By Paula Bianchi –

Standing with Michael and Summer, Lucy couldn’t believe the dialog she heard going on in Summer’s head about her husband.

“Now that Lucy’s gone, I want to take care of you, Michael. I’ve been in love with you ever since the first day you guys met.” Summer’s thoughts kept coming back to this like a loop in her head. She stared deeply into Michael’s eyes in an attempt to make him feel it too.

Lucy carefully placed her hand on Michael’s shoulder, trying not to let it pass through. Instantly, she could hear what Michael was thinking, and he wasn’t having any of the feelings that Summer was hoping for. He felt affronted and annoyed by the energy he could feel coming off of her, and you could hear it in his voice, during their conversation, with his short answers.

“You know I’m here for you, Michael. Call me for anything. Even if you just need someone to talk to.” Summer reached out to touch him, but he pulled away before she could.

“I’m grateful for your offer, Summer, but between my family and Lucy’s, I have a lot of support and help with the kids.” Michael couldn’t hide his discomfort. “I better go see if they need any help. Thanks for coming. Lucy always considered you to be one of her best friends.” With that said, Michael quickly left.

Lucy watched as Summer stood for a moment or two trying to comprehend what had just happened. She could hear that it left her feeling like he just blew her off. “I’m not giving up that easily. He’s going to come around. I know it.” Lucy heard Summer thinking.

“I thought you were my friend!” Lucy exclaimed. She had to get away from hearing anymore.

Lucy walked to the other side of the room where some of her co-workers, Darren, Dina, and Noah, were standing. She wanted to hear some shop talk. She missed her job. When she joined them, Darren, her boss, was talking.

“Dina, I need you to take over the Bauer case Lucy was working on. I sent all the files over to your office. Because of the circumstances, we were able to post-pone the case until next month. Will that be enough time for you?”

“Yes. It shouldn’t take me too long to get caught up on her case. Anything you need me to do, boss.” Dina smiled, but Lucy sensed it wasn’t genuine, and she was right.

When Lucy tuned into Dina’s thoughts, she wasn’t surprised by what she heard. If anything, her thoughts proved what Lucy had felt about her all along. From the first day that Darren hired her, Lucy knew, in her gut, that Dina was out for her job. They didn’t get along from the start. Now, all she could hear from Dina’s thoughts were how happy she was that Lucy was gone, and she felt elated when Darren chose her to pass on Lucy’s work to. In Dina’s mind, it was the first step towards taking over Lucy’s position in the firm. A position she’d had in her sights set on since the day she was hired.

This made Lucy wonder what Darren thought about her, so she turned her attention to her former boss. He looked a little haggard, and the rims of his eyes were red from crying, which left her feeling a bit surprised that he’d cared for her that much, so she tuned into his thoughts.

“I can’t believe you’re gone, Lucy. You died before I could tell you how I really felt about you. I love you, and I always will.” Tears came to Darren’s eyes as he tried to push this thought away, but it hit Lucy with a wave of energy that pushed her back a couple of steps. She couldn’t believe what she was hearing from her boss. Lucy had no idea he felt this way about her, and now, deep within her soul, she felt the strong energy of his grief wash over her.

To escape this over powering energy, Lucy began to wander around the group of people. All she had to do was get close to someone for her energy to instantly tune into their thoughts without any effort on her part. She felt like a walking antenna the more she used her new found ability.

Lucy realized that people were not always as they seem. Some were fake, hateful, and opportunistic, while others, truly missed her. She felt their deep empathy for her family’s loss.

The energy was becoming too much for her to handle, so Lucy sought refuge outside, away from everyone, in the backyard where she could finally find some peace and quiet, but she wasn’t alone. There was a living woman, who was dressed in a black pants suit, sitting on a swing hanging from a tall, majestic oak tree in the yard.

As Lucy approached this woman, she didn’t recognize who she was by looking at her, but her energy felt very familiar. Suddenly, it hit her. This was her childhood friend, Julie. They hung out and did everything together when they were young.

Lucy started having flashes of the memories they had shared together. Smoking their first cigarette. Getting caught for stealing, then, Julie lying saying they were sisters hoping Lucy’s mom would cover for her when she got there, but she didn’t. The best memories, though, were the times when Julie slept over. They stayed up late into the night cracking each other up, while trying to keep quiet. Lucy could still see the ice cream dripping off Julie’s nose as she was goofing around trying to make her laugh.

With these memories, a flood of thoughts that weren’t her own, started to flow through Lucy.  

“I’m so sorry I pushed you away so long ago, Lucy.” Julie anguished.  “I wish we would have stayed in touch, but I know it was my fault that we didn’t. I’m so sorry I threaten to have someone kick your ass on the first day of Jr. high. It changed our friendship forever when I chose to do that to you.”

Lucy could hear the regret and remorse in Julie’s thoughts, and she could feel that this regret was weighing heavily upon her, but she was right. This was the turning point in their friendship. Lucy had distanced herself out of fear that Julie would do it again.

Standing there watching Julie beat herself up for something Lucy never really thought about, made Lucy feel bad for her. She could see that Julie had let this bother her a lot through the years.

An over-powering urge to bring comfort to Julie, filled Lucy to her core. She listened to her instincts and wrapped her arms around Julie, while trying to fill Julie with thoughts of forgiveness and love.

To Lucy’s amazement, she could see Julie respond to the intent of Lucy’s positive energy as an obvious calmness washed over her. She was surprised to see a smile creeping in at the corners of Julie’s mouth as she stood up and smoothed the wrinkles from her pants.

“Thanks, Lucy.” Julie said, as she left to join the others in the house.

What just happened? Lucy wondered because it sure seemed like Julie sensed she was there with her, forgiving her for the past.

“You are correct, indeed. They can feel and hear us.” A male voice said, out of the darkness.

Lucy spun around looking for the owner of this deep sounding voice. “Where are you?” She cried out.

“I’m standing right next to you.” This male voice teased.

Again, Lucy spun around in circles trying to find out who was teasing her, then, she heard him laugh at her puzzlement.

“Come on! Who are you?” She insisted.

On her right side, and to her amazement, Lucy watched a figure of a man begin to materialize next to her. He was tall and slender, wearing a top hat and a suit from the Victorian times. His coat had tails, and his shinning black shoes had a row of buttons down one side. When he smiled at her, it was hidden behind a thick, handle bar mustache with its ends nicely twisted up into a small curl.

“Hello, Madam. My name is Keith, and I’m happy to make your acquaintance.” He removed his top hat and bowed.

“How is it that I couldn’t see you, but I could hear you standing right beside me?” Lucy asked.

“Do I need to state the obvious?” Keith sounded amused. “I was invisible, dear.”

“Could you teach me how to do that?” Lucy knew she had a lot to learn about her new reality.

“It’s as easy as thinking ‘fade out’ in your mind because everything you do or see in our earthbound, spiritual world, is fueled by our thoughts.” He clasped his hands in front of him. “Give it a go.” Keith urged.

Lucy filled her thoughts with the suggestion, fade out. “Is it working?” She asked.

“Bravo, Madam.” Keith clapped.

Lucy looked down and was pleasantly surprise that she had disappeared, then, she thought, ‘reappear’, and just like that, she could see herself again. She smiled from ear to ear.

“Where did you come from, Keith?”

“I was passing by, when I noticed you were trying to comfort the living. You were lucky she was open to it because most living people ignore the dead.” Keith explained.

“So, we can influence the living?” Lucy asked, but she felt like she already knew the answer.

“Yes, we can.” Keith twisted one end of his mustache. “Some of us do it with a positive intent, while others can go out of their way to control and manipulate the living into doing negative things in their world.”

“Why would they try to get the living to do negative things?”

“Because of free will. Just like there are good and bad among the living, so too is it here in our earthbound world. Even in heaven, there are those who want to dwell in negativity, and there’s a space where these spirits go. They aren’t allowed to be around those who are positive.” Keith put his hand out. “Would you like to go with me on a tour of our world?”

Lucy reached out and took his hand with wonder and excitement, then, off they went.

Come follow Lucy in the next episode of, Lucy in the Afterlife. If you’ve just joined me, I suggest you start from my first Lucy post, The Beginning, to see how her journey began. Bye for now.

Email: Remyel@hotmail.com