Ghost in the (Washing) Machine
No such thing as a free exorsism [flash fiction/micro chapters]
Apr 12, 2026 · 2 min read
Good morning, Wrizzit!
This started as a writing warm up and I was having too much fun with it so I thought I would share. I'll continue to post these micro-chapters until the story ends or I get bored with the prompt!
Please enjoy.
…
Ghost in the (Washing) Machine
"We have a ghost."
I wash the same mug for the third time, waiting for him to respond.
He sighs.
"Emi…"
"We have a ghost!"
"We live in an apartment building."
I throw the sponge at him and he shrieks.
Adorable.
Abandoning the last two dirty forks in the sink I rejoin him and his hot tea and my probably—yep—cold coffee. I take a few gulps and flip open my laptop, resuming my search for "local ghost experts near me haunted."
Which yields:
A single result.
Amidst some local ghost tours and haunted hayrides, there was the Western Investigative Society for Paranormal Research.
Clicking the link lead to a surprisingly professional website outlining their services and the background behind the organization, ran by about a dozen people that stood in a group photo on the About page. Pretty normal looking folks.
They all had bios. Only about ten percent had woo-woo claims, a few seemed to be skeptics, nothing overtly religious, and…
Free?
At the bottom of the page, under the number to contact a case manager:
All of our services are provided free of charge.
Sold!
…
Thanks for reading,
HARTWELL