Shadow of a Life

by Mute80

  “Sophia became a ghost,” he whispered.

  I nodded slowly.

  “Were you her soul saver? How long has it been since she was here?” he asked quietly.

  It was my turn to be confused. He acted as if he didn’t know that Sophia was still around. Isn’t that why he’s been following me—to get to her? Am I really supposed to be his soul saver, too?

  “Why did you leave her on her eighteenth birthday? You were supposed to marry her and you deserted her. She wouldn’t have died if you had just kept your promise to her.”

  “Jamie, I don’t know how or when she died. How could I have killed her?”

  “You left her and she was forced to marry the old bachelor, Michael Mason. He attacked her on their wedding night. She tried to get away, but she fell on a fire poker and it went through her chest. She died instantly,” I snapped at him.

  Nick took a step back until he bumped against the bookshelf. He slowly slid down until he was sitting on the ground, his head in his hands.

  “Sophia . . . Sophia . . . I had no idea.” He was crying and I wasn’t sure what to do. Half of me felt sorry for him and half of me loathed him. I wondered if I should try to run again.

  “I didn’t leave her. Honest, Jamie. Her father, Captain Goodwin, somehow found out about our plan to run away together and he had two of his men from the Mist Seeker kidnap me that night. I tried, believe me, but I couldn’t fight them both off. They tied me up, threw me in a wagon, and hid me in town until they could stow me away on the Mist Seeker. I was there for a couple of days before Jeremiah came to tell me that Sophia had just been married. I remember him laughing and mocking me. He called me a snooping fool and told me he didn’t want a poor nobody like me working for him anymore. Then . . . he pulled out a pistol and shot me in the head. He didn’t even hesitate. It was as if he’d done it a million times before. They threw my body into the Chesapeake Bay. It sounds like I died the same night as Sophia.”

  It was my turn to slide down to the ground. I struggled to process everything I’d just heard. I’m sure we made an odd-looking pair sitting on the floor in the back of the library, tears streaming down both our faces.

  “After I died and became a ghost, I thought about going back to Sophia’s new home so I could see her one last time. I decided against it. I thought seeing her with her new husband would hurt too much. We may be ghosts, but we still have feelings. I spent the next decade and a half haunting ships at sea, biding my time until I could finish my business. I hit a low point and decided to go back and spend some time haunting the Goodwins, but I never dared venture over to Sophia’s farmhouse. I figured by that time she must have children of her own. I never heard the Goodwins discuss her and she never came to visit. Now I know why.”

  “Nick, she’s spent a hundred and twenty years thinking you left her and didn’t want to be with her.”

  “Oh, man,” he moaned and shook his head. “I can’t even imagine her pain. I assume she’s gone now. How long has it been since she was here?”

  I hesitated for just a second and then decided he had a right to know. “I was with her just a few hours ago. She’s still here, Nick.”

  He jumped up and let out a whoop. He pulled me to my feet and threw his arms around me, picking me up off the ground as he twirled. I couldn’t help but laugh a little. His eyes were sparkling just like Sophia’s always did.

  “Where is she? Can you take me to her? I never dared dream that I would actually see her again.”

  “Nick, remember, she thinks you left her. I don’t know if it’s a good idea for you to just waltz back into her life without warning.”

  “Will you help me, Jamie? Convince her that I’m telling the truth. When her parents died I was there and I saw that they became ghosts. I’ve been following them off and on for years. They’re up to something and I feel like I’m always just one step behind them. After talking to you, I’m pretty sure it’s her they’re looking for and I don’t want them to find her.”

  “I’ll try.”

  “Thank you.” He hugged me again. “Let’s go.”

  “Nick, I really did come here with my dad. He doesn’t know anything about ghosts so I think maybe you should just disappear for a while. Give me a chance to talk to Sophia and then we’ll meet you somewhere tomorrow.”

  “Okay. That makes sense. Gosh, it’s going to be a long night.” He ran his fingers through his hair and paced back and forth in front of the shelf. “Where should we meet?”

  I thought about the cemetery back in Marion, but realized that the next day would be Memorial Day and it would be full of people paying tribute to their loved ones. I didn’t think it was a good idea to bring Nick to my house so I gave him the address of our high school and told him to meet us by the football field at two in the afternoon. I really hoped Sophia believed him—because I did.

  I started to walk away, but Nick grabbed my arm once again.

  “Wait . . . Jamie. Is Sophia Goodwin really Sophia Briggs?”

  I nodded.

  He nodded back. “I get it now. I couldn’t figure out why the Goodwins were spending so much time trying to find ghosts that had connections with the Mary Celeste. Was Sophia kidnapped by them as a girl? Did they take all of the Briggs family?”

  “I think you better wait and have Sophia tell you the story herself. She’s not the person you thought she was all those years ago.”

  “Okay.” He paused. “Thanks, Jamie. I really appreciate this.”

  I smiled at him before stepping out the door. I met my dad at his office and we began the drive home.

  “You’re mighty quiet this afternoon,” he said after we’d driven in silence for five or so miles.

  “I’m just thinking. That’s all.”

  “That must have been some book you read back there at the library to have you think this much.” He playfully jabbed me in the arm.

  “It was about long lost lovers finding each other again.”

  “I thought you were more into mystery and suspense than you were into romance.”

  I laughed. “There’re a whole lot of secrets and suspense involved in this story, too. I haven’t gotten to the ending yet and I guess I’m trying to solve the mystery in my head.”

  With the return of Nick, I thought I knew what Sophia’s unfinished business was. It scared me. I wasn’t ready to say goodbye to her.

  *****

  When we got home I excused myself and ran up the stairs to my room. I really hoped I wouldn’t find Sophia there. I whispered her name and then said it a few times a little louder, just to see if she was lurking in the shadows somewhere. I didn’t get a response so I called Camille and told her everything that had happened at the library in New Bedford. She was just as shocked as I was. When I got to the part about Nick actually being a “good guy” she squealed into the phone. She was definitely the romantic in our little duo.

  It grew late and we agreed to meet to tell Sophia in the morning. I flung myself across my bed, stared at the ceiling, and called Peter. He answered on the first ring.

  “Hey.”

  “Hey, yourself.”

  “Any ghost business going on?”

  I loved that it was such a casual subject with him, as if he did that kind of thing every day. “Actually, yeah. Peter, Sophia’s old flame is alive. I mean, he’s dead, but he’s a ghost.”

  “Do you mean Nicholas Trenton or Michael Mason?”

  I cringed at the thought of Michael still being around. “Nick. Nick’s still here. I met him in New Bedford today.”

  Except for Peter’s breathing, the other end of the line was quiet. Finally he spoke. “What’s he doing here? Is he trying to hurt Sophia again?”

  “That’s what I thought, but it turns out he’s been following the Goodwins, who are also ghosts. Peter, they’re bad news. Jeremiah had Nick kidnapped and then killed him so he couldn’t marry Sophia.”

  “Wow . . . this story just keeps getting crazier.”

  “I know.
I can barely believe it. I keep hoping I’m going to wake up and find that I’ve been having a wicked crazy dream and it’s still the last week of school.”

  There was silence on the other end of the line again. “I don’t think I want this to be a dream. I’m kind of having a good time.”

  I paused. “Actually, I’m having a good time, too.”

  Peter agreed to meet with the rest of us in the morning as well. I texted Sophia and then I quickly fell asleep, once again dreaming of kidnappers, lovers, and old ships.

  CHAPTER 14

  Physically and emotionally drained the next morning, I forced myself to get up, get dressed, comb my hair, and put on some makeup. After all, I would be seeing Peter. I trudged down the stairs to where Dad stood in the kitchen, loading the dishwasher.

  “Good morning, sunshine,” he greeted me.

  “Mornin’, Dad,” I mumbled.

  “What are your plans for the day?”

  “Cam and Sophia are coming over in a little while. We’ll probably hang out somewhere.”

  “Sounds fun. I need to get some paperwork done this morning and then mow the lawn this afternoon. The rain we got last week is making the grass grow like weeds.”

  I sat down with a bowl of cereal and noticed for the first time the bouquet of brightly-colored tulips sitting in the middle of the table, reminding me it was Memorial Day. My eyes skimmed past the vase and into the living room where the urns of my father’s parents sat on the mantle of our fireplace. They both died when I was very young and their cremated bodies had always sat in a prominent position in the living room, but I hadn’t ever really given them much thought. My mom’s parents were dead, too, but I think they were buried in Ft. Lauderdale or something like that. I wasn’t exactly sure. Since Dad’s parents were cremated and we didn’t have a headstone to visit on Memorial Day he always brought home a bouquet of fresh flowers for the house instead to help us remember. I thought it was a sweet gesture. As I sat there eating my cereal, I wondered if Grandpa and Grandma Peters had ever been ghosts, hanging around their bodies in our living room. I hoped not. The thought gave me the creeps.

  Peter arrived first. We’d all agreed to meet at 10:30 and he rang the bell at 10:25. Dad’s eyes widened when he saw who was standing on the front porch and he looked at me quizzically.

  “Mr. Ashby. It’s nice to see you. I don’t think you’ve come over since you and Jamie were in grade school. How have you been?”

  I blushed. My dad was completely embarrassing me. There had been one birthday party of mine when I was young—ten, maybe?—that Mom actually planned and attended. She invited everyone in my class so that included Peter. It was true that the party was probably the last time he’d been over even though his parents and my dad were acquaintances in the academic world. Peter’s parents were archaeologists and traveled the world researching this and that, often presenting their findings at the nearby universities. They went on a lot of speaking tours across the country and I think Peter was alone a lot.

  “It’s nice to see you, Mr. Peters.”

  “How are your parents doing?”

  “Great, I guess. They’re on a cruise ship somewhere in the south Pacific right now.”

  “Ahh . . . research or pleasure?”

  “Supposedly pleasure, but if I know them they’ll find something to study when they get off the boat.”

  We were still standing in the doorway when Sophia pulled up to the curb. I was glad there would be someone else to join in the awkward conversation. Camille jumped out of Sophia’s car, too. I was relieved that the two of them had become friends. It made my job as the supposed soul saver a little easier. They greeted my dad and the four of us ventured into my backyard where we took up residence on the patio furniture. Camille lay down on a chaise lounge chair and Sophia sat at the table. I sat on the porch swing and blushed yet again when Peter sat down next to me.

  “So what’s the big news you have for me?” Sophia asked.

  Camille was about to bubble over with that news, but I wanted to tell Sophia gently.

  “Well, there’re a couple of things. First, I did a little more research at the Newton library in New Bedford yesterday. I found out where the final resting place of the Mary Celeste is.”

  “Seriously?”

  “Seriously.”

  “That’s so neat. Where is it? Can we all go there together? Maybe I’m meant to say goodbye to the ship and the memories of it before I’m extricated. This could be my unfinished business.”

  “It’s in Haiti.”

  “Haiti?” Peter exclaimed.

  I guess I’d forgotten to tell Peter and Camille that part of the story. The part where Nick suddenly reappeared kind of overshadowed the rest of what I’d learned.

  “I don’t think there’s any way my parents would let me take off for Haiti,” Camille said. “Besides, don’t you have to have some sort of special visa or something like that to even get into that country?”

  “I’m not sure. Are you thinking of Cuba? I think maybe you can get into Haiti with just a normal passport, but that doesn’t really matter. Dad would never let me go either.”

  “The sad thing is that my parents would probably think it was a great idea for me to go, even with the cholera, kidnappings, and crime they have there.” Peter sighed.

  “I think this is something Sophia is going to have to do on her own,” I said.

  “I can’t believe it. This could really be the answer. I would miss all of you if I disappeared, though,” Sophia reassured us.

  “There’s more, Sophia, but I’m not really sure how to tell you. Umm . . . have you ever wondered if Nick didn’t come back for you because maybe he couldn’t?”

  “What are you talking about?”

  “You said he gave Jeremiah a note when he left. What if that wasn’t true? What if he wasn’t really the one that wrote it? Did you actually see the note?”

  Sophia raised her eyebrows and shook her head.

  “That’s what I thought.” I smiled.

  “Jamie, if you have something to tell me, please do so. Now.”

  “Sophia, Nick is still here.”

  “What? That’s not funny.”

  “I saw him yesterday, Sophia. He’s a ghost.”

  “I don’t believe you.”

  “It’s true. He found me in New Bedford. He thinks I’m his soul saver, too.”

  “You’re not going to help him, are you?” she said accusingly.

  “Actually, I am. Sophia, you need to listen. He told me what happened all those years ago and I believe him. His story is just as tragic as yours.”

  “Tragic? Let me guess. He met someone in town that was prettier than me so he decided to run away with her instead, but then she didn’t want him after all and he was left all alone. Oh . . . poor Nick.” She mockingly put her hands on her cheeks and shook her head. Apparently she hadn’t forgiven him.

  “Sophia, he was killed at the same time as you.”

  “You’re not making any sense,” she yelled.

  “Your father, I mean Jeremiah, found out about your plans and had him kidnapped. Then, on the night of your wedding, he shot him.” I yelled, too.

  My dad opened the patio door and stuck his head out. “Is everything okay out here?”

  “We’re fine, Dad. Sorry if we disturbed you.” I didn’t sound very sincere and I wouldn’t look him in the eye.

  His eyes lingered on Sophia, who was wiping away tears, but he didn’t say anything and went back inside. I continued. “Sophia, it might sound like a made-up story, but I believe him. He was really upset when I told him about what happened to you and he feels awful. He didn’t know you were a ghost. He wants to see you today.”

  Camille and Peter had remained silent during our exchange, but Peter finally chimed in. “Sophia, I think you should see him. What if Nick is the reason why you haven’t been able to move on? Maybe the two of you were really meant to be together and it just took this long to find each other agai
n.”

  “I’m scared.”

  “If he’s as cute as you described, what’s there to be scared of?” Camille asked.

  We all looked at her like she had lost her mind, but then Sophia laughed, and the rest of us joined in. It helped.

  “Sophia, he still loves you. He’s been following the Goodwins for years because he wanted to stop them from hurting other people.”

  “Wait . . . is he the other person that the cemetery ghosts said was asking about Sophia?” Camille asked.

  “I hadn’t thought about that until now, but I’m sure you’re right, Cam.”

  “Where’s Nick now?” Sophia whispered.

  “He’s planning on meeting us at the high school at two.”

  “Oh, man,” Camille moaned.

  “What’s the problem?” I asked.

  “My parents made me promise to be home by one. We’re having our annual Memorial Day barbecue with my mom’s sisters and their families.”

  “That sucks. I’m glad I’m not you.” Peter grinned at Camille who glared at him in return.

  “This is going to be the reunion of the century—literally—and I’m going to miss it.” Camille was distraught, but the rest of us found her reaction kind of funny.

  “You better promise to bring Nick over as soon as you reunite. I’m dying to meet him. Uhh . . . no offense about the whole dying thing.”

  “No offense taken.” Sophia stood up. “Okay, if I’m really going to go through with this, I want to go change my clothes and freshen up a little before it’s time to go. Do you need a ride home, Camille?”

  I couldn’t think of anything Sophia could possibly do to make herself look better. She had her thick blond hair pulled into a ponytail that showed off her long neck, and she wore cute khaki capris with a yellow tank top. As usual, her makeup was impeccable.

  “Yeah, I guess I’ll go with you,” Camille grumbled. They excused themselves and I found myself alone with Peter on the patio swing. We gently kicked our legs and swung back and forth. The light breeze blew my hair around and brought with it the faint smell of the last of the lilac blooms. The birds were chirping—or was it angels singing—and I smiled. We weren’t alone for long before Dad reappeared and asked what we’d done to chase away our other friends.