Geist Ch. 04

"Is he gone?" Avery asked.

"Yeah. He's gone. I took him back." Michael said. Avery sighed and nodded. He felt oddly at peace. He didn't hate Michael. He still hated Thomas, if only just a little bit. But he accepted the fact that he was dead. And he wasn't coming back. "Are you okay?" Michael asked him.

"I think so. Everything feels so....calm." Avery said. His form began flickering slightly.

"Avery?" Michael turned his head.

"What?" Avery turned to look at him.

"Why are you flickering?" He asked, walking across the room.

"I don't know. It's been happening lately." He shrugged, and turned to look out the window again.

"Can I...Can I ask you something?" Michael sat with him in the window. They sat with their backs to the walls, their feet up on the bench, facing each other.

"What?" He asked. Neither of them looked at each other, both focused on the weather outside. Drops of rain hit the glass of the window silently.

"Did you mean what you said the other night? That you love me?" Michael asked.

"Yes." Avery whispered. Michael stared at him while Avery stared out the window.

"I love you too, Avery." Michael said. Avery turned to face him and saw the truth in Michael's eyes. He smiled and leaned in towards Michael. He forced himself to be solid, and kissed Michael's lips. Michael smiled.

"I love you too.... and Michael?" Avery cleared his throat, though really there wasn't a throat to clear.

"Yeah?"

"Will you do me a favor?" Avery asked, looking a bit nervous.

"Of course." Michael smiled.

"Will you take care of my body? I want to be buried. Properly. I don't want to just rot in that bathroom." Avery looked paler than normal and a little sick at the thought of his own body.

"Of course. I'll take care of it...you..."Michael blushed at the awkward phrasing of words.

"Thank you." Avery smiled. "And Michael?" Avery said again.

"Yeah?" Michael responded again.

"I'm not sad anymore." Avery smiled, and he flickered once, before he vanished completely.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Michael sighed as he climbed out of the shower. It had been three weeks since Avery had vanished, and he hadn't heard anything from the ghost since. He remembered the spirit's last words, and it made him smile. He was happy that, no matter where he was, Avery was happy. But it didn't soothe his loneliness. His heart ached for the geist, but he was just nowhere to be found.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Michael looked out the large window that he had spent the last 60 years of his life in, and smiled. He had never heard from Avery again, but he was sure the ghost had finally passed on. It made him sad that he would probably never see the ghost again, but he didn't think he would have to worry about that much longer. He had been diagnosed with cancer over a year ago, and he and his doctors knew it was a losing battle. He was now bedridden and couldn't do anything but stare out Avery's favorite window. He spent all of his time thinking about the happiest days of his life. When he was with Avery. The ghosts bright, but somehow shaded, energy was always coursing through the house, but now it was just an old building that should have been torn down years ago.

People said it was dangerous to live there, but he ignored them. He had met the love of his life in that house, and he was going to die in that house. He smiled at the thought of his love for Avery. All those years ago, it had seemed like a curse. A horrible thing that he had killed the man that would later be his love. Now, it was more like an ironic happenstance. Michael sighed as he felt his lungs grow tighter. He had been getting worse the past few days, and he knew now that this was the end for him. He shut his eyes and prepared himself for his final days. He wasn't scared. He was happy with how his life was spent, and was happy to see it go just the same. He opened his eyes when he felt an odd, but familiar, presence in the room.

"It's time to go, isn't it?" He asked, his voice surprising him. He was always surprised when he spoke, or looked in the mirror. It felt like just yesterday he was kissing Avery while they sat in the old window.

"Yes." Avery spoke. The ghost appeared behind him, though Michael couldn't see him, he knew he was there. Michael smiled when Avery answered.

"You came back." He said, his voice shaking with age.

"I never said goodbye, after all." Avery walked around to the front of Michael. Michael smiled even wider at the sight of Avery. He looked the same as the day he died, and the day he vanished for good.

"Why did you come back?" Michael frowned a bit, at the thought. He didn't want Avery to be trapped here anymore. He wanted him to pass on. He wanted him to be free.

"I came back for you." Avery said. He held out a hand, and Michael realized that he didn't look exactly the same. His hair was the same, and his clothes, and even his smile. But he wasn't the pale sickly blue gray color he was before. Or the tan and rosy pink color he was when he was alive. But he was a bright golden color. Michael took his hand and felt himself be lifted off the bed like he weighed nothing.

"What are we doing?" He asked. Avery smiled and nodded at the bed. Michael looked down, and saw himself lying there. He felt his heart speed up and began to panic. He looked down at himself and saw he was in his twenties again. He felt better than he had in his whole life. Nothing like what he thought being dead would feel like."What's happening?" He asked Avery.

"You're dead, Michael." Avery said with a smile, like it was a cheerful thing.

"I'm dead." Michael said, in shock.

"Yes. But don't be sad." Avery said quickly, when Michael swallowed and began looking a little pale. "It's a happy thing." He smiled again.

"How can being dead be happy? Why do I look like this? Avery, I don't understand." Michael began to panic.

"Calm down, Michael. It's happy, because you're at peace. You can be with me. Forever." Avery said, grabbing both of his hands.

"I'm not a ghost?" Michael frowned.

"No." Avery laughed and shook his head. "You weren't tormented by your death, you were peaceful. You get to pass on." Avery said, his hair shaking as he laughed.

"Oh...Why do I look like this?" He gestured down at himself.

"When you die, you look like you did when you were happiest in your life." Avery explained.

"Oh...I was happiest when I met you...You were happiest when you were with my grandfather." Michael nodded, putting his head down. Avery giggled happily.

"Michael, I looked like this when I met you too." Avery smiled and Michael beamed when he realized the truth.

"Oh... Is there a crash course, or a pamphlet or something I can read on all of this? How did you get all this information?" Michael laughed. Avery laughed with him. It was good to hear him laugh. It wasn't the cold bitter laugh he had had in death. But it was warm and happy.

"We have all the time in the world, Michael. All the time in the world." Avery kissed him, and the two vanished from the house. The house that held them in life, in death, and all the places in between. But now they were free. Finally able to be alone, and together. Forever.