Status: A little something different
The Seventh One
Surrounded by the things you left behind
I didn't dream that night, thank god. I didn't wake up on my own accord or by alarm either. It was chipper Billie I woke up to. Whispering “Amy.” in my ear like and ghost. My eyes flashed open and I rolled over and shoved him off the bed. Taking all the blankets with him. I threw my head back and grumbled. Climbing to my feet, leaving him where he was, got my clothes and went to the bathroom to get dressed.
I was very tired and really wanted nothing more than to go back to bed and forget all of this. Hoping that the chest would just evaporate and I'd wake up from the dream. Then again, things are never that easy.
I rubbed my eyes as I came back to the bedroom where he looked out the back windows. I sighed and turned for the guest room.
But it was still there. Against the wall beneath the white paned window. I dropped down before it. Ready to solve the mystery Jessie left behind. I undid the latch again and lifted the lid. Resting it against the dusty rose colored wall.
I revolved the wavy piece of paper between my fingers. I read the legible writing over and over again. I folded it and tucked it away in an flap on an leather journal inside the trunk. It'd be safe in there.
Billie dropped onto his knees and knelt beside me. Looking at the chest like it was an certain future. well it was, for me anyways.
I didn't even know where to begin. This is the future. Right here before me. I could choose to avoid it and walk away. But for whatever crazy reason it is that these documents suddenly appeared, if it's from Jessie. 'beyond the grave' he obviously would want me to do something with these.
Paranormal. It echoed in my head. No. No no no, just no... I wasn't raised to believe in life after death. Sure, I believed in God. The man that could never die. But spirits all that crazy stuff?! No, not happening. It can't be, but I can't exactly bring together an logical explanation of where it all came from and how...
I closed my eyes. Breathed slowly trying to convince myself it wasn't real, but as soon as I opened my eyes again, sure nuff, it was still there. All of it, the chest, letters, certificates and all that stuff. Ancient trinkets at the bottom of the chest. Everything in there is as real as the air in breathing here. I'll have to accept that much for now.
I glanced over at Billie. Who was busting himself with reading an faded old logbook. Stuffed with worn, yellowed pages. He lost himself in thr collection of cursive writing. I glanced down into the chest again. I can't avoid any of it, so might as well throw myself headlong into the jaws of the tiger.
I grabbed an stack of letters and things I hadn't read yet. I dropped the pile onto the plush white carpet. It landed with an sharp smack.
I lifter the first letter and began to read...
Around noon, I'd read 14 letters, 7 certificates and an mixture of various other papers. I finished another letter and sat it aside. None of the letters I'd read so far held anything useful besides mushy, love stuff. That's Jessie for you though.
I picked up an pastel green letter. Unfolded it and began to read it.
‘Amilea Lynn,
I must tell you. I didn't expect to live this long. Your still here too. Tied to earth like I. Bound here for life. I thoight I'd outlive you, and loose you forever. I'd never get to see thr rosey shade of your cheeks when your embarrassed. The twinkle of your grey eyes when your happy or curious. Your crooked smile that you make when I know youre hiding something from me. The way you look in sleep. Sweet sleep for eternity however is what the Lord has promised us. So why spend so much time of our lifes sleeping when we'll do well over our farshare of that later. Let's enjoy life now. While it's fresh in our heads. While we are still immature. Love you beyond words, Jessie Kendall.’
Something in those words was wrong. It didn't feel right. It didn't feel like something Jessie would even say. It sounded forced. Like he didn't even write it. I didn't look down at the false words Abd slid it off onto the pile of other letters. I hadn't noticed Billie pick it up and read it.
When he suddenly chuckled, I looked up at him.
“What?”
He shrugged. And pointed down to an part of the letter.
“Your eyes are brown, not grey. Jess was your husband for Pete's sake!” he laughed and finished reading it before setting it aside. I looked over at it.
Grey. Was written in his normal cursive writing. Every morning when I'd wake up, he'd comment on thr color of my eyes, which were undoubtably an mud brown. How did he figure they were grey? Another thing, he adressed the letter to Amilea. Which is my real name. But I go by Amy. He never ever called me Amilea. Never, not once. In fact he's the one who gave me the pet name Amy. An weird, knotting feeling eased its way into my stomach. I shoved away the pile of documents and hopped to my feet. Billie glanced up at me.
I turned and exited the room.
“I'm starting lunch.” I called over my shoulder to him.
I really just wanted to get away from that chest. Full of documents I don't understand. All dated back to the eighteen hundreds. But why? Surely Jessie wouldn't have made the same mistake so many times. He was an very orderly person. Not an thing out of place. So why would he do that? Write all those letters but never send them?
I looked down at the white counter. Then down at the wood floors beneath my feet. Recalling dropping thr coffee pot in that same place only days earlier. I forced an laugh. It came out nervous and choked. I started on lunch and tried to ignore the fact that I jumped at practically everything that moved. Look at me, I'm coming apart at the seams.
I was very tired and really wanted nothing more than to go back to bed and forget all of this. Hoping that the chest would just evaporate and I'd wake up from the dream. Then again, things are never that easy.
I rubbed my eyes as I came back to the bedroom where he looked out the back windows. I sighed and turned for the guest room.
But it was still there. Against the wall beneath the white paned window. I dropped down before it. Ready to solve the mystery Jessie left behind. I undid the latch again and lifted the lid. Resting it against the dusty rose colored wall.
I revolved the wavy piece of paper between my fingers. I read the legible writing over and over again. I folded it and tucked it away in an flap on an leather journal inside the trunk. It'd be safe in there.
Billie dropped onto his knees and knelt beside me. Looking at the chest like it was an certain future. well it was, for me anyways.
I didn't even know where to begin. This is the future. Right here before me. I could choose to avoid it and walk away. But for whatever crazy reason it is that these documents suddenly appeared, if it's from Jessie. 'beyond the grave' he obviously would want me to do something with these.
Paranormal. It echoed in my head. No. No no no, just no... I wasn't raised to believe in life after death. Sure, I believed in God. The man that could never die. But spirits all that crazy stuff?! No, not happening. It can't be, but I can't exactly bring together an logical explanation of where it all came from and how...
I closed my eyes. Breathed slowly trying to convince myself it wasn't real, but as soon as I opened my eyes again, sure nuff, it was still there. All of it, the chest, letters, certificates and all that stuff. Ancient trinkets at the bottom of the chest. Everything in there is as real as the air in breathing here. I'll have to accept that much for now.
I glanced over at Billie. Who was busting himself with reading an faded old logbook. Stuffed with worn, yellowed pages. He lost himself in thr collection of cursive writing. I glanced down into the chest again. I can't avoid any of it, so might as well throw myself headlong into the jaws of the tiger.
I grabbed an stack of letters and things I hadn't read yet. I dropped the pile onto the plush white carpet. It landed with an sharp smack.
I lifter the first letter and began to read...
Around noon, I'd read 14 letters, 7 certificates and an mixture of various other papers. I finished another letter and sat it aside. None of the letters I'd read so far held anything useful besides mushy, love stuff. That's Jessie for you though.
I picked up an pastel green letter. Unfolded it and began to read it.
‘Amilea Lynn,
I must tell you. I didn't expect to live this long. Your still here too. Tied to earth like I. Bound here for life. I thoight I'd outlive you, and loose you forever. I'd never get to see thr rosey shade of your cheeks when your embarrassed. The twinkle of your grey eyes when your happy or curious. Your crooked smile that you make when I know youre hiding something from me. The way you look in sleep. Sweet sleep for eternity however is what the Lord has promised us. So why spend so much time of our lifes sleeping when we'll do well over our farshare of that later. Let's enjoy life now. While it's fresh in our heads. While we are still immature. Love you beyond words, Jessie Kendall.’
Something in those words was wrong. It didn't feel right. It didn't feel like something Jessie would even say. It sounded forced. Like he didn't even write it. I didn't look down at the false words Abd slid it off onto the pile of other letters. I hadn't noticed Billie pick it up and read it.
When he suddenly chuckled, I looked up at him.
“What?”
He shrugged. And pointed down to an part of the letter.
“Your eyes are brown, not grey. Jess was your husband for Pete's sake!” he laughed and finished reading it before setting it aside. I looked over at it.
Grey. Was written in his normal cursive writing. Every morning when I'd wake up, he'd comment on thr color of my eyes, which were undoubtably an mud brown. How did he figure they were grey? Another thing, he adressed the letter to Amilea. Which is my real name. But I go by Amy. He never ever called me Amilea. Never, not once. In fact he's the one who gave me the pet name Amy. An weird, knotting feeling eased its way into my stomach. I shoved away the pile of documents and hopped to my feet. Billie glanced up at me.
I turned and exited the room.
“I'm starting lunch.” I called over my shoulder to him.
I really just wanted to get away from that chest. Full of documents I don't understand. All dated back to the eighteen hundreds. But why? Surely Jessie wouldn't have made the same mistake so many times. He was an very orderly person. Not an thing out of place. So why would he do that? Write all those letters but never send them?
I looked down at the white counter. Then down at the wood floors beneath my feet. Recalling dropping thr coffee pot in that same place only days earlier. I forced an laugh. It came out nervous and choked. I started on lunch and tried to ignore the fact that I jumped at practically everything that moved. Look at me, I'm coming apart at the seams.