elope.”
As she rested a gloved
hand on the window sill, a ghostly face materialized on the other
side of the window. A pane of glass separated the two lovers. That
had been me and Leo only a few hours earlier, and again it pained
me that, even if cursed, at least these two knew the other
existed.
Anne spun around to face
me and wore a brilliant smile. “Tell me about yourself and your
heart’s love. He was here that night in the cabin was he
not?”
“ Yes. His name’s
Leo.”
“ How did you two lovebirds
meet?”
“ I have always known Leo.
We were both born and raised in Providence. We’re the same age so
we’ve been in most of the same classes throughout school. I’ve had
a crush on him since I was six, after another boy broke my doll at
my birthday party and Leo fixed her for me. I don’t recall a single
day afterward when Leo hasn’t been inside my heart.”
“ He’s very handsome,” Anne
said discreetly.
“ He is handsome,” I
replied. “Plus, he’s a musician so that just adds to the hotness.
He played guitar in the school band for a few years until he set
his sights on a music career. Two years ago he talked Simon and
Thomas into forming a band with him. Their band is called
Volt.”
From outside, William
shouted, “They should be called Re- Volt.”
I laughed and decided I
liked these two, and if I have to be a ghost for all eternity, at
least I was in good company.
“ Good one,” I sang out.
“Leo’s tried countless times to get the others to agree to play
more meaningful songs. He says he outgrew the senseless noise when
he and I started dating, but he’s had a hard time convincing Simon
and Thomas. Leo was writing songs on the secret. In fact, we were
in competition with each other. Reach For The Stars is holding
auditions right here in Providence.”
When Anne gave me a blank
stare, I added, “The TV show?”
Her blue eyes narrowed and
then widened in recognition. “I know the one. Sadly, I only get to
watch TV when living people turn it on. Ooh, but I adore songs.
Please sing us the song you wrote for the audition.”
“ You haven’t finished
telling me your story.”
Anne frowned. “You will
learn that time is in no short supply here, so it is best to
stretch the stories out. Please sing for us.”
I curled my feet up under
me. “To be honest, I haven’t written anything. Writing about
someone you love isn’t so easy. Every time I start to compose the
words or the music, I’m overcome with failure. Like, nothing I say
can ever measure up to what I feel inside, and any attempt to put
what I feel into words just seems so inadequate.”
William’s face appeared in
the window. “Then I will sing for you:
“ November trees brace
‘gainst the winds
Leaves orange, red and
gold
Aspens glow, sunlight
beams
Upon path and
road
Hark, the song of busy
birds
Hail, shine or rain, they
toil
Make haste, before winter
maiden
Buries icy glove in
soil
November showers, autumn
winds
Bearing darkness down to
stay
Golden leaves, oh
acrobats
You twirl and hurry
away
In dead of night, black
bird sings
Mournful is her
chime
Death, she knows, flies
quietly
Black bird hurries, wastes
no time
Savage is the winter
kiss
All too quickly daylight
fades
Halo is a crown with
thorns
For those who seek out
Hades”
He finished singing and
Anne stood up and applauded. Rushing over to peer out the window, I
saw William was now hanging from a tree branch. I couldn’t stop
laughing. I also couldn’t stop the sense of guilt that washed over
me – I was laughing while Leo was crying.
I shook off the gloom, and
forced cheerfulness into my voice, telling myself I should stay
positive for Anne’s and William’s sake. After all, I was merely
dead – they were dead and cursed.
“ Okay, you’ve convinced me
a song from this century is in order. I’ll sing for you, on the condition you
continue with the story of how you and William met your
fate.”
I closed my eyes
As she rested a gloved
hand on the window sill, a ghostly face materialized on the other
side of the window. A pane of glass separated the two lovers. That
had been me and Leo only a few hours earlier, and again it pained
me that, even if cursed, at least these two knew the other
existed.
Anne spun around to face
me and wore a brilliant smile. “Tell me about yourself and your
heart’s love. He was here that night in the cabin was he
not?”
“ Yes. His name’s
Leo.”
“ How did you two lovebirds
meet?”
“ I have always known Leo.
We were both born and raised in Providence. We’re the same age so
we’ve been in most of the same classes throughout school. I’ve had
a crush on him since I was six, after another boy broke my doll at
my birthday party and Leo fixed her for me. I don’t recall a single
day afterward when Leo hasn’t been inside my heart.”
“ He’s very handsome,” Anne
said discreetly.
“ He is handsome,” I
replied. “Plus, he’s a musician so that just adds to the hotness.
He played guitar in the school band for a few years until he set
his sights on a music career. Two years ago he talked Simon and
Thomas into forming a band with him. Their band is called
Volt.”
From outside, William
shouted, “They should be called Re- Volt.”
I laughed and decided I
liked these two, and if I have to be a ghost for all eternity, at
least I was in good company.
“ Good one,” I sang out.
“Leo’s tried countless times to get the others to agree to play
more meaningful songs. He says he outgrew the senseless noise when
he and I started dating, but he’s had a hard time convincing Simon
and Thomas. Leo was writing songs on the secret. In fact, we were
in competition with each other. Reach For The Stars is holding
auditions right here in Providence.”
When Anne gave me a blank
stare, I added, “The TV show?”
Her blue eyes narrowed and
then widened in recognition. “I know the one. Sadly, I only get to
watch TV when living people turn it on. Ooh, but I adore songs.
Please sing us the song you wrote for the audition.”
“ You haven’t finished
telling me your story.”
Anne frowned. “You will
learn that time is in no short supply here, so it is best to
stretch the stories out. Please sing for us.”
I curled my feet up under
me. “To be honest, I haven’t written anything. Writing about
someone you love isn’t so easy. Every time I start to compose the
words or the music, I’m overcome with failure. Like, nothing I say
can ever measure up to what I feel inside, and any attempt to put
what I feel into words just seems so inadequate.”
William’s face appeared in
the window. “Then I will sing for you:
“ November trees brace
‘gainst the winds
Leaves orange, red and
gold
Aspens glow, sunlight
beams
Upon path and
road
Hark, the song of busy
birds
Hail, shine or rain, they
toil
Make haste, before winter
maiden
Buries icy glove in
soil
November showers, autumn
winds
Bearing darkness down to
stay
Golden leaves, oh
acrobats
You twirl and hurry
away
In dead of night, black
bird sings
Mournful is her
chime
Death, she knows, flies
quietly
Black bird hurries, wastes
no time
Savage is the winter
kiss
All too quickly daylight
fades
Halo is a crown with
thorns
For those who seek out
Hades”
He finished singing and
Anne stood up and applauded. Rushing over to peer out the window, I
saw William was now hanging from a tree branch. I couldn’t stop
laughing. I also couldn’t stop the sense of guilt that washed over
me – I was laughing while Leo was crying.
I shook off the gloom, and
forced cheerfulness into my voice, telling myself I should stay
positive for Anne’s and William’s sake. After all, I was merely
dead – they were dead and cursed.
“ Okay, you’ve convinced me
a song from this century is in order. I’ll sing for you, on the condition you
continue with the story of how you and William met your
fate.”
I closed my eyes
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