Ghostly Realm - Not Even Death Could Separate Them (2 page)

Devon rose up from the chair dismissing the young couple from his mind. He walked towards a set of metallic golden doors across the room and stood in front of it. A bell chimed and the elevator doors opened up and several people stepped out and walked through him as he walked in. The doors closed and he reached over to the panel and concentrated until his hand became more solid and he pushed a random floor button. The elevator hissed quietly as it lifted and rose up to take him to the eleventh floor.

When the elevator stopped, the doors opened and he stepped out. He glanced down in both directions and saw many apartment doors. He started walking down the corridor to his left.

He remembered only the night before when he docked, he visited the main harbor in New Orleans. It had a familiar feeling to him and it reminded him of the twenty seven years he spent there when he was alive. The harbor was situated at the Gulf of Mexico’s port of entry where he would often dock his ship. He had wandered around as he did many times and marveled at how much had changed over the years. But what hadn’t changed for him was the familiar scents and atmosphere of the busy port. New Orleans was his home.

Devon was passing a door on his right when he felt a strong urge to pause. He listened closely and heard a woman’s soft sobbing coming from behind the door. The woman’s crying tugged at his heartstrings so he walked through the door to see. He glanced around at the tidy living room.
Whoever lives here has excellent taste.
He thought. It had a very feminine and homey feel about it. There was a half empty coffee cup sitting on an end table next to a brown leather couch with an open book laying next to it and a box of tissue. A few lit candles glowed throughout the room, the light fragrance of vanilla reached his nostrils. The beautiful marble fireplace caught his eye and he walked over to it. He looked at the photographs sitting on the mantel in various frames. The same woman was in several pictures. In all the pictures she wore a beautiful happy smile. She had beautiful long blonde hair and an almost angelic face. He looked at her eyes, they were the most beautiful violet eyes he’d ever seen.

In one picture the woman was a young girl hugging a smiling man with graying hair. Devon assumed it was a photo of her and her father, she had his smile. It looked like they were standing on a boat, the ocean was in the background. In another picture was the same woman about eighteen wearing a graduation cap and gown holding her diploma proudly as she smiled into the camera. Another picture was a photograph of a woman that was at least in her fifties. Obviously it was the young woman’s mother, the resemblance was uncanny. They had the same blonde hair and beautiful eyes and face structure. In another picture that looked most recent was the same young woman but she was maybe in her late twenties.

Devon turned his head towards a small hallway where the crying was coming from and he walked towards it. At the end of the hall to the right was an open doorway, the light shined out into the dark hall. He walked to the room and paused in the doorway.

He looked towards the bed, a woman laid on the bed crying softly into her pillow. She was turned on her side, her face away from the door so he couldn’t see her face. Her long blonde hair was hanging loose and settled on the dark rose colored comforter that covered her bed. Devon’s eyes scanned over her body and his heart quickened at her beautiful black velvet gown that accentuated her shapely rear end. He could tell she was dabbing at her eyes with a tissue and sniffling even though she was faced away from him.

He looked over to a large desk sitting in the corner to the right and he walked over to it. On the desk was a laptop computer that showed a writing program opened and words were typed out. There was a large cup with a chip in it that held various pens and pencils. Sticky notes with scribblings on them stuck around various places, reminders of something she needed to do. He looked up to the wall above the desk, it was a wall mounted bookshelf with books on it. He leaned in to peer closer to some of the titles. “Pirate Amour by Abigail Kincaid”. “The Pirate’s Treasure by Abigail Kincaid.” Devon arched his eyebrow when he read the titles.
Interesting.
He thought. “Love’s Deathly Trap by Abigail Kincaid.” One of the books was propped up with the cover showing a pirate that uncannily looked like himself holding a beautiful blonde haired woman in his arms. “A Pirate’s Piercing Love by Abigail Kincaid.”

Devon glanced over to the bed at the woman again. Her sobs had quieted. He felt a strong urge to touch her, to comfort her. He knew this was the Abigail the couple downstairs were talking about in their conversation.

He’d never felt the desire to touch a woman like this before. Not with anyone he had ever encountered in all his years wandering. As if he had no self control, he stepped closer and bent over and laid a hand on her shoulder. He felt vibrations spark up his arm at the contact and he was taken aback, not only at the sudden emotion it made him feel but because he felt her solidness.
What?
He thought as he began to unconsciously rub her shoulder. He knew she couldn’t feel his touch but he let his hand linger as he marveled at the new sensation.

Abigail jerked around frightened at feeling someone touch her shoulder and Devon instinctively jerked his hand away and looked at her with wide shocked eyes. She scrambled to the opposite side of her bed. She let out a shocked scream then covered her mouth with her hands as her beautiful tearful eyes gazed directly into his.

Devon was so shocked when he stared into her violet eyes that he stumbled as he backed away. “Oh my God!” He said out loud in disbelief as he realized she could see him, feel his touch and hear him.

“Who are you?” She asked him in a shaky panic filled voice.

Devon bolted from the room in a panic when she spoke to him.
This is crazy!
He thought as he ran down the hall. He was almost to her front door when she followed him out into the living room. “Wait! Wait!” She pleaded. “Please don’t leave.”

Devon stopped and slowly turned around. She was looking directly
at
him and talking
to
him. “You can see and hear me?” He asked with awe.

Abigail cautiously stepped closer to him and stopped a few feet away. She put her trembling hands to her mouth and failed miserably to hide her shock. “Yes, I can.” She mumbled through her hands in a surprised gasp.

Abigail took her hands away from her mouth and offered him a shy and nervous smile as she realized he was as shocked and surprised as she was. She let her arms fall down to her sides, unconsciously smoothing her dress.. Her eyes roamed over Devon’s body, her heart thundered in her chest at the excitement and fear she felt.
Oh my God!
She thought to herself.
“
A ghost? Am I dreaming this?”
She asked.

Devon tried to collect himself and began to relax as he took a better look at Abigail.
How can this be?
He asked himself. He smiled and cleared his throat and her eyes gazed up into his again. “You’re not dreaming. I asked myself the same question too.” He said teasingly. “You can look all you want, it’s okay.” He said, smiling even bigger.

Abigail let out a nervous chuckle. “I’m sorry, was I staring? You’re the first ghost that I’ve seen.”

Devon grew more serious but he kept his smile, his eyes looked deep into hers. “I didn’t mean to frighten you. I heard crying and came in to see who it was.” He said in a way of explanation.

“Oh my God, you heard that? Everybody in the apartment building probably heard.” She said embarrassingly as she lowered her eyes and wrung her hands together nervously.

There was suddenly a knock at the door. Abigail looked at Devon in a panic. “Better answer it.” He said.

She walked to her door and looked through her peep hole. “Oh great, it’s Mrs. Trundle from next door.” She whispered to Devon. “Yes, Mrs. Trundle, can I help you?” She said out loud through the door.

“Are you alright dear? I heard you scream out.” Mrs. Trundle said from the other side of the door.

“Oh, yes I’m fine. I saw a....a....a spider and I screamed.” Abigail said as she covered her mouth with her hand to keep from giggling. She visualized Mrs. Trundle going into a fit of seizures if she told her that she saw a ghost.

“Nasty critters! Well, I’ll go then dear and leave you be as long as you’re okay.” Mrs. Trundle said.

“Yes I’m fine. Good night Mrs. Trundle. Thank you for coming to check on me.” Abigail said sincerely. She watched through the peep hole until Mrs. Trundle disappeared from sight. She turned around to look at Devon. He was wearing a very amused expression. “I bet she heard me crying too!” She said.

“It’s okay, I wouldn’t worry about her,” he assured her, “it’s really none of her business why you were crying.”

“Oh, I don’t know why I was crying over
him
!” She said as she looked up at him again.

Devon couldn’t take his eyes off her.
Doesn’t she realize just how beautiful she is?
He thought. She looked like a princess standing there with a tissue in hand wearing a beautiful black velvet gown. Her bare feet peeked out from the hem of her gown, her toenails were painted pink. She had such a pretty angelic face and when her tearful eyes looked up into his, it made him want to show her just how beautiful she was. Her lips were full and pouty and he felt a strong urge to kiss her. He mentally shook himself as he stepped closer to her. “Him. Do you mean Mark?” He asked. A strong feeling of jealousy overcame him as he imagined her in someone else’s arms.

Abigail’s eyes widened. “How do you know his name?” She asked curiously.

“Well...” He hesitated briefly. “when I first came into this building, I listened in on a couple’s conversation. She wanted him to end a relationship with another woman named Abigail. His name was Mark and her name was Candice I think. The woman ended up storming out in anger because by what they were saying he had kept putting off breaking up with....you. This Mark then got on the phone and talked to you.” Devon said, not meaning to hurt her but she needed to know the truth.

“I knew it. He would ignore my phone calls a lot lately, broke dates and always came up with excuses as to why. He had planned on taking us to the opera this evening.” She said.

Devon chose not to hurt her further by telling her that Mark had also planned on taking Candice to the opera too.
Maybe he got the dates mixed up because he was stringing both women along.
He thought angrily.

Abigail continued. “I’ve caught him in so many lies. Can you believe I was actually with this man?” She started to cry again feeling humiliated. “I broke up with him when he called me just awhile ago. I had to.” She said in a choked up voice.

Devon felt her humiliation and felt sadness for her well up inside him.

“I feel so stupid.” She mumbled more to herself than to him.

Devon felt her pain and wanted to comfort her. He walked up to her and wrapped his arms around her and again he felt that powerful vibration reverberate through his whole being.
This is so wonderful feeling a woman in my arms again.
He thought as he closed his eyes and savored the feeling.

Abigail allowed the tender embrace and she lowered her head. He placed his hand gently on the back of her head and pressed her head to his muscular chest. He felt her arms wrap around him as he held her close and basked in the comfortable feeling. She continued to sob and he whispered in her ear, “It’s alright Abigail, he doesn’t deserve you. Don’t cry.” He resisted the urge to pick her up and carry her back to her bedroom and make mad passionate love to her. He wanted to tell her how he felt but he knew it was too soon for that.

She listened to his sweet words and felt comforted. Her heart pounded fiercely as her body trembled against his. She rubbed her face on his chest as a child would, wiping her tears away. “I’ll be okay, I just needed to get that out.” She said, feeling suddenly lightheaded and weak kneed. She felt safe and protected in his arms.

Devon gently pulled back and she subconsciously gripped his shirt in her hands, afraid he would leave her. She lifted her head and gazed up into his eyes and saw tenderness.
I could get lost in your eyes forever.
They both thought the exact same thing at the same time as they gazed into each others eyes.

Devon brought the pad of his thumb up to her cheek and wiped a tear away. “You have the most beautiful eyes.” He said as he caught a tear on his thumb and it slowly absorbed into him. He felt a profound sense that she had just become a part of him by that simple gesture. “Please, don’t cry.” He said in awe of the feelings she evoked in him.

Abigail shyly stepped out of his arms. She felt overheated and aroused and it almost scared her. She too was experiencing feelings that were familiar yet new to her at the same time. She dabbed at her eyes with the tissue, feeling confused. She wasn’t sure just how to react. “You...you held me,” she said in surprise. “But...you’re a ghost. Aren’t you suppose to be transparent and invisible?” She asked in awe of the revelation.

Devon thought about it for a moment and scratched his head. “I don’t know.” he tried to explain. “I’ve never been able to touch anyone since I’ve been dead. They’ve all been transparent to me as much as I am to them. And you’re the first person that has ever
seen
me in over three hundred years.” He said.

Abigail nervously walked away and into her kitchen that was a few steps away. She stood in front of her coffee maker, a million questions raced through her mind. She felt confused and lost.

Devon walked in and stood behind her. He could read every thought of hers and it surprised him but he was also happy with the revelation. “Are you alright?” He asked. He willed her to turn around so he could gaze into her beautiful eyes again.

Abigail turned around and looked at him and Devon smiled. She crossed her arms in front of her and adopted an expression of wonder. “This is really weird. I write books on this kind of stuff, but to really meet a ghost is...well...a little scary.” She said in a slightly nervous tone. “It feels so...so...surreal.”

Devon smiled warmly. “I would like to get to know you more. Would it be alright if I come back tomorrow?” He asked.

She looked down at his clothes and smiled. “I can’t believe I’m being haunted by a sexy pirate.” She laughed.

He laughed with her for a moment and then took her hand. “Will I see you tomorrow then?” He asked.

She turned her head shyly away as he placed a gentle kiss on her hand and she looked back into his eyes.“I would love that.” She said warmly, showing him her pretty smile.