Eternity With You

Gerard arrived late that evening from a dinner with his publisher. Not wanting to startle Elaine if she were resting, Gerard carefully unlocked the front door and gingerly hung his jacket on the coat rack. He glanced at the guest bedroom as he advanced up the staircase, wondering if Elaine was inside. 

With utmost care, Gerard turned the knob and peered inside: there, he saw Elaine resting on the bed, eyes closed, chest gently rising and falling with each breath. She looked a near perfect image of that ‘sleeping beauty’ Gerard had read about as a child in that hardback book of fairytales.

“I’m not asleep, you know.” Elaine’s voice suddenly rung out. Eyes still closed, she spoke with lilting words, sounding breathy and melodic as always. “I only appear to be for the sake of humanizing myself a bit more.”

“Ah, of course. You do not require sleep as a ghost.” Gerard sheepishly scratched the back of his head. “You seem so human that I often forget you lack bodily necessities.”

“You also forget that I was a human once.” Elaine sat up and hugged her knees. “But I understand what you mean. Over these past months, I’ve wished I were…real so to speak.”

Gerard invited himself into the room fully and sat on the end of the bed.

“Truthfully, I’m not sure I share the same ambition,” Gerard laughed. Elaine’s eyes widened.

“I don’t wish to end my own life, if that’s what you’re interpreting,” he quickly added. A clenching sensation took hold of his heart—fear, maybe, that his statement had irreparably frightened Elaine. The feeling persisted, clinging to his chest until the second he saw Elaine’s face relax. “I just mean that I want to better understand your predicament. After all, you have been isolated to the confines of my house for more than half a year now.” Gerard laid back and stared at the ceiling. “I can read however many supernatural studies and Gothic novels as I please, but nothing will fully contextualize your experience.” Gerard waved his hand searching for the proper words. 

“Childishly, I think I’d be content with being a ghost. It would not be nearly as bleak if you’re suffering limbo with someone else, surely. Wandering the earth for eternity with you would not be so bad then, would it?” 

When Elaine did not respond right away, Gerard shifted to look at her. 

Elaine simply stared back at him, gaze brimming with some ineffable emotion that seemed to bring an impossible bit of color to her ghostly eyes.