“You’re totally in your jammies.”
“Why would I lie?”
“I’m not sure,” Lauren says. “Why would someone lie about that? Kind of weird. Anyway, tell me what happened with that guitar you found.”
I tell her about being drawn to the Telecaster and how, when I picked it up, the world around me basically vanished and I saw that woman onstage. About that moment when it seemed like she looked right at me. I hesitate, then tell Lauren how I imagined hearing her.
A few moments of silence follow. Then, Lauren says, “Why do you think you imagined it? You experienced it, right?”
The thing is, I’ve given that part a lot of thought. In that moment, it really did feel like she looked right at me. As for what she said, it wasn’t like I actually heard her with my ears. I heard her inside my head.
“I don’t know,” I say. “I’ve never experienced anything like it before.”
“Fair enough. Let me ask you this—did your friends have any sort of reaction to the guitar? You know, were they curious, did they get a feeling about it? Anything like that?”
I think back to Gary talking about his past, trying to recall if Justin or Doug even noticed the old Telecaster while to me it suddenly seemed like the only thing in the room. “Nothing like that,” I say. “It was just me. I had to check it out.”
A pause. Did she yawn? I think I heard her yawn. “Then my guess is you’re the intended recipient. That part seems clear.”
“Recipient of what?”
“The resonant object.” By her tone of voice, I can almost see Lauren shrug.
“Resonant object? What does that mean?”
A second or two ticks by. “Well, that would be an object that resonates. At least, for you.”
Helpful. “But what’s a—? Never mind. I’m assuming you mean the guitar.”
“Definitely. You need to get it.”
“How?”
“I guess you could buy it,” Lauren says. “Sorry, but I should probably finish my homework. It’s getting late.”
“But you just said it wasn’t late.”
“Whatever. Have a good night, Pajama Boy.”
~~~
At first, I’m not sure why I wake up in the middle of the night. I listen but the house is perfectly still. It’s just me, alone in the dark. At least, that’s what I think until I notice the outline of a man standing in the corner of my room—a dimly glowing silhouette that can’t possibly be there. I close my eyes and open them again. He still stands there, only he’s solidified a little. I sit up, heart hammering in my chest. I stare across the room. He looks young, maybe in his late twenties, hair reaching almost to his shoulders. I keep staring at him and he seems to be staring back.
“Is this about the guitar?” I say, even though it makes no sense. But it doesn’t have to make sense. Obviously, I’m dreaming. Telling myself this doesn’t help when he suddenly flickers forward and stands next to my bed. I rear back, wanting to call out but my throat seizes. I sit there gulping like a fish.
Then he’s gone. There’s just darkness where he stood even as his image continues to fade from my retinas.
I don’t sleep after that. I stare at the ceiling, eyes wide, until sunrise. I wonder if I should see a psychiatrist or ask my parents to schedule a CAT scan. Maybe I have a brain tumor or something. I’m used to unusual things happening but I’ve definitely turned some sort of corner. Finally, I climb out of bed to the sound of birds chirping outside. I go to my desk, pick up my phone and see a text from Lauren.
Don’t rule out spectral visits. Probably should have mentioned that.
About David Pandolfe
David Pandolfe is the author of the Streetlights Like Fireworks and Jump When Ready series. Reading his books, you'll soon learn that he likes writing stories about psychics, ghosts, unusual settings and characters who approach adventure with a sense of humor. He’s not sure where the ghost obsession came from but he figured he might as well roll with it.
Before becoming a writer, David did a few other things. For example, he was once a bartender in Seattle, a singer/songwriter in a Los Angeles rock band and a college writing teacher in Richmond (not all at the same time, of course). These days, he lives near Richmond, Virginia, with his wife, two kids and a dog who's terrified of thunder. Not the best situation for their dog since it thunders from spring until fall in Richmond.
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Author blog : http://davidpandolfe.com
1: A Voice from the Other Side
2: I Feel You
3: Doors Opening
4: Somebody He Used to Know
5: Balancing Act
6: Ghost of the Living
7: Jump Forward
8: Lost and Found
9: The Need
10: Out Of Reach
11: The Whole Thing
12: Floating In The Ocean
13: I Know You’re There
14: Butterflies and Horses
15: Wedding Plans
16: Hour By Hour
17: And For Us, Someday
18: Waking Up From a Restless Night
19: A Faint Light
20: A Door Left Open
21: Memories From A Different Future
Copyright © 2014 David Pandolfe
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without written permission from the publisher or author, except in the case of a reviewer, who may quote passages embodied in critical articles or in a review.
Cover art and design by Samantha Pandolfe.
Memories from a Different Future: Jump When Ready, Book 2 Page 20
