Sam Sawyer Chapter Fifteen

Sam Sawyer
Chapter Fifteen

A soft
yellow glow slowly appeared around Kathy, emanating from every pore. Specks of
gold began to swirl in her irises as her hair lifted, energized by static
electricity. Easing from the floor she was suddenly floating several inches
from the ceiling. Ambient sun light began to penetrate her body as it gradually
faded to a translucent milky fog, until only a vaguely human shape remained.

An
involuntary gasp escaped Micah’s gaping mouth. “A ghost, you’re a ghost!” He
said backing away as her mother crouched behind him.

“No Daddy,
I’m phased out of this world. I’m not dead just, just changed. I’m still me.
I’m, still here.”

Micah,
shielding his trembling wife from what had become of their daughter,
straightened his spine turned and looked at the undulating specter. “No, you’re
not. You can’t be here and not be here.” His voice shrill. “I see your spirit
Kathy. I shouldn’t, but I do. It’s not right. It’s just not right!”

“Daddy touch
me. I’m right here.” She reached out to him. Her right arm suddenly materialized,
hanging disembodied in the air like some horrific magic trick.

“Get away!
Get away!” Her mother screamed. “The dead should be with the dead.” She
murmured, as she backed further away.

“But I’m not
dead!”

“Sam, he, he
killed you.” Micah said plainly. “That’s the truth of it. We still love you
Kathy, but this, this is more than we can bear. Don’t lie to yourself. Your
time in this place is over. You must move on. It’s the only decent thing you
can do.”

Kathy
materialized fully. “How ‘bout this Daddy. Will this do?”

“A trick,
Kathy. Don’t fool yourself. You’re dead. You’re spirit. The living doesn’t
bounce back and forth between life and death, don’t you see?”

Kathy made
one last move toward her parents. They cowered away.

She just
stood their waiting for them to come to her, to embrace her. Eternal moments
squeaked by like rusty gears frozen in place. “Yes. I see. You can’t accept me,
like this. And I won’t accept the two of you, cowering before me like this.
Thought I knew you. Sam, we need to go, now!” She turned toward the door, then
turned back toward them, “I changed. You should to.”

Sam started
to say something but thought better of it. Kit wiped away a tear, having been
forced to relive her own painful past.

No one said
anything as they headed for the front yard. Each already knew what the other
was feeling; rejection, one of the nastiest words in the English language.

“I ah, guess
we should take a long look around.” Sam said, his tone soft and soothing.

Kathy
grunted a yeah. Kit stepped up close to Sam’s left side. Sam’s sphere suddenly
encapsulated them, and they were instantly high above the nice neat little
neighborhood Kathy once called home.

Sam, Kit and
the Mezzanine were home her family now. Time would pass, maybe her parents
would change, maybe they would go the way of all mortals. Maybe not. That was
tomorrows problem. They all had more immediate concerns to examine and deal
with.