A New Realm

/ roughwighting

fantasy, ghost storyRuby took a breath, and with a shaking hand, signed her name to the list.

“Are you sure you want to do this?” Ruby’s twin sister whispered in her ear. The trails of uncertainty in Trudy’s breath caused Ruby’s heart to thump thump thump.

Finishing the n in her last name “Rubicon” with flair, Ruby dropped the ancient fountain pen onto the solid oak table, which had been passed from generation to generation. She nodded a weak Yes.

“I’m as sure as Grandma’s ghost is watching us right now, pushing me toward the trip,” Ruby said. Both sisters stared at the filmy foggy presence hovering near Ruby. ghost, fantasy, blog story

“But why did she choose you?” Trudy whined. Of course, both sisters knew the answer. Grandma Bishop preferred the first born, but even more, she preferred the sister with more “spine and soul,” as Grandma used to say.   

Ruby straightened her spine and lifted her soul up toward Grandma’s form, chanting:

“This is for you, this is for us, I know what I do, will generate dust. But in my new form I’ll start anew, in a life that will be perfectly beauteous.”

Trudy gasped. “Here they come!”

A half dozen blue-hooded beings appeared in the large cavern, floating toward the oak desk, and the list. The tallest intoned:

“Those who chose this path, cannot return aftermath.”

fantasy, ghost story, magical realism, PixabyA finger pointed toward the cave opening, and Ruby walked toward the light.

“I’ll always love you, no matter what happens,” Trudy cried.

But with a poof, Ruby would never remember her sister, or this experience of entering a new realm, and a new life.

127 thoughts on “A New Realm”

  2. I knew Ruby was in trouble when I saw her last name, Rubicon. What a flair with words you have, Pam: with a pouf, Ruby … entering a new realm, and a new life.

    And that ancient fountain pen! Well, it makes my quill pen look rather dinky. Another great story to add to your collection of mystery and intrigue. Brava, Pam!

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    • Weirdly, I could see the entire scene as I wrote this, Marian. I didn’t feel like Ruby was in trouble, though, or that things would turn out badly for her. Just ….. different. I mean, we all came from someplace “other,” right? ❤

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    • Until I read your comment I hadn’t realized that I’d written perhaps a YA speculative fiction piece. And thanks ton you I’ve already begun to imagine the life that Ruby is now living. Hmmmmm.

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    • This is the beginning of Ruby’s story, Jill, No excerpt, she just bounced into my head and told me to write about her beginnings – or at least the beginning that she’s just now starting to remember. ;-0 I do enjoy speculative fiction.

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  8. Hi Pam, “…filmy foggy presence hovering near Ruby” and I begin my day with goosebumps. Wow, no words, Pam……..yet, appropriate……since someone close to us is entering a new realm, and I truly hope a new life.🙏

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  14. This is great, Pam. So open ended! I was thinking of a birth… entering a new life, the old one (and life in between) forgotten. Those in blue are the nurses/doctor. Lol. I think you totally get sci-fi and fantasy and how it’s just real life from a new perspective. 😀

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    • I’m glad you notice the tags, Balroop. I do list this as a fantasy, but I think there’s more reality in here than we realize. Since you’re craving more, I’ll continue tomorrow. Warning: it’s different than you might expect!

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  27. Very interesting for a Friday afternoon Pam. Poof and she’s gone…my hope is she will be back but with you, we never know…another mystery. Happy Weekend…don’t let it poof by.

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  32. I was sitting in a room with my son-in-law’s mother who was in her final three days of life. A ‘being’ came to her two times previously, my son-in-law’s cousin told me. Apparently, she didn’t want to follow this ‘being’ because she wanted to stay to celebrate her son’s (my s-i-l) 30th birthday. After the birthday party this Saturday, she told the young people – my daughter, her husband, and his cousin – to go out to have fun. I was alone with her in the room. She said someone was sitting next to me. Later on, she said she’d be going ‘home’ on (the following) Monday.

    I came home on Sunday. On Monday evening, my daughter said her husband’s mom passed away! I guess the angel came the fourth day to receive her!

    I love your piece, Pam! Well done!

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    • It’s fun to write a story like Ruby’s because I like my readers to be able to use their own imaginations. I think we learn so much about ourselves when we create the next part of a story. In my mind when I came to the end I visualized Ruby having a new birth….

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  38. Wow! Wonderfully eerie, Pam! Now you can’t leave us here … the story is just starting! How is Trudy going to manage without her sister? Will she ever see Ruby again? And of course, we want to know more about the ‘new’ Ruby … a terrific story that has me in goosebumps even in the warmth of home! You have a natural flair for pulling a reader straight into the world inhabited by your characters and making us care for them from the outset! 😀

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    • When I began this story, I didn’t know this “old” realm that Ruby first inhabited, and I found it fascinating. I think the new realm will be more recognizable to us. I’m afraid that my next segment could be a bit too “out there” for my readers. Hmmm, what do you think? I love your comments, Annika. THANK you. xo

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      • Pam, I would go for it … from the comments you can tell people are eager to read on and I know you can carry us with you! I’m even more intrigued now by the thought of it being a bit too ‘out there’!

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    • That’s such a good point Robbie. Interesting that Ruby‘s grandmother had enough sway over her that Ruby knew she should take this path. What a difficult decision!

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