The Silver Locket

[Revolte]

Did you hear, did you hear, the lonely ghost howl?
On his way to the rainbow rose rug.
I know what I heard, and painful it was;
When the lonely ghost howled to his love.


“I love you Angel!” Jake told his wife as he threw the last packed bags into his truck. “I love you too Jake, it's going to be so hard to get through the next few months without you.” Angel replied in mourning tone. “You will be just fine, I wish I didn't have to go but Jones need's me right now.” Jake said as he took out a silver heart shaped locket from the pocket of his jeans. “Some old lady brought this into the shop yesterday looking to sell it, when I thought about my leave today I knew I had to buy it myself. The pawn shop has too many lockets anyway. Keep it close while I'm away, as long as its near to your heart I will be with you.” Angel looked with shock at the locket in Jake's hands. “I can't believe you Jake your so sweet, what would I ever do with out you?” She said with tears beginning to fall from her widened green eyes. “It's of no worry my dear, you wont ever have to do anything without me and now, not even while I'm away” Jake confidently replied.

Stepping into his old Chevy truck Jake turned to smile one last time to his wife. With the door to their cabin half closed Angel smiled an angels smile back, and shut the door. Jake started his truck, backed out of the dirt drive way muddy from earlier rain and drove down the twisted mountain roads.

As Jake hit the freeway the song “Only Time” by Enya came on the radio. “God, how I miss that girl already.” Jake thought to himself. He glanced up at the nights full moon and wondered if she was doing the same. They got married to that song on a night with a moon just as full.

Jake pulled in to the small town of Madera where Jones lived. Jones was staying at his parents house by Lake Hensly. It was the only house in the area and miles from anything other then woods and water. When he arrived to the house, he pulled out his bags from the truck and rushed with excitement to the door.

Before he could set his bags down to knock, the door swung open and Jones flew out with a hug, causing Jake's bags to drop.

“Jake you son of a *****! It's been months!” Jones shouted fallowed by a rough cough. Jake just chuckled and picked up his bags. “Is it alright if I come in, or are you trying to freeze me to death?” Jake said jokingly. “Of course, just wipe your feet on the welcome mat!” Jones replied with a sadistic tone. Jake looked down and around, but there was no welcome mat. Just a splintering wood porch. The two shared a laugh as Jake walked into the house.

Jones showed Jake to his room and sat on the bed while Jake started to unpack. “How are the mountains of Santa Cruz treating you? Still working at that pawn shop?” Jones asked curiously. “Things back home are good and yeah I'm still working there, I own it even.” Jake Replied while hanging up his jackets in the closet. “I can't thank you enough for coming Jake. I wish it was under better circumstances, but my strength isn't what it used to be and with my parents in japan I didn't know anybody else who would help.” Jones said sorrowfully.


Jake halted from putting away his clothes and sat on the bed next to Jones. “You know it's no problem, I see your still bald, how is the chemo going?” Jake asked with lowered voice. “It hurts, I've used the bathroom more then any bathroom should have to stand and I want to throw up every time I think of whats happening to me, but other then that I'm just fine. The doc said I'm getting better, sure as hell doesn't feel like I'm getting better, but you know something Jake, I don't think I've ever been happier in my life.” Jones replied half grinning.

“Why is that?” Jake said jaw dropped in disbelief. “Well, You took two months away from work and your wife to come to a town you hate. Ever sense I came down with cancer people have been showing me parts of them I didn't know existed, even the squirrel's chatter is more loving. For the first time in my life I see the beauty in the world and even if I could, I would never want to change that.” Jones replied now with a full fledged smile.

Jones stood up and started to walk out the room. “I'm an old man now Jake, I've been around for sixty seven years and I have lived an incredible life. I'm happy for every day I have, it's more then I deserve.” Jones said as he stepped out of the door way. Jake just sat there quietly for a moment and began to finish putting away his things.

For the next two months Jake and Jones spent their time together. Some nights Jake would spend talking about past days and future ones to come. Some nights he would cook up something he would look up through an aged cook book. Some nights he would watch fifties movies with Jones, but mostly he just thought. He thought about Jones and all the days they spent when they where kids, causing trouble and getting away with it. He thought about his life and how he too was happy with how it was lived. Most of all he thought about Angel and what she was doing, what she was eating and if she was wearing the silver locket.

The last night of Jake's stay with Jones came and the two staid up playing poker like they did when they where young. “It's about time we head to bed Jake, you have a long drive ahead of you.” Jones told Jake sternly. “Yeah, your probably right.” Jake replied reluctantly. He put away the cards, made his way to his room, laid in his bed and closed his eyes to sleep.

The next morning Jake awoke to ear piercing sirens and men talking outside. He looked out the window to notice a body bag being rolled into the back of an ambulance. Worried for Jones's health, he ran down the hall and out the front door. Jones was standing on the porch talking to two men.

“Jones! I thought you where a goner! What happened?” Jake shouted at the top of his lungs. Jones just stood there, talking to the two men. “Jones can you hear me? Hello you *******, you had me scared stiff!” Still, Jones just stood there, talking to the two men.

“His heart gave out sir. There was nothing you could have done.” Said one of the men to Jones. The two men left in the ambulance and Jones turned and walked back in the house, right past Jake.

Jake ran after Jones and tripped over a carpet Jones had accidentally pushed up with his feet. “Why didn't I feel that?” Jake thought to himself. Then it hit him, the man in the body bag was him. Jones couldn't hear him because he was dead.

Jake just laid on the floor for a minute, until he thought of Angel. “My god! Angel! I have to get back home!” Jake Shouted to himself.

He got off the floor, walked to Jones who was sitting silently on a chair in the living room and patted his shoulder. “Goodbye good friend, keep strong.” Jake said with vain to Jones, who couldn't hear nor see Jake anymore.

Jake left the house to his truck, but to his amazement he couldn't open the door. It was like he was swinging a bat at a ball that wasn't even there. “Dammit!” Jake shouted in agony. He turned to face the road and he walked. The roads didn't look the same anymore, it was like he was never there. The sun wasn't warm anymore, he could see the flowers blowing in the wind, but he couldn't feel the wind. He couldn't feel anything and as hours of walking passed, he noticed he couldn't even get tired.

He walked for days on end, slowly but steadily. At one point he was walking through a park and noticed two young lovers sitting in the grass staring at each other and whispering sweet words only loving tongues could speak. He stopped to watch them for a few seconds and let out a huge shout of rage, heartbreak and sorrow. As if the couple heard him they suddenly stood up and skipped away into the neighboring woods. Jake continued his walk.

He finally arrived at his house, in the pitch black night and he noticed Angel walking back into the house, forgetting to close the door. Jake walked into the house and fallowed Angel upstairs to their bed room. Angel stripped nude like she would do every night before they went to rest and laid in her bed. Jake couldn't speak, he was so relieved to see his wife again, yet so full of sorrow. She couldn't look him in the eyes ever again, she couldn't run her fingers through his hair, she couldn't kiss his lips and tell him goodnight.

Jake laid in the bed next to her and saw her hands rise up to the silver locket resting on her chest. She opened it to see a picture of them on their honey moon and tears fell down her face. “You'll always be with me Jake, I still love you. I always will no matter how long we are apart.” Angel said before closing the locket, shutting her eyes and drifting to sleep.

Jake laid there staring at her for a couple hours, then turned to look out the window and he saw the moon in all its fullness. “How can that be? It's only been a couple weeks.” He thought to himself in confusion. He got up and walked to their kitchen to check the calender they kept on the fridge door. Death took a strange toll on Jake and he didn't know much of anything. Five years have passed sense the day he left to visit Jones. He stood there in disbelief as he looked down to the rug in front of the fridge him and Angel made by hand, designed with multicolored roses.

“Jake?” Angel asked from behind. Jake didn't understand, did she know he was there? He turned around to see his wife looking him in the eyes. “Angel?” Jake replied half in fear and half in hope. “I never took off the locket Jake, but it broke when I was sleeping and for the first time in five years it was off and I didn't have you with me. I couldn't live without you.” Angel explained. Jake's lips rose up to a smile, and Angel smiled an angels smile back.





(damn typo's and "forget to types". P.S. This is sort of the pride and joy of my short stories, so I would love any comments)