“It’s not real. It must be an apparition,” Melody said.

“An apparition?” Harriett said. “Are you saying that you see a ghost?”

“An apparition, a ghost, whatever you want to call it,” Melody said. “Don’t you see it? It’s right there on the other side of the bird bath or fountain or whatever that thing is.”

Harriett shook her head. “I don’t believe in ghosts and I don’t see anything anyway.”

“Did it never occur to you that ghosts could really exist?” Melody said. “Centuries ago, belief in ghosts reached its zenith, you know.”

“That’s because centuries ago people were uneducated and superstitious,” Harriett said. “What does this ghost of yours look like?”

“She looks like Marie Antoinette, or maybe like Dolly Parton dressed up as Marie Antoinette,” Melody said.

Harriett burst out laughing and Melody actual started to chuckle as well. But their laughter was interrupted by the sound of a ghostly version of Dolly Parton’s “Jolene” coming from the general direction that Melody said the ghost was standing.

“Whoa!” Harriett said.

“Oh,” said Melody, “changing your tune now, are you?”

Written for these daily prompt words: Your Daily Word Prompt (apparition), Fandango’s One-Word Challenge (occur), Word of the Day Challenge (zenith), and Ragtag Daily Prompt (tune). Image credit: ariadne-a-mazes@pixabay.com.