The Phantom of the White Rose

White snow gently fell from the sky outside the ballroom. The cold chills of the night gave me the ability to see my own breath as I stood on the terrace. Dressed in a white masquerade mask and black suit watching the almost full moon stare down at me. Waiting on the arrival of my guests, just enjoying the night till I was interupted by the butler. " Sir, can I get you something?"

"No, I am fine." I lied, in all honesty. I'll never be fine ever again. Waiting for death to take me and free me from this agony. My Love is dead. gone... So, I am too. Only having this party because its something the two of us used to do.

The bitter cold didn't bother me anymore, I grown use to it. The tears all dried up, and only a little while before the party began. Time to wear my actual mask, a fake smile.

As I came in from the cold, one of my many attendants opened the door, as my guests rushed in. Mostly all my wife's old friends. I wonder if they came out of pity. Wearing my smile, watching them flood my ballroom.I notice one guest in particular. The music began to play while I focused on her.

A woman, who stood out among the rest. Dressed in a red fluffy but very elegant attire. I found myself enraptured by her, unable to focus on anything else as my own heartbeat pounded over the sound of the music. I would of stared at her the entire time if someone hadn't tapped my shoulder. Breaking the concentration, interrupted by one of my young guest.

"Hello. uncle."

Greeting my nephew with a smile but before I could say anything his parents called him back.

"Later, Nico!" I said to him.

"Bye, uncle." He said while running off.

I look back over the edge, and the woman in red was gone. I walked along side the rail following it down the stairs as my heart bear slowed to a normal pace. Descending down the stairs wondering why made me feel like that, not since the loss of my wife. Her face, can't even picture it in my mind. Why?

At the bottom of the stairs, I saw from across the room. Something made me walk towards her, almost like I was magnetized. Taking a white rose from the table's adornments, as I came closer and closer. Making my way through the crowds of the people with their masks. I may be crazy but I think this is Love, I never even been in five feet of her or seen whats behind the mask but its certainly love.

When I finally came only three feet away, a real smile came across my face when I said hello. She turned around to greet me, I presumed but instead just keep walking. She keep walking till she would of collided with me but instead of knocking me over she literally walked through me. The rose slipped from my fingers and when I turned back, she looked back at me removing her mask.

"my wife" I said

A flash of memories came back to me, it sudden realization.

I was the one who was sick, I was the one who lied in bed for countless hours while she suffered with me. Checking my hands, they seemed almost transparent. " I don't understand!" shouting.

Waking up in my bed with a towel on my head and thermometer in my mouth. My love was alive and taking care of me. The nightmare was over and I was overwhelmed with happiness knowing she was by my bedside.

" I had the worst dream"

" Its okay, my sick baby. Its over."

" I know, hugs? I know I am sick but...?"

She leaned in and I wrapped my arms around her. Unaware of the knife she hid behind her back the entire time. and in one fatal stab all my suffering was finally over. Blood dripping down from the knife as I began to lose consciousness "why?" I manage to say but I never hear the response. Laying in my bed covered in blood, dead.

My hand burst forth out of my shallow grave, However I wasn't alive. Only my spirit was released from the grave, I relearned to walk on this new spiritual plain. A memory came back to me. A truly painfully memory, my love's betrayal which filled me with great grief. Tears flowed from my eyes, dropping onto the snowy fields.

Snow fell softly on my head, oddly felt warm compared to cold black void in my heart. Stumbling through the tightly packed snow trying not to fall. Blinded by the tears as I unknowingly stepped you through the back of the mansion. Being a ghost, fazing through walls was to be expected. Looking up from my sadness to realize I was in the ballroom.

It was brightly lit up and the music was playing but only I was there. Everything around me was so elegant like for a party but it lacked guests. However, when the door suddenly opened a barge of people came walking in, they went right through me. Totally invisible to the world, unimportant or so irrelevant is how it felt. The crushing sadness began to take its toll a familiar voice came over the speaker.

My wife dressed in red. The tears stopped and a smile came across my face to see her again. Despite it all I still love her, what a foolish man to some I may seem. Running towards her while she stood on the balcony which looked over Ballroom below. Soon only ten feet behind, I came running again with open arms while my wife, May spoke.

I ran through her, then the railing, fazing just like a ghost through walls. Trying to grip the railing but couldn't even touch it. I fell from indoor balcony to the first floor. Time slowed as my mind wondered off to my childhood...

A young boy was squeezes the railing looking down upon ballroom. One of many parties his family had. he never liked them so he always escaped to the yard to play. Where usually he sat alone on the swing set , watching the stars but tonight he wasn't alone. A girl had beat him to the one and only swing.

They talked and laughed while the boy sat on the ground. Together they watched the stars and when the girl reached for them, the boy got up giving her a push on the swings. Higher and higher she went till the point where it felt like those stars were in her palm. Those were days before the sickness, before their marriage, even before they were in love.

Opening my eyes to the grim reality that those days are long over and I am dead. Just about to smash into the ground tears rush down my face. "Why?" I ask before admitting my defeat. I been crushed by fate.