Ghosts' Night Out

STRONG LANGAUAGE

The air was always so cold in the cemetery, as if someone had left the air conditioning running endlessly on turbo mode. Peter always hated this place, even when he was alive. He kept thinking that once he became a ghost, it would seem so vivid and full of life from the beyond. 

Instead it was grey, dull and empty. The silence that surrounded the dead was deafening, and this place belonged to the realm of silence. 

Well at least most of the time. 

- Hiiii guys, how is everyone? - a tall man's translucent body was levitating just above a fancy grave, the headtomb being as large as an SUV with some gaudy letters that Peter had no chance to spell out. - I am so pumped that it's that time of the year again!

- You know you don't have to yell, do you? - replied its neighbouring ghost. The woman was holding a cigarette and nodded to Peter's direction. - We have a newbie.

- Oh well, hello - a smoothing voice, full of lust sneaked up on Peter. He turned around in panick, and met the gaze of an old woman wearing nothing but feathers. - Oh dear, you look handsome.

- Martha I swear, you are the worst. Did you even check if he is 18? - asked the tall ghost.

Martha took a glance at Peter's tomb. 

- It says here that he just turned 17. Poor-poor baby.

- Shut up Martha - said the ghost with the cigarettes. Alice was written on her tomb. She looked around. - Where are the others?

- What do you mean? - asked the tall ghost.

- Well aren't there supposed to be a lot more than... Us? 

- I am here too! - a young boy's ghost ran a circle around their graves. - So good to see you auntie!

- Me too Kevin - Alice shrugged her shoulder. - Weird. 

- Does this mean that we get to choose this year? - asked Kevin with excitement in his voice. 

- Excuse me - Peter cleared his throat a bit. - I am very confused. 

- I bet you are. I can help you with that - said Martha with a wink. 

- No, damn it Martha... Well... - the tall ghost turned towards him. - Peter is it? You're dead. You were alive, had a good run, ended a bit too soon, but hey, at least you have more time to enjoy our company... 

- What a blessing - said Alice with a cigarette hanging from her mouth.

- In any case, you're free now of all the troubles of the mortal world. Rejoice! No need to pretend anything around here. No hierarchy either. I mean some of us have nicer tombs - he took a smug look at Peter's small, pale grave -, but we are all equals here. Also, if you forget anyone's name, you can always check, so... No more awkwardness. Wish I had this option when I was at prompt.

- You mean you forgot your date's name? - asked Alice while lighting another ghost cigarette. 

- You know what, you don't have to be so mean to me all the time - the tall ghost's voice sounded a little hurt.

- Actually... I can't read your name. Sorry - interrupted Peter with an admission of a shy smile.

- What? Can't you read? 

- Yea I can, it's just... Look, those letters are very nice, but... 

Alice started to giggle. 

- Told you your tomb was way too fancy! - laughed Martha. 

- My name... is.... Alexandros! - declared the tall ghost who obviously lost all faith in Peter's abilities to read.

- It's a nice name. 

- Save it boy. Where were we? - Alexandros attempted to find his trail of thoughts. - Right. We are dead, but one time in each year, the dead rise and are free to leave this cemetery.

- We tend to accompany humans - Alice continued. - What can I say, there is not much happening here, so... Whatever they are experiencing, we are dying to witness it. 

- Yes, but the big meanies always get to the interesting humans first! - cried Kevin.

- But you mean you... We... Haunt people? 

- Sort of. We just keep them company. Most won't even notice we are there. 

- But so... We don't... Like... I mean we have no ill intentions do we? 

- You are allowed to be a creep and watch as people take a shit, if that's what you're asking - said Alice.

- Ew, no. I just mean... You aren't like the ghosts in the movies, right? 

- Are we talking ghostbusters or... 

- No, I mean like in most horror movies, ghosts scare the living shit out of humans. 

- Oh right. No, we don't do that. I guess you could. Todd does that. 

- I hate Todd - declared Kevin with a grim.

- Who doesn't? - agreed Alice. - Todd is an ass. He does all the cliches: grunts, knocks on random doors, turns on the radio... And always sets it to some weird song from the 1940s. He keeps bragging how it was a major hit back in the days. He also tends to bring up that one time when he pranked Prince Prospero.

- What a douche - agreed Martha.

- Ok, noted - said Peter. - So I can just... Observe. 

- Precisely. Just be back by sunrise. 

- Why? 

- Were you planning to join the Spanish inquisition? Just be back. Once Halloween is over we return to the graves and wait for next year's holiday. 

- Halloween?

- Yea, you know. Pumpkins and shit - said Alice. 

- Yea, it's just... Strange. 

- What is? 

- I mean Halloween must have been like a month ago. 

- You're a funny guy - said Alexandros.

- No, I am serious. When I died it was actually December. 

- Good one. Didn't know you are going to be such a trickster. 

Alice looked around. 

- Noone is here. That is definitely weird. 

- Maybe the others are just asleep - said Alexandros. - Sloth is a sin that... 

- Or maybe you just screwed up the alarm. 

- I did? 

- We agreed you'd wake us. Damn it man, we are one block!

- A block? - Peter was confused again. - Ah, you mean how our graves are quite close to each other and are separated from the others?

- God, you are slow. But yes - said Alice, then turned back to Alexandros. - How late are we? 

- Judging by the looks of it, very - said Martha pointing over the fence.

They all stopped talking and looked outside. It was blinding white, everything covered in snow. In the distance, a huge Christmas tree was standing on the square, next to it the digital clock announced it was 19:35. On 24 December.

- Maybe it is broken... - started Alexandros. 

- I'll show you something broken - threatened Alice.

- How could you? - Martha began to weep. - I always look forward to this and you've ruined it!

- Now we have to wait an entire year? - asked Kevin, his voce is full of disappointment.

- Well hold on - Alexandros tried to regain his shattered confidence. - We are awake now. Sure, maybe we are a bit late, that's noted... However. There is nothing explicitly preventing us from catching-up on all the fun we've missed.

- Are you crazy? It's Christmas. Ghosts will not wonder around humans on Christmas Eve - if she were alive, Martha's face would have probably turned red from the anger.

- Why not? Let's get a little crazy. 

- He has a point - said Alice.

- I do? - Alexandros seemed surprised that someone was actually taking his side.

- Sure. I'm not going to miss my human time just because you screwed up - Alice threw away the cigarette and started to derail towards the gates.

- Are you certain that this is a good idea? - asked Martha.

- Hey, stop! - pleaded Alexandros. - I meant that maybe we could spend this night together. Wouldn't that be fun?

- You all do what you think is best. I'm going to have my day amongst the living. See you in the morning - and with that, Alice disappeared at the gate.

Peter hesitated. This was all a little too much.

- Well I'll be damned before that old peacock gets ahead of me - declared Martha and rushed towards the gate.

- Wait up! - cried Kevin as he started racing as well.

Alexandros looked at Peter and sighed.

- Well, I'm afraid fate does not allow us to spend this evening together. Adieu - and with that, he disappeared.

Peter stood there confused for a minute. In any case, there was no point for him to just stand around in an empty cemetery, so he hesitantly aimed for the exit.

He expected to be rushed by feelings, but the streets were surprisingly dull. The only sound Peter could hear was the howling winter wind with a soft mix of Silent Night.

Peter wanted to see how his family was doing. Was the usual Christmas fight over yet? Did Mom burn all the cookies and did Dad slam his thumb again while cracking open those nuts they always got from grandma?

His house wasn't far. He walked up to the window and looked inside.

Strangers.

The boy was around 10, they girl was more like 16. They were sitting in the living room by the Christmas tree.

Peter slowly pulled back. Why were there strangers in the house?

He stopped at the door but then realised that his abilities didn't extend to fading through objects. How lame.

Luckily, he knew exactly how one could get inside. His parents didn't seem to know that his room's window could be opened from the outside. One might say that was an invitation to burglers, but to a 17 year old boy, it was everything he could ask for.

Peter climbed up and opened the window. As he stepped inside the room, he could see that it was covered in an unusual kind of green. The sheets on the bed were pink. Over by the wall there was something that appeared to be a make-up kit (or whatever it's proper name was, Peter didn't know).

All the signs screamed the obvious conclusion.

This is a girl's room.

Peter was standing there for a few minutes, unsure of what to do. Then he could feel his body has made the decision for him: he was going to throw up.

Can ghosts even do that?

Whoever these people were, they probably wouldn't have wanted to spend Christmas Eve with cleaning up a ghost's vomit. So Peter rushed to the bathroom.

He opened the door and kneeled before the toilet. Thank God, the lid was open.

It was only after he finished he noticed how warm it was. Almost as if he was in a steam cabin.

He looked up, only to find the girl. She was showering.

Peter stared for a second.

Wow.

Then he suddenly realised what he was doing and quickly turned away with shame. - What an actual jerk you are - he tought.

- Bobby! - he heard the girl calling out. - Is that you? Would you mind closing the door, the cold is coming inside!

- It's not the cold coming inside but the heat lwaving the room.

Peter heard slippers approaching, then the boy appeared. He stood in the door and just stared.

At Peter.

Shit.

- Ghoooooooost! - the kid started to scream.

Peter panicked. He hurried towards the door, pushed the boy aside and jumped out the window. The sidewalk was approaching quickly, and he closed his eyes just before impact.

He waited for the pain but nothing happened. Peter slowly opened his eyes: he was levitating just above the sidewalk. Looks like being a ghost came with certain perks after all. He felt a bit better (except for the guilt of pushing that small boy aside).

He took a glimpse at the mailbox and noted that his parents must have moved. He wondered if they've finally decided to head for Asia, just as they always wanted to. It was a pity it took the death of their only son to fulfil their dreams. 

Peter found himself roaming the streets without any specific purpose. He stopped at school and wondered how they were adjusting. Did they have a moment of silence? Bet it must have been painfully boring for those who didn't know him. Now Peter gets to be in their memories as the dead guy that wasted their time.

He walked past the football pitch as well. It was abandoned and covered in snow. Such a sad sight.

Then he was on the town square. The square where he often waited for Jenny, and where they surely would have kissed if he had just been a bit more honest, and wouldn't have overthought every goddamn word. The town was so warm and beautiful with the birds chirping and the people laughing. Now it belonged to silence. 

Then suddenly, he found himself back at the gate of the cemetery. He wasn't alone. 

Alexandros was shuffeling snow before their graves. It looked like as if he was trying to place boulders of snow on top of each other. 

A snowman! 

It was quite hard to recognise. Peter wondered if this was the worst snowman he had ever seen. 

- Back so soon, eh? - asked Alexandros. 

- I guess. Feels like I wasted my day. 

- It happens. You'll have plenty more. 

An awkward silence followed, with Alexandros continuing to shuffel the snow. 

- Can I ask you something?

- Would it stop you if I said no?

- Probably not. 

- Then by all means, please go ahead. 

- Why have you stayed here? Is it a problem that we left? 

- Probably not. It's not like anyone can punish you, except for the big guy of course. But he doesn't seem to care. 

- So then... 

- Look, I just wanted to spend this time we have with my block. I thought it would be fun. I know that was a mistake, you don't have to mock me. 

- I'm not. But I have to ask... Did you wake them today on purpose?

- What difference would that make at this point?

- I'd say a lot - said a woman. 

Peter startled. He did not hear Alice approaching, and by the looks of it, Alexandros was caught by surprise as well.

- You did this on purpose? - she repeatef the question.

- To hell with it... Yes! Okay? You can hate me now. I just thought... We are nothing, just some abandoned graves the relatives have given up caring about. We are as close as we can get to a family here. And I don't know... I just wanted to have fun with my family. To talk about whatever, build a stupid snowman.... Or have a snowball fight! I don't care. Just do... Something.

Alexandros shook his head.

- Sorry. I was selfish.

- Very - said Alice. -Selfish and cruel. You know that deserves a punishment - she stepped closer. - Feel my wrath.

And with that, she grabbed the head of the snowman and threw it in Alexandros' face.

- Snowball fight! - Peter heard Kevin shouting, as the young boy's ghost raced towards them.

- Wait up! - screamed Martha in her feathers waiving around, like the wings of a huge bird. 

Peter smiled. The fight was on.

He grabbed some snow and threw it to Kevin's back. The boy fell to the ground from the impact, but in a second he was again on his feet and begun to launch a counterattack. 

From then on, they've lost track of time. The cemetery was filled with their laughter and shouting.

As the dawn begun to break, they slowly slowed down, then stopped. Four ghosts, laughing, panting, gasping for the air they no longer needed. 

- Thank you guys - said Alexandros. - And sorry that I stole your day. 

- Are you kidding? This is the most fun I had in forever! - said Kevin with a giggle. 

- So same time again next year? - asked Alice with a warm smile. 

- I'm in - said Peter without hesitation. 

- Me too - agreed Martha. 

Alexandros touched his teary eyes. 

- Thank you - he said quietly.

By the time dawn reached the graves, the cemetery was empty. The place slowly returned to the realm of silence.

But if one were to listen very carefully, one might hear the quiet promise of next year's laughter whispering through the winter snow.