Phantom 2025

Roger Montgomery is in line at the 7/11 getting some iced coffee for his friend Ramona. “Okay what are you doing here at 6:30 p.m. Roger,” the cashier asked. “I normally don’t see you til 6:30 a.m.” “Well I was getting Ramona’s coffee for her being that it’s probably gonna snow in the morning” Roger replied. “Then what does she need the iced coffee for” the cashier began. “If it’s gonna snow then y’all aren’t going anywhere, so why would she need the energy?”

“You know coffee is like crack to the girl, Fisher” Roger started. “If she doesn’t have at least one dose even on the off day she still ain’t gonna be the nicest person to be around”. “Sounds like somebody is simping to me” Fisher joked. “Well ain’t you an episode of comic view?” Roger replied sarcastically. “Just ring up my coffee so I can haul it back to the red queen”. Roger paid for his coffee and made his way out the door.

As Roger grabbed the door handle of his car and prepared himself to get in he suddenly heard a whisper in the wind. “Roger!” A voice called softly. Roger stopped and lifted his head to look around and saw no one. As he attempted to get in his car once more he heard the voice again. “Roger!” The soft voice whispered once more. Roger lifted his head to look around again. This time he was irate with curiousity. He looked to his left and right and saw nothing, but then looked across the street at the door of the Dollar Tree and saw a man standing in front of the door.

When his eyes met the man’s face he heard the soft voice say “Roger I’ve been expecting you.” This voice left Roger puzzled. He knew the voice belonged to the ominous man standing across the street, but he also noticed the man’s lips were not moving in the distance. “Follow me” the man’s voice said as he turned around. As Roger studied the man walking into the dollar tree the man did not open the door and walk in the establishment. He simply floated through the building as an immaterial spirit.

Roger dropped his jaw in disbelief. “No…that…that can’t be real” he gasped to himself. He quickly ran across the street briefly stopping in the road as he nearly was hit by a car. “WHAT THE HECK ARE YOU DOING?” The man in the red Kia screamed as he stopped short of running into the hasty Roger. “Sorry” Roger called out as he waved the man off.

Roger then entered the dollar tree and looked around for the mysterious figure but did not see him. He surveyed what was in front of his eyes but only saw a small number of customers. In a quick train of thought he made his way to the back of the store and gave a quick look around. “Over here” the man called out in a low tone just to the right of Roger. Sporting a dark grey wooded robe, the man stared back at puzzled Roger. “This way” the man ordered. Before Roger could make a remark the man floated his way through the wall of the building and into the neighboring store.

Roger immediately chased after him but crashed into the wall and fell to the floor. “What the heck are you doing, Rog?” The elderly female store associate next to him called out. “Sorry Estelle, I’m kinda havin’ a weird night” Roger replied as he rose to his feet. Roger then made his way out of the dollar tree and went into the Food Lion to which the store was connected. “You’re gettin’ warmer hot pants” a voice joked from the back of the store. Roger looked to the back of the store and saw the mysterious man smiling as he faded into the wall and out of the back of the store.

Roger went outside to the back of the store but was met by two individuals. “Well if it ain’t Roger the mouth” the man in a black shirt called out. “Yeah the dude who snitched on us for slippin’ weed in a bag of lettuce” the man in a black hoody added. “Well you shouldn’t have been tryna slip it to your customers” Roger began sarcastically. “You know the world is bigger than that long green stuff, boys.”

The man in the t-shirt threw a punch at Roger which he ducked. Roger then came back up and successfully landed a punch to the man’s face. As Roger attempted another punch he was suddenly knocked to the ground by a small trash can being wielded by the man in the hoody. The two men then came together and started collectively kicking Roger while he was down. As the assault continued the two men suddenly stopped as they felt themselves being lifted off the ground by a force beyond themselves.

Roger looked up at the two levitated men who had fear on their faces. “What’s happening?” The man in the short cried out. “I don’t know” the man in the hoody responded fearfully. The two men were then tossed together colliding with one another’s chests. The unseen force controlling the two then pulled them in opposite directions with one man hitting the store’s building and the other one hitting the dumpster across from the building.

After falling to the ground the men then rose to their feet and ran away in terror. “Looked like you needed a lift” a soft voice said from above a kneeling Roger. It was the mysterious man. “Take my hand, I won’t bite ya kid” the man said while extending his hand to Roger who slowly grabbed the man’s hand as he rose to his feet.

“Who…who are you?” Roger asked carefully. “I Roger am Nicholas and just in case you’re wondering, yes I am a ghost. Well, more of a phantom really” Nicholas responded. “Wow…this is…crazy” Roger exhaled. “What do you want with me?” Roger asked. “I just came to leave you with a note” Nicholas replied.

From out of the pocket of his robe, Nicholas pulled out an envelope and handed it to Roger. “Let’s just say it’s a message that was meant for you to live by during this new year of 2025. Roger opened the envelope and pulled out the note it contained. He looked down to read the note and it simply said “Love Without A Limit”.

“Love Without A Limit?” Roger asked while looking down at the note. “What is that supposed to mean?” When Roger looked up Nicholas was nowhere to be seen. As Roger looked around confused he heard a whisper in the wind. “You’ll know what it means when the time is right” the voice of Nicholas called. Roger quickly stuffed the note in his pocket and ran back to his car.

To be continued…