Ionúin

They had just finished the last song in their set, and the band was walking off the stage. All except for the bass player, Killian. Even though no one was there, he would play until security kicked him out. But he was never alone, though he thought he was. There was a watcher, always hiding in the deepest shadows, just sitting there listening as he played. The watcher was Cassie, a nineteen-year-old girl who had died during a Roman invasion on the very spot the club was built upon. She had been the only child of her clan's wise woman, and had been carefully gathering herbs in the garden when the soldiers came. They didn't even bother to rape her before killing her. The death stroke came when one soldier's gladius severed her spinal cord, sending her body jerking backwards onto the blade of another soldier. This time, the blade pierced her heart, mercifully ending her torment. But now the scene of Cassie's death had become one of Ireland's oldest, and most popular clubs, and the only plants that grew, were a couple scraggly marijuana plants the janitors kept hidden in the closet. 1

The rest of her clan was dead and gone, but Cassie's spirit still stayed, unwilling to leave her home. As the years went by, Cassie became fascinated by the music, listening to the bands playing for hours on end. But one particular musician had caught her eye. He played bass guitar for an American group called "Silken Death," a rock band that included traditional Celtic music, keyboards, and haunting vocals by their female lead singer. Carrie felt drawn to this man for some reason, but she couldn't understand why. Maybe it was the aura of great sadness that constantly surrounded him, or the fierce joy he took playing his music. Whatever it was, Carrie watched him whenever his band played at what she had come to think of as her club.2

One night, after all the crowds had gone and the band was relaxing on the stage, talking about the new song they were writing, a violent thunderstorm blew up all of a sudden. The weather was too bad to go out driving, so the band was stuck there for the night. Inwardly, Cassie rejoiced. She would be able to watch her musician longer! One by one, the band members left the stage, until only the bass player was left. "G'night Killian!" Called Eric, the lead guitarist. "Don't go and get yourself struck by lightning, y'hear?" Killian laughed, a slow gentle-sounding laugh. "I won't. Don't let the demons get your soul!" "Too late!" Responded Eric jokingly. Then only Killian was left on the stage, with only his bass, an acoustic steel-string guitar, and Cassie to keep him company. :Killian,: Cassie thought to herself. :His name is Killian.: Just as she was thinking this to herself, Killian's head snapped up as if he had heard something. Looking around and seeing nothing, he shrugged and stretched out on the stage, closing his eyes. 3

Cassie had never dared approached him before, but her sudden good fortune gave her additional confidence. She slowly walked over to him, taking in every detail as she went. His longish brown hair, the loose black jeans he wore, the black t-short and leather trench coat that lay beside him. The absence of any color save black and the silver Celtic knot pendant he wore, made him look almost as pale as Cassie. Seeing this was too much to resist, he looked as if he too were a spirit, and not flesh and blood. Kneeling down beside him, Cassie traced the numerous scars that ran up and down his arms with her finger. Years as the daughter of her village's only healer had given Cassie an expert eye for wounds and injuries. These scars looked as if they had been made with a knife, and their angle suggested they were self-inflicted. This produced a gasp from Cassie, as she dismayed over the marring of his skin. Placing her fingers on Killian's arm, Cassie found she could touch him if she wanted to, prompting her to run her hands and fingers all over his clothes and body, marveling at the textures she hadn't felt in centuries, savoring every moment. 4

Cassie saw that a lock of Killian's hair had fallen into his face, hiding his eyes from sight. Gently she brushed the stray lock aside, and after a moment's uncertainty, placed a faint, ghostly kiss on his forehead. As Cassie drew back, Killian's eyes, which had not stirred even once beforehand, fluttered open, immediately locking on to Cassie. Cassie was terrified. She had been seen! Worse, he had caught her kissing him! She started to flee, but he caught her wrist and held her there. "Wait!" He pleaded. "Don't go. Please," he said more softly. Cassie stopped struggling and slowly lifted her head to meet his gaze. In Killian's eyes, Cassie saw what he saw: a scared, frightened young girl, pale as the keys on a piano, wearing a white dress embroidered with elaborate Celtic knotwork around the edges, a silver torc around her neck. Through his dark brown eyes, she saw her own dark green ones. 5

Cassie flinched as he reached toward her head, but he slowly parted the veil of her long black hair and looked into her eyes. "Who are you?" He whispered. "You're very beautiful." Cassie, unable to say anything, tried to hide behind the curtain of her hair, but to no avail. "Won't you speak to me?" He asked. "Why did you kiss me?" Quietly, almost inaudibly, Cassie whispered, "Because I love you."6

She began to cry, silent tears that disappeared as they hit the stage floor.7

Killian said nothing, he didn't have to. He gathered Cassie in his arms and silently held her and stroked her hair until her sobs subsided. When her tears had stopped, Killian tilted Cassie's head upwards towards his own face and kissed her gently but passionately, putting all his feelings and emotions into this one testament of his love for a ghostly woman he barely knew. 8

As Killian kissed her, Cassie could see the black taint of pain and sadness on his spirit, and wished there was some way she could heal him of this blight. : You can,: whispered a voice inside er head. : You know how, all you have to do is try.: When they finally broke the kiss, Cassie looked into Killian's eyes, and smiled a slow, sad smile. "What is it?" Killian asked softly. Cassie's only response was to wrap her arms around him and kiss him. Killian stared in shock as Cassie began to slowly fade away, becoming less and less substantial. Finally, all that was left was the the ghostly touch of her lips upon his. But even that disappeared, and Killian was left alone on the stage once more. When the last of Cassie was gone, Killian felt a great rending of his spirit. He buried his head in his hands and his shoulders shook as his body was wracked with silent sobs. But then he heard a gentle voice whisper in his mind. "Hush ionúin, I'll always be here with you, always"9