The Magic Horn AU CC Mature ch 12 pg3 Jan 18, 2007

[ken_r]

Stories by ken_r
Chapter 3

That night when Max had fallen asleep, “Hey Max, your sister is a beautiful woman. I guess they found a part of me that I didn’t know existed.”

“Elizabeth, you talk about things that happen when you are not visible. Are you here?” Max was trying to understand.

“Yes, Max, thanks to you, I am present all times now, but you can only see me in dreams or when you are playing the trumpet. I have no idea why,” Elizabeth said.

“Elizabeth, what are you?” Max asked.

“I think I am, or at least I was, a woman,” she replied. “I have no idea what I am now. I just know I am attached to you in some way and I am attracted to the trumpet.”

“Elizabeth, are you dead? Are you a ghost or something?” Max was worried about what her answer might be.

I don’t remember dying. How do I tell? I do not see any bright lights or black holes or anything.” Elizabeth, herself, was inquiring within her mind searching for answers. Elizabeth sat by his bed and put her hand on his head. It felt cool, at least, it did in his sleep. She sat there watching as, instead of waking, up Max slipped into a deep sleep.

Max awoke, feeling better than he had in weeks.

Isabel had no intention of getting up early, but Alex did and he was with the small crowd watching Max. He had to admit that the music was very good. It was a lot better than he had ever heard Max play before. Watching, he saw that Max wasn’t alone. There was a young woman sitting beside him.

Max quit the concert and, try as hard as he could, Alex could not see where the young woman disappeared to. When he got back to Isabel, he was quiet. Isabel was a discerning woman and she knew when something was on his mind. “Isabel, I think I saw the woman with Max. I do not know where she came from and where she went, but there was a young woman with dark hair sitting beside Max as he played this morning."

Tess heard about Max’s concerts. She also heard about the woman that was seen with him sometimes. Tess decided to confront Max. The next morning no matter how hard it was to do, Tess was up early. She was in the crowd as they watched Max in the distance. “Why do we stand way back here when we could sit nearer and hear better,” she inquired.

“Because if we get close Max picks up and just leaves,” she was answered.

Tess saw the dark haired woman and she was furious. She saw that it was possible to go around the fence and come out right near where Max and the brunette bitch were sitting. Tess was not one for covert activity. She really preferred to drive as close to her objective as possible. This time it wasn’t possible. She had to climb around some scrap wood, then around the fence and then come out under the old bleachers and then out the entrance near Max. Anger will cancel a lot of hesitation. She, finally, was near enough to see her adversary. She had to admit that the woman had a lot of beauty, not like her’s of course, but even without makeup, she was an attractive young woman. Well, Tess would challenge her and regain Max. She ran toward them. Elizabeth was surprised as Max stepped in front of her.

“Is this who you would give me up for, Max. Where are your standards? This is a child. Why would you want her when you could have a woman?” Tess was almost spitting as she bent backwards, flaunting her physical attributes.

“No, Tess, stay away from Elizabeth,” Max was glaring so hard that he frightened Tess. She tried a different tactic. She bawled. With her, tears were on demand, but Max was not moved. “Tess, just get out of here, now,” he said. Tess left, but in her mind she was not through with Max or his new woman.

Things were happening so fast that Max didn’t have time to think about why Tess could see Elizabeth. He turned and Elizabeth was shaking, but she was still here. It was also, to his surprise that she touched his face with her hands. They were cool, but her lips were warm as she kissed him. Then she faded away.

Max had spurned Tess in front of the small crowd. The word spread across the campus. Tess was not liked and there was a certain sweet mystery in the woman seen with Max. Who was she and where did she go? Those close enough also saw the enduring kiss just before she disappeared.

Max’s grades were hurting. They weren’t failing, but his three point five had fallen to a simple three point and there was some danger that Max would be making, for the first time, some “C” grades. Since Elizabeth had taken to sitting beside his bed every night, he had been sleeping more soundly. He was getting up early in the morning and going out late every afternoon at sundown, to play his trumpet. His parents had seen the eight hundred dollar charge on his credit card and they were considering a way to take it out of his spending money. On the other hand by playing every weekend, Max was getting a share of the cover charge. The club was sold out every night when Max was there. He was approached about going professional, but he wanted to stay in college. He was getting all sorts of promising offers when he graduated.

Max was in form tonight. The piano player was not here this night and there was just the four of them. The leader, Bob on the string bass, James on the sax or clarinet or whatever woodwind he chose, Ernest on the drum set and Max strictly on the trumpet. Max had asked for a small table to be set up for two near the band. They started off with Dixie land songs. These songs, for the most part, were cheerful and fast. It is usually easy for the combo to pass around the solos, so that you not only have the creative muse of the player, but also the difference between the instruments themselves. Many Dixie land songs, though, are dirges played for funerals. They could start out sad and droning, almost like bag pipes, as the funeral procession walked to the cemetery and then the same song would be played to an up beat as the procession returned celebrating the good memories of the deceased. The first time through the song, Max and James would play off each other, making their instruments cry with sorrow. Winds and brass can do this as no other instruments can ever hope to. The electric modifications of the guitar try but the natural cry of the winds and the brass are so much more real. But then, as if celebrating that life, they would try to out do each other as they ran and interwove their respective music together, liking their playing to the joy that had been and hopefully, would be again in those left behind.

The patrons that were observant saw the young woman sitting at the table that was set up near the band. She had a Coke in a glass before her, but she didn’t appear to be drinking it. The door bouncer looked in. He would have remembered someone like her. He said something to the owner, Tony, but Tony just shook his head. He didn’t want to do anything to upset this band. When the band had its break, yes, it was Max sitting at the little table holding hands with the girl.

Attending had a double purpose now. Patrons wanted to hear the small band, but they, especially those from the university, wanted to see the brown haired woman up close that they had seen with Max at the morning and evening concerts. Who was she? Questions abounded, but answers were none.

The piano player, Klaus, was back. He had some new arrangements. Klaus was a music major in a graduate Jazz program. He used the band to try out his work. There was one of his professors in the crowd. This time, he wrote Max into his arrangement. Max also had his undergraduate advisor in the crowd. He had seen Max’s grades slipping and he had heard about the morning and evening concerts and the music at the club. He was curious about what Max was doing. Maria and Michael, along with Isabel and Alex, also were attending. Again, Max had the small table set up near the stand. As the band started to play, Max adhered to the music given to him. Toward the end of the piece, the piano player pointed to Max and James and they started. The piano and the Bass just played chords, but Max and James took off. They played together and against each other and then in a duel. The crowd was ecstatic. Klaus’s professor was pleased. Klaus had previously shown an egotistical side that his professor had told him would deep six his music. That he had reserved a place for his performers to show off, assured the professor that, maybe, Klaus had what it would take to write and direct jazz music.

The crowd noticed that now sitting at the previously forbidden table was the woman they all had heard about. There was one problem. An inebriated patron approached her and asked to buy her a drink. She seemed frightened, as she shook her head no. The drunk was not about to take this for an answer. He was pushing himself on her. Then, the bouncer literally threw him out the door. The owner had a good thing going. He knew it wouldn’t last forever, but he was not going to piss off the band or allow someone else to do it either.

It was the four, Maria, Michael, Isabel and Alex who were watching the special lady the closest. Isabel wanted to confront her, but Alex, minding the action of the bouncer, held her back. All four of them were enjoying the music, but Maria and Alex were talking about the changes in Max. Isabel wondered if this was the direction Max wanted to take his life. If it was, at least, he might now have some goal. She was softening her feeling about the girl. If Max found a love, then Isabel was happy for him. She might know Tess personally, but deep down she knew that Tess was not right for Max.

That night, after Max had gone to sleep, Elizabeth was sitting on his bed. “Your sister and your friends were there tonight,” she said.

“I know, so was my under graduate advisor and Klaus’s graduate professor. There were several people apart from the usual patrons,” Max returned.

“I am getting stronger. Other people can see me now,” she said.

“I know, like that drunk that tried to pick you up.” Max was a little angry at a man who would trifle with Elizabeth.

Elizabeth giggled, “ Even though I was scared, I never, in my memory, had a man try to pick me up before.”

Max made a face, “I noticed that my friends and sister were watching you the whole evening.”

Elizabeth looked a little sad, “Maybe, I can meet them soon. I am sure they are just worried about who I am whether am I hurting you.”

She put her hand on Max’s forehead and soon, he drifted off to normal sleep.

The next morning, Max, as usual, put his soul into his music. Elizabeth sat with him and the morning crowd applauded after every song. When they were through, Max was surprised. As he picked up the old trumpet case, Elizabeth put her hand on his arm and she walked with him to class. He bent down and kissed her. Her lips felt warm to him. He waved to her as he entered his first class room. The classes were arranged on a huge slant like in a theater. Max always sat near the bottom, because he didn’t want to be distracted by other students. The professor had been lecturing about management and personnel issues. He stopped and smiled. “I see that Max Evans has brought a guest to our class.”

Max spun around and there at the top of the room, he saw Elizabeth. She shyly smiled and waved at both him and the professor. “Miss, who?” the professor asked.

“Elizabeth,” she answered.

“Well, we are glad that Max has decided to allow us mortals to meet the famous lady of his music.” The professor was jovial and he did not scare Elizabeth. He continued his lecture, but when he looked back up to the top of his class he noticed that Elizabeth had disappeared.

That evening, when Max was putting his trumpet away, Elizabeth again took his arm and walked with him across campus. She even went into his apartment with him. Max offered her a drink, soda or water. She shook her head, “Not yet, Max, I am just starting to maintain myself away from the music. I do not have enough substance to take food or drink, yet.”

As Max concentrated on his studies, she slowly faded away. That night as soon as he was asleep Elizabeth was sitting beside him on his bed. “Oh, Max, I had a glorious day. Attending class was a wonderful thing. I must have liked school. I wonder what subjects I took? I also sat here watching you tonight. I think I used to enjoy studying. Coming home with a man is a pleasure as long as it is you.”

Max was uneasy in his sleep. She was talking in the past a lot. Again, he wondered if she had died and was some sort of confused ghost.

Chapter 4

The next morning after his concert, Elizabeth walked with Max to his class, but she declined to go in. I have a little time and I want to see as much as I can before I have to return. Max had asked her where she returned to, but she shook her head very confused so he dropped the question. After class, there was no sign of Elizabeth. Max had an old-time friend, or maybe he was just an acquaintance. Kyle Valenti was a mass of contradiction. It was this mêlée of contradictions that had made Max shy away from Kyle originally. Kyle was a Law Enforcement major. He was also into all sorts of spiritual studies. To Max, a paranormal cop was just what the world needed. There were so many confusing things about Kyle that Max just drifted away from him. At the present time, he heard that Kyle was embracing Buddhism. Through the years, Kyle had embraced a dozen religions and or philosophies. Max was thinking that maybe this was the background he needed to solve the enigma of Elizabeth.

Max finally found Kyle in the library. He was on the ninth floor where all of the para-psychology books were kept. They sat talking quietly in an unused carrel. “Kyle, I have a problem.” Max proceeded to tell Kyle about Elizabeth. Kyle was not a music lover. He preferred pop music that he didn’t have work hard to listen to. He hadn’t heard anything about Max, his concerts or the mysterious lady.

“Max, it is not uncommon for a ghost to not remember that they died. What is uncommon is for her to become stronger. A ghost should become weaker as the time lengthens from their death, according to the literature,” Kyle was lecturing on the subject he knew best. “Now, a Jinn is a mid-eastern demon. They are usually ugly and evil. They often were cursed into a bottle. They might gain power to release themselves if they were to be called out of the bottle enough.”

“Kyle, she is anything, but ugly. I do not sense anything evil about her. She is shy and kind of sweet,” Max explained.

“Be that as you see it. Jinn are known for being deceiving. They are also known for giving unearned ability as a bribe. You say your Music, has improved a lot.” Kyle warned Max.

Max just couldn’t accept anything evil about Elizabeth. “Kyle, she seems to have some selective memories of school. Could there be something such as loosing your body and your have your soul wandering around?”

They talked for a while and Kyle said he would like to meet Elizabeth sometime. Max stated he would try to arrange it.

That evening as soon as he started playing, Elizabeth appeared. She was very excited. Max started to talk to her, but she said, “No, Max, play like you have never played. I want to be strong enough to talk to you a lot tonight.”

Max was back in his operatic stage. He was playing themes from Carmen by Bizet. The trumpet arias are fun and beautiful. When Max embellished the trumpet part, it really sang. The music was loud and Max was putting his whole heart into it. The crowd was getting bigger all of the time. When he felt tired, he began to put his trumpet away. He offered his arm to Elizabeth and they walked through the crowd. Max could feel Elizabeth becoming less and less afraid of the crowd. They walked to Max’s home. Elizabeth came in with him. “Max, I went to several classes before I had to leave. I think I liked science at one time. I was sitting in a class of biology and I seemed to know all of it already. It was almost bedtime before Elizabeth faded. She was right back as soon as Max was asleep. They talked about her day. She was very excited.

Max’s morning class was canceled for the day. He had a class at noon but after playing at the bleachers, he returned to catch up on his schoolwork. Elizabeth spent what time she had just walking around the university. Max would be back by three that afternoon, so he didn’t drag his trumpet with him. The noon class was information he would need for his semester final. He worked until almost three. He hurried back to his apartment and when he got inside, he ran to his bedroom where he had left the trumpet. It was gone.

Max was in tears. It just wasn’t the trumpet, it was Elizabeth, also. If the trumpet wasn’t played, she might die. Max called the campus police. They weren’t very helpful. First, one of them scoffed at the idea that a trumpet could be worth thousands of dollars. Max told them he had bought it used and he had paid eight hundred for it in bad shape. He had repaired it and now the value was considerably more. One of the cops mumbled that he had only paid two hundred for his kid’s trumpet and it was brand new. How could someone pay that much for a used one. Max called Isabel and Maria. They and their boyfriends came over to his house. Max was not coherent. He was more afraid of loosing Elizabeth than the trumpet. None of the four, except for maybe Alex, understood her connection to Max’s music.

That evening when Max didn’t show, the rumor spread about the loss of the horn. The owner of the club heard about it and promptly offered a reward. By late night, the whole campus was talking about the loss of the trumpet. There was also a completely confusing rumor that the brown-haired woman was connected to the trumpet. Max was completely crushed. His friends couldn’t console him and no one seemed to have any information. There was no sign of a break in. Max had never given his key to anyone. So that was a mystery itself. Kyle heard about this and came to see Max. It had been a long time since Kyle had been friends with Max. Kyle knew that some of his far out life styles were responsible for the loss of their friendship. Kyle had learned a lot in his law enforcement study. He proceeded to knock on every door nearby. He told of the loss off the trumpet and hinted of Tony’s reward if it were returned. Kyle was asking the questions he had learned in class. Did you hear anything strange? Did you see anyone who didn’t belong in the neighborhood? Did you see anyone carrying a package the size of the trumpet case? Who did you see today near this apartment? And Kyle went on and on. It was time consuming, but he did get someone to say they saw a woman carrying some sort of package walking down the street away from Max’s apartment. They didn’t have any description.

That night when Max went to bed, he didn’t have any hope of seeing Elizabeth. She did show up, though. She was weak and she had been crying. “Max, I am dying. Please help me.” She didn’t last long and she faded very fast.

Max woke up. He couldn’t get the picture of Elizabeth out of his mind. She was so weak. He couldn’t get the idea of not playing the trumpet out of his head either. He got up and just sat in his bed. Tears were flowing. For the first time, Max had been doing something. He had been trying to give Elizabeth strength. Now, he was devastated.

He dressed and started walking. He was stopped twice by the campus police. The first time was by a young officer who had heard Max play at the club. He suggested that he and Max go for a coffee at the all night dinner on the edge of the university. He really didn’t understand every thing Max said, but he did get a connection between Max’s playing and the beautiful woman who was seen at the table near the bandstand. The second time he was stopped was by an older officer. He knew that Max was connected to that horn and he seemed to understand that the loss was almost killing Max.

Max didn’t even bother to get up the next morning. He missed his classes for the first time since he had started college. His professor in Business Management was worried about this uncharacteristic behavior so he talked to Max’s advisor. Max’s advisor had heard about the loss of the trumpet. He was very worried because he had thought that Max was pulling out of his depression. Word got to Isabel. She was really worried now. She had thought, that, maybe Max did intend to pursue a music career. That wasn’t one of her choices, but Max had drifted for so long that she thought anything that would translate into a solid direction would be an improvement.

Isabel wasn’t a sorority sister, but she did run in the same circles as some of them. She visited a friend. “Do you know if Tess has a key to Max’s apartment? I am just wondering how serious they are?” she asked.

The lady laughed, “Oh, yes, Tess always brags about the key. She lets everyone know that her man gave her a key.”

Isabel laughed, and their conversation went on to other things.

As soon as she was free of the sorority girl, she called Max, “Max, when did you give Tess a key to your apartment?” she inquired.

“Iz, I never did. Any romance was all on her part. I never did anything to encourage it.” Max replied.

“Well, she has a key. I got it from a good source that she brags about having the key,” Isabel stated.

“Do you think she could have taken the trumpet?” Max wondered.

It was about two hours later when Kyle came by, “Max, the woman carrying the package down the road has been identified as a blonde. Do you have a blonde that has it in for you?” Kyle said.

Max sat a few minutes, “Kyle, you bet I do,” Max stated.

It was just a matter of minutes when Max ran out the door. It was about a mile across campus to Tess’s sorority house. Max ran the whole distance.

Jenny was the greeter on the first floor that afternoon. She was a normally polite girl who didn’t approve of some of the doings of some of her sisters, but she was just a freshman. Max didn’t knock on the door. He just threw it open and, looking like a mad man, he demanded where Tess’s room was.

Jenny tried to tell him that she would call Tess if he would just wait. Max just stared at the sign that said, “Women only beyond this point.” Max bolted for the stairs with Jenny screaming, “No, you are not allowed.”

Max ran up to the second floor hall. There were girls in the hall in all sorts of disrobe. Max didn’t care. He just wanted that blonde bitch. He didn’t even think about the “what,” if she didn’t have the trumpet. He started opening doors. The women screamed as they saw the crazed face of Max. Their nudity was unnoticed by Max he only wanted to find Tess and find his trumpet. Tess heard the disturbance in the hall and she couldn’t imagine what was causing it. She opened her door and Max saw her. She quickly closed the door and Max hit it with all his might. The sorority house was old and the doorjamb broke easily. Inside, Max saw Tess cowering in one corner and in another corner, he saw his beloved trumpet. “You stupid bitch! You damned stupid bitch! Tess, if you have killed her, I will kill you tomorrow.” Max sat on Tess’s bed. He took out the trumpet and started to play. He played freestyle. He did just what ever came to his mind. Max played with intensity as he just sat on her bed, as the other sorority sisters, now correctly clothed in robes, came into the room to see what had happened. Several of the girls had heard Max play. They glared at Tess since they knew the story of the missing trumpet. Max was sitting there surrounded by almost naked women, with Tess cowering in the corner, playing as best he could, when the police arrived. They cuffed Max. Jenny whispered to him that she had called Isabel and she would hold the trumpet until she arrived. They didn’t have a jail on campus. They were holding Max in a room, until transport could be arranged. Isabel arrived and demanded to see her brother. She was carrying his trumpet. When the police told her the story about Max’s deeds, she informed them that he was recovering his beloved trumpet. She informed them that she was calling her father Philip Evans, a lawyer, to assist Max. They finally let her in to see Max. She had the horn.

Max quickly took the trumpet and started playing softly. He had seen, just barely, the face of Elizabeth, before. Now, as he continued to play softly, he could see her whole body. She was so frail. Max was so scared. If they put him in jail, who would play to give Elizabeth strength?

The president of the sorority, Janet, entered the police station. The police were glad to see her. “Of course you will want to press charges for the destruction and trespassing,” they remarked.

She shook her head, “No, we are not going to press charges. In fact, I want to know how much it would take to bail him out for the evening concert?” She was a fan of Jazz.

If the sorority doesn’t want to press charges, what about the individual girls? I understand he roughed up one of them pretty badly?” the policeman stated.

“If she does, we will press counter charges of theft of the trumpet worth over three thousand dollars,” Isabel stated.

The policeman just scratched his head. Sometimes, he wished to be back on homicide. “Ladies, just get him out of here, but be warned that if one of the other girls decides to make a complaint, we will just have to go back and get him.”

Isabel and Janet took Max to the bleachers. There were only a few people who either hadn’t heard about the loss of the trumpet or were hoping something would bring Max back. Max started on marches. He hadn’t played them since high school. He went through the marches of Susa. Then, he started on a Chet Baker arrangement of “My funny Valentine.” Max made his trumpet cry and cry it did for the lost love of Elizabeth. As Max went to octave highs, his own eyes were watering. Elizabeth started to take form. She was pale and unsteady. Max was playing so hard he was shaking. Janet and Isabel were sitting beside him as they saw the beautiful girl emerge. As Max was playing, Elizabeth was crying. “I thought I had lost you and I would die.”

Isabel stood up. She extended her arms to Elizabeth. The girl was almost a vapor, but she flowed up against Isabel whose tears mixed with her own. Isabel could feel her arms filling as Max continued to play. Janet stood beside Isabel. Her hand was on Elizabeth’s shoulder. When Max was finally exhausted, the three girls were still embracing. Elizabeth had not only received strength from Max’s music, but she also received strength from the two women beside her. It was dark when Max finally quit and they all went home. The tale of Tess steeling the trumpet spread across the school. The story was spread that Max was accusing Tess of killing someone and if she did, he would kill her, also.

Janet and Isabel accompanied Max and Elizabeth to his apartment. Elizabeth was weak. It was clear that Max was enamored with Elizabeth. Isabel was thinking that if Elizabeth became real, then she would welcome her as part of Max’s life.

Max was beat. Elizabeth was sitting with Isabel and Janet. Isabel was asking questions, “Elizabeth where were you before Max was playing?”

“I just wasn’t there. I think I was dying.” Elizabeth responded.

“Where do you go after Max stops?” Isabel tried again.

“I just don’t know. All I know is that when I here the music, I feel alive and soon I can see everyone. Each time I feel called, I get stronger. Tonight I was so weak that it took all of you to bring me back.” Elizabeth was trying so hard, but she just didn’t have any idea what the answers were.

“Why can we see you now. It has been awhile since Max was playing?” Isabel asked again.

“I think you both want me to be and this helps me. I am receiving strength from you,” Elizabeth could reason.

“If we leave, will you disappear? Will you die?” Isabel was trying to figure what it was that sustained Elizabeth besides the trumpet. Isabel loved her brother and she wanted good things to happen to him. She bent over and kissed Elizabeth and surprisingly, so did Janet. They left.

Stories by ken_r

[ken_r]

If you are not familiar with the song, “My Funny Valentine,” you should listen to the teaser at Apple itunes. It is an old song and of course I prefer the instrumental version. When my son, Keith, died his Jazz band was to have a concert two weeks later. They delayed the concert and when we went they played the dirges of the Dixie Land and then they played “My Funny Valentine” over and over. Each time they played a different trumpeter would play the solo embellishments. That was a tribute to Keith because he wanted so much for all of the band members to enjoy playing solos as much as he did.

At UNM in Albuquerque, where I attended, on the ninth floor of a very old building, perhaps almost 100 years old at that time, they kept the paranormal books. In my junior year I decided I wanted to study religions and the paranormal. Going up the creaky old elevator was in itself enough to convince you of other powers existing, but the elevator also would start and stop on its own. Maybe it was letting the invisible passengers off but the spooky feeling of the experience enhanced these beliefs.

kbr
The First Day of School
I will Return For You, My Love
Goodbye Mr. Evans, Hey Max
I am working on the continuation of Goodbye Mr. Evans. coming soon

Liz of the Desert

[begonia9508]

Great new part! I guess the more Max plays trompet the more Liz is alive! At least it's what I deduced after reading the part....
Wondering where it's going: if Liz will someday be alive...

EVE

[candycane14]

Fantastic part! I'm glad Elizabeth didn't die and that everyone who is important knows about her. Please don't let Tess press charges! She is just a jealous bitch who needs a serious reality check! Girls like her give us all a bad name! I'm glad the Sorority President seemed just as mad at Tess as Isabel was. Maybe she can kick Tess out of the sorority if she decides to press charges. Update soon!

[katydid]

Wonderful update! Tess needs a take down!

Kate

[ken_r]

Stories by ken_r
Chapter 5

Max was emotionally worn out. He also kissed Elizabeth. “Max, it is good to be loved. Please don’t hurt Tess. That would ruin what love I am receiving,” Elizabeth sat by his bed until he was ready to go to sleep.

When the alarm went off, Max got up to get a shower and dress. He found Elizabeth sitting on the bed waiting for him. “How are you able to be here?” he inquired.

“Isabel and her friend helped me a lot. I just didn’t have to leave.” Elizabeth seemed very satisfied and pleased with her ability to stay.

After Max was dressed and picked up a cup of coffee, he proceeded to the bleachers. The difference was that everyone saw the beautiful woman who was walking with him. Max sat down on the bleachers and Alex came up and sat beside Elizabeth. She smiled and said, “You are Isabel’s friend.”

Max was playing the blues again. His horn moaned its sorrow. Elizabeth leaned against Max and he could feel her weight. Alex took her hand and put it between his. Her hand felt cool. He could feel it warm up as he held it. Elizabeth smiled at Alex, but he was sure that if he was holding her hand Max was holding her heart.

When Max was tired, he put his trumpet away and the three of them walked back to the main campus. They went to the student union. Max picked up a ripe peach. He cut it into slices and sprinkled sugar over it. He then brought it back to Elizabeth. She tenderly picked up one of the slices and put it in her mouth. She smiled with happiness as she carefully ate all of the slices. She put her hands on Max’s face and kissed him. “Thank you, that was so good!” Alex had just sat there and watched both of them.

That weekend, the whole combo was there, including Klaus. When Max walked into the club, he had the brunette on his arm. He seated her in the table reserved for both of them and went up to the stage. Max went to the microphone. “I just want to thank everyone who helped find my trumpet and my love.” He made no more explanation, but the allusion was that Elizabeth was someway connected to the horn.

They started with some originals by Klaus. He had built in breaks where he, James and Max could improvise solos. Klaus was getting better because his ego was no longer getting in the way of his music. They went on to play the standard pieces and then did some requests. At their break, Max sat with Elizabeth. When they started the next session, Max whispered to Bob that he wanted to sit this one out. The combo started and there were some groans when they saw Max was not on the stage. Then, they saw that Max was dancing with Elizabeth among the tables. Max was not that hot as a dancer, but Elizabeth was superb. After this, Max went back on the stage. He played for the rest of the evening. When they departed, Max and Elizabeth were together.

When they were finally home, Elizabeth was sitting on the bed. Max sat beside her. He put his arm around her and they began to kiss. At first Max was almost afraid. “Just don’t scare me, Max,” ran through his mind. What did it take to scare Elizabeth?” They finally were lying on the bed holding each other. The kisses continued. They became more intimate as Max probed her mouth with his tongue. She seemed to enjoy that. Max remembered that Tess used that kind of kissing when she wanted to reward him for something, but Tess would hungrily attack Max’s face and would bite his lips, a thing a trumpet player couldn’t stand. This was completely different. There was no attack. They were trying to find some places where each could find pleasure. Max ran his hands over her body. The curves of her form were heavenly to touch. His hand started to reach to her buttons on her blouse. She pulled away. “Not tonight, Max. Maybe tomorrow,” Elizabeth’s voice was like a chime. She curled up in his lap and buried her head against his chest. They sat like that for some time. Finally, Elizabeth pulled back and said, “Thank you, Max, I have to leave.”

When Max finally fell asleep, Elizabeth was sitting on his bed as usual. “It was a wonderful night Max. The music is better all of the time. I must have liked dancing at one time. I am sorry that I just wasn’t ready to go further. Maybe, I will be ready tomorrow night. They talked a while. Elizabeth was describing her day. She had been out all day. Elizabeth was getting stronger all of the time. Being seen by so many people was strengthening her. Max finally fell back asleep and Elizabeth sat beside him. When she sat there holding his hand or with her hand on his forehead, he always slept better.

When they prepared to go to the bleachers the next morning, Elizabeth asked if she could try Max’s coffee. Max bought her a cup and they walked to the edge of the campus. Elizabeth sat beside Max and sipped her coffee. Max was a little distanced as he played. He was thinking of something. He would need Isabel’s help. When it was getting close to time to hurry to class, Max stopped. He called Isabel. “Iz, I need help. Could you take Elizabeth shopping? I am not sure how much she will buy but would you help her?” Max asked Elizabeth if she would go with Isabel. Elizabeth giggled a little and agreed.

Isabel wasn’t sure what she was going to do. Elizabeth met her and she decided to go shopping for a coat first of all. It was getting cold and as Elizabeth got stronger, she was more susceptible to the changes of weather. Then Isabel asked Elizabeth to follow her to a lingerie store. They picked out several pieces of lingerie. Then, Isabel suggested they buy a dress next. If Elizabeth was to become real, then she is going to need clothes. By this time, Elizabeth was clearly getting tired. Isabel drove Elizabeth to Max’s apartment. She had the key she had retrieved from Tess. They sat at the table. Isabel made some tea. “Elizabeth, you have different clothes every time I see you so why do you need to buy any?”

“You don’t understand. These clothes are a part of me. When I appear, the clothes appear as part of my body. I can’t take them off for any reason until I go back and return again.” Elizabeth was trying to explain something.

Isabel caught on. “Elizabeth, were you and Max making out last night?”

Elizabeth seemed embarrassed, “Yes Isabel, and he started to remove my blouse. I couldn’t let that happen.”

Isabel was taller and bigger than Elizabeth, but she knew some young women that might be Elizabeth’s size. After she left Elizabeth at Max’s apartment, she went back to the lingerie shop. She bought several more pairs of panties and several bras. She then went to her friend’s house. She asked her friend for some every day slacks and blouses that she no longer wore. Pairs of hose and slippers were also obtained. Elizabeth would have enough clothes now to appear naked and then dress. As long as she could stay she could change or remove clothes like a normal woman.

When Max got home, he found Elizabeth waiting for him. She was dressed in some of the clothes Isabel had bought. After the concert Elizabeth asked if they could stop and get something to eat. This was a surprise for Max. It seemed that she was becoming more real every day. She ordered a small chicken sandwich. Elizabeth hung on his arm all the way home. Once home, Max started to do his daily school work. Elizabeth leafed through one of his literature books. Finally, Max got up and put his arms around Elizabeth. She closed her eyes. Max led her toward his bed. He, again, began kissing her. She was holding his face and her passion was strong. This time, she pulled away and removed her blouse. Max was presented, at least to his eyes, a perfect body. He removed the bra clips and her breasts were exposed. Max kissed her neck and worked down her chest. She was moaning. He held her and they lay down in the bed together. Her body was warm and soft. Her hands were prying at his shirt and they undid his buttons. She buried her head against his bare chest. Max turned out the lights. Slowly, he divested her of her slacks and panties. He pulled them off and dropped them on the floor. Her body was warm to his touch. She laid back down on the bed. All the time while watching her, he removed his shoes, socks, pants and shorts. They now lay together on his bed. Max raised himself above her, always waiting for a signal to stop, the signal never came. Max carefully and tenderly made simple love to Elizabeth and they just lay there for some time. Elizabeth went to the bathroom. Thinking back, this was the first time Max had seen her use the facilities. When she came back, Max went also. Then they finished the night just cuddled together.

Max woke up. For several seconds, he was scared. He reached over and felt, Elizabeth was still there. As she moved against him, she awoke. She was frightened at first. Then, she saw Max watching her. Max led her to the bathroom and pointed to the shower. They stepped into the steaming water and it washed away, not only their clouded thoughts, but also all the sins of doubt they had built between themselves.

They grabbed cups of coffee and hurried to the bleachers. Max wanted to play to celebrate because Elizabeth had invigorated him so much last night. He had not felt so happy in years. Max stood up and motioned the crowd to come closer. They formed a circle on the bleachers below him. Max felt better about his playing each time. If each time Elizabeth got stronger, it was also sure that Max got to be a better player.

When he quit, the audience approached and shook his hand. They also pressed the hand of Elizabeth. With every accolade she appeared to become stronger. When Max had to go to class, he gave Elizabeth his keys. This time he did give someone he loved, his apartment keys. It was afternoon when Max got home. The door was unlocked and there was no one home. In his bedroom, he found a pile of clothes on the floor. The clothes weren’t thrown on the floor. Instead, it was as if some one just stepped out of them, leaving them where they lay. Max found his keys on his dresser.

It was getting near sundown. Max was due at the bleachers. After the accomplishment of this morning, Max was very intent on being on time. He was cleaning his trumpet and getting ready. He was looking at some old play list, deciding what to play. He heard a noise in his bedroom. He started to open the door when he heard Elizabeth call out. “Max, I will be right out.”

They walked to the bleachers together. Max had always watched other couples walking across the campus holding onto each other. He had walked with Tess, but with her, it was more like being a puppy on a leash. With Tess, she stopped as she wanted and she hurried, as she wanted, Max was only an accessory on a leash for her convenience. Elizabeth laughed at the leaves blown across the walkway and she waved to people on campus who first waved to her. Max could never remembering Tess waving to anyone.

“Elizabeth, where were you this afternoon?” Max inquired. He tried to not ask too many questions because she had shown her inability to answer them.

“I don’t know, Max. I only know that I have to go there or something bad will happen.

“Well, Elizabeth, what do you do when you are there?” Max tried again very carefully.

Again, Elizabeth hung her head. “I don’t know, Max, but if I do not go when I am called, something terrible will happen and I will loose you.”

Max opened with a Dizzy Gillespie arrangement of “Its Only a Paper Moon.” It was a little riky-tiky for him, but then he played again by making it a blues tune, letting his horn wail. Where Dizzy had made it a dance tune, Max was turning it into a sad, mournful experience. When it mourned, Max just concentrated on tone. It was an experience for both Max and his audience. The most powerful piece Max played was “The St. Louis Blues” taken from a Louis Armstrong CD. This was a song, when played slowly, that you could feel the wailing of his trumpet. Max ran through some exercises that he played a lot and then he finished. Again the audience was encouraged to come in close. Max was receiving a lot of praise, but they were also curious about Elizabeth.

Max and Elizabeth stopped for a evening meal. Elizabeth was even more like a real girl as Max began to have concerns about whether she was hungry or tired. They went back to the apartment. While Max got out his schoolwork, Elizabeth had brought a book from somewhere and she was reading. Max glanced over at her and saw that it was a freshman literature book. “Where did you get that Elizabeth?”

She looked at him and then at the book, “It seems that it should be mine, but I do not know where it came from.”

Elizabeth stayed with Max until they went to sleep. They made love once and then they cuddled. Just as he was dropping off to sleep, Max felt her leave. Before he could awake, still in the dream world, Max saw her. “I must go quickly tonight. She needs me. They don’t know what to make of me being gone so much.”

Chapter 6

For some reason, the sleeping Max couldn’t ask any questions. When Max awoke the next morning, Elizabeth was not with him. He got up and finished his absolutions and was out at the bleachers by eight. It was chilly. As Max played, Elizabeth returned to sit beside him. She was very serious. When he was finished, Max put his horn in its case, then he sat and talked with Elizabeth. “Max, she is in pain. It costs her so much pain for me to be free. I have been neglecting her. My happiness is at the price of her life.” Then Elizabeth faded quickly.

Max had no idea what she was talking about. He had been asking Elizabeth about where she went when she left and it seemed that she was trying to explain. The explanation made no sense. Kyle was going to come over after the concert this evening. Max had to work hard to finish his schoolwork to keep this evening free.

Max played that evening and, of course, Elizabeth was present. She held on to Max. “We need to hurry so we can talk to your friend before I have to go.

Kyle was waiting for them. He had a stack of papers. He still was worried about Elizabeth being one of the Jinn. He laid his research out before both Elizabeth and Max. “Jinn are known to be ephemeral creatures. They were created of fire and smoke. They will tire easy and leave if they are not satisfied.”

“And what does that mean?” Max asked Kyle.

“It means that jinn would not tarry very long unless they were being satisfied. They should be weakening as they have to maintain form,” was Kyle’s answer. “It is true that Jinn frequent the company of musicians that the ancients felt were not strong pillars of the community. Elizabeth should have been getting less substantial as the time goes on.” Kyle looked at Elizabeth, “Jinn should also, always answer questions truthfully, but deviously. They would always know the answers. Elizabeth just doesn’t know some of them. I no longer believe she is a Jinn.”

Elizabeth told about being pulled in two directions. She was drawn to the music and now, she seemed to be pulled back to someone else. Who this someone else was, she didn’t know. Elizabeth only knew that the music, Max and the other someone involved death.

Kyle read up on this stuff all the time. Elizabeth was probably drawn to someone the same apparent age as her self. Elizabeth had an affinity for school and probably science. The music itself aided Elizabeth some way. Elizabeth had some connection to that old pawnshop.

Max went looking for the trumpet receipt. Tomorrow after first class, he and Kyle would go visit the old shopkeeper.

Elizabeth stayed with Max for most of the night. She disappeared only to return at the morning concert. She then kissed him and wished him good luck.
Kyle and Max had the receipt. They walked down the street, “Max, you were an ass to travel this part of town on foot. I bet we could take out half of the population if we had arrest warrant cards,” Kyle commented. They found the shop. When they entered, it was a younger man who approached them.

Max showed him the receipt, “I bought a trumpet here several months ago.”

The man examined the receipt, “Yeah, grand pop wasn’t supposed to sell it. Especially to sell it so cheap. Bring it back and I will refund the marked purchase price.”

Max shook his head, “No, but we would like to know more about it if that is possible.”

The man thought a while. He lifted a shelf in the counter. “Come back here. The story is long and there are not many people coming by this time of the morning.” Max and Kyle were ushered into the office and made themselves comfortable in two chairs while the clerk sat behind the desk.

“My name is Lieberman. My son was named Micah. Through the years, he collected, probably, over one hundred trumpets. He would buy them, trade them and sell them. Most of them, he sold through the pawnshop. I think he had every make of trumpet there was. Micah played in high school. He was a music major at the University of New Mexico. He started in studying the classics, but he graduated to jazz sometime in high school. There was this little girl who hung around him. For a long time, they were just friends. Both of them dated other people. Then, in his freshman year of university, they announced that they were engaged. He had pictures all around here of her. I guess they were really in love. One night, they were hit by a drunk. Micah was killed outright, but the girl, Melinda, is in a coma at the hospital. She was torn up terribly and even if she comes out of the coma, she will have a hard time.”

Max reached in his wallet and retrieved the picture Isabel had found in the old case. “Is this Melinda?” he inquired.

Mr. Lieberman nodded his head sadly. “She is a beautiful girl there. Now, she is just scar tissue and tubes. Where did you find the picture?”

Max cleared his throat. “My sister found it in the lining of the old case your grandfather put the trumpet in.”

“Miach always kept pictures of her everywhere so he could look at her when he played,” Lieberman said. “She would follow him to every concert and gig he played at. She was really drawn to that trumpet.”

“Where is she now?” Max inquired.

“She is at the Catholic Hospital. By the way, what do you do with that horn?” Lieberman asked.

“I play at a small club. I am a jazz player,” Max said.

“Is it that club near the university?” Lieberman ask thoughtfully.

“Yes, that is the one,” Max informed him.

“There is something about a mysterious woman, I believe I have heard?” Lieberman mused.

“That is why we are looking for information. Mr. Lieberman, do you believe in magic?” Max asked carefully. It was almost as if he was afraid of being laughed at.

Mr. Lieberman thought a while, “I believe that there are some strong forces in the world that young people, like you, haven’t defined yet.”

“Mr. Lieberman, that is the mysterious woman who comes when I play.” Max leaned back. He wouldn’t even believe the story himself, except he was in love with her.

“My son loved that trumpet. I am sure that grand pop thought that you would make good use of it. Grand pop sometimes thinks in strange ways. He loved that couple. He always said that they would build a new family that would be strong. I think that I have a lot to think about.” Mr. Lieberman was holding his head.

Max and Kyle next drove to the Catholic Hospital. They asked for a coma patient named Melinda. They were not given much information. While they were at the hospital, they were introduced to a middle-aged man named, Calvin Smith, who was sitting in the waiting room. He was introduced as Melinda’s father.

“Mr. Smith,” Max started, “I found this picture in an old Horn case that used to belong to Micah Lieberman.”

Calvin looked at the picture, “Yes, that picture was taken by her friend Micah. They were seniors in high school when it was taken.” Calvin sat looking at the picture. Tears appeared in his eyes. That was when Micah’s great-grandfather said they had such a future together.”

“I bought Micah’s trumpet. We found this picture in the old case. Can you tell us anything about your daughter?” Max wanted information, but the man had the same expression Elizabeth had when she was afraid and she was going to run away.

Calvin sighed, “Well, nothing can hurt Linny any more. Micah was Jewish and we weren’t. Most of Micah’s family were not happy about them going together. For years, they were just friends and that was no problem, but when they started to get serious, the family except for old Ibrum, the grandfather, were against the relationship. That was the funny part because Ibrum was the most devout of the family. Old Ibrum used to tell Melinda she was magic. I understand this made most of the rest of the family mad. They thought that old Ibrum even using the term magic was wrong. That night when Micah was killed we met at the hospital and the family was so distraught that they spent the first few weeks with me keeping vigil on Melinda.”

Max gently asked, “What was Melinda’s connection with the trumpet?”

Micah won a money prize in a jazz competition. His father gave him some of the money and Melinda had her own savings that she also gave him. With the prize, his father’s and Melinda’s additional help, he had enough to buy that Bach Stradivarius. I have to admit, he could sure play a pretty song. Melinda used to tease him that both she and his father would always be with him when he played the trumpet.”

Calvin still held the picture. Max could sense that Calvin was reluctant to let it go. “Mr. Smith, do you believe in magic?” Max asked. It still seemed foreign to to use that word magic.

Calvin looked at Kyle and Max, “You know, with my daughter resting between life and death and either being a curse, I do not believe in anything any more. I think that the Lieberman family, except for grandpa, don’t have much faith either any more.”

I bought Micah’s trumpet and I play it every morning and every evening on the university campus. I also play almost every weekend at the little Jazz club just off the campus. I would like for you to stop by sometime and listen to my music. I think I dedicate every song to the spirit of the trumpet. Would you like for me to come by and play for your daughter some day?” Max stood and shook hands with Calvin.

“Melinda is getting worse all of the time. Sometimes she has almost no activity in her brain. Then, it comes back mostly at night. The doctors are considering taking her off life support. Even if she was to live, she would not be able to talk or properly function. Yeah, Max I would like you to came by and play for her. It might make her final passing easier.” Then, Calvin lowered his head in his hands and silently cried.

Stories by ken_r

[candycane14]

But...but...if Melinda dies then Liz might die too! Maybe when Max plays for Melinda, instead of Liz coming to him, Melinda will wake up but she'll be Liz. And just cause I'm a fan of happily ever after, she makes a full recovery. lol! Not to dictate how your story should go, I just always imagine the happiest ending possible when ever faced with a possible sad/angsty ending. It's too bad that a drunk driver killed Micah and put Melinda in a coma. Death is sad but it's even worse when it is someone so young. Sadistically enough, the thought does cross my mind that if it hadn't happened then Max never would have found Liz.

Update soon!

[ken_r]

sorry mistake

[ken_r]

Stories by ken_r

I believe the movie is called, “Just Like Heaven.” It has Reece Whitherspoon as the actress. It is a delightful movie and I recommend it. I saw the movie as a rental and I purposefully steered clear of anything like it. I did not want anyone to think this would follow that line of plot so I waited until the plot has diverted enough to see the difference, before mentioning it.

Chapter 7


Max and Kyle left. “Well, that settles what Elizabeth is, but we still do not know what to do for her.” Kyle mused. He folded up his pages of research. He was satisfied that Elizabeth was not a evil spirit. He was racking his brain to think of what he knew about a spirit becoming real.

Their long day of investigation had caused Max to miss one class so he had to scramble to find someone whose notes he could borrow. He was still running when he grabbed the trumpet and went to the bleachers.

Max played free style for a while. He just leaned back and made the trumpet cry. It seemed the appropriate thing to do. He was thinking about Micah Lieberman and his hopes and dreams with his Melinda. He was thinking of Calvin Smith and his fears of the future of his daughter. Max was, for a time, lost in his world. This time when Elizabeth appeared, she was walking through the crowd. She smiled a sad smile, I walked from your home. I hope you do not mind. Max noticed she was wearing the clothes Isabel had procured for her. Max reached over and took her hand. She seemed tired, so he again took up blues music. This time, it was established tunes that he played. Elizabeth’s strength seemed to return, but she still had that sad smile. To Max, she appeared torn between two worlds. This may have been the result of his preconceptions. He was starting to doubt everything he really knew. As Max played, he was thinking of the Elizabeth being drawn back to the terribly hurt body of Melinda and of the Elizabeth free in his world, free to hear music and to love and, maybe, rejoin life again. What would happen if they decided to withdraw support from Melinda? Was it kindness that kept her alive in a crippled, wrecked, un-repairable body? Would Elizabeth gain enough strength to survive on her own? What was that power that drew her back to the hospital and body of Melinda?

When they got back to his house, schoolwork was forgotten. Elizabeth was almost “Tess”-like as she attacked him. She was so demanding that Max could, almost, not recognize her. Elizabeth ripped his clothes from his body and threw off her own. “Please, don’t frighten me.” Hell, it was Max who was scared. When they lay panting after their torrid activity of love, Elizabeth was crying. “Max, please don’t think badly of me. I am so scared that this might be my last time to make love that I just couldn’t control my self. Max, you don’t know the beauty of just living until you are faced with death. Oh, Max, what will it be like to die? Will I burn in Hell for my sins or will it just be the frigid cold of nothingness? Max, I want so much to live and listen to the music, both yours and all of the rest of the music of life. I wish I could believe in a wonderful afterlife but it seems I have glimpsed death and all it holds for me is terror.” Elizabeth was again kissing his face and body. Her tears were sprinkling rain on his chest. All of her passion and fears were being dumped upon Max.

Finally, Elizabeth fell asleep. Usually, it was Max that was exhausted but tonight it was Elizabeth that had the real need for sleep. When Max fell asleep himself, Elizabeth was sitting, waiting for him. They were in the waiting room of the hospital.

“Max, this is where I go when I leave you. I couldn’t tell you. You had to find it out for yourself. She is me, I guess. She has so little hope and I have so much. We do not know what will happen when she dies. She is ready to die. She is thinking about Micah, his family, her father and the trumpet. Max, you are going to have to make it soon if you are going to play for her.” Elizabeth was scared, but she knew she had things to do before Melinda left, maybe taking Elizabeth with her.

Max was putting off his promise to play for Melinda. He dreaded it for many reasons. First, was this some last request after which she would be willing to die and he might loose Elizabeth, also. Then, he still feared the trespass of the Smith family, even though he had been given permission. Did he have the right to bring Micah’s trumpet back into their lives? What about the Lieberman family? He was Max, not Micah and did he have the right to intrude on the person of Micah’s girl.

Max didn’t change any of his activities. He still played in the mornings, he still played in the evenings and he still played on the weekend at the club. A lot of his share of the cover charge was going to support Elizabeth. He paid Isabel back as fast as he could. He did notice that several of the items that Isabel bought never showed up on the bills she gave him. He now had higher food bills, because for the most part, the new Elizabeth had a healthy appetite. She stayed with him at his apartment. She would wander around the campus during the day. From time to time, she would return to the apartment and fade away, always leaving her clothes on the floor. Then she’d return to the apartment to redress and finish her day, loving music, loving Max and loving life.

Max, with guilt feelings, took a day off and proceeded to the hospital. He was met by Calvin and, surprisingly, by Mr. Lieberman and his grandfather. The Liebermans explained that this had been their first visit in many months. Grandfather Lieberman saw the trumpet case and his eyes lit up. “I knew you were the man to take Micah’s trumpet when I heard you that day,” Grandfather Lieberman stated.

Max saw Mr. Lieberman frown, but grandpa was all smiles. The hospital staff was less than thrilled. “He is a good player, I have heard him several times,” one of the younger doctors stated. It was finally decided that Max could play unless the staff thought he was disturbing the other patients.

The life sign activity was minimal and there was little or no brain activity shown on the dials that defined Melinda’s life. Max just started playing. He started softly and he built up the music, always watching for some sort of sign from the many dials and scopes beside Melinda’s bed. As he played, several of the patients in wheelchairs came into the room. Other patients asked for their nurses to open their curtains so they could better hear. If there was a Jazz hater in the hospital, he was keeping it to himself. Almost without notice a small brown haired woman with large bright brown eyes walked into the room. It was the Liebermans who noticed her first. They were shocked at her resemblance to Melinda. The one they had known for so many years who had shared friendship with their son. Grandpa smiled, but his son really frowned. Then, it was Calvin Smith who noticed her. At first, he looked between the torn body of his daughter and then back to Elizabeth. He was frowning when he approached her. “You are not my Melinda are you?” he said in a quivering voice.

“No, Mr. Smith, I am not Melinda. I look a little like her and the best part of her is the best part of me,” Elizabeth took both of Calvin’s hands in hers. “Melinda will die, and if I am loved, I might live, but in any case, she knows what it is to be loved and serenaded. She just needs to find peace.”

Max had played for about an hour. The hospital staff was concerned that they were getting behind in their business of helping and saving lives. Max put away his trumpet. The Liebermans and Calvin both thanked him. The patients showed their appreciation as he left. Elizabeth was hugging his arm. They went home. Max had clearly done a service, but it was one that he would pay for in skipping school for the whole day. That evening after the concert which they attended, Max’s sister and his friends, including Kyle, all followed him back to his apartment. He and Elizabeth told the story of the day’s events. Kyle pointed out the similarity to the Movie, “Just like Heaven.” Max disagreed. In the movie, the spirit returned to the body and sought its soul mate who it had met while in the coma. Elizabeth hoped to be set free. As she had told Calvin, she was not Melinda, but Melinda was part of her. They all talked until late about what Elizabeth really was, all that is, except Max and Elizabeth. Alex sat down beside the couple in question, “Max, you asked if I believed in magic? Well, I believe in the magic Elizabeth has brought to you.”

It was about three o’clock the next morning, while they were sleeping together, that Elizabeth suddenly awoke. She grabbed the still sleeping Max. “Max, make love to me, now!” her frightening impulse was scaring Max. Max believed that love should be sharing. After trying to love Tess, he well knew what it was like to service someone with nothing to be given in return. Elizabeth was adamant. She was demanding. She needed love in all forms now. Max tried to comply. Some of his attempts at foreplay were thwarted because of Elizabeth’s urgency. He could feel her body shaking. To Max, it seemed almost like rape, but Elizabeth’s insistence was guiding him. Not only was he into her, but he was showering her body with kisses. They weren’t the tender kisses that Max usually gave, but hot, passionate kisses that left bruises on both of them. He crushed her breast, but she cried out for more. If they had let up, Max would probably have run in fear. Elizabeth was insatiable. She rolled them over so she was on top and she was leaning over, biting Max’s shoulder. Max was trying to hold her gently, but she fought him and before he could let go of her, she would twist so his hands clearly hurt her. She was making almost animal like sounds. Max wasn’t sure he was making love any longer. This went on for an hour. No way did Max have this much stamina. He would have been gone long ago, but Elizabeth wouldn’t let him. Then, she stopped and fell into a deep sleep. Max got up and sat at his table thinking. What had possessed Elizabeth? He went into the bathroom and examined himself. He hoped nothing bad happened because if a cop was to see him, Max would never get out of jail. He was scratched all over his whole body. When Max came back to bed, Elizabeth was quiet but she snuggled into his arms. Max slept through eight o’clock. This was the third concert he had missed since he had started. He just didn’t wake up. About nine o’clock the phone rang. “Mr. Evans, this is Lieberman here. I just thought you should know that they disconnected Melinda last night. She passed away early this morning. Mr. Evans, could I bring Calvin Smith to one of your club concerts? I think, in a few weeks, he might be ready and we want to hear Micah’s trumpet again.”

Max told them that if they called, he would leave passes for them at the door. Max was sitting on his bed. The morning concert obviously was canceled, but Max could not miss anymore school. There was a pounding on his door. Max padded to the door forgetting he only had on his boxer shorts. He opened the door and greeted Isabel.

Chapter 8

“Max, for God’s sakes, put on some clothes.” She walked into the apartment. Max went back to the bedroom and pulled on a pair of jeans. He found a shirt and was buttoning it up as he walked back to Isabel. “Max, what happened to you? You look like you got caught in a cat house with the wrong cat,” Isabel sniffed as she looked down at Max and his wounds.

“Things got a little rough this morning,” Max was answering.

“Good heavens, Max what did you do to the poor girl?” Isabel was incensed

“Poor girl! Isabel, she did this to me. I do not know what happened. She woke me up this morning insisting we make love and then she proceeded to shred me like a check.” Max was miffed that Isabel would think he would initiate such rough sex. Max continued, “Lieberman called and told us that the body that supports Elizaberth died this morning. I guess that is what set this off. “Isabel, could you stay with Elizabeth this morning? I have to attend class.” With her assent, Max hurried to class. When he got home at noon, he found Isabel sitting with Elizabeth. Elizabeth looked as bad as Max felt. Isabel was still frowning at Max. When Elizabeth saw the scratches on Max’s face, she put her face in her hands and cried.

“Max, she had to go. It was like drowning or I guess that is what it would be like. Her body had already shut down. She was just tired of fighting but as she was sinking she had to grasp at anything she could. Only by finding my own life and holding on to it, could I not sink with her. She didn’t mean to, but she had no choice. Every time you made me feel, I was able to fight that much harder to stay,” Elizabeth said as she looked at Max, hoping for some validation for what she had done. “You have to understand, love or pain, they were all the same. In the end, having connections to being alive preserved me from death. Max, it was your playing, not the trumpet, that brought me here. It was your love that kept me. As Melinda was dying, she was willing to go, but no one wants to make that last step alone.”

“Now that she is dead will you be able to continue?” Max asked. Elizabeth had always had to return to the body that nurtured her, or maybe it was the other way around. Elizabeth had been nurturing Melinda. Max was hoping that Kyle had some deep books somewhere on the subject. Max thought of the fairy tale of Tinker Bell. She would die if you didn’t believe. Well, Max was a believer if it would keep his love here.

Max and Elizabeth made the evening concert. Max only played slow dirges and blues tunes. His trumpet cried for the soul of the girl who loved it. His trumpet cried for the girl who now loved life. The audience didn’t applaud this evening. They all shed a tear. Some on them had heard a bit of the story about the girl that loved the trumpet. They, as was Max, were confused as to who was Elizabeth. Elizabeth felt frightened. It was like being abandoned. She knew that she had many friends who wanted the best for her, but there was no longer that dark place she could go to where she felt she belonged.

Did Elizabeth belong to Max? Did Elizabeth belong with Max? Elizabeth was a girl who had no past. Try as hard as she could, she could not remember past the time she heard Max play in the pawn shop. Before, when she had gone back to the body of Melinda, Elizabeth felt that at those times she was Melinda. As she returned with less and less frequency, she felt that she shared something with Melinda, but now she felt that there was a great nothingness when she thought of Melinda.

Elizabeth was like a child who was set free by its parent without support. She was going to have to learn to return to the new people who were supporting her. If Elizabeth was rea,l there were numerous legal technicalities to consider. She would need a birth certificate. She would need a social security number if she was to function in today’s world. If Elizabeth was to survive the metaphysical problems of being real, would she survive the legal ones?

They returned to the main campus. Max stopped to get dinner at the university cafeteria. That was another thing that Max was going to have to consider. Elizabeth was going to need her own money. Max was going to have to find a way to support her. He didn’t want to, but he might have to consider dropping out of school. That would be hell with his folks. The folks, what was he going to tell them about Elizabeth? Alex and Isabel understood. At least they knew something magic had happened. Max just couldn’t see going to his father and saying, “I conjured up a girl and now I need help to support her.” Then, there were other problems. If Elizabeth became real, would, it be possible for her to become pregnant? They had not used condoms or even thought of them, because Max wasn’t sure this was a problem with a manifestation. What kind of DNA make up did Elizabeth have? If she wanted children could she have them? Maybe Max was getting himself set for a terrible disaster. What if, in the long run, Elizabeth could not survive without the body of Melinda to anchor her? Max was treading in areas where even Kyle would be lost. Max loved Elizabeth and he was sure she loved him, but in this case, was love enough?

Because the answer could only be found with time, Max chose to face the health issue first. He arranged for Elizabeth to get a full checkup. Since she had no insurance, this wiped out most of his savings.

Grades and bank statements both came to his folks. The grades were slipping from last semester, and though still good, they raised a flag to Mr. and Mrs. Evans. When the bank statements came, not only had Max maxed out his credit card, but he had depleted his saving account. Without help, he would never be able to pay next semester’s tuition, never mind the apartment rent that would be due. The first phone call went to Isabel, the perfect example of an offspring.

“Daddy, I can’t talk about Max behind his back. If you want to understand what is going on, you are going to have to see him for yourself.” Isabel had always done everything her parents wanted. She had even picked out the perfect boyfriend. Even though she was living with him her parents were pleased with her choice and accepted her arrangement.

Now, Max was a concern for them. At first his grades had been every bit as excellent as Isabel’s but where Isabel got invitations to internships, Max showed no interest in even applying for the same. Isabel was looking over graduate school offerings, while Max, again, had not even thought of applying. Now, when Isabel was living well within her budget, even with her extravagances of clothes, Max was overspent and not managing anything as far as his parents could see.

It was the week after finals were completed and final grades had been mailed out that Mr. and Mrs. Evans knocked on the door of Max’s apartment. They were met by a small woman dressed in clothes that appeared to indicate Isabel’s taste. She was slightly frail. In a way, she almost seemed to be transparent. Diane Evans shook her head to clear it and studied the young woman. The woman had long brown hair and soft brown eyes. She had a voice that almost sounded musical. “Can I help you?” she inquired.

“We are Philip and Diane Evans, parents of Max. Does he live here?” they asked, all the while looking around at the room behind the young woman.

Stories by ken_r
I will Return For You, My Love
Goodbye Mr. Evans, Hey Max
Liz of the Desert

[begonia9508]

Quite a trouble in life for Max!.... and why does she has no past? even an spirit was once someone!
Love the story anyway! Thanks fort writing! EVE