A Ghostly Romance

I stepped into the dimly lit store and looked around. It was a very small store and there were a few fake candles lining the walls. I assumed it would be a fire hazard to have real candles. I looked to the right and saw shelves upon shelves of books. I stepped closely and smiled. They weren't just any books, of course. They were spellbooks. Some were to cast spells on enemies, protection, and many other spells for a variety of uses. I ran my fingers across the spines of the books and paused at a black, leather-bound book. I didn't know why, but I wanted to look at this one really bad. It was just this feeling that I had. I pulled it off the shelf and looked at the cover: Soul Mates.

I flipped through a couple pages and barely paid attention until I saw one page with a picture of a young guy. Probably 19. I paused as I looked at the picture. He had stunning blue eyes. It actually reminded me of Michael...even the way he was standing. He had his hands in his pockets and was looking away from the camera with a smile on his face. The date beneath the picture was from the 1800s. I stayed on the page for a couple seconds, looking carefully at the young man's face and, for some reason, found myself smiling. After realizing what I was doing, I quickly glanced up at the counter in the back of the room where a cashier should be standing or "Madame Baskov" but saw no one. I felt my cheeks flush as I put the book back on the shelf and stepped away, glancing at the book as I turned.

That must have looked strange for me to stand there smiling at some random book I took off the shelf. I continued mumbling how stupid I must have looked as I made my way to the other side of the room which was filled with candles and different jars with herbs. For casting spells, I thought as I quickly looked over the labels on the candles.

"Dani!" Elizabeth said as she pulled my arm towards the counter in the back of the room. "I'd like you to meet Nikita Baskov. She's a very good friend of mine."

I looked up and noticed the beautiful, surprisingly young "Madame Baskov." She had blonde hair and looked like she was in her early twenties. Her hazel eyes seemed to follow mine as I continued staring, feeling inferior by being in the same store as her. I felt more shy than usual.

"Nice to meet you," she said with a slight Russian accent.

"Same here," I mumbled, keeping my head down. Although my eyes weren't on her anymore, I could tell she was still looking at me very carefully.

"Do you think you could read her fortune?" Elizabeth piped in, oblivious to my discomfort. "It'd be better if it was for free..."

"You don't bring friends in here often," she stated. Her voice was facing my direction. She still hadn't taken her eyes off of me. "I don't see why not."

"Thank you so much, Nikita!" Elizabeth exclaimed, shaking my arm. "Aren't you excited?!"

I nodded and glanced upward. Nikita's hazel eyes never left me.

"This way," she said, walking into back room of the store. She led me to a small round table in the middle of the room with a candle lit in the center (a real one this time). "Please sit."

I sat down obediently and did as she said. She stared at my eyes for a long time. I tried my best not to avert my gaze under her stare. It was so uncomfortable to retain eye contact for so long. After a couple of awkward minutes, I noticed confusion and disbelief in her eyes, which was followed by unquestionable happiness and surprise.

"What is it?" I asked, feeling the need to break this silence.

"Do you have any idea how special you are?" Nikita said, a small smile crossing her once serious face.

"I'm sorry. I don't get what you mean..."

"I noticed you looking at that book about soul mates," she said, watching me with the same smile on her face.

I was kind of confused. How did she know I was looking at that? No one was in the store except me and Elizabeth.

"Why do you think you took that book out, instead of one of the other two hundred?" Nikita asked. "And, tell me, why do you think you couldn't help but smile when you were looking at that man in the photograph?"

"Umm..." I thought quickly. "I just randomly picked a book and that guy reminded me of someone else I know."

"Not exactly. You chose that book for a reason and you happened to pass the page that reminded you of Michael."

"What?" I asked, shocked. I've never spoken of Michael to anyone (except my parents when I first met him). "How do you...?"

"You were projecting," she answered simply. "Anyway, the reason you chose that book Dani, is because you are linked to that book. You looked at that picture because it WAS Michael. At least in one of his lifetimes. I can only assume that small smile on his face and the one that appeared on yours was because he was looking at you while taking the photo."

"I'm afraid I don't get what you're saying."

"You are one of the few lucky souls on this planet who had someone specifically made for them. You have a soul mate," she said with a smile.

"I don't believe this," I said, slouching back in my chair.

"It's true," Nikita said firmly. "Why do you think you and Michael clicked so quickly even though you're absolutely horrified at the thought of meeting new people?"

"I don't know. We just did."

"No, you've met before," she said. "Many, many times for approximately..." she looked into my eyes again. Her pupils dilated and then constricted again. "1253 years. The time of Michael's death in this life, I believe?"

I nodded slowly. This can't be real...but how would she know all of this about me when I've only kept it to myself?

"Consider yourself lucky," she said. "People spend all their lives searching for something as powerful as this when, in reality, they only get a fraction of it."

"So this is...good, right?" I asked.

"Very," she said, but her lips turned downwards into a frown for a second. "Well...there's something very rare about your type of soul mate."

"Okay," I said, leaning forward in my chair. This stuff actually seemed...plausible to me.

"You have what we like to call the Protector. Very rare. Even rare-r than soul mates. He has a job he must perform in order for you to be together...officially that is. He needs to protect you from something or someone. It changes constantly from case to case. If he does not perform this, which usually happens, you two will be separated until the end of the earth and your souls have reached their final cycle. This is possibly the worst form of torture possible for someone with a soul mate. After all, they were meant to be with each other."

"But...why do I have a soul mate? I still don't..."

"People who have soul mates, need love in their lives more than others. Since most things have been predestined, it is obvious which souls will need more help. Soul mates are sent to make lives easier and more worth living."

"Okay..." I said, trying to absorb and remember everything she was saying. "How will I know if he completed what he was supposed to save me from?"

"You'll know if he doesn't," she said, her lips began quivering slightly and her eyes began watering. "If he does, everything should be...how do you call it? 'Peachy king?'"

I smiled. "Peachy KEEN."

"I'll have to remember that," she said, sighing and looking down at her hands on the table.

"How many 'Protectors' have there been?" I asked, assuming she knew the answer.

"Fifteen," she said. "Including you, since the beginning of time that I know of."

"How many have failed?" I asked.

"Fourteen," she said, her eyes watering more.

"Were you one of those who-?"

She nodded, turning her head from me. "I remember everything. He didn't save me from this...man who uh...he..."

"It's fine. You don't have to say it." I said, trying to comfort her as best I could.

"He came too late. That happened about...600 years ago. I remember everything since then. How great it was to meet him...to be with him...I knew he was the one because I had the gift. I also remember the excruciating 600 years without him. To never be near him."

She pressed her hand against her heart, her eyes closed in pain. "It hurts very much. But, hopefully he won't fail."

"Thanks," I said, standing up. Feeling overwhelmed. What if he fails? How do I know any of this is true?

As I turned to leave, I heard her voice, which was once strong and firm now sounding weak and defeated, say, "I will light a good luck candle for you both."

I turned and nodded graciously as I made my way back into the store. Elizabeth jumped up and down excitedly. "That was fun, wasn't it?!"

I nodded slowly and looked to the book shelves and purchased the black, leather-bound book that caught my eye earlier.