Original Stories Fan Fiction ❯ Journey's End ❯ Chapter 8

Journey's End... Part Eight

Rachel cursed softly as her sports car violently bounced on another potthole then the black haired woman peered through the trees ahead dubiously. "Hope this place is close by," she muttered. She came around a corner and felt a surge of relief seeing the old mansion, sounding the horn loudly to announce her arrival.

Getting out of her car Rachel saw two women sitting on a small hill, both looking at her in surprise. Thumping the door shut she looked around the place with a wry smile and said, "I got lost twice trying to find this place."

"Rachel?" Nicole blurted out as she scrambled to her feet, the redheaded woman gazing at her old friend in shock. She dusted her blue jeans off quickly, straightening out her shirt.

"Hey," Rachel's normally serious face lit up with a smile as she walked over. The woman beside Nicole seemed to fade a moment, almost like she was disappearing, then she firmed up slightly. 'Is that a....' Rachel thought in surprise.

"Rach you rat," Nicole laughed as she hugged her friend close then scolded, "you should have called ahead!"

"You weren't answering your phone again," Rachel laughed softly, returning the hug, "on another writing binge?" She looked up and saw a glare on the other woman's face, clearly pissed at seeing her. "So who's your friend?" Rachel asked gently.

"Yeah, I'm writing again," Nicole blushed before gesturing to Laura, "I'd like you to meet Laura." She waved towards Rachel as she told Laura, "She's my best friend from Vancouver."

"Ah, hello," Laura smiled at Rachel reluctantly, her pale blonde hair blowing around her pale face then straightening out as she concentrated.

"I'm not sure how to ask this," Rachel said as she looked at Nicole then gestured to the nearly transparent woman, "but she's a ghost, right?"

"Yeah," Nicole looked mildly stunned as she continued, "you're taking this well."

Rachel flashed them a smile, "Yes and no. I called up a Realtor in town to check up on you and he mentioned you had a ghostly landlord, sorta."

"Landlord?" Laura raised an eyebrow, her long dress flowing around her legs.

"Remind me to have a little talk with Simon," Nicole frowned.

"Now, now, he's just worried about you." Rachel undid her leather jacket, her tight black pants hugging those long legs as she added, "And I think he's got a bit of a crush on you, the poor boy. You haven't told him?"

"This is a small town," Nicole reminded her with a sigh.

Laura was looking at some of the button's on Rachel's jacket with fascination. "Nobody knows I'm a lesbian," "Too Queer," "I'm the girl that your mother warned you about," and many others decorated the front along with rainbow and pink triangle pins.

"Well it's about to get smaller," Rachel puffed out a sigh as she continued, "you see, I came out here to warn you."

"Warn?" Laura frowned.

Rachel looked over at Nicole, "Your ex-girlfriend, also known as the wicked bitch of the west, is coming out here to see you, too."

"Well shit," Nicole groaned, "when?"

"Not sure," Rachel sighed.

Laura's eyes widened slightly in relief as she followed the conversation. "Then you two, you weren't...?" she asked.

Rachel laughed, "Once, a very long time ago. We quickly discovered we made better friends than lovers." She saw the emotions on Laura's face, the pure relief there then warm caring as she gazed at Nicole and had to smile.

Nicole blinked as she watched her friend and Laura, then she shook her head. "Come on," she bent over to pick up the last of the lunch then said, "let me show you around."

"Sorry for interrupting," Rachel dropped her voice to say to Laura.

Laura looked away, her long hair flowing around her face as if stirred by a breeze felt by her alone. "There's nothing to interrupt," she said softly in reply.

"Oh, I don't know," Rachel chuckled before she sped up to catch Nicole. "It's been weeks," she said to Nicole, "have you found a girlfriend yet?"

"Rach!" Nicole protested as they went into the front hall.

Rachel laughed wickedly, looking into the living room on Nicole's direction. "If I moved I'd have a girlfriend that fast," she remarked.

"I'm not you," Nicole shook her head.

Laura seemed to materialize in the hallway nearby, floating slightly as she kept pace with them. The three ascended the stairs together, Nicole pointing out the highpoints of the stately old house as they walked on.

"You have not known true love, then?" Laura asked Rachel curiously.

Rachel gave her a curious look and wryly asked, "You mean the 'I love you forever, we'll never be parted again,' kind of love?"

Laura frowned, clearly she didn't much like the tone of Rachel's voice. Oddly the temperature in the hall began to dip steadily, a chill settling in their bones even as the light faded away while the spirit glowered at the young woman.

"What...?" Nicole blinked.

"I haven't been that lucky," Rachel said to Laura with a sad little smile, pushing her long black hair back from her face uncomfortably.

The light and cold were gone as quickly as they came, Laura looking oddly embarrassed. "I'm sorry," and with that she faded away completely.

"Laura!" Nicole called but silence was her only answer

"Damn," Rachel cursed softly. She looked over at Nicole and sighed, "Sorry."

"She does that," Nicole reassured her, "sometimes I'm not even sure why, too." Of course, her voice made it pretty clear she knew why this time.

"I didn't mean to hurt her feelings," Rachel shook her head. She puffed out a breath, "Even knowing she was here Nicole is unnerving."

Nicole made a face, "There goes my theory that lesbians aren't afraid of her."

Rachel looked over at her with a weak smile, "Simon mentioned you weren't scared of the ghost but I didn't quite believe it."

Nicole smiled at her friend, "She doesn't scare me, not even from the start." She ran a hand through her hair, "Though that little show in the hallway is a new development."

"I need a drink," Rachel sighed.

"Me, too," Nicole agreed as they walked back to the kitchen. Nicole sat the picnic basket on a counter then opened up the upper shelf, bringing down a bottle of amber fluid. "Ice?" she asked as she hefted the bottle of bourbon.

"Please," Rachel said as Nicole got two small glasses down. Ice cubes from the freezer clinked into each then she poured the bourbon over them. "Thanks," Rachel took a glass, hefting the weight.

"Cheers," Nicole tinked the glasses together.

"To old friends," Rachel said then took a drink. "Sorry for offending your... friend," she said, deliberately pausing before saying the final word.

Nicole narrowed her eyes as she looked at Rachel, "What are you implying?"

"She certainly wasn't happy having someone else here," Rachel pointed out. She laughed suddenly, "I wonder what'll happen when your ex arrives?"

Nicole wasn't that easily diverted, "You think Laura was jealous?"

Rachel smiled, the ice clinking slightly in the glass as she looked through the amber fluid. "I don't know, what do you think?" she purred.

"You've been hanging out with your therapist too long," Nicole muttered.

To be continued....