Abigail Grimshaw
Today, we are privileged to have the delicious Miss Abigail (Abbie) Grimshaw visiting us. She is a twenty-two-year-old Emergency Medical Technician from the great city of London, who has recently relocated to Chipstead in Kent.
This charming village is best known for its wild swimming and the Bricklayer pub that serves large portions and good beer.
Since she arrived in Kent, rumors have arisen about strange creatures, ghostly encounters, and inexplicable giant footprints in the area. A coincidence? Let’s find out.
Due to COVID protocols, this interview is being held remotely.
[Note: All animals, persons, and newspaper businesses mentioned in this blog post are works of fiction created by Shereen Vedam]
THE INTERVIEW
GP: Good morning. May I call you Abbie? And please call me Godfrey.
AG: [nods and smiles, placing a steaming teacup on the table before sitting] Morning, Godfrey.
GP: Thank you for agreeing to this exclusive interview with Paranormal Walk. I see you’ve set up this session at your kitchen table with a prospect of a garden through that window. Is that a graveyard in the distance?
AG: [checks over her shoulder and then turns back] Yes, isn’t it divine?
GP: Not how I’d describe one’s last resting place. Eerie. Spooky. Creepy, even. But, each to his own. How did the move go from exciting city life to slow village existence?
AG: Well enough. There are some wonderful pathways for morning runs.
GP: You appear to be in great shape, fighting fit, in fact. That must come in handy while doing dangerous paranormal investigations. Involved in any new cases?
AG: That’s not my specialty.
GP: Perhaps it should be, considering how many unusual deaths you seem to stumble across. For instance, the one at the abandoned St. Michael’s church.
AG: Actually, that church has potential. It could be used for–
GP: [Interrupting] No comment on the murder, then? Well, let’s dive into the heart of why we’re talking. There have been reports of, shall we say, strange occurrences in Kent since your arrival. Some say even in that cemetery behind you. Would that be an accurate statement?
AG: No. What do you classify as strange, Godfrey?
GP: Anything bizarre, UFOs, legends coming to life, visitations.
AG: [she smiles] Sounds as if you have a vivid imagination.
GP: [opens his electronic notebook and types Hostile interviewee] These stories must come from somewhere, Abbie.
AG: Conspiracy theories abound these days, Godfrey. Even in England. Nessie and the lizard people could tell you that.
GP: I’ve found conspiracies are like smoke that points to where fires burn. Is your father correct in characterizing you as a common-sense girl who doesn’t believe in the supernatural?
“I don’t believe her. Who is Abigail Grimshaw?”
AG: [frowns]. You spoke to my father? Seriously?
GP: [types Defensive, hiding much?] Why don’t we focus on the murder at the church? Unofficial sources report supernatural overtones were abundant that night. Strange lights. Demonic sightings. Unearthly screams. Did you witness any of that?
AG: Listening to rumors again, Geoffrey?
GP: Godfrey. I do my research, Abbie. Vital in my line of work. Did you speak to the murder victim?
AG: No. I checked for vitals but the lady had died before I ever entered the church.
GP: Her children were with her. Did they see who killed their mother?
AG: No.
GP: [sighs] Surely someone saw something. [ruffles his sparse hair] You were all inside that church along with the perpetrator. It begs belief that none of you noticed anything unusual. Please share your magical observations, Abbie. The public has a right to the truth. Come on, be a sport and throw us a broom.
AG: [she stares at GP who shifts in his seat at her long slow study] I did some research of my own, Godfrey. A post in your magazine caught my eye. It was buried under the ads section.
GP: Abbie, we’re here to talk about you and the unusual events occurring in Kent.
AG: The ad asks anyone who is experiencing a paranormal predicament to contact them for assistance. I suppose it held my interest because I’m an EMT who responds to crisis calls. It’s such an important service we provide for the public.
GP: Are you thinking of applying for work there, Abbie? [he leans in, his stare now intent] Would you be able to deal with a supernatural emergency if you received such a distress call?
AG: [smiles gently] I’m too normal to respond effectively to a magical S.O.S.
GP: [Types: I don’t believe her. Who is Abigail Grimshaw? His glance flicks up] Your last name is curious. Are you by chance related to the legendary Grimm family? Those brothers who wrote about fairies and such in the eighteen hundreds?
AG: [she breaks eye contact and takes a sip of her tea] Like your smoke that can lead a sleuth to fire, I sometimes wonder if fairy tales might point to where magical mischief can be found.
GP: Are you saying these strange rumors in Kent are indeed supernatural activity? [He quickly types: Did I just catch a broom? His voice rises with excitement as he asks…] Are ghosts real? Do fairies hide in our gardens? Could demons and gods walk among us?
AG: [meets his gaze] You’ll have to ask Robert about the ghost part.
GP: [gulps] That interview is truly on?
AG: [nods once]
GP: Thank you for arranging that. Are you a medium, then? Is that why you can communicate with a man who lived and died in the early 1800s? Can you do other things? Like move objects? Get premonitions? Freeze time?
AG: [chuckles] Have you been binge-watching witchy shows during lockdown, Godfrey? I can’t do any of those things. I’m not a medium or a witch. As for your interview with Robert, while he’s still around, you may speak to him yourself. But be quick. He could be gone like that. [snaps her fingers]
GP: I will. I will. [whispers] I’m going to interview a ghost! [sits back looking stunned] Not that I’m skeptical. My mum insists she’s smelled my grandfather smoking his pipe on more than one occasion and he’s been gone for decades. Robert is the late Earl of Ashford, correct? Have you known him long?
AG: No, and yes. [a mischievous gleam appears in her eyes]
GP: Your father said you didn’t believe in the existence of ghosts. What changed your mind?
AG: [she looks off to the right and smiles slightly] I met one.
GP: [Types: I believe his lordship is there with her! Right now.] Thank you, Abbie. You’re about to make my column’s followers very happy.
The next installment of Paranormal Walk will be available in June 2021, when I will interview His ghostly lordship, Matthew Robert Livingston, Earl of Ashford!
Until then, cheerio, Godfrey
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