Poetic Verses - Short Story: Ghost Lover

33175 Poems Read Home Login	Poetic Verses

Short Story:    Ghost Lover

                   Word Count 1,142 words

    Joe was a mild man with short auburn  hair that danced in the hot summer breeze. Today seemed like any other, he had decided to take a drive through the hills just outside of town so he could clear his head. There had been a lot on his mind lately, since the death of his girlfriend. Just as Joe was about to turn around he saw a sign that read "House for Sale." It was a rickety old sign, tattered and faded, sitting askew on an old mailbox post. From the weeds standing high around it he gathered the sign had been there a while. The sign sat at the entrance to a long drive covered in a thick canopy of oak trees.
    Joe felt an unexplained force pulling at him to turn, so he did. As he drove down the long winding lane the tree cover broke and gave way to a large well kept colonial style white brick mansion.
    "What a find!" he thought.
    He continued up to the house to a large ornate door knocker and rapped on it twice. Finally a short older man dressed in blue overalls answered the door.
    "May I help you?" the man asked.
    "Yes, I saw the sign and was wondering if I could have a look around," said Joe. As he peered into the house past the little man he could see a large foyer lined in marble with a chandelier hanging from the ceiling and a big winding stair case.
    "By all means, young man," said the gentleman. "My name is Dillon, I take care of the house."
    "Actually have been since the family died."
    "Oh, I'm sorry to hear that," said Joe.
    "It's been almost three years now this fall," Dillon said. "It was a tragic accident, really the young miss and both of her parents died in a car crash."
    The gentleman let Joe in and showed him the house top to bottom. Joe felt so strongly about the house, that after getting back to town, he called his banker and set in motion the papers for the purchase. After three weeks of paper shuffle the day finally came and Joe moved into his "New" house. One of his most favorite area was the grand dining room which overlooked a cascading waterfall into a large pond on the front grounds.
    The first few night were different for Joe who had never lived in the peace and serenity of the country. After a month or so he was already getting use to the sound of crickets at night, but he kept Dillon on as his grounds keeper, Joe had grown fond of the older man's stories of the house and it's previous occupants, especially of their young daughter. Gradually the two men became close as family.
    Then it all began one late summer night Joe was awakened by a strange noise coming from the area of the living room. He sat up in bed.
    "What was that?" "Oh probably nothing," he thought, and rolled over to go back to sleep.
     Later that night a storm rolled in and awoke him again. He got up put his slippers on and stumbled downstairs. Just as he passed a doorway he thought to catch a glimpse of something out of the corner of his eye. He came to a halt as he stepped off the bottom of his winding stair case. He had to look twice at what he saw, it took his breathe away. He trembled with fear.
    "Can this be?" he wondered, for before him there ‘stood' a figure draped in a white sun dress, seemingly dancing on air. Still standing at the bottom of the stairs, too frozen to move, too scared to say a word. As he watch in amazement. Her hair was long and blond as if kissed by the sun. Her figure was soft and flowing. Joe could not believe what he saw, this "Figure" dancing gracefully around his living room.
    Just as Joe got the courage to move, a bolt of lighting lit up the room as if it was daylight, followed by a tremendous clap of thunder. After his eyes once again grew accustomed to the darkness, he saw that the figure was gone.
    The next day Joe asked Dillon. "Have you ever seen anything unusual?"
    There was an awkward silence. "I suppose you saw her?"
    "Well, I saw something. I can't say who or what."
    Dillon shuffled a little in his seat and began."Shortly after the crash, I began seeing Caroline," he said. "She was twenty-three years old when she died. She was just home from college.
    "Describe her," Joe said, and Dillon did so.
    "Well, I woke last night during the storm and caught a glimpse of her dancing in the living room," Joe said.
    Dillon smiled faintly. "She loved to dance about the house,' he said.
    "Where can I learn more about her?" asked Joe.
    "Just ask," "She was always the friendly type." said Dillon.
    With that Dillon got up and went about his daily chores, while Joe pondered on last evening's events.
    Would it be that simple, just to ask," Joe wondered. How does one go about starting a conversation with a spirit? That night he stayed awake laying on the couch, motionless, waiting, watching as the sun slipped behind the trees and the shadows had begun to overtake the room when suddenly she appeared.
    Joe mustered all his courage and was finally able to mutter "H-H-H Hello," he said
    She looked at him with a warm smile she said, "Hello, my name is Caroline,"
    They talked throughout the darkened twilight hours. As the daylight approached she brushed his check with her hand and explained her situation that she is destined to walk the twilight hours for the rest of eternity. This went on for a couple of nights and each night Joe found out more and more about this beautiful lady.
    Shortly after Joe started seeing his girlfriend through Caroline from her perfume smell down to the shine of her hair. How she smiled and the way she looked at him.
    Soon after they became the talk of the town. The town's folk were all afire with rumors about Joe and his "Ghost Lover."
    Since Joe met Caroline he hardly left the house. Some towns folk thought this rather strange. Joe would dream the day away and spend all night waiting for his Caroline to appear, then the two would dance and talk the night away.
    They always seemed to have the best of times together, so he never really had any regrets. Even though at times it was short and sweet, they seemed to be falling in love. When the sun came up she would fade into the sunrise until the stillness of the night fell upon them again, reuniting Joe with his......

                          Ghost Lover.

    Written in 2002/Copyright in 2003

Provide Feedback | Vote | Guestbook | Email this Poem

©2000 - 2022, Individual Authors of the Poetry. All rights reserved by authors.
Visit My Home Page | Start Your Own Poetry Site | PoetryPoem
[ Control Panel ] [ Today's Poetry - ALL Poets ] [ Search ]

Message from Monique - Free videos for your poetry. Check them out Go to Poetry Poem youtube channel and get the embed

YouTube

POETRY BY KRIS ~ DREAMWEAVER - ~WELCOME TO DREAMLAND~ Read my Poems to Know me. I am in my poems.

dreamweaver

Poetry by Elsie - *WELCOME TO MY WORLD* ~ Read my poems full of fact, fiction and fantasy.

poet5170

Life Lines by Malibu Poetess - Straight forward prose and poetry on life, love, joy and disillusionment.

malibupoetess

Message in poetry - personalised poetry, red heartshaped bottle extra special gift for a loved one

norrie5

Our Next Poet Laureate! YAYA! - Remarkable contemporary poetry by award-winning author of Out of Cullen Street (A House of Madness)

waterdragon

Poetry by athanase - Feedback and critique requested.

athanase

dreamweaver		kosherviking	bladesong	celestialeternity	yosph	View All Poets
	Newest Item: POWER TO TORTURE.. Please, visit the site for the poem. The text on the Picture is not visible h ... More Added: 2024-04-16 My Poetry List PoetryPoem.com Get a Free Site Blogs Stories Premium Sites