Apparition Part 5

Ok Guys and Dolls Last week I mislabeled Apattrion as part 3. it was actually part 4. Forgive my litte boo boo. So here it is Apparition Part 5. Enjoy!

After sitting down to breakfast with his best friend and an apparition Max left for the shelter. He was still reeling from seeing Josephine, an actual ghost. They could not call her that now hr assumed. If she was really lost from her body, she was not really dead. Over breakfast they had discussed what the best course of action to take to find her body would be. This was New York after all, they were hundreds of hospitals across the tri- state area alone. That did not include long term care facilities, hospices and what if she was at home and some one was taking care of here there? It was a staggering reality to how big their task was. Jared and Max decided to start the search in Manhattan. If they did not find her they would work over to Brooklyn then Queens and so forth. Hopefully they would find her in one of these boroughs. Then they was the matter of getting her back into the body. No one knew how it would work so Max volunteered to do research on that. He had gone from not only a counselor at a shelter but now to a paranormal phenomenon researcher. Max shook his head and he left the building. Life in New York, when you think nothing else will surprise you, you get surprised he thought. He was soon swallowed up by the throngs of New Yorkers as he walked down the block to hail a cab.
Upstairs in Jared’s apartment Josephine paced excitedly. Well she glided more than walked Jared thought at he watched her.
“I had resigned myself to being dead now I may not be dead. Oh gosh I hope I am not dead. I can eat and walk in the park and feel the grass again. Oh! I can go to coffee shops and book stores and shopping. I miss shopping! I can dance again. I loved to dance did I mention that?” Josephine twirled as she spoke.
Jared listened to her go on and one with a small smile on his face. When she twirled, his breath caught, she looked like one a glass ballerina from a music box. “I didn’t know you danced?”
She stopped and looked at him. ‘I didn’t know that either until a moment ago. Things are coming back to me in little bits and pieces.”
“What else do you remember?” Jared said. “Do you know where you lived or where you family lived? That could help us find you quickly. It could give us a place to start.”
“I don’t remember exactly, it hurts when I try to. But when I get the flashed it’s like a light bulb going off in my head.”
“Ok let’s try this, Come over here and sit down” Jared suggested.
Josephine walked over and sat next to Jared on the couch. She looked at him shyly. “Ok I am sitting now what do you want me to do.”
A sliver of excitement ran through Jared with her words but he pushed it aside quickly. “Lean our head back against the cushions and close your eyes. Relax and breathe. Pretend that you are in Central Park in the grass and the sun is on your face. You can smell cotton candy and hear the carousel.”
His voice was gentle as he spoke to her. Josephine could feel the gravelly timber of his voice relaxing her as he spoke to her.
“Now I need you to think back for me Josephine. Not to any specific place, let your mind wander.” Jared continued to talk. He looked and saw he had covered her hand with his own. He wished he could feel her skin. ‘Tell me what you see Josephine?”
“I see a dark street, there is only one street light burning and I am walking…” Josephine made a sound of distress in her throat. She didn’t want to see what was going to happen but Jared voice soother her and she continued. “I am looking for my keys in my purse, I have one of the over sized purses and I can’t find them. I stop to dig inside and some…someone knocks me down from behind. I try to scream but he cover’s my mouth with his hand, his gloves smell like oil. He wants my money and I give him the bag but he drags me…me back into the alley. I start to fight him, I won’t let him, take what he wants. I scream and I fight and I bite him and he bangs my head against the cement. Its hurts so much I see lights behind my eyes. But I keep screaming and he bangs my head again. I can here someone yelling at him barely and he finally moves off me. I touch the back of my head and there’s blood so much of it on my hands and then everything fades away.” Josephine stopped talking and there is silence in the room.
Jared watched her distress as she spoke and he saw the tears trickle from her closed eye lids. He felt a fury was over him, it was all directed to the person who tried to mug and rape the defenseless girl she was two years ago. It was new information but it was not a lot to go one. The crime would have been reported yes. But if the guy ran with her purse she would have had no ID when they took her to the hospital. Unless she could remember where it happened they could not do an effective search with the police.
“Do you remember where this took place honey?” Jared asked softly.
“No…No I don’t I can’t remember! She cried out standing up. Why did that happen to me!? I gave him my purse! He hit my head so hard! Why hasn’t anyone found me!? Don’t I have family that wondered where I was!? I don’t have anyone that cares! That’s why I was alone for so long! She was sobbing uncontrollably.
Jared jumped up. “You have me Josephine!”
“No, no I don’t Jared! You are real, flesh and blood! I can’t even touch you or feel you arms around me. I can’t even feel a kiss, when I slept next to you I could not feel your skin! And I wanted to! If I never get found you’ll be real and I’ll always be a ghost!” Josephine had tears streaming down her face and her arms wrapped around her self.
Jared took a step towards her but she stepped back shaking her head in refusal. Josephine faded away from his sight and from his apartment. He could sense immediately when her presence was gone.
“Josephine!” he called out. “Josephine come back!” But she was gone lost in her own despair. Jared sat on the sofa once again and dropped his head in his hands. He didn’t know what to do right now because everything she was feeling he was as well. He was going to go find her when the evening came in and the park was empty. She was not alone and he was going to be there for her no matter what. She had him now.
Jared did not have to go and find Josephine. She came back later that evening. Jared had spent the rest of the day trying to catch up on business that he had been putting off for the last few days. It was the only thing to do to keep his mind off Josephine. He was working on the shelters finances. His father’s generous donation was divided up between the two teen shelters. It went towards bills and food. He was able to get more blankets and cots there was even enough left over to buy a new TV and video game system for each shelter. Jared made sure all of his workers were well paid and even had a few doctors that knew his family volunteer time and services. He was on the phone trying to get free prenatal care for a pregnant teen at the shelter. He had already found her and the baby a home and got there expense paid until she could work. When that happened he would find safe daycare for the baby. She wanted to be a mother and responsible Jared was going to give her and her child every opportunity. Josephine presence was announced by her usual breeze in a still room. It ruffled the papers on his desk. Jared looked around to see her standing by his window looking out towards the park. He finished up his call and hung up the phone. He slowly walked over until he stood behind her waiting until she spoke.
“I’m sorry for today.” She said softly.
“Why? You can have emotions too. This has been hell on you for the past two years.”
“I should not have taken it out on you. You are trying to help me.” Josephine explained. “I am so tired of being stuck in this limbo, let me be alive or dead but let me be something.”
“You are not dead, you hear me?” He said roughly. “I am not going to find you to just lose you like that.”
“You would be sad if you lost me?” she asked looking up at him.
“Yes I would be.” His answer was simple. “Wait one minute.”
He moved away from her and picked up a remote. Soon the apartment was filled with music. He turned the lights down low and walked back over to her.
“Dance with me?” Jared said holding out his hand to her.
Josephine nodded and placed her hand in his. She wrapped her arms around his neck. Jared could feel her in his heart and that was all he needed at that point. Her energy surrounded him as they began to move to the rhythm of the music.
Jared looked at her as they dance. “At least you don’t have feet for me to step on.” He joked.
“I wouldn’t care if you did.” She replied.
“I wish I could kiss you.” Jared said “But I don’t know how we could”
“Close your eyes and just feel me.” Josephine whispered.
Jared closed his eyes and Josephine did as well. Their lips touched as they continued to move. Jared flesh and blood, Josephine something of a dream and only there in spirit. But for a moment just for a single space in time Jared could feel her. He felt his lips tingle and it spread through out his body hitting him in a place that had not been touched in his life. Standing there dancing with what people would call a figment of the imagination. Jared fell in love with his apparition Josephine.