Difference between revisions of "Log:Cemetery Chit Chat"

29 August, 2017

Two people who don't know each other that well keep crossing paths. This time, things got interesting...

A cemetery in town

      The sun is setting over the east coast. Schools have let out, people are heading home to do whatever they do at their homes. For people like Aaron, he prefers the moments of quiet he gets nowadays. No longer a counselor (at least in practice), the established writer of horror does what most horror writers do--be odd. His time is spent pass iron gates and walking the quiet paths of the town's cemetery. His walk is light like an idle stroll. A lanky cat jumps from bushes into his path, then out again, chasing whatever has its attention. Behind the Veil between this and the lands of the dead, a willowy specter walks somewhere alongside him. Those that can see, may see a resemblance between the two of them.

There is nothing imposing about Cerise. Looking to be in her mid-30's, she could easily slide into the background and fail to be noticed with her tomboyish appearance. She has a slender frame, with naturally pale skin that has recently begun to tan and darken. Her hair is a straight, dark brown, with just a few waves at the end, and is typically pulled back into a pony-tail to get it off her neck and out of the way.

Clothes are chosen for practicality. Typically, she wears slacks of some sort, jeans when she's out and about, and a button down shirt. Never over-styled or fancy, there is still a fastidiousness and particularness with the way that she dresses.

Most people don't take evening strolls through cemeteries, but apparently, Cerise is not most people. The gravel of the paths crunches under her feet as she approaches from the opposite direction as Aaron. The woman's dressed simply, jeans, a form-fitting, long-sleeved tee, and slip on sneakers, with a light sweater pulled on over top for warmth against the oncoming evening chill. At first, she doesn't seem to take much notice of the man approaching her, just giving his form a vague once-over, but when they come closer and she begins to make him out better, there's a stutter of recognition, followed closely by an uncertain furrowing of brows and a narrowing of her eyes. Then the pair's paths are crossing each other, and just when it might be that Cerise passes by without a word, she stops, "Excuse me ... are you from around here?"

Aaron is lost in his own world as he walks. The ghost doesn't talk either, save for the occasional humming of a tune. The cat trails behind both of them--still chasing whatever cats chase. As the woman crosses his path, the question asked brings him to the here and the now. He turns to face her and regard her a moment. He shakes his head. "Resident native? No. I just recently moved out this way." He jerks a thumb to a side gesturing general distance. "I lived in Aleswich. A smallish town in Maine. Prior to that, it was Boston. I'm something of a New Englander and try to travel just within the region," he offers a quirk of a smile. As he regards her, one could almost imagine gears at work in his mind, recalling a directory of faces and places. "I don't want to come off creepy, but your face looks familiar. Have we met before?"

"I thought I recognized you. Cerise Hodgson?" A credit to her upbringing, Cerise's face spreads into a politely friendly smile, while a slender hand moves up to her chest to give it a gentle thump as she gives her name. Briefly, her eyes float beyond Aaron to the specter that follows him, but she doesn't allow her gaze to linger there long as if she's refusing to acknowledge its existence at all. Quicker than most would notice, eyes are back on Aaron as she explains, "I think I knew you from both places in fact, though I'm not sure that we always ran in the same circles."

Aaron ahs with a familiar nod. "The name rings a bell." He offers a hand out to you. "Aaron Fletcher. A pleasure to be able to reconnect the name to the face." He hmms a moment. "So we've now been in the same three towns. Wonder who is stalking who," he smirks in wry humor.

Cerise takes the hand and gives it a shake, although she doesn't let the shake linger long before allowing her hands to slip into her pockets. "I think it depends on who was in Boston first. Since I was born there, I have to assume you've been following me around, but for what reason...?" The light words are accompanied with a slightly teasing quirk to her smile.

Aaron places his hands behind him after the shake. The point made causes him to contemplate a moment, then give a nod. "I suppose you have me there at Boston; but how would you explain Aleswich and now here. Seems I'd ask the same question of you. Perhaps, like me, you're looking get a fresh start?"

"Something like that, but not really." Again, Cerise catches sight of the ghost over Aaron's shoulder and her smile falters for just a moment, but again, the woman doesn't allow herself to get caught staring at it, attempting to keep her tone light. "I've decided to take up the life of a gypsy, I guess. I've been doing some traveling, staying a few weeks or months in little towns that catch my interest and then moving on. For you to be correct, I'd only have to have gone to Aleswich and here, but I've visited at *least* three other quaint New England towns between then and now."

The ghost murmurs to Aaron, "She's got you there, brother dear," saying it in a sarcastic tone. Aaron's eyes briefly narrow to his sister's chiding from beyond the living realm, but he changes his face quick to regard Cerise. "Point made," he nods and smiles. "So you've been nomadic across the New England region? Any one place you'd like to have stayed longer than another?"The ghost leaning over to murmur to Aaron catches Cerise's attention again, but more than that is Aaron's reaction to it. Cerise's eyes narrow at the ghost, in curiosity more than challenge, and she stays staring at the ghost as she responds to the question, quickly dismissing it to make more some more pointed statements. "Not yet. You know, it occurs to me we never talked about your family. You have parents? Are they from Aleswich? Siblings?"

Aaron cants his head just slightly. Curious question. "My parents moved elsewhere. They had some...issues," he says trying to keep things neutral. "I think they live someplace in Europe now. We don't talk all that much any longer. Siblings. I had one," he uses in the past tense. "Suicide."

"Oh. I'm sorry." The mention of suicide jolts Cerise out of whatever she was thinking about. Her head jerks from staring at the ghost to Aaron's face, looking somber enough except for a flicker of a sympathetic smile. "It must be hard to deal with." Cerise is quieter now, as her eyes flick back towards the ghost briefly and then back to Aaron, as she asks softly, "Do you miss her?"

Aaron gives a slow nod. "At first, yes." He turns his head, giving the impression that he's looking at a memory somewhere in the distance. Reality is that he's looking at her. "How does one deal with the loss of a loved one? Especially when that someone was your twin? Someone that's been connected with you even before you were born..." a pause goes longer than a moment, but then a light smile crosses his lips. "Now and then, something will trigger a memory--and yes, I miss her. But she's only gone in body. I still feel her with me wherever I go."

Cerise's gaze rests on Aaron still. The sympathy remains, but now the curiosity winds its way back up to the surface. "Do you feel her? You must. I almost feel like you wouldn't be surprised if someone told you that she was standing next to you." Cerise's gaze sweeps away from Aaron to look at some tombstones, but she can't help but peek back to see his reaction.

Aaron nods. "I feel her from time to time. Even though she's gone from this life--I feel like we still have a connection. A strong connection that transcends." He then shakes a head. "Twin weirdness to some people, I'm sure." At the later statement, an eyebrow lightly perks. "I suppose, yes." He places a hand on one of the tombstones nearby, regarding Cerise and her peeking back. "Interesting that you would say that. I suppose it would depend on who's telling me, credibility and all. Is it someone that can actually see her?" His eyes move here and there. He takes a few small steps towards you, "Would you say that you could see her standing right next to me," he asks with a curious look in his eyes.

Again, Cerise's eyes dart sideways to where the ghost is and again she gives him it a brief look before they drop away again, her head giving a small nod. "I would, actually. Does that seem ... unreasonable to you?"

Aaron looks at Cerise, again taking the moment in when she looks to where his sister stands then back to him. The nod. Does she drop her eyes out of embarrassment? Concerned that Aaron might find this all 'crazy talk' which is very technical in terminology. Aaron's quiet for a bit, taking this conversation all in. When he speaks, his voice is quiet. "Unreasonable? No. Curious, yes. Interesting, definitely."

Cerise is not a woman to be wilted for long. Her head is soon upright again, even if she avoids looking at the spirit still, instead of turning her head to stare far off in the distance, even as she asks, "Interesting how?"

Aaron says with a smirk, "Interesting in the sense that 'i see dead people' is usually the stuff of a good movie, or bad movie depending on who's in it, or who wrote it. Interesting in the sense that such things--if true, aren't an everyday thing." He hmms and glances quickly between his sister and to you, "I mean--imagine if they were?"

Cerise's arms stretch behind her and her hands fold together casually behind her back. "If they were?" She takes a few steps down the gravel path as she considers, "I suppose people would be less likely to take walks in cemeteries. Can I ask if /you/ can see her?"

Aaron glances back to his ghostly sibling, then looks at the wide berth of the cemetery. "I can see her, as well as the occasional others. See, listen, communicate with." He looks back to you. "Yourself?"

"The same." Cerise gives a curt nod that accompanies the rather simple response, and her eyes scan over the grave stones as if expecting more to appear that very simple confession. "Can I ask ... do you ...do you know /how/ you're able to see them?"

Aaron raises an eyebrow, then places a hand on his chest dramatically. "That's intimate question. At least buy a fella dinner first," After a Cheshire smile, he says, "It's hard to say really."

"Okay." It takes Cerise all of five seconds to make a decision. "I'll buy you dinner, and then you can tell me what you know about what you can do." She doesn't wait for him to agree or disagree, instead, she's reaching into her purse for a piece of paper and a pen, scribbling a number and sidling over to Aaron to pass it over. "Give me a text with the name of a local restaurant and a time and I'll meet you there, OK?"

Aaron blinks at the sudden ask/tell. He takes the offered number and puts it into his pocket. "Alright," is all he can say.

Cerise shoves everything back in her purse and then she waves a hand and continues down her way.