Yellow light struck Ellie’s face through her bedroom window. As she slipped out of bed, she heard the familiar clinking of dishes in the kitchen indicating the arrival of breakfast. The old farmhouse smelled of eggs and coffee. She got dressed and made her way to the breakfast table.

 “Gooooood mornin’,” sung Thomas. His light brown hair looked golden in the glow of the morning sun. He was always awake before her. Come to think of it, she couldn’t recall waking up next to him once since they’d been together. She’d always assumed he was an early bird who enjoyed the quiet solitude of dawn.

 “Morning, love,” said Ellie. “Smells good.”

 “Hope you enjoy it,” said Thomas, sliding a fried egg from a spatula onto a plate. He spun around and placed Ellie’s plate in front of her, then turned back to the countertop and began collecting the pans and utensils into the sink.

 “Not having any?” Ellie frowned.

 “Already had mine before you got up,” said Thomas. That was always his answer.

She took a bite of egg, gave Thomas a closed smile.

“Any plans for today?” said Thomas.

Ellie’s smile dropped. Her eyes narrowed.

“Only jokin’,” Thomas smiled. “I was thinkin’ we could take a stroll through the park, then catch a play.”

“That sounds perfect,” said Ellie. Simple, she thought, just the way I like it.

“Can you believe it’s been a whole year already?” said Thomas, taking a seat next to Ellie.

“What I can’t believe is how long I’ve survived in this town,” she half-joked, sipping her coffee. “I moved to Black Hallow, what? Four days before we met?”

She took another bite of egg.

“So that’s how long it’s been since I’ve used electricity, been on the internet, watched TV… and you know what’s funny? I thought I would miss it, but I don’t. This is the life I’ve always dreamed of. I never want to leave.”

 “I’m glad you’re so happy,” said Thomas coolly, offering a small grin.

 They enjoyed birdsongs through the open window as Ellie cleaned her plate.

 “So good,” said Ellie. “My compliments to the chickens.”

 Thomas laughed. “Well, big day,” he clapped, rubbed his hands together. “Shall we?”

 Black Lake Park buzzed with its typical, leisurely pedestrians. A woman on a bench tossing seeds for a flock of birds; a boy and a springer spaniel playing fetch with a raggedy, homemade ball; a mustachioed man staring into space as his horse strolls lazily beneath him.

 Ellie wondered how many of these people came here for the same reason she did–whether they were escaping their former lives or Black Hallow was their place of birth. She’d befriended a handful of the town’s residents already, but hadn’t met anyone who’d claimed to have moved here recently. It seemed like everyone had lived here their entire lives.

 Ellie walked hand-in-hand with Thomas through the park, taking in the crisp, fresh air. Feeling as though she was truly living in the moment.

 The couple sat at a wooden picnic table for lunch. Thomas had packed all the fixings for a picnic, including freshly cut vegetables from Ellie’s garden. Ellie scarfed down her salad while Thomas meticulously picked at his, as though it were a chore needing to be finished.

 When their salads were gone, Thomas carefully placed the dishes and utensils in his knapsack. He pulled his pocket watch from the bag.

 “Shall we walk some more? The first play don’t show till three o’clock,” said Thomas, closing his watch.

“Gives us time to stop at home,”  said Ellie, squinting at her wristwatch. “You can leave your bag so you won’t have to take it in the theatre. I’ll change out of my walking shoes.”

 “Perfect,” said Thomas, smiling. They kissed.

 The play was boring, but Ellie didn’t mind. She was simply happy to be with Thomas. Holding his hand. Sitting next to him. Living this moment.

 A man on stage yells something and holds up an unconvincing wooden gun.

 Ellie struggled to pay attention, so she allowed her mind to wander. She thought of how different her life was now than before she’d moved to Black Hallow. She’d been so tired of the mundane. But here, in her new life, the mundane wasn’t so bad. Perhaps it was the simplicity. The modern world moves so quickly, but here, everyone is so relaxed; like there’s nowhere they’d rather be.

 A woman on stage falls clumsily to her death. A half-dozen red ribbons spring from her blouse.

 Ellie wondered what she’d be doing at this moment if she hadn’t met Thomas. Would she have stayed in this town? It is perfect, but life without the constant pinging of text message alerts, once you’ve become accustomed to it, can get lonely.

 Thomas had been the one to keep her company when she felt most homesick. He’d stopped by daily to check in on her, ask her if she needed help with anything. He’d even brought her books on gardening so she could grow her own food.

He once showed up in her front yard towing a tan pinto mare Ellie had named Sapphire.

“I searched every newspaper in the state to find her,” he’d said. “She’s the perfect size for you, and well trained. Can’t stand seein’ a lady travelin’ all through town on foot.”

What a man.

 The man who shot the woman points his gun at his own head.

 Ellie turned to Thomas and whispered, “How much do you hate this?”

 “Quite a bit,” he smiled.

 “Do you want to head home?”

 “Nah,” Thomas whispered, “I think it’s almost finished.”

 She squeezed his hand and leaned back in her seat. She wondered if he had a surprise waiting for her. Thomas was full of surprises, but today they’d been sticking to the plan.

He must have something up his sleeve. She thought. Maybe he’ll propose? She wouldn’t question saying yes.

 She closed her eyes and waited for the play to finish. After a few minutes, the room went dark and the audience let out some scattered claps. She opened her eyes and sat up.

 “Shall we?” said Thomas.

 Ellie nodded.

 As they walked home, Ellie thought about her perfect life, her perfect man, her perfect home in her perfect little town. She hoped nothing would take her away from this life.

 “Wait here,” said Thomas as Ellie made her way to the Chesterfield sofa.

 “I was wondering when I’d get my surprise,” she said.

He kissed her and disappeared into the kitchen, returning moments later with two glasses of wine. He placed them on the coffee table and sat next to Ellie, facing her. His eyes were soft but serious. Her hand met his cheek.

 “You know,” she said. “You are the love of my life, Thomas.”

 “Do you mean that?” he asked solemnly.

 “Yes.”

 “Ellie,” he sighed. “I want to be with you forever. Do you feel the same way?”

 “Of course I do,” she said. This is it, she thought.

 “I mean, really, forever. Eternity.”

 “Are you asking me to marry you?”

 “Better. I want to spend every day with you, every week, every year, forever.”

 She paused. “Sounds like marriage to me.”

 “Ellie,” said Thomas. His face softened, but she could feel his nervousness. “I need to know if this is the life you want. Forever. I need to know that you never want to leave.”

 “You’re starting to scare me,” she said quietly.

 “Ellie, have you ever walked through the cemetery in town?” 

 “Sure, once or twice.”

 “Did you ever read the headstones?”

 “Maybe a couple? Why? What are you asking? I don’t–“

 “Ellie, please stay calm,” his voice shook.

 She stared at him.

 “Have you ever noticed that half the headstones in the cemetery all have the same date of death?”

 “I–I don’t,” she paused, “I guess not. What does that mean? Thomas, just tell me what–“

 “December 1st, 1809,” he said. “That’s what those headstones read. Ain’t many after that.”

 “Okay,” she said, her hands were sweating.

 “Nobody has lived in this town for two hundred years.”

 “What?” She laughed. Looked hard into his eyes. He was serious.

“I live here! All the townsfolk, they live here. You–“

 “Ellie,” he brought his hands to her shoulders.

Her face sank.

“You’re not the first person to move here since then. Lots of folks have, but most of ‘em end up leavin’ after a couple years. The ones who stay… Well, they never leave.”

 “You’re…” Her eyes pierced his. “You’re not joking.”

 “I can explain more,” he continued. “Or you can leave town right now; if you want to. It’s your choice. I don’t wanna make you do nothin’ you don’t want to.”

 She didn’t move.

“There was a gas leak from the mine,” Thomas began. He took her hands into his lap. “It was the middle of the night. Whole town was sleepin’, and everyone in Black Hallow died that night. Bit over a thousand folks. We all woke up the next mornin’ and found our own bodies dead in our beds.

“It was chaos for the first few days, as you’d imagine, but eventually we all had to accept it. We buried our bodies and the town kept runnin’ as normal, but, ‘cause of the gas, it was unlivable.

 “After a couple decades we started seein’ new birds, and then all kinda other wildlife. So we figured the gas ran out. We thought we all might disappear after that–‘cross over’ from our purgatory–but it didn’t happen. Then folks started stayin’ at the inn again, thinkin’ this was some old-fashioned Amish town or somethin’. The townsfolk played along so the visitors wouldn’t get scared off.

“Only ones who know the truth are the folks who died here. Some of us assume the miners disrupted some kinda ancient spirit inside the mine or somethin’ that escaped with the gas, and that’s why we’re all stuck here. Other folks think we were raptured and this is either Heaven or Limbo. Either way, I’m stuck here with everyone else. I can’t leave. But you still can,” he paused, looked at the glasses of wine. “Unless you want to stay.”

 Ellie moved her hands away, stared at them in her lap.

“What’s it like?” she whispered.

 “To be dead?” Thomas clarified.

 She nodded.

 “Absolute, pure freedom. All physical feelin’ is gone. No pain, no hunger, no thirst, no cold, nothin’.”

 “But what about other feelings? Happiness? Joy? Love?” she touched his cheek again.

 “I still feel all those things. ‘Specially when I’m ‘round you,” he smiled.

 “I–Well, can’t I just… live here… with you?”

 “If you want,” he said. “But you’ll age–I won’t–and if you end up dyin’ here, you’d be stuck here forever anyway. If you die someplace else, I prob’ly won’t ever see you again.”

She thought about never seeing Thomas again. Her heart ached.

“I’m only offerin’ you a chance to have a say in how you die, and whether you want to stay here. None of us were given a choice. I hate the idea of you goin’ through that pain.”

 “I need–I need to process this,” she said dizzily.

 “I understand,” said Thomas. “I never wanted to ask you, you know. I was waitin’ for the day you’d run screamin’ from this place. But then you said you came here to be ‘off-the-grid,’ and you’re always sayin’ how happy you are here, and, well… But if you got up right now and left I wouldn’t blame you. You could take Sapphire; she’s livin’.”

 “Wow. I thought you were going to ask me to marry you. This is… a slightly bigger commitment.”

 Thomas laughed. “We still can, if you like. After you’re buried, we can head straight to the church. We’ll have the best damned weddin’ this town’s ever seen.”

 “After I’m buried,” she chuckled dismally.

 “The choice is yours, my love,” said Thomas.

 Ellie tried to recall how many times she’d thought the word perfect since she’d moved here. How many times she’d thought about never wanting to leave. How she wished that every day in this town, every day with Thomas, would last forever. She looked at the wine glasses, contemplating his idea.

She kissed him, then brought the glass to her lips.

---

Afterword

Thank you so much for reading The Most Perfect Town. I hope you enjoyed it! This was a fun piece inspired by a randomized mix of writing prompts, as well as an exercise in descriptive writing.

The goal of this story was to combine the genres Old-Western Romance and Paranormal to create a story about a couple who live in a ghost town.

I’ve always been fascinated by ghost towns, and I’ve always wanted to write a story about a “literal” ghost town: a town inhabited by ghosts, so this was a pleasure to write.