to have the big one."

"Oh my what happened?"

"Wind. However as I gathered myself and started to walk again I hear claws on dirt moving towards me. I turn around hoping to catch a glimpse of something in the flashlight's beam. Still moving backwards I trip over one of those damn cinder blocks that are out there. I went down back first. The clawed feet were now moving faster towards me. Getting my bearings claws and paws dig hard into the ground beside me. Bits of dirt hit my body and face. Turning the flashlight to growling canine, teeth, backed with glowing red eyes. I almost had that heart attack until I realized it was Sheena. Most likely laughing at me for being on the ground."

"Oh my god, Rob. Really? Sheena? I thought I was going to get a scary story not a funny one." She turns to Sheena. "You're a good, a very good girl."

"You can see it now. And why I find it embarrassing. I have another story here but I don't want to get into it."

"Why not? Did you really get scared and pee yourself? Over nothing?"

"Funny - No. I haven't told anyone mainly not sure about it myself. Another time, I want to chalk up too acid flashback."

Thinking she'd have to trade some sort of favor to hear about it, inquires. "What would it take me to get you to tell me that one?'

Turning to her in hopes she won't push it too far I say. "If we are still talking another thirty years from now I will consider it. I don't think money could sway me. Well Maybe a lot of serious the government doesn't know about this kind of money, money." Now I wanted to hear an embarrassing story or other ghost tale. "What kind of strange things have you seen?"

On the spot she mentions, "Oh, there's been a few. One place the lights would flicker. Oh and the channels on the TV might change or turn off all together. Right when you're about to find out something on a show. But one of the scariest places I couldn't wait to get out of. I would always see someone at the edge of the bed watching me. Ominously."

"Ohh I just got chills there."

"Me too." Showing her arm.

We shared a few more stories before turning in, but agree if there is something on the property it must not be too bad. Though the kids are young we will try to see if they are messing with us.

That night after cutely saying the good nights both lay in bed thinking about the other. Things so far are going well, Tammy is out of the picture, but does that really make it okay?

Arlene with a few more thoughts likes things as is, no complications. Still trying to clean up, knows things are good right now because it's all new stuff going on to help occupy the mind. One simple desire will always be yearned: wanting someone to feel comfortable and secure with. Being left by an asshole is easier to get over, than being left by a goodhearted person. Seeing another surviving the way she'd like to be able too, wonders if she can have it all.

A less polluted and dreaming mind is filled with little girl's fantasies come to life. Even if perhaps guided, she slumbers contently through the night.