I know I know it’s late…sorry! Hope everyone had an awesome holiday!!!!
Melanie followed the skeleton ghost out the front door and into the streets. It was cold outside but somehow the winds did not bother her. They walked passed the girl that Melanie had ignored earlier. She was freezing to death as she made her way to an oncoming car. She climbed in the passenger side and lowered her head towards the lap of a strange man. As the tears streamed down her face, she finally climbed out and stretched out the few dollar bills that the man had given her. It was hardly enough to get food but nonetheless he looked around to find a store that would be open.
“You could have fed her tonight.” the skeleton started. “Instead you ignored her. Now she prostitutes just to get a bite to eat. You never know if that will be you one day.”
Melanie stood silent. On they continued until they reached the house of her deceased fiance’s parents. They sat together in the living room eating and celebrating.
“I just wish we could see Melanie once more. I wonder how she is these days.” an older woman said.
“I guess she thinks we do not want anything to do with her since Jared’s passing.” replied an older man.
“Why on earth would our daughter-in-law-to be think that? I mean her parents are gone and she doesn’t have much family in the area if any. I wish I could find her somehow.”
The skeleton looked down at Melanie and shook his head. The continued on and walked to Melanie’s job. Everyone was having a holiday party while Melanie after working hard was preparing to leave.
“C’mon Melanie. Let your hair down and get down. It’s the one time of year we can put out work aside. Payrolls, reports and general ledgers are ok for now. Just relax for once.”” A male co-worker asked.
“I am going to relax finally. Rest assured that all of my work is through.” Melanie replied.
“Great, you want a drink? Something to munch on?” the co-worker asked desperately.
“Um yea…” Melanie replied as the guy quickly ran to fetch Melanie a small plate of appetizers and fruit punch.
“…at home!” Melanie mumbled under her voice rolling her eyes as she continued to walk away.
The ghost laughed as the guy returned to see Melanie gone.
“I think that poor sap as a crush on you.”
Melanie looked at him
The skeleton then began walking away from Melanie as she looked in surprise.
“No he doesn’t. He is just a sucker for attention. And he follows me around and is always sucking…” Melanie paused and thought about it for a second.
“OK he maybe does have a crush. So what?”
“You have no clue do you?” the skeleton said as he made his way to the elevator.
Melanie kept watching the co-worker as he trashed her plate and drink in the nearest trash can. She started feeling bad. She tried to catch up to the ghost. But as she reached the elevator it was empty and he was gone. She entered the elevator and went to the lobby. She made her way outside and the cold this time around seeped right down to her bones. She held onto herself and shivered in an effort to warm up as she walked on toward her home. Melanie thought about the things she saw that night. She felt bad about everything she had done most of her life. She looked at the holiday lights and decided right then and there, she would change for the better.
It was starting to get colder and soon she could not feel her feet. As the cold snow swept around her, she saw a figure of a creepy shadow standing behind her.
She continued on until she saw the man running and closing in on her. Melanie tried to run but it was so cold outside and her body was numbing. It was frightening!
From the cold darkness emerged the scariest ghost that Melanie encountered thus far. It almost looked like death itself. Melanie screamed but could not outrun it. She gave up and turned to face it.
“You must be number three?” she asked.
It nodded and pointed ahead. Suddenly there was a bright light and Melanie was no longer cold inside. In a flash, Melanie saw the parents of her dead boyfriend yet again but they were much, much older.
They stood along with the some of her close co-workers. There was a grave site that read Carl Marlin.
“Oh my god, that was my annoying co-worker!” Melanie gasped. “I can’t believe he’s gone. I heard some of the others mumbling that he killed himself. What the hell Carl?”
Melanie and the ghost continued on until the arrived back at her house.
“Wait a minute,” Melanie started, “Aren’t you supposed to show me other sights of Christmas yet to come?”
It pulled back it’s robe and revealed its face finally…
It was androgynous yet still so beautiful. He looked directly into Melanie’s eyes.
“I will show you no more tonight!”
“Why? We aren’t done yet. I have changed my ways. It’s not too late to do better. What kind of Christmas ghost are you?” Melanie asked in frustration.
“Actually I’m not a ghost. I’m more of an angel.” It replied. “…the Angel of Death that is!”
Melanie screamed aloud. “BUT I’M NOT DEAD! How? Why?””
“Melanie,” The angel started, “You have lived the last few years of your life horribly. You drink, smoke, you have a poor diet of only fast food. Not to mention there is no other human connection in your life whatsoever. Since the death of your fiance, you have been nothing more than a shell of a human.”
“But how? Why? When?”
Besides all of that, I am will tell you why I am here for you. Since you never go into your kitchen to cook, you never would have noticed that there was a gas leak in your house tonight. For the last few hours you have been inhaling carbon monoxide and other deadly gases.
The hallucinations that you have experienced tonight are a result of being, for lack of a better word…stoned.”” It chuckled.
“Oh my God.”
“Funny you should say that.” it said.
“Why?” Melanie asked.
And with a flash of darkness, Melanie found herself amidst a blinding white light. She walked forward into it and never looked backed. She felt a bit of regret for her life in the last few years but she knew at once that she would be ok. Tonight gave her an odd second chance at things as she continued forward she felt a slight wind. She was now consumed by the light as she crossed over.
The End
I hope that your holiday was well spent and that your New Years is just as splendid.
12/26/2007
Drunken Insomniac Writer 