The Baying of Blood

Blood Red Roses

Of all of the things Hugo could have said it had to be:
"That is a very big bitch,"
"You know it could be a male, right?" I say, my eyes fixated on the dog.
"No, it's female, either that or to an owner Rose is a suitable name for a male dog," He replied calmly, like we had all the time in the world.
"May I ask how you know this?" I ask, very much disorientated by this conversation.
"It says on her name tag," Hugo responded, again with the frustrating calm in his voice.
How can you see that?" I pose to him, expecting a response of 'oh being a ghost has privileges Cameron, geez'
But no.
"She is often poking around Number 16, so, I get to know her, I can tell it's her from the notch notch taken out of her left ear from when she got into a fight with a tom-cat, haven't seen the wretched feline since," Hugo explains, like he has had to tell everyone in the world.
"Who's there?" My mother opens the door behind us and stands there, hands on hips, she relaxes when she recognizes me. "Oh, how are you dear? How was the first day of school? Good I hope, and you have already made a friend, hello, I am Cameron's mother, but feel free to call me Lara, and you are?"

"I'm, ah, Hugo, Cameron's friend and representative poltergeist of this region, this is Rose, a dog that lives with me in the remains of my house, number 16, next to yours, pleased to meet you," Hugo says with full pride, apart from a look of horror which runs across my mother's face.

"Oh... dear, you must come and stay with us, it's too unpleasant out there, you and Rose can stay in the attic, if that's alright with you? But enough of that, poltergeist you say? Who or what, when and how?" My mother says, quite subdued.

"That would be lovely, thank you, in answer to the other questions, Cyclone Tracey, 1974, my wall peeled away when I was in it and the only thing I could do was save my red kelpie, Blood." Hugo responded and made the air around him drop ten degrees, which was a pleasant surprise on a steaming hot day.

"Oh please come in for tea, unload, and tell me about your day boys," my mother says waving us in. " You too," coaxing Rose to come in. From down the hall, Hugo whistles and Rose dashes in, letting out a yelp that sounds like it would turn liquids into solids, like it seems to have done to my blood