Your Ghost

By Patrick Ullmer

Motherhood is the creator of all Love.
While vacationing in a quiet village, celebrated singer Algernon James finds himself the target of a mysterious ghostly figure. Upon each recurring vision, James begins unraveling her mysterious past and forms a stronger connection by finding the creature's living daughter. However, all is not as it seems, and James slowly begins to realize that the Ghost may not belong to a deceased victim but a living person whose life he is about to save.

• Language: English
• Publisher: eBookIt.com
• Release date: Oct 26, 2023
• ISBN: 9781456642426

Book preview

Chapter 1

An Invitation

It was a pleasant Winter night in the year of 1930.

Peter Bernard and his wife Amelia sat in the Phantom Coach Inn, enjoying their meal. The restaurant was a rich, lavishly decorated room with many other wealthy patrons. As Amelia finished her plate, she looked behind Peter sitting across the table and saw another visitor enter this place.

An elderly gentleman entered the restaurant wearing a high silk hat and a black overcoat. He lightly scanned the floor with a long walking stick which tapped the base of a table and the chair before it. He touched the chair and felt alongside it, realizing it was empty. The gentleman smiled lightly and removed his hat and overcoat before handing them to the server, who assisted him.

He sat at the table. Another waiter walked up to assist him.

Would you prefer the usual meal for tonight, Mister James, or something different? the waiter asked. I would prefer the usual, Thomas. Thank you.

The waiter nodded respectfully and left. Amelia continued looking at the old gentleman seated at the corner table.

Peter noticed Amelia’s interest and turned his head to look at him.

Oh, he said in surprise, He’s Algernon James!

You know this man? Amelia asked.

Not personally, but yes, I have heard him quite a bit, and so have you. He was a famous tenor. He sang many songs of which you’ve heard, such as ‘Your guiding light,’ ‘My heart belongs elsewhere,’ and-

Suddenly another server at the restaurant set a vinyl record into a phonograph at the other end of the room. A recording of a beautiful string Orchestra began playing. Both Peter and Amelia looked around in confused amazement.

The elderly gentleman at the corner table chuckled and shook his head, obviously recognizing the song. A young and virile voice began to sing within the recorded tune that played throughout the room.

And this song, Peter said, ‘I cannot make your heart love me.’

As soon as he said this, the main chorus of the recorded song played, matching his explanation almost perfectly in sync.

I cannot make your heart love me, the song played. Yet you keep me searching for you. Your love is the sunlight for me. It provides the light under which I see. It is the only thing I have that’s true.

Amelia smiled. This coincidence seemed all too wondrous. The man sat in the back corner of the room, sipping a steaming cup of tea.

He’s blind, Amelia noticed.

He contracted cataracts years ago, Peter said sadly, it was a terrible thing.

He looks so lonely, Amelia observed.

Peter looked back at Mr. James and nodded.

Perhaps you should say ‘Hello’ to him, Peter’s wife recommended.

Peter chuckled as if Amelia had asked him to turn water into wine. Then he saw her stone-cold glare and swallowed hard. It was not a suggestion.

Peter hesitantly stood up and walked over to Mr. James’s table.

Hello, Mr. Algernon James, Peter said, I have admired your work for years and just wanted to express how much your work has made me feel inspired.

Peter was fighting back embarrassment with every word he spoke and already felt he had used the wrong combination of words to compliment someone with the esteemed reputation of Algernon James, the famous tenor of many an opera and record alike. Amelia watched from her table, smiling with satisfaction.

James smiled upon hearing this and looked blindly in Peter’s direction.

That is quite refreshing to hear, unlike the song that is currently playing, James said, Could you enlighten my evening by singing this song of which I have sung plenty of times already?

The song continued playing. Peter hesitated, overcome with nervousness. He had heard this song several times before but had never dreamed of singing it. Peter sang along to the recorded music, and his voice wavered nervously. Other people in the restaurant began to giggle upon hearing Peter put on the spot, but he continued undeterred until the song had finished.

Mr. James looked towards Peter and smiled, somewhat flattered. He then put his hands together and began to clap in approval. Peter was relieved and looked behind him to where Amelia sat. She was smiling happily and clapped her hands as well. The other present patrons, who had earlier laughed at Peter’s poor singing, also began to clap, as if in applause.

James seemed well-pleased.

You have a great singing voice Mr...

Peter Bernard, Peter said.

It made me realize that I did have a great voice at one time as well, Algernon said.

But you still do sir, Peter responded.

I do agree with your sentiment of my voice’s efficacy, but in the context of a storyteller over a singer. Are you free for tonight? James asked, I will be entertaining guests in my study soon to tell a story of an event which changed my life forever. It is a tale I have never told anyone before. You are welcome to come if you would like.

My wife and I would be honored to attend, Peter said.

And I would be honored by the company of you both, James concurred.

Chapter 2

A Ghostly Visitor

Algernon James’s study was a richly furnished library, with shelves brimming with priceless hardcover first editions. A roaring fireplace burned brightly at the end of the room. A large and green Christmas tree decorated with ornaments of red and gold with candles stood nearby. James himself was seated in a wine-red armchair, seemingly content as he heard all his visitors within this room talking amongst themselves.

Outside the large windows, the cold Winter winds blew the white snows down into the streets below. It may have been hazardous and chilling outside, but within this study only warmth and welcome was present.

Peter and Amelia were the youngest of James’ guests here, but they were so cordial that they seemed like that of friends who had known these people for years.

Hello, I am Peter, and this is my wife Amelia, Peter said as he shook hands with an old gentleman.

Pleased to meet you, Amelia said as she shook hands with another guest.

Red wine was poured into small glasses on a golden platter which the guests took as they sat on the surrounding sofas and cushions nearby. Peter and Amelia sat together on a day bed nearest to Mr. James. As soon as the chatter died down, Mr. James began to speak.

My dear friends and guests, he spoke, I have invited you here to tell you all a story I have never told anyone before. It is of my adventures with a strange being in Devonshire nearly thirty years ago, when I still had my eyesight to guide me. This figure was a person I had never known before nor ever since, but the event in which she had pulled me into changed the course of my life as I know it.

All were silent and looked at each other with great interest.

This person was a ghost, James then explained.

Upon hearing this, the guests either remained silent or began murmuring among themselves.

This is not a work of fiction mind you, James clarified, this story in its entirety is true, I state my life and prior sight upon it. After I tell this story, I will leave you to decide for yourselves the answers to the unanswered questions I uncovered which have haunted me to this day. I will explain at the story’s ending why.

The guests listened intently at the strange account this old man told next, and in these following pages are the words of Algernon James and the story he told of his strange adventures with the ghost in Devonshire, 1901...

29 Years Earlier…

‘I had arrived in Devonshire