Ghosts Of Lovers Past

by Bethany Sefchick

  Just beyond the lake, he could see the tall spires of Oakhurst Hall, the town’s grandest residence. Once the home of the Parks family, Oakhurst was now empty, waiting for the right person to buy it and restore the house to its former glory. Driving by the house, which sat on the far side of the lake and was accessible only via a gated, private drive, Justin wondered if the magnificent building would ever see happy times within its walls again.

  Though he was far from being a local, most people in the area knew the tragic story of the Parks family and its wastrel son and final member, Hammond Parks – a young man who had brought disgrace and ruin to his family.

  For some reason, Justin couldn’t work up any sympathy towards Parks and even though they had lived over a century apart, he felt a bit of anger towards the long dead scoundrel. The young man had been literally handed everything and threw it all away on who knows what. Even now, no one knew what, exactly, Hammond Parks had done to bring about his ruin, though there was speculation about everything from murder to bankrupting the family.

  Justin supposed no one would ever know the truth and that, too, angered him, though he chalked it up to being angry at the world in general these days. As he pulled into Rosewood House’s semi-circular driveway, his cell phone rang. It was Mia and she had some good news.

  Tim had checked online and discovered that Doctor Baker had actually turned his files over to the Blair County Historical Museum, rather than give them to the people in Blue Spring. His friend was on his way to the museum now, Mia said, so Justin might not need to get any additional information from Rose, though since he was already there, she conceded that it couldn’t hurt. She also reminded him that someone, probably Myles the investigator-in-training would be over that afternoon to pick up the box of possibly enchanted objects Reed had assembled earlier in the week.

  After hanging up with Mia, Justin braced himself to enter the house. Taking Reed’s potion had allowed him to better control his emotions every time he entered the house. However, Justin knew it was more than the house’s effect on him that caused his stomach to twist into knots. It was Rose.

  In a few short days, she had become the focus of his life and he knew that wasn’t good. She was a ghost. There was no future for them, he’d decided that morning as he’d driven back to Altoona. Even if the team could figure out what was binding her to the house and set her free, that wouldn’t change anything. She would still be a ghost, a being without a body.

  Justin also wondered briefly about Sophia Hamlin, the woman who was now all but forgotten in the quest to free Rose. That shamed him, more than he wanted to admit. The woman’s family wanted her back in the land of the living and so far, Ghosts, Inc. had done very little to accomplish that. While most of the group felt that Sophia’s recovery was directly linked to helping Rose move on, no one was really certain that was actually the case.

  If Rose was eventually free to move on to the Other Side, would that allow Sophia to wake from her coma and eventually recover? Since no one even knew why Sophia was in a coma, Justin doubted it. Elliott had visited the comatose woman at least twice and each time came away more confused than before.

  Filing all of those thoughts away, Justin let himself into the house with his key. He was about to call out for Rose when she materialized beside him.

  At the sight of her, his heart softened and everything else fell away. She was beautiful, perfect, at least in his eyes. For the first time, Justin wondered what would happen if they never found a way to help her. It occurred to him that as time passed, he would grow old and eventually die. Rose would remain young and lovely, though a ghost, forever. If he didn’t help her in this lifetime, would he ever be able to find her again? Justin didn’t even want to think about it.

  “Why so quiet, Justin?” Rose asked as she led him to the sofa. “You seem troubled.”

  He waved a hand and shook his head. “Nothing specific. Just a lot of little things. It’s been a long day already.”

  “Such as?” she prodded. Rose was nothing if not tenacious and Justin knew better than to try to avoid a topic once she’d focused on it.

  “Such as you and this investigation and Sophia. Stuff like that.” He prayed that his emotions weren’t written across his face like they usually were. He didn’t want her to worry.

  Rose settled back onto the cushion beside him and rested her chin in her hands. “So you haven’t made much progress, then?” A look of unhappiness crossed her face. “I had hoped that you would after my grandfather led you to those papers. Even after last night, I thought that perhaps…”

  “They helped,” Justin admitted, “but not enough. I came here to ask you if you knew anything about a town historical society. Maybe they might know something or have a clue we’re missing.”

  Rose shook her head. “There was one, briefly, in the 1980s, I believe, but it closed within a few years. I’m not sure what happened to their records.”

  Justin sighed and leaned his head back. “It’s okay. Tim has a lead at a local museum and is following up there about Doctor Baker’s papers.”

  Rose shifted so that she sat closer to Justin and picked up his hand to link it with hers. Immediately, Justin was assaulted by the same hot and cold sensation as before, but it was duller now, muted, he supposed, by Reed’s potion, which he hadn’t taken as frequently as he should have over the last day or so. “Do you really think Doctor Baker knew something that he deliberately kept hidden from my grandfather?”

  “I’m not sure,” Justin admitted, playing with Rose’s fingers where they linked with his. “But even if we could find something, one little clue, that would link what happened here to one of the so-called Red Files, then maybe we’d stand a chance. That has to be where information about your case lies.

  Rose’s brow furrowed. “I know much about the paranormal world but have never heard of these Red Files, other than my grandfather’s mention of them last night.”

  “No reason you would have,” Justin said, still studying their linked hands. “They’re highly classified, secret files maintained by several international paranormal agencies. Each file contains information deemed dangerous and possibly catastrophic, as well as directions on how to find certain enchanted objects or how to cast extremely powerful spells. Each time a catastrophic paranormal event happens or an object is discovered or a demon or something enters the world, a file is created. It’s been like that since the middle ages, I think.”

  Justin had never seen one of the Red Files himself, and didn’t know of anyone else who had either. He knew, or at least it was rumored, that there was at least one associated with Mia but since he had no reason to petition to see the file, he knew he never would.

  “They sound, well, dangerous, is the best word, I suppose.” Rose clearly disliked the idea of the files.

  “They are,” Justin confirmed. “The files are so dangerous that no single person has all of the files or will ever even see them all. They’re spread around the world. At first, the events were just written down and anyone could see them. Now they’re protected with DNA-based spells and paper that Reed developed. The files are only accessed when there’s no other way to solve a particular paranormal problem, and some, like the one leading to the Oracle at Delphi, will never be seen. It’s too dangerous to risk.”

  Rose stood and crossed over to the window. “These files… You believe there is one about me?” She crossed her arms over her chest and hugged herself. “I don’t like the idea that I’m somehow dangerous.”

  Justin crossed the room and pulled her into his embrace. “You’re not, or at least I don’t think you are. I think the events of that night are dangerous, or maybe even something connected to it, like a spell that was cast.” He could feel Rose shiver in his embrace. “There’s just a huge lack of information about that night, as if someone is deliberately covering it up. That means that there either truly isn’t any information or that someone is hiding it.”

  “Hence the possibility of a Red File abo
ut me.” She seemed to mull that over for a moment. “I suppose that does make sense. But if you can’t access the file, how can you help me?”

  Justin knew he had to tell her the truth. “I don’t know. If we had some evidence, I could request the file or someone on our staff could.” He frowned. “Actually, I probably couldn’t do it myself since I used to be James, but maybe Mia or Tim or even Reed could. We just have to know what file to ask for. Since no one really knows what’s in a particular file, there’s not even any way to fish for information.”

  “Well how many files are there?” Now that Rose saw a possible way out, she wasn’t about to let go. “We must be able to find a way, right?”

  Shaking his head, he pulled back so he could look her in the eye. “There are millions of files, Rose. Literally millions.”

  Pulling free, she moved to an end table and picked up a photograph of the family that had lived here up until a month ago. “Then there is no hope.”

  Justin turned her to face him, feeling the old but now familiar anger rise in him. Mentally, he chastised himself for not taking more of Reed’s potion since his emotions were already running high and knowing he would, in some way, pay for it. “There is hope!” he insisted. “Right now, Tim is out there looking for it!” He pinched the bridge of his nose, knowing that he needed to reign in his emotions before they got the better of him. “We’ll find an answer, Rose. I promise you.”

  Though clearly not satisfied, Rose seemed content to let the subject drop, though Justin knew that she wasn’t finished with the topic.

  “What now?” she asked, pulling free of his embrace. “We just sit and wait? Is that the only path left for me?”

  Justin wanted to say that there were still other options, things they hadn’t tried, but in truth, there wasn’t. Finding some clue that linked back to a Red File was the last resort. Rose seemed to know by his silence that they were truly out of options.

  “Then what do I do now?” she asked, her eyes skimming once more to the photo of the previous family still on the end table. “Do I go back into hiding and repeat the same process, hope that in time, the new occupants of this house accept me?”

  Her despair made Justin want to hit something. “Not yet, though that may come in time. For now, as long as Sophia is in a coma, nothing changes. In fact, we’re trying to get in touch with the family member who hired us to find out how long we have to solve this.”

  There was an air of sadness about Rose and it made Justin’s gut clench more than the house already did. This was wrong. This was their house and would have remained their house had their lives not been taken from them.

  Justin didn’t know when over the course of the last several days he’d fully accepted that he’d been James Morgan, but now, there was no question at all in his mind and he was desperate to reclaim what had once been his. Sinking to the couch, he put his head in his hands, wanting to weep and not understanding it, though he knew the house was to blame.

  “I’m sorry, Rosie,” he said quietly, calling her by the endearment that he knew he’d used often in his previous life. “I wish I had better answers. I know this isn’t what you had hoped for, what you were expecting when we came here.”

  There was undisguised pain in Rose’s voice when she spoke that lanced Justin in the heart. “You’re correct, Justin; it’s not. However, it’s the situation we are in and we can’t alter it. We are in a situation where we can’t win. My time is growing short and my tiredness is increasing every day.”

  She paused and Justin knew he was going to dread whatever she said next.

  “Until you have more information, I don’t think we should see each other again.”

  “You don’t mean that, not again!” Justin was by her side faster than he thought possible. He needed Rose. He couldn’t give her up now that he’d found her again. “You can’t mean that! Not after last night!”

  Rose shook her head. “I do mean it, Justin.” Reaching up, she cradled his face in her hand, her touch whisper light. “I can’t go on this way much longer and neither can you. I thought I could, especially after last night, but now I’m no longer sure. I’m getting weaker, which means my energy is draining. If I can’t replenish it, I’ll just vanish. In your heart, you know that’s true.”

  “I don’t! A wave of black rage began to sweep over Justin and his vision blurred. He felt himself slipping away and something else entering his body. Too late he realized that it was James. “Now that I’ve found you again, I won’t let you go!”

  “You don’t have a choice,” she said quietly. “This isn’t good for either of us. I live on false hope and borrowed time and your own life is stuck in limbo. I have no idea how long I’ll be able to continue to exist in this world. You need human companionship, my love. I wanted to tell you yesterday but I couldn’t. I was too weak and I wanted you too much.”

  Justin glared at her. There was a part of him that wanted to run for his car and guzzle the potion bottle he’d just remembered was stashed in the back seat, but another, darker part of him took over, allowing the anger to run free. The other entity now within him seemed to have taken free reign, pushing Justin’s will aside and taking over his body.

  “So what, Rose? You just let me fuck you like it’s all perfect and happy until you’re tired of me? You think you can just toss me out like a piece of trash?”

  “That’s not what I intended,” she pleaded, crossing the room to stand in front of him. “I don’t want to hurt you, but this is hurting me. More than I think you know. Please, let me go. Set me free to find you again in the next world.”

  Justin rolled his eyes, the full weight of James Morgan’s anger now rolling through his veins, possessing his soul. Justin had no doubt that whatever bit of James’ essence was still trapped in the house had now taken over his body completely and he was just along for the horrible ride. He struggled for control, but James wasn’t about to be denied. “That’s rich, Rosie girl.” He deliberately twisted the endearing term, knowing how much it hurt her. “Your grandfather would never let you be hurt and you know it!”

  “He already did,” Rose insisted, “by lying to me and tampering with my memories. But now that I know the truth, I also know that I have to let you go. It’s the right thing to do, for both of us. In the long run, I can’t give you what you need, what you will eventually come to crave. You’re human, Justin, and I no longer am, no matter how much we want to pretend otherwise.”

  She knew she was flip-flopping from her position the night before, when she’d begged him to come back to her, but she couldn’t help it. After he’d left her in the small hours of the morning, she’d come to the realization that it had to be done. It was wrong and selfish of her to try to keep Justin, no matter how much she loved him. She’d been right the first time. She just hadn’t wanted to admit it.

  He snorted at her words, indignant. “Don’t tell me what I need or don’t need! I’m happy with the way things are.”

  “But I’m not.” There was an edge to her voice that he’d never heard before, one he didn’t even know she was capable of. James had known, though and had seen it as a sign that she was getting ready to leave him. He thought she would proclaim to the world that he wasn’t worthy of a woman like her. Rose spoke again before he could lash out, however.

  “Even though it has only been a few days, this pain tears at me, knowing that I can’t be with you as I desire. I can’t be the woman you need.”

  Tears were running down her cheeks and Justin longed to wipe them away, cradle Rose to him and assure her that everything would be okay. James, however, was now almost in complete control, causing Justin to panic.

  Seeing his hesitation as he fought for control, she tried one last impassioned plea. “Give me my freedom, Justin, just as I long to give you yours.”

  “No!” Justin exploded, feeling reckless, ready to destroy the first thing he could touch, but he hung on to his precious control by a thread, trying once more to force James’ essence fro
m his body. “I won’t let you do this!”

  “It’s my decision and it’s final. After today, you will no longer be able to see me, Justin.” Rose put her hand on his shoulder, clearly overconfident in his self-control. “You know it is for the best.”

  At her touch, Justin whirled and pressed his lips to hers. Moaning, Rose’s mouth opened a fraction and he used the opportunity to plunge his tongue between her lips. He knew he was being rough, but he didn’t care. Rose was being foolish and he wanted her to see reason. He grabbed roughly at her breasts and massaged her between her legs, until she writhed beneath him, begging him to touch her.

  Pulling back, he glared at her. “Can you honestly tell me you want to give that up? The things I can do to you, the things I can make you feel? The way I can bring you to your knees, begging for my cock in your hot, wet pussy?”

  “This isn’t you, Justin.” Looking into his eyes, Rose instinctively knew that the words came from James, not Justin. “James talks like that, uses those words. You don’t. You’re a better man than that.”

  “Like hell,” Justin spat out as he stroked himself through his pants. “We’re one and the same, Rosie. And you know you want this. You know you can’t give it up. You love it too much.”

  “I don’t want to,” she replied, “but I will because I have to.” Her calm only infuriated James more and without warning, Justin felt the last of his precious control over his body slip away.

  “I. Won’t. Allow. It!” Anger erupted inside Justin as James took over completely and he picked up the nearest object, a crystal vase, and flung it at the wall. It shattered into a thousand pieces, the sharp slivers raining down around Rose. Had she been alive, she would have been sliced to ribbons. As it was, the pieces simply passed through her ghostly form to scatter across the hardwood floor.

  The moment James realized that the shards would have killed or severely injured a living being, whatever was left of his spirit disappeared, leaving Justin alone inside his body to gasp and stagger backwards in shock and horror. He’d been angry before but never felt that kind of blinding rage. His actions shook him to his very core.