Ghost by my Side
Ghost
It is late at night and Jake is stumbling up his steps to his apartment. For Jake, it was just another night at the pub downtown drinking his pain away. He makes it into his apartment to find it the same way he had left it. Jake locks the door and looks around. After taking in everything, he walks over to the refrigerator and pulls out a beer. He opens the top but doesn’t drink from it.
Then, Jake makes his way into his room. He sets the beer bottle down on the nightstand as he sits down on the bed to take off his boots. Once he has them completely off, he throws them into the closet one-by-one. The first boot lands next to one of Megan’s shoe boxes. The next one hits the tail of one of Megan’s dresses and falls with a thud on a shoe box.
Jake stares as he sits on the bed. He is still intoxicated from the alcohol, but not enough to forget everything. He slowly rises from the messy bed. ‘Megan would be driving me crazy about this mess.’ Jake thinks to himself. He can’t help but smirk at the thought.
Jake slowly staggers his way to the attached bathroom to brush his teeth. ‘It still smells like Megan’s shampoo in here.’ Jake gives off a slight smile as he thinks back to the memories that the smell brings back.
Jake opens the right drawer to pull out his toothpaste. After grabbing the toothpaste, he reaches into the drawer to get his toothbrush. After several minutes of brushing his teeth and looking into the mirror having several memory flashbacks of Megan, Jake heads back toward the bed and flops down. At first, the bed jiggles and creaks with the weight then stops. There is no second weight or creaking that should follow Jake’s; and Jake almost turns to see why there is no weight or dip in the bed next to him when he remembers there won’t ever be one.
Jake lies in the bed staring at the ceiling. He thinks he hears someone open the door to the bedroom, but when he lifts his head off of his pillow the door is closed, just like he had left it; and no one else is in the room. He lays his head back down and closes his eyes. Jake is nearly asleep when he thinks he hears light breathing next to him. He turns his head and his eyes fall upon a sleeping Megan. ‘It can’t be.’ Jake thinks to himself. Jake turns his body to face Megan. He places his right hand under his head to prop himself up, and his left hand reaches over to Megan’s face. Jake hesitates before he lightly rubs Megan’s left cheek with his fingers.
****
Jake is abruptly awakened by the sunlight shining into his eyes and the sound of birds chirping on the sunny day. He slowly opens his eyes to only find an empty half of the bed. He releases a sigh before turning on his left side to look at the clock. 2:35. Jake groans as he sits up and gets out of bed.
He walks slowly and wobbly to the bathroom. He looks straight into the mirror at his disheveled hair and unshaven face. The sight is very unpleasing. Jake doesn’t care, though. Since he lost Megan, he has had this emptiness that hasn’t been able to be replenished.
Jake stares into the mirror only to be met with dark eyes staring back at him. ‘Just get through today and then we will worry about tomorrow when it comes.’ Jake says to himself. He wills himself to move, but he can’t. It is like he is glued to the ground. Nothing seems real anymore. It is like he is living a dream. A very bad dream. And perhaps… he is.
Then, Jake makes his way into his room. He sets the beer bottle down on the nightstand as he sits down on the bed to take off his boots. Once he has them completely off, he throws them into the closet one-by-one. The first boot lands next to one of Megan’s shoe boxes. The next one hits the tail of one of Megan’s dresses and falls with a thud on a shoe box.
Jake stares as he sits on the bed. He is still intoxicated from the alcohol, but not enough to forget everything. He slowly rises from the messy bed. ‘Megan would be driving me crazy about this mess.’ Jake thinks to himself. He can’t help but smirk at the thought.
Jake slowly staggers his way to the attached bathroom to brush his teeth. ‘It still smells like Megan’s shampoo in here.’ Jake gives off a slight smile as he thinks back to the memories that the smell brings back.
Jake opens the right drawer to pull out his toothpaste. After grabbing the toothpaste, he reaches into the drawer to get his toothbrush. After several minutes of brushing his teeth and looking into the mirror having several memory flashbacks of Megan, Jake heads back toward the bed and flops down. At first, the bed jiggles and creaks with the weight then stops. There is no second weight or creaking that should follow Jake’s; and Jake almost turns to see why there is no weight or dip in the bed next to him when he remembers there won’t ever be one.
Jake lies in the bed staring at the ceiling. He thinks he hears someone open the door to the bedroom, but when he lifts his head off of his pillow the door is closed, just like he had left it; and no one else is in the room. He lays his head back down and closes his eyes. Jake is nearly asleep when he thinks he hears light breathing next to him. He turns his head and his eyes fall upon a sleeping Megan. ‘It can’t be.’ Jake thinks to himself. Jake turns his body to face Megan. He places his right hand under his head to prop himself up, and his left hand reaches over to Megan’s face. Jake hesitates before he lightly rubs Megan’s left cheek with his fingers.
****
Jake is abruptly awakened by the sunlight shining into his eyes and the sound of birds chirping on the sunny day. He slowly opens his eyes to only find an empty half of the bed. He releases a sigh before turning on his left side to look at the clock. 2:35. Jake groans as he sits up and gets out of bed.
He walks slowly and wobbly to the bathroom. He looks straight into the mirror at his disheveled hair and unshaven face. The sight is very unpleasing. Jake doesn’t care, though. Since he lost Megan, he has had this emptiness that hasn’t been able to be replenished.
Jake stares into the mirror only to be met with dark eyes staring back at him. ‘Just get through today and then we will worry about tomorrow when it comes.’ Jake says to himself. He wills himself to move, but he can’t. It is like he is glued to the ground. Nothing seems real anymore. It is like he is living a dream. A very bad dream. And perhaps… he is.