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With Sword and Salt

By Lenore Butcher
2015 Winner: Young Adult

TORY

The night before she saw the Burning Man for the first time, Tory went on her fourth date with the baddest boy from Karn Avenue and she saw her first ghost. Thinking back on it much later, after sheโ€™d gone through everything else, she couldnโ€™t sort out if the two were related or not.

The date was at a local restaurant, a little place calling itself a โ€˜bistroโ€™ that used to be a dance bar. Before it was a dance bar, it had been an upscale restaurant and before that it had been a heritage landmark, the former dwelling of one of the townโ€™s upper muckity mucks.

It was definitely not the kind of place youโ€™d expect to see the local drug dealer and her biker boyfriend. Tory loved shaking up the straights, going places she knew they didnโ€™t want her.

The bad boyโ€™s name was Kiel and he had a motorcycle, long hair and an earring. Theyโ€™d met at a party way out in the sticks, somewhere around Drumbo on some dudeโ€™s farm. Their host had gotten really piked on meth and ended up face down in horse shit, calling it pudding. His neighbours had called the cops, everyone else had taken off into the bush and sheโ€™d gotten a ride back to town with Kiel.

So now she was sitting with Kiel, watching him toy with his long shaggy dark hair as he read the menu, glorying in the surreptitious side glances she was getting from the restaurantโ€™s other inhabitants.

โ€œWhat looks good?โ€ he asked her. โ€œI donโ€™t think we can get served alcohol here, do you?โ€

She shook her head. โ€œDoubt it.โ€ The snotty little waitress whoโ€™d flung their menus at them before retreating to her safe zone behind the dessert bar knew Tory from high school. They had math together and sheโ€™d know Tory wasnโ€™t twenty, no matter what her fake ID said. Tory couldnโ€™t think of the snotty girlโ€™s name. It was a V nameโ€ฆ Violetโ€ฆ Viola… Vaginaโ€ฆ Virginโ€ฆ She watched as the girl fumbled her phone out of her pants pocket and began furiously texting, no doubt apprising her besties about her encounter with the punks at the bistro.

โ€œDoesnโ€™t matter,โ€ she added, โ€œI have beer back at my place if you want to come over after the movie,โ€ she offered.

He gasped in mock dismay. โ€œOn a school night? Oh, Tory Matthews, you naughty girl!โ€

She giggled, shaking her head at him. Kiel was the coolest boyfriend ever. He was older and he had that motorcycle. A Harley, a real one, not some stupid piece of shit jacked up crotch rocket like most of the boys she knew rode.

She looked down at her menu, then up again, and that was when she saw the ghost.

The ghost was sitting on the steps leading up to the little fireside lounge that dominated the left hand side of the room. Tory was reasonably sure it was a ghost the moment she saw it, or rather her. It was a young woman, maybe a year or two older than Tory and definitely a ghost. The first clue was the womanโ€™s dress, it wasnโ€™t from this year or even this century. There was also a vagueness to her, her outline was almost blurry, like if Tory hadnโ€™t seen her at just the right angle she wouldnโ€™t have been visible at all.

One of the restaurant patrons stepped down and through the ghost and that clinched it for Tory. She was seeing an actual ghost. Only Tory and nobody else could see her, apparently, since nobody else seemed to be reacting to her appearance.

The woman just sat quietly for a few more minutes, as long as Tory was staring at her, and then she just seemed to fade away.
Tory shook her head, realized Kiel had said something and she looked at him.
โ€œDid you say something?โ€

โ€œWere you daydreaming? Thinking about my hot body again?โ€

She giggled, reached up to play with a lank of her long dark brown hair. โ€œDonโ€™t flatter yourself,โ€ she said archly, โ€œI was just hoping you wouldnโ€™t order anything with cheese tonight. You know how gassy it makes you.โ€

โ€œAnd for that, Iโ€™m going to have this ultimate cheeseburger.โ€ He pointed it out on the menu. โ€œAnd those cheesy fries, and maybe some cheesecake for dessert.โ€

โ€œWould you like a cheese milk shake with that?โ€ she added with a teasing grin.

โ€œThey donโ€™t have anything like that,โ€ he answered her, โ€œAlthough just think of how awesome a cheese milkshake would beโ€ฆโ€

โ€œUm. Not,โ€ was her answer.

โ€œAnd what will you have?โ€ he asked her in a mincing little voice. โ€œA salad and a glass of water and one single dry breadstick?โ€

โ€œIโ€™m thinking steak, baked potato with sour cream and bacon actually.โ€

โ€œThatโ€™s my girl.โ€ He folded his menu up and set it aside with hers.

Their waitress looked over at them and then returned to texting, her fingers flying over the keys of her iPhone. Kiel cleared his throat, softly once, then more ostentatiously when she didnโ€™t move towards them. She looked down, pretending to not have noticed.

โ€œOh forโ€ฆโ€ Kiel snapped his fingers. โ€œHey, Lulu Lemonheadโ€ฆ. We need service here please and thank you.โ€
With a sullen eye roll she shuffled reluctantly across the room to take their order. Tory was still stuck on her name. It wasnโ€™t a V, but there was a V in itโ€ฆ Yvetteโ€ฆ Yvonneโ€ฆ Ivankaโ€ฆ No, none of them were right either. It was starting to drive Tory a little crazy trying to figure it out.

โ€œYeah?โ€ the waitress asked, her pad and pen still in the pocket of her apron.

โ€œYouโ€™re probably going to want to write this down,โ€ Kiel prompted. โ€œSo, you know, itโ€™ll be right.โ€

A silent battle of wills ensued where she stood stolidly staring at him and Kiel looked back up at her, his dark eyes unfathomable, his expression implacable.

Another eye roll accompanied her finally pulling out her pad and pen.

โ€œWhat wouldja like?โ€ she said, her hip canting to the side as she shifted her weight from one foot to the other.

โ€œWell I will have your delicious cheese burger supreme, and I would like cheese on my fries. My charming dining companion will have the steak and baked potato with sour cream and bacon.โ€

She scrawled it all down. โ€œAnd to drink?โ€

โ€œI suppose beer is out of the question?โ€ His proposal was met with stony silence. โ€œOh well then, I guess a milk shake for me andโ€ฆ what do you want to drink, Tory?โ€

โ€œUmmm I guess a ginger aleโ€ฆโ€ She was coming down off a bit of an oxy buzz and she didnโ€™t want heavy caffeine to interfere with her mellow. Even the ginger ale might be too much for her to stomach because of the sweetness but she just didnโ€™t like diet drinks. Putting chemicals like aspartame into your body was just too much for it. It wasnโ€™t natural.

Their waitress trudged her way into the kitchen to put their order in.

โ€œDo you think we should eat it when it comes?โ€ Tory asked him. โ€œShe might get the chef to put something in itโ€ฆโ€

โ€œWell then we can call it our very own version of Russian Roulette,โ€ he grinned. โ€œHey, do you want to hear a joke?โ€

โ€œSureโ€ฆโ€

โ€œWhy did Sally fall off the swing?โ€

โ€œWhy?โ€

โ€œShe didnโ€™t have any arms.โ€

Tory didnโ€™t laugh at it and neither did he. Kiel was looking at her with the patient expression of someone who knew sheโ€™d eventually get it. She didnโ€™t, and she waited for him to explain it.

Instead he followed up with, โ€œKnock knock.โ€

On more familiar territory, she immediately responded with, โ€œWhoโ€™s there?โ€

He grinned broadly. โ€œNot Sally!โ€

It made her let out a surprised laugh that was more a snort and that made him laugh harder, so the two of them disturbed the restaurant with their mingled snorts and laughs.

The waitress appeared, dropped their drinks in front of them. Ginger ale sloshed out of Toryโ€™s glass but there was no apology and no offer of extra napkins to sop up the mess. She stormed away from their table without any word to either of them.

โ€œHow long do you think our food is going to be?โ€ Tory asked him.

โ€œI think awhile. This place is known for itsโ€™ freshness,โ€ he answered.

โ€œTo say nothing of the vivacious staff,โ€ she commented, โ€œSo very helpful.โ€

โ€œYes,โ€ he agreed. โ€œI was utterly charmed. I think a special tip will be in order for our server.โ€

โ€œI would just make sure your change is right,โ€ she advised him. โ€œI know her from math class.โ€ Tory was in remedial math, a basic course designed for those who werenโ€™t destined for future higher education. She had a part time job in a machine shop that she was hoping to parlay into an apprenticeship when she finished grade twelve.

โ€œDuly noted,โ€ he nodded. โ€œWe do have some time before the movie, so I think weโ€™re okay on that score, if thatโ€™s what youโ€™re worried about. Being late for the movie, I mean.โ€

โ€œNo, not that.โ€ She looked over at the steps. The ghost was back, still just sitting there and Tory took a closer look at her.

She wasnโ€™t very old, perhaps a year or two older than Tory and she wore a dress that cinched in at her waist with very long voluminous skirts. She held a shawl wrapped around her upper body and she was leaning against the railing of the steps, her eyes half closed, obviously not seeing the world around her. Tory wondered what the ghost saw from her side, and why she was still here.

โ€œThis place has quite a history,โ€ Kiel remarked. โ€œDo you know what it was before?โ€

โ€œDance bar for dumb rich kids,โ€ Tory shrugged. โ€œMy mom used to make a lot of money here on Saturday nights sellingโ€ฆโ€ She didnโ€™t elaborate. Kiel knew about her family and he didnโ€™t judge either her or her mother for what theyโ€™d done to get by, to keep the lights on and food in their bellies. It was just the two of them. Tory never met her dad. He was long gone before Tory was even born and it had been just Tory and her mom ever since. So if Renee Matthews had made money selling a bit of dope, a bit of methโ€ฆ or her own body just to feed herself and her child, Kiel wasnโ€™t about to condemn her for it.

โ€œNo I meant before that,โ€ he said.

She thought. โ€œIt used to be some kind of fancy restaurant,โ€ she said, โ€œBut that would have been way before you moved here. Didnโ€™t you say you only moved here like two years ago?โ€

โ€œThree, actually,โ€ he corrected her, โ€œAnd yes youโ€™re right, the restaurant was way before my time, but Iโ€™m kind of a history buff about places. I like to read up on where Iโ€™m living, know what kind of people were there before me. And long before this was anything commercial, it was the home of a very rich man who did very nasty things to his servants. Itโ€™s rumoured that those servants have cursed this place and no business here will ever succeed. Itโ€™s supposedly the most haunted place in Oxford County. I heard the fact that itโ€™s so haunted is even on the deed to this place.โ€

โ€œWell if this place goes under, it wonโ€™t be because of the ghosts, itโ€™ll be the snotty waitresses that take it out,โ€ Tory ventured, wondering why heโ€™d brought her here and why heโ€™d started talking about ghosts โ€“ just at the same moment when sheโ€™d seen one.

โ€œThat too,โ€ he said. โ€œBut you have to admit, itโ€™s actually a really nice restaurant.โ€

โ€œOh it is,โ€ she agreed, โ€œMaybe we can come some other nightโ€ฆ when the staff are feeling more congenialโ€ฆโ€
She didnโ€™t think that would ever happen. She was used to it. Neither she nor Kiel were what youโ€™d call an โ€˜ad for the Gapโ€™. They both wore blue jeans and Kiel had his leather chaps over his, as well as a black leather vest over his plain white t-shirt. She was wearing a plain black t-shirt, but she knew her facial piercing and multiple ear piercings were quite often causes for alarm with typical folk.

โ€œAhh, here we are,โ€ Kiel greeted the reappearance of their waitress. She held a plate in each hand and set each one down in turn with a thump.
Tory was glad to see both their meals appeared to be as theyโ€™d been ordered and neither had been โ€˜addedโ€™ to in any way that was obvious.
The waitress didnโ€™t check to see if they needed anything else, and fled to her safe spot on the other side of the dining room before either of them could ask for anything. With mutual shrugs, they both dove into their meals.

โ€œHow is it?โ€ he asked her when he came up for air after devouring half of his cheeseburger.

โ€œItโ€™s great,โ€ she answered him, โ€œAnd yours?โ€

โ€œReally good. Weโ€™ll have to come back another time. Maybe you could put on your prettiest pinafore and I could wear my top hat and ascot,โ€ he joked.

โ€œFuckโ€™em,โ€ she concluded bluntly, โ€œThey have to take us as we are.โ€

โ€œLove your spirit,โ€ he grinned, โ€œYes, fuckโ€™em all. But not our waitress. I donโ€™t dig corpses, baby.โ€

Kiel made her giggle so much she almost felt as though ginger ale would come out of her nose. She didnโ€™t want that, so she reined it in.

The second she took her last bite of steak the waitress was back to their table. Mavis, she remembered. The waitress was Mavis. Stupid name for a stupid girl. Why didnโ€™t the restaurant make them wear name tags? It would have been easier for Tory than struggling all meal to try to remember the name of a girl she didnโ€™t even like.

โ€œYou want your bill?โ€ Mavis said. It was the most words sheโ€™d said to them all night long.

โ€œI think weโ€™d like to hear about your desserts actually,โ€ Kiel said, folding his hands on the table and looking up at her. He was being overly polite and well-mannered, but Tory could tell from the dancing light in his eyes he was having one over on poor stupid Mavis.

โ€œWeโ€™re out,โ€ she mumbled.

โ€œOf all of them?โ€ he asked in astonishment. He pointed to the dessert display case, which was apparently Mavisโ€™ favourite hiding spot. Three cakes were all prominently displayed under a sign that read โ€œTonightโ€™s special dessertsโ€.

โ€œEven those?โ€ he asked incredulously.

โ€œYeah.โ€ She tore off the bill and threw it down. โ€œPay on your way out.โ€

Before he could say anything else, she was gone down the hall toward the kitchen. Tory heard her calling out to someone named โ€˜Judyโ€™ and telling her to โ€œcash out my table, Iโ€™m going for a smokeโ€.

Kiel looked down at the bill, shook his head and groaned.

โ€œShe made a mistake, didnโ€™t she?โ€ Tory asked.

He nodded. โ€œYeah.โ€

She tried to avoid sounding overly smug. โ€œTold ya.โ€

A new waitress came out of the back room, smoothing down her black apron. Her smile and her step faltered only slightly when she saw Tory and Kiel, but by the time she got to their table, she had her professional face on. This other waitress was markedly older than Mavis. Since she was an adult, she obviously didnโ€™t know Toryโ€™s reputation from school.

โ€œCan I help you?โ€ she asked. โ€œI believe itโ€™s Mavisโ€™ break time. Were you ready to pay?โ€

โ€œWe had originally wanted dessert,โ€ Kiel answered her, โ€œBut now itโ€™s getting late, so the Countess and I have to get going. We have reservations for the opera you know.โ€

The woman stared at him, obviously not sure how to take his sense of humour. Tory stepped in.

โ€œItโ€™s fine, we have to get going anyhow, but I think thereโ€™s a problem with our bill if you could just checkโ€ฆโ€ She handed it to the waitress who seemed to be mentally adding it up, then she frowned.

โ€œIโ€™m sorry. You are correct, the bill is added wrongโ€ฆ Iโ€™ll take ten percent off. Would that be satisfactory?โ€

Kiel nodded reluctantly. โ€œI supposeโ€ฆโ€

They paid exactly what was on the bill after the total was adjusted in their favour.

โ€œIf I was a different kind of dude, Iโ€™d give her a big tip to teach her a life lesson about not taking things at face value and being able to see whatโ€™s underneath,โ€ Kiel commented to Tory as they left the restaurant. โ€œBut tonight I donโ€™t feel like that kind of dude. In fact, is it a bit wrong that I overheard Judy saying that chickโ€™s pay is going to be short to make up for making the mistake with her bill and Iโ€™m kind of happy about it? Do you think that makes me a bad person?โ€

โ€œNah, I donโ€™t think so,โ€ she answered him, taking her helmet from his hand as he held it out to her. โ€œSheโ€™s a cow. She deserves it.โ€

โ€œAgreed.โ€ He strapped on his helmet. They might sell some pills now and then, and Tory might be guilty of underage drinking, but they werenโ€™t going to get caught breaking helmet laws!

He climbed onto his motorcycle and she swung up behind him, snuggling in close, her chest pressing against his back, her arms wrapping around his waist. She loved this part of their date nights โ€“ rocketing through town on the back of his bike, the wind in her face, his hard body pressing against hers. It was intoxicating, almost better than anything she ever got from beer or oxy.

They roared through town on the bike, the heavy motor yowling like an angry tiger, letting people know they were on the move.
He pulled off on a side street before they got to the theatre. He cut the engine back to an idle, his heels coming down to rest on the pavement, straddling and balancing the bike with his long legs. He half turned to face her, his hand coming up to push his helmet visor up so he could speak to her.

โ€œHey, you wanna blow off the movie and head to your place instead?โ€ he asked. โ€œDid you really want to see the movie?โ€

She shook her head. โ€œNot really. It sounded kind of lame. I only wanted to go because you wanted to go.โ€

โ€œWell maybe I donโ€™t wanna go now,โ€ he hedged. โ€œMaybe I wanna go home and be with you.โ€

Shit like that made her feel all warm and fuzzy inside, like what they had was the real thing – the kind of thing girls like her didnโ€™t usually find in towns like Woodstock.

She decided to play it coy. โ€œThat would be cool too,โ€ she said, โ€œYou know, whatever you want. Renee wonโ€™t be home for hours.โ€ Tory hadnโ€™t called her mother โ€˜Momโ€™ since she was eight years old.

He turned more towards her, so his gaze met hers squarely, honestly.

โ€œI want to be alone with you,โ€ he said directly.

She grinned. โ€œThen letโ€™s go,โ€ she said.

 


About this story

This was my second year at the Muskoka Novel Marathon and my only win — so far! This was an odd one – I’d spent the better part of the year planning and researching one novel, as I usually do for the Marathon, only to have this one suddenly come to me the week before the marathon.

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