THERE'S NOTHING BEYOND THIS POINT

He watched the rain.  The park was deserted.  He just sat there in his car and watched

it fall.  He smoked another cigarette and thought about her.  She had dumped him for

another guy with a better job and a lot nicer car.  He probably had a bigger dick too but he

didn't want to think about that.  Maybe he was better off, yes that was it...he was finally  happy...

no.

The radio was playing a sad song.  He turned it down. Richard was depressed, he took

one last drink from his diet coke and chunked it out the window.  Littering was bad but

he had a problem with the entire world at that particular moment.  He needed a friend but

who had the time when they worked seventy hours a week just to pay the bills and buy a

meal at McDonald's or Taco Bell a couple times a day.  It started to rain harder.  It was God

just trying to clean the planet...the filthy stinking planet.  Maybe all  humans were simply a

disease, or a curse.  He needed to pee.

Richard got out of the car.  His umbrella was in the trunk so he was gonna get wet even

if he got it out so he said "fuck it" to himself and sloshed through the rain to the bathroom

where he pissed for a long time.  His washed his hands and smoked.  He wondered if

Susan and her boyfriend were fucking while he stood there all alone.  She liked to fuck

on rainy days he recalled.  He remembered to much.  She hadn't been a great girlfriend

but the sex was good and she knew where to get good dope.  Susan had also ben plenty

funny to be around at times.  She had a great smile.

He went back to the car and sat down heavily.  He was almost totally soaked.  He sat there

for a while and then tried to read. The book was called the Age of Reason by Sartre.  It was

actually pretty good.  The guy who tried to drown his cats because he wanted to punish

himself but was to afraid to commit suicide was cool.  The character was called Daniel.  He

was good looking and rich and he hated himself.  Richard would trade places.

Richard scratched his balls, that had gotten a little damp.  That was never good.  He sat

there and watched it rain.  He should probably go  home but it was so damned depressing

there.  All his books and Cds and DVDs just stared at him, reminding him how pointless it

was to pretend ownership of any damned thing anymore.  He should have known something

was going on with Susan when she stopped letting him eat her pussy.  That was totally

unlike her, she was always  horny.  He had a text, it was from Susan...

    "I'm sorry it had to end like this.  There is a part of  you that will stay with me forever.

    I wish I could say more but I always felt deep down it would end someday.  You are

   just so moody and a workaholic.  Best wishes my sweet Richard"

He didn't reply...maybe later.  He really  had nothing to say..what could he say?  He had to

work a lot of hours because his job didn't pay especially great and money wasn't worth

much anymore.  He just sat and watched the rain and listened to the radio way down low.

It was getting dark early, it always did in winter and the overcast day wasn't helping.  The

park would close in a couple of hours and then he would have to go home, or go  somewhere

and get drunk.  But then he would be in no condition to make it to work tomorrow and he

had to pull a twelve hour shit.  His life sucked.  He watched the rain decrease and then

increase in intensity.  About fifty yards away there was an old family graveyard that had

always been there.  It was just  outside the park but he had totally forgotten about it.

To Richard's surprise there was someone standing there.  He squinted through his

glasses just a bit to make sure he wasn't seeing things.  The person appeared to be a girl

or at least someone wearing a long white dress.  "Crazy bitch is gonna get drowned

standing out in this rain like this."  He mumbled to no one and continued to observe...

quite fascinated.  He watched the girl wander about, weaving amongst the old weathered

tombstones as if looking for something.  Perhaps she had lost her cellphone or a ring

or something earlier in the day?  The possibilities were interesting to say the least.  At

least he wasn't the  only fool out in the middle of a rainstorm.  He watched as she

moved out of the graveyard and meandered about until he noticed she began to walk

in his general direction.

"Probably some drunk chick needing a ride?"  he surmised.

Suddenly the rain stopped but it got darker.  He could only see her because of the white

dress.  It stood out, almost like a bridal gown he thought.

There was no question she was approaching his car.  She moved slowly, strangely, like someone

in a bit of a daze or maybe intoxicated or stoned or something.  She was pretty and

slim from what he could tell.  The girl stopped a few yards from his car and looked all

about.  At first he thought she was going to move on but eventually she came closer.

He rolled down his window..."are you alright, you look awfully wet?"

"Who are you?" The girl asked. 

"I'm Richard...Rich for short.  Do you need to call someone or something...is your car broke

down?"

"No."

"Its not  a good idea for young women to get in the car with strange men but you can if

you like, I'll turn on the heater and you can dry out.  I'm just listening to music and

trying to do a little thinking...I guess I'm trying to say I'm pretty harmless."  Richard

rambled on for a few minutes...the girl was damned beautiful.  He hair was wet but

very long and blond.  Her lips were full and red.  Her eyes were blue and haunting,

and her skin was alabaster white.  She could have easily been a model, or a rock

star for that matter, or a rock star's girlfriend at least.

She didn't say anything but went around to the passenger side and stood there.

Richard took it for a signal and he opened the door.  She looked in very

cautiously before sitting down. He cranked the car and turned on the heater.

"It may take a couple of minutes to warm up...what is your name?"

"Lynell."

"That's a pretty name, it suits you."

"Where is that strange music coming from?"

"Err...from the stereo...its the Red Hot Chili Peppers...do you like them?"

The girl said nothing, her eyes looked puzzled.  "Are you alright?" Richard asked

again.  He was beginning to think this girl needed help...maybe she was an escapee

from a mental institution or something.  People did run away, he had an aunt that

ran away once and got hit by a car.  He couldn't remember if she lived or died.  It

wasn't that important and he stopped thinking about it.

"Can I take you somewhere?"  he asked.

"I don't think so," she replied quietly.  "No, I don't think you can..I belong here  you

know?"

"You live around here?"

"No."

"I don't quite understand...you belong here but you live somewhere else then?"

She looked at him and smiled faintly.  "It is all very confusing of course.  But I

don't live around here.  In fact, I don't live at all.  I think I am what people called

a Ghost."

All that beauty wasted on a nutjob, Richard mused.  He had seen it before.  One of

his friends had a beautiful sister who was totally cracked.  It was a shame, this

girl was smoking hot in her own way.  With some more stylish clothes and a little

makeup she would be a lot hotter than Susan and Susan was pretty damned hot

in her own right.

"Sometimes I feel a little dead inside myself," Richard mumbled  half to himself.

"No, I'm really dead, I was buried over there...I remember that place, my mother

is buried there too, I saw her grave..with her name and everything.  And I saw my

own grave.  I've been dead a long time, almost a hundred years.  This vehicle of

yours is so different from the ones we had back then.  I like it better I think."

Richard tried not to let her see when rolled he eyes.  He was going to have to take

this girl somewhere...maybe the hospital would be Ok?  Perhaps the police

would know where she belonged.  Damn, they would ask him a million questions,

what if this poor girl was someone important.  He asked again where she lived but

the strange girl was staring out the window.  He put his hand on her shoulder to

get her attention but it passed right through her!  He tried again with the same

result.  This was madness..he gasped and broke out in a cold sweat.  A chill ran

down his spine and he opened his door and jumped out of the car.  He ran to a nearby

picnic shelter and tried to light a cigarette but it was impossible, his hands shook

like mad and he looked desperately for someone, anyone that could help him.

He had left his engine running and the steam rose from the hood of his car.  It was

all an illusion.  He was mad, Susan's leaving had given him a nervous breakdown.

There was no one in the car.  That was certain.  He finally got a smoke lit and it

calmed him a little.  He wished he had a drink of something strong, real strong.

After about twenty minutes of walking about fretfully he felt a little better.  He would get

in the car and go home, drown some booze, and sleep.  He would call in sick at work

and take the day just to relax and, maybe go to the doctor for some nerve pills.  Yes, that

was what he'd do.  There was no one in the car.  Just warmth from the heater and some

rock and roll on the radio.  He took a deep breath and walked to the automobile quickly.

He opened the door and looked in...nothing.  With a sigh he sat down gratefully.  Still

shaken, he put his head down on the steering wheel his eyes for a moment  in hopes that

his heart would cease its mad beating.  He took several deep breaths and decided he

could drive.  He looked up and there she was, just as before.  "Don't run away again, I

promise not to harm you in any way.  I couldn't even if I wanted to I don't suppose."

"I'm...err...crazy..right?"  Richard stuttered.  His lips quivered insanely.

"There is nothing wrong with you...its me that seems to be in trouble.  I don't understand

why I am dead yet alive in a manner of speaking."

"You're not a vampire are  you?!"

"What is a vampire?"

"Nevermind.  What do you want of me?"

"You are the only one around, I wondered if I could talk to you...if you could see me...things

like that.  All this is as surprising to me as it is to  you."

Richard rubbed his eyes furiously.  He wanted it all to go away...but he knew it wouldn't."

"Perhaps you could be my friend?" Her voice was almost pleading.  Richard felt a tinge of

regret for the girl.  He looked into her huge blue eyes and thought he saw tears.  He wasn't

certain of anything.  "I think I need to go home now, it was nice meeting  you Lynell.  I hope

everything works out and you get wherever you need to go.  He hoped desperately that she

would take the hint and leave the car but she didn't.  She started crying for real. 

"Would you like a cigarette?" he asked. 

"All I need is a friend...and a good one." The girl/ghost sobbed quietly.

Richard sat back in his seat and his mind raced through all the possibilities.  The rain

began again.  He sat there and watched it and wondered if there really was such a

thing as a Ghostbuster.