Free End of the Road (Ghost Stories Trilogy #1) by E. J. Fechenda Page A

but time does funny things when you’re dead.  Finally, when I realized my
situation was more permanent, I ventured up to the top of the embankment.
    When I reached the top, I
saw Lawrence and Juanita standing by a mesquite tree on the other side of the
highway. Their backs were to me, but they both turned to face me as soon as I
stood behind them.
    “We had been wondering
how long you were going to stay down there,” Lawrence said, introducing himself
first and then Juanita. Out of habit I reached my hand out for a shake and
learned, like with solid objects, we couldn’t touch. Our hands just passed
right through one another.
    “Why didn’t you come to
find out?”
    “We can’t go that far,
only to the edge.”
    So we all had similar
limitations. I looked past Lawrence to see what they had been so preoccupied
with and noticed some bones sticking out of the ground at the base of the tree.
    “Are those human?” I
asked.
    “Si, that’s what’s left
of me. Well, and of course this,” she gestures to herself. “Whatever this is.”
    I was stunned with how
matter-of-fact Juanita was about her bones melting into the ground.
    “Do you have any ideas
why you think you’re still here?” Lawrence asked.
    “Yes.” I proceeded to
tell them about Faye and the baby. “I always thought she was being a nag, but I
realize now she was ready to grow up. I kept resisting and being a selfish
jerk. I’ll never know my child and I didn’t leave much behind for Faye. Plus, I
wrecked our only vehicle. I’ve really made a mess of things.”
    “We all have children as
part of our regrets,” Lawrence said. He told me what happened to him and all I
could do was shake my head. I couldn’t imagine watching my family die right in
front of me.
    “I’m sorry, that is truly
horrible.” Tears glittered on the rim of Lawrence’s eyes, he turned away and
disappeared. Moments later he reappeared on the other side of the highway.
    “He’ll need to be alone
for a while.” I was so caught up in Lawrence’s story, I had forgotten about Juanita.
Her soft voice captured my attention.
    “Do you have a similar
story?” I asked.
    “Nothing as tragic, but I
left a daughter behind. Her name is Mariella.” Juanita’s body lit up at the
mention of her child’s name and I took a step back.
    “What?” she asked.
    “You flicker, do you know
that?”
    “Si, we do. I’m not sure
why.”
    Juanita continued with
her story and she was choking on the words towards the end. I kept staring at her
bones, bleached white from the sun. I was unable to fully reconcile that they
once belonged to the woman standing before me. It was difficult to comprehend
how long Lawrence and Juanita had been stuck here. If they hadn’t figured out
how to move on, I didn’t think I would either.
    “So what’s next?” I asked.
    “I don’t know. I guess we
wait.” Juanita turned towards the sunset. Her glow faded to where she was
barely visible; just an imprint on the dusk.
    And so I waited. I didn’t
get hungry, hot or cold. I didn’t crave a cigarette although I had a ghost pack
permanently stored in my shirt pocket. I thought about Faye and the baby. I
wondered if she had a boy or girl and what our child looked like. If we had a
daughter did she resemble Faye? Thinking like that wasn’t healthy, but we all
did it anyway. At least Lawrence and Juanita knew their children, had held
them, played with them. All I had was my imagination.
    I didn’t realize how
quickly time passed until Georgia joined us. When she told us what year it was
all I could do was blink in amazement. I knew time had marched on, but it was a
shock to know how many years had come and gone while I was basically standing
still.  
     
     

Chapter Sixteen
     
    Georgia Anne Jessup
    b.1949 – d.1968
     
    Johnny draped his arm
across my shoulders and I leaned into him. Cigarette smoke swirled over our
heads and disappeared into the cloudless sky.  Brett Higgins rested back
against the