The Ghost of Love

The ghost of love has a name.

It's called Past, and the living knows him. Like a memory, or a distanced friend whom you've long stopped speaking to, but still sometimes dreamed about.

Past was born a loner; he deserts the tangible, the sounds and the laughter. He contents himself in his quiet dwelling that is murky solitude, and often seeks the companionship of no one, except, on occasion... Present.

Present is a living being; Past didn't fancy her initially- he thought she changed too much. There were the days when she shone with irrepressible joy and optimism, her face plastered with what he still recognises as an expression of elation. At other times however, a pair of lost,vacant eyes greeted him from afar, and he would stare transfixed as she trudged away wordlessly, her movements heavy and limp.

Having long had a penchant for the peaceful constant, Past wasn't immediately drawn to her. Gradually however, he found Present to be strangely fascinating.

And so he decided to befriend her.

He materialised in front of her one breezy night and Present looked up, only mildly surprised.

"I know you," she said.

"You do? How?"

"I just do."

And so he stayed.

Soon, Past began to suspect hid sporadic appearances, and the timings in which he made them, had influenced on her increasingly shifting tempers.

One chilly night, when Past glided into vision, the wan smile that was on Present's face was replaced with a look of ecstasy, and Past knew she had missed him. When he surfaced again the next morning however, she told him irritably to leave, and when he refused and persisted in shadowing her for days, she broke down, begging shakily in between sobs for his departure.

He couldn't understand it, and so wounded, he retreated once again, into aloneness.

A few months later, he felt unable to contain his one, nagging desire an longer. The inexplicably inextinguishable desire to tail and be with Present, to live with her, to remind her of his existence.

When he found her this time, the air was pensive and as he drifted down to sit beside her, Present was unperturbed, a small smile playing on her lips, her gaze wistful and lingering in the distance.

Past followed the direction of her eyes and made out a handsome although indistinct figure in the silvery midst. This silhouette was smiling, and beckoning in their direction.

"Future," Present sighed.

A wave of jealousy overcame Past and he prodded her sharply. "Stop looking."

Present looked momentarily startled. "What? Why?"

"Because you should be with me."

She gave a nervous laugh and shook her head.

"You know me," Past went on. " I was part of you, and always will. We belong together."

"We... we used to. Not anymore,no."

"You can't forget me."

"What? No... I can. I mean, I want to. I try."

"stop trying. Just be with me."

"No," she said desperately. "I don't w -"

"I'll follow you."

Present looked up at Past for a long time and said nothing.
At last she rose and gave him a sad smile. " I know."

Then she turned her head towards Future and contemplated the promising albeit vague figure in the near distance.

"But not for long..." She whispered. I hope.

-SYL