SERIES: Living With Your Ghost
PART: 5 of 5
RATING: PG-13 (Adult thematic material, language, character
death, angst)
PAIRING(s): Currently unsure of pairings, if any.
DISTRIBUTION: To LW, Kai, Myself and FG so far; any other
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CATEGORY: Drama/Supernatural
FEEDBACK: PLEASE?!
SETTING IN TIMELINE: Alternate canon - set around season
four.
SPOILLER/SUMMARY: Laverne is haunted by an apparition.
NOTES: Lyrics by Everclear.
***
"I sense a strong presence in this room!"
Laverne jumped back at the dramatic tone of the psychic. The woman had greasy skin, red hair that
stood on end like a Brilo pad, and an exotic robe in
a marbled pattern. Laverne didn't trust
or like her, but she would do anything to rid the place of Lenny's presence.
"Is it male or female?" she forced herself to
ask. She caught sight of Shirley
nervously stirring her cocoa in the kitchen.
"Do you know an L...Lee..."
"Lenny? You're
in contact with Lenny?"
"No - I'm getting Lenore. Was a woman named Lenore stabbed to death in
this building?"
"No!"
"We don't know for sure," Shirley corrected, and
Laverne glared at her.
"Lenore wants you to leave your apartment."
"We don't have a ghost named Lenore. We have a ghost named Lenny," Laverne
said.
"A ghost that follows my friend to work," Shirley
said.
"Follows you?
That's not possible. A ghost is
usually bound to their dying place."
"Then what am I living with?"
"Perhaps you're feeling guilty about your friend's
death? It's very easy to conjure up
events and happenings when we're under stress."
"I'm not crazy!" Laverne shouted.
"My, you certainly have a temper. Have you considered psychotherapy?"
"Shirl, get her outta here," Laverne hissed.
"I'm afraid we're going to have to ask you to
leave," Shirley said, abandoning her cocoa and heading over to the
psychic.
"But what of your problem? What of your dignity? What of my payment?"
"The check's in the mail!" Laverne shouted, as
Shirley guided the psychic to the landing.
When she was alone, Laverne confirmed to herself that the
gypsy was full of baloney. Making
Lenny's death into a 'psychic manifestation' of his presence! Huh!
That was a load of BS if she'd ever heard it. When Shirley returned, Laverne told her so.
"It's not as silly as you think," Shirley
scolded. "Maybe it's something
between the truth and the facts. Maybe
Lenny really is.."
And with that the lights flickered.
Shirley screamed, throwing herself into Laverne's arms. "Still think I'm lying?"
"I never did!" wailed Shirley. "Oh, Laverne, what are we going to
do?"
Laverne...Laverne...
Shirley squealed.
"Did you hear that?"
"You hear it too?" Laverne's stomach knotted.
Where arrreee you??
"Take her! You
want her! Not me! Take her!"
"Shirl!"
"I'm sorry! I've
never heard a dead person's voice before!"
"Calm down. This
is Lenny! And Lenny's the least-scary
person I know! He's a nice, gentle
guy!"
Lenny promptly made her a liar by ripping the caulk board
from the wall and pitching it across the room.
"Okay, so sometimes I'm wrong..."
"Laverne!"
Laverne...
"I ain't afraid of you, Lenny!" Laverne called
out. "I don't shake over a guy
who's afraid of linoleum!"
Aww, that ain't fair...
"Look, I know it's scary to be dead. But you gotta move
on! Holding on to the past forever will
only hurt you!" Laverne's eyes
widened. "I guess that's what
you're trying to teach me.."
I ain't trying to
teach you! I just want you to wake up!
"Wake up? I'm
not the one who needs to wake up. WHY
DON'T YOU WAKE UP, LEN!"
***
He opened his eyes to see her watching him intently. Lenny suddenly realized that it had all been
a fantasy - he had not died. He was
still in the hospital. "Vernie..."
Her arms were around him.
"Len!
You made it!"
"What happened...I thought I was dead?"
"Dead? You big dope - you ain't dead, trust
me."
"Then whatt'm I doing in the
hospital?"
"I kinda rammed the car into
a telephone pole. You've been in a coma
for two weeks. I guess I wasn't watching
the road..."
"It's okay, I forgive you."
"I didn't know what to do," she said. "I just kept telling you to wake
up. I don't know if you heard
me..."
"Don't worry, I heard you." He said, a tiny
smile on his lips. "I really heard
you."