Forget Me Never

by Sable Hunter

  This is what she had needed at Evermore. Investigating Patrick’s former home had been hard. At first she had been reluctant to do so. But Jeremy and Garrison had convinced her. It was a night she wasn’t likely to forget.

  She could still remember every detail . . . .

  A Memory

  When they had first contacted her about the filming, Jeremy and Garrison, they had appealed to her ego. “Are you kidding? Of course we want you with us. You’re a regular spirit magnet. None of our other episodes have even come close to having the ratings that we’ve had when Southern Belle Savannah was with us.” Jeremy was quite persuasive.

  “The Grove episode and the Broussard house you helped us with were actually nominated for awards. And the evidence we recorded was out of this world!”

  “Where will we be investigating?”

  “Just exactly where you wanted it to be, we aim to please.”

  “Evermore?”

  “Exactly.”

  Savannah knew then that she couldn’t turn it down – Evermore. The chance to contact Felix, and even Patrick, was just too important to pass up. They had requested that she send them some information and she had. Evermore was a fascinating place. The PROOF audience was going to love it. It was the most intact plantation in the South with thirty-seven buildings including twenty two slave cabins still standing from when Evermore was a working sugar cane plantation.

  Savannah thought it was the most beautiful of all the plantations. The Doric columns, the wide double galleries, and the two huge winding double stairways reminded her of a palace fit for Cinderella to leave her glass slipper. She so regretted that she didn’t get the chance to dress up and go somewhere with Patrick. Oh how handsome he would ha>oked in his dress uniform or a tux. He would have put her to shame, but she would have tried to look her best and she would have been as proud as punch of him.

  They had arrived before dark on Halloween night. And all Savannah could think about was that she was walking where Patrick had grown up. She could see him everywhere. He had talked lovingly about exploring the pegionniers or dovecotes where the original owners had housed pigeons which had been available for ready-made meals and they produced good fertilizer for their flower gardens. “We need to really check out the garconieries. They were built as dwellings for a family’s young boys – lots of risqué activities, I understand.”

  Jeremy got a laugh out of that. “You mean they had a special house for that?”

  “Well, I don’t know about that, but my fiancé grew up here in the caretaker’s house and he spent the night in one of these and he encountered the spirit of a little boy named Felix.”

  “Damn! A full body apparition? That’s better than sex.”

  Savannah didn’t think so, but she could see his point. “Yes, and he talked to Patrick. He said the people who lived in the plantation house were mean to him.”

  “A mystery!” Garrison was excited at the news.

  “I’d like to help him if we could.” Even after the heartbreak of losing Patrick, she never had forgotten the lonely little boy of Evermore.

  PROOF had brought their equipment trucks, vans and a crew of five in addition to Garrison and Jeremy. When they headed down to the slave cabins, she had asked curiously. “What’s going on?” She had expected for them to set up near the main house.

  “We’re spending the night in the cabins. We’ll start out in the main

  house, but we’ll end up here. Tell us what you’ve found out and where you think we should concentrate in addition to the garconieries.”

  Savannah had her information ready. She had talked to some of the locals and read a few diaries at the Cultural Center. “There are a few things we can watch for. One is the apparition of a young school teacher who died here. She played the piano and some have heard music coming from the empty house. Others have heard weird laughter emanating from the second floor baly.”

  “Well, that gives us something to focus on.” They began gathering up their gear. Swarms of mosquitoes made them stop and apply some spray and a squeal from one of the female crew members had them all running to her.

  “What’s wrong, Shelley? Do you see something?”

  “Yes, a snake!”

  One man stopped another from killing it. “Don’t, it’s not poisonous. That’s a king snake.”

  “I’d rather face a ghost any day than a snake.” Shelley was still unnerved.

  “I know how you feel.” Savannah agreed.

  The slave cabins were amazing. She could almost feel the weight of yesterdays and the despair of being a captive of circumstances. In some ways, she could relate. But there was one place she wanted to see more than any other. The well. Should she tell the crew? She considered it for a moment. No, she couldn’t. It was just too private. There was no way she would want to share her grief with the world. But she couldn’t resist seeing it. “I think I’ll take a walk. How much time do we have before we start filming?”

  “About half an hour,” Jeremy was checking the batteries in his thermal camera.

  “I’ll go with you,” Shelley grabbed a flashlight. “You don’t mind do you? I just hope we don’t run into anymore snakes.”

  Savannah wanted to tell her that she’d rather be alone, but she couldn’t do it. It just wasn’t in her to be rude. “Sure, let’s go.”

  They walked on down the road between the great rows of oak trees. “Don’t you just love these trees? It makes the most magical alleyway.” Shelley followed about two steps behind.

  “Yes, I do love them. Very much.” Savannah had her mind on other things – like would tonight be the night she’d make contact with Patrick? She turned left at the mill pond.

  “You have a destination in mind, don’t you?”

  “Yes, I had a friend who used to live here. He told me about a well dug by slaves. I wanted to see it.” That explanation seemed to satisfy the other girl.

  “Wow, look at that!”

  They came upon the brick structure standing starkly in the moonlight. “It is kind of impressive, isn’t it? Patrick told me an old shaman blessed the water.” She walked up to it and laid a hand on the bricks. They were still warm from the day’s sunlight.

  “Do you know what we ought to do?” There was a mischievous excitement in Shelley’s voice. “It’s Halloween! Have you ever heard the old wives’ tale about looking in a well and seeing the face of your future husband?”

  “You’ve heard about that?” An odd feeling of déjà vu washed over Savannah.

  “I sure have, the other way is to hold up a hand mirror and look into another mirror behind you. Of course that has to be done in the dark, lit by a candle – and like this way, it must be done on All Hallows Eve. All very scientific, I assure you.”

  Savannah had to laugh, even though the familiar tender ache was still there. “I am familiar with the one about looking in the well.”

  “Let’s do it.” She went to the curb and began to push. “Help me.”

  Savannah stepped up. “Be careful. Let’s aim it at that shelf behind it; I think that’s where it’s supposed to go.” It took some huffing and puffing, but they managed to do it. “Now what?” She couldn’t muster up any enthusiasm; after all, she had lost her soul mate. Savannah had no intention of ever marrying anyone.

  “I’ll go first.” Shelley hung over the side so far that Savannah grabbed onto her belt buckle. “Ooohh, it’s dark down here. But I can see the moon over my shoulder. Listen to this, cause you’re gonna want to say it to. My grandmother saw granddad in the well and this is what she said. “Love of my life show your face. Let me see you at this magical time and place. May the future come to light while the moon shines bright.” Shelley giggled – “Or something like that. I forget the exact words.”

  “At least it rhymed.” Both girls went quiet and Shelley stared into the waters. “Look!” Her voice was quavering with emotion. “Do you see what I see?”

  Savannah looked over into the water. At first she didn’t
see anything. Gradually her eyes adjusted and it seemed she could see something reflected in the dark surface. “What am I seeing?”

  “You’re seeing my childhood friend, Chris Evans, that’s who you’re seeing.he sip; Shelley strained to lean further over, holding herself up on her forearms. “What are you doing in my well-spell, Chris?”

  “I presume you were expecting someone else.”

  “That’s putting it mildly. Chris made my childhood miserable,” grumbled. “And if you think I’m going to marry you, you’ve got another think coming, Mister!”

  Savannah held the other girl around the waist. “Be careful. If you fall in, you won’t be marrying anybody.” She stared down in the water, but the reflection that she saw was unsteady and wavy. It could have been anybody. Yet, the longer she stared, the clearer it became. What in the world?

  Savannah blinked and looked again. A wedge of tears formed in her throat. Beyond a shadow of a doubt, she was staring into Patrick’s face. Her Patrick. “Why?” Balling up her fists, she wanted to rail at whatever malicious power was playing tricks with her mind. Dashing the tears from her eyes to clear her vision, she couldn’t tear her eyes away.

  “Just look at his smirky expression, like I would ever even consider going out with you.”

  Obviously they weren’t seeing the same image. But Patrick’s face was becoming clearer. It was him – yet different. He was thinner and had a scar on his right cheek.

  Surely, it was her imagination.

  “Hey, what are you two doing?” Garrison leaned over the well and his reflection obscured Patrick’s face.

  “Nothing, just a silly game,” she answered before Shelley could say anything.

  “Well, it’s time – let’s go ghost-hunting.”

  With one last look, she pulled herself away, not sure of what she’d seen in the dark waters of the well.

  The night had been one of the best PROOF had ever had. Several unexplainable things happened. A candle was thrown across the floor of one of the bedrooms and they were lucky enough to get it on film. Jeremy also recorded a couple of really good EVP’s and one of the voices even called Garrison by name. But Savannah did not record any type of image or voice that could be construed as Patrick. Where was he? Despair made her just want to run and keep on running.

  But there was one highlight of the evening. Felix. At her request, they had allowed Savannah to be alone in one of the graconieries. She had a digital recorder, a thermal camera and a video camera sat up to record her efforts. And she was nervous, she couldn’t deny that.

  PROOF did these types of segments in the black dark. The only light she had was from the cameras. “Can anyone hear me? Is there anyone here? Felix? Patrick?” She hoped no one asked her an explanation. Of course, they knew about Patrick – but she didn’t talk about it with them.

  For several long minutes there was no noise other than the click of the camera and the loud beating of her heart. “Are you lonely? Are you afraid?”

  A bump over in the corner made Savannah jump. “Hello?”

  She aimed the thermal camera in that direction and a soft blue glow took her breath away. “Patrick?”

  “No.” A small child’s voice sent goosebumps skittering across her skin.

  “Felix?” The glow moved toward her – mere inches, but it moved. “My name is Savannah. I have heard about you. Patrick, the little boy that used to live here – he told me about you.”

  “Patrick?”

  “Yes.”

  “I want my mama.”

  Savannah’s heart broke for the little boy. “Felix, Honey – you don’t have to stay here. Your mama is waiting for you.”

  “No, she’s gone. The mean man in the big house, he sent her away.”

  “She’s waiting for you Felix. Do you see a light?”

  “Your light?”

  That confused her until she realized he could see her equipment. “No, a big light.” How could she describe something she had never seen and didn’t even know if she believed existed. “If you see a light that makes you feel good to look at it, walk toward it.”

  “I’m afraid of the light.”

  “Don’t be. I think your mama may be in the light.”

  “Please help him,” she prayed. She didn’t know what she was asking for but if there was a benevolent God, surely he never intended for a little lost soul to wander all alone for eternity. “Felix, Honey. Can you hear me?”

  “Yes.”

  “Look at the light and tell me what you see.” There was silence.

  “A man.”

  A man? “What man?” She wanted to cry out for Patrick, but she didn’t want to scare the little boy. Funny. She didn’t want to scare the ghost. What had her world become?

  “Daddy!” Such joy she had never heard! In one word, Felix told her everything she needed to hear.

  And then he was gone.

  Savannah sat there for a few moments before she got up to go outside. She was in shock and happy all at the same time. One of the crew met her and she had to ask. “Did you get all of that?”

  His answer flabbergasted her. “No, we heard your voice but there wasn’t anything else at all.”

  “No light? No voice?”

  Nothing.

  Savannah wondered at her sanity. Maybe her constant grief over Patrick had pushed her too far.

  A small dinging of a bell made her jump. She had an email. Instantly, she felt an echo of the thrill she would get when she would hear that sound and know that it could be from Patrick. Laying her head back on the couch, she allowed herself to be transported back to that magical time of discovery when they had fallen in love – online. How they had enjoyed one another! And the secrets they had shared! When he had finally returned on leave, their romance had been a whirlwind because they had laid the foundation daily in emails and texts. And the times they had made love!! She would never know that joy again. Images from a happier day filled her mind.

  A Fantasy

  Sometimes it had been almost impossible to look him in the eye. The intensity and desire she would see – and all of it aimed at her could be overwhelming.

  “You’re insanely beautiful.” &nbss. A/b>

  He edged closer. "Hey, Savannah, look at me.”

  Savannah couldn’t help it; she bounced a little with excitement. "I’m looking, you just make me nervous, that’s all." She reached her hand out for him.

  “Damn, I just have no control when it comes to you.” He took her much smaller hand in his. “Come here, Baby."

  The smile on her face waned and for one moment, Savannah knew she must look like a deer in the headlights. Patrick jerked her towards him. His lips came down hard on hers, smooching and sucking at her lips. “You are so soft and sweet, so kissable.”

  “I want more than kisses.” Savannah was feeling brave.

  “How much more?”

  “Everything you’ve got.”

  "Fuck!” Savannah backed up to the wall and Patrick kicked the door shut behind him. He stood, towering over her, her palms against the wall. There's a single inch between their tense bodies and nothing more. Savannah looked up at him wordlessly; her chest expanding and collapsing in deep breaths. “Give me your hands.” She took them off the wall and he took both of them in one of his and brought them over her head pinning them to the wall. She breathed his name in a hushed tone. "Patrick."

  Patrick held her hip.

  “I love to touch this perfect stomach of yours.” Savannah shuddered as he let the tip of his fingers glide from the top of her mound to her breast. “You’re smooth, soft, perfect.”

  “Patrick,” Savannah purred.

  "Shhhhh."

  Another shudder and she looked down at the light grasp he had on her right breast. She filled her lungs, which pushed her tit into his hand; he rewarded her effort with a thumb rub over her nipple. There was no more purring, Savannah was full on panting and she bucked her hips off the wall to meet Patrick’s crotch and the growing erection i
mprisoned inside his jeans.

  He squeezed her wrists tighter and moved them up the wall, lifting her up even higher then her high heels already had. “Damn, you’re hot. You could cook a potato between us with the heat we generate.” He looked down at her body and sawhe slit in her dress. “God, I can’t resist you.” His free hand wandered there and settled in nicely on the bulge of her mound. “I'm gonna make you feel so good.”

  Savannah felt the heat radiate off her pussy in waves. She was already wet. “Damn, Patrick."

  He laughed, as if he couldn’t help it. “Anytime you cuss at me, I know you’re so turned on you can’t stand it.” He kissed her pouting lips. “Now, shhhhh. Quiet my Savannah," he said, not bothering to look back up at her.