Tuesday, April 2, 2013

A-Z: Bart Bagley at the Blind Badger



A-Z Challenge 2013:
The Paranormal Case Files of Indigo Eady




Hey bloggers! I’m Indigo Eady and I play the leading role in Givin’ Up The Ghost, A Guilty Ghost Surprised and Second Death, written by Gwen Gardner. I've had some pretty interesting paranormal experiences, to say the least. I mean, just look at those titles!

So I’ve been asked by Gwen to host and share some of my paranormal case files for the A-Z Challenge.
I’m always happy to help Gwen out. Right now I’m trying to get on her good side so she’ll ease up on the clumsy angle of my character. And maybe she’ll even give me a little more confidence, especially around boys. Oh, and I’d totally love it if she made my bubble butt just a little bit smaller. So—you know—if you enjoy my case files, maybe you could put in a good word for me…

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  B is for Bart Bagley at the Blind Badger
 The first time I saw Bart Bagley, he was sitting on the end barstool at the Blind Badger reading a newspaper. And yes, he was quite dead.
The second time I saw him was much more eventful. I call this episode, the “Snug Storm.” I had made my way down the uneven passageway to a little room we call “the snug.” I wondered briefly how anyone did it after a few drinks, but I guess a slanted floor is the sort of thing expected in a six hundred-year-old building; things settled and become unlevel and wobbly.
The snug is basically just a small, private room with a fireplace, a window, a bench and a couple of chairs. I had just settled into the window seat bench and put my feet up, escaping the crowd and waiting for my part of a celebration clean-up. So Bart pops in, and long story short, he knows he’s dead, but doesn’t realize it’s been months...  
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“Months?!” he responded, “but...it seems like yesterday.  My wife – my children!” he moaned. “They must be worried sick!”
That was the understatement of the year.
In his agitation, he began pacing the small room, faster and faster, fading in and out, speaking so rapidly and high-pitched that I couldn’t understand his words.
A sudden burst of laughter reverberated down the hall, invading the little nook like a small explosion. Bart stopped. His jaw clenched. Energy in the room sparked like summer fireflies.
Holy cow.

I slid my eyes briefly toward the door, wondering if I could leave. Now. Like any normal person would.
The laughter seemed to be a personal affront aimed at the confused spirit, mocking him. Stuck in the world of no-man’s land, he was neither dead nor alive.
He became angry.
Extremely angry.
The once cozy flames from the cheery fire suddenly combusted, like a burst of wind had bellowed the fledgling fire into a mini inferno. Ashes blew around the room, swirling into a miniature tornado, picking up everything in its path. Crouching in a corner, heart knocking against my ribs, I frantically slapped at the sparks on my head, the stench of singed hair in my nostrils. Sucked up inside the funnel, my gloves twirled above my head.
It stopped as suddenly as it began. Ash floated gently down to settle on every surface. Sooty flakes transformed the room into a pea-souper mess.
And Hurricane Bart? Gone - a trail of destruction left in his wake.
I stood shocked, ashes raining around my head. 

***

And so you see, some spirits are capable of causing destruction or harm, even inadvertently. It’s all about energy and how to manipulate it.

This is also how I got drafted into my first murder investigation.
 
Have you ever seen a ghost? What happened?
 
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A-Z Related Links:

48 comments:

  1. Think I'll go read the book again. Giggling once more.

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    1. Thanks Miss Holmes, I'm so glad you enjoyed it.

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  2. Seems like there were two ghosts involved.

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    1. Haha, he made the mess of two ghosts, but the destruction was all his!

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  3. Poor Bart. What's a guy to do in a case like that?

    ____

    Find me:
    Blog: http://allysonlindt.com
    email: Allyson.Lindt@gmail.com
    Twitter: @AllysonLindt

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    1. Looking back on it, I do understand his frustration. At the time, though, I wasn't too thrilled with his method of expressing his grief!

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  4. He had a lot of power for a spirit.

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    1. Oh he really did, Miss Wolfe! He even practiced and helped us out later on - you'll have to read the "T" post...

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  5. I bet the source of that laughter was your first clue.
    What happened to the blind badger?

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    1. It was only general pub laughter. People having fun. But I think that was the moment Bart really realized that he didn't have that anymore.

      The Blind Badger survived. You do know that was the pub name, right? Actually, "Badger" is a family name. My friend "Badger" was named after his grandfather, just like many before him.

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  6. I have not seen a ghost and am pretty content with that fact. I love this idea. Will be back.

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    1. Yeah, I'd be content to never see another one. Life must be so easy without ghosts and spirits...

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  7. What an enticing snippet! Like Sydney-- no ghosts here, but a few hints of what I suspect were afterlives...

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    1. Ooh, do you mean like dejavu? I get that all the time.

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  8. Oh, this is interesting. I'm so glad I have the book downloaded. Can't wait to read it.

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    1. I hope you enjoy it, Miss Hardy!

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  9. Poor, Bart. Such a shocker to find oneself dead. I like the 'snug'. Sounds like a good place to get away from the crowd.

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    1. I can imagine it is, Miss Campbell! And I do so love hanging out in the snug:)

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  10. Hey Indigo Eady,

    This posting had a lot of spirit. I appreciated it, very much. I could say something silly like I could see right through this posting, but I wont :)

    Enjoy the 'alphaboo' challenge!

    Gary :)

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    1. Klahanie, aren't you clever! Why do I get the feeling you're a non-believer? That okay, I'm used to it :)

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    2. Actually Indigo, I do believe. I could tell you a few stories. I might someday put up a posting about it :) Do you believe in me and yes, Penny the Jack Russell dog and modest internet superstar!?

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    3. Oooh, I'd love to hear your stories! Of course I believe in you!

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  11. That was a fun scene. I look forward to reading the whole thing very soon, since it is on my Nook. :)

    I believe I saw a ghost once when I was a teenager -- on vacation in Cape Cod, but I talked myself out of that one. I'm quite sure I saw one a few years back. I wasn't sure what it was at first. I was too stunned, I think.

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    1. Oh, was it when the cat shadow ran across your feet? We have a ghost cat named Cleo. She pretty much rules the roost.

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  12. It's great to hear from Indigo! I loved that scene in the bar and it was fun to read it again.

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    1. Thank you, Miss Flanders. I'm glad you enjoyed it. At the time, I was not amused :)

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  13. Scary. I don't believe in ghosts so I haven't seen one. But I would imagine they would scare people.

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    1. Oh you don't have to be a believer to see one. If they choose you, it doesn't matter if you believe or not. But trust me, it can be scary, as you'll see later on in the A-Z!

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  14. Great scene! I would have been very scared.
    But I think I'd like a snug to go to, sounds perfect for writing. (:

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    1. Oh the snug is so cozy. I love going there :)

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  15. That was such an awesome scene! Every since reading your book, I've been wanting my own snug. :)

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    1. Go to England. There are snugs in a lot of the pubs. I love it!

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  16. Yes, twice. One was the spirit of my mother. The other was ... I don't know. Antagonistic? Evil? Not good.

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    1. How nice you got to see your mother! But the other one, those are the scary kind *shivers*. I love to hear about it. What did you do?

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    1. I did feel sorry for Bart. That's why I agreed to the investigation into his death :(

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  18. Great excerpt! And no, I haven't seen any real ghosts, I don't think. I'm afraid I'd be totally terrified if I did!

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    1. It can be so scary, even when you're used to it like I am!

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  19. @gwen. Very familiarq with the "snug" in WFRP, my go to RPG. There snugs are commonplace in coaching inns, often in use by the Empire's road wardens, honorable but sometime corrupt "highway patrol.

    Great post, thanks for visiting Another Caffeinated Day too!

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    1. Yes, a lot of the coaching inns have snugs. I think the old highway bandits used to hang out there. I'm pretty sure I've seen some of their spirits at the Blind Badger!

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  20. I'm one that would love her own ghost! Bart come on over!
    Connie #133
    A to Z Challenge.
    Peanut Butter and Whine

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    1. Haha! Christine Rains basically said the same thing! You're brave!

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  21. This post wouldn't be the same if I hadn't read the book. Excellent work.

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    1. Then you've already heard some of the stories - but I have some new ones you haven't heard yet. Come back tomorrow :)

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  22. Indigo, I see ghosts all the time at Meilori's, a haunted jazz club. In fact, some of my ghost friends are writing some of my own posts this April. :-)

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    1. I know, Roland! I've seen them there a time or two. I met one of your ghost writers yesterday. He was quite nice.

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  23. Bart...cut that out! Go be crazy on your own time! LOL!

    I've seen things (ghosts possibly) that are questionable for sure. I try not to think about it. *shudders*

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    1. I try not to think about it either, Mina, but sometimes they just won't go away!

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