A Halloween Love story ………�?by unruly orange<o:p></o:p>

As Jacque lay in her bed staring at the sculpted ceiling she thought about John.  She and John had been sweethearts for five years and even though he was with a new girl now, the old feelings hung on.  As luck would have it the couple lived just next door in the same apartment complex.  It was sometimes hard to lay with only a wall between their apartments and hear the sweet laughter just behind the barrier.  <o:p></o:p>

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Jacque twiddled her hair and realized that she was still a bit angry that he was such a cheater and had caused the split up. She felt a surge as she blamed him for the lost of all that had been before.  Now it was just the way it was, and the new girl friend was really sweet and also a dear friend. Case closed.

She could hear John and several of his buddies as they drank their beer and goofed around in the drive. They were loading up an old motorcycle to take to Gaffer City.  Carla, John's girlfriend and her dog were busy in a training session which included eating the seat from one poor slob's baggie pants. The seven guy wonders of the world climbed aboard the truck and took off with a jerk and screech. This day seemed just like all the others and a party was planned for that evening when the merchants returned with their capital gains.

Jacque had been feeling strangely ill all day and chose to go to sleep for a while. Something in her stomach felt queasy and out of sync. She had not been napping long when she was awakened with the feeling of someone in her room.  With sleepy eyes she looked around and saw no one, so she drifted away again. 

Again she woke as she felt the mattress shift with the weight of something on her bed.  She felt very tired and pushed it away thinking it was her old cat. She could smell John’s familiar scent that made her take a deep breath. Opening her eyes she saw nothing and soon drifted back into slumber.

Only seconds later she felt a body with cudgeling arms laying next to her.  With a single breath she immediately recognized the intruder as John.  She was surprised at first and then a bit angry.  What was he doing in her room?

He felt wet as though he had just slipped in from the shower and she wondered just what he was trying to pull. Her resistance was weak at best and she was trying not to feel guilty when she heard his whispering voice telling her he loved her and not to worry.  In the stillness she selfishly clung to deep emotions as he promised his love till the ends of the earth. Deep inside she wanted to keep silent forever, thinking perhaps he would stay, even though she knew this cheep trick could not work out. What about Carla?

Knowing what he was doing was wrong, she held still for a longing moment taking in all the love she so wanted to be hers.  At just the moment she had decided to give into her desires and fully embrace him, she felt him pull away leaving only the wet spot where he had laid.  She could not bring herself to look his way so she kept her eyes closed tight and asked him to leave the room before they both regretted this stupid moment. With out another word he was gone.

The next time Jacque opened her eyes the room was filled with total blackness and the sound of a wildly ringing phone. She rolled over knocking it to the floor and as she leaned down to pick it up she could hear a screaming, crying voice on the other end.  In a foggy daze she lifted the receiver to her ear. 

"Oh my God Jacque, help me, he is dead. They are all hurt and dieing. Mickey wrecked the truck and John went through a barbed wire fence. It cut him almost in half.  I was at my sisters house when they came for me." Carla's voice broke into sobbing sadness as she said, " I missed his last moments."  

Jacque sat frozen in shock and bewilderment. She wanted to scream, "no you’re lying" but she let the phone hang loosely in her hand as she touched the still wet sheets.  Emotions of love and fear swirled and tangled inside her mind. How could she have been with John only moments before if he had been dieing in the hospital?  

Had their love bridged the great gap of time and space, if only for the departing moment?   >0<

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