WinterSpider Week Day Four
A romantic ghost story, with a non-graphic mention of suicide.
Peter moves into his first home. Before long, he starts dreaming of a man he’s never met, or even seen. It doesn’t seem strange to him until the dreams become more vivid and more intense until he thinks he can feel the strange man around him, occupying physical space.
Once he comes across a box of old photos stashed in the walls, he knows it’s no coincidence. Someone or something is reaching out to him.
“Sargeant James Barnes of the 107, 1944,” Peter reads aloud. “Who are you?”
Peter is breathless, but not fearful when the light flickers. James himself appears, his form waivering before disappearing completely. He swears the man whispered, “Peter”, but it had been so faint that even in the quiet of the old house, Peter couldn’t be sure.
From then on, Peter pays attention to his dreams more closely in an attempt to understand the phantom James and his desperation. He finds himself calling out James in the night after the man shows him scenes of his life. A violent dream ends in Peter’s conscience screaming Bucky at him until he says it with his mouth.
As if it were a magic spell, the word Bucky unleashes a new wave of imagery in Peter’s mind, and James appears to him even more vividly than before. This time, James says, “Peter, stay here with me.”
Peter doesn’t feel any threat to the words, only loneliness and sorrow.
“I’m alone, too, Bucky.” Of course he’ll stay.
James’ body flickers and disappears for a moment before reappearing more clearly, as if someone adjusted the dial on an old TV.
Peter can sense the man’s presence while he falls asleep and wonders how many times Bucky has been sleeping next to him without him realizing it. He wishes he could feel him.
Over the years, Peter becomes more withdrawn from the outside world, electing to stay hidden inside with Bucky, the man lost in time. The longer Peter stays away from the public, the easier it is to see Bucky. The spectre becomes more real to Peter than anything or anyone else. Peter craves to be on the same plane as his love, to stay with James Barnes for the rest of eternity.
Peter is willing to end his physical life to be with Bucky spiritually, but the man does not want any harm to come to Peter no matter how badly they long for one another. Because Bucky died as a young man, Peter knows he cannot wait until he is withered and grey to meet Bucky on the Other Side. He has to do it now, despite Bucky’s apprehension.
“Darling Peter,” Bucky sighs. “I was willing to wait for you.”
“I know,” Peter says. “I didn’t want to be an old man by the time I was finally able to touch you. To truly feel you.”
“I understand, love. Did it hurt?”
Peter looked at his new body and then to Bucky’s. It wasn’t transparent now that he was perceiving it from the same side of the veil.
“It was worth the cost,” Peter explained. He reached out and took Bucky’s hand. In death, he had finally come alive. Peter could feel Bucky’s skin against his own.
“At last,” Bucky hummed. “You’re here.”
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