The Unseen

Help

I drive home and offer to take Bianca and/or Davon home with me but Davon declined and Bianca stayed with him. So I drive alone.

I get home grab the mail, and hang my keys on the ring. If I don't put them there, I walk to school because they're long gone for a while.

When I get home, I have about two hours of free time and then I have to make dinner before Mom comes home. She's a nurse and the sole income for our family so she works long, hard hours. I feel bad for her. I've tried getting jobs but I haven't been able to keep one for more than two months. I always get fired for weird things each time. Once for "flirting" with a customer. I don't flirt, not with normal people so I definitely don't flirt with customers. The real reasons I get fired are because almost everyone knows I'm different in some way and they just don't like me for it. It's that simple.

I carry my backpack into my room and plop it down on the floor next to my desk. I have lots of homework. I sit down and attempt to finish my English paper. I recall my conversation with Landon in my mind. I finish my paper and attempt to do my other work. It doesn't go so well.

My mind automatically goes to the eventful first day I had. I made a friend....or two. I'm still not sure about Drew. The whole thing was so strange. He came over to see what was going on and ended up kissing me and giving me his number. I wonder if he likes me. I've never really had that happen before, at least that I know of. Usually the guys at my school go for the Megan types of girls, not me. I wonder if he'll ask me out. I've never actually been on a date. I wonder what it's like. From movies, it's always the guy comes over to the girl's house and picks her up. He knocks on the door. She answers looking all cute. He opens the car door for her. Her father waves them off. They go eat dinner and then slowly fall in love afterwards. Only problems with that is my mom would have to wave me off.

A man taps at the glass of my window and I walk over to it. I was able to help Davon earlier, why not this guy?

"Hello?" I say, walking to him.

He bangs his head against my window. "So close. So far. So close. Why can't she love me?"

"Who?" I ask, a bit creeped out.

He continues banging his head. "Lisa. I miss her, she's with him. She looks right at me and kisses him. They say things right in front of me. Why can't she love me?"

"Did you and Lisa break up?" I ask, trying to figure out if Lisa was alive and he was dead.

"That's the worst part. We never did break up and she's still with him." He clenches his fists and bangs his head.

I sigh, why do I have to be the one to tell him?

"I'm going to tell you something. Something crazy. You might not believe me, but I need you to trust me. Everything I'm telling you is true, ok?"

He nods. "Ok."

"The reason this Lisa lady is doing this right in front of you is because she can't see you. You might have noticed that no one sees you. They look right through you. Well, the reason for that is because you're....dead. I can see you but that's because I'm not normal. If you tell me your name I can try and help you figure out how you died," I try and explain.

His face takes on a look of intense thinking. "My name is Mark Terraso."

I nod and wave him to follow me over to my laptop. Mark walks through the window and follows to stand looking over my shoulder at the screen. I type 'Mark Terraso obituary' in Google. Sure enough, the first result is a link to Derksville News's website.

Derksville Home Burnt To The Ground

May 8th, 2005

Late last night, Lisa Terraso, wife of Mark Terraso, came to their Derksville home to find it up in flames. Lisa immediately called 911. The firefighters tried their hardest but couldn't save Mark from the fire. Funeral and showing services will be held Saturday from 11am-3pm. Friends, family, and any others that wish to pay their respects to Mark are invited to attend.

I turn to Mark. "You died in a fire eight years ago. Lisa has waited eight years and now she's dating again. You shouldn't spend eternity watching her try to be happy after you left. You should find someone else. There are plenty of other ghosts like you out there. It's going to be like your living again. Just try and find someone or something to occupy your existence. It'll make it a whole lot better."

"I think I'll try that. Do you know how long I'll be here?" he asks.

I shake my head. "It could be for a week, it could be forever. Just make the most of it."

Mark smiles and passes through the wall. "Thank you."

+++

Mom comes home and I have our dinner of grilled chicken and mashed potatoes ready. We eat in silence as usual and then Mom retreats to her bedroom. I clean up the mess and go outside. I haven't been on a walk in ages.

I step out into the outdoors and am hit by the gentle, autumn breeze. It smells fantastic, like burning leaves and freshly-cut grass. Walking down the sidewalk coming towards me, walks a couple probably from the 1800s. They pass me, so enthralled in each other that they don't even notice me. I wish I had that.

I near the coffee shop downtown and put my head down. A group of bitchy girls from my school sit on the patio. I attempt to casually speed walk past them and nearly trip. They erupt with laughter and I'm flooded with humiliation. Great. Mission failed.