The Ghosts of Valentine Park

Version 1

The Ghosts of Valentine Park

Emily looked so beautiful, even though tears were streaming down her face as she silently wept. Her cheeks were flushed and her hands fidgeting and clutching a tissue while her boyfriend William was laying hopelessly on the hospital bed. I've always found that quite amusing really, the fact William shares my name.

It was a little heart breaking watching the love of my life in pieces, but for me, it was my chance to get her and treat her the way she deserves. She's completely oblivious to me watching her day in day out. I know her likes and dislikes, good habits and bad habits, and almost all I need to know. I've loved her since the day I met her over three years ago. I now had the power to get rid of William, and take his place.

I was with her when she got the call. The moment her heart dropped and she rushed to her feet getting the first taxi to the hospital. Poor girl, I wish I could have just grabbed her and told her I was the man for her, that he was always using her and she knew it too. Instead I just followed her to the hospital and sat here, watching the aura glowing bright blue around William's head. I had a really tough decision to make. One that I'd put off for forty years. And now for the love of this amazing creature praying for him to wake up, I was on the verge of replacing him.

"I'm taking him." A deep voice from behind called excitedly.

I knew that voice from anywhere. I knew him from the saloon. The cheeky shit had been waiting only a year or less, yet wants to replace William only to piss me off. He knew all about my love for Emily. Everyone did. And he thinks that because I've waited over forty years for the perfect moment, I will wait another forty. Well he's wrong and it isn't happening.

"No chance!" I bellowed, turning to face the lanky little shit.

"I think you'll find, this is my district here William." He smirked.

"I think you'll find that I was here first."

"I was here about ten minutes before you even got here. I was watching you, and you've just been sitting there letting him go cold. You're not going to do it. I know you won't because you've done this hundreds of times before."

He was right too. So many times I've let them go cold and wasted the chance for another to replace them. But this time I was almost sure. I just needed time to think.

"Yes. But this is it now. I'm taking him." I said firmly.

"Look, I'm giving you three minutes. His aura is fading fast and I'm not letting you waste him. Anyone else and I'd be in like a flash. But you William. Well, you're the main guy. I'll give you 'til I get back."

The cheeky bastard! Thinks he can rush me. Well, he can just go to hell. Well, if there was a hell.

I think I'd better start from the beginning. Well, not way back in time, but just before I found Emily.

I was in Valentine Park, watching people. That's what I do best really, just sit and watch. I make up little stories in my head about them, then stand really close and listen to them saying ridiculous things to their partners or getting into arguments. You have to entertain yourself somehow. Forty something years as a spirit can become quite boring. Anyway, I was just watching and listening when I get a call. Not a phone call though, that would be stupid, spirits don't have phones. We kind of get a buzzing and a sensation directing us to someone or something. It's not easy to explain, but we just get directions from the big man. Somebody had just died in my area and it was my job in that district to sort them out. Give them the rules and tips, and show them around.

I was kind of excited while running over to the scene. Not many people die in this area. The park is so huge there is only really a catchment of sixty or seventy houses and six straight roads around it. I am a bit of a joker, so on my way I decided I was going to play a joke on the dead guy. When somebody dies, their spirit only really has about thirty minutes to decide what to do, and you don't really want to make the wrong choices. It's my job to help them decide. Plus, after the thirty minute window, the spirit completely forgets his past life. Harsh, I know, but it just stops the spirits from stalking their old lives.