Ghost
By David (DAG1064@aol.com)
Ito smiled as Tim kissed him one last time.
"I gotta go home, love. But I'll see you tomorrow," Tim whispered into his lover's ear.
"I'll be waiting for you," Ito kissed Tim again. Tim smiled as they walked out of Ito's room and down the stairs. Ito's parents looked up and smiled as the boys walked past.
"They look so happy," Mariko observed.
"Just like us," Kinto grinned. The two boys walked out into the cool fall evening, holding hands all the way out to the gate. Tim hugged Ito close. They kissed one last time, and then Tim walked out of the gate and down the street. It was the last time they would ever be together. Tim jogged down the street and then turned the corner to go through the park. He thought he was alone, but he was mistaken. The local bully and three of his friends were there. They hated Tim because he was gay, and open about his relationship with Ito. They had planned this for a long time. All they were going to do was beat him up real well. Tim suddenly realized he wasn't alone. He stopped quickly and looked at the four guys in front of him. It was too late for him to escape. The four boys quickly surrounded him and started beating him up. As the blows rained down on him, he sank down to the ground and tried to protect himself the best he could. Finally they backed off and left. Tim watched them leave. He got up off the ground and as he did, he felt so different. He turned to look at the spot he had been in, and found himself looking at a boy laying on the ground in the fetal position. He got down on his knees and got a close look at the boy. To his horror, he saw himself there. It was then he realized that he had died.
Tim Halloran's body was discovered the next morning by a jogger. The police came and started the investigation. Knowing that Tim and Ito were lovers, they knew without a doubt that Ito would take it very hard. Nobody should ever go through that kind of pain. Tim's parents identified their son and grieved. Once Ron Halloran got his wife back home and into bed, he called Kinto. The conversation was short and brief. Kinto put the phone down with trembling hands. This he did not want to do. How do you tell someone that the person they loved is gone? How? That question would be hard to answer. Neighbors later recalled hearing Ito's screams of anguish after he learned of Tim's death. Life as he knew it had ended for him that day. Tim was gone from his life. Ito laid on his bed crying and grieving for days. How could anybody be so cruel? Why did they take Tim away from those who loved him? Nobody except for the four boys who killed him knew. Ito's mind drifted through the past, recalling the good times and the love they shared. He recalled the first time they discovered each other. It was a normal day for both of them, until Ito happened to look up at Tim and suddenly saw him in a whole new light. The feelings that filled him scared him at first. Tim had kept after him until Ito confessed to what he was feeling. Tim looked at him and then he moved forward and gently kissed him. Ito felt like he had gone to heaven in that moment. Things had gone from there. They told Ito's parents, then Tim's parents, and then eventually close friends. They endured hard times for a while, but eventually people came to accept their love for each other. The times they made love to each other were divine. They came away feeling more and more closer to each other. They finally made a commitment to each other four months ago, and promised love to each other for the rest of their lives. Now it was over. Ito was in so much pain; people didn't know what to say or to do. Ito went into seclusion; he wanted to be left alone. The police hesitated to come and see him, but they had to. Ito answered their questions, telling them what they needed to know. All the cops quietly swore they'd do everything possible to catch these guys. Tim was well liked.
As for Tim, he wanted so much to comfort his grieving lover. He didn't know what to do. All he could do was watch him slowly deteriorate. He desperately wanted to hold and hug him. He wanted to comfort his grieving family as well. Floating around like this was getting to him. He was sitting on the park bench when someone sat down next to him.
"Hello Tim," the voice startled him. He looked up to see an older gentleman dressed in a three-piece suit, short grey hair, and a salt and pepper beard looking at him.
"How can you see and be talking to me? I'm dead," he said.
"Ah, but I can. You see, I'm dead, too. I died centuries ago. My mission is to help you accept it and to get used to being this way," he said.
"But I don't want to be dead! I want to be alive! I want to be with my lover again!" Tim screamed out in anger.
"I know," the man said, putting his hand on Tim's shoulder. "And so does He." Tim gulped hard, trying to keep the tears back. The man gently pulled him into his arms and comforted Tim as he cried. Tim finally got himself under control.
"You will always be with Ito. Both of you bonded through mind, body, spirit, and soul. Those are very special bonds that not even death himself can break. He will accept that in time. I should introduce myself. My name is Andrew," the man said.
"I'm Tim," Tim said, pulling himself under control.
"So nice to meet you Tim," Andrew said, shaking Tim's hand. "Now, let's see what we can do about your problem here." Tim thought for a moment, trying to figure out what Andrew was referring to.
"Oh, that. Well, I want the cops to find out who did it," Tim said.
"That means going back and looking very carefully to see if those boys left something behind," Andrew said. Tim nodded and they got up and walked there. Tim searched for a few hours, then as he was about to give up, he spotted something. It was a medal, a St. Christopher's medal. He got the idea that if he could get a cop down here to find this, it would be exactly what they need to find the four boys.
"Good question," Andrew pulled at his beard. "I can teach you how to pick up and move objects for a start."
"Please," Tim begged. Andrew led Tim to a table. There was paper on the top of it.
"It's a matter of concentrating on the tip of your finger and willing it to become solid long enough for you to move the paper," Andrew said. Tim concentrated hard, but he couldn't do it. "I can't."
"You can. You need to believe you can. Have faith," Andrew said. Tim worked at it some more. He worked at it over the next four days. He slowly got the hang of it. He followed Ito to the church where the funeral was. It was then that he really understood just how much his family accepted Ito. His mother guided him to sit next to her. She and Ron held him the entire time. Here they were grieving over losing Tim, they were trying to comfort Ito. Ito insisted on helping to carry Tim to his final resting place.
"It's the one last thing I have to do. I'm Honor bound to do this. He'd do the same for me," Ito had argued. People didn't argue with Ito, just let him do it. Once the coffin was put in place over the open grave, Ito lost control and had to be sedated by his brother, a doctor. Kinto and Ron carried Ito to his room after the funeral. Kinto hugged Ron as both fathers cried. Tim realized just how deep the friendship was between both men. He wished there was a way he could comfort them.
Tim's mission became clear. Tim worked harder, finally succeeding. He went to the police station and found the detective at his desk. Concentrating, he lifted the pen on the man's desk and began working on the few words he needed to say. The man had been on the phone, his back to the desk. He turned around in that moment and saw the pen moving. He dropped the phone and stared.
"Tim. Is that you?" he whispered. Don Grant had read about ghosts and unexplained phenomenon, but what he saw made him a believer. The forty something, five-foot even man felt a chill start at the top of his brown short hair and go down his body. The door opened in that moment.
"Don, what's..." the man entering started to say but was cut off. Don pointed to the desk. The two other men behind the one reacted, their jaws going slack in shock. The chief of police stared at the pen moving over the desk. Don reacted by tossing a legal pad on the desk. As the pen moved and wrote on the paper, Don read aloud what was written.
"Yes. This is me. Clue you need is in park. St. Christopher's medal," Tim wrote, and then dropped the pen, running out of energy. The men reacted by running out of the office and flying down to the park. They searched the park with metal detectors. It was Don who found it at dark. He held it up and waved it. The other cops nodded and then they knew who did it. It was a matter of getting him. Tim followed them to the boy's house. Moments later the cops emerged with a sobbing Frank Edwards. He confessed and gave up the other three. They were rounded up hours later. The community learned who it was on the six 'o clock evening news. People talked about it for the next few days. Tim spent time between his parents and Ito, wishing there was a way he could console them. The trial was set for the following week, to start on a Wednesday.
Tim was there. He watched as Ito testified to the things the four boys had said and done. Ito had recalled how Tim had said to leave them alone, that one day they would learn. Andrew stood next to Tim.
"He has told me to tell you that you can appear here and say what is on your heart, and then once again to Ito in private. Use this opportunity wisely," Andrew cautioned.
"Thanks Andrew. I will," Tim nodded. Tim had waited until the verdict was read. The boys would be sent away until they were 25 years old. It was the judge who noticed something was different.
"Where the hell did that light come from?" he asked. People looked. The soft gold light got brighter, the dust specks floating in the air. Then Tim appeared, stepping into the light.
"Tim," Ito breathed, seeing his lover there. Ito jumped out of his chair and tried to grab Tim, but couldn't.
"Sorry love. Can't touch me in this form," he said sadly. "As much as I wish you could touch me." Ito stood back. "Why? Why did you have to die?"
"I don't know, love. I wish I knew. Know this though. I am a part of you, you are a part of me. Even death can't change that. I will be with you forever," Tim said. He turned to face the four boys that were huddling under the table in terror. "I'm not going to do anything to you, except this. I forgive you for taking my life from me. I don't know why you did it, but I forgive you for doing it. So does God. He forgives you for what you have done. Hate is a powerful thing. It makes people do things that isn't right. You hated me because I was different, because I was something you didn't like, something you were afraid of. So you lashed out at me and made my life miserable, and then ultimately took my life from me. I will always be fifteen now. I cannot get old in this form. But I still forgive you. I didn't hate you. Instead, I felt sorry for you and pray that God would change you for the better. I still hope He will. When I go to face Him, I'll ask Him to forgive you four. I sincerely hope you can change because of all this. It's not too late." Tim felt funny. "I gotta go, Ito. I'll see you later before I leave." Tim faded from sight as Ito yelled out for him to wait. Ito slowly sank to his knees and sobbed as both families got to him. Frank Edwards broke down and cried.
"I'm sorry! I'm sorry!" he screamed as he was led away.
It was a week later, once things had quieted down, that Tim appeared again. The families were having a quiet dinner together with all of Ito's and Tim's friends there in the backyard. They were having a wake for Tim. Father Tom was there also, and he was the first to see Tim.
"Oh my God," he whispered, dropping his plate. People turned to see what had happened, and they saw him too. Kinto tapped his son on the shoulder, getting his attention.
"Ito," he whispered. Ito turned to see a smiling Tim there. He walked up to him.
"Tim," he said, his voice all choked up with emotion.
"Hello sweetheart," Tim smiled. "Please don't cry anymore. I can't bear to see you sad. Yes, my passing is sad, because of how young I was and why it happened. But I'm going to a better place. I'll be happy there. I want you to be happy again." Tim turned and faced everybody. "I wanted to come back and say some things that's been on my heart for a long time. First to my family. Thank you for wanting to adopt me. Thank you for giving me a loving, caring home to grow up in. Thank you for making me a part of you. I will always love you. I just met my real mother, and she asked me to thank you for helping me to become a good man. Second, my friends. Thanks to all of you for being my friend, even after you found out I was gay. You didn't let that bother you. All of you accepted me for who I am, and what I was. There are others like me. Help them. Third, the Nogura Clan. Thank you so much for accepting me and Ito as lovers. Thank you for making me a part of your family. I always felt like a son to you and Mariko, Kinto. You helped us so much." Tears rolled down people's faces. They knew that Tim was getting ready to leave them and go to heaven. Even Father Tom was moved.
"Father Tom, you are a caring soul. Please continue to shelter other teens and help them to understand that they are not alone. They need to know that God loves them too," Tim said to the weeping man.
"I will. You have my word of Honor on that. May you find your comfort in God's arms, may you rest peacefully in the palm of His hand until the Resurrection Day," Father Tom pronounced the final blessing. Tim smiled. "Thank you." He looked at Ito and then held out his hand. Ito reached for it and tried his best to take it. Everyone watched the two of them walk down by the stream that bordered on the Halloran property. They watched as the two lovers talked one last time. They watched Tim reach out and hug Ito for the last time. Someone started a love song by Phil Collins.
Hold on my heart Just hold on to that feeling We both know we've been there before We both know what can happen
Hold on my heart Cos I'm looking over your shoulder Please don't rush in this time Don't show me how you feel
Hold on my heart Throw me a lifeline I'll keep a place for you Somewhere deep inside
Hold on my heart Please be patient Cos there has never been a time That I wanted something more
If I can recall this feeling And I know there's a chance Oh I will be there Yes I will be there Be there for you Whenever you want me to Whenever you call I will be there Yes I will be there
Hold on my heart Don't let me see you crying No matter where I go You'll always be with me
Hold on my heart Just hold on to that feeling We both know we've been here before We both know what can happen So hold on my heart
As the final note faded, they saw Tim lean forward and kiss Ito for the last time, then fade away. Mariko wanted to run down there, to hug her son, to hold him. She could not move. She watched Ito come up towards them. He was smiling.
Ito laid in bed that night and replayed the conversation in his mind.
"Have I told you lately that I love you?" Tim began as they walked down to the stream. Ito smiled. "Every night in my dreams. I'll never spend another night alone without you in my dreams." Tim knew that Ito was serious. "I know. Please don't despair anymore. I'll always be here with you, in your heart, in your mind, in your spirit, in your soul, and in your body. The night we joined was a night I'll never forget. It was like we were married. I loved you so much then and I still do now. Nothing will ever change that. But I want you to be happy. Find another lover. You won't hurt me when you do. I give you my blessing. You will hurt me if you don't. Take your time, be patient. Let the pain and hurt of my passing quietly leave you, gather strength you need to live again, and go on with your life. There are people back there who love you as much as I do who will support you."
"I wish you could become tangible one last time, even for just a moment. I want to hold you one last time," Ito said. Tim smiled. "Then reach out quickly, my time grows short. He's making it possible." Ito did, wrapping his arms around Tim. At that moment, they heard their special love song floating down to them on the breeze. Ito couldn't help it, he broke down and cried. Tim held onto him for as long as he could, even when the song ended.
"I will always love you," he whispered. Ito looked up into Tim's face and they kissed.
"I don't want you to leave," Ito whispered.
"I don't want to either. Know that I will always be with you, no matter what. I love you, Ito Nogura." Tim faded slowly from Ito's sight. Ito stood there for a long time, tears on his cheeks. He turned back to face his family, his friends, and started to live again.
Author's note: Hope you all liked this, and get to read it on Halloween Night with someone special. I wanted to write a different kind of ghost story, and I think I managed to accomplish it. Thanks for reading!