Autumn Haunting

Autumn Haunting

Prologue

After much confused thought, the little girl ghost decided there really was no connection between her and those which she observed. All the other creatures in the park were full of something, something she didn't have. She didn't know the name of it, but for the creatures possessing it, the feeling must've been strong. Only one thing could she feel herself - detachment...from everything. It was as if there was some kind of invisible wall that kept her from joining the world she watched. And kept the world unaware of her.

She had only ever seen autumn - when things were slowing down and animals were retreating for a long rest. A few little beasts scurried about and insects never seemed to run away - so that she observed them and got pleasure out of watching them work. But of all the creatures she learned about, perhaps the most mysterious were the kind that moved about without any caution or purpose. Animals all seemed to have an agenda but the people were just there - entertaining themselves and lost in their lives. They didn't worry about survival or hunting or storing, they worried about each other and their private lives. The little ghost girl found them to be the most fascinating because she felt as if she could relate to them more than anything else.

One of the scariest things to the little ghost girl was that she was unable to see herself. She felt that she had fingered hands, that stroked the squirrels as they passed, and legs that carried her, but she couldn't see them no matter how hard she tried. She felt overwhelmingly lost until one afternoon when she saw another invisible being. Of course the being wasn't invisible to her, but she could tell he was detached from the world as she was. He looked like the people though, and that confused her. What was more, the young boy he was walking with was one of the worldly creatures but was actually talking to the being, as if he could see beyond the invisible wall!

The little ghost girl couldn't stand all the demanding questions that racked her mind. She yelled for the being. (It wasn't the first time she'd heard her voice. Long before then, she'd talked to herself when she wanted to mimic the people. It was incredible. She spoke the same language they did and therefore believed she could relate to them. She used to talk to the little animals as they scurried on their way. A few times, she could've sworn they heard her because the little squirrels would pause and sniff the air around her). The being ignored her so she chased after him and the boy. The being turned to look at her and vanished. The little ghost girl stopped in her tracks and had a new feeling - loneliness. She watched the young boy run towards the playground as if he didn't notice the being had gone.

Chapter 1: Life and Death

Night fell as so many nights had fallen. She'd never bothered to count them. The little ghost girl situated herself under the big oak where she felt most comfortable. The park was quiet and deserted. She sat and wondered about the being she saw that looked very much like a man. The merry-go-round made a slight squeak and she spun around to see if the wind had caused it. Surprisingly there was another being - a different one who wore a long brown jacket and had light hair that was just on the verge of graying. This being too, looked very much like a man and had the same invisible wall surrounding him. She stood up and stared for a long time until he motioned for her to join him.

The little ghost girl pointed to herself out of instinct - a gesture she'd never made before. The being's laugh was distant but loud. He laughed like the people did and he too spoke the same language, "Do you see anyone else here?"

The little ghost girl cautiously approached him and sat close to him on the iron toy. She could see the being clearly now, he had light brown eyes that studied her and rough hands gripping the iron bars - he looked every bit as detailed as the people.

She listened intently as he spoke again, "Are you just going to stare? Haven't you seen your kind before?"
"My kind," she whispered.

"Guess that's a no." He then grew very serious, "Have you any idea who you are?"

"No," she answered quite solemnly, "How come you look like those people?"

"That's a good place to start as any," he chuckled. "That's because I was once one of them, and so were you."

The little ghost girl could not believe her ears, nor her eyes. "How could I have been one of those? I'm nothing like them."

"Not anymore you aren't, but once you were exactly the same. The difference is your cold blood; theirs is warm."

"Is that what it is?" She wondered, "I knew they were full of something I was not, but I didn't know the name of it."

"Well," the man answered, "I suppose you could name it 'life.'"

"'Life,' yes, that sounds right somehow. Hey," she exclaimed, "I know that word! I know what it means but I can't explain it."

"Sometimes we know the word but can't think of it," the man continued her thought.

"Yes, exactly! But if they are of life, what are we?"

"We are dead."

The word registered with the little ghost girl. She definitely knew what that meant now that she'd remembered the word 'life.' Somehow 'death' sounded devastating and finalizing. She didn't like it.

"I don't want to be dead."

"Neither do I," the man replied sadly.

She didn't seem to hear him, "I don't remember dying."

"Nor would you. Those who remember their deaths are somewhere else. They are free. But because you and I and others like us can't remember our deaths, we are stuck here until we do. Sometimes it's also hard to remember our lives."

"I don't remember living either."

The man smiled, "It's alright - if you remembered your life you'd probably remember your death and then you'd be free; we wouldn’t be having this conversation. So you aren't expected to remember anything."

"Do you remember anything," she asked, not quite understanding his point.

"No. I don't remember my life or death or who I was close to. But I do know I've been dead for a very long time."

The two beings sat and reflected and suddenly he extended his hand to her, "My name is Sedrick. And yours?"

She gripped his hand and shook it, although to her it looked as if his hand was alone in the night. "I don't know my name, how do you acquire one?"

Sedrick bellowed so loudly, the little ghost girl jumped, "You don't acquire one silly. You've had one all the time, you just can't remember it, it's ok. Do you ever see faces in your mind that speak to you?"

"No."

"Well, that's how I remembered my name. I saw faces in my mind and heard different voices that called out 'Sedrick' so I figured that was my name in life." He pet her head, "Why don't you come up with a name?"

The little ghost girl scrunched her face in intense thought and recalled various names she'd heard the people call each other. One sounded rather pretty to her, "Rachel." she decided.

Sedrick's grin stretched far across his face, "It's a lovely name for a lovely girl."

"Is that what I am?" She whispered.

"Of course! Don't you know?"

"No, I can't see myself."

"Oh," he nodded his head, "I see. Neither can I. But I can feel inside that a man is what I am. There are many things you can feel once you leave your rooted place."

"What is my 'rooted' place?"

"This park is the place where you died. I see that you rested under that tree over there," he pointed to the dark oak, "I assume that is the spot where you were killed."

Rachel showed little emotion but Sedrick guessed if there were emotion in her it would be closest to disturbed.

"Let me ask you a question," He turned his figure completely around to face her, "What seasons have you seen here?"

"I've heard of spring and winter and summer," Rachel recalled, "But this park seems to be stuck in autumn."

Sedrick leaned in close to her, "It's not the park that's stuck in autumn, it's you." He leaned back and lifted his head to see the stars, "The same thing happened to me in my rooted place - the place where I was killed. I only saw winters there although I knew there had to be other seasons. But I never remembered leaving the spot, I was always awake. Soon after I left, another ghost told me that when the other seasons came I rested, although when I awoke in the winters I hadn't felt that any time passed since the last winter. We don't feel time, you and I, but we can see it. All of a sudden, new things appear and people look older. But to us, the days are the same as they've always been. Do you understand?"

"I'm not sure," Rachel thought hard, "You mean, I'm not awake but I don't know it? That I only wake in autumn?"

"Exactly!"

Rachel put her invisible hand on the metal bar separating her from Sedrick, "But I so want to see other seasons.

I especially want to see spring, when everything wakes."

Sedrick set his hand on hers though they both could not feel it, "That's one reason you should leave your rooted place. It's better if you get away for a while and experience all seasons. Then come back and maybe your death will become clear to you. To be free is our destination. Our souls are here to find answers."

"Sedrick, why haven't you found your answers yet? Haven’t you gone back to your rooted place now that you've seen all seasons?"

Sedrick turned away from her and sighed, not yet ready to answer this question, "I know I need to...I'm not ready yet."

There was a long silence that stretched between them and Rachel believed that for tonight, the silence would prevail. She had more questions stirring her mind, like about that other being she saw earlier and why he wouldn't talk to her as Sedrick had, but at the moment Sedrick looked unreachable. The questions could wait for later.

Rachel stood up and walked back toward the oak; she had to think about all that she'd learned. She did feel stuck to this oak and the park with the pretty little squirrels. The thought of leaving gave her a new feeling - pain.