Random Rantings of Jordan Drew

My first draft attempt at a classic style fireside ghost story.

Once upon a time there was a girl named Brenna…

You were Right

It was déjà vu. She’d lived this moment only a few hours before, and no matter what she said, he was leaving and she couldn’t make him change his mind. She looked at him, her eyes brimming with unshed tears, blinking them back as best she could. It wasn’t supposed to turn into this, but here they stood in their driveway – she was crying like a ninny and he was pleading with her to stop making a scene.

The night before they celebrated, and with good reason. Owen landed a position in the company of his dreams making almost twice what he’d been making at his old job. All he had to do was a week’s worth of training out in Seattle, the job would be his, and they were home free. The perks included a big fat raise, an advance to keep them going while he was training, and a shiny new office where he’d be able to wear jeans and the T-shirts he liked with the funny sayings on them. No more sports coat, no more ties, no more stupid red tape and lies… and no more promises of measly raises that never came through. All the years of struggling to make ends meet were about to be rewarded. No longer would she have to figure out yet another lame excuse to tell the mortgage company why she couldn’t send in her payment or tell the gas company that it had been between the house and the gas, and the gas was just not as important as keeping a roof over their heads.

The morning the advance hit their checking account. She paid all of the bills – in full, with a smile on her face. The dread she normally felt when she wrote out those checks was gone. She even went to the grocery store and bought enough food to stock the pantry, and on the way home she bought her favorite flowers: sterling roses with light purple flowers with no thorns. They’d always been her favorite, but she’d not bought any in a long time because they hadn’t had the money for such things. They spent that night together in smiles and each other’s arms, drinking champagne and eating the best steak she’d ever made in her life. She fell asleep in his arms and awoke to hell.

She slapped at the alarm clock unable to mute its vicious buzzing. Owen rolled over, turning off the evil clock for her before kissing her on his way out of bed. She wrapped her arms around him and smiled. “Don’t go,” she whispered.

He chuckled and kissed her again. “Ah, but I have to or they’re gonna repossess your flowers.”

She groaned, rolling over to her side of the bed. “One more day. Wait until tomorrow. You’re meeting doesn’t start until then anyway.”

“They asked us to be there this afternoon, babe. What do you want me to do?”

Brenna threw her legs over the side of the bed and sat up. “I don’t know, Owen. It just feels weird.”

“It’s only a week, Charlie is coming by to check on you later tonight, and you’ll be fine. You can make some coffee and watch old movies, and when I come back you’ll wish me away again,” Owen said. He laid his head in her lap and grinned. “You wait and see. This will be good for you.”

“Fine,” she pouted. “But I don’t want Charlie coming over here. All she ever does is talk about how awesome her shoes are.”

“She’s your sister, Bren. Tell her if she talks about shoes, start talking about the last book you read… that’ll shut her up. She hates the crap you read.”

Brenna laughed and playfully smacked him. “You’re going to be late.”

“Making sure you’re okay is more important.”

“Riiiiight. You’re trying to score points with me, mister, and it won’t work. I don’t want you to go, but if you’re going, then you need to get before you’re too late to catch your plane.”

Owen kissed her and jumped up. He showered and skittered around the house throwing last minute items into his carryon bag and when the taxi honked its horn, he ran to his wife. “You’re going to be fine, right?”

“It isn’t me I’m worried about.”

He scrunched up his face, confused. “What do you mean?”

“I hate planes – you know that.”

“Yeah, but why would you worry?”

“Because they might fall out of the sky in a blaze of glory?”

He nodded, kissing her forehead. “Nice thought before I get on a plane, Bren. Thanks for bringing that up.” He started for the door, but she grabbed him back.  “I’m sorry. I love you.”

“I love you too, babe.”

And that was it. Owen climbed in the taxi and rode out of site. Brenna was still tired so she climbed back into bed, thinking she could grab a few more minutes of sleep before her sister Charlie came banging on her door in a feeble attempt to occupy her time so she wouldn’t think about her husband. When a knock on her door awoke her, she smiled knowing she had Charlie pegged.  Her cell phone dinged, letting her know she had a text. The time said it was 4:00 in the afternoon. Owen hadn’t called to tell her he’d landed. She clicked on the icon to check her messages. There were 25 of them, and they all said the same thing. “You were right. I’m sorry. I should have listened.”

She ran to the door. There was a box wrapped in a red ribbon lying on her front stoop. Inside were a dozen long stem Sterling roses and on the card attached were the words I love you written in blood red ink. Another ding from her phone told her she had another text. She slammed the door, locking it, leaving the flowers outside and checked her messages. Another from Owen. “You were right. I’m sorry. I should have listened.”

She dialed her husband’s number, but it went straight to voicemail so she texted him back asking if he was okay and telling him she loved him and was scared. She told him if he didn’t call her back within the next five minutes she was calling every police precinct from North Carolina to Washington, and then she waited. Three minutes and two more texts passed before Owen’s ringtone sang out from her cell. “Hello? Owen?”

“You were right.”

“You’re scaring me.”

“I’m sorry,” he said, his voice full of regret. “I should’ve listened.”

Her phone beeped three times telling her he’d hung up. She dialed and redialed his number over and over again before a banging on her front door made her jump. “Bren?”

Brenna ran to the door, recognizing her sister’s voice. “Jesus Charlie! You scared me to death!”

Charlie stood outside, roses in hand, tears falling down her cheeks. “Oh God, Brenna. I’m so sorry! I tried calling you all day, but your phone was busy. I finally convinced my supervisor to let me leave early. How are you, honey?”

Brenna stood to the side allowing her sister to come inside. “I’m… okay? A little freaked out. I was talking to Owen a minute ago, but the line went dead. He’s acting weird. What’s the matter with you? Why are you crying?”

Charlie stared at her sister, her jaw gaping. “Honey, that isn’t funny.”

“What are you talking about?”

“Owen’s plane went down an hour after takeoff. The police said they called you and they came by here, but you weren’t home, so they called me. Brenna, they don’t think anybody made it. They’re still going through debris, but… it doesn’t look good.”

“He called! He’s called and texted! He’s fine, Charlie!” Brenna shoved her cell phone under her sister’s nose.

Charlie looked at the time on the last phone call, and went through the texts one by one, shaking her head. “This isn’t possible!”

Brenna’s phone began to buzz loudly, and text began scrolling across her screen. You were right. I’m sorry. I should have listened. You were right. I’m sorry. I should have listened. You were right. I’m sorry. I should have listened. You were right. I’m sorry. I should have listened. You were right. I’m sorry. I should have listened.

Her eyes popped open. She lay in the dark listening to her alarm clock buzzing, trying to figure out what was going on. “You gonna get that, babe?”

She sat up straight, flipping on the lamp and turned to see the beautiful face of her husband. She turned off the alarm and scooted closer to him, wrapping herself in his arms. “You can’t go, Owen. Not today, not now.”

“What?” he asked. His chuckle didn’t overcome the annoyed surprise in his voice. “Bren, don’t do this. I know you hate planes, but I have to go and there isn’t enough time to drive to Seattle.”

“Quit. Billy said you could have your old job back if you like.”

“But this was our dream, Brenna! I can’t walk away from this. Besides, the money from the advance is gone. How would we pay it back?”

“I don’t care! You can’t get on that plane, Owen!” she yelled at him, slapping tears as they began sliding down her cheeks.

He sat up, pulling her with him. “I don’t understand, babe.”

“If you get on that plane you won’t come back. I need you, Owen. Take a later flight, go tomorrow, but do NOT get on that plane.”

Owen kissed her, getting out of the bed. She stayed where she was, trying to desperately hold on to her sanity while Owen flitted about, stuffing things he hadn’t thought about the night before when he’d been packing. When the taxi honked its horn Owen stood at the doorway to their bedroom. “It’s time, babe. I gotta go.” He walked in and kissed her before sighing and heading out the door.

She jumped up, running to him, but he was already outside. “Owen, please don’t go! Please!!” she begged him.

He looked around at the neighbors standing around watching them, smiling politely at whichever  one would look him directly in the eye. Placing his bags inside the cab and pointing a finger at the driver to wait a minute, he rushed to Brenna, picking her off her feet and taking her back inside. “You have got to get a hold of yourself, Brenna! I can’t blow this off because you’re afraid of planes. I’ll call you as soon as I land. Please don’t do this to me right now, honey. I don’t have a choice here.”

He sounded exasperated. She didn’t want the last thing he felt for her to be annoyance so she slowly looked up at him and nodded, defeated. “I love you, Owen. I’ll always love you no matter what.”

He pulled her into his arms and kissed her. He flashed her his bright smile and said, “I love you too, sweetheart.”

After he’d gone, she collapsed in the floor, crying until she couldn’t cry anymore. An hour later her phone dinged. “You were right. I’m sorry.”

Brenna fainted.

A knock on the door brought her back around. Her heartbeat faster than she’d ever imagined it could. Slowly, she went to the door, expecting to see her sister’s tear stained face, but it was Owen’s face she opened the door to. “I couldn’t do it. I couldn’t get on the plane… all those people, baby… they all died,” he whispered. “You were right. I’m sorry.” He pulled her into his arms, kissing her face over and over again. Thanking her for being his wife.