Her Love to Bury

I stood in the foyer surrounded by piles of stacked up boxes, listening to my mother howling through the phone.

"You already purchased a home! Without consulting me!"

I sighed. "Yes, mother. I did. I'm an adult now and don't need to ask you for permission to act anymore. Besides, you would love it here." I straightened up from rifling through my box of books and glanced around me, awe sparkling in my eyes.

"What if there's mold? Or was it built on an indian burial ground? What if someone perished in that house and you didn't even ask? Did you ask anything?" Her screeching voice went on and on.

"Mother, I'll be fine. I didn't need to. This mansion will be perfect for James and I. We-"

"James is moving in with you! Why, if I moved in with my boyfriend, my mother would have a heart attack on thespot. What will your poor father say?"

"Mom, calm down. He isn't moving in with me. Not just yet anyways. He's seeing if they will have a place for him in the men's dormitory, but if they don't then yes he will be staying with me. I really do appreciate the concern mother, but if you excuse me, I need to finish unpacking. Love you." I hung up the phone and placed my hands on my hips, trying to envision how I would arrange the furniture.

The heavy oak door squeaked open. "That's the last of it, Sami." I turned around to face James who was struggling to carry my vanity into the mansion.

He tried to smile at me, but the heavy perspiration that dotted his forhead was spilling into his eyes. I walked up to him and kissed his cheek. "Thank you for doing the heavy lifting, James. I wouldn't be able to do it without you."

"No problem, love. I'll just carry this upstairs to your bedroom then leave you be to paint or rearrange or whatever you want to do. I know how you like doing big projects by yourself." His rich voice rang out as he climbed the winding stairs, lugging the vanity besides him.

"Thanks for understanding," I called up to him.

"I got used to your ecentric ways a long time ago anyways," he said as he raced down the steps. "You know they say this place is haunted? Some creepy old woman with the flesh rotting off of her bones, plasma seeping out of every orface, her bones-"

"Enough, James," I said with a laugh. "They say everything in Saint Augustine is haunted. I don't believe in ghosts."

"Okay, but if I come back and you're dead, don't say I didn't warn you."

"Then I guess I will just have to haunt you for the rest of your life. Maybe I'll make sure you never get laid again."

He widened his eyes and pretended to be horrified. "You wouldn't!"

"Oh, I would though. And every time you would kiss them, it'd be my face they would see. Every time you would reach out to touch them, I would make your hand look old, wrinkly, and grotesque."

He laughed musically as he wrapped his arms around my waist. "Then, I really hope you don't die. Besides, I would miss you too much." He ran one hand through my ebony black hair and I closed my eyes when his hand rested against my face. "I'll go talk to the administrators at Flagler again and then I'll stop by before I leave to get my stuff, okay?"

"How long do you think it will be untill you get back?" I asked as I wrapped my arms around his neck.

"Five days, tops. Trust me when I say I'll try to be back as quickly as I can." He kissed me softly. "I love you, Sami. Bye." His ice blue eyes held onto my emerald ones for as long as they could before her turned and started walking towards the door.

"I love you too." The heavy oak door squealed as James closed it. It closed with a sense of finality. I turned around to face my latest project. "Hmm, where should I start?" I murmered to myself.

The lights above me flickered a few times before sputtering out. "I should get the wiring redone."

A gust of cold wind lifted my hair off of my shoulders. I wondered if I left any windows open. Then I remembered I didn't open any. What if James was right? What if there really was a ghost? Okay, Sami. Get a hold of yourself. You're just alone in an old house and you're taking James too seriously, the guy who scares himself. There's no such thing as ghosts. Right?