Beths Ring

Chapter 2

Beth peeked her head from under the covers and glanced around the room. Well, it all looked the same as it always did. It seemed safe enough. She sat up in the creaky brass bed and rubbed her eyes. As she lowered her hands down the morning sun glinted off the gold that lay on her finger. She stared at in astonishment. It had been real. It came flashing back through her memory, much like the lightening of the previous night.

“Well, this just wasn’t right, it just isn’t normal!” she whispered to the empty room.

She didn’t know exactly what was happening, and she wasn’t sure if she wanted to know. She climbed out of the bed slowly, just in case something was going to jump out at her, and gently put her feet on the floor.

“OHHHH” she yelped, “I need to get in floor heating!”

She quickly made a mental note to at least get some rugs to warm up the wooden floor. Well, nothing jumped out at her, which had to be a good sign. Running her fingers through her sleep tossed hair and she headed down stairs to see to the damage that had been left last night after her episode. That’s what it had to be she insisted to herself, a delusion that lack of sleep had caused. It had to be. She would rather think that she was going slightly loony than having something that weird happen to her. Crazy was so much better, crazy she could handle.

The bottom step groaned as her feet hit the tread and turned her head around to survey the living room. A pile of newspaper and tissue was near a wall and a pile of empty boxes sat close by. In the middle of the floor lay the mysterious box she had handled the night before. She eyed it suspiciously and swallowed her nervousness.

“It's just a box for petes sake” she spoke quietly, “ it isn’t like it’s going to bite me!”

Beth cautiously walked to it and bent to pick it when she felt a slight breeze that stirred her nightgown. She slowly turned to face whatever was behind her; of course her idea of facing it was with her eyes squeezed shut, but it was still facing it she told herself. Just in a cowardly way. Nothing happened so she opened one eye to peek. There wasn’t anything that could be seen, but she still felt something. Unexplainable, it felt like eyes that were following her every move. Then she started to tingle with a warmth that crept slowly all over her body, starting at the tips of her toes and worked it’s way up. What ever it was, it was creeping her out, yet it was exciting as well. Her heart beat wildly. She felt very aware of everything in the room. Every creak and whisper the old house made. Every tick of the grandfather clock buried under a sheet, the wind hitting the windows, her breathing even. Her senses screamed with all the sights and sounds around her.

She knew that she was being watched. Looking around the room she tried to pick up anything out of the ordinary, but she couldn’t see anything. A shadow flickered across the mantle of the fireplace and her breath caught. The phone ringing broke through the silence and she shrieked when she heard it. “Calm down Beth, it is just the phone. You need to take a breath and get it together!” Her hands shook as she reached for the handset.

“ Umm, Hello?” her voice squeaked through the receiver and she had to hold tight to the phone so her trembling hands didn’t drop it on the floor.

“Good morning Elizabeth. Have you come to your senses and going to sell that old pile of stones yet?” A nasally voice cut into her ear.

She let out a soft disgusted groan. It was Steven, her second cousin whom she had became to despise. She hated being called by her full name and he did it just to irritate her and make her feel like a ten-year-old girl. Beth also knew that he was very put out with their Aunt leaving her the house. He thought that it should have been him to inherit it, he being her nephew while Beth was only a great niece. She could understand his disappointment but it wasn’t her fault and she sure wasn’t going to give into his prompting to get rid of it. He had even offered to buy it from her, a sum not even a fraction of what it was worth, of course she would have refused no matter what sum he offered, kindly stating that she was looking forward to living so close to the shore. That’s when he started creating problems with her by talking to her father. Professing that Beth would only start to have problems again and thus he had started his campaign to rid Beth of the trouble of such an old house, insisting she couldn’t handle the responsibility and work it would take in her current emotional state. It was then that she came to actually almost hate him, but she did try to be civil to him. For families sake she told herself but it was a very difficult job; she hoped it was worth it. She took a deep breath and spoke into the phone.

“Good morning Steven. How are you? It is so nice to hear from you.” Her voice was sweet but laced with an iron edge, making it clear she wasn’t pleased to hear from him.

“So, E-liz-a-beth,” he pronounced each syllable condescendingly, “ have you given up on your silly notion of keeping my house, er, I mean Aunt’s old house.”

Beth counted to five and blew out her breath, she could talk to him politely but he was pushing his luck. One day he was really going to get it from her, but she just didn’t think that she had the strength to do it today.

“I am not going ‘give up’ as you so eloquently put, I am staying and am going to really enjoy living here.” Beth’s voice was firm as she tried not to let her anger erupt.

“Now E-liz-a-beth, I only have your welfare in mind, what with what’s happened in the past. I just don’t want you biting off more than you can chew. Houses can be so much work, and you have your health to………..”

“I am very touched at your concern for me Steven,” Beth shamelessly interrupted “but I assure you that I have everything under control. So thank you.”

She heard Steven stammering through the phone, “well you….you… you just can’t stay in that big house by yourself, I am sure your father would agree. I think that I am going to have to give George a call and talk to him about this. You…you…you are just being unreasonable. You just can’t take the pressure of such a heavy burden I am sure he will make you understand. He can’t like you being there by yourself. What if you should…”

Why her, why now, she was living on limited amount of sleep and she just didn’t want to deal with this right now.

“Steven, you can call daddy but it will only be a wasted call. I already told him that I would let him hire someone to be a housekeeper. In fact she is being sent over today. So rest assured that I will have someone to baby-sit me. So, that means I won’t be all alone in this big house. Now if you don’t mind I have a million of things to unpack. Aunt Elizabeth had quite a collection of antiques you know.” adding the jibe just to annoy him and smiled wickedly. Steven being so thoughtful of her, had tried to “unload” some of her burdens for her by offering to take their Aunts things. It was just too much for one small girl he had said. Never mind that she was pushing thirty, she wasn’t an idiot and she did know that Aunt Elizabeth had a very valuable estate. It was just another thing that irritated him. He almost stamped his feet in a tantrum when she had refused his offer of help. Of course she had secretly enjoyed watching him do it.

She heard him huff and puff for an answer to on the phone and she just told him goodbye very sweetly.

She slammed the phone down; it made her feel a little better so she thought it justified the abuse of the harmless item. She stared at the phone and although she knew she was being childish she started to mock Steven by doing a poor imitation of his voice and making fun of him. She was startled when she heard a soft chuckle in one corner of the room. Looking over to where it came from, a faint figure of a man stood. No, not a man, a ghost.



Oh my gosh. Beth was frozen to the floor and couldn’t do anything but stare at the dim figure. She couldn’t make out exactly all the details, but she definitely saw it, and it definitely was a figure of a man. What should I do she thought to herself, do I scream in terror? The only thing was that she wasn’t afraid, just mostly startled and shocked, but no sense of fear, more curiosity than anything.

A deep masculine voice laced with a faint southern accent swept over her.

“There is no need to be afraid Bethy. I mean no harm to you.” The warmth that she had felt earlier drifted over her body once again.

Beth let out a deep breath, she hadn’t realized that she had been holding it, and noticed the figure becoming clearer. It was a man, he was dressed in dark pants, a simple white shirt the top buttons casually unbuttoned, and a black vest that had a gold watch dangling from a chain. He had high black leather boots that hugged his legs. She slowly studied him from the tip of his boots up to his face. He wasn’t old but his skin had a slight weathered look to, as if he had been outside in the sun for much of his life. His mouth held a faint smile and she thought it was very pleasant. But his eyes were something else, they were a clear blue and were bright as the sea that was not a stones throw from her house. They danced with a hidden amusement that only he knew. It was then that she realized that he too was studying her, as she was of him. Realizing she was in a very thin cotton nightgown that came to the top of her knees, Beth felt her face grow red and crossed her arms over chest.

She tilted her chin up in a brave fashion and started to speak to the man, or sprit or ghost. What did one call the man in front of her?

“I am not afraid. Umm…how did you know my name?” She wanted to ask a million other questions but that was all that came out.

“I have always known your name Bethy. I have always known you. I apologize for frightening you last evening. I meant not to do it, I never meant to utter any words at all, but I seemed to lose control of my emotions. It has been a very long time my dear girl.” His face had a gentleness to it as he spoke the last words and her heart had a sudden ache that it had never felt.

She mouthed the word “Oh” but nothing came out. She wasn’t sure how to answer such a statement. Her brain was a mess of confusion, either she had really lost it and was willingly participating in her delusion or she was having a conversation with a ghost that alleged that he had known her. That he had always known her. She wrinkled her brow with that thought and began to say something but she was at a loss for words. She wondered idly what his name was.

“It is Simon.” He answered immediately after her mind voiced the question.

She looked up to him startled, could he read her mind?

“Yes I can, it is a gift I have learned to use since my er, body changed.” He grinned down at her small body and moved a little closer.

Beth thought that it might be best to sit down before her wobbly knees gave out. Finding the only chair that had been uncovered she drew her legs up under her body and stifled a shiver that wanted to go through her body.

“It is a little unnerving having someone answer questions you haven’t even asked out loud you know. One might even say it was impolite.” Her voice held a slight tremor in it, revealing the uneasiness that she felt. “So your name is Simon, how is it that you umm know me and I don’t know you? Have you been haunting me my whole life or something?”

His chuckle made her feel light in the head, something she hadn’t ever felt before talking to a man. Not that she spoke to many, Beth was a shy woman who kept mainly to herself. She only had a few friends she opened herself up to; it was just to hard for her to trust more than that. It was strange but she felt more comfortable with this ghost than with anybody else.

“I think it has just become a habit for me to read thoughts Bethy, I will try to keep myself from intruding too much if you would prefer.” She had the distinct impression that it would be a hard habit for him to break. He looked like he was about to burst into laughter at any moment.

“I don’t know what you are secretly amused at, “ she glared up at him, trying to look stern but failing miserably. She just ended up looking like an ill-tempered child who looked charmingly adorable. “And don’t think that you can get away with not answering my question! How is it that you know me?”

Simon shook his head in amazement. How was it that this woman sitting in a chair that was way too big for her was the duplicate of his Beth? Her mannerisms and thoughts were so like Beth. Fate knew what she was doing but it still amazed him. She was just as adorable and sweet as she was two hundred years ago.

“Alright my dear, I will tell you as much as I can. I have always been aware of you since the first day you came into this house. How long has it been? Twenty odd years or more? You came into this very room as quiet as a mouse hanging onto your brothers shirttails. You were a pretty little girl but you have turned into a beautiful woman.” His eyes gleamed with an emotion she hadn’t ever seen.

She stared at him open mouthed. NO one had ever told her she was beautiful before. Cute yes, maybe even slightly pretty, but never beautiful. She jumped a little as she watched him move to stand in front her chair.

Simon flicked his wrist and a wooden chair instantly appeared. He sat his large frame on it and sat opposite from her. Resting his ghostly arms on his knees and studied the woman that was opposite him. He knew what her thoughts were but he kept his tongue from saying that everyone else did not know the definition of beauty. He thought that it would just embarrass her more. She was a shy girl his Bethy and he had to remember to tread carefully, she was the same as when he first met her, as skittish as a deer.

“I apologize for not being able to give you anymore details before that, it isn’t time yet.” He sighed; he would have to wait awhile before he told her more. He had to wait for her to get used to him being there. He had to wait for her to open her heart to him, and then he would tell her, it was too important for them both to rush into it. It there future, and it depended on her entirely if his plans would work. No, he needed to give her as much time as she needed. He had to try to be patient but seeing her after how many years unfortunately put his plan ahead of schedule. He hadn’t wanted to show himself yet, but then again, his Bethy was a very observant woman. He should have remembered that she was very perceptive when it came to him. He just didn’t realize that it would have carried over to this life.

“What do you mean that it isn’t time yet? I want to know what you are doing in my house and spying on me when I was a little girl!” She was slightly bent out of shape, but he had mentioned her much-loved brother and it just sparked her emotionally. She didn’t talk of Charlie. Not anymore, it was just too painful. She tried not to even think about him anymore, although that was a hopeless case.

“Now calm down my dear, I wasn’t spying as you put it, I am aware of you anytime you walk onto my land. You are going to have to start to learn to trust me my sweet, do not fret.” His voice was silky and she felt calmer.

He gave her such a strange feeling, as if something was wakening up inside that had been waiting for him. She wasn’t sure if she wanted to feel it, but she seemed to not have control of herself.

“You are staying Simon?” She voiced her question hesitantly, as if scared of the answer, one-way or the other.

“Yes, I am, I have no choice in the matter but it would not matter if I did. You will learn that soon enough. You have no need to fear me ever Bethy, I promise.” He voiced the last words fervently and kindly.

He looked gently at her and reached for her hand but stopped halfway and pulled his hand back slowly and painfully.

“I will leave you to your morning preparations, you have a guest coming in a short time I gather.”

He stood up and the chair disappeared and she almost felt a fear of his leaving, it gripped her heart tightly and her stomach had churned with uneasiness. She stared up at him with fear in her eyes. What was happening to her? Why was she so scared he would leave and she wouldn’t see him again? It was such a strange thought to her!

“No need to worry my dear. Just call my name and I will come to you. Do not fret; I will watch over you my precious. Now make haste so you do not keep her waiting.” He made a small formal bow and walked out of the room and in an instant disappeared into thin air.

It was very unnerving to see it but somehow she had absolutely no fear at all. The knowledge that he was there was very comforting. A stray thought wondered how he knew the woman being sent over by her father was coming. Of course, He could read her thoughts. She would have to set some rules with him; she wasn’t keen on her ghost reading her private thoughts. She raised herself out of the giant chair and giggled her last thought. Life really had taken a turn thatshe had never dreamed of, it seemed she had herself her very own ghost. And he liked her obviously. He was her ghost. She skipped up the stairs with a light heart