Fiction: Spirit Talking
So today is Friday the 13th. That has to be acknowledged. *laughing* I will be writing more Shattered Reflection, but I couldn't get this story out of my head and I figured since today is Friday the 13th, I'd play with the Supernatural. I'll understand if no one reads this. It's kind of out there, but I think it's fun and an interesting idea. If anyone has seen Ghost Whisperer and the movie Just Like Heaven, this story is a cross between those. I really hope you do like it, if you read it. Please let me know what you think. *pleads with puppy dog eyes*
This is for my 50prompts prompt list. The prompt is: Spirit. It is also day 15 of the 40 fics for Lent 2009 challenge.
Title: Spirit Talking
Author: jailynn24
Rating: G
Type: Supernatural, romance, AU/AR
Prompt: Spirit
Warning: Unbeta'd
Feedback: Please and thank you. It makes my day
Claim/Fandom: Ashlee Wolfe, Guiding Light
Summary: She can speak to the dead, but is he one of them?
Word Count: 2351
Disclaimer: Not Mine
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She’s always been sensitive to the supernatural. It’s a curse, or a blessing depending on who you talk to, that was passed down from generation to generation, mother to daughter for centuries in the Wolfe family. Her ancestors from Ireland used to use their talents to tell fortunes and contact family members for wealthy individuals. Basically she came from a long line of gypsies that moved from place to place giving people solace or helping others move on. When her great-grandmother moved to America, she kept her gifts a secret except for the people that needed her the most. Her grandmother also kept up the business of helping lost souls find their way, both living ones and ones that had passed on.
The only one in her immediate family that turned the gift away was her mother, Doris Wolfe. Ashlee didn’t even realize her mother had the gift until she was twenty years old and about to drive herself mad because she felt like a freak. Somehow, Doris was able to turn it off, block out the noise of the dead seeking help. Her mother built her life on facts and the spirit world just didn’t fit into the white and black world she set up for herself. Laws and justice, while not perfect, were just the concrete platform Doris needed so that’s the place she embraced.
It was a little disconcerting at times to be around her mother knowing that she could see and hear spirits as well, but didn’t react to them. That’s all Ashlee could do. She had to react. She couldn’t handle seeing someone so lost without attempting to help guide them where they needed to be. She sighed, standing at the corner of Wellington and Monroe. Of course that desire to help has cost her a lot. She didn’t have friends because every time she got one, they eventually came to the conclusion that she wasn’t right in the head. It was hard to explain that she wasn’t in fact talking to air, but was actually talking to a great-grandfather of theirs that had an important message for them. That was usually the moment she was labeled a freak and shunned from their life. The first time that happened, she was devastated. At six, she couldn’t understand how knowing that your loved ones were still watching out for you was a bad thing. Ashlee still didn’t understand that, but she learned over time to accept that she would never be miss popularity or someone with an abundance of friends.
The curse also made jobs increasingly hard for her to keep. Her bosses usually didn’t like her leaving work at the drop of a hat when a lot of ghosts started talking all at once and gave her a horrible migraine headache. That many spirits could also make her nauseous to the point of being ill for days. That was another reason she didn’t turn the dead away. She couldn’t. When she tried to they just followed her until she eventually gave into their pushy demands. Shaking her head, she rubbed her temples and waited for the crosswalk light to change. Today she had another job interview for a position as a waitress in a family owned restaurant. It’s been two weeks since she moved to Springfield and already the numbers of ghosts have been keeping her up. It’s like they had a radar for sensitives. ‘Hey boys and girls, here’s one now, let’s attack her all day and night long, whoo-hoo.’ Ashlee groaned. She knew she looked like hell with bags under her eyes that no amount of make-up could fix. And that wasn’t from lack of trying. She had about every kind of concealer known to man in her bathroom at her apartment.
The tiny green man lit up the crosswalk light and she moved quickly over to the other side. She really needed this job and hoped her appearance wouldn’t ruin her chances. She nervously pulled at the collar of her shirt. Why did she choose this turtle neck when it was nine hundred degrees outside? Sweat glistened the top of her forehead. Looking through her large bag, she pulled out a handkerchief that used to be her grandfather’s and used it to pat at the beads of moisture lining the top of her head. Taking a deep breath she stopped in front of the restaurant she was looking for. Company looked really homey from the outside. A large white porch surrounded the building that was two stories high. People were smiling and laughing, enjoying cups of coffee and delicious smelling breakfasts. Clamping an arm around her waist, Ashlee flushed, embarrassed by the grumbling coming from her stomach. Belatedly she remembered that she skipped breakfast and barely ate anything last night for dinner.
Shaking her head, she pulled open the wood door and was immediately enveloped in warmth. The whole atmosphere was welcoming and inviting. Ashlee felt the smile pull at her lips. She liked it here and really hoped that she made a good enough impression to land the job. Walking over to the bar, she took a seat and watched the people interact. Families ate together, business people did work and the staff seemed friendly. The place was done completely in old wood, years of life bled through the walls. She rubbed her tan skirt. A throat was cleared behind her and she turned toward the sound. An older man, in his early sixties stood in front of her wearing a plaid shirt and an easy smile. His kind light blue eyes pulled her in right away. Ashlee instantly felt at ease with this man. “I’m Buzz Cooper,” his voice was rough, but not unkind. “You must be Ashlee Wolfe.”
Her eyebrows went up at that. She stuck her hand out to shake his and nodded. “That’s true. You are either psychic or just extremely good at reading people.”
He laughed. The sound was full and free. She liked his laugh. “No, I’m not psychic and my family would say at times I have a very hard time reading people. You just look new and that is immediately apparent in a small town like Springfield. Plus your interview was at nine and it’s nine on the dot. You are punctual. That’s already a star in your favor.” He grinned again.
“Hopefully, you’ll find more stars in my favor,” she said honestly. “I love this restaurant. Has it been in your family for long?” Ashlee paused, realizing that she was being interviewed not the other way around. “I’m sorry. My mouth can get a head of me at times.” She laughed self consciously and looked down at the ground. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw some movement. Turning to the spot she saw it, she connected eyes with a handsome man in his twenties. He had dark brown hair cut in a stylish way, letting her know that he wasn’t from a different time period and ocean blue eyes. He was wearing a deep blue sweater that had another shirt underneath. She could see the white collar of the shirt under the sweater. His dark blue jeans were dirty and there was a cut at the knee of the left leg. The young man’s eyes got wide when he realized that she could see him. He moved off the wall and his arms uncrossed over his chest. Ashlee closed her eyes tightly. ‘Oh no, not now,’ she thought anxiously.
Opening her eyes back up and noticed Buzz watching her carefully, “Are you okay? Do you need to reschedule this interview?”
She shook her head, swinging her soft shoulder-length blonde hair from side to side. “No, I, uh, I just didn’t get much sleep last night. I was a bit nervous about today.” She pushed a smile to her face and tried to appear normal. “Mr. Cooper, I promise you I’ll be the best waitress that you can find. I’ll work days or nights, whichever is needed of me and as you can see I’m punctual.” Ashlee pleaded slightly with her eyes. She needed this job. “I’ll do whatever job is required of me and if I don’t know how to do it, I’ll learn.” She bit her lip, knowing exactly how needy she sounded.
Buzz looked into her eyes for a moment and then nodded. “Okay, can you start tomorrow at six in the morning? We open the doors at six-thirty during the week and six on the weekends.”
She grinned brilliantly, “Sounds perfect Mr. Cooper. I’ll be here at six sharp.” She stood and shook his hand. “Thank you for giving me this opportunity. I promise you won’t regret it.” Ashlee gathered her purse from the floor and walked out of the restaurant, passing the ghost in the corner quickly with her head down. Sucking in a deep breath of summer air, she started walking back home. She needed to get something to eat and quickly. She felt the air change on her right and she knew without looking that a spirit was there. She picked up her pace and pulled out her cell phone to cover the fact that she was about to tell air to leave her alone. Pressing the metal to her ear, she grinned falsely. “Go away, I can’t help you right now,” she hissed.
“So you can see me,” the ghost from Company said excitedly. His voice was like rich chocolate, smooth and sensual. He jumped in front of her and started walking backwards. “You are the first person to be able to see me in months. I can’t tell you how excited I am that I can talk to someone again.”
“Listen, Mr…” she prompted.
“My name is Coop,” the man told her. She sighed. He really was cute. Why was it the sexy ones were either married, gay or in her case dead?
“Coop, listen I hate to break it to you, but you are dead,” she noticed a curious glance sent her way from an elderly woman waiting for the bus. “I mean dead as in you need to find some other idea to make things right,” she pointed to the phone and laughed uncomfortably. The woman smiled back and turned toward the street again. Ashlee closed her eyes and breathed a sigh, turning her attention to the man in front of her. “Listen I’d love to help you find the light or cross over or give a message to your family, but right now isn’t the best time. I just moved here and I don’t want the world to already think I’m crazy.”
They reached her apartment and she shut her cell phone. “I’m not dead,” he said entering her home without invitation. She sometimes wished ghosts were like vampires, only allowed in when asked. She sighed and closed the door behind her, turning to face Coop.
“Um, if I’m the only one that can see you,” she said sliding her high heels from her aching feet. “Then I hate to break it to you again, but you are dead. It’s hard to understand that and I get it, but if you were alive everyone that just looked at me like I was insane for talking to air would have seen you as well.” She rubbed her forehead, feeling the beginnings of a headache come on. “You said it’s been months since you’ve talked with anyone, so that must mean you just died recently. I’m sorry. The first couple months are often the worst for a newly un-bodied spirit.” Taking a seat on the couch, her gray dog Moxie joined her and barked at the ghost she couldn’t see, but couldn’t help but feel.
“For the last time,” Coop said pacing the floor. “I’m not dead. I would know if I was dead. I don’t understand why my pop, brothers, nephews, nieces or sisters can’t see me. But I know that I’m not deceased. Something else has happened. I just can’t remember what.”
“Uh-huh,” Ashlee closed her eyes and realized that this pain in the ass spirit wasn’t going to leave. “Well what was the last thing you remember? Maybe if we retrace your steps, uh, so to speak, you’ll recall what turned you into a walking invisible man.” She grinned innocently.
“Boy you’re funny.” He replied sarcastically and she shrugged. Ashlee learned long ago to have a sense of humor with this gift. If she didn’t, she would surely go bonkers. Coop sat on the couch next to Moxie, which caused the lovable pooch to whimper in confusion. “The last thing I remember was being in a car, heading out of town. I got lost in a storm…” he strained his eyes and then shook his head. “I think I hit a tree or there was some kind of accident. I blacked out and when I finally came to I was standing over my own body, hooked up to machines. After that I ended up in Company, but no one could see me. Until you,” he licked his lips and she watched the action. He had nice lips. “I need you to help me.”
Ashlee got up from the couch and walked into her kitchen. She looked in her frig for an apple and then turned back to Coop. Biting into the apple; she licked the juice from her lip. “I don’t know what I can do to help you when you refuse to see the truth. And really I think I’m out of the ghost business for a couple days. I need a break and I don’t want to ruin my chance with Mr. Cooper. I need that job.”
“My pop liked you,” he said and she smiled. “But I’m not leaving you alone. Don’t forget I don’t need sleep.” He grinned mischievously and she shivered. “Ashlee I’m going to get you to help me, one way or another.” He got up and left her apartment through the wall. Ashlee had a bad feeling that she wasn’t going to like his plan to get her to help him.
What do you think?