"I'm seeing things," Ray said, unable to take his eyes off of the
red serge clad figure, "Either that or it's a dream."
"B. . . but you're supposed to be dead," Ray stammered.
"I am."
"But, I thought ghosts were just fiction…you know, not real. I mean,
what is this, `The Sixth Sense'? `I see dead people'?"
Fraser sat down on the couch between Ray and Dief. The wolf sniffed
and whined a bit and Fraser reached out a hand to pat him. "More
people see ghosts than you might think, Ray. For example, my father
visited me all the time when I was alive. Remember when you would
find me in the closet `talking to myself'?
"Yes, I thought you were just crazy."
"That's when I was talking to him."
Ray stood, a bit shakily, and walked into the kitchen. He went to the
refrigerator and took out a beer. He wasn't the type to drink a lot
but he thought it might calm his nerves. He then went back into the
living room, sat on the couch and took a long swig. "So what's it
like being dead? Can you just like come around whenever? Do you still
have to eat and sleep and all that?"
" I don't really know, Ray. I've only been dead a few hours. Even my
father doesn't know all the answers and he's been dead six years."
Fraser glanced at the couch and noticed his Stetson. "I was wondering
where this went," he said, picking it up and placing it on his
head. "It's really embarrassing to be in uniform without it. You
know, they had to cut off the back of my father's Stetson so he'd lie
flat in his coffin. They'll probably do it to me too. That's why it's
good to have a spare."
"Well, is this a one time thing or will you, uh, visit, again? And,
am I the only one that can see you? Or do you know that yet?"
"No, I'll come again. And as for who can see me, so far just you, Ray
Vecchio and my sister. I just came from Ray's place."
"I'll bet he freaked out as much as I did."
"Surprisingly, no. He thought I was his father at first because
apparently I'm not the only one whose father visits him. But then he
realized it was me and did have a bit of a fright, but he calmed down
fairly quickly."
Ray yawned and set the beer can down on the coffee table. He was
trying to avoid falling asleep but he hadn't had much rest since the
day before.
"I'll just be going now," Fraser said.
Ray saw that the Mountie was beginning to fade. "So, I'll be seeing
you again? I hope."
"I'll be back," Fraser answered. "You didn't think someone like me
could stay away and never come back did you?"
"No, not really," Ray answered.
As the Mountie disappeared, Ray took one last sip of the beer and set
it and the dreamcatcher down on the table. He shooed Dief off the
couch and lay down. Dief sniffed around for a few seconds, then lay
down by the couch. Ray lay awake for quite a while, tossing and
turning and wondering if what he'd seen was real or a dream
When he awoke the next morning, he was still trying to make sense of
it all. He glanced at the table and then the couch and noticed that,
although the dreamcatcher sat where he'd placed it earlier, the
Stetson was nowhere to be found. He also noticed the almost empty
beer can still on the table. As he went into the bedroom to change
clothes and get ready for Fraser's funeral, which was to be held that
day, he realized that the whole thing was, indeed, real.
red serge clad figure, "Either that or it's a dream."
"B. . . but you're supposed to be dead," Ray stammered.
"I am."
"But, I thought ghosts were just fiction…you know, not real. I mean,
what is this, `The Sixth Sense'? `I see dead people'?"
Fraser sat down on the couch between Ray and Dief. The wolf sniffed
and whined a bit and Fraser reached out a hand to pat him. "More
people see ghosts than you might think, Ray. For example, my father
visited me all the time when I was alive. Remember when you would
find me in the closet `talking to myself'?
"Yes, I thought you were just crazy."
"That's when I was talking to him."
Ray stood, a bit shakily, and walked into the kitchen. He went to the
refrigerator and took out a beer. He wasn't the type to drink a lot
but he thought it might calm his nerves. He then went back into the
living room, sat on the couch and took a long swig. "So what's it
like being dead? Can you just like come around whenever? Do you still
have to eat and sleep and all that?"
" I don't really know, Ray. I've only been dead a few hours. Even my
father doesn't know all the answers and he's been dead six years."
Fraser glanced at the couch and noticed his Stetson. "I was wondering
where this went," he said, picking it up and placing it on his
head. "It's really embarrassing to be in uniform without it. You
know, they had to cut off the back of my father's Stetson so he'd lie
flat in his coffin. They'll probably do it to me too. That's why it's
good to have a spare."
"Well, is this a one time thing or will you, uh, visit, again? And,
am I the only one that can see you? Or do you know that yet?"
"No, I'll come again. And as for who can see me, so far just you, Ray
Vecchio and my sister. I just came from Ray's place."
"I'll bet he freaked out as much as I did."
"Surprisingly, no. He thought I was his father at first because
apparently I'm not the only one whose father visits him. But then he
realized it was me and did have a bit of a fright, but he calmed down
fairly quickly."
Ray yawned and set the beer can down on the coffee table. He was
trying to avoid falling asleep but he hadn't had much rest since the
day before.
"I'll just be going now," Fraser said.
Ray saw that the Mountie was beginning to fade. "So, I'll be seeing
you again? I hope."
"I'll be back," Fraser answered. "You didn't think someone like me
could stay away and never come back did you?"
"No, not really," Ray answered.
As the Mountie disappeared, Ray took one last sip of the beer and set
it and the dreamcatcher down on the table. He shooed Dief off the
couch and lay down. Dief sniffed around for a few seconds, then lay
down by the couch. Ray lay awake for quite a while, tossing and
turning and wondering if what he'd seen was real or a dream
When he awoke the next morning, he was still trying to make sense of
it all. He glanced at the table and then the couch and noticed that,
although the dreamcatcher sat where he'd placed it earlier, the
Stetson was nowhere to be found. He also noticed the almost empty
beer can still on the table. As he went into the bedroom to change
clothes and get ready for Fraser's funeral, which was to be held that
day, he realized that the whole thing was, indeed, real.