Mallory's First Friend

I… I never expected things to happen like this. Two knocks. Light taps, of gentle hands-on the fragile glass. I never wanted this, but if I could go back, I would never change a thing. 

                              Three Weeks Ago

    I heard a rumor. There is a ghost town that surrounds a lake deep in the woods behind the city. If you go into the town and tell the lake your wish, all of the spirits who roam there will hear. If one is interested in you, they will grant your wish, for a price of course. there I was at the lake, I knew my wish, but I didn't know why I was there. Ghosts are nonexistent, it was all just stories. And even if it was true it isn’t like one of them would ever take any interest in me. 

   Well, I’m here anyway so I might as well give it a go. 

   “Um hello? My name is Mallory Carrey.” I’ve always hated my voice. It’s timid and shaky. It never failed to reveal my all-consuming anxiety.

   “I’m here to propose a deal… I have a wish. I don’t want to be invisible anymore.” The words poured out. They felt so true, it was almost as if everything I’ve said before has been a lie. 

“Please help me.” I’d never had friends. I considered it to be a miracle if one of my colleagues at my part-time job remembers my name. I’m quiet, shy, and timid. I was not beautiful, smart, outgoing, or talented. No one ever sees me. But I didn’t want that. But at the same time, it was really depressing to think about how I’m pathetic enough to reach out to the supernatural for help. God, what was I thinking? 'Well, whatever it’s not like anything will come of it anyways,' I thought to myself.

    Days passed and I was right. Nothing happened. No visits from any phantasms and no being noticed. Each was identical, empty, and so unbelievably lonely. Well, until the seventh day, that is. 

    I was sitting on my bed, my family was downstairs watching a movie. Two taps sounded on the window. At first, I thought I misheard, so I let it be. Five minutes passed and they sounded again, louder than the last time. 

     When I opened the window, a large gust of cold wind blew back my auburn hair and stung my dark eyes. 

     “Weird. I don’t see anything outside.” I murmured to myself. 

     “That’s because I’m in here, silly.” Said a cheerful voice from behind me. It sent a shiver down my spine. I turned around. 

     “Hello, Mallory Carrey. I’m here to grant your wish.” Sitting on my bed was a person. He had light, transparent skin, short black hair, and striking green eyes. 

     “Call me Aspen.” He grinned at me. I felt like screaming, but the sound never came. I just stood there in shock, staring at the ghost making themself at home in my room. 

     “So… Are you going to say something or what? I mean… I know I’m gorgeous, but don’t you think this is a little much?” What the hell did I get myself into?

     “You’re one of the ghosts from the abandoned town,” I said when I finally pulled myself together. 

      “That's right.”

      “And you came here to grant me my wish.”

      “Also right.”

      “Why?” He looked at me. What I meant to say was: “why me,” but for some reason, I think they heard the words that I never said. I thought that they were staring right into my soul.

      “I’ll tell you after we get our work done. For me to grant your wish, you must do something for me in return.” They stated simply. “This is your last chance to back out.” That was a warning. I could tell from the dangerous gleam in their eyes. 

      “I’ll do whatever I need to,” I responded without hesitation. I was desperate after all. 

      “Great! Then let’s get to it!” He was perky and smiley. ‘Maybe one day, once this is over, I’ll be able to smile like that,' I thought to myself.

      “Come on, take my hand.” He said, I just stared at him. I’ve never been a touchy person. Just because I wanted to be noticed more didn’t mean that I didn’t appreciate my personal space. 

       “Come on, come on, come on. We don’t have all day.” He whined. Jeez. Despite looking around my age, this kid acts like a five-year-old. 

       I did as he told me. I partially expected my hand to go right through his as it would in movies, but instead, it landed firmly in his palm. His hands were unexpectedly warm as well. The moment that my hand touched his, I was no longer in my room. I was in a school. An old one. An abandoned one. I looked out one of the shattered windows. I was back in the town by the lake. The place where I called for Aspen’s help. 

       “So are you ready?”

       “Ready for what?” 

       “To fulfill your half of the deal. You need to help me find something important, something precious to me.”

       “What is it?”

       “Well… that's kind of the problem. You see I don’t actually know. I don’t have any memories from when I was alive. That's why I need you to help me find it. And while we’re at it, I’d like to get to know you a little bit as well.” This smile was sad and gentle, and far more genuine than the rest. It was so beautifully real. 

       It was the first time someone had been interested in me. He may have been dead, but it meant a lot to me nonetheless. My own parents never even showed a hint of curiosity towards me. 

      “Time to start looking! And time to begin the interview! So, Miss Mallory, where is your favorite place?”

       “What?”

      “Come on, don’t overthink it. Just answer the question.”

      “My room?”

      “Hobbies?”

      “I don’t have any.”

      “Aw come on. Don’t be like that.” I was walking down the hallway of an abandoned school with a ghost, having the longest conversation I’d had in my entire life. 

      “I like reading.”

      “I think I liked reading too when I was alive. Yes, I did! My favorite book was No Longer Human by Osamu Dazai. I don’t remember what it was about, but I think I liked it because I could relate to it. I think I liked drawing as well.” 

      “I thought you didn’t remember anything about your past life.”

      “I don’t. But when you said that it kind of just popped into my head. Kinda strange huh?” 

     “Well, I guess we could use the things you just said as clues. Let’s check the library and the art room.”

     “Mal, you’re so smart!”

     “No, I’m not! And don’t call me that!”

     “Oh my gosh look at you, you’re all red. You’re so adorable when you’re embarrassed.” He teased. 

     “Well, I’m not used to compliments, okay?”

     “Well, then you should get used to them. You’re a pretty neat person.”

     “Huh?”

      “I mean only so many are lucky enough to be graced by my magnificent presence. You truly are one lucky girl.” I rolled my eyes. Good god. Putting up with this cocky brat better be worth it. 

      “So who's your best friend?” Ouch.

      “I don’t have any friends. Period.”

      “Great! Then I can be your first one.” I was surprised but happy. They were a pain, but I enjoyed their company. Calling him a friend wasn’t so bad. 

      “We’re at the library. We should try looking for that No Longer Human book first, but let me know if there's anything that catches your eye.”

     “Yes ma’am!” 

      We spent all night searching the library with no luck. 

      “Alright, let’s move on to the art room.” We found it fairly quickly. It was small, but something about it felt peaceful. I found it easy to imagine Aspen sitting on one of the stools, sketching after class.  

      “I drew this.” He said. It was a painting of the town and the lake. It was well done, but for some reason, it didn’t feel like Aspen. 

      “I hate it.” He murmured. We continued searching the art room for the next hour, but we didn’t find anything important to them. 

      “It’s okay we’ll find it eventually!” He didn’t seem to believe his words.

      “We will. I’ll make sure of it.” I said to him, and I meant it. I wanted to help him Not to fulfill my wish, but because I wanted to. 

      We strolled down the school hallway, talking about the most random things we could think of. I laughed for what felt like the first time in forever. The more time we spent together, the more of Aspen’s smiles became real. 

      “I have a question.”

      “Then ask away, m’lady.”

     “If you don’t remember anything then how do you know your name is Aspen?”

     “Um, well I actually don't. And it probably wasn’t my name when I was alive, but when I first woke up after becoming a spirit, I was sitting under an aspen tree. So I decided that until I knew my name, that was what I would refer to myself as. Quite frankly, I haven’t met any others like me and you're the first human I’ve talked to. It’s been lonely. I’m glad I’ve finally been able to tell someone my new name. One day, I hope to be able to tell you my real one.” 

     Aspen made me feel special. I felt seen when I was with him Talking with him was relaxing and I began to notice that every time he smiled, every time he really smiled, I couldn’t stop myself from doing the same. 

    We continued walking until Aspen came to a startling halt. 

    “What is it?”

    “It’s here. I can feel it. It’s close by.” We were standing next to the lockers. 

     “The thing you’re looking for must be in one of the lockers! We should search through them.” The excitement glimmered in his eyes. 

     We began to empty each one. 

     “Mallory.”

     “Yes.”

     “I found it.” His voice was trembling. I turned to look at him and noticed that he was fading. 

     “What's happening to you? You’re disappearing.” He smiled at me sadly.

     “I found the missing piece of my soul. I’m leaving this world behind.” Tears were pouring down his face. Tears of sadness, but also a relief. 

     “But I don’t want you to go.” I started crying too. He was my first friend. The first person who cared. The very thought of losing him threatened to break me. 

     “Mallory. It’s time for me to grant you your wish.” He stepped up to me and placed a gentle kiss on my head and handed me the last piece of his soul. 

     “I want you to keep this, I don’t need it anymore. I want you to remember me. Mallory, you’re not invisible, you never have been. I saw you after all. You just need to be brave enough to move forward. Give yourself time and reach out to people, just like you did to me. You’re going to be fine.” 

     “Before you go, can you tell me your real name?” I said sniffling. 

    “It’s Louis, Louis Greene.”

     “Goodbye, Louis.” He leaned in and hugged me. “Remember me, Mallory.” And with that, he disappeared. 

    When I returned home, I found multiple police cars and two frantic parents. I was lectured and grounded, but they noticed my absence and worried about me. I thought that they didn’t care about me and was relieved to find otherwise. Our relationship is very flawed and honestly, I don’t think I will ever be close with them, but things are a little better than before. 

     I framed that piece of Louis’s soul and hung it up in my room. It was a photograph. Louis and his twin sister were standing next to each other, grinning identically. They were surrounded by their friends. I hope that he’s with them, wherever he may be. And more than anything, I hope that I can be with him one day too and tell Louis countless stories of a happy and fulfilling life that I was able to live, thanks to him.