A Ghost Story

Ghost

Have you ever met someone worth dying for?

I sit with my buddy Mark at the table furthest from the dance floor. Our small little country town is lit up like fireworks in the night sky. It’s prom night. Everyone around me looks like their having the time of their lives, Sarah was sent home for coming to the party drunk, and no one knew Sanjae could dance like that.

Stuff like that, dancing, getting drunk, partying in general, is fun don’t get me wrong, but right now it’s just about hanging out with my buddy Mark. Both of us came without dates in hopes of just meeting somebody out on the dance floor. It wasn’t that we couldn’t get a date, it just felt easier to come by ourselves, less stress, less hassle.

I see Alexis peer over at me from the punch bowl.

Mark slaps me on the arm. “You see that man. I’m telling you, Alexis is waiting for you to say something.”

“What if she’s here with somebody Mark?” I say.

“Bro, I saw her walk in here by herself.” Mark replies.

<“Alexis is one of the most popular girls in school man. I’m telling you there’s no way.”

>Erick, tonight is the night of adulthood. Nobody’s concerned about your high school social status.”

“Nah, not worth it.” I take a drink of punch.

He places his hand on my forearm. “Mark, just go and talk to her will ya? If for no one else, do it for me. I want my buddy to have a good time.”

Well with that much peer pressure hanging on my shoulder how can I say no Mark? I thought to myself as I got from the table.

I can feel my heart beating faster with each step I take in her direction.

Alexis isn’t looking at me anymore. She’s looking out towards the dance floor, into a spectrum of glowing light and sound.

I turn around and I see Mark egging me on.

I let a breath escape from my chest. I walk up to Alexis and tap her on the shoulder. She turns to face me. At first she looks a bit confused.

Does she not remember me? We talked during homecoming earlier this year.

Alexis smiles. “Oh, hi Erick. What’s up?”

Something in her voice just fills me with confidence. Maybe she has been waiting for me after all.

“Hey, not much. I was just, you know, hanging out with Mark. You know, like usual. I saw you all alone over here and I—“

“You want to dance?” She laughs. “Is that what you’re asking me Erick?”

“Look, I know I spilled punch on you last semester during homecoming, but I’m really sorry and I—“

“Erick, relax I’m not mad.” Alexis says. “I want to dance with you too.”

Alexis grabs my hand.

“Come on let’s go.” She says.

I walk her down to the middle of the dance floor, smiling like an idiot the whole time. Before I know it, this slow dance comes on and the lights turn blue, lighting up her pale skin like the moonlight.

Alexis takes my hand and puts it on her waist. I put my other hand on her shoulder. I didn’t even know that I could waltz but apparently it was easier than I thought. I just did what everyone else was doing and followed their lead.

The night wanes on and Alexis and I draw closer and closer together, melting together like warm butter and syrup. I lean in to kiss her and our lips meet somewhere in the middle.

The world is on fire. The warmth from her body fills me up like helium in a balloon and I am floating on air.

Then, before I know it, the night is over. Alexis and I part ways, but we promise to keep in contact.

When I make it home, my father is sitting on the couch dressed in half of his police uniform. He nods at me. “Glad to see you made it home safe son. How was the night?”

“Spectacular dad. I met this girl and we danced for like half the night.” I say. “You know the governor’s daughter?”

<“The little blonde girl?” He says.

>“That’s the one.” I say.

<“That’s surprising. I thought you said she didn’t like you.”

>“Things change. I guess.”

<”Don’t you think that’s a little strange?

>”What do you mean?”

<”Well set down son.” My father pats his hand on the cushion next to him.

I plop down.

“Women use men, just as much as men use women.” He says.

“What do you mean used?” I say. “I don’t feel used.”

“Well I mean did she just break up with her boyfriend.” He says. “Did she come down with some sort of a disease, an STD?

“No dad. I mean, what are you trying to say here? That I’m not good enough for her?”

“No, no, that’s not what I’m saying. I just think that it’s a bit strange.” He says.

“What so strange?” I say.

<“Well, a little rich white girl like that suddenly deciding to date a black guy in the small town. I just don’t get it.”

“What does my race have to do with it?” I get up from the couch, eyes filling with tears. “You think that she’s using me because I’m black, because I’m different.” I run up the steps.

“Erick calm down.” He says. “That’s not what I’m trying to say.”

“Why do you always have to be so racist?” I say. “Why can’t she just love me for me? What’s so wrong with me?”

“Erick…”

I slam the door to my room and crawl into bed. I wipe my eyes against my pillow.

“What’s so wrong with me?” I muttered into my pillow. “Why am I so different?”

Before my father said that to me. I never felt different. I never felt alone. But now I just feel like garbage.

I don’t want to be White. I don’t want to be Black either. I just want to be me. I just want to be seen for who I am.

I didn’t let what my father said get to me. I continued to date Alexis for 2 more months.

She was never mean to me. She never even brought up the whole race concept.

We had a million things in common and the fire in my heart just kept on growing each time I talked with her.

“My parents aren’t going to be home next weekend. You could come over and hang out.” I say.

<“Erick, I’m not that kind of girl. I don’t just—“

>“That’s okay.” I say. “We don’t have to do anything crazy. We have plenty of rooms. If you need to stay the night. You don’t have to stay with me if you don’t want to.”

“Okay.” She says. “I’ll come when you’re not there. It’ll be a surprise. Do you have like a spare key or something?”

“Of course. My dad keeps a spare key in the kitchen just in case.” I say. “I’ll grab it for you.”

I drive home, grab the spare key, from the kitchen and head back outside. “Here.”

Alexis kisses me on the cheek. “Thanks Erick. It means a lot. It’s almost like we’re married now.”

I waited for Alexis all weekend but she never came.

Monday night my dad calls me from the house phone.

“Erick, did you bring that girl in here, while we were gone?” He says.

“No.” I say. “I would never do something like that.”

“Okay. That’s fine son.” He says. “I just noticed some stuff was missing. What time do you get off?”

“Like 10… Maybe 12.” I say. “There’s been some suspicious activity in the area recently.”

“Alright son. Well, remember that I love you.” He says. “Your mother and I both love you.”

“Yeah, I love you too dad.” I say. I hang up the phone and go back to monitoring the speed of vehicles coming on and off the highway.

I got off at 11.

I drive my car down my home street. When out of the corner of my eye, I see this bright red light. It’s so bright that at first, I think it’s the sun.

I check my watch. 12:01 “It can’t be dawn already.”

The light gets brighter and brighter as I drive down the street, until I finally realize it. My house is on fire, the bushes, the trees, my father’s car, all set alight.

I jump out the car as fast as I can. Before I even stop to think.

I bust through the front door. A flame licks against me, burning my shoulder. The entire house is scarlet red.

“Dad.” I yell at the top of my lungs. “Dad? Where are you? Are you in here?

I run up the steps to my parent’s bedroom. As soon as I step in their door, I see them lying there on the floor in a pool of blood, heads missing. What the hell is going on? I think.

“Looks like we missed one.” I hear a voice say.

Before I can even get the chance to see who it is, I feel something smack me across the back of my thigh. I collapse to the floor, inhaling a mouth full of toxic smoke. I grab at my leg. My thigh bone is broken. I can’t get up, but I manage to flip myself over.

This big tall guy that I’ve never seen before hovers over me, with a huge metal bat over his shoulder. He’s dressed in this black and white outfit from head to toe that makes him look like a skeleton.

“Who are you?” I ask.

“That’s none of your concern.” He smacks me 5 more times with the bat. He raises the bat up to hit me a sixth time, but slowly lowers it back to down. “Oh, you must be the son huh? I almost forgot.” He pulls Alex’s necklace out of his bag and throws it on top of me. “Your girlfriend told me to give you this.”

I feel the tears spill from my eyes as I look at the necklace.

In a place so warm, how is it possible to feel so cold?

The man in the skeleton suit and mask raises his bat up and there’s this huge cracking sound.

I wake up in the middle of the night laying on the charred remains of what used to be my home.

How am I alive? I question to myself.

The Humanists destroyed everything, the television, the sofa, even the walls weren’t left untouched. Then how did I survive.

I touch the floor expecting my entire body to ache, but I didn’t feel a thing. I couldn’t even feel the floor.

I stand up and run outside to the street. I yell at the cars driving by, “hey stop!” But nobody pays me any attention. In desperation, I run in front of a speeding car, but it doesn’t stop. I brace myself for the impact, but it passes right through me. I glance behind me.

I look down and see my glowing green arms. “Oh,” I say. I didn’t survive.

I walk down the road to the old nearby factory. I pass right through the factory doors like it’s was nothing. It’s quiet inside, hollow, dark, empty. The whole place smells like oil. I search for the light switch on the wall.

I flick on the lights, but as I do, I feel myself merge with the wiring system. I’m no longer just Eric, I’m Eric, playing the light switch, by director Max Davis. I’m no longer just a ghost, but I’m the ghost in the lights.

Wait, what’s going on? I think to myself.

I emerge from one of the broken light bulbs on the ceiling. “Whoa.” I fall slamming into the ground below. Can’t fly. Good to know. I touch the back of my head. Can’t bleed either. Also good to know.

I look up at the ceiling. At least the lights are on now.