I'm surprised how in depth, well written this short Halloween erotica is, how thoughtfully it portrays grief and loneliness for a departed mate, and how inevitably spicy the reunion was, from soft touches to light BDSM. Five years after the death of his lover, Tommy comes back to the house they shared to clean out the remains of their life; 15 boxes remain after his younger sister thoughtfully cleaned, staged and got their home ready to be listed and sold. Tommy had fled house, job, town after Blaise' heart attack, unable to function anymore where they had been happy. In his present life he is barely there, new apartment, job, city, sleepwalking through life, in grief's final stages, still not integrated or moving on, numb to everything, and alone.
- Moving through his old home, he feels more comfortable, is finally able to breathe, reliving fond memories in the rooms, slipping into reveries he barely allows in the city in his shared apartment, thinking of loving moments with Blaise. Aroused by the atmosphere, is he hearing voices from the past, is it real, and can he feel touches? In the morning, half awake, he thinks it was a dream, till he is answered anew by Blaise, and thus begins their new adventure.
- Ghostly restraints, banter, breath and touch, even levitation and the suggestion of tentacles make this enjoyable, but it is the emotional exploration, the description of grief and desire that raise this short story above others, out of the ordinary. A ghostly story of love that lingers.