Avenging a Ghost

Chapter Two: First Sight

The first time I saw a ghost was on my fifth birthday, back when me and my parents still lived in Virginia.

Mom and Dad had taken me out to a pizza place where you got fresh parmesan cheese on the side. I got hooked on that stuff. To this day, I'm still a sucker for shredded parm.

Some rude lady had asked the "what are you?" question (Mom's Filipina and Dad's a European stew pot), and I didn't know what that meant, so I had answered, in my little five-year-old voice, "I'm an alien from the planet Goober. We've heard that people on Earth have bad manners, and I was sent here to find that out."

Classic, I know.

Dad was still laughing, even when we went to get ice cream afterwards. Mom was trying to get him to calm down, but even I could see that she was smiling, big-time.

In that moment of craziness and euphoria, I spotted a couple in 1950's style dress (even though I didn't know it at the time) laughing on a bench. They didn't look that different, except for the fact that they were vaguely see-through.

"Mommy, look at their clothes," I said, pointing to them. "Aren't they fancy?"

Mom followed my gaze. "Lauren, honey, there's nobody there."

"Yes, there is," I insisted. "A lady and a man holding hands. They're sitting on the bench."

"Laurey, that bench is empty," Dad said, squeezing my hand. "I think you might be a little tired."

"No, I'm not!" I hopped up and down a couple times. "There's two people right there! I see them!"

It took three minutes of insisting and almost crying before I realized that I was the only one who saw that couple. And for the next few weeks, I started seeing people like that everywhere---slightly see-through people who nobody else saw.

And that's when I met Agnie.

I'd ducked into the bushes by my school's playground, trying to get away from everyone. I was sketching out a stick-figure cat when I heard her voice.

"You can see me, can't you?"

I looked up and saw a translucent girl my age in a flowery dress. Her hair was frizzy and pulled back into an afro puff. When she smiled, there was a little gap between her teeth.

"Y-yeah," I stammered.

She beamed. "Perfect! I'm Agnie. It's been ages since I've had someone to play with. What's your name?"

"My name's Lauren." I scooted slightly closer. "Why won't anyone play with you?"

"Because none of the living kids can see me, and I'm the only ghost 'round here who's five," Agnie answered casually. "Most of 'em are teenagers, y'see. Either that, or adults, and they're super boring."

My mouth fell open. "You're a ghost?"

"'Course I am! If I was living, you wouldn't be able to see through me, wouldn't you?"

"But..." I reached out and tapped the folds of her dress. Solid. "I can touch you."

Agnie giggled. "Silly Laurey! You can only touch ghosts if you can see them or if you are one. But we can see and touch everything. Sometimes we move things, just for fun."

"You can move things?"

"And more! Check this out." She floated over to a pair of boys teasing a smaller kid, then slapped one on the head.

"HEY!" he yelled, turning to the guy next to him. "Why'd you do that?"

"Do what?"

"You KNOW what!"