Cherry
Marina was thrilled to be heading to the countryside with her best friend Ellie. Especially since Ellie had told her about old Auntie Joan, a neighbour who paid well for help around her property.
“Shes got this massive cherry orchard,” Ellie gushed. “Huge! Auntie Joan cant climb the trees herself, so she pays for the harvest. But shes a bit oddtalks to herself, always muttering. The local kids are scared of her.”
“Maybe we shouldnt go?” Marina asked nervously.
“Oh, shes just a bit batty,” Ellie shrugged. “Ive never even spoken to her properly. I just show up, offer to help, climb a tree with a crate, do the job, take the cash, and leave. Whats there to be scared of? She doesnt even have a dog.”
***
The girls arrived early in the morning. Ellies gran welcomed them warmly.
“So, girls, whats the plan today?”
“First stop, Auntie Joans,” Ellie said. “Her cherries are practically dragging on the groundthey need picking, and we could use the extra quid.”
“Ugh, why bother with that mad old bird?” Gran rolled her eyes.
Marina and Ellie walked up to Auntie Joans cottage. The cherry branches were weighed down with glossy crimson fruit.
“Auntie Joan! Hello! Its Ellieremember? Need a hand today?” Ellie called out, spotting the woman by the back garden.
Auntie Joan was muttering under her breath.
“Shut your trap… Whats the point… Im not listening to you anyway…” She shuffled to the gate. “Hello, girls. Glad youre here! Look at these poor treestheyre begging to be picked.”
She handed them plastic crates and led them to the orchard.
For about an hour, the girls worked, laughing as they filled their baskets. Now and then, Marina glanced at Auntie Joan, who was fussing in the veg patch. The woman kept clapping her grubby hands over her ears and shaking her head.
“Shut up, you daft cow!” the girls heard her snap. “Youre nothing! You were nothing, and youll stay nothing!”
Marina strained to listen, leaning too far forwarduntil her foot slipped, and she tumbled from the tree.
She landed hard, scraping her arm badly.
“Auntie Joan!” Ellie shouted. “Have you got a first aid kit? Marina fellshes hurt!”
While the flustered woman ran for antiseptic and bandages, Marina sat dazed under the cherry tree. A bright red drop of blood landed on the soil.
“Blimey, thats a nasty scrape,” Ellie fussed. “Lets clean it properlydont want it getting infected.”
Once patched up, the girls headed home, promising to return tomorrow. As they reached the gate, Marina heard a voicesoft, unfamiliar.
“I wont leave you. Ill stay right here. Always. Always.”
Marina spun around. Whod spoken? It wasnt Ellie. And the only other person nearby was Auntie Joan. Had she imagined it?
“Fine then! Suit yourself,” the old woman grumbled, as if shed heard it too.
***
The next day, they returned to work. But now, Marina kept hearing that eerie voicealways talking to Auntie Joan, who snarled back.
“Youll pay for this. Everyone will know!”
“Whos gonna know, you daft bint?” the woman argued with the air.
“Ellie, do you hear that voice? Its talking to her,” Marina whispered.
“What voice? Shes just barmy,” Ellie said, tapping her temple.
“Can you hear me?” Now the voice spoke to Marina. “Talk to me.”
“Whos there?” Marina peered through the leaves.
“Marina, stop messing about,” Ellie snapped.
“You hear me! You hear me!” the voice hissed.
Marina scrambled down, heart pounding.
“Look closely!” The whisper brushed her ear.
Tears blurred Marinas vision as she frantically searcheduntil a translucent girl materialised beside her. Mud streaked her face and hands; her huge, sad eyes spilled tears.
“You see me,” she whispered, smiling faintly.
Marina clapped a hand over her mouth, cherry juice smearing her cheeks.
“She sees! She sees!” the girl shrieked, face twisting with rage.
Auntie Joan came running, horrified.
“Shell tell! Everyone will know!” the ghostly girl wailed, circling the old woman.
“Shut your gob! And you twoclear off!” Auntie Joan barked. “Dont come back!”
She shoved them out.
“Come again! Please!” the ghost begged under the cherry tree. “Ill tell you everything.”
The girls stood baffled at the gate. Auntie Joan ranted, waving her armsbut Marina saw the weeping girl, face buried in her hands.
“Ellie, Ive got to tell you something. Youll think Ive lost the plot…”
Marina spilled everything. Ellie gaped.
“You mustve hit your head harder than I thought. Lets get you home.”
That night, once everyone was asleep, Marina crept out.
“Marina! What are you doing?” Ellie had followed.
“I have to know. If you dont believe me, go back. Just dont interfere!”
They sneaked to Auntie Joans.
“Hey, Im here,” Marina whispered. “What did you want to tell me?”
Moonlight glinted off the cherries like tiny stars. The ghost stood beneath the tree where Marina had fallen.
The girls slipped inside.
“You came. Youll know everything.” The ghost touched Marinas forehead
and suddenly, Marina *was* her.
A cheerful girl (Alice, her name was Alice) picked cherries. Auntie Joan called from the garden:
“Alice, last crate, then were done. Ran out of boxes, and its getting dark.”
Alice climbed down, sticky with juice. She needed the cashbadly. A runaway from care, shed jumped at Auntie Joans offer of work at the train station.
But when Joan handed her a crumpled fiver, Alice balked.
“Thats it? I filled all these crates!”
“Sell em first, then youll get the rest,” Joan said flatly. “Come back next week.”
“But you said”
“Changed my mind. Piss off, or Ill call the cops!”
Alice, hardened by life, grabbed a stick. Joan swung her spade in panic
and Alice dropped, dead under the cherry tree.
Joan buried her fast.
***
Marina gasped back to reality. Joan had killed herby accident, but still. And Alice had haunted her ever since.
A light flicked on. Marina yanked Ellie away, sprinting.
***
“Ill just say I know about a missing person,” Marina panted the next morning, dialling 999. “That II dug too deep while helping. Doesnt matter. Theyll find her.”
***
Police swarmed Joans property for days. Rubberneckers gossiped at the gate.
Alice had been missing for over a decade.
Her ghost had tormented Joan, begging for justice. Now, finally, she could rest.
