Undeath by Chocolate

Save the Butterfly - Chapter 3

Next shift near the line's head had me on full alert. However, nothing happened, and I soon was ready to dismiss the whole ghost story, half-believing Martha had made fun of me. I called myself foolish and started to relax when suddenly the temperature dropped.

An icy finger touched my cheek. A shiver ran down my back. My teeth chattered uncontrollably. Anxiously, I checked my surroundings and remembered Martha's whispered advice. With some embarrassment, I held my breath and waited for the ghost to manifest.

A ripple ran over the surface of the warm chocolate spreading in the forms before me on the conveyor belt. In the semi-liquid mass, the imprint of a child's hand appeared. It dissolved as fast as the chocolate mixture spread and formed a smooth, unbroken surface. I glanced left and right to check if someone else had seen the handprint.

But my coworkers, Beth and a stern woman whose name I hadn't gathered yet, were preoccupied with their own tasks. When I looked back, one chocolate form sat slightly askew on the belt. I reached out to adjust it, but I fumbled, and it slipped away from my fingertips. The belt moved on. If I didn't align the form in time, it would block the next station. I leaned forward and succeeded to push it in line right in time. A girly giggle made me look up. No one was there except my two colleagues who were oblivious to my plight and concentrated on their jobs. The handprint appeared again, in the middle of a new chocolate bar. I gasped and stepped back, my beliefs shaken, suddenly afraid to reach out and do my job.

Martha hadn't been lying after all.

Completely unsettled, I searched for the old woman. Luckily, she worked only two stations down the line and caught my eye, concern written all over her face. Martha shook her head and signalled me to calm down and concentrate. Yes, she was right. I couldn't risk being blamed for interrupting the workflow. I needed the job.

When the handprint manifested for a third time, I leaned closer in a mixture of fear and inquisitive dread. I felt the sudden urge to run away and visit the lavatory. But I had to know.

'Hey, Katharina,' I whispered shakily, expecting no answer. However, on the surface of another chocolate bar, an elegant swirl appeared, drawn by invisible fingers and accompanied by a happy giggle. It caught me by surprise, and spontaneously I giggled back, my former anxiety dissolved, leaving only curiosity.

#

From that remarkable day on, I didn't mind working near the conches anymore. On the contrary, I even went as far as accepting the odd job trade with other women, aware they thought me strange. Only Martha smiled faintly and sent me a secret wink, knowing I waited for Katharina's ghost to drop by.

The friendship of the senior worker made my life easier. The other employees left me alone. I could live with their hesitant sidelong glances as long as I had Martha's understanding and the ghost's company.

I still shivered every time Katharina appeared. But this bodily reaction couldn't disrupt the joy her visit brought. I didn't drop chocolates anymore and soon overcame the clumsiness in her insubstantial presence.

In time, I learned more about the child-ghost of the conches. The girl was playful as befitted her age. She basked in my attention, inventing new ways to manifest herself. My shifts slipped by as quickly as sunny Sunday afternoons. On certain days, I left the belt with reluctance and whispered a soft goodbye to my ghostly companion.