A Missed Concert

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Jason's pov

*2 weeks later*

I was putting on a concert in Wyoming. Miranda decided to stay home with Sam. I know it's gonna take some time. I just hope this doesn't destroy her like Mason's death almost completely destroyed me. I was waiting backstage while Chris Janson, my opener was performing. I walked out to the back parking lot to get some fresh air. "I'm so darn tense." I mumble to myself, hating the fact that I am. I got the weird feeling that I was being watched. I looked but the place was empty. "Weird." I mumble about to go inside when the gate at the end of the lot slammed open. "What the crud?" I gape confused. I walk over and close it back then when I turned around a guy was standing behind me looking pissed off. "What the? You aren't supposed to be back here." I say caught off guard. His eyes got big. "Y-You can see me?" "Of course I... Wait a second! Are you a ghost?" He nods looking shocked. "It's been decades since anyone has been able to see me!" "Who are you and what happened to you?" "My name's Jake McPhale. I was a stagehand here." He says nodding to the building I'm set to play at in an hour. "Do you know how you died?" "Course I know!" He gasps, looking surprised by the question. "It was almost thirty years ago. I was manning the stage lights when someone shot up the place. A bullet hit the light and the glass cut me. I fell off the pedestal and died on impact with the ground." "Wow. That really sucks." I say, shocked. "Do you see a light." He shakes his head. "Screw the damn light! I don't care about that! My wife! She needs the money I hid upstairs in my office! It's still there! I just had no way to tell her! Please can you help me?!" I force a smile. "Course I can. Show me where it is." We go back inside and he points to a staircase then vanishes. I climb the stairs and he reappears beside a door. "It's in the left filing cabinet. The only drawer that opens." He says pointing into the room. I walk in there and am shocked to discover a 700,000 dollar check! "Where'd you get this much money?" "I won the lottery the day before I died! I had two shows here and planned on showing it to my wife, ya know surprise her but I died that night!" "OK where does your wife live?" "Two miles east of here. Old dirt road ya can't miss it!" He vanishes again and I put the check in my wallet. Wow, helping ghosts is bizarre. "And that was Chris Janson everyone!" I quickly go backstage again. "Great show, Chris." I say shaking his hand. "Thanks, man. Had a blast." I smile. "We ain't finished yet. When I start singing 1994, I want you to join me." He smiles. "Cool! Can't wait." I go out onstage to perform.

*the next day*

I find the dirt road and drive down it worried. Suddenly Jake appears in my passenger seat, making me scream and hit the brakes. "Holy mother! Don't do that to me! You scared the crap outta me!" "Sorry." I get back to driving and he points to a house. "This is it?" He nods. I pull into the drive and there's a woman on the front porch swing in her fifties. "I can't thank you enough for doing this. She was gonna lose the house." I smile. "That's what I'm here for. I'm gonna use this newfound gift to help people like you." He smiles. "You're a good man, Jason. And I'd love to have held the lights for your show last night." I smile. "You too, Jake." I step out and the woman stands up. "Howdy ma'am." I say, walking over. "Do I know you?" I shake my head. "We've never met before but... I knew your husband." "My husband is dead. Has been for thirty years." She says angrily. "He wanted me to give you something." I say pulling the check out. I give it to her and she stares at it shocked. The check was slightly yellowed with age. "Th-This is m-my Jake's signature. How on earth did you get this?" I glance at Jake who was standing beside the woman. "Tell her." He whispers. She's gonna think I'm a lunatic! I take a deep breath. "Ma'am, your husband is here. He's standing right beside you." She looks up from the check, in shock. "Do you believe in ghosts?" She nods shakily, tears coming to her eyes. "I knew you didn't leave me, Jake!" She shakily whispers, closing her eyes as tears roll down her cheeks. "Tell her I've been here. I never left." "He said he's been here and that he never left." She sits back on the swing, probably unable to handle it. "Tell her... Tell her I'm so lucky to have known a girl like her. I've always admired her bravery." I'm confused as to what that means but I relay the message to her. "Can he hear me?" I nod. "Jake, I got my strength from you! Cause you never backed down. You stood tall and never let on that you were scared. I got it all from you! That's how I survived all these years without you!" Jake smiles then looks up and looks shocked. "Whoa.... That light.... Is it.... Is it for me?" I smile, trying not to cry myself. "Yeah man, that's for you." "W-What's over there?" "I dunno. I've never been." I say. He smiles back at her. "She's gonna be okay. Thank you." He vanishes. I sit beside the poor old woman and hug her. "He's gone now." "I could always tell he was there, watching over me. Thank you. You've done a world of good."