A Collection of Short Stories

15: Ghosts

The glass shatters. I hear the roaring of my blood and the pounding of my heart as I plummet to certain death. I take a quick glance at the broken window, watching the silhouette of the man slowly fade away from the broken glass. I close my eyes, embracing the cold rush of air, falling further and further down.

I hit the water like a body hitting concrete. I wonder how I haven't died yet. I feel my consciousness slipping away as the water fills my lungs. I watch the fish swimming by with blurry eyes, unable to move due to my broken bones. I slip into unconsciousness and an inevitable death.

I feel nothing. My body is numb. I open my eyes. I am underwater. How did I get here? I walk a couple of steps. I don't feel the currents rushing past me. They should have swept me away by now. A large fish swims towards me quickly. I wait for the impact, for the fish to crash into me. It never comes. My whole body shivers and I watch as the fish passes through me.

My eyes widen. I watch as a copy of me gets thrown my way. I try to grab it, but it too slips through my hands. I try and grab my own arm. I can touch my own body.

I swim towards the surface of the river. A boat passes overhead, but I pass right through it. There are people on board. "Help!" I yell. "Help!"

"Don't bother, kid," someone says. I can see the vague outline of a man's glowing silhouette.

"What- What do you mean?" I ask.

"They won't be able to hear ya. Yer a ghost now," he says.

"What- Who are you?"

"Yer friendly ghost captain."

"Gh-Ghost?"

"Yep, kid."

"I'm not a kid."

"Sure, yer not."

I walk towards a person wiping a mop along the floor. I want to tap him on the shoulder, but my hand goes through his body. "Brr, it's getting cold," the guy says while rubbing his arms together.

"Can I walk on water?" I ask the ghost captain, who was clearly still lurking behind me. I swear he was suppressing his laughter.

"We're not Jesus. We can float, though."

"Thanks." I wave him goodbye and float off into the night.

I wander down the streets of London and find myself a pub to sit in. After being sat on by a couple of people, I sulk off into a corner and cry silently to myself. I wallow in my self-pity. "Another one of those crying ghosts?"

"Probably."

Silent tears still fall down my cheeks. After I'm done with reflecting on my terrible life decisions, I decide to get back up again and continue to haunt the streets of London. I walk along the riverside and even pass the London Eye, which was still moving this late at night. I pass through the doors and move into one of the capsules.

I ascend into the skies of London feeling refreshed when I reach the top. I look to all sides of me and see Big Ben and the Houses of Parliament, Buckingham Palace, London's red buses, and many other things. Other people appear beside me. "How long have you been dead for?" a young girl asks me. She was maybe 14.

"Maybe a couple of hours. I don't know. What about you?"

"I've been dead for three weeks. How did you die?"

"I have no clue if it was the impact or if I drowned. I also could have bled to death."

"So many possibilities, am I right? Yet, each one sounds gruesome. I guess death is never a pretty thing."

"How did you die, if I may ask?"

"Oh! I died after my father beat my mother to death. I tried to run, but then he shot me with the gun he keeps on him."

"Wow... I'm so sorry."

"It's not your fault my father killed me. Do you remember your life?"

I try to remember. Everything is foggy. Flashes of gunshots and yelling flood through my brain. Then it is silent. "No. I can't seem to remember." Unwanted tears race down my cheeks.

"Don't worry. Most people don't."

"Thanks."

I step out of the capsule and fall hundreds of feet below onto the pavement. I land right on my face, but I feel no pain. I hear some giggling behind me. "You didn't have to do that."

"Fastest and most efficient way."

I wander around a bit more. I see a man walking towards me in the distance. He was athletic and had a nice build. As he approaches, his face becomes more and more visible. I recognize him. I know him from somewhere. I stop. The girl walks into me. I turn around and follow the stranger. He leads me to a bakery, and I walk into it. It was dark, yet the shelves were lined with pastries and other delicacies.

"It's a shame we can't eat these," I say, pointing at a batch of muffins.

"Yeah, what a shame."

I follow him up the stairs and into a small apartment above the bakery. It was nice and cosy, but not cramped. I follow him through the door and sit down on a small sofa. I wait and wait and wait for the time to pass.

I hope I will eventually fade away, going to the place where I truly belong. I try to remember why I followed this guy, but I can't.

I close my eyes and wait for another day, waiting and waiting for the answers to come.