The Ghost Of The American Soldier

Chapter One - The Angel

"Philip love, please calm down, mommy's here"

It's been almost seven months since Philip Hamilton came into the world. He's certainly rowdy, just like his father, only sleeping for a couple hours a night, leaving his poor mother sleepless and tired for most of the day.

Eliza rocks her child back and forth in her arms, humming a tune in hopes to calm him down. The infant seems to be quieting down. That is until:

"Eliza have you seen my work folder?" The sudden voice made Philip cry out in shock from the disturbance, But it was too late for our poor Alex to run.

"Alexander."

Full name. not a good sign

"y-yes... dear?"

"You do understand that i have probably only gotten three hours of sleep in the past week don't you?" Her voice was light and cheery... threateningly light and cheery. Alex nods and begins to sweat out of fear. Eliza gently puts down the crying child in his bassinet and walks up slowly to Alex.

"Why don't we let your son calm down while we find your work folder" Eliza gains a deadly grip on her husbands ear, pulling him out of the room.Philip begins to calm, realizing that there is nobody in the room to cry to, his sobs become sniffles. The infant stares at the ceiling in dead silence, the only noise being his mother yelling at his father a couple rooms away. Then almost out of nowhere a bright flash of light erupted in the room, ending as soon as it started.

And of course a flash like that would scare any baby, so Philip began instinctively crying out.

That damn crying

Jesus it's hurting my ears

Am i in a... house?

Eliza runs into the room, picking up the baby into her arms

Mrs. Hamilton?

What's she doing here?

She bounces the baby onto her shoulder, and in what seems like a miracle, Philip immediately stopped crying. Eliza was shocked, thinking maybe he finally just tired himself out

Or maybe it was the funny man with freckles standing behind her.

"Mrs. Hamilton?" Laurens asked.

He had no idea where he was, or how he got there. All he could remember was being shot in combat. Eliza stands there, unknowing to the soldier, and he couldn't understand why. That baby was giving him the creeps too, it was looking directly into his eyes.Laurens took cautious steps towards the woman and her baby.

He reached out to tap on her shoulder, but in a shocking swing his hand went right through her."WHAT THE ACTUAL HELL?!?!?" He screamed in alarm, Eliza didn't hear it, but Philip certainly did. Barely seconds after Laurens yelled, the baby began wailing. Eliza tried shushing him, but the cries only grew louder.

The revolutionary had no idea what to do. He was used to tarring and feathering British loyalists, not calming crying babies. But, he tried anyways."Hey! Hey! Look over here little... baby. it's okay, look at the funny face!" John attempted to pull a face, which somehow appeased the baby, sending spurts of laughter into the home.

A quiet gasp comes out of Eliza "Look at who had their very first laugh! Alex! get in here quickly!" Eliza beamed with joy at hearing her son's laugh for the first time."Alex?" John said in alarm. A million thoughts raced through his mind at the sound of that name. And sure enough, his best friend walked through the door, but something was off. Was he looking at Laurens?

"Alex? Can you tell me whats going on-" He was cut off by Alex almost running past john, no, not past. Through.Laurens stayed still, not knowing how to react. Why was he here? Why was he being tortured by not being able to talk to his best friend? Why wasn't he on the battleground?!

Then it all hit John in a sudden realization

He was dead.

But this couldn't be the afterlife,

could it be?

He watches the couple and their child, a happy family. He sits there for what seems like hours until both parents leave and put the kid to bed. This rugrat was the only one who could see him and Laurens wanted to confirm that.He stepped up to the bassinet, peering down to see wide eyes looking back at himself.

"So you're the kid he always wrote to me about" Laurens started, not knowing how to speak to children at all "You can see me, right? Just so that i know i'm not crazy" No response. Laurens took this moment to get a better look at the child. He had alex's large eyes and Eliza's curved chin, there was one thing that threw the soldier off though

"How the heck do you have freckles if neither of your parents do?" John pondered to himself "Your daddy has got some explaining to do" He lets out a laugh at the thought of Alex being an actual father, which turns into a snort before he can catch it. This somehow makes the baby laugh."So you can hear me!" Laurens grinned ear to ear. John takes advantage of the moment and keeps on making the snort sounds. This kid's laugh is the only thing that makes him feel not alone.

Philip goes quiet for a moment, before mimicking the sound completely, letting out a little pig snort himself. John is ecstatic, he'd never really been around little kids when he was alive, but if he did, he would have been a hit.

He decides to let the kid have his rest, and unknowingly, letting his mom and dad finally sleep through a whole night for the first time months. He tries to get comfortable in a rocking chair that was obviously made for eliza, Barely fitting himself on it, he somehow manages to fall asleep anyways, unsure of what tomorrow will bring for him.

Laurens doesn't know why God put him here of all places in the afterlife, but he certainly knew that it had something to do with alexander's kid.

And by god he was gonna figure out what it was.