A Romantic Ghost Story

Chapter 5

The following night, Ryan couldn't sleep again. No matter how hard he tried, he simply couldn't fall asleep. Maybe it was because he felt his career was going nowhere. All day long, he had played for the customers at the hotel restaurant, but like always, people had ignored him again. He wasn't even trying to make it big on the Island. He was just trying to make enough money to buy a ferry ticket home.

So, sleepless, he wandered out into the crisp, cold night for the second time.

The chilly air slivered all over his skin and he shivered. A rumble of thunder made him look up. The moonless sky was filled with dark storm clouds. It looked like rain.

In front of him, the waves lapped at the beach. He stared at the sandy beach, which had taken another life. The morning paper had been full of deadlines about the drowning the night before, but the police had no leads and nothing further was done.

Ryan thought it was probably because that guy wasn't looking where he was going. There was nothing supernatural about it.

Soon, it started to drizzle. The rain started to stir the mist, but it did not dissolve it. Instead, it gave the mist a green-tinged glow. It was an eerily beautiful scene.

He stood on the beach in his cotton t-shirt and torn jeans. It was freezing, but he didn't feel like going inside just yet.

So, he started to strum his guitar. The night mist inspired him to play a haunting melody.

But, halfway through his tune, he stopped.

Something else was in the air. Another sound. It was faint yet audible guitar music.

The hair on the back of his neck pricked up.

Who else could be playing the guitar this late at night? He wondered.

Like a man in a trance, he headed toward the source of the music, leaving the beach and heading into the woods. The music called to him, pleading for help, like a siren's song. And he was a man who couldn't resist helping a damsel in distress. And if an adventure was involved, then so much the better.

Like long fingers, tree branches reached out to grab him as he followed the dirt path deeper into the forest.

The guitar music grew louder. He listened carefully. A soft female voice was singing a heartbreaking tune.

The melody echoed throughout the rain-soaked woods.

Ryan arrived at a clearing in the forest. The music continued a little further up ahead, by the highway.

He walked toward the highway.

Someone in a black dress was standing by the road, someone with an hourglass figure.

Her long dark hair was blowing in the wind as the night mist swirled around her.

Ryan's heart nearly stopped. She was a vision in the night, especially with twinkling green lights around her. Ryan assumed they were fireflies.

She continued to sing a mournful tune, with equally sad lyrics.

What do you do when you're sad?

What do you do when you're blue?

Fly with me to the clouds

And I'll be sad with you.

Ryan listened, spellbound.

The young lady then started to cry.

***

Nancy looked up and saw a young man approaching. A white van passed by and shone its headlights at her, making her wince, but illuminating the young man.