Ghostboy

A Little Light

       Silence filled the entire university. It was dark, except for a light glow near the side of the hall. Most people would assume the glow came from a vending machine, or maybe the monitor advertising the school's sports games. But this glow wasn't what you would normally expect it to be, for it was actually a boy. A Spirit in the shape of a boy. The 18-year-old looking boy was sleeping soundly on the sofa in the student lounge. Even though he wouldn't be attending classes like he used to, he still had to wake up just as early as the students. The only reason was so no one attending the college would see him. Not that it would be easy to spot him, for spirits were barely noticeable when there is light shining. In the dark, however, spirits would glow a beautiful icy cyan. Whether there was light or not he, still felt much more comfortable taking precautions. He had never been spotted before, and while there was no proof that anything bad would happen to him if he was, his anxiety made him extra precautious. Therefore, every morning before the first classes, he would rise and find ways to hide from the crowd. But for now, he slept. The boy slept with his day clothes on and a notebook in hand, that he found lying empty on the ground, clutched in his arms as if he were protecting it with his life. The front of the notebook wasn't terribly exciting. All it said was:

Property of: ____________

It also included a basic black and white marble design. Despite the lack of visual appeal, the book was special. Now the boy would have filled out his name, if only he could remember it. When spirits left their bodies they lost every memory they had of their past. The boy wanted nothing more than to find out what his name was. He didn't care who his friends or family were, what he majored in, or anything he even accomplished in life. He didn't even know how long he had been a spirit. None of that mattered. All he wanted was his name.

Just at the crack of dawn, the boy arose. He slowly exited the building and sat on his favorite bench to watch the sunrise. He took these moments alone to breathe, knowing that the campus would start to flood with students and faculty. As the sun painted the sky, students began to cross the quad as he watched alone on his bench. He always loved watching the different characters go about their morning. There was the man on his bike constantly rushing to his painfully early classes, the overachieving breakfast goers pulling out their laptops to get a head start on homework, and the hippie friend groups who just liked to watch the sunrise. He pulled out his notebook and wrote:

"The glow of the tangerine light shimmered across the pale girl's face, causing her to smile. The beautiful sea of colors swirled in the sky capturing everyone's attention, yet the young girl felt that this sunrise was just for her. Although she often went unnoticed, she never felt neglected. She always knew that the sun will be there every morning to make her shine again."

The boy re-read his writing, debating whether he should tear out the page filled with cheesy writing. After a short minute of contemplating, he decided that it could be edited later. It was time to move on to his favorite activity, people watching! The boy absolutely loved watching the people on campus. He sat right next to his bench, where no one ever went and the sun was always shining. If it was cloudy outside or if someone were to approach his special seat, he would hide next to the wall behind the flower pots to remain hidden from the invaders. He always wrote about the people he observed. He gave them characteristics as he analyzed their actions. It was a good past time and made him feel less lonely. There was one character that the boy was particularly fond of.  She was the most authentic character he had ever written. Even when he wasn't observing her, she always found a way to appear in his short stories. There were times he wanted to approach the woman whom he felt like he knew his whole life, but was blocked by fear of either rejection or disappointment. He knew she was not going to be exactly like how he had written her, and he did not have the guts to face that reality. Plus, she would most likely freak out at the sight of a spirit. Letting go of the idea, the boy continued his writing. As the sun reached the sky and the quad cleared out, the boy stared into his notebook writing his loneliness away.