CHAPTER ONE

Though the telling of their story had come to an end as their eternal lives continue to move forward, there is but one fragment of time not told. Untold was the moment in their lives where Rose and Jerry were separated for six months. A time where Jerry continued his existence without his blossoming eternal Rose as she continuously lay within the sleep of the undead.

Such a small fragment of time for them both but seemingly a lifetime for Jerry.

Before Rose came along Jerry had ritualistically lived his life the same every evening when the clocks chimed dusk. Even within his year as a ghostly entrapped presence within 99 Oak, that immortal life continued with seclusion. Yet, all had changed the moment the fowl mouthed and spunky strawberry blonde penetrated through his prison walls then eventually helped crumble those walls and gave him the opportunity to reclaim his eternal darkness in physical form. And when he stepped outward into reality he embraced what was deemed his atonement, embraced Rose and delivered away from Death's callous clutches.

And for decades Jerry was not alone within his darkness. Barely a moment was spent without his forever Rose. The regained life had become the opposite of the previous existence with his Rose firmly rooted in his lifeless heart. He no longer was alone. His life was shared with another besides the typical day watcher. And every evening when clocks chimed announcing the setting sun, his Rose was there. And every morning upon sunrise the clocks again chimed, his Rose was there.

Yet, for those six months, he again knew the meaning of being alone. He knew the outcome of the immortal ritual performed on the rooftop, she would be, in ways, taken from him momentarily. But he had not predicted the depth and width of the vacancy and loneliness that would be endured without her.

Within those months, not even his ritualistic moments of gazing down upon her as she laid within her coffin seemed to ease the return of loneliness. Each evening he opened her coffin, she lay lifeless yet the physical changes were visible. Every morning he again would open her coffin to see the same still and silent Rose as those blossoming changes continued.

There was an attempt to occupy himself with the renovation of the Crosswind funeral home but each evening and morning he was persistently reminded of the vacancy she left behind. And in a desperate moment he attempted a feat that had not been done since before he returned to the world of the living. There was a desperation to again penetrate through the walls of her death slumber. Each evening he would lay back within his sacred coffin then focus on the direction of her subconscious.

Morning after morning he desperately tried to deliver himself to her through their subconscious connection, just as they had shared decades before. And when hope of such a feat being succeeded had seemed to fade, he dreamt for the first time in centuries. But was it just his dream? Was it perhaps hers as well?

Surreal. Yes, surreal.

The cool moist sand was felt beneath his bare feet followed by the caress of chilled ocean water. The gentle touch of a cool breeze brushed against him carrying the unique salty sea aroma. The song of the sea was prominent as the waves danced and in the distance a bell chime of a rocking buoy. Yet visually, the surroundings were muddled by the weight of a heavy fog. High above there was the blurred glow of an obvious full moon hidden behind the thick blanketing fog.

Then something familiar arose. A distinct sound began to rise within the environment. All around the sound continued its dramatic rise. The harmonic sound of an electric guitar echoed as the high pitch wail gradually began an all too familiar song.

Across his lips formed a smile. Yes, he remembered the song that rose powerfully around him. That particular song was heard for the first time twenty five years prior within Rose's dream which somehow had crossed over into reality. It was the dream and reality that gave hope he would find the doorway back into physical existence.

Again, that song was heard playing, the evening he found her after many months of searching. He had found his way back into existence then found her in the midst of a ritual farewell to her life but mostly his memory. And that evening, his atonement came full circle and from a mortal death he stole her and in return gave her eternity, made her his forever Rose.

His footing shifted and to the side he moved. His eyes searched the looming fog as the song continued to echo. He predicted there were cliffs beyond the layer of fog which caused the song's nearly haunting sound.

Then with a slight gust of wind the fog seemed to shift and slightly lighten. Into his sight came an illumination, an orange glow developed as an undoubted beacon. He moved towards the glow, felt the cool sand transition from firm and wet to soft and dry. His eyes held focus on the glow as it gradually became clearer. Soon it became obvious the glow radiated from a bonfire.

Stepping outward from behind the drape of fog, he emerged.

The environment had become crystal clear and indeed there were towering cliffs which were always be part of Rose. Then the sound of muffled voices slowly developed within the music.

His eyes shifted in direction of the voices as they raised just as did music. His eyes continued to shift and before them developed several figures. Firstly the figures seemed almost ghostly then bit by bit they became solid. Instantly he recognized one in individual. There was his Rose just as she was the first time he they had met.

Several teenagers surrounded Rose, their smiling faces were all around her. A bottle of obvious liquor was passed between them while the music shifted into a more raunchier heavy metal melody.

His eyes frowned with the realization he was not seen. He stood before the light of the roaring dancing flames but was not seen. Not being seen was not what he had hoped. He wanted nothing but to share the depths of her mind but oddly it was not like it was before. His Rose took no notice of his presence.

Rose stood up and lifted the half drank bottle of liquor then shouted, "Here's to not having to move!" she then praised, "Thanks Dad for not moving my ass to bum fucked Egypt out West!" She quickly took a long swallow from the bottle as her teenage friends cheered.

His frowned tensed. What was he witnessing?

Rose lowered the bottle as she again flopped down within her friends. She was eagerly embraced by another familiar but younger face, Antony. She loudly giggled in response to Antony burying his face against her neck. Then her fire intensified blue eyes shifted towards the raging bonfire. Void of glasses she squinted.

For a moment, it seemed, Rose's eyes held Jerry's then something dropped passed his vision, his eyes blinked. His eyes shifted down as the cheering grew louder with more celebration. At his feet was a black graduation cap.

His eyes slowly shifted upward and gradually frowned with confused question. Before him was the same group of teenagers which included Rose. As his eyes focused on her, other caps dropped to the ground as the bonfire continued to burn brightly and illuminated the celebration.

Rose now pranced around while she stripped away the traditional high school graduation gown and her friends did the same. The music played loudly as they continued to celebrate the day they were freed from dreaded high school society. Their lives have become their own, including Rose.

The friends began strip off more than their graduation gowns. One by one their clothes were strewn as they each darted towards the shoreline and vanished in the thickening rise of fog.

His eyes focused on Rose. There was true happiness seen throughout her smiling features. Yet, he was confused what was being seen. At that point she would have neared mortal death but the eighteen year old youth before him revealed not one sign of near death. In fact, she was beyond beaming as she smiled wide.

Rose pulled her dress over her head and prepared to follow her friends. She suddenly paused with an odd sense of being watched. As before, void of her glasses, her eyes squinted as there were aimed at the bonfire. There was a weird sense that something was there near the bonfire. Then two arms embraced her from behind; Antony lifted her up off her feet.

Again her eyes seemingly had focused with his. Then he blinked and she was carried away by an eighteen year old Antony in the direction of loud laughter and splashing. His feet shifted as he watched their image fade from his view as the fog rapidly grew heavier and swallowed the visual. Then within the distance echoed the familiar chimes of his clock collection.

From his slumber the clocks woke him. He effortlessly rose from his intricate cherry wood coffin. But with new ritual, he stepped to Rose's sleek black coffin, opened the lid, and observed her subtle physical changes. His eyes studied her lifeless face and saw very subtle maturity compared to how she appeared the previous morning. She remained youthful.

What part of her mind had he entered? There was an obvious time line being revealed to him from the depths of her subconscious. The line seemingly revealed an alternate scenario where her father never moved their family to 99 Oak. In reality, she hadn't graduated with her peers, her illness forced an early graduation. She had never experienced wearing the traditional cap and gown nor the celebration of an end to her high school era.

His hand grazed the side of her lifeless and icy face then he leaned down and pressed a gentle kiss against her stiff subtle full deathly pale mouth.

What will he witness if he managed to again slip into her buried subconscious? Though not real, he somewhat feared what else would have transpired if they hadn't met when she was merely seventeen. What part of her life would the dreaded Leukemia have reared it's ugly head? And why hadn't shown itself within what he witnessed?

Questions, he predicted, would be answered with each emergence into her mind.

Author Note:

Well, this is the beginning of that hint I dropped at the end of Rose's Journey. Filling in the gap of those six months while Rose blossomed physically into a forty-three year old smart ass. Yet, there will be some serious revelations as well throughout this piece.

~GaGa~

FRIGHT NIGHT FOREVA!