A Christmas Ghost Read online

  “I did nothing!” He raised his voice.

  He looked down and noticed a little pool of blood coming from her foot.

  “You’re hurt!” Shock settled into his bones.

  He ran for the first aid kit in the nearest bathroom and reappeared in front of Stacey. He guided her to a chair and had her sit down. He propped her foot on his knee and cleaned her up. He grabbed a bandage and placed it on the small cut.

  He looked around and saw the window was broken. He sighed and shook his head.

  “This neighborhood isn’t the same anymore.”

  He poked his out of the window and watched for anyone leaving the property. No one came into sight. Samuel found the home phone and called the police. He reported the incident and shortly after a police officer came.

  “Start from the beginning. What happened?” The officer asked.

  “I was sleeping when I heard glass shattering. I came to check things out and noticed my window had been broken. I heard footsteps and called out to whoever it was, but no one answered.”

  The officer nodded while writing everything down.

  “And you’re the one who reported it?” He pointed his pen to Samuel.

  “Yes, I reported it.” He answered.

  “Is anything missing that you are aware of?” The officer glanced at Stacey.

  “I honestly don’t know. My mind was furthest from that thought.”

  “All things considered, you were fortunate you had someone here with you. There’s been lots of reports lately in the neighborhood of vandalism. We’re not sure who the culprit is at this point.”

  The officer finished writing things down and reached into his shirt pocket. He handed Stacey a card with his name and number on it.

  “Call me if you notice anything missing or if the intruder has returned.”

  “I will, officer.” Stacey confirmed.

  Samuel showed the officer out and glanced at Stacey. With each step she took, she limped and yelped out in pain. He rushed to her side and helped her along back to bed.

  “I would consider installing an alarm system so this doesn’t happen again.” Samuel suggested.

  They reached her bedroom, and he helped slide her legs gently onto the bed without disturbing her injured foot. He turned around and before he could exit her room, she called out to him.

  “Please stay with me?”

  His head became limp and fell slightly.

  “All right.” He replied.

  He found a chair in the corner of the room and made himself comfortable in it for the remainder of the night. Stacey tossed him an extra blanket for warmth and an extra pillow for more comfort.

  “Goodnight.” Her voice rang.

  Samuel noticed how the moonlight played against her fair skin. It almost seemed porcelain-like. Her dark hair blended in with the black of the night and her petite body could not be concealed with the fleece blanket that draped over her.

  He closed his eyes and swore off sleep to protect Stacey from any intruder that had the balls to break in. Something came over him that night. He felt the need to protect her. He felt the need to be there with her and make sure she would not be alone. Why was he feeling this way? How was this possible? He’s a ghost, not a human.

  Three

  Chapter Three

  A couple of weeks past and Stacey got real comfortable with Samuel. Perhaps too comfortable. Often she would have thoughts of being romantically involved, however, she had to remind herself that he was still a ghost, not human. How could a human and a ghost become involved with each other? It was unrealistic in her eyes.

  For Samuel, it had struck him hard. Ever since that night she let her guard down completely and allowed him to watch over her in her room, he saw her in a different light. He too had the same thoughts.

  “Maybe she is right. Perhaps the issue that’s holding me back from crossing over is that I never found love.” Samuel pondered internally.

  “What has your mind preoccupied?” Stacey wondered aloud.

  “Huh?” He shook his head and jolted himself back to reality. “Oh, nothing. It’s something absurd to begin with.” He stated.

  “Oh. Tell me anyways. Maybe I can help?” She placed her hands on top of his in an assuring way.

  His eyes trailed to her small fingers and held his attention for quite some time.

  “Have you figured out how to cross over yet?” She inquired.

  “Working on it.” His eyes went back to hers.

  “So there was something that went unresolved, huh?” Stacey lit up.

  “Yes, and I’m just now seeing it.” Samuel replied.

  “Tell me! Tell me what it is!” She became giddy.

  Samuel gulped. This felt awkward for him. How was it possible for a ghost to have emotions? Yet it was transpiring. Nothing made sense, but the more he thought about it, what really did?

  Stacey suspected something bothered him, but she couldn’t grasp it. Her brows wrinkled and a million thoughts ran through her mind. Samuel leaned forward and stopped nearly an inch away from her face. Stacey withdrew as this wasn’t normal behavior for him. He leaned further in and closed the gap between them more.

  “What are you doing?” She whispered.

  “Possibly resolving the issue that’s keeping me here.” He reacted.

  His lips connected with hers in an instant. Although the situation was unorthodox, something definitely sparked. Amidst the kiss, he recollected all the times she felt weak around him, the small smiles she gave, the gentle glances, and the times she touched his heart through small gestures.

  Since moving in, Stacey has lingered in his mind and her kindness moved to his heart and soul. This is what he lacked before he passed away. He was sure of it.

  When they parted, their eyes met once again.

  “I expected that to feel awkward, but it didn’t.” Stacey remarked.

  “Because you feel it too, right?”

  She nodded her head slightly as if she was hesitating and trying to deny it all. Samuel caressed her face with his hand, trying to soothe whatever uneasiness she harbored.

  “I believe through you, I can fix things. But truth be told, I don’t know if I want to leave.” Samuel admitted.

  “I understand, but in return it’s inevitable.” Stacey reminded him of the outcome.

  “I know, and that’s what torments me.”

  Stacey sighed. This was difficult on their hearts. Someone was bound to become broken. The phone rang, breaking the tension in the air. Samuel was the one to excuse himself to answer it. He disappeared and shortly after the ringing stopped.

  While he was away, Stacey had time to think. If he left, she would miss the sudden vanishing and reappearing in another room. Another thing she would miss was him. She would miss his presence around the house. She would miss the protection he provided her, and the affection he gave to her. All the small things that went unnoticed would become missed greatly.

  Samuel returned with a look as if he heard some great news.

  “That was the police department.”

  “Oh? Did they catch the criminal?” Stacey asked.

  “Yes and no.” Samuel countered.

  “Explain.”

  “They know who it is, but…” Samuel paused.

  “This can’t be good.” Stacey sighed.

  “They need to use us as bait to catch him.”

  “WHAT?!” She became angered.

  “They’ll be staking out, so an arrest will be made tonight and quickly. And, if anything happens, I’m right here. I won’t let anything happen to you. You can count on that.” He consoled.

  She nodded and gave the okay to go ahead with this plan. Since that night, she pleaded to whoever listened to her to make sure this person gets caught.

  Night rolled in and everyone settled in for a much-needed slumber. Samuel offered to watch over Stacey in her room and she permitted it. He setup his usual chair in the corner, blanket and pillow for warmth and comfort. He wa
tched as Stacey succumbed to sleep and reveled in the way she looked at night. Something about the moonlight casts a magical and romantic glow around her. Perhaps this was one reason he fell in love with her.

  Samuel peeked out the window the ensure the officers were in sight and ready for anything to happen. He glanced over at Stacey and soon regret came over him. He failed to tell her one little detail. The person who they are after has targeted her. They believe he might be someone from her past.

  Samuel did not want her to know this as this might cause her to become unstable and reject their plans to catch him. They needed full cooperation in order for this to work. Samuel sat back in the chair and waited for as long as it would take. Nothing would happen to Stacey as long as he was there.

  Sometime went by and Samuel heard a clamor. It wasn’t uproarious like last time. Maybe the culprit learned his lesson. He ascended from the chair and quietly retreated from Stacey’s room. He kept his back to the wall at all times. No one would catch him off guard or sneak up behind him. He kept his tread light as he didn’t want the person inside to know he was aware of his presence.

  When he reached the main area of the house, he squinted his eyes to gain more focus. Whoever this man was, definitely had Stacey targeted.

  “What are you doing here?” Samuel whispered into the black air.

  The air moved as an indication the intruder inside became spooked to know someone was watching him.

  “Why are you here?” Samuel drilled with more questioning.

  “Where are you? Don’t be a coward!” The man yelled into the night air.

  “Coward? I don’t think so.”

  A small light turned on from a table lamp and Samuel met with a burly looking man. He was rough around the edges and looked ready to do harm. The intruder charged after Samuel and he sprinted backwards.

  “Too slow.” Samuel prodded.

  This aggravated the intruder, and he pulled out a knife. The knife caught the light of the lamp and shone. Samuel backed away, and the man laughed.

  “Coward.” He tested Samuel.

  The intruder jumped forward with the knife directly in front of him. He prepared to remove Samuel from his sight. Samuel fought back with all his might to prevent the knife from coming closer. As the tip of the knife drew nearer one thing surprised the intruder. Samuel was not in any way normal.

  “What the fuck?” The intruder whispered with wide eyes.

  With disbelief written all over the intruder’s face, the knife went through Samuel and not into him.

  “What are you?” The man asked as he stepped away slowly.

  “What? Haven’t you heard?” Samuel smirked. “I’m the ghost that haunts this house.”

  The intruder backed away, heading towards the front door. He had his hand extended behind him, searching for the doorknob.

  “BOO!” Samuel lunged forward with his hands raised, framing his face.

  This creeped the intruder out and he dashed out the front door and into the arms of the police.

  “Ahhh, shit.” The intruder remarked.

  “You are under arrest for breaking and entering.” One police officer spoke.

  The officers read the man his rights and escorted him to the back of the cruiser, all the while he screamed and carried on that Samuel was a ghost. People stood in the front porches, watching the police shove the intruder into the back of the police car.

  “Is it safe to come out now?” Stacey’s soft voice echoed from behind a curtain.

  “When did you get here?” Samuel became surprised.

  Shortly after I heard scuffling around.” She answered.

  “Well, it’s a good thing you weren’t seen. You might have been hurt.”

  An officer came back and took the report from Samuel and Stacey. The first question that was on everyone’s mind was if she knew the man.

  “I do in fact.” She sighed. “I thought he was dead, but I guess I was mistaken.”

  “You mean…?” Samuel pointed outside. “He’s that man you dated and supposedly died?”

  She nodded her head in confirmation. This broke her heart that her boyfriend would fake his own death.

  “Why would he do such a thing?” Samuel asked with a hand on her back.

  “I think he wanted to get away from me. So the best possible way to do that was to die.” Her face lowered.

  The officer wrote everything he needed to know and left to rejoin his partner. Stacey quietly left without notice, and Samuel pursued her. He found her in her room, buried under her blankets.

  “This must be a sign.” Her voice was muffled from the blankets.

  “How so?” Samuel inquired.

  “I’ll be alone forever.” She explained.

  “Not true.” He reached out his hand to her covered body.

  “How would you know?”

  “Because I’m here, and I want to be with you…”

  Four

  Chapter Four

  It was the night of Christmas Eve and fresh snow had fallen on the ground. Stacey watched as the snow collected from the porch and Samuel watched from inside. The experience didn’t feel the same though. How could anyone witness a magical event from inside a house?

  As she watched the snow fall, thoughts of the reason behind her exes wrong doings ran through her mind. How could a person who claimed to love someone do such a thing like that? How could a person go from completely in love to despising someone so much, they’d go to the extreme of planning something so vile? According to police he had mentally snapped and felt Stacey was after him. His family came forward and explained there is a long line of mental health issues, which contributed to several criminal incidents with him in the past.

  “I need to warm up.” Stacey shivered and retreated inside the house.

  She shut the door and hugged herself to warm up.

  “Shall I get us something hot to drink?” Samuel asked.

  “Sure.” She smiled.

  As Samuel fixed hot drinks for the both of them, one thing ran through his mind.

  “I need to tell her.” He spoke to himself as he poured hot chocolate into two mugs.

  “Tell me what?” Stacey leaned against the door frame to the kitchen with her arms folded.

  Samuel spun around with the two mugs in his hands and gave one to her.

  “Here you go.” He smiled.

  “You’re avoiding my question, What’s going on?” Stacey became concerned.

  “I’ll tell you later.”

  Samuel left for the family room where the tree was located. He made himself comfortable in one chair by the tree. He admired it. The way he gazed at the tree, he was doing more than cherishing the moment. He was remembering it for when he goes away.

  “What’s wrong?” Stacey voiced her concern.

  She sat in the chair across from Samuel and sipped on her hot chocolate.

  “I need to say something to you. But after I say it, I might go away. I don’t know if I’ll come back.” Samuel became saddened.

  Stacey nodded her head as she knew what would happen. Samuel’s mouth opened and tried to form words, but nothing came out properly. She waited patiently for him to collect himself and speak.

  “I’m in love with you.” He finally admitted.

  Stacey smiled and hesitated. She knew if she confessed, he would disappear forever as it would resolve the issue that kept him there.

  “I love you, too.”

  Samuel placed his mug on a side table next to him and ascended from his chair. He strolled towards Stacey and grabbed her tiny hand. He lifted her from her chair and pulled her closer. His plump lips caressed hers and played wonderfully.

  Samuel pulled back after several minutes. Stacey studied him carefully. She wanted to remember him the way he was. She wanted to remember his dark hair, and dark eyes to accompany it. She wanted to remember his smile that sometimes looked wicked from playful thoughts.

  Samuel was a beautiful man. Even his soul was beautiful. He taught
Stacey how to love again and how to live. He taught her to laugh again and enjoy anything life offered. His presence captivated her and she fell in love with him.

  They were expecting him to disappear right away, but he remained in the family room.

  “I’m guessing this takes time?” Stacey remarked.

  “Not sure, I’ve never gone through this before.” Samuel shrugged.

  “How will we know if you go away? Maybe it really wasn’t about finding love.” Stacey hoped.

  She wanted him to stay longer because she needed him. Her life would seem empty without him. Samuel waved Stacey to sit back down and he followed soon after.

  “Instead of being wrapped up in heartbreak, how about we enjoy the time we have left.” Samuel suggested.

  They sipped on the rest of their hot chocolate and shared stories of past Christmases. Some were funny, and some were embarrassing.

  “That’s too funny!” Stacey laughed hysterically into her hand.

  “If your pants accidentally dropped, you wouldn’t be laughing.” Samuel sneered slightly.

  “Sorry.” Stacey settled her laughter.

  The wind picked up outside and the snow softly hit the window. The lights flickered and Stacey looked over to Samuel. When the lights flickered back on the last time, he vanished.

  “Samuel?” Stacey rose from her chair.

  She searched in every room, hoping he was playing a joke on her. When Stacey finished looking around, he really had gone away. He wasn’t hiding or playing a joke on her.

  “I guess he crossed over.” She spoke softly into the cold air. “I hope he can find peace now.”

  Stacey dragged her body to her bedroom and let all her hurt go under the blanket. A few times, she thought she felt a hand on her back trying to soothe her.

  “My mind is playing tricks on me. It needs to stop. It’s not funny.” She cried into her pillow.

  In the afterlife, Samuel arrived in front of an entrance to the main gates. He examined his surroundings and looked for anyone who might know where he was.

  “Ahh, Samuel, you’ve finally arrived.” A man standing at the entrance called out.