Last Kiss

Supernatural Stories | Jun 16, 2012 | 8 min read
96 Votes, average: 4 out of 5
Lying in bed, attempting to slip into the land of dreams, Jay wished he had told his two best friends about his inoperable brain aneurysm before they died. Nathan's car slid off a muddy embankment earlier this evening, killing him instantly when his head hit the steering wheel. Two months ago Opal was stabbed to death.

All three had been friends since childhood, born in the 1940's, growing up in the same neighborhood in West Virginia. Nathan and Opal married many years ago, while Jay remained a bachelor all of his life.

A botched home robbery took Opal's light out of the world forever. Nathan shot the robber, but not before Opal had been stabbed in the abdomen. Both Opal and the robber died in the house, and Nathan was left with the unenviable task of picking up the shreds of his life and continuing on without his soul mate. Opal died on a Tuesday, and every week on Tuesday afterward Nathan placed a white rose on her grave. When Jay asked why, Nathan said, "Opal told me white roses are for healin' a broken heart. Whenever we had a fight, she would always put a white rose on my nightstand. It always made me feel better."
Having spent the last several hours reminiscing, looking through old photo albums, Jay lay stretched on his bed surrounded by memories. Pictures of Jay, Nathan, and Opal as kids, playing various games, riding their bikes, and going to school dances littered Jay's bed. There were also pictures of Opal and Nathan's wedding and the day they bought their house. Jay's favorite picture was of all three of them, at the Senior Prom, taken before Nathan asked out Opal for the first time. He missed that moment in time before their lives took a more adult turn. Jay held his favorite of the photos in his hand as he dozed. His eyelids felt heavy and he softly slipped into the land right between waking and sleeping.
Out of the darkness Nathan sprang, wearing rage like a protective mask. He screamed incoherently at Jay, which prompted Jay's waking with a start and almost falling out of bed. Sweat poured off him and he had to focus on his breathing to calm himself. He turned on the bedside lamp and looked around, but saw no one. He even crept to the closet door and sheepishly opened it, totally expecting a monster dripping with slime to attack him, but again saw no one. No one in the bathroom, either.

Spooked and not wanting to try falling back asleep, Jay went to the kitchen for some water, then plopped down in his favorite chair and turned on the television. Late night infomercials littered the channels, making him slightly annoyed, so he pulled up one of his favorite shows On Demand.

Within minutes he was dozing off again. The blaring radio roused him from sleep this time.


Well, where oh where can my baby be?
The Lord took her away from me.
She's gone to Heaven so I got to be good,
So I can see my baby when I leave this world.


Jay recognized the song immediately: it was Nathan and Opal's song, "Last Kiss" by J. Frank Wilson and the Cavaliers. Being the superstitious one, Opal had worried this song would jinx them, but the few times she mentioned it Nathan teased her until she finally let it go.

Now Jay noticed the mud. In the shape of footprints leading from his bedroom to the living room, he followed the path with his eyes and his breath caught in his throat when he realized they were forming as he watched, but no one was there. At least, no one he could see. The muddy footprints continued to form as if someone was walking past his favorite chair, between Jay and the television, and they stopped at the wall to Jay's right. Then they turned as if the person making them turned to face Jay.

Thinking himself so tired he was hallucinating, Jay closed his eyes and counted slowly to ten. Nathan stood hunched over, leaning against the wall when Jay opened his eyes. Almost completely covered in thick layers of mud, Nathan stared at Jay, who in turn screamed, jumped out of the chair and ran to the bathroom, slamming the door.
Thump. Thump.

Outside the bathroom door, Jay could hear Nathan trying to get in. Mud oozed under the door and onto the white tiles of the bathroom floor. Jay screamed, "Go away!" but the thumps became progressively louder until there was so much force on the door it cracked down the middle, and then exploded inward. Jay turned away from the door with his arm up to shield his face and head, feeling splintered wood shower his back.
He spun around; no one was there. Cautiously, he peeked his head out of the bathroom, looked to his right and saw his bedroom. Nothing. He looked to his left and saw on the living room wall, where Nathan had been leaning, four words written in mud: "Go to my house."

Not wanting another terrifying encounter with Nathan, Jay followed the instructions. Within a few minutes he was dressed, in the car, and headed to Nathan's former residence.
Rain poured down in sheets as Jay squinted and tried not to get himself killed. After approximately fifteen minutes he pulled into Nathan's driveway and, breathing nervously, wondered what the hell would happen next. Gradually, as he looked at the house, his vision shifted so he could not only see normally, but he could see things no one else could see – no one else should see.
Surrounding the house was a large, red sphere seemingly made of energy.

"He's trapped her and I can't get in – not without you." Jay heard Nathan's words as if they were formed in his own brain, as if they were his own thoughts. Nervously, Jay wondered if Nathan's spirit had slid into his body. He got out of the car, walked to the red sphere, and passed through it without incident.

"I was right!" The thoughts erupted in Jay's head. "I knew it! I knew the bastard's cage couldn't affect the livin'! We've gotta save Opal!"

When the last thought popped into his head, Jay wasn't sure if it was his own thought or Nathan's words. Over the years, Jay fell in love with Opal. He kept his feelings to himself, but couldn't help stealing a glance at her every chance he could. She had the most beautiful, striking green eyes he had ever seen. Most people, as they get older, the brilliance of their eyes fade, but not Opal's. Up until the day she died at age 62 her eyes remained stunning.

Jay produced his key to Nathan's house, unlocked the front door, and stepped across the threshold. Cold, with a side of pitch black, greeted Jay and Nathan.

"I never thought I'd feel cold again." Nathan's words filled Jay's head.

The house was eerily silent. Jay shivered and the hair on the back of his neck stood up. Not only had his earlier thought of Nathan hitching a ride in his body been confirmed, but now he faced a haunted house with who knows what inside. He was elated that Nathan wasn't in control of his body in case he had to flee.

"Opal?" he whispered.

He heard no sounds, so he said her name again, louder, only this time it came out as a hoarse croak.

Movement in his peripheral vision caused Jay to turn to his right. The robber who died in the house – the one that killed Opal - was standing five feet away, glaring at him. He was still covered in blood from being shot in the chest, and he moved and limped away from Jay, still watching him, now with an evil grin slowly spreading across his face.
Words filled Jay's head, "I got this from here!"

Jay's ability to see the robber faded away and he felt Nathan's spirit leave his body. For a few agonizingly long moments, Jay stood motionless in the panic-inducing blackness, straining to hear any sound. He felt a hand touch his and jumped, letting out a tiny yelp. Breathing heavily and fighting the urge to run out of the house, leaving Nathan and Opal trapped, he slowly began to see the spirit world again as he felt another spirit hitch a ride. Fearing it was the robber, he was just about to ask who it was when he saw the fight occurring in the living room. Nathan and the robber were engaged in full on fisticuffs.
Jay stifled a laugh. He and Opal had teased Nathan every time he had gotten into a fight in the past, saying he looked like a wounded octopus with his arms and legs flailing about with no discernable purpose. Tonight was no different.

Then Jay heard Opal's laughter filling his head. A mix of grief and amusement overtook Jay and he doubled over in laughter with bitter tears rolling down his cheeks.
"Looks like Nathan might win his first fight." Once again, Jay couldn't tell if this was his thought or the spirit's. Then Opal's words formed, "Thank you so much for helping. I thought I'd never see you or Nathan again. Thought I would be trapped forever."
"You're welcome. I wish I could have saved you sooner. I miss you." Jay said the words aloud, feeling a bit glad no other living person was in the house to hear him speak to an invisible person.

Nathan refused to let up on the robber. Upstairs, downstairs, in the basement, then back to the first floor, Nathan wouldn't let him go. He repeatedly punched, kicked, and even bit the man, until finally the robber ran out of the house with looks of both indignation and bewilderment taking turns rolling across his face. The pitch black of the interior of the house gave way to sporadic rays of light coming in the windows from the streetlights and passing vehicles as the spiritual cage-sphere surrounding the house vanished.
Nathan approached Jay with a smile, and waved goodbye. Jay's ability to see the spirit world faded as Opal left him with the thoughts, "We're alright now. Thanks again, and see ya soon."

Jay stood in the house for a few more minutes letting the tears flow. He couldn't fight the knowledge that he was now completely alone, and it left a bitter taste in his mouth.
Back at his own house, Jay walked in expecting to have a huge cleanup. He frowned as he stood in his living room. There was no mud on the wall or floor. He walked to the bathroom; no shattered bits of wood from the door exploding. He then realized Nathan had probably forced a hallucination on him, made possible by the fact that Nathan was actually in his head. He smiled.

He changed into his pajamas and fell asleep as soon as his head hit the pillow. He dreamed of Nathan and Opal, in the house after Opal had left his body, embracing and kissing their last kiss on Earth before fading away from this plane of existence.
Jay woke to the blaring radio once again.

Well, where oh where can my baby be?
The Lord took her away from me.
She's gone to Heaven so I got to be good,
So I can see my baby when I leave this world.


He smiled as he lay in bed. He listened to the whole song while thinking of his friends now gone, and reached to the alarm clock/radio on the nightstand, turning it off. He felt a sharp, stabbing pain in his head but didn't have much time to react. The aneurysm had abruptly claimed his life, but not before he saw two white roses on the nightstand.

Last Kiss by Seven L. Cooper
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Reviews

Belinda k Jul 6, 2012

First, let me say, great job! *applauding loudly* But this is getting weird. This is the second GOOD story I've read that either has in it, or the author mentions, elements of a story I just finished last night. CREEPY!!!

Seven L. Cooper Jul 8, 2012

Thank you, Belinda! Also, great minds think alike! Definitely post the story you finished, and I'll be happy to read it! =)

Ayd?n Jun 26, 2012

are we competitors for Story Of The Week? Cheers :D

Seven L. Cooper Jun 28, 2012

Let's not think of it as a competition...we are COMPANIONS who have high story ratings! Haha! =)

Jun 17, 2012

Oh, I am sooo sorry Ms. Cooper for calling you a boy. If you like you can call me a girl, I wont take it personal. Some of the nicest, bravest people I know are women. I'm willing to bet that you are a better woman then I. I'm further embarrassed that I m

Seven L. Cooper Jun 19, 2012

I would only be offended that someone called me a boy if that person was looking right at me. No worries! It's a shame you don'tlike Koontz; his books "The Taking" and "Phantoms" are works of genius and have plenty of the monsters and gore that I crave. I

Jun 16, 2012

Dear Mr. Cooper, the only writer that I know of who can get away with explaining a story is H.P. Lovecraft. He did it with dire, sinister, creepy use of words. He used gloom and doom to get his point across. You, on the other hand, weep for the dead and d

Seven L. Cooper Jun 17, 2012

Don'tsuck up to me, Johnny, tell me how you really feel! Ha! I understand...sometimes you just need gore. I'm the same way, I just wanted to try a more psychological horror story. Was it an epic fail? Perhaps, perhaps not. I'll not regret the attempt, and

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