a/n: erm…. insert disclaimer here

La Niebla Hice Rodar

I needed to walk, to think, but where? My room no longer seemed to be an option. It had changed.

After several moments of staring down at my finger I decided that I wanted a place of little alteration. En algùn lugar constante.

And that is how I ended up on the shore.

The sound of rolling waves soothed me. The beach was empty. I had chosen a place where it was too dangerous to swim, the rip current too strong. Sitting in the sand I stared out over the water. It was so blue, so never ending. Like me in a way.

Susannah

Susannah was different: living breathing change. She spoke too quickly, dressed like a lady of the night, and… could see me. Considering this she was quite… attractive. ButI couldn't help comparing her mentally to Maria de Silva, my fiancée from another time. Maria had been beautiful, but in a different way. Maria was proud, even to the extent of arrogance. Her hair had been several shades darker than Susannah's and had always been curled into tight ringlets. Her eyes had been brown to Susannah's green. And she had been a murderer.

Or at least someone who had plotted murder; Felix Diego was the one who did all the dirty work. Even now I'm not sure how I died. I just remember waking up, panicked, watching as Diego buried my body. Oh, how I yelled and shouted and screamed. But nobody heard me, except for the horses. They whinnied into the night. When Felix Diego rode off, taking my horse with him, I had called to my mare's name, Vienta. She didn't come. The horse I had raised from a colt didn't know me. Instead she her eyes had rolled back in terror and she reared in the air. Diego could barely restrain her. Once they were far enough away from civilization he had Vienta shot and cut up for meat. I had cried. Vienta hadn't been bred for meat. She had been gentle, a rare beauty.

I ran a hand threw my hair. There was no use living in the past; at least that's what I told myself. Maria and Felix were long dead, and they weren't here with me. Why should I worry?

I only wish I could get rid of that damn handkerchief Maria had given me, but it seemed to be bound to my essence. I had tried to be free of it on countless occasions and it always came back.

Shaking my head I watched as the sun began to set. It was always so beautiful. The great orange ball seemed to sink into the sea as it began its slow descent over the horizon. As it fell it cast out shades of pink, yellow and magenta light in all directions. Even after one hundred and seventy years the sunset still left me breathless.

I waited a while before deciding to venture back to my room. The moon was high in the sky and I dematerialized out onto the porch outside my, Susannah's, window. As I arrived I heard foot steps. Chancing a peek in I caught a glimpse of Susannah standing in the middle of the room, her eyes closed, sniffing the air.

After a short moment she gave a contented sigh and began to climb into bed. She clapped her hands to douse the lights, curling up into the cushions.

I looked away and sat down, my back against the house. An owl hooted in the distant. It would have been perfect if not for the distant sound of a television.

Memories of our earlier conversation drifted into my head.

"That woman- your mother- called you Susie. Short for Susan?"

"Susannah, as in, 'don't cry for me.'"

Smiling to myself I sang. "Oh, Susannah, now don't you cry for me, 'cause I come from Alabama with this banjo on my knee."

If Susannah heard me she gave no indication.

I smiled as the fog rolled around me. It was still very early in the morning and it licked my skin, or at least, the shadow of my skin. I was sitting on the porch top again. Soon the sun would be all the way up and with a sigh I realized so would Susannah.

Sure enough, minutes later I heard a muffled shriek and a thump.

"Brrrr."

Remembering she could see me I dematerialized and rematerialized on the roof. It was just in time. Seconds later I saw Susannah's head peek out, gaping in awe as her teeth chattered. Just as quickly I watched as her head was sucked back in. The window slammed shut. She obviously didn't enjoy the fog as much as I did.

I was in luck. Susannah didn't stick around for long; she was going to the beach. This gave me a chance to sneak in and cherish my solitude.

I needed something to read. Going downstairs into her stepfather's room I picked up a book from the shelf.

Don Quixote.

It was the most perfect, impractical book to cool my nerves. And he had a copy in Spanish, although considering the fact that none of the Ackerman/Simons spoke a word of Spanish it was a little odd.

Taking the book upstairs I encountered nobody but the dog, Max, who growled at me as I passed. It didn't bother me much. I had been a cat person ever since Diego's father had set his dog on me for trespassing. Even in death I still had the scar.

Settling down on the new window seat in my room I read "Don Quixote" for several hours. When I was done I satisfied myself by staring over the valley into the bay. It was a beautiful day.

For some reason "Oh, Susannah" had become trapped in my brain and I hummed it as the sun began to fade. Suddenly I heard Susannah's voice on the stairs. Materializing just above the porch I watched as she yanked to window open. I couldn't help but to laugh to myself. She was such a strange person.

And that night when the fog rolled in, I watched her sleep. As she began to shiver I looked towards the window. I loved the fog but Susannah obviously didn't. If I had to share my room with her, sacrifices were going to be made. Some of them would be on my part.

So with a sigh I crossed the room and gently closed the window.

The fog remaining in the room slowly faded away.

A/n: Read and Review…. Please!