Ghost of the past

[Perplexia]

Jessica Strouse sat in the window sill of her 5th avenue walk up overlooking Manhattan. She had lived in the city for seven years and loved its energy.

After graduating 1st in her class at NYU for business she had obtained a 'dream job' at one of the top 5 Fortune 500 companies. Even with the 'perfect job', 'perfect apartment', and the 'perfect boyfriend', at the young age of 25 she was still missing something.

Her apt, though she called it 'perfect' was really only perfect for her. Her friends tried encouraging to purchase some upgraded real estate to reflect her status in society. But Jessica was a minimalist. She didn't mind that her apt was small and out of the mainstream.

Looking at her old Timex watch she realized she was late for her date with Jacob. He had sounded excited when he talked to her about having something important to ask her. God she hoped it wasn't a proposal, they had only been dating for three months. He was nice and chivalrous, good looking, successful, and perfect on paper. But when she kissed him, she felt nothing. There just wasn’t any ‘magic’. He was simply there for contentment and companionship.

Quickly rising she put on her heels and hurried down the stairs to hail a taxi. The brisk air nipped at her ankles, reminding her briefly of a childhood moment at the Inn in Lily Dale, NY that her great aunt owned. It had been a magical place that she had visited as often as her mother would let her. That was until her mother and great aunt had an
epic fight regarding her absentee father. Or at least that was the jist of it.

Jess talked to her mother, a hopeless romantic, about once a month. She was normally out on a new adventure with a new younger man she had fallen madly in love with. The phrases "he's the one" and "he understands me like no other", were common themes she heard each time. At some point she stopped listening. Perhaps there was no such thing as true love. Yet still she found herself drawn to romance movies and stories.

The taxi halted in front of a high end expensive restaurant. After paying the driver she made her way inside where she was shown to the table that Jacob was currently waiting at. He rose as any good gentleman would and pulled her rustic wooden chair out for her. The lights from the chandlers sparkled creating the ambiance of a romantic cafe in Paris.

She smiled and thanked him as she sat. Once seated they browsed the menu as he talked about how much he loved his job. As their meal came she found her first bit of passion as she dove into her Whole Boneless Poussin, or in layman's terms a really good pot pie.

"Jessica" Jacob said, refusing to call her Jess like any of her friends or co-workers. His voice was more serious and eyes intense as he looked into her emerald ones. "When I first saw you, I knew I had to have you. You are so beautiful and elegant. I can see us one day having children together. Will you move in with me?"

Well it wasn't as bad as a marriage proposal would have been, but still he talked about her like she was a Ferrari. Elegant? did he know her at all, she was eating a glorified pot pie, and lived in a 5 story walk up. She preferred jeans to evening gowns. This would be the expected path, the way life was supposed to be. Shouldn't she be ecstatic at the opportunity?

"Jacob" she said lightly "All though I appreciate the offer, I don't see you in the same light. I'm just not into the same lifestyle as you, I've been happy with the time that we shared, but I don't think this is working." Placing cash on the table for her meal she added. "I really hope you find what you're looking for." The look on his face was that of confusion and horror. He's just been rejected and broken up with in one brief conversation.

Rising from the table she picked up her purse and headed out of the restaurant. It was all she could do to not run. The taxi ride home was uneventful, now comfortably back in her apt she played the messages from her answering machine as she changed into a pair of shorts and a tank top.

"Miss Strouse, my name is Reginald Ostenheimer. I'm with Ostenheimer and Sons Estate Lawyers. I have some important business to discuss with you, please call me back at your earliest convenience at ##########."
What could an Estate Lawyer want with her? The question boggled her mind as she settled into bed. Tomorrow was Friday, and for once she didn't have any plans for the weekend.

On her way to work the next morning she made a call to the Lawyers office.

"Thank you for returning my call so promptly Miss Strouse" Ostenheimer responded as he picked up her transferred call. "I regret to inform you of the passing of your Great Aunt Hilda St.Claire. When can we meet to go over all that you are to inherit?"
"Wouldn't my mother be the one to inherit?" she questioned, saddened and a bit overwhelmed.
"No, your Aunt specifically designated in her will that you were the only heir."
"Well I will need to take some time off work, may I call you back this afternoon?"
"Yes that will be fine thank you"

After the morning meeting she spoke with her boss about taking some bereavement time due to a death in the family. She possessed an over abundance of vacation time and her boss agreed to let her take a couple weeks off. Calling back Mr. Ostenheimer, she asked if she'd be able to stay at her aunt's inn. He advised that he'd have someone meet her there in the morning with the keys. He would meet her on Monday to go over everything with her.

She was saddened deeply over her Great Aunts passing. She had managed to talk to her a couple times a month over the years. At 97, she never complained of any ailments or health issues. She was truly a remarkable woman. Hilda had told her many stories over the years that were magical. The stories were about the Inn, its family history, as well as stories about famous people that had stayed there over the years. Aunt Hilda had closed it due to her age about ten years prior.

Tears trickled down her face as she packed her suitcase. Her aunt never made her feel bad about her lack of visits. Jess had always intended to make the time but life happened. Now it was too late.

Early Saturday morning she picked up her SUV. It was a long six hour drive to Lily Dale. The town had less than 300 permanent residents but had about 35000 visitors a year.

Jess smiled as she drove thinking of her invisible friend. They went on hikes in the woods, he was there to listen when she had cried over her father not wanting her in his life, or when her mother was being completely neurotic. Even though she accepted that he wasn't real. He still remained her favorite person. The one time she had brought him up her mother literally laughed at her telling her how foolish and immature she was. Her aunt however, in private, would encourage her to spend time with him.

As she drove up to the Inn she noticed that very little had changed. The drive was now paved instead of gravel. The barn seemed a little worn but still standing and mostly in good shape. The swing that she swung on as a child swayed in the breeze. For the first time in a long time it felt like she was home. The sound of an old worn F150 drew her attention as it pulled up behind her SUV.

A handsome rugged lumberjack size of a man stepped out. Wiping his hand off on his torn Jeans he extended a hand. "Miss Strouse, I'm Jack Lane, I was the caretaker for Ms. Hilda. I have the keys for ya." He reached in his pants and pulled out a ring of old fashioned keys and handed it to her. "I'm awfully sorry to hear about your aunt miss."

"Thank you Mr. Lane."
"Just Jack Miss"
"thanks Jack"
"She mentioned you now and again when I was out here fixing something. Was awfully proud of all you've accomplished."

That made her smile a little bit. Jack ran a hand through his grizzly beard as he seemed off in thought for a moment. "Oh Ms. Nelly from the general store sent me a bag of groceries for ya on the house."
"That was really kind of her" Jess responded as he went to his truck and brought out two large filled to the rim paper bags. "I'll just put these in the kitchen for ya and be on my way if you'd open the door." Jack said in a determined voice.
"oh ..ok well thank you Jack." Making her way up to the porch she looked at the giant key ring and found one with a label maker sticker on it that said Frt. Dr. and opened it. The familiar smell of lavender rushed in to meet her nostrils giving her an overwhelming sense of calmness.

Jack made his way back to the kitchen as her eyes looked at the once familiar surroundings. Making her way out to the SUV she grabbed her bags and brought them in. Her bags were old, she never bought new ones cause she never really went anywhere. Jess' fingers slid up the cedar staircase railing as she pulled them up the stairs one thump at a time till she reached the very top. The corner suite was the one she had always stayed in, so without thought she made her way there and looked through the keys until she found the one for her room and made her way inside. It was almost exactly how she left it. Opening up the window she let the breeze in, letting some of the stale air out from the lonely room.

"I'll be leaving now Miss" Jack called from downstairs. "Ok ty again Jack and tell Ms. Nelly ty for me too." "Will do" and he left. She stared out at the trees watching a leaf fall down to its new home on the ground. Fall had just started, and soon winter would be upon the little town of Lily Dale. Winter was always her favorite time of the year.

 

[M4bloke]

The last thing Daniel Parsons remembered as a sentient human being were the days he’d spent as a child holidaying with his parents at the charming guest house/cum hotel in Lilly Dale. His mother had always loved visiting in the fall when the leaves changed colour.

As a young man of twenty six Daniel had given up his job to fight against Franco and his fascists in the Spanish Civil War. Although not a communist, not even a socialist really, he’d felt it was his moral duty. And so, against his parent’s wishes, he’d caught a boat to France then walked into Spain to join up with the Republican resistance. Daniel was an idealist and travelling to Europe to fight for freedom was an adventure.

He’d lasted eighteen months in the mountains of northern Spain before shrapnel from a mortar shell mortally wounded him. For two days he’d drifted in and out of consciousness in a morphine induced stupor and in that time his childhood memories had comforted him.

When Daniel finally awoke, he found himself in a warm comfortable bed. He looked outside of the small attic window and saw that the Autumn leaves were turning. ‘Strange’ he thought, ‘Where was he?’

He heard noises from downstairs. They sounded like children and so he got up, put on the clothes laid out for him and walked down the attic stairs and onto the galleried landing.

He instantly knew where he was and it was back in the guesthouse he’d known as a child. His parents must have taken him there to recover he thought

Except of course they hadn’t. When Daniel walked into the guesthouse lounge, nobody saw him. When he spoke nobody heard him. He was a ghost.

That had been almost ninety years ago now and since then Daniel had learned to live with his predicament, even if he was no nearer understanding why it had happened to him.

He had all the normal ghostly traits. Invisibility, walking through walls, the ability to move objects. But he had also discovered that he could take human form. This had been problematic however and when he had revealed himself to the original owners of the guesthouse they had immediately had the house exorcised then sold it. But a reputation once gained is hard lost. Daniel restricted manifesting himself to children who were more believing and less judgemental than adults tended to be.

That didn’t mean that adults were oblivious to his presence. Some, and only some, could sense him or at least could sense something. Jessica’s great aunt Hilda had been one. She and her husband had bought the guest house in the seventies and had run it as a successful business, attracting a better than average clientele. Politicians and film stars would spend a few days in the quiet seclusion that the house offered.

When her husband died of a heart attack in the nineties Great Aunt Hilda had been grief stricken. One night after she’d cried her heart out again, in her grief she shouted out

“I know you’re here. I’ve felt your presence for the last twenty years. Help me. Or I swear I’ll end it tonight.”

Daniel couldn’t say no and manifested in front of her.

“I’ve always wondered what you looked like,” she told him with no hint of shock.

For the next thirty years Daniel had been Hilda’s companion. He revealed himself only to her. As she got more frail he looked after her and when she passed, she passed peacefully in his arms. Daniel had laid her out and then picked up the phone and dialled the doctor’s surgery to inform them of her passing.

Nobody had ever been able to explain who had made that call. The police looked into it but with the death so obviously being of natural causes it remained a mystery.

Daniel had watched them remove Hilda’s body from the house and then for the first time in fifty years the house was empty except for him.

 

[groundagefielding]

That's cool!

 

[M4bloke]

That's cool!

Thanks

Sadly perplexia seems to have bailed on this one