Part 3

As she shifted on the bed, Carolyn opened her eyes to see the familiar room back at Gull Cottage. "Captain?" She whispered to the stillness as she sat up on the bed and looked out across the room. It was the same as she remembered, and the typewriter indicated to her what year it really was.

Seeing no one in the room, she crawled out from beneath the covers and reached for her dressing gown. Oh my God, what a dream, she thought as she pulled it over her nightgown and glanced over at the small book that was still resting on her nightstand. Instead of calling out to him a second time, she went into her closet and got dressed. Once she was ready to face the day, she came out into the room and spoke.

"Captain, are you here?"

Seconds later the ghost materialized in front of her. "Good morning, Mrs. Muir. Are you feeling well rested?"

"That seems a strange question coming from someone who fed a dream into my mind about being on ship bound for Bristol in the 19th century," she said firmly.

The ghost pressed his fingertips against his chest and nodded his head once as though inquiring if she was accurate in her assumptions.

Understanding his silent communication, she nodded. "Captain, I dreamt about a very suave sea captain and I was the unwilling stowaway," she responded. "The captain was you, but what I didn't really understand was that you didn't know me at first. It was much nicer later on, but in the beginning it was really quite scary."

"Was it?" He asked as he tilted his head to one side and offered her an alluring smile.

"Yes, and I know that you did something to persuade me into having that sort of dream," she said. Before waiting for him to respond, she brushed her lips with her fingertip as a slight smile touched them. "Didn't you?"

The ghost tugged on his ear, but smiled at her. "Perhaps it was my way of apology as well as a way to perhaps inspire you to write things down from your own perspective."

"Do you know what happened in that dream?" She asked.

"Aye," he smiled at her. "Was it perhaps a dream within a dream?"

She smiled as these words washed over her. "Maybe it was. I mean; with all the not so nice things that happened, it was still a beautiful dream. But, last night you said that once I had gotten some rest that inspiration would strike."

"And?"

"It did. Now I think I know what I want to write about next."

"You do recall that that story in your dream has already been published; do you not, Mrs. Muir?" He asked.

"Yes, Captain, but you did give me an idea for another story," she said smiling.

"I did?" He asked. "Tell me, how did I manage that?"

"In the dream, you told me that perhaps I might explore the idea of a young woman embarking on a new world," she said as she smiled at him. "I think maybe I have the perfect premise for that idea."

"You do?" He asked.

"Yes, and this time I won't doubt my abilities to put this idea down and know that it will not be changed," she said as she raised her head and looked at him meaningfully.

"I promise, madam, whatever you write this time will have no traces of a ghost writer," he smiled. "Also, don't forget to eat something, my dear."

"I won't, and Captain?"

"Yes?"

"Thank you."

He nodded and disappeared.

Once he was gone, Carolyn Muir picked up a piece of paper and inserted it into the typewriter.

The sounds of her typing could be heard throughout the day.