Chapter One

Chance sat out down his red pen, he looked at the clock and it was a quarter past twelve. Chance had been working since five in the morning. He was getting to the point of unbearable exhaustion. 

       Chance was an editor at the local town newspaper. It was a very time exhuming job. He had been working there since ever since he came out of the war. He didn’t really date and, he worked day and night.

       Chance had fought in World War II.

He also took all his work home. He didn’t have any kids and, never ever married. He was pretty much alone. He had few friend’s, he probably would not just start talking to you out of no were. He was a shy man. He enjoyed to just keep to himself.

       It seemed that Chance worked just to work. As if to forget something, or maybe he was working to somehow forget someone.

Truth was, yes Chance worked so much in the hope to forget someone. A specific someone and, in time he will find out that in a leap of fate that someone would come back into his life

       Chance looked around his small office. It was quiet; no sound whatsoever except, his breathing. Chance enjoyed the quiet. Something about the quiet pleased him; there is something innocent and, precious about the quiet.

       It is times like these quiet nights that ghost would sneak up behind Chance. Not actual spirits but, ghost from the past. Their old memories, memories from the past, memories that Chance did not want to forget not now, not ever.  

       No matter how hard you try, to get away from these ghost you won’t escape them. They will find you when you least expects them to: When you’re lying in bed, driving in the car, in a quiet moment when you’re alone and at your desperation moment. You cannot run from those ghosts. When they find you, you find that when they sneak up to you, you’ll find yourself wishing to relive those days once again.
       Chance’s certain ghost are from the only girl he had ever loved. Her name was Samantha, Sam for short. It was a teenage love affair, when they were both just seventeen years old. It lasted just three months in the summer of nineteen forty. It was short but, it lasted forever. For Chance it was not over. He was still replaying it in his mind.

       They met at the local Charleston, North Carolina county fair. When chance saw Sam he was intoxicated by her beauty He was with his best friend Derrick. It was a hot, hot day.

 When he laid his eyes on Sam he turned to Derrick and said “Who is that” as he pointed to Sam.

       “Oh that, her names Sam she’s new in town” he said looking at her. “Beautiful isn’t she?”

Sam had gold curly hair, her lips red as a rose, her eyes baby blue.   She was just about the most beautiful person anyone could see. Chance thought she was an angel that was sent from heaven.

“She is amazingly beautiful” Chance said thinking about going over and talking to her.

“You should go over and talk to her” Derrick said.  

“What! I can’t” Chance said. As chance said this he saw that the beautiful girl was making her way toward them.

“Well you can’t say that she’s on her way over here” Derrick said with a laugh.

Chance watched Sam walk over. It was going in such slow motion. Sam walked over with a big smile on her face.

“Hello” Sam said looking to chance. “My name is Sam and I just wanted to introduce myself” Sam said holding out her hand.

“Oh it is very nice to meet you my name is chance and this is Derrick” Chance said taking her hand.

“Maybe we can hang out, since I’m new and all. I don’t have any friends” Sam said with sadness in her voice.

Chance looked at her with a smile. “We can hang out, I think that would be great” Chance said to Sam with a mysterious smile. This smile made Sam bust out laughing. Sam’s laugh delighted Chance.  

So it was Chance and Sam started hanging out every day. Derrick never went although, Sam was trying to be polite and asked Derrick if he wanted to but, he always denied. Derrick had a girlfriend.

Chance knew he was the one who Sam wanted to be with. They would sit and just talk all afternoon. They talked about anything and, everything. They talked about what they wanted to do in life.

Chance wanted to have a farm and, Sam just wanted to have children and, have a great husband.

Chance and Sam began dating not long after they had met. It was a hot July day.

“Do you like me” Chance randomly asked.

“Well I like you fine” Sam said.

“No like, like.”

“Oh well yes I suppose I have a little crush on you” Sam said blushing.

“Would you date someone like me?”

“What do you mean by that” Sam asked curiously.

“Well a poor farm boy.”

“Of course I would date you.”

“Really” Chance said surprised. “So would you go out on a date with me?”

“I thought you would never ask” Sam said. “Of course I will.”

And so it was started. That night Chance took Sam to Denies dinner. They both ate a hamburger, fries, and a milkshake; they kissed at the end of the date.

Chance and Sam where inseparable, they were so in love with each other. They spent every day together. They went to see movies, went bowling, and even spent the night with each other.

They fell in love and, in deep love very quickly. Chance even brought Sam home for dinner one night.

They gave up their virginity to each other. They did it in a field behind Chance’s house. They were so scared. Although Chance didn’t show it he was just as scared as her. When it was over they were even more in love with each other.

“That was amazing” Sam said. As she said this she leaned in for a kiss. They kissed patiently for ten minutes.

“Please don't ever leave me, I want to love you forever”   Chance said.

       “I love you Chance” Sam said at a moment of passion.

Maybe it was said a little too soon or, had too much hope because they broke up. Sam had known she was going to have to leave soon from the beginning of the summer.

Both Derrick and Chance liked Sam, but Chance and Derrick both knew that Sam and Chance where meant to be. Derrick made a prediction. He predicted that Sam and Chance would fall in love and go out. He also predicted that they would break up and both their hearts would be broken forever. Derrick was exactly dead on right.

 

“Why didn’t you tell me you were leaving” Chance shouted with rage. He could feel how hurt he was. He felt as if he was just punched in his stomach. He felt a part of him just died.

“Because I didn’t want to lose you” she screamed.

“You’re leaving Sam, do you not see that.”

“I know we can make it work out” Sam said with desperation.

“Sam we cannot make this work. Not with you so far away” Chance said trying not to cry. “We can’t make it work” Chance said.

”Are you breaking up with me Chance?”

“I’m sorry” Chance said.

“You b*****d I gave you my virginity. I hate you!” She said this running off.

That was the last time that summer that they had seen each other. Chance couldn’t drive home fast enough. He drove with tears in his eyes. He couldn’t believe she was really gone.

After they broke up and, Sam left it was hell for Chance. He tried to learn how to move it but, that was not so easy. He dated a couple of girl but, nothing too serious.

       He met a girl named Linda. She was an average girl, nothing like Samantha ever was. She had dark blonde hair, a bigger nose; she had brown eyes and, wore huge Coca-Cola style glasses.

       Chance and Linda never made love, the most they really did was hug and, maybe kissed and hugged. All they really did was hang out and, talked a bit. It was always small talk like, what do you want to do in life. What their dreams were for the future.

Chance learned that Linda wanted to be a teacher. “I enjoy working with children,” She said. “What do you want to do?”

“I want to be a writer. I love writing and, it’s so much fun being able to write stories. You get to decide what happens to your characters” Chance said.

They never really got into big conversations, just getting to know small things about the other. Like what’s your favorite food, or favorite weather type.

This relationship did not last long. Five months and, Linda broke it off. ”I really don’t thin k this is going to work we are two completely different people,” she said. All Chance did was agree with her. Truth was that this didn’t faze him. Truth was he did not want to be with anyone except Sam. He couldn’t see himself with anyone except Sam.