The end of a long day meant that she was due for a little Shannon time. After having a quick bowl of soup she headed up the stairs to the shower. It was only now, two and a half years after Marty’s passing, that she was finally getting used to being alone.

It was almost a warm comforting escape from her work at the office. Home alone, she could turn down the phone and not answer the door because she knew none of it mattered. Anything worth making the effort to contact her for, was definitely worth trying again later, or leaving a message.

In any case there was rarely a day when she would respond on the first attempt anyone would make. She felt bad that sometimes her friends would be sacrificed to this standard. People she genuinely cared about. But she always returned their calls, without fail, and usually the same day. And mostly they understood why she kept her time and privacy on a priority. Although everyone has suffered tragedies, not many of them had to rebuild their lives before they really got started. None had to, immediately following the death of their newlywed husband. She had recovered pretty well. Well enough to get herself a job in the engineering firm where they needed her as much she needed them.

She turned the shower on and began to get undressed as the water warmed up. She wondered if it was too late to find someone to go to a movie with. Her eyes being sensitive to even the fresh water, she always draped a towel over the curtain rod for drying them. Smoothly she slipped into the warm embrace, and the deluge wiped away any concerns. For a few minutes it was all she wanted, just to stand there facing the flood and feeling the cold tiles of the wall beside her as she leaned against it, letting the radiance absorb into her body all over. This was when she felt her best. Nothing else mattered any more. It was almost as addictive as a drug for her, to be simply swept away. Eventually she would remember that the hot water would only last for twenty minutes, and she would proceed with the shampoo.

All the while, a second set of eyes watched her every move. They followed her hands moving through her own foam-filled hair. They quietly observed as she rinsed it out and all the bubbles dissipated into nothing as they flowed down her back, around her curves, and down the little rivulets to the basin below and ultimately swirling down through the drain.

The eyes were set in a transparent face which silently emerged from the shadow above the shower, growing ever more corporeal as it slid down the tiles to the wall holding up the shower head. His body stood behind her and the water passed through him splashing off her back as she continued to cleanse herself.

Unsuspecting, she reached up for the towel to dry her eyes again, as was habit for her by now. Seeing this, the specter extended his reach now to completely envelope the span of the shower. The towel fell to the floor outside the drapery without noise enough to alert her to any change in the environment. Now, in it’s place, rested a piece of rag; dark and grey as if it had just been pulled from the earth.

A second coat of shampoo in her hair by now Shannon’s eyes were closed once more. She lathered and enjoyed the massage produced by the combination of warm water pounding down on her, her fingers kneading her scalp, and the ease of that aided by the soap.

He raised himself up, towering over his vision, and placed two black hands down upon her shoulders. With the flow of the water, his hands began to change consistency again. She paid no attention and kept washing, as his hands began to run like inky black trickles of oil down over her body. The leading edges reaching farther and branching out into the trails left by the water. Gradually his touch wrapped around her entire body. She now stood motionless, her head under the flow of the water, like she was soaking up the pleasure of the shower as she had before. His face wreathed in indulgence as he caressed the curves and softness of her. Suddenly she reached up for the towel but finding only the rag of his cloak. She rubbed her face with it and smeared the muddy grey on her face.

“What the..?” Realizing now that something was wrong she looked at her hands. “I hate it when you do that. Get rid of the mud.”

* * *

Downstairs, she moved through the kitchen collecting the things she required for tea, dressed in the terry-cloth robe she had received as a house warming gift from her brother. “I thought that you were out exploring again. When I got home I didn’t think you were here.”

“I was.” From out of the darker corners of the room came a voice so soft and relaxed it always rubbed off on her. It emanated from absolutely everywhere, but with no visible origin. “I went by the mall. It seems almost comforting to be around a lot of people.”
“Why’s that? I mean, you’re not exactly able to do anything. Did you just people watch all day?”
“Yeah. But I think I was seen by a dog.”
“Really.”
“I don’t know. Maybe it was reacting to something else. I couldn’t really tell. And the kid holding the leash was having some kind of trouble holding it back. So I just moved on. I felt sorta bad because I thought that it might have been my fault.”

She wondered what she would have done in that situation. “You are so considerate. You want to get a pay-per-view tonight?” He wouldn’t resist that. She knew it made him feel normal again to just sit and watch T-V. That was pretty much the best of what they could share. He could not touch her and she couldn’t feel him. They lived together running on pure love fueled adrenaline. She had talked about taking her own life to be with him. He was really unsure about what his existence here was all about, he didn’t even know if it would last. But one thing he was positive about was that she was not going to end her life to be like him. He flipped out whenever she would bring it up. ‘There’s no guarantee of anything’ he would say. ‘You don’t know what will happen. What if you go somewhere else. Then I’ll be stuck here.’ She knew he was right, but all the same she longed to alter this relationship based on being so close and yet so far. But for now she was happy being just with him. Besides. The novelty of having a ghost for a boyfriend had far from worn off.

“What’s playing?”
“I don’t remember. Does it really matter?”
“No not really. I’ve just been waiting for a good time so I could show you a new trick I’ve been working on.”
“Oh? Does it involve you disappearing for three hours again?”
“Nope. Just wait and see.”
“No time like the present. Do I have to get ready, or go to one of the other rooms?”
“No. This will do just fine”
“Let me just make sure the curtains are closed. I wouldn’t want anyone from the alley watching. I’m already excited.” She reached up and closed the blinds over the sink, and as she moved over to the patio doors to close and lock them as well, he watched and admired her. He had developed a whole new appreciation for her during the last eight and a half months and now really enjoyed the little things which he had taken for granted while he was still breathing. The only sense of touch he had left was within himself and she touched him now more than he could ever let her know. Except for that, everything now was illusion. For them both. As she reached for the pull to close the drapes he began to gear up for the newest illusion.

“Okay. Now what?”

“Just stand there. I’ll do the rest.” As he spoke she already saw the environment changing. The only light on was the stove top fluorescent, but he had mastered his new capabilities enough to use that light in his painting. She called it painting because that’s what it looked like to her. She felt as if she was standing inside the mind of a great artist. He would take her to places he had been or even just dreamed of. All it took was a couple of minutes for him to manipulate the room they were in so that she would think she was somewhere else. It was an awesome feat. She could never believe it would be so real until she was there.
He seemed to be getting better at it every time as well. This time the room seemed to evaporate into a white mist. She could hear nothing but the wind. It wasn’t loud but from the sound of it, it was quite strong. Looking around at the haze it seemed to be moving past her getting quicker and quicker.

“Now put your arms out,” she heard him say. And she did. When she noticed the mist getting thinner she could see lights through it. All over the floor the lights seemed to strike out. The white clumpy, piles of fog whipped past her feet now. Suddenly the last of it went by and she was now standing on nothing. It was exactly as if she had just run off the edge of a cloud. Below her was the orange lights of a city. All organized into straight lines. It was difficult for her to actually recognize a city from so far up above as this, and at night, but something seemed to tickle her memory. She felt she should know this place.

Although she seemed to be thousands of feet up in the night sky and the clouds flew past at incredible speeds, she wasn’t afraid. She knew that she was in the kitchen of her home, and Marty would never hurt her. This was purely for her pleasure.
Now she began a decent, towards the city. Somehow Marty had made her guts tingle with the same apprehension and excitement as she would get from the first peak of a roller coaster. It was likely that it was just her own crazy vision tricking her body into the feeling, but none-the-less, it was truly magnificent. She crouched down and laid down on her belly upon the floor she knew was beneath her. This brought on a much more real touch to it all.

“That is a great idea.” said Marty. “You always know how to make it even better.”
Free falling she smiled. She could almost feel the wind crashing into her. Yet another trick of the illusion. Marty was really becoming quite capable at convincing her nerves that they were feeling things that really weren’t there. Heat, cold, water, sound, balance, and of course this blast of wind, but thankfully it was more of a controlled gust. There was no suffering to this at all. The fall quickly slowed as she got within view of people. She could see them walking up and down streets as she passed over the rooftops. Still quite high up she began to recognize this place.

“Is this …”
“Yes it is.” Marty’s reply was calm but not without a certain tone of thrill. It always made him so happy to see her surprise and happiness during their virtual trips through his imagination. “We’re almost there now.”

The office buildings slipped past them and they moved on into the neighborhoods beyond. Down streets and over top of the houses they glided, moving ever closer to the final destination. Tree’s, now long gone, seemed to reach up for her as she floated over. She could now see the peak of the house she grew up in. Why he had brought her here was the mystery, but she knew it would only be good. The trip came to an end as the scene settled finally. She folded her arms up under her chin and relaxed. She rested on her kitchen floor like she was watching a movie. She was viewing her parents front porch from about fifteen feet in the air, laying flat and waiting for the action. Her home hadn’t looked quite so good to her in a long time. This was obviously a setting for her from quite a few years back.

The great apple tree she loved so much was still towering in their front yard. She knew that later than this time they were in, a drunk driver would crash square into it and pretty much wipe out his car, the fence, and her apple tree. She hated him and the fact that he was basically released later the next day and never charged at all. Then the bastard would live to try again another day. That was the way it was done back then. Pay for damages and if nobody was injured, you could be on your way. Sort of a no harm no foul rule to save the police the time and effort of pursuing charges for ‘tree-slaughter’. She felt very cheated about the whole thing. No matter what happened to him, there would be no getting her tree back. Until now. Even though it pained her to see it again knowing it’s destiny, she was so glad to see it again in all its splendor.

Trying not to taint this evening with any resentment for unimportant matters, she now focused on the porch again. Their yard was so fifties, even then. But she now thought that it looked wonderful. She could now easily appreciate the work her parents put in to get it looking just the way they wanted it. And just before she began to go down the road of painful memory once more, she noticed a young couple approaching the house. It was them. They looked like they could have only been sixteen. It was their first date. He had the chocolate ice cream stain on his shirt. He had dropped it trying to sneak his arm around her at the movie theater. They watched Creepshow. Not the best choice for a first date. Not really the best choice for any date really, but she loved the whole horror genre, and thought that if he could sit through that, that maybe he would have a chance at keeping up with her. He made it. Barely. It definitely wasn’t his brightest hour, but he passed her little test.

Looking down she remembered how she felt. She was elated. However she could now see from where she was that he wasn’t at all. She never noticed before, but in trying to keep her thrill contained she must have given him the impression that this would be their last date. The look on his face was quite clearly not what she had originally thought that night.

They walked up the cement sidewalk, to the steps of the porch. She watched now more closely to his entire body language, as by now she knew it like it was a book. He looked at her and then away to whatever else he could see, over and over again. His hands were pocketed and he had the half smile he used when he wasn’t sure what to do next. It was almost an obligatory smile. The kind most people use when they are sick and have to get their picture taken.

It was all so clear to her now. It seemed a small thing back then, but she knew him enough now that she could see from a mile away that this was his make or break moment, and he was already leaning to the latter.

“I had a really great time,” she said softly.
‘Yeah. I’m glad. Listen I’m really sorry about the popcorn thing. I don’t know why I jumped that way.”
“It’s fine. It was only popcorn. I thought it was really sweet of you to try to protect me from anyone seeing me pull popcorn out of my sweater.”
“Yeah. Well anyway I’m still sorry.”
“Don’t worry. If my laundry comes out with kernels in it, I’ll let you know.”
“Okay.” Still he was sure he blew it. She stood on the second step and faced him standing on the ground. He looked like he had to go put out a fire or something. It was distinct he did not want to wait around for the slap of rejection. “I should go now. I got a long walk.”

With that she reached out with both her hands and caught him off guard. Steering his face abruptly up to hers, she placed her lips on his and for a moment time stood still for both them and herself watching invisibly from only ten feet away. It was their first kiss. She was not very good at considering other people when she made her moves, but this one was definite perfection. In his make or break moment, she took control and decided for him. It was make. Neither of them knew it then, but both of them knew it now. That split second choice she made with no fear, was done in unmistakably the most fragile point of their relationship. She never realized it until now, but she could read him even back then. They were always perfect for each other.

“Marty.” Tears flowed silently down her face now. “It was beautiful. Thank you.”
“I’m not done yet. Lay on your back.”

She did, and as she rolled the scenery changed. Almost as if it were a page being turned. But now she lay in a whole new book. This one was set in a tropical paradise. It was warm and lush. The humidity kept everything a bright green. From the ground looking up, she could see only the shrubbery and trees which stood directly overhead. But she could hear a grand water fall from somewhere near. Without prompting she sat up to look around at this incredible new place. “Have you been here before?” she asked, the shock in her voice perceptible.

“No. I just thought I’d try to make up something fresh. I thought you might like this.”
Off in the distance, voluptuous mountains covered in greenery and fog patches surrounded her. She turned about, taking in the splendor of it all, and behind her she could see that she was actually standing upon a giant ledge reaching out from somewhere on the side of a verdant monstrous slope.

Flocks of large red and green tropical birds added to the untouched feeling that this place inspired. She walked through the bushes feeling a sense of humid warmth emanating from the air, like a greenhouse. Here they were truly alone.

“Success!” she stated. “I love it.”
“Welcome to our very own Garden of Eden. It is only us and the nature here. Nothing will ever hurt us here.”

She padded her way through the garden taking note of some of the colourful flora that she had never before seen, and was somewhat sure didn’t actually exist either. A slight parting of the grass formed a type of unused path that she followed, knowing it would lead somewhere good. Emerging from behind a large pile rock, blanketed with moss, she caught sight of a river flowing, and pressing on a few more steps she rounded the rubble to witness a spectacular waterfall roaring down from the cliffs above. It emerged about sixty or seventy feet up, cascading down various rocks and branches until it’s final decent brought it down from a pool on the last ledge, and spilling over the last ten feet in gentle waves down into a large deep green pool. In the pool was Marty.

“How did you dream this up?”

He smiled his true smile up at her from the water and said, “Let’s just say I was inspired.” She giggled with joy as she disrobed for the second time tonight. She was extraordinary to him. He knew that through the trickery of his mirage, he could make her senses think that they were being touched by him, which abstractly was true enough. It was he who was the force in control of this show. The only problem was that he wouldn’t be able to make his magic work both ways. Deep down he longed to be able to reach out his own physical hand and lay it gently upon her cheek. To press his lips to hers again would never be given as little thought as an itch on your cheek. But he knew it could never be, and on would go his untouchable existence. To him these little works of semi living art were a small price to pay to make her happy. It was the best way he could think of to repay the rapture she brought him.

For hours they just spent time in their unseen oasis, alone and perfect.

* * *

This is only the beginning- Chris

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