Ghost Shadows (2 page)

“What is it?” Josie asked, standing off to the side and unable to see the image. “What are you looking at?”

“A bird, I think.” Marie said. “I think it's some sort of image of a bird on the window. I wonder how it got there.”

Jill explained, “I think what may have happened is a bird must have flown into the window sometime and most likely broke its neck and died. Bird feathers are oily and collect dust and dirt particles. My guess is the image is a result of that oily dust residue sticking to the window at the time of impact. It probably has been there for months but for some reason the sun must be at just the right position for us to see it today.”

“But it's so perfect, so complete!” Marie said. “It's as if the bird's very soul was imprinted on the glass.”

“I want to see it!” Josie exclaimed. Josie was a young woman in her mid-twenties. She had gotten divorced from her alcoholic and abusive husband a year earlier. She had grown up with a father who was also a drunk who beat her mother and had unfortunately followed in her mother's footsteps. Since becoming single Josie embarked on a mission to find spiritual enlightenment. She had experimented with numerology, Hinduism, Buddhism
,
and most
recently Christianity. In fact she was currently a member of a right wing fundamentalist Christian church and had become “born again” just a month earlier.
 

From the way Josie spoke of her church, both Jill and Marie felt this church was more of a cult than a above board religious organization. They tried to warn her about such groups but had to tread softly as to not hurt her feelings or risk alienating their coworker with her fragile and needy psyche. Plus the both knew in the modern workplace, negative discussions about someone's race, religion
,
or such were grounds for disciplinary action, up to an  including termination.
 

Josie stood on the ‘X' and stared at the window transfixed. “Oh my
s
weet Lord!” Josie said. She had been using that expression a lot since her conversion. “It's
. . .
 it's
. . .
incredible!  It's amazing!”
 

“Yes it is very interesting
,
Josie, but it's just bird dust.” Jill said trying to keep Josie's growing fervor under control. She knew her coworker too well and could tell she was getting overzealous at seeing the image. “It's simply a collection of dust on the surface of the glass.”
 

Marie interjected
,
“Looks like the bird left his soul on the window to me.” She was not helping matters.
 

“You're both wrong!” Josie said. “It's not a bird or a bird's soul. Look at it closely. It's the image of an angel. It's a sign! It's a true miracle!”

“Don't be silly
,
” Jill said, doing her best to dampen Josie's enthusiasm somewhat. What she really wanted to say was “don't be ridiculous” or “don't be such an idiot.”
 

Josie said even louder, “I'm telling you
. . .
it's a message from God! Today is 12-12-12; that is significant. It means something. Can't you feel it
?
” She pulled out her own smart phone and snapp
ed
several pictures.
 

Jill realized Josie was mixing her study of numerology with her Christianity and putting undeserved significance on the date. Things were starting to get out of hand. She had to do something.

“Josie. Relax.” Jill pleaded. “It's just a bird. Nothing more. The bird is long dead and it's just a dust shadow.”

Josie asked, “Well if it's a dead bird, where's the body? I'll bet if I go downstairs and look out the double doors to the back patio there won't be any signs of a bird.”

Jill was beginning to lose patience with Josie, “Look
,
Josie. In the first place I have no idea how long ago this happened. We've only been in the building for two months. It could have happened anytime. Maybe one of the construction workers disposed of the bird's body. Who knows? There's a forest no more than one hundred feet behind this building, maybe scavengers drug it into the woods and picked it clean. We probably will never know what happened to it.
”
 

“That's because nothing happened to it.” Jill insisted. “There was no body because there was no bird. This miracle was an imprint on the window
that
I was meant to see. I am to be the deliverer of the message. God has spoken to me through this angelic sign.”
 

Just when Jill was about to completely lose her temper and call Josie an out of control whacko they heard a booming voice from behind them. “What the
h
ell is going on over here?” It was their company general manager, Sid Emerich. “I'm trying to run a business here. What's all this crazy talk about angels and miracles?” Sid walked over to the small group of women
,
and as he did, Jill saw several other
s
  enter her work area. There was Amy Jamison from accounts payable, Cindy Smith from HR and that strange new Goth-looking girl Sandy or Sarah or something like that from the IT department.
 

Jill didn't care much for her dark clothing, heavy makeup
,
and various facial piercings, not to mention her tattoos
that
could not be properly hidden with her clothing. She didn't feel this was proper office attire and could not begin to imagine how this young woman made it through the interview process and somehow managed to get hired.
 

“Mr. Emerich! It's a miracle!” The overly excited Josie shouted while waving her left arm high in the air and clutching her cross necklace with the right. “God has sent us a sign; an angelic symbol on the window!”

Jill stepped forward in a last attempt to try to smooth over the escalating confrontation. “Sorry about all this commotion, Mr. Emerich. It's really nothing at all, just the image on the window; a dust shadow from some bird
that
must have flown into the glass. That's all it is.”
 

“Let me see this!” Emerich said, shoving Josie aside. Like the others Emerich stood directly on the ‘X' and looked at the window.  Without showing any emotion, Emerich simply turned to the group and said, “Jill is correct. It is
just
a dusty shadow. Nothing more.”
 

“I think it's an angel; in fact I know it is.” Josie insisted, “This is a sign from God
,
Hallelujah! Praise be to the Lord on high! Jesus is coming and all you sinners better be ready!”
 

Emerich fumed with rage and shouted, “That's entirely enough of that crazy cackling from you young lady! There'll be no more of such idiotic gibberish permitted in my office! Is that clear?” Emerich had a habit of stressing the importance of all of his proclamations by ending them with the phrase “Is that clear?” or “Have I made myself perfectly clear?” or some other similar variation. It usually got people to snap to attention but didn't seem to have the same effect on Josie.

“How dare you blaspheme the Lord!” Josie shouted right back at him.
 “
And how dare you criticize me and my beliefs. You are creating a hostile work environment and discriminating against me because of my religious beliefs. And that, Mr. Emerich, is illegal.”
 

Josie stared directly at Cindy Smith
,
who looked as if she would rather have been anywhere than where she was. “Cindy. You tell him. You are our Human Resources Manager, or at least you're supposed to be. Tell him he can't criticize me or threaten me because of my religious choices.”
 

Cindy looked dumfounded as her eyes nervously darted between Josie and Emerich. Eventually, those eyes stopped at Emerich and she shrugged her
shoulders as if to say, “She's absolutely right
,
boss. Our hands are tied here.”
 

In the meantime
,
Sarah the Goth girl had taken a few more steps into the area and following behind her was Josie's boss, Phil Ralston.
 

Emerich's face reddened with anger at the realization
that
he could do nothing to stop Josie's outlandish behavior and he shouted “Fine! Believe whatever the
h
ell you want to believe. But this is a place of business not a revival tent. And it's the end of the workday for most of you, so I strongly suggest you all go home and we will all start fresh tomorrow morning.”
 

“That's fine with me
,
” Josie shouted right back at him, “But I'm warning you, Mr. Emerich, if you have anyone wash that miraculous sign off the window, I will sue you personally as well as this company for religious persecution and for creating a hostile work environment.”
 

Emerich looked as if his head were about to explode and Jill thought he might actually reach out and wrap his hands around Josie and strangle her to death. But instead he looked over at Cindy Smith who slowly shook her head, warning him he had better back down and keep his cool. Without another
word
, Emerich turned and stormed out of the area grabbing Phil Ralston by the arm and leading him away from the group.
 

 

They went into Phil's office and Emerich slammed the door shut shouting with uncontrolled anger, “That little holy rolling bitch works for you is that right
,
Ralston?”
 

“Y—ye—yes
,
Mr. Emerich. She does
,”
Ralston replied realizing he was about to be put into a very unpleasant situation.
 

“Starting first thing tomorrow
,
” Emerich bellowed, “
y
ou have a new top priority. I want you to start collecting paper on that little bible thumping psycho. If she forgets to dot an ‘i'—document it. If she forgets to cross a ‘t'—document it. Every time she says one
word
to one of her coworkers ab
o
ut religion, God
,
or miracles
,
I want it documented. If she farts or burps
or sneezes I want it down on paper. By then end of next month I want that mouthy bitch fired! Is that clear?”
 

Ralston tried to stand up for Josie to the best of his terrified ability
.
“But
. . .
but
,
Mr. Emerich. Josie is a good worker, one of the best I have. She's been through a lot in her personal life and still manages to do a good day
'
s work for the company. I think asking me to fire her just because she got a bit overzealous today is somewhat rash, don't you think?”
 

“No
,
I most certainly do not think
,
” Emerich shouted. “She has got to go. And as her supervisor it is your job to make it happen.” Then he looked oddly at Ralston and suggested, “You don't mean to tell me you and that Josie are playing ‘slap and tickle' are you, Ralston
?
You know how I feel about my mangers dipping their pens in the company ink.”
 

“No. Absolutely not, Mr. Emerich. I would never—I have never
. . .
” Ralston stammered. The truth was, Ralston was only about ten years older than Josie and his wife had divorced him a year or so earlier. And he was quite attracted to Josie, despite her idiosyncrasies
.
A
lthough he could not start a relationship with her, he did his best to take care of her and watch over her on the job.
 

Emerich said, “Good thing
,
Ralston. Because unless you want to join her among the ranks of the unemployed you had better find a way to get rid of her before the end of the month. Do I make myself perfectly clear?”
 

“Yes sir, Mr. Emerich
,
” Ralston said, “I understand.” But Phil Ralston didn't understand. Under normal circumstances he disliked Sid Emerich but today he despised the man for what he was forcing Phil to do.
 

“Now go back there and break up that mob. Send them all home and maybe after a good night's sleep all of this nonsense will die down
,
” Emerich said.
 

Reluctantly, Phil Ralston did as instructed and unhappily made his way down the hall toward Jill's cubicle. To his surprise, when he got back to the area everyone was gone except for that new girl Sarah who was staring at the window
and
tucking her smart
phone into her coat pocket.
 

“Well
,
” Ralston said trying to sound as unconcerned as possible, “I suppose I should take a look at this bird shadow
that
is causing so much commotion.”
 

The girl did not reply. She walked silently past him and as he took his place on the ‘X', just as she turned the corner he heard her say to herself, “It's not a bird, and not an angel either. At least not a
h
eavenly angel.”