Subj: DS: Future Imperfect 10
Date: 6/29/02 11:36:55 AM Central Daylight Time
From: Aesgaard

The ageless spirit of Jeremiah Collins looked up as the spectar of Caleb Sayers Collins left The House By The Sea to bring another phantom to the Old House. Josette pulled back her veils for once in a long time as she saw the boy in the face of the man before her. She had often sneaked looks at the son of Barnabus Collins when he was an infant. Each time the boy was giggling, no one knew the lady in white had been hovering over his crib. But the figure was a boy no more. He had grown up and had children of his own.

Josette hugged William's confused spirit as he tried to discern where he was and who these ghostly figures were guiding him from his home. He never realized just how dreamy the real world looked to ghosts after he became one. His parent's house was dark and unreal to him as he found himself taken up the stairs and to the room up there. Josette beamed to him silently and
motioned to him to sit as his grieving widow pined for him.

"Ally," He couldn't understand how he could have forgotten her. She appeared to his spectral eyes as a watery mannikin with the semblence of her likeness. "I don't know if you can hear me, but...... I don't want you to grieve me for me. You were the greatest thing that ever happened to me, and I loved you very much. You were the only one that I think ever really loved me."

She hadn't moved at all. He must have been invisible to her for all he knew. Invisible and inaudible, he tried to make his presence known to her.

"Ally," He continued. "Please don't do this to yourself. I guess it's my fault for not realizing what Amanda was capable of, but had I known, things would have been different. Please, baby, live for me."

He stared deeply into her eyes looking for life in them as he touched her shoulder and kissed her forehead.

"I will always love you."

"Don't go !" She spoke !!

Ally sat up as she touched her shoulder and then caressed her forehead. A tear dropped from her eye as she glanced around the empty rom and forced her legs to the floor. She almost collapsed as her legs nearly gave out on her, but she was so weak. She dropped on to Sara's vanity table and glanced over the perfumes and make-up containers there as she noticed her reflection. She looked much older than she was. Her face was thin and she had dark circles under her eyes as she forced herself up once more and staggered toward the door clumsily. Picking up her robe, she fussed with it as a angry child as she covered up her pajamas and made her way. Bumping the wall, she slid along the wall to the back stairs.

"Ally," Angelique whirled around from making lunch and rushed to support her. Easing her down to the table, she grabbed a coffee cup and filled it with orange juice for her daughter-in-law.

"How are you feeling, sweetheart ?"

"Tired,," Ally'e eyes were filled with tears.

"I know you loved him," Angelique stroked her hands. "But you must live on. He would have wanted it that way."

"I know,,,," Ally sipped the juice as her mother-in-law fussed with her mussed hair. "But......it's just so hard."

"I'll be there for you." Angelique's blue azure eyes beamed with positivity despite the tears of emotion she had. She hugged Ally and pulled her close as she looked up and saw Josette slip out of sight in the hall to the foyeur. The former sorceress whispered a thank you to the hurrying phantom as William watched contently from the back stairs.

END

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