He took my hand firmly with his left hand and shook it, "Hello miss, how are you today?" he greeted. "I'm doing good, how are you?" I began, then I noticed the older gentleman I'd seen in my apartment sans the girl who I had assumed was related to him, hovering around where we sat. I gasped when I realized the two were having a conversation which I seemed to have interrupted.
"Excuse me, but do you know any of the history of this building?" I asked him, deciding to take a chance with this man instead of waiting to meet Jessica's cousin the next day. He turned to me and Nodded his head slowly, "My mentor and his daughter were murdered here, 65 years ago. I was 17 at the time".
"Can you see Mister Hamilton?" He asked, I hesitated for a moment unsure if I wanted to this stranger to know my secret even if it seemed that he could see, hear and even talk to spirits as well. "Yes, is he the older gentleman standing over there?" I nodded my head in the direction which the spirit of the older gentleman stood. He nodded, "I am Steven Limrac, who you are seeing is Mister. Alastair Hamilton. Have you seen his daughter Isobel, as well?"
I realized with certainty that the two spirits I had seen in my apartment were related, "Yes I believe so" I said. "Have you seen others, I mean, Other spirits?" I questioned while noticing Alastair getting closer to the two of us, which quite frankly freaked me out and I was a sure a look of fright shown on my face. Mr. Limrac seemed to notice and reached out to pat my hand which somewhat calmed me down. "Yes there are others here, all the apartments have some spirit activity, have you not noticed?".
I shook my head slowly, "I haven't lived here long, about three months or so". I took a deep breath before asking what I really wanted to know since discovering that he personally knew the two spirits who I had seen in my apartment and that they had been murdered.
&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&
Derek checked his phone for the time as he sat across from his long time friend, Marc Stevens, with whom he had served along side in the marines. The two had met at WestPoint and joined together when they graduated, out of all the friends he had, he considered Marc the closest. Although Derek had been discharged without noticeable injuries and had been working as a homicide detective since, Marc was not so lucky.
Marc had lost the lower half of his left leg in combat, had been given an immediate discharge and been struggling since it seemed. He had been in and out of physical therapy for the last 6 years. Spending 6 months in the hospital and 6 months in a wheelchair, after being discharged. His wife, Shelia, had become close to Tori, calling her almost every day for awhile during the hardest times.
"How is Tori?" Marc asked, while picking at his steak and mashed potatoes not really interested in eating, as his leg inside his prosthetic was giving him some trouble. Derek noticed the text from Tori, and replied with a quick OK, then placed his phone on the table. "I'm not sure, seemed she left work early today....I should order her something to go" Derek replied, as he raised his hand to flag down the waiter who had served them their meal.
"Shelia will get all the details for you" Marc assured, as the waiter arrived at their table and Derek ordered an orange chicken salad with a side of honey mustard dressing for Tori and Marc ordered another unsweetened iced tea. Once the waiter left, Derek nodded his head and Marc finished eating his steak, before pushing the plate away.
&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&
I sat in the lobby for awhile with Mr. Limrac talking to him and listening to him talk to the spirit of Mr. Hamilton which really freaked me out, although I tried not to let it show. I finally bid, The two goodbye and made my way up to my apartment to lie down.
Soon after I nodded off or so it seemed, I heard the apartment door opening and someone coming in. I jolted myself awake and sat up in the bed rubbing my eyes, as I noticed Derek coming in with a box of leftovers. "Hey" He said as he noticed me sitting up in the bed, my clothes and hair a mess, "Were you asleep? I brought you some food" he lifted up the box in his hand, I had thought were leftovers from his dinner with Marc.
"Hey, Yes, Thank you" I choked out and then cleared my throat, before getting out of bed and walking into the bathroom to brush my teeth and smooth my hair.
&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&
After I ate, Derek was already fast asleep so I laid on my side and tried to do the same, knowing I had to work early the next morning. I already told Derek I had a ride home from work the next day and would only need a ride there, He said that he could take me before He went into his own job. As I laid on my side, I noticed the bathroom light turn off and then back on.
I gasped when it happened again, "Babe, The light just turned off by itself" I cried as I tried to shake Derek awake but he wouldn't budge. I laid frozen in fear, to scared to get up and check it out as the bathroom light shut off yet again and stayed off.
I finally drifted off to sleep