Take away the scent of flowers
Cover up the sky of blue
Elvis Presley's voice echoed through the lone mansion that mirrored its owner. A blond man holding a bottle of vodka paused as he stood by the doorway of the parlor. His eyes roamed the seemingly empty room until they landed on the female figure curled up by the window sill. The moonlight spilled through the window gracing her form making her appear far more transparent. Her dark chocolate hair curled around her becomingly. Her arms were wrapped around her bent legs as she hugged them toward her chest with her cheek resting on her knees as she looked out the window.
Sam walked toward her and took a seat across from her on the window sill mimicking her posture. He made sure that his feet didn't touch hers not wanting to intrude on her space. The open bottle of vodka still clasped in his hand as he looked out the window. The familiar weight of her gaze settled on him. He risked a glance to see her looking at him curiously. He knew he should have gone to bed and slept the rest of the night away, but the pain wouldn't leave. He just didn't want to be alone tonight. The next day he would go back to being normal and ignore her like he had for almost an entire year since he moved in.
Close my ears to tender love songs
They remind me too much of you
"I haven't seen you all day."
Silence was his answer. He just needed the company.
"Are you alright?" She craned her head to the side looking at him worried. "You seem sadder than usual."
His only response was taking a gulp from the bottle of vodka. She wasn't supposed to know that he could see her. He gave all that up the moment his wife died. His wedding band still remained on his finger reminding him of what he once had. The alcohol burned a path down his throat and made his eyes sting with tears he tried so hard to hold back. Another gulp had him closing his eyes welcoming the burn, but not the tears that spilled through closed eyelids.
"You're crying."
Hide young lover's warm embraces
Keep stars and moonlight from my view
His eyes snapped open to see her hovering closer to him. Her hand reaching out to him and more than anything he wished at that moment that he could feel her touch as she tried to wipe his tears, but at the last moment pulled back. Sadness lingered in her gaze. "I wish I could take your pain away."
Her sadness called out to his. "You can't." The words slipped from his lips on their own accord.
The shock in her face had guilt twisting his stomach in knots. "You can hear me?" She asked crawling to him until they were almost face to face. "Can you see me?"
Sam nodded and watched as her features lit up with joy. For a moment the pain eased.
"This is fantastic!" She exclaimed pulling away from him and standing on her feet. "I can't believe this!"
A small smile threatened to show as she spun around in a circle. The skirt of her white dress floated up, her arms were extended out at her sides as she grinned and continued to twirl. In that moment she appeared more like an angel sent to soothe his pain away instead of a ghost stuck in a state of limbo.
Abruptly she stopped and turned to face him. "I'm sorry."
He was caught off guard by her apology. If anyone should be apologizing it should be him.
Let me forget there are such places
They remind me too much of you
"You're crying and I am happy."
Sam shrugged. "You're happiness is not an unwelcome sight."
"Do you wish to talk about it?"
"It won't change a thing."
"It might help ease the pain." She said gently walking toward him.
"Might isn't a guarantee."
"You won't ever know unless you try."
"What about you?"
She looked at him confused. "What about me?"
"You must have some unresolved issues if you're still here." He took another drink from the bottle. "Unexpected death? Afraid to go to the light?"
"Would you think of me a coward if I said I was?"
Sam met her gaze evenly and took note that she had not answered his first question. "A tumble down the stairs or a murder most foul?"
A sad smile graced her lips. "The man I once loved stabbed me in the chest."
He instantly regretted ever opening his mouth.
"Right in the heart." Her hand came to rest on where her once beating heart laid. "Each beat drove the knife deeper." Her eyes held a faraway look. "I couldn't yell for help since my throat was clogged and there was no one around except for him."
"Why?" He couldn't help, but to ask. Sam couldn't comprehend how a man could have ever lifted a hand to hurt the vulnerable woman standing a few feet from him. The sadness surrounding her twined with his. "How could he?"
"I called off our engagement." She simply stated. "I knew he had a gambling problem and I tried my hardest to overlook it, but when he gambled away his inheritance I couldn't anymore. I couldn't be with a man who could endanger not only my future, but also what could possibly be our children's future as well. My career as a singer was taking off and I had places to go and people to meet. Two nights before I was to travel to New York I received a letter from him asking to meet with me. I agreed wanting to part with him on good terms especially since I probably would not be seeing him again and he was my first love…I never imagined he would…he kept repeating, "If I can't have you no one will. No one will love you like I do." A humorless chuckle slipped through her lips. "He was right."
Sam didn't know what to say. What could he say? No words or actions could change anything that had happened. Just like no amount of solitude, tears or begging could change the fact that his wife was dead.
Must I evermore be haunted?
Day after day my whole life through
"So now that you know about me, would you mind sharing with me something about you Mr. Evans?" She probed.
"You can call me Sam."
"…Sam…"
"I don't like being called Mr. Evans it makes me feel older than I am."
"I'll keep that in mind."
The mirth that mingled with curiosity in her gaze was a far more captivating sight than the sadness that had taken hold of her moments ago. It suited her more and it reminded him of how he secretly enjoyed stealing glances at her when he was in his study and she busy browsing through his books. The same look echoed in her gaze. "Today marked the third year my wife passed away."
She remained silent.
And it was her silence that helped him continue. "I have never been the same since. I stopped going ghost hunting."
"You stopped writing as well."
Sam looked at her surprised.
"I found a box you have hidden with the books you wrote. They are fascinating."
"She was my partner and publisher." He shook his head. "It was because of her I began to use my ability of seeing the dead to guild them to the afterlife. I knew her for eight years and for five of those years we were married." The bottle of vodka forgotten in his grasp. "I loved her…at times I wonder if she knew how much."
"I think she did." She took a seat beside him.
"How do you know?"
"She's not stuck here." A small smile curved on her lips. "No regrets…she's in a better place."
"She died an unexpected death in a car accident."
"But not a murder most foul." She consoled. "She would have gone to you if she needed help Sam, but she didn't. She accepted what happened."
A silence that spoke volumes settled over them.
"So, what is your name?"
The woman beside him chuckled. "Rachel."
"Rachel…"
"Rachel Corcoran."
Now that he knew her name there was no way he could back to ignoring her, but then again that possibility flew out the window the moment he responded to her. There was only one way to go and that was to guild her to the afterlife.
"So after ignoring me for months what made you change your mind?"
"I needed company."
By the memory of each moment
That I spent alone with you
"You won't be alone." Rachel reassured him for she herself was not ready to go. "I'll be here as long as you're here." Her hand reached for his, but instead of touching it because it would seep through his, her hand hovered over his.
"I can't do that to you."
"You're the first person I have spoken to in decades so that automatically makes you my friend."
"I owe it to you to help you cross to the other side." He felt guilty for not doing so before especially after finding out about the events surrounding her death.
"Which you will, but we can go together when the time comes." She smiled at him, she still had so much to experience even though she was no longer alive. "That way we won't be alone and scared when the time comes."
"I don't th—"
"You don't want to be my friend?"
The hurt in her gaze had him wanting to comfort her and responding honestly. "I would love to be your friend."
"Then it's settled. I'll stay here with you."
Sam knew there was no way to change her mind, so he accepted it by turning his turning his hand so that it was palm upwards and it seemed like he was grasping her hand. The corners of his lip curved just slightest bit.
AN: I apologize for any grammatical errors. I hope you enjoyed this small piece. I'm sorry for being MIA, but school has been keeping me busy with essays, projects and homework. Lately I have been feeling down and I don't know if it's because I am sick or sleep deprived. I barely have any time to write and I want to so badly, but can't. I wanted to post this up because I have been wanting to work on a fic for Halloween, but right now it's practically impossible so I settled on a small one-shot. Please don't forget to review I love hearing from you guys and right now more than anything I need to hear from you guys to help get me out of this gloom.
AN 2: MissBreePhoenix: I am sorry I haven't upload your one-shot, but I want you to know that I am still working on it. I don't plan to update any of my other fics until I am done with it. I promise. I owe you this and so much more. I'm really sorry for taking long I don't mean to.
AN 3: I want to thank: Jenn, Princesakarlita411, Lena, bahnannah, 19LoVeSpeLL93, The Wonderful Mistique, EvanberryFTW, LNCrow, LadyGigglesalot, and book freakz for reviewing. You guys are amazing as always.
AN 4. The song featured in this one-shot is They Remind Me Too Much Of You by Elvis Presley.