A Human Story

A Revelation

D and VJ were getting close. Close to the house. D could feel it. The houses seemed familiar, the intersections were ones he could vaguely recall and they even ran into one of his classmates - whose name D couldn't recall for the life of him - sneaking into his home. It was late in the Day. Almost 1 pm.

Didn't know he lived close by.

VJ was terrified, and made him hide till the guy was gone. Immediately after, though, the lights in the house had been turned on. Sad. Then he had to wait till the lights turned off. VJ was adamant. It took a long time. Always was scared and unwilling to wander around after school - that kid. Now I guess I know why.

His mother definitely didn't hold back like D's own mother used to, even at such a late hour.

"Sure we can't just ask someone? Go door to door like I did?" D asked, exhausted.

"No. We don't know which ones have been haunted. Oh, to haunt is to choose a house and live there." VJ said.

"That isn't what it means. Just live? Nah. I remember differently. Isn't it when you...," D started but didn't know where he was going with it. Strange. He continued stammering, "When you.. Umm. I don't - I don't know."

VJ looked at him weirdly, with a hint of a smile.

"You must be right, I guess. But you know, I'm sure there was something I wanted to say. It just slipped my mind..." D said.

"I believe you. Happens to all of us. Means I'm doing a good job as your carrier. You're becoming one of us. Someone new, without the burdens of their past." VJ said, the hinted-at smile now fully formed.

"I'll forget everything?" D asked. VJ solemnly nodded. "But I don't want to. I don't want to forget anything. I don't want to forget Aahna!"

"Maybe you wouldn't have to. I mean if - when we find your home. She'll be right there in front of you. Then you wouldn't, right?" VJ said.

"You're asking me? Oh God. Where's Chitra, why didn't she come?" D asked, his heartbeat was felt in his throat. Huh, ghosts have heartbeats. Cool.

"Oh, her carried. She was like you too. Adamant on going..." VJ stroked his chin, "Well, somewhere. But, Chitra thought it would be better if she gave up trying to just hang onto the past and just accepted and learned how to live here."

"How do you live here?" D asked, then realizing he had interrupted.

"That's a bit of a detour. But okay, you live out your age in reverse. Become a kid, then a baby and then just... Poof. Nobody's seen what comes after." VJ said.

"Wait, so your left hand. It's growing, isn't it?" D asked.

"Yes, it is. Why?"

"So you'd just be a baby with a full sized arm?" D tried to control it, but then laughed out loud when the image fully formed in his head. He quickly stopped it, then looked at VJ shyly. He expected VJ to be offended, mad with rage or worse.

VJ chuckled. "God, I hope not. Can you imagine that?" he said.

"Yes I can. I actually am trying to stop imagining that... Unsuccessfully." D said. The both of them laughed together.

"I'm hoping that it'll meet me somewhere in the middle and just grow smaller again with the rest of me. Best case scenario, you know." he said, after some thought.

The street lamps flickered as they came.

"Okay, too far. Back to what I was saying. This carried, though. Never listened to Chitra. They'd grown close, but never could agree on this. She snuck out numerous times. And then one day when she did the same. She just never returned. Chitra got upset, real bad. Then she just felt this release one day. Said it was the best feeling ever. We concluded that the carried had found the door. Or something bad had happened."

"And now, with you. She said I should keep you close, but I'd made you a promise. One that I mean to keep. So, here we are. I actually thought she'd be more supportive, her carried found the door even without her help. Maybe that's what she's bitter about. Women, huh?" VJ said.

"Um. I don't know what that expression implies. But yeah I know, right? Pfft. Women." D said, waving his hand.

The street lamp ahead was already flickering as they came. It completely went out as they came closer.

"Wait, people." It was D this time who noticed and stretched his arm in front of VJ's chest to block him. VJ just pushed his arm aside and coolly said, "They are our people, dummy. Look at them. One's covered in blood; Ooh, one's growing back a leg; One's in an orange onesie, executed probably; and a gray kid. The last one's closer to the end. You know how it is, you grow young, get gray and stiff, teeth gets all weird." He sighed longingly.

"They are playing hide-and-seek. It's fun. Basically, one person is chosen to be the seeker -"

"I know... How it works. I remember." D interrupted.

"You are strong. Most people's memories would already be half gone by now. Or at least, that's what Chitra told me. The game though, if you're planning on playing, can get real dangerous real quick. Sometimes, the humans interfere. They give away our position sometimes, just starts screaming. It's nerve-racking. Ugh, they're hideous. They're just the worst." VJ continued as they passed by the ghosts playing.

They were at an intersection. The street lamp flickered.

"Um, where are we going exactly?" VJ asked. He'd stopped walking.

"I was thinking through this street. Why?" D said, pointing to a road ahead.

"Oh, let's not. What about this way?" VJ said, pointing to their left.

Grrrrrr.

"Mmm, I don't think so."

"This one?" VJ said, pointing right.

"Why? What's wrong with - Oh. Oh no."

Bark. Bark. Bark. Bark. Grrrrr.

It sat straight ahead of them in the middle of the road, sniffing. It took slow small steps, it's nose dipped. VJ was already several steps behind when D turned.

"Run!" he shouted, already in full speed. His arms were flailing around.

Don't. Laugh!

The dog gave chase, having sensed their panic. The both of them ran through the road to their left. After making some distance between them and the dog, VJ ran to a home and rang the bell. Fear and patience are like Peter Parker and Spiderman, like Clark Kent and Superman. Can't stay in the same room, one always seems to miss the other. He rang the bell once more. Not being answered at the door in under two seconds had become too much to handle in their panic. He rang the bell again and again. A red eyed human opened the door, rubbing his eyes.

"No time to loose." VJ said and ran inside through the tiny bit of space that was open. The door flew open. The man went hurtling back and fell on his back. Hard.

There was a staircase that led to a dark hallway with multiple rooms on both sides. VJ held D's hand and rushed upstairs. After leaving him there, he went back downstairs and slammed the door shut. The man on the floor started at the door in awe. Every step VJ took made him flinch.

The terror in his eyes must have done it. The unwillingness of the couple in VJ's home to come out of their room that first day, the handlebar mustache man's reaction to Chitra running up the stairs, and again during the news - all flashed before his eyes. D remembered!

The humans. They are scared of ghosts! How did this place make me forget that! Doesn't seem like anyone here knows about it. At least, not VJ and Chitra. They spent their time hiding from them. Ghostworld, I beat you! I remembered.

He didn't get a chance to share this with VJ then. He was too agitated and out of breath to be able to listen to anything. He'd decided that they should stay there for the Night - been it's bright and sunny outside - and continue their journey the next Morning - when of course, it's dark.

'And what a journey that will be', thought D as he settled in a cozy corner in the ceiling.