Page 44 of Ghost

Mason pulled his knees up to his chin and cried. After some time, he didn’t know how long he’d sat there, he could feel someone staring at him. When he looked up, he was surprised to see Gerald squatted down, balanced on the front of his feet.

“What do you want?” Mason asked none to politely.

“Mason, Ellen and I both care about you and want you to be happy.” He sat down with his legs crossed.

“Neither of us can quite understand how you feel, but I have a fairly good idea.” He sighed heavily and began to wring his hands together.

He looked up into Mason’s eyes. “You are a better man than I. I did not have the strength to leave, but neither was Ellen insistent that I go into the light. I was jealous and... well, selfish. I was too selfish to let Ellen have a life after I died. I was wrong. She was wrong. If you ever tell her I said that I will deny it.” He smiled slightly.

“I don’t want him to go.”

“Now, that I completely understand.” Gerald looked towards the window. “It is very hard to leave the one you love.” He looked back to Mason. “You will love again. It may not be the same way, but you are young, and love will come to you.”

Mason lowered his legs and sat up straight. “And what about Francis?”

“I am sorry, but that I cannot answer. Why? Because I was a jealous, selfish and controlling man. I denied my greatest love the chance of a full life. It is the biggest regret I ever had. I was wrong and bear the burden with a saddened heart that I am sure will never go away. The guilt I carry is so very heavy.”

Mason closed his eyes and breathed in deeply, letting it go slowly.

“I will tell you this, Mason. Francis is hurting just as much, but he is a sensible man and Ellen has showed him the error that we made. It was a very grave error.”

“How is it that Francis didn’t go into the light?”

Gerald sat motionless for a moment. “To be completely honest, I’m not sure how it all works exactly, but from what I gather, it was the way Francis died.

” Gerald looked at Mason sadly. “He was murdered by his own mother in his own home. I think... I think he was just lost and didn’t see the light. That’s my guess at any rate.”

“How am I going to go on living here without him?”

Gerald reached out to Mason. Mason could feel a warm flush, like a warm breeze that flowed through him.

“You will learn to, Mason.” Gerald stood up.

“You are a survivor, my friend. You may not know it now, but you have an energy about you that makes people want to be with you, and not in the way of just lovers. It is an aura that makes people happy and... satisfied if that’s even it. It is very strong within you.”

Mason shook his head and looked down. “I don’t understand.” He looked up at Gerald.

“I know you do not, but I think you have much to learn about this life. A life very much worth living in your own way. You have so much to offer, a lot more than I ever did.” He motioned for Mason to stand up.

“Come, you have guests.” He looked intently at Mason.

“Francis is with Ellen. He will need you as much as you need him tonight. Do not waste a single second. Um... you might want to clean up a bit, though. You’re quite dirty and sweaty. ”

* * * * *

The evening went by quickly, but as slow as a snail.

It was so confusing to Mason. On one hand, he was surrounded by people, but Francis was always close.

It was difficult to not stare at him when no one but Ellen, and of course Gerald, could see him.

In the back of his mind, he was counting down the moments they had left together, and his heart was breaking.

Mason wasn’t even sure he would live to see the next day.

Many times during the evening, people spoke to him, he had conversations, and it was all such a blur.

There was music, dancing and a lot of drinking.

It was a great party and Mason didn’t feel a part of it.

In fact, he was numb to everyone and everything around him except Francis.

At one point he wondered why there was even a party to begin with.

He made a note to ask Patty when he could.

At one point Ellen cornered Mason inside, as he came out of the bathroom. She reached for him and grasped his forearm. “You are holding up very well.”

“He is a very strong man, dear cousin,” Francis said quietly. “Much stronger than I.” Francis looked into Mason’s eyes and then slowly faded away. Mason did not see him the rest of the evening while guests were around.

Mason looked at Ellen. “Why are we even having this party? What’s the point?”

Ellen sighed, tiredly, suddenly looking very old and tired.

“It is a distraction for what is to come.” She looked into Mason’s eyes.

“I think we all need that right now. A way to take our minds off things.” She looked out onto the packed courtyard.

“I also think it is a way for this neighborhood to come together again. They also needed this. I think more parties are needed in the future.”

It suddenly occurred to him, as the party started to wind down, that LD Three had not approached him at all during the party. He frowned slightly as he watched all the LD’s leave. “He didn’t even say goodbye.”

“That’s because he and I had a... conversation,” Ellen said. She smiled at Mason. “Don’t worry, it was only for tonight.”

“I don’t know how you do that.” Mason said, barely above a whisper.

“I can tell you.” Ellen slipped her arm around his. “I learned from a very young age that if you look long enough and hard enough you can tell what people are thinking. Not like mind-reading or anything such as that, but you’ll know.”

“Just by studying them?”

“Yes. Observe how they act. How they treat others. Their eyes often give them away.”

“What did LD Three do to give himself away?” Mason turned to look at Ellen.

Ellen waved her hand as if shooing a fly away. “Men are easy to read. He had that hunting look in his eyes, which were on you all evening. It took a bit of strong-arming of Francis to keep him from losing control. I am pretty sure that the two of us were not the only ones that noticed, either.”

“Oh, hell.” Mason ran his hand over his head, wishing he hadn’t cut his hair.

“Don’t worry.” Ellen gave a little chuckle. “I have no doubt that he’ll be around...a lot.”

“What did Francis say?”

“Don’t you worry about that. He didn’t like it and if he were alive, he probably would have challenged the poor lad to a duel.”

Mason stopped and looked horrified at Ellen. “You’re not serious.”

“Of course, I am. That is how these types of things were handled back in the day. They would either apologize or shoot at one another. It was very flattering, to be honest.”

“Did that happen to you?” Mason asked, his eyebrows almost meeting his hairline.

“Yes, but only once.” Ellen sighed contently.

“It had fallen out of fashion for the most part, but I heard many stories of when it happened to others. My mother, for instance, told me that she had four men duel over her. She made sure to tell me that none of them died, fortunately, and only three were wounded.”

“I...I’d hate to think that anyone died over me.”

“As I said, it was a different time.” She looked at Mason. “It was a time in which Francis lived. He is not of this time, Mason.”

Mason swallowed hard. “I know.”

“He knows that also.” Ellen took Mason’s hands in hers. They were warm but not hot, and cool, but not cold. It was somewhat odd. “Treat each other with kindness tonight.”

Mason could only nod. He was afraid that he would lose it completely and starting sobbing again.

“Why don’t you go to bed?” Ellen patted his left hand. “You’ve had a very long and emotional day. Remember that you are overly stimulated right now, okay? Remember that.”

Mason nodded again. “What about the rest of these people?”

“I will take care of that,” Ellen smiled. “I’ll tell Patty that the party is over, and tomorrow is a big day.”

“What about... all this mess?” Mason swung his arm around the back courtyard where tables and chairs still stood, along with some discarded plates and glasses in the grass.

“That has been dealt with. The only thing you have to do is wake up and do what you normally do in the mornings.” She looked away. “Martin will be here around ten in the morning.”

“I thought they weren’t coming until the afternoon?”

Ellen smiled gently. “I felt it might be better to move things along.”

* * * * *

Mason went into his bathroom and brushed his teeth before going to bed. He was approaching his bed when Francis slowly appeared. They stood and looked at each other for a moment.

“Do you not wish to sleep in my bed, Mason?”

Mason shut his eyes for a moment, then looked up at Francis. “Yes, I do. I want to sleep with you there. I... just wasn’t thinking, Francis. I’m pretty exhausted. The last few days have pretty much drained me.”

“I am sorry, my love. I know that I am the cause of such distress with you.”

“It’s not only that.” He waved his hands about. “It’s everything seems to be happening so fast, it makes my head spin.”

Francis smiled in understanding. “There has been a lot of things happening for you, that is for certain. I also would be a bit out of sorts if it were me, I believe.”

They stood looking at each other for a moment.

Mason smiled. “Shall we go up to bed?”

Francis matched his smile. “I would like nothing more.”