(A.N. added more text to the first chapter of story...thanks latinagal for reviewing so quick...i didn't know it was even up yet...but this should help a little i think
"Hey Suze," was the first thing I heard that morning. Yes, this is something that normally happens, someone waking me up. I mean, I have broken four alarm clocks in the past two months. The strange thing was who was waking me up. It wasn't Mom, because she doesn't call me Suze. It couldn't be Jesse, because he doesn't call me Suze either. He calls me Susannah, or querida. But back to the voice. It is the voice that haunts my nightmares at night, and well, basically scares me to death. I rolled over.
"Paul, what in the world are you doing here?" I mumbled incoherently.
"I'm waking you up honey. You need to get to work, remember?"
"Paul, get the hell out of my house. Anyway, I thought I told you never to contact me again."
"Suze, we've been married two months. I hardly think your parents will mind if I see you before you have clothes on" Paul stated.
Oh my God. This has to be some crazy dream. I would never marry Paul, not even in his dreams. I hate the guy. After all, it's hard to forgive a guy who has left you for dead in a parallel universe, French kissed you unwillingly, exorcised your boyfriend, and given you extremely bad burn blisters on the bottom of your feet. But even in nightmares, you have to say something. So I said it.
"Paul, get the hell out of my house." Yes, I knew I was repeating myself. "I am going to call the police," and Jesse, I added to myself.
"Suze, relax. They know we are married, as their chief performed the ceremony, remember? That Adam kid you were pals with in high school? You arranged the whole ceremony, and the priest didn't show up, so you got Adam out of the audience and forced him to perform the ceremony by locking him to the pulpit with his handcuffs. Then, you lost the keys? Now get up. You're going to make both of us late for work."
So I got up. This was a creepy dream. I mean, Adam? As a police officer? Come on. The kid's neck is like, the size of my wrist. Okay, maybe not that small. But still!
"Good, you're up. Suze, could you make some coffee? And your boss called. The air conditioning went off at your office. He says it would be murder to make you guys work there today, so you don't have to go in. Maybe you could go talk to that ghost that is living in the grocery store," Paul suggested. "Why he wants to haunt the Heinen's is beyond me, but still. You were always much better at making ghosts agree with you. See you later honey." He stooped down, and kissed me on the cheek, then left.
I had to go talk to Father Dominic, or even better Jesse. I could guess what Father Dom would say.
"Suze, you have been married two months. Forget about Hector De Silva, and move on" he would say, trying to be reasonable, but it would be no use. I would reply in my typical fashion.
"Father D., his name is Jesse De Silva now, not Hector. And I need to talk to him" I would plead. No, talking to Father Dom was not an option. He would only confuse me more. It seems like I was stuck in a parallel universe, where life stunk. I mean, I am apparently married to Paul! I hate that guy.
Since there was nothing else to do, I took a shower, and opened up the closet. Whoa. I have apparently have a load of money to spend on clothes, as I have got all the latest designer styles that compliment my figure. I pull out a denim skirt, and pull on a cute blue top. Then I head out the door, and get the shock of my life. I was going to go to my parents' house, but it turns out I didn't have to go anywhere, as I was apparently living in it. The room I was just in used to be my room. I guess I do have to go see Father Dominic. Hopefully, I'll be able to find the mission. I mean, if Paul is still a mediator, and I am still a mediator, then Father Dominic should still be a mediator, right?
Okay, so there were a few more surprises before I could leave the house. One was my blue Mustang convertible. I guess I finally learned to drive. The keys were in the kitchen, so I scooped them up and headed toward the mission, with the top down.
It was a beautiful day, so I was in no rush to get there. I mean, this is Northern California. We have beautiful days all the time, but we need to take time out to appreciate them. So I arrived at the mission a little over an hour after I left the house. Yes, I did take the long way there.
Father Dominic wasn't in his office when I checked, and he wasn't in the courtyard. I asked the secretary where he was. She was sobbing, so it was hard to hear what she said, but eventually I learned that he was in the chapel. I walked into the chapel and stopped. Father Dominic was dead. At least, I assumed he was, as he was resting there in a coffin. Suddenly, I felt like screaming. So I did.
"Jesse De Silva, I need your help now!"
Of course, Jesse didn't show up. I mean, come on. Now that he's not a ghost anymore, he can't just come around every time I call him. What I didn't expect was for the radio to start blaring. I spun around, and saw a ghost. To be more specific, Father Dom's ghost. Now if that didn't freak me out enough, there was a female ghost with him, and they both looked to be in their teens. You could still tell it was Father D. though. I mean, come on. How many people have noses that shape in California that aren't perfectly shaped by a plastic surgeon?
"Father D., what are you doing here?" I inquired. "And who are you?" I directed at the female sitting on Father D.'s lap. That sounds weird when I'm thinking it. He doesn't even look like a priest anymore. If he was alive, and I didn't know he would become a priest, I'd totally go for him. And that's saying something. I've always been incredibly picky about guys.
"Susannah, this is Rowan Woderose. Rowan, this is the other mediator I was telling you about. As for what I'm doing here, you called me, didn't you?" Father D. patiently explained.
"Dominic, why is this girl calling you Father D.? You didn't really go through with the priesthood, did you?" Rowan questioned.
"Rowan, yes, I did become a priest because of you. And also because no one else could measure up to you" Father D. replied, the love for her showing in his eyes. Wow. If I looked like that when I'm around Jesse, I don't know what I'd do. He had to have thought I was a freak when he first met me.
Rowan started talking while I was reminiscing. "Dominic, I don't see why I had to come along. This girl doesn't need my help like you did. She had a guy, I knew him. Jesse, right? He just stopped coming around a few years ago, and it made life lots more boring." She smiled. "Jesse was my best friend. At first, I only wanted to be friends with him because he was extremely good looking, but then I realized that he wasn't looking for a relationship, and neither was I. Our dimension was very lonely after he left. Where'd he go anyway?" Rowan exclaimed.
(A.N. i know i stopped in the middle of a part, but i have to go to bed, as it's after midnight and is no longer friday...hehe. anyway, i'll try to post more this weekend...er, today.)
