Demons, Demons, Demons On-Line
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jsummers. Hello? Is anybody here?

phantom_dennis: Hey. Hope I didn’t scare you, but you looked a little lost out there.

jsummers: It’s ok. I just don’t have a lot of experience with this.

phantom_dennis: With what? Going on-line, or being non-corporeal?

jsummers: Is that what you call it? Well, both I guess.

phantom_dennis: Well, it’s pretty easy to do either. Just be glad I saved you from that meat market we call general chat. Some days they go all cybersex, and I know, it’s not like there are other kinds of sex for people like us, but still…

jsummers: Well, I thought it was interesting. I never knew there were so many ghosts on-line.

phantom_dennis: There aren’t. After awhile, you’ll learn to pick out the fakers. Ones that mention food give themselves away pretty quick.

jsummers: Well, if I had to get invited into a private chat by total stranger, I’m glad he’s at least an experienced one. Oh dear, I’m not sure that came out right.

phantom_dennis: <grin> I knew I let you stay out in the general chat too long.

jsummers: Well, I guess you are quite the gentleman, saving me like that.

phantom_dennis: <tips invisible hat>

jsummers: So, how did you find this place?

phantom_dennis: Milady found it. She works for a guy who’s into alt-culture stuff.

jsummers: My daughter is into that too, I guess. I found this on her computer and I just stumbled in. A ghost chat forum…she must have been hoping I was still watching her.

phantom_dennis: Yeah, it can be hard for them. I got off easier in that respect because I didn’t know Milady when I was alive.

jsummers: Umm…Milady?

phantom_dennis: No real names here, didn’t you read the posting guidelines? Anyway, she’s the girl I live with.

jsummers: Oh. How come no real names?

phantom_dennis: Bad ghost etiquette. Real names tie you to the world when you’re supposed to be letting go of it.

jsummers: I don’t think I’m ready to let go. My two girls…I just wanted to check on them for a little bit, you know? They’re still in shock, and to top it all off, I found out my ex is coming…

phantom_dennis: Is that a bad thing? Could be good for them to not be alone right now.

jsummers: Maybe. But my ex, he’s disappointed them before. I just don’t want him to swoop in, say hello, and leave them again. They’ve got enough abandonment to deal with right now.

phantom_dennis: I’m sorry.

jsummers: Oh, it isn’t your fault. Just means I have to stick around for awhile and make sure they’re taken care of.

phantom_dennis: Well, there’s no time limit. If there was, I’d be long gone, but I’m kind of a special case. I didn’t have a life when I was alive, but I found one in death when Milady came along. She freed me, and I chose to stay and take care of her.

jsummers: That’s sweet.

phantom_dennis: Yeah, she’s great. I’ve done the clueless roommate thing before, and trust me, it’s a lot more fun when you get someone who can play.

jsummers: I haven’t told my girls that I’m still around. I want them to be able to move on, to adjust to my…death. But I need to be sure they are ok before I can leave them. It’s been a hard year for them.

phantom_dennis: Milady too. I’d like to think I make things easier. Since she can’t see me, she finds it easier to let herself cry in front of me.

jsummers: Is she alone? Besides you, I mean.

phantom_dennis: She has friends. But it can be complicated.

jsummers: Isn’t it always? My daughters…hard enough to juggle college, and a very demanding job, but now my oldest will have her sister to take care of. I know it’s silly, but I feel guilty.

phantom_dennis: Ah, the burdens of ghost-hood. You feel guilty? I feel helpless. Milady…sometimes she’s hurting, sometimes she suffers…and I can’t hug her. I can’t tell her it’s going to be all right. Lately, she’s been having a rough time. One of her closest friends went through a crisis and completely pushed her away. She was devastated.

jsummers: Poor thing. My oldest just went through a big break-up too. She tried to hide it from me---I was sick, you know. But I know she was suffering, and there was nothing I could do.

phantom_dennis: Things happen.

jsummers: Yeah. So, how did you…I mean, if you don’t mind my asking…

phantom_dennis: My mother buried me alive inside a wall. I suffocated.

jsummers: Oh.

phantom_dennis: Hey, it’s ok. It was a long time ago, and I have a life now. Milady leaves the laptop open when she goes to bed, and she got me cable. She leads an interesting life, and she shares it with me. I see all sorts of interesting things.

jsummers: That sounds nice.

phantom_dennis: It is. But sometimes…I just wish I could have one day alive, one day to talk to her, or touch her, or take her out in public. Just one day would be enough.

jsummers: Well, we all want that. My girls…

phantom_dennis: This is different. Milady’s friends are a bit unusual. They know about me, which makes me like them. But she and I---we’re very intimate. I see everything that happens to her, and sometimes I just want to smack those guys.

jsummers: Now, phantom, didn’t your mother ever teach you that violence is not the way to solve your problems?

phantom_dennis: My mother buried me alive in a wall. <sigh> Sorry. That wasn’t fair.

jsummers: I worry too you know. My oldest---she’s so strong, so controlled. But she isn’t very good at dealing with feelings.

phantom_dennis: Women never are. Milady complains to me all the time about her boss. But does she tell HIM when she’s angry? Oh no. He won’t even find out she’s upset until the stress overwhelms her and she takes a sick day.

jsummers: That sounds familiar. Hold old is she?

phantom_dennis: 20, give or take.

jsummers: So is my oldest. What a nice coincidence! Maybe I should give you her email, you can pass it on to your girl. If they are both going through a tough time, I bet they could use a friend.

phantom_dennis: Sorry. No real names, no real places.

jsummers: Even for them?

phantom_dennis: Hey, I don’t make the rules. We’re not here to further entangle things for our mortal loved ones, jsummers. All we can do is give what comfort we can before we move on.

jsummers: That’s what I want for them. Comfort.

phantom_dennis: They’ll get it. Even if you never tell them you were there, they’ll know.

jsummers: Well… if your lady is on-line half as much as you seem to be, she might run into my daughter anyway. They do seem to have the same taste in websites…they each found this for us.

phantom_dennis: They did indeed, and I’m on-line every night if you want to talk again. My thoughts are with you, jsummers. With you and your girls.

jsummers: And my thoughts are with you, phantom_dennis. With you and your lady.

**end chat**