Deadman’s Best Friend

I used to know what these were when I was alive… but that was some time ago. Its long snout pointed directly at my stomach, almost passing directly through my torso. A line of jagged teeth stuck out from the dark lips which led to a soft round nose. At least I think it's soft. The nose is certainly wet. I can tell by looking at it. Can this creature see me? I think it's looking right at me. This is awful. I don’t have time for this. My afterlife has been far better than my actual life was. I actually have time to think now. Time to be by myself. I can’t really remember my life if I’m honest, but that is not the point. I need this solitary existence. Ugh, this thing is annoying. There was a name for these that I can’t remember. I know I’ve seen one before. It's been ages, maybe even hundreds of years. I’m certain I knew what these were. Who cares anyway? This thing will go away, won't it?

I’m not always alone. Sometimes there are dwellers in my home. As long as they don’t interact with me, I don’t interact with them. Decades of interment coexistence with zero problems until now. I have never had any interest in them or their dull lives. Once in a while, I would slip up and a dweller would notice a curtain move or an item out of place. They always blamed the wind or their aging mind. Dwellers seem to blame their own brains for playing tricks on them while I learned to be more careful. I don’t want them to notice me. It would ruin my day. I much prefer silence and peace as I glide through the walls. I cherish the limitless time alone with my thoughts. Life was full of distractions and people interrupting my train of thought. Now that can be completely avoided. The last thing I need is one of these dwellers screaming at me from the sofa before calling some man in a black robe and white collar to sprinkle water around the house. It's already musty in here. This thing staring at me is going to ruin it all.

These dwellers seem to only spend their time either earning currency or taking care of my home. The first is odd and the second one is nice. I would rather they weren’t here at all. I don’t need anybody. There was one dweller who was rarely home. He would pack a bag at the start of the week and return at the end of the week. It was a relaxing time for me. Another dweller always left very early in the morning carrying lots of heavy tools. He returned in the evenings covered in soot and then fell asleep on the sofa. He fixed leaky pipes, hammered drafty windows and oiled squeaky doors around my home. That dweller was alright. Then the house sat empty for a very long time. I’m not even sure how long I have been dead, but it's been great. Time becomes a pointless blur when it isn’t ticking your life away. 

If I’m honest, I’m not quite sure what I have been thinking about all this time. Regardless, the new dweller and this creature are nothing short of annoying. They need to leave immediately. The noise from this nonsensical renovation word is where I draw the line. I forgot how disruptive a dweller can be after so much time in complete isolation. I am not sure what high-speed internet means, yet he is determined to implant it into my home. The house could definitely benefit from some upkeep however, I am not sure what a net will do. Unless the net is to catch this creature? I am certain I have been spotted. Perhaps I need to change my approach and force them to leave. But what were these things called?

Its head twisted and turned a bit as it analyzed me. I tried to float away slowly but it followed. I stopped immediately as the dangly metal around its neck jingled. I whispered for it to be quiet. I tried to tell it to shush but its necklace rattled with every movement. I waved my arms and begged it to go away. If the other dweller saw me then it would all be over. I tried to scold the creature. Then I tried to ignore it. Nothing worked. It must not be able to hear me but it can definitely see me. If I can get it to go away, then I can think of a way to get rid of them for good.

The creature’s tongue fell out of the side of its long mouth. It seemed to smile. Was this thing mocking me? I looked beneath my feet to see a bright yellow ball. When I looked back at this creature it bowed at me. I bowed in response but the creature let out a loud cracking sound from its mouth. That was loud, I thought. How can I make it go away? I don’t need the other dweller coming in before I’ve concocted a plan. If I could hide from this thing for a few days then maybe it would forget about me. I pleaded for it to go away but the creature stood there staring at me. I looked at the yellow ball and the creature bowed again. I picked up the ball in disgust and saw the creature tap its feet a bit. I rolled the ball away from me and it thumped off in pursuit. I started in the opposite direction but I heard the clattering creature approaching me again. The breathing was hot, loud and repetitive against my back. I looked down at my feet as the yellow ball came to a subtle stop. I picked it up and tossed it again. This time I floated three rooms over as soon as I let go of the ball. I listened as the creature returned to where I had thrown the ball from. It quickly searched from room to room until it found me behind the sofa and dropped the ball again. The persistence of this creature would be a problem. I will need to work hard to get rid of it. 

I tossed the ball, but it was returned quickly. I rolled it again and hid, but the creature found me. I tried playing a trick on it, but it always seemed to know when to chase and when to wait for me to actually throw the ball. Could I even outsmart this creature? Without realizing it, I found myself enjoying the challenge. No matter where I threw the ball or hid the ball, this thing always found it and returned it to me. I laughed when it caught the ball in mid-air. I smiled as I heard it searching high and low for me so it could return the ball. I felt sorry when its breathing became labored from all the activity. I tried to get the creature to stop, but it seemed to only want the ball in my hand. It panted relentlessly and its tongue drooped nearly to the floor. It needed to rest. I placed the ball on top of the shelf out of view from the creature and floated towards the sofa. It followed me but would not lay down. I sat on the sofa as best I could, hovering directly on the cushions. The creature jumped up and spun in a tight circle before lying down. It rested its head near my leg and looked up at me one last time before closing its eyes for a nap. Maybe I would not have to leave after all. A smile beamed across my face. Now I remember. How could I forget? The thing lying next to me is called a dog. I had one named Daisy a long time ago. She was my friend too.