Natasha was a newspaper journalist, fresh out of college, and looking for stories that would interest her current readers, as well as gain her new ones. She was told about an old abandoned brewery out from town, and decided to investigate it. Dressed casually, in denim and a plaid flannel shirt, a camera bag slung over one shoulder, and her cell phone holder at her waist, she slowly opened the creaky old wooden door, and inched her way inside. She held the lantern that she’d brought with her out ahead of her. At first it was so dark, even with the lantern, that she couldn’t see anything. She stood there for a few minutes, debating on what to do, when she heard what sounded like footsteps approaching her slowly. “Who’s there?”, she asked in a quivering voice, although the logical part of her knew it was probably just the wind blowing through; a storm was brewing. What she saw then made her rub her dark eyes in surprise. It was the ghostly apparition of a middle-aged man, dressed in black evening attire that she estimated to be from the 1920’s. She opened her mouth to speak, but nothing came out. “Forgive me for startling you, Miss.”, the ghostly figure began. “But we had to be certain that you meant us no harm. I am Joseph, the doorman of The Brewery Cellar. Would you like to meet the others here?” “Y-yes.”, Natasha replied, although she didn’t understand about the cellar….. Slowly the building they were in was lighted, as though by candlelight, and Natasha could see the old brewery. Joseph led her across the floor of the main brewery, to a large wooden door. Joseph walked through the door, then opened it for Natasha. Inside was a stairway, which she presumed led to the cellar. “Careful on the stairs. They’re steep.”, he warned her. At the bottom of the stairs, he opened another door for her. Natasha’s eyes went wide. It was a 1920’s speakeasy, filled with ghostly guests , a busy bar, and even a phantom orchestra. “This way, and I’ll introduce you to Diana Devane, the proprietor of The Brewery Cellar. As you’re interested in the history of the brewery, I’m sure she can tell you anything you’d like to know.”, Joseph told Natasha. “Would you like a drink?”, he asked her as they reached the bar, where Diana was. “Drink of the day’s The Hairbrush.”, the bartender announced. Natasha grinned. “I’ll have one of those.”, she told him. A couple of minutes later, he set a frothy pink concoction in front of her. Beside it was an actual silver hairbrush. “A souvenir for the ladies.”, the bartender told her, seeing her reaction. Diana Devane sauntered out from behind the bar, wearing a red flapper dress, and a red rose behind one ear. She jutted out one hip as she stood. “I’m Diana, Doll.”, she drawled. “Joseph tells me you’re interested in the brewery, as well as our little establishment here.” “I’m Natasha.”, she replied. “And yes…..yes I am, very much. I knew about the brewery, but I had never heard about the cellar. “As I am sure you know, the brewery ceased production during Prohibition. “, Diana began. “When that happened, we opened a speakeasy in the cellar of the brewery. Everyone knew about it, but no one talked about it publicly, which is why you wouldn’t know about it.” “Would you mind if I wrote a story about it?”, Natasha asked Diana. “But who would be your source? You can hardly say a ghost!” “I’ll think of something, if you agree to me doing it. But if you’d rather I didn’t, I won’t write it. Just being here with you and your friends was an incredible enough experience for me.”, Natasha tells her. “It’s fine with me, Honey. Only the people we want to see us can see us, so no one can bother us.”, Diana assured her. “Can I get you anything else?”, the bartender asked Natasha. “How about another Hairbrush?”, she asked. “Coming up.” Natasha would never forget her night with the brewery ghosts, and her article about the brewery and speakeasy was a rousing success.
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