ThePromise

Prologue…

Six months ago the lives of many residents of Roswell, New Mexico were changed forever. On a night in early May Michael Guerin, driving Maria Deluca’s Jetta was involved in a car accident where he was pronounced dead at the scene. Former Sheriff Jim Valenti came upon the accident scene on his way home and felt it was his obligation to inform Michael’s friends of his death. Michael Guerin had no blood relatives but was blessed with a group of friends who were his family in every way except for blood. Max and Isabel Evans, Tess Harding, Liz Parker, Alex Whitman, Kyle and Jim Valenti and Maria Deluca held a private ceremony to honor their fallen friend.

Part 1(Kyle’s POV)

I don’t know why I come here. I hate this place. I always have but every week my car heads in this direction and I end up back here staring at this cold piece of granite. It isn’t real but for some reason I feel the need to come here.

Michael Guerin

Died May 2001

He will always be remembered.

Beloved brother and friend

Mr. Evans had insisted on buying it even though Michael had been cremated and his ashes had been spread out in the Desert. Well actually by the Podchamber but only eight people know that. Every time I come here there are fresh flowers by the gravestone. I sit and stare at the stone for about an hour, sometimes talking to it other times I am quiet and then I go home. Every week on Friday afternoon I follow the same routine.

I don’t know exactly why his death has affected me so but it has. It just feels wrong. He was an alien for Christ’s sake he wasn’t supposed to be able to die and especially not in some stupid car accident. Max tried to save Michael but it was impossible. With all Max’s power he was unable to heal the dead. Max and Isabel investigated his death with my father’s help but they were unable to find evidence that it was anything but an accident. Michael’s death hit all of us really hard but no one harder than Maria. For awhile Liz and Alex were afraid to leave her side, afraid of what she might do to herself. I don’t think any of us knew just how much she loved Michael until he was gone. I mean they were the couple that didn’t really make since. Liz and Max as much as I hate to admit were obviously meant to be together but Michael and Maria weren’t so obvious. She was quirky and free spirited whereas Michael was brooding and temperamental. I never really understood why they were together but together they had been.

It was now six months later and things still were off. Max and Isabel were clearly grief stricken. They had lost someone who they had considered a brother for as long as they could remember. The Evans put both of them back in therapy and with the help of Liz and Alex they were starting to come around a little. After Michael’s death Max and Liz got back together sinking all of Tess’s hopes that she was finally going to be with Max. I guess she realized that she never could compete with Liz and she decided to leave Roswell. No one really tried to stop her except for my dad and I. She told us that she couldn’t stay here knowing that what she had dreamed about her entire life was never going to happen. Maybe someday she would come back but for now she had to go. I miss her. For the first time in along time my house had felt like a real home with a real family.

Speaking of family it looks like mine is about to change once again. Dad and Amy Deluca have been seeing each other pretty seriously since Dad lost his job. Dad was really there for Maria after Michael’s death and it has won over Amy Deluca’s heart completely. The last I heard they were talking about moving in together. Amy feels that Maria needs a father figure around, especially now, and my dad is more than willing to fill the job. Having Tess around the house I think has made Dad realize that he really likes being someone’s Dad even if she isn’t his by blood. At first the idea really freaked me out but now I think it would be nice. We spend a lot of time at the Deluca’s. My dad and Amy stay in the kitchen for hours, doing lord knows what while Maria and I sit in the living room watching TV or a movie. Maria doesn’t talk much these days and she never laughs or smiles even when we are watching hilarious movies. I try my best to make her laugh or even to smile but my efforts are done in vain. Maria simply is a ghost of the person she used to be.

When I come to Michael’s grave sometimes I talk to him and tell him what has been going on since he has been gone. For the most part I have avoided the topic of Maria. I don’t know why but I have. I just felt like I needed to. But today I have an overwhelming urge to tell him about her.

“Well Max and Isabel are doing better. Max no longer looks like the walking dead. The shadows underneath his eyes are starting to fade and I actually saw him laugh at something Alex said the other day. Alex is taking good care of Isabel so don’t worry about her. They have become official by the way and Max and Liz are also back together. I guess we all knew that was inevitable. Well I guess I have avoided her long enough it is time to tell you about Maria. She isn’t doing so hot my alien friend. After you died Alex and Liz didn’t leave her side for almost a week. They were afraid of what she was going to do. They caught her with a knife to her wrist the day after your funeral. It was really pretty crazy for awhile. I sat with her also to give them a break or to let them go check up on Max and Isabel. She really scared me at times man. The look in her eyes is something I will never forget. It gets me the chills to even think about it now. I wish I could say that she is better now but I can’t. I don’t think she is a danger to herself any longer but she isn’t living either. She acts as if she is as dead as you. She just goes through the motions for her mom and for Liz and Alex but she isn’t really there. Her eyes are dead Michael. There is nothing there.”

“I told you that Dad and Amy have been seeing each other right well now they are talking about moving into together. Amy thinks Dad is a good influence on Maria. He is trying I have to give him that but I don’t know if anyone will ever be able to truly reach her again. I have been spending a lot of time with her and I have been trying my damnedest to get her to laugh or even to smile just a bit but it hasn’t happened yet. A couple of times I swear I saw a little flicker in her eyes but it is gone so quickly that I don’t know if it was just wishful thinking or not. I don’t know what to do Michael. I don’t know what any of us can do but if we don’t do something soon I just don’t know what is going to happen to her.”

Why don’t you tell her that you love her?

I turn around to see who is talking but no one is there. Huh? What was that? I must be going crazy because I swear I heard someone say something.

“Man I need to stop coming here because I swear I just heard someone talking to me.”

That is because you did Valenti.

I turn around again and this time I see Michael standing right behind me. I step away from him quickly and run into his head stone.

“What the hell? Who are you?”

“You obviously know who I am Kyle because you been coming here every week for six months.”

“What? What is going on?”

“Ok I guess I have to spell this out to you. I am Michael Guerin and I am dead. You are standing next to my tombstone, which by the way is pretty nice wish I could thank Mr. Evans personally for it.”

“You can’t be Michael. He is dead.”

“Yes I am dead wasn’t that was already established. I am a ghost.”

“There is no such thing as ghosts.”

“Yeah and aliens don’t exist either.”

“This is crazy.” I tell him as I run my hands through my hair. It can’t be Michael this has to be some kind of evil alien. Ghosts don’t exist.

“Ok if you are Michael Guerin then prove it.”

“We all went to Vegas in the spring. I was Dr. Love your host for the trip.”

“Yeah well anyone could have found that out.”

“Ok back in the fall of 1999 you found Max, Isabel, Liz, Maria and myself at this cheesy motel on rte 285S and I knocked you on your ass.”

“Oh shit it is you.” My legs suddenly don’t feel very stable and I sit down on the ground next to the tombstone. HIS damn tombstone. I look up at him and can see that he is amused by my reaction.

“I’m glad you think this is so damn funny Michael because I sure don’t.”

“Sorry Kyle but the look on your face was just priceless.”

“So what do you want? Why are you here? Will the others be able to see you? Can Maria see you?”

“Calm down Valenti. Jeez give a man a minute before you bombard him with questions.”

“Sorry.”

“Ok now lets start at the beginning. I am here because of Maria. I heard what you said about her and I need you to help me take care of her. You will be the only one to see me so no Maria won’t be able to nor should you tell her that can. Does that answer all your questions?”

“Why me?”

“I think that you can help her for no other reason then that you are in love with her.”

“What? I am not. Your crazy. What am I saying I am crazy because here I am in a cemetery talking to a ghost.” I stand up and start pacing. Was he right was I in love with Maria. I cared about her a lot. But she is my friend and almost my sister. Just because I care about her doesn’t mean I am in love with her.

“You may not realize it yet but you are in love with her. I could hear it in your voice when you talked about her. You know her Kyle, the real Maria and you can see that she isn’t alright even if the others think she is.”

“How do you know what the others think?”

“Do you think you’re the only one who comes to visit me? Well your aren’t. Who do you think puts the flowers on my grave every week? Liz. She says she does it for Maria and Max but I think she is lying. I think she actually misses me. It is pretty cool.”

“Only you would think so. So Liz thinks Maria is doing ok. Man hasn’t she looked in her eyes. Can’t she see that there is nothing there?”

“No she can’t because she doesn’t love her like you do. Listen Kyle Maria is good at putting on an act for people. She can make a person see whatever she wants. I always was able to see through her act and that was because I was in love with her. I was able to look into her eyes and really see her. Just like you are able to because you are in love with her.”

I think about what Michael is saying and know that he is right. I do see Maria Deluca and I am in love with her.

“So what can I do?”

“You are going to get her to fall in love with you.”

TBC