2. Thea's True Love

Dorothea Smith, known to most of her friends as Thea was an only child of divorced parents. Brown haired and relatively slim, she liked to bemoan how plain she was while harboring the secret fantasy that she was in fact a ravishing beauty hidden behind nondescript clothes and unimpressive hairstyles.

She had been above average in school but had no real ambition. She did not keep up with current affairs, had little interest in politics or the arts. She did not particularly like to read but thought herself literary as she had read the Twilight series a grand total of fifty times. They were her particular favourite.

She liked to fantasize about glittering vampires but she felt she was sensible enough to keep her more common fantasies to the idea that she might meet a handsome, rich man who would adore her. Just like Edward Cullen adored Bella.

So enamored was she with her ideal fantasy man that when she considered a potential mate, she discarded him quickly if he did not match her ideal of Edward Cullenish. She of course was saving herself for marriage. The day she finally gave up her virginity, it had to be perfect.

She met many men who disapointed her. She began to despair that she might ever find her Edward. She had a horrifying vision of herself single, alone and old! It was a terrifying vision that left in cold sweat so it was a wonderful day that she met Evan.

Evan worked in some sort of finance field, Thea didn't really care what exactly, so he was quite rich and he was also handsome. Brown hair and blue eyes and a body that was just to die for! He was also quite the gentleman, pulling out chairs and bringing her flowers. He did have a rather cold smile, strange habit of smelling her hair and could be distracted during their dates, busy on his phone, but he was everything she ever dreamed of so it wasn't long before they were engaged.

Thea had of course made it quite clear that she was a lady and would not engage in anything indecent before the marriage and Evan had been... mostly understanding. Course Thea was finding it hard to wait and so when after a night out with Evan when he pressed her a little more bluntly and insistently then usual, Thea gave in. Engaged was almost married, she surmised so it was still alright.

The night was wonderful, if she did say so herself and the nights after just as good. She was absolutely sure that the wedding and honeymoon would be even better. This had to be true love. She was sure of it.

The wedding was a dream. Her father grumbled about the money being spent and perhaps there was one insident involving punch  and the best man but otherwise everything was lovely. Evan even read out the speech she had written for him with a smile, though it was a pretty frigid smile. However, the honeymoon had to be cut short, Evan was so busy with his work. Still it was a consolation that Evan had an apartment right in the city overlooking the park. This was real estate worth dying for.

And die she did. Evan liked warm home cooked meals and he also had a temper. Thea often struggled to have a meal ready and warm. One night, having waited hours, Evan called saying he was in a cab on his way. She rushed to put the chicken pie she baked back in the oven to warm up when there was a very loud, very bright explosion.

By the time the white light and ringing in her ears faded, Thea found herself back in her apartment except it was daytime and the house was filled with people wearing black. Conversations talked of the gas explosion. a faulty oven. Evan was in the centre with many words of condolences floating around him. It only took Thea a few minutes to realise she was floating and that no one could see her to surmise that she was very much a ghost. This was not in her life plan and her tantrum would have been fearsome had anyone been able to see it.

Over the coming months Thea stayed close to the apartment. partially because she felt that true love like what she had with Evan could not be abandoned but mostly because she found she couldn't go far. at least no outside the building, though she could explore the other apartments.

Thea longed to hold Evan, to touch him and kiss him. She had rather naughty thoughts involving what they had done together in bed, and she would linger on the sheet reminiscing. There was just one problem with staying in the apartment. Evan was hardly in it. Understandably, she thought, he was too distraught to stay. 

utterly bored, she began to spy on other tenents. there were old people, some strange people abd some people with children. the ones she became interested in the most was couples. one couple lived in a messy house and liked to play computer games with each other as much as they could. another watched movies together and took walks in the park. Another was a gay couple, something she felt was wrong but it warmed her heart to see them cooking and cleaning together. there was a couple with a small child, tired and frazzled and yet still taking the time to hold and kiss each other.

There was one other couple who seemed to do nothing but.. well... have sex. Thea floated above watching with wonder. Thea had thought she knew wonderful sex, but now... well she began to wonder. Evan never lasted anywhere near as long and now, she wondered if he might have been a little selfish, or perhaps very selfish. Thea had never imagined that sex could be so varied and interesting and especially never wondered what it should be like for her. she had only ever thought of it in terms of "magical" without knowing what that meant. till now.

IT wasn't just the sex that started to make her feel disgruntled. Evan was not sweet or kind. he had never washed the dishes or helped with little chores. He had never surprised her with kisses or hugs, just the occasional look to demand sex. He had stopped buying flowers for her the moment they had married.

Sick of watching the writhing passionate sessions, the tender sweet touches, respectful considerations and just the wealth of little loves from the other tenants, Thea floated back to her apartment. Perhaps when she saw Evan again, she would remember why she loved him so much.

She waited hours in the apartment alone until Evan finally came back. With another woman. Thea watched him lead her to the living room. She carried a bouquet of roses. Thea watched Evan pour her wine. He plied her with extravagant compliments and when his date became quite pliable and giggly, he led her to the bed, undressed her a little hurriedly and had the most passionless and mundane sex that Thea had seen so far. It was pretty familiar except Thea was not the one under him convinced that lackluster lovemaking was somehow extraordinary.

Evan fell asleep snoring and Thea fumed. What on earth had she died for? What had her life been about? Was this it? really? A life that revolved around a fantasy that did nothing but limit what she saw and how she saw it. It was only know that she realised how many shades of love there was and she had seen.. not even one.

She had wasted her life, she would be damned if she wasted her death. Thea smiled at the prostrate figure of Evan lying besides the rumpled figure of the drunk girl who's taut expression spoke volumes of her unspent frustrations. Thea went to the table and with an agnry swipe knocked a vase noisly to the ground.

Evan woke with a start, though his drunk date slept on. The look on his face was priceless. Thea smiled as she contemplated the second of many poltergeist hauntings she would have fun with.