Date: Tue, 19 Apr 2005 19:36:36 -0700 (PDT)
From: Scotty <niki200sc@yahoo.com>
Subject: College: The Professor and Sean - BOOK 2 - Part 5

BOOK TWO

The Professor and Sean - Book Two - Part 5

by Scotty

Disclaimer:

This is a fictional story dealing with love and consensual sexual
activities between males.  If you are not of legal age, reside in an area
where viewing such material is illegal, or are offended by homosexuality
and/or homosexual themes, leave this site now.

The characters in this story do not always practice safe sex.  Remember
this is fiction.  You should always use a condom for the your protection
and especially for the protection of the one you love.  The author
recommends only safe sex.  Be wise and follow safe sex practices.

Several songs are quoted in this story. The copyrights to these are held by
the artists or their publishers and not by the author. They are quoted as a
tribute to the artist and the piece.

All persons in this story are fictional and any resemblance to persons
living or dead is purely coincidental.

The author retains all rights to this story.  No reproductions or links to
other sites are allowed without the permission of the author.

All other disclaimers apply.

   We all find treasure in the strangest places; it is the wonder of being
alive.

						Scotty

Thanks to the individuals who have emailed me to tell me they are enjoying
the story.  It is great to hear from you.  I try to answer all of you; but
if you have to wait a day or two, it is because I just can't keep up with
the emails.

There's more story to come.

The marked improvement in the punctuation and spelling is because of the
intelligent and careful assistance I have received from Wayne. This
wonderful man is my editor, I thank him here publicly.  As Sean would say,
"He is awesome!"

NOTE: If you would like to know when I am posting the next part of the
story, send me an email requesting that I notify you when I post to Nifty.

--------------------


The Professor and Sean -Book 2 -Part 5


(From the ending of Part 4)

Dessert followed; gorgeous Plant City strawberries with loads of whipped
cream.  That finished, Dad suggested we adjourn to the living room for
coffee.

We were just about to get up from our places when Charles appeared,

"Excuse me, Madame, but there is a telephone call for Mr. Kelly.  It seemed
important, so I dared to interrupt."

Sean sat white faced and alarmed.

What could it be?

-------------------

The Professor and Sean =Book 2-Part 5

(Ryan continues the narration)

My heart nearly stopped beating when Charles made his announcement. I
looked quickly at Sean realizing that he was frightened and shocked by
being called to the phone.  He had already known a full measure of sadness
and agony in his young life.  I couldn't fathom if it might be good or bad
news, but I was sure that Sean would assume the worse. I was also trying to
remember who knew where we were and what there was about the call that made
Charles think is was important.  These thoughts ran helter-skelter through
my mind as I hugged Sean.

As soon I touched him, I sensed the fear he was experiencing.  His body was
rigid, his hands shaking and he was approaching hyperventilation, .  His
face was drained of color, and I feared he might collapse.  I hugged him
even more tightly and told him,

"Baby, try to relax.  Don't worry.  I'm right here and I will be with you
no matter what this is about.  Charles, please bring an additional phone to
the study.  Sean and I will take the call there," I said.

"Sean, dear boy, I'm sure everything is okay," said Mom as she came to him
and hugged him tightly.
 Dad was right behind her and hugged him again.

Rog and Greg, usually outgoing and funny, were suddenly quiet and
concerned.  Rog spoke,

`Sean, just remember that Ryan is with you and that all the rest of us are
here if you should need us.  We all love both of you, and we will not let
anything prevent us from being here for you."

Greg quickly added, "You can count on that, Sean.  Believe me, you can
count on that."

Sean and I followed Charles into the study.  The room brought back memories
of reading and story telling, of sitting with my Dad and hearing his tall
tales.  Mom let us have our time together as long as she could have her
time with me, too.  Her pleasure was a quiet chat with me, hoping to get
all the information she could from me.

I never thought of my mother as nosey or manipulating.  I always saw her as
interested in my life and filled with love for me.  She had proven that a
number of times in my life, but in particular I remembered with humble
thankfulness all that she and dad had done for Sean and me when he was
attacked and almost died.

The dark mahogany-paneled wall, lined with bookcases and hundreds of
volumes, filled me with the same wonder that they had the first time I saw
them.  The large floor globe sat in its honored place next to the
fireplace.  Dad's desk with his high-backed leather executive chair sat
opposite the fireplace wall .  On the desk sat a phone with a couple of
flashing lights.  Charles returned with another phone and then hurried out
closing the door behind him.

I had held Sean tightly while I'd been thinking about another time.  It
wasn't that I had forgotten him; that could never be.  It was rather that I
had been transported to another time because of the surroundings.  At that
moment I realized what had happened to Sean at the cabin.  That place had
evoked some powerful memories, which he was not able to handle well.  His
connection to his parents had been so encompassing that he was able to
reconnect to them, perhaps driven by his desire to be able to say goodbye
to them, something that he had not been able to do as a child.  I ceased my
reverie and spoke to him,

"Are you okay, Baby?  Are you ready to take the call.  Do you want me on
the phone with you, or would you rather I wait until you tell me you want
me listening?"

"I'm a little scared, Hon. I don't know what to expect.  The only thing
that I can think of terrifies me.  I want you on the phone with me.  We're
partners, Ry; I have no secrets from you and I don't ever plan to have
any."

"Sean, what is it that terrifies you?" I asked.

"I'm worried that it could be something bad about Aunt Emily."

"But, Baby, how would they know how to reach us?  We didn't leave that
information with the home.  That was a mistake.  From now on when we
travel, we need to leave information on how to reach us with the home.  I
feel stupid."

"You're not stupid, Hon.  I should have thought..."

The phone on the desk rang.  We both jumped.  I reached for one phone as he
reached for the other.
 I told him,

"The phone rang because Charles transferred the call to the study.  Go
ahead, Baby, answer it."

Expelling a large, sad-tinged sigh, Sean picked up the receiver and spoke,

"Hello, this is Sean Kelly?"

--------------------

(Sean narrated)

The day had been such a wonderful experience for me.  And then dinner was
extraordinary.  I ate foods I had never heard about much less eaten.  And
Ry and Rog were so diplomatic in assisting me unobstrusively with the
proper utensils to use.  Everyone was so kind to me that I began to wonder
why.  Then it dawned on me; Mom and Dad are treating me just like their
son.  And Rog and Greg are simply being themselves.  They had known and
loved Ry long before I came into the picture, and when I did become Ry's
partner, they welcomed me and tried in all ways to support me.

Sometimes when I think about that awful day of the beating and my stay in
the hospital, I am most struck by the intensity and the breadth of the love
and support of so many wonderful people.  Even though I had a special place
in my heart for those caring souls, it was Mom and Dad, and Rog and Greg
who owned an even more special place in my psyche, my soul, I guess for
what they had done.  Cathy and Janet were in that same place.  But the most
sacred and personal place in my being was reserved for Ryan, my lover, my
partner, my husband.

Now I faced a moment in time, frightening because I did not know what it
might be, when the person I loved most in the world would be there to
support me and to help me through whatever I was to encounter.

In the study, or library, as it seemed to me to be both, we waited for
Charles to bring another phone.  I noticed Ry seemed distant and lost in
thought.  Perhaps it was being home again where memories can overtake you
and cause you to forget the present and transport you to another time.  I
knew this well as I had been so affected by the cabin.

Ry had expressed concern about me and asked if I was okay.  I had let him
know my fear that it might be something bad about Aunt Emily.  And I had
lied to him, telling him that I never had secrets from him, when I had a
secret about the chair at State that I had demanded be kept a secret.  I
felt guilty, but convinced myself that surprising my lover with this
special gift was reason enough to keep it a secret.

--------------------

(Ryan narrates)

When the phone rang, we both jumped and then reached for the phones, and
before Sean answered, I took his hand and held it.

"Hello.  This is Sean Kelly."

"Hello, Mr. Kelly, this is Ellen Grasmere."

"Who?" he asked.

"I'm the architect who is working on your Vermont property."

"Oh, yes, sorry I didn't recognize the name.  My partner, Ryan Taylor, is
on the phone with me."

"Hello, Ms. Grasmere." I said.

"I am really sorry to bother you as I realize that you are on vacation, but
we have a problem and, Dan and Craig are also on vacation.  I did contact
them and they thought it important that I speak directly with you.  I hope
you will forgive me for this interruption, but it is important," she said.

In a voice laced with concern, maybe even fear, "What's the matter,
Ms. Grasmere? Sean asked.

"It's pretty weird, and I'm almost embarrassed to tell you about it.  But
until we can do something about it, we won't be able to go on with our work
at the site.  Our workers are convinced that the cabin is haunted.  They
swear they hear voices whenever they try to do anything.  Do you have an
explanation for this, Mr. Kelly, or Mr. Taylor?" she inquired.

"Oh my God!" exclaimed Sean.

"Ms. Grasmere," I said, "This will be very difficult to explain, and
frankly I'm not sure that explaining it to you will solve your problem.
It's a complicated situation."

"Exactly what are you suggesting, Mr. Taylor?" she asked.

"It's my fault.  It's my fault," said Sean as he diligently worked to keep
his sobs from getting the best of him.

"Sean, it isn't your fault.  Please get control of yourself so that we can
explain to Ellen what we think it is.  It's important, Baby, that she
understands the situation," I told him, almost scolding as I did.

"Mr. Taylor, would it be better if I called back in an hour so that you and
Mr. Kelly have some time to discuss the matter.  It will not be a problem
for me to do that.  I sense that you need some private time to deal with
this phenomena," Ellen offered.

"Yes, I need to speak with Ry privately.  I need him to help me understand
what's happening.  It's very important, Ms. Grasmere," replied Sean.

"Look, Gentlemen, my phone number is 802-463-5555 and my cell is
802-876-5555.  When you're ready to talk with me, please call anytime.
Don't worry about the time of day or night.  This is important to the
future of the house and to you.  By the way,

Dan wanted me to tell you that he planned to call you tomorrow night at
around eight.  I apologize again to both of you for interrupting your
vacation and for causing you distress, which I sense most in Mr. Kelly.  I
will be waiting for your call.  Good bye."

In unison we replied, "Good bye, Ellen."

The circuit was broken and Sean sat in a daze, the phone still in his hand.
I could see that his eyes glistened with tears, but he was doing well to
control his emotion.  I hung up my phone and walked over to him, quietly
removed the phone from his hand and hung up the receiver.

"Are you going to be okay, Baby?" I asked, soon discovering that it took
only that question to send him into my arms where he lost it and sobbed
uncontrollably.

"I'm scared, Hon.  I am so scared.  I thought they were gone.  I thought
they wanted us to live our lives.  Why would they be haunting the cabin?
Is it because we were going to have it demolished?  Could it be that?" he
asked amidst his now receding sobs.

I hugged him to me and kissed his tear-stained face.  My mind was working
hard to come up with an answer that would be sufficient for the moment.  It
was not that I wanted to placate him, but rather that I wanted him to calm
down enough so that we could discuss it coolly and intelligently.
 I told him,

"Look, Baby, I don't have the answer to all your logical and intelligent
questions.  We don't even know for a fact whether the workman actually
heard voices or whether they heard the wind; or even if they are
supersitious and uneducated?  We need to discuss this matter when we both
have regained some composure.  What do you want to tell Mom and Dad and Rog
and Greg?  You know they are going to be wondering what this call was all
about."

"You decide, Hon.  I don't know how to handle this.  I don`t want them to
think that I'm crazy.  They know nothing about the experiences I have had,
and if we tell them, maybe they'll think I flipped my lid," he said in a
soft, sad voice.

"They won't think you're crazy!  They love you, Sean.  They may find it
difficult to understand, but they will accept it as something that
happened; because I was also there and I am a witness to those
experiences."

"I hope so.  I can't imagine why my mother and father would do this to us.
I just can't.  I thought we had proved to them our love and they had
approved of our union and wanted us to be together and to live our lives as
we wanted.  Now it seems as if they have reneged on that agreement," he
replied.

"Sean, don't jump to any conclusions.  We have a great deal to find out.  I
don't believe for a second, that your parents would do this unless there
was a really important reason.  Is there anything about the cabin that you
can think of that might cause this reaction from them?" I asked.

"No.  I don't know any reason for this.  I just don't understand.  Ry, I so
need your help."

"Baby, you don't have to ask for my help.  I am always here to love you, to
protect you, to help you.  You are my partner for life; you are the center
of my soul and being."

"Ry, I think we need to let Mom and Dad know what's going on.  And we care
a lot about Rog and Greg, so we should let them in on it,too.  But, Hon, I
don't know how to do that.  How do I tell them about the strange
experiences I've had.  I just don't know how I can do it.  I'm frightened,
not only about telling them, but trying to understand what's happening at
the cabin."

"Baby, I didn't want to tell you this, but I asked Ellen to do something
that was to be a surprise for you."

"What do you mean?"

"Well, I know how much you love the cabin, so I asked that Ellen to find
someway to keep it, maybe incorporating it into the next home, or moving
it, or whatever, but certainly not to demolish it."

Sean stared at me with a mixture of disbelief, wonder and love.  He
stammered,

"You did that for me?  Why? I was ready to give up the cabin," he told me.

"I did it because I love you and I didn't want anything about our doing
away with the cabin, that we both love, just to make room for something
that would never hold our affection as much as the cabin that you remember
from you childhood.  Frankly, Baby, it also has much to do with our love
and lovemaking.  How could I let them tear it down?  Too much of both of,
us and our love, are in that cabin.  I wanted to keep it as much as you.
So I did what I did, and I am sorry that I kept it from you.  This is the
only secret, except for Christmas presents, that I have ever had from you."

"My wonderful husband I am not upset about your keeping this secret.  I am
overwhelmed by your love.  Thank you from the bottom of my heart for saving
the cabin.  I will never be able to repay you for this," he whispered in my
ear as he hugged me and then kissed me gently on the lips.

"Baby, do you think that my saving the cabin might have anything to do with
the voices?"

"I don't know, but I can't imagine that it would.  Maybe we need to have
some ideas from Mom and Dad, and Rog and Greg.  I think we need to go and
tell them.  Hon, will you do the talking; I don't think I can get through
it."

"Of course I will.  I will do anything you ask of me, Baby.  I love you," I
told him with emotion in my voice.

"And I love you," he said as he kissed me again, and this time I returned
the kiss with passion and love.  Hand in hand we walked back toward the
living room so that we could tell everyone what the call was about.

--------------------

(Greg narrates)

After Ryan and Sean left to take the call in the study, the conversation
waned.  I thought there were two reasons: we were all curious about the
call, but more importantly, we were concerned that it might be bad news for
Sean.  I didn't have any idea what it might be, but I was sorry that it had
come so early in our stay in Florida, and I made a silent prayer that it
wouldn't upset all the plans we had for a pleasant and restful vacation.

"I hope it isn't anything serious or hurtful for Sean.  He deserves to have
a nice vacation," I suggested.

Rog almost reared up off the sofa and chided me,

"Greg, for heaven's sake, it's much more important that we support the two
of them than it is to worry about our vacation.  Life can sometimes
interfere with our plans.  All we can do is adjust to the situation.
That's what we did at State when Sean was attacked.  How many people put
their lives on hold so that they could help Ryan and Sean?"

Ellen Taylor cleared her throat, looked at her husband, sighed and said,

"Life can throw many curves.  What you gain as you live longer is to learn
how to hit the curve balls that are thrown at you.  It takes a little
living to learn that, but it comes to everyone.  We learned that early in
our marriage, after Ryan was born.  We wanted another child, but for
medical reasons, we were told that we couldn't conceive again.  We tried,
but the doctors were right, we were not able to have that child."

Gerry Taylor looked at his wife, his eyes watery with tears and added,

"That's why when we met Sean and saw how much Ryan loved him, it was,
frankly, like having that second child we had wanted so badly.  Sean is
everything a parent would want in a son.  He made our family complete.
That's why we are so troubled by the phone call.  Let's hope that it isn't
anything bad."

I knew that Rog was ready to say something profound or troubling, because
he had that look, which after our years together I understood preceded the
announcement.  I kidded him sometime telling him I awaited the Papal Bull.
He liked that humor, but it didn't stop him from speaking seriously and
from the heart.  Rog looked at me and I smiled acknowledgment of what was
coming.  He spoke softly, almost in a whisper,

"Ellen and Gerry, I can't even begin to understand the sadness and
frustration you had to endure when you couldn't have that second child.  I
do thank God that Sean came along to make Ryan's life happy.  That you love
him as a son is obvious.  I know that life can be difficult.  In my own
life there was a tragedy of monumental proportions.  I have never talked
about this, not even to my wonderful partner here.  I feel compelled to
tell you three about it now.

"I was fourteen and had been playing the piano since I was four.  I had the
best teachers my parents could afford.  We were looking at Juilliard as a
college for me.  I had friends and was happy, fun loving and a jokester.
Anyway, my grandfather and grandmother drove to our home in New Hampshire
from their winter home in Florida for Thanksgiving.  They arrived a week
before the holiday.  I had piano lessons on Tuesday night, so they decided
to take me to my lesson and then go grocery shopping for the holiday.  My
mother was with us, but Dad had work to do around the house, so he stayed
home.

"We laughed and kidded around on the ride to my piano lesson.  I gave them
all hugs and kisses and laughing at my grandfather's joke about turkeys, I
headed into my lesson.  The lesson went well, and my teacher, Mr. Stuart,
was pleased with my improvement and my growing maturity as a pianist.
 My lesson ended and I waited to be picked up by grampa.  I waited for over
an hour and decided to call my dad.  I interrupted another student's lesson
to seek permission to use the telephone.  I called home, but there was no
answer.  I tried repeatedly, but still no answer.  Finally, Mr.  Stuart
finished with the other lesson and came into the sitting room.  He asked
what was going on and I told him I couldn't reach my dad who was at home.
He suggested that he drive me home so that I could see what was going on
there.  I agreed.

"The weather was terrible by that hour.  It was extremely cold and the snow
was falling rapidly.  Visibility was terrible, and the roads were snow
covered, slick and hadn't been cleared.  It took us a long time to get to
the house, and by that time I was a wreck.  Why hadn't Grampa picked me up?
Where was Dad?  Mr. Stuart knew I was getting emotional and worried, so he
tried his best to calm me down.  When we got to the house, it seemed every
light in the house was on, and there were strange cars in the drive.

"I ran from the car to the house and was about to enter the house when a
burly policeman stopped me and asked who I was.  After I told him, I
noticed the change in his demeanor. Suddenly he was like a father, not a
policeman.  He told me to wait with him, that he would take me into the
house at the appropriate time.  I begged him to tell me what was the
matter, but he simply stopped talking.  By this time I was frantic; I knew
something terrible had happened.  Then the door opened and it was Reverend
Clarkson.  He came to me and told me what I hoped I would never hear, not
in ten lifetimes.  My father was so distraught, he told me, that he
couldn't tell me himself.  My mother, grandmother, and grandfather had all
been killed in an automobile accident."

At this point in his story telling, tears began to show in Rog's eyes.  I
was devastated since all I knew was that his mother had died.  There had
been an audible gasp from Ellen Taylor.  She maintained her composure and
expressed her sympathy by walking to Rog and hugging him tightly as she
told him,

"My dear Rog, I am so sorry.  What a difficult time that must have been.
You poor man."

"So sorry, Rog.  What a terrible thing to have happen," Gerry added.

I moved to Rog and took him into my arms, kissing him lightly and telling
him,

"Why didn't you tell me, sweetheart.  All I knew was that your mother died.
God, Rog, I don't know what to say."

"I appreciate your concern, all of you, but I haven't finished.  I broke
down and cried as the reverend gave me what few details he could of the
accident.  I pulled myself away from him and ran like the devil was chasing
me into the field behind the house, running until I reached the tree line
and there falling onto the ground which I pounded with both fists as I
screamed, `No, no, no, no!' and sobbed.  My body was shaking both from the
cold and from my sobbing.  I felt a pair of strong hands pick me up like I
was a baby.  It was my Uncle Clarence, my mother's brother.  He carried me
in his arms to the house.

"Inside, there were other relatives, some I knew well, like Aunt Corine,
Uncle Clarence's wife, and some only slightly, like my Dad's sister,
Evelyn.  No one really spoke to me.  Uncle Clarence ignored them all, and
lumbered up the stairs, taking me to my bedroom.  `You need sleep, Rog.
You're too tired and distraught to deal with this right now,' he saiad
softly and helped me get ready for bed.  When I was tucked in, he sat in a
chair by the bed with all the lights on.  `I will stay with you, Rog.  Get
some sleep.  I won't leave you alone,' He spole quietly.  I just cried some
more, but finally my exhaustion took over and I fell into a fitful sleep.

"The next few days were a blur for me.  People, hundreds of them it seemed,
appeared at the house with food, plants, flowers, everything.  My dad was
the shell of the man he had been before the accident.  I knew he was
drinking heavily, and he only spoke to me occasionally.  He didn't say one
word to me about the accident.  All he said to me was the same thing time
after time after time.  `What am I going to do without your mother?'  Uncle
Clarence and Aunt Corine supported me.

"I doubted I could make it through the funerals, but I did.  It was awful,
and I guess I was in some state of suspended emotional state, as I couldn't
even cry.  I know the doctor had given me some medication to keep me calm.
I felt like a zombie.  I had no feelings for anything.  Aunt Corine kept
hugging me and telling me she would be there for me and so would Uncle
Clarence; but I didn't care.

"After the funeral, I went back to the house, where relatives and friends
had gathered.  It was torture.  I made it through the m adness, and
finally, as Aunt Carine and Uncle Clarence left for the night. There was
just me and dad and the big empty house.  That's when I decided I didn't
want to live anymore.

"I went to my dad's bedroom and said good night.  Then I went into the
bathroom and filled the tub with warm water.  I stripped and got into the
tub.  I took the razor and slit my wrists.  The blood flowed out and the
water began to take on a pinkish color.  I relaxed and imagined my journey
to God and to my mother, my grandmother and my grandfather."

I was crying by then, my tears making it difficult to see my lover.  Me,
this big hulking guy, crying like a baby.  I was not alone as Ellen and
Gerry were also moved to tears.  I didn't know what to do, so I just took
Rog into my arms and held him.  We wept together about things past.  Rog
moved out of my arms and whispered into my ear,

"I have to finish, Greg.  I have to finish."

"Okay," I choked out.  Rog continued,

"My father saved me.  He had gone to my room to be sure that I was okay for
the night.  When he couldn't find me, he called out to me, but I didn't
answer, as I didn't hear him.  He saw the light under the door to the
bathroom and opened the door and found me bleeding out my sorrow in a tub
of tepid water.  All I remember is waking up in a hospital bed with my
wrists bandaged and restraining straps keeping me in the bed.  My dad sat
by the bed, his eyes red and swollen from weeping.  When he saw me open my
eyes, he placed his head on my chest and wept.  He kept saying, `Thank God.
Thank God, I didn't lose you, too.'

"After some rehabilitation and counseling, I returned to my life.  My piano
saved me from insanity because I escaped into it, More and more it became
the anchor in my life.  My Dad loved me dearly, until he died as an old
man.  He found a way with the insurance money, the house in Florida, and
other things, to send me to Juilliard.  I thought of being a concert
pianist, but then I realized that God had saved me for something else; I
was to teach.  I was to help other broken hearts mend.  I was to show
students the way to self-realization, to self-love, to understanding life a
little better through music.  That has been the aim of my life, the love of
my professional life.  And one of the successes of my life has been Sean.
He has made it all worthwhile."

The room was silent, and I was dumbfounded to discover this about my lover.
Such pain he had known.  Such loss he had endured.  Such caring and love he
showed to his students.  I loved him so much anyway, but at this moment, I
thought I would collapse, my love for him was so intense.

"Why didn't you tell me, Rog.  I love you," I told him..

He smiled directly at me as if I were the only person in the room," Greg,
you, are my lover, and I didn't tell you because I was ashamed."

"Rog, why would you be ashamed to tell me.  I'm your partner for life." I
said.

Rog stared at the floor for a minute, took my hand and told me,

"Greg, I assure you that I have no other secrets about my life.  I
apologize for not telling you this before now, but I wasn't sure that I
would be able to get through it.  Thank you for understanding and
especially for loving me."  And he hugged me and we kissed deeply and
tenderly as only two lovers can.

Gerry and Ellen, who had fallen silent, but responded by joining our hug,
telling Rog how much they loved him and how sorry they were that he had to
suffer such sorrow.  Our group hug was interrupted when Ry and Sean came
into the livingroom.

--------------------

(Ryan narrates)

When we entered the room, we were surprised to see the four of them sharing
a hug.  Their tear-stained eyes bore witness to the fact that something
important and moving had happened while we were away.  I wanted to ask
about it, but I quickly decided not to at that moment.  I leaned in and
whispered a caution to Sean that he not ask any questions.  We would wait
for them to tell us what had happened.

Mom moved away from the group and to us.  She could tell that Sean was
still upset.  She hugged him and said,

"I hope everything is okay, Sean."

I started to answer, hoping to save him from having to talk about what was
going on.  I knew his emotional state was so fragile that he would quickly
lose control.  I said to Mom,

"There's a problem at the cabin in Vermont.  Work has stopped and we have
to do something to correct the situation, or the construction of our new
house will be delayed."

Dad had walked over to us and had heard what I had told Mom.  He gave me a
supportive look and asked,

"What seems to be the problem, Ryan?"

"It's pretty complicated, Dad.  It will take some time to explain it all to
you.  Sean and I want to do that, but maybe right now isn't the best time,"
I told him.

Greg and Rog were now standing in our group.  They looked concerned,
especially as they could see how upset Sean was.  I was about to say
something about discussing it in the morning when Sean blurted out,

"It's my fault.  I'm the cause of the problem.  I hear my parents.  They
come to me to tell me things.  It started quite a while ago.  I'm not
losing my mind; I'm not!  You have to believe me!"


Greg asked, with a strong feeling of disbelief in his voice,

"For God's sake, Sean, do you see ghosts."

With tears running down his pale, frightened face, the most special person
in my life cried out,

"No, I don't see ghosts!  I talk to them."

(To be continued)

If you wish to comment on the story, you may email me at
niki200sc@yahoo.com.