The breeze blew her hair back, the golden mane shining as she
waited. There was a sound of footsteps behind her and she turned, eyes
lighting up. "You came," she murmured.
He smiled, black hair falling in his eyes. "I promised I would,"
he said quietly.
"It's been a long time," she murmured.
"Too long," he quietly agreed. He hesitated, then reached out to
gently push a strand of her hair back into it's place.
She sighed softly, leaning into the caress. "That's nice," she
murmured..
He stepped forward, cupping her chin as he brought their lips
together gently....
Nicole made a face, then saved the document. "I really wish I
wasn't so good at writing this sort of thing," the redhead muttered,
getting up from her cluttered desk.
The upstairs office looked much different than when she first
moved in. The comfortable office chair, the old desk, and her much more
recent computer and printer were all still there, but the bookshelves
were loaded to the brim with books. The desk itself was covered with
papers and files, pieces culled from her earlier books for reference.
Nicole took a moment to gaze at the view of the sea outside her
window before sliding the blinds down into place. "I'd better go grab
some breakfast," she muttered, still dressed in her pajamas.
This morning she had been struck with the urge to write, getting
up early and walking down the hall to her office without even getting
changed. It was times like this she loved being a writer, the words
flowing easily as inspiration took hold and a chapter quickly
materialized on the screen. Even this romance novel was fun, as long as
she didn't let herself think about it too much.
Nicole stepped into her bedroom and swiftly stripped her pajamas
off, tossing the blue clothes into the hamper. She dug through her
closet in panties and pulled jeans and T-shirt out, pulling the loose
clothes on. 'Wonder what Laura will think?" she found herself wondering.
Shaking her head at her wild thoughts Nicole stopped into the
bathroom to comb her hair and brush her teeth, then she headed
downstairs. She strode into the living room only to freeze at the sight
that awaited there. Laura stood by the living room window, the light
shining across her ghostly form, only wisps of misty material dancing
around her body. She was beautiful, the blonde haired figure who gazed
outside with such deep longing. Laura seemed to sense Nicole and turned,
eyes widening. She shrieked, covering her bare form with her hands then
promptly disappeared, leaving only a shimmer in her wake.
"Wait," Nicole started to say, then trailed off. "What was that
all about?" she wondered aloud.
Nicole stood there for a moment, lost to her thoughts, before
turning and walking on to the little kitchen. It only took a moment to
dig a box of cereal out of the cupboards and then grabbing some milk
from the fridge. She sat down at the old table and crunched through her
meal, drinking some of the freshly made coffee.
'I set it up last night,' Nicole silently mused as she looked
down into her cup, 'but I didn't set the timer. I wonder how it came
on?'
"Good morning," Laura's soft voice said. She sounded hesitant as
she said, "I turned your machine on when I heard you were awake."
"Thank you," Nicole smiled back even as she looked around for
her ghostly companion. She persisted in remaining invisible, not a trace
of her ghostly presence visible.
"You're welcome," Laura's voice sounded a bit firmer.
Nicole debated silently a moment before asking her, "Did I
interrupt something, out there in the living room?"
The curtain on the window stirred, almost as if someone had
nervously flicked it. "No," Laura quietly answered, "I just hadn't
realized you were coming downstairs."
Nicole thought about that, "So your clothes, how you look is all
a matter of choice?"
Laura became more visible, a nearly transparent form gazing
outside. She seemed more comfortable as she explained, "My appearance
seems to be defined by how I see myself, so my dress mirrors my memory
of what I wore while alive."
"That might explain why some ghosts look so frightening," Nicole
mused, "they see themselves as monsters and so become them."
"Indeed," Laura agreed.
Nicole thought about asking her again why Laura had been
standing there nude out in the livingroom but decided not to. 'She's
clearly uncomfortable about it,' she thought, 'best leave it alone for
now.' Nicole got up, carrying her bowl and cup over to the sink, rinsing
them both clean before sitting them in the drying rack.
"So what do you plan for today?" Laura asked, standing there
beside Nicole.
Nicole flashed a smile, "I think I'm nearing the homestretch for
my romance novel, so I think I'll put a few more hours in on it."
"You've been up there working for days," the smiling Laura
reminded her, "when have you last been outside?"
A bit defensively Nicole said, "I went out on the porch for
awhile."
"You may not become as pale as I am," Laura reached out to
stroke her cheek, a odd feeling jumping between them as she touched
Nicole's skin, "but you need some sun. Why not take a day away from your
machine and go outside?"
Nicole felt a blush color her cheeks, though she couldn't quite
explain why. "I want to finish that book off," she said weakly.
"One day off?" Laura asked gently.
"All right, one day," Nicole conceded. She smiled suddenly as an
idea occurred to her, "But only if you come out with me."
"What?" Laura blinked in surprise.
Nicole smile, putting her hands in her jeans pockets. "I'd
appreciate the company," she said, "I get lost in my characters
sometimes."
Laura looked at her searchingly, her blonde hair almost white in
the sunlight, then she smiled back. "I'd like that," she said.
"Good," Nicole grinned, "you can show me around."
"When did you want to...?" Laura asked.
"No time like the present," Nicole grinned.
Together they walked through the house and out onto the porch,
facing out to the lane cutting through the trees. The wooden steps
clunked softly as they walked down, the grass whispering in the breeze,
soft beneath their feet.
"This forest had barely begun when I lived," Laura noted,
seemingly more solid out here in the sun, the light defining her
graceful form, "but look at it now."
"You don't go out of the house often," Nicole realized.
"I look outside," Laura gazed back at the house, "but rarely
venture out myself." She lead the way around the Victorian home,
stopping not far from the cliff, the breeze carrying the scent of the
sea. "I missed this," she murmured.
"It's beautiful," Nicole gazed out at the water, the power of
the sea out in the distance.
"Yes, it is," Laura agreed, gazing at Nicole. She reached out,
fingers lightly tracing Nicole's, "Come with me."
Nicole followed, the gentle tingle of Laura's phantom like
fingers drawing her onward. The little hill was clear, the grass green
and thick, a spot that was almost made to picnic on. Nicole knelt, then
sat down with a smile, "I need to bring lunch out here one time."
"I'm glad you like it," Laura knelt there. She seemed more real,
almost like a flesh and blood women as she asked, "And would I be
invited to lunch?"
"No one else," Nicole smiled.
Laura seemed about to say something else when.... a horn blared,
startling them both. A car had pulled into the driveway, a sleek little
sports car that looked utterly out of place there. The black haired
woman got out, thumping the door shut then looked around before spotting
Nicole. "I got lost twice trying to find this place," she complained.
"Rachel?" Nicole blurted out as she scrambled to her feet,
gazing at her old friend in shock.
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