The Lost and Found Girls

Chapter Four: Interesting Sightings:

As I head out the door on my way to school the next day, I pass by Lot 54. I think back to the article I found yesterday about how they will be building a community center and apartment complex where Lot 54 is. It makes me think about what type of building existed in Lot 54 before it became a construction site? Was it someone's home? A restaurant?

I usually am not that interested in local affairs in my neighborhood or city though.Nainai is not the neighborhood gossip and searching for tidbits of information from her customers or neighbors. She doesn't ask people about their personal lives. To her, gossip is just simply talk or 白话, baihua, as she would call it. She's not interested in repeating possibly incorrect or fudged information. It makes me wonder why I am suddenly interested in local events. Is it because it's happening so close to where I live?

As I'm contemplating this information, I see something pass by my peripheral. It looks like a white wisp. I pause and turn my head. Was that a trash bag? But it's too thin and larger than a bag. I turn left and nearly jump out and scream. It's a person, but the person is completely white and hazy!

This is impossible, I think to myself. What am I seeing? This can't be real!

I step closer upon curiosity and rub my eyes. Maybe I'm not seeing correctly or I'm imagining things. It makes me wonder if I'm getting enough sleep.

But once I finish rubbing my eyes and look again, I realize I'm not imagining things. Nope, the white hazy person is still there. And to make things even weirder for me, the guy is actually moving! He's waving at me and his lips are moving too! Wait, is he actually saying something? Is he actually talking? I step closer and I realize with shock and impossibility that the man is actually speaking to me!

"Xiaojie, nihao, jintian shi yige haotianma" the man asks me. Good morning young miss, today is a good day?

I startle and let out a small yelp. I look around and thank goodness, there's not that many people around to witness my outburst. There are only two other people on the block, but their attention seems to be diverted elsewhere. One of them even walks through the ghost without batting an eye! Like he's walking through a curtain! No way! Am I seriously the only one that can see and hear this man?

Is this a ghost, I wonder. I remember Nainai's warning to stay away from ghosts. Ever since the incident when I was four and saw the ghost playing a prank on some boys at the park. I haven't interacted with them much. After my parents' deaths, Nainai warned me not to speak or interact with spirits if I ever saw them. She warned me that they were dangerous, and if ever given the opportunity, could hurt or corrupt a person. Four year-old me didn't understand what corrupt meant, but didn't want to get hurt. So following Nainai's advice, I didn't talk to or try to interact with spirits. Beyond occasionally seeing them around town or our neighborhood, I didn't talk to them or reach out.

What's going on, I wonder. Am I losing it? Why can I suddenly start seeing and hearing them? Is there something wrong? As I'm contemplating what could possibly be going on, I hear the squeal of brakes and a blur of color on my right. I turn my head and realize it's the bus!

The bus! I think to myself. Ugh, how could I be so absentminded as to almost miss the bus? I look at the crosswalk. Thank goodness it's a green light, not the flashing red light counting down! I quickly sprint across the street, shouting, "Wait, slow down!" Thank goodness the bus hasn't driven off yet! I say a silent prayer of thanks to the elderly people that take their time to board the bus, allowing the bus to slow down or pause enough for me to be able to catch up. Once I'm onboard, I pull out my bus pass and hand it to the driver. He scans it, nods at me, and I pant out a thank you to him as I head to the back of the bus. I manage to catch my breath as I hold onto the bar for support. I can't believe I almost missed the bus over a ghosts or apparition sighting that might not have even been real! What did I see? And what's happening to me?