Ghost-

   Ghost-an apparition of a person who has died. 

   I am a ghost.

   I am an apparition of a dead person.

   I miss being alive.

   I watch as my older sister dresses her daughter in the costume of a witch. It’s Halloween night, and Gin’s taking Clementine out trick-or-treating. 

   I wish I could be there.

   Well, I am there. I wish they could see me. I wish I could tell Clem how cute she looks. I wish I could ask her for a piece of her candy when we came back home.

   But instead I’m invisible. 

   I tire of watching my sister and niece, tire of being sad on account of being dead. 

   Why is it like this?

   Why is that instead of dying, and not knowing you’ve died because you’re no longer there, it’s that you become a ghost. 

   Ghost-a chance to live being unseen and heard. To live without living. 

   I walk across the street, not stopping to look for cars that can’t hit me anyway, to the house where my little brother lives with my parents. 

   Miles’s packing a bag to head over to his friends house. They’re doing a horror movie marathon tonight. 

   My mom’s pouring candy into a bowl that she sets by the door, in easy reach for when the trick-or-treaters come. 

   My dad’s kicked back in his chair, waiting for the football game to come on.

   I leave them as well, for the same reasons I left my sister. 

   There are a few kids already on the streets when I start walking. That’s when I see someone walking towards me. Not a normal someone, but a someone I haven’t seen in years. Not since the night I died. 

   I take a deep breath. 

   “Long time, no see,” He says to me.

   “It’s been five months,” I tell him shortly.

   My older brother, Jameson, stands in front of me. The sunlight from the setting sun leaves no shadows behind either of us.

   “Five  months and you’d think you would enter the ghostly scene a little more, Norah.” 

   “Well I haven’t. You know why as well, don’t you? It’s not like you were a face I ever wanted to see again,” I snap.

   A familiar car drives past us, blasting the same old terrible music. It warms my heart to know that Dad is still trying to embarrass his kids when he drives them anywhere.

   It would if I had a heart. 

   It would if I wasn’t a ghost.

   Ghost-someone who has died, and come back as an apparition. 

   “Still salty that I killed you? Get over it, sweet Norah. The past is the past. Come, walk with me.” He leads me farther down the street. 

   People assume ghosts haunt people. They scare innocent people, and play mind games with them to scare them for life. Some do - like Jameson.

   Some don’t- like me. I’m a friendly ghost. 

   “You’re right, the past is the past. I can’t change what happened when we were alive. That doesn’t mean I’m still not mad at you though.” 

   More kids are on the streets now. Princesses, pirates, witches, zombies. 

   “Norah, Norah, Norah. You’ve always known how to hold a grudge, haven’t you? I’ve always hated that about you. It made you my competition. But alas, if you’re still mad at me after what happened all those months ago, let me make it up to you.” He smiles after he says this. 

   “How?” I ask, suspicious of everything he’s promising. Though I could never forget him, I’d like to see him try and apologize. 

   “You’ll have to wait and see. First, we have a stop to make.” 

   We turn right, and then make another right. 

   “You see, Norah. I’ve never told you why I did what I did when we were alive.” 

   “You’ve never admitted you regretted it either.” 

  “I’ll regret what I did when you regret what you did.” 

   Jokes on him, I have no regret. I never have.

   I am a ghost.

   I have no feelings.

   I am not alive. 

   I no longer miss being alive. Not here. Not with him. 

   Halfway down the street, we turn and head into the woods. 

   “Where are you taking me?” I ask.

   “I told you. I want to admit that I regret what I’ve done, but I can only do that when you regret what you have done.” 

   I clench my teeth, still following him. “You wouldn’t.” 

   “Oh, sweet Norah. You well know that I would.” 

   I am a ghost.

   I am not living.

   I have no emotion. 

   And yet, I hate him.

   “I did mention we have a detour first. This, you’ll want to see.” 

   We come out of the woods and into a backyard. Our backyard. Then we go into my parent’s house. My house. The place I’d be if I weren’t dead.

   If he hadn’t killed me.

   The back door is open to let in the fresh air, but it doesn’t matter. 

   I am a ghost.

   An apparition.

   My dad has returned to his chair, and my mother is looking at pictures on the mantle. Namely, the picture of all five of her kids. The picture that reminds her that three of her children have died. 

   I quickly leave. Jameson follows.

   “Alright, I took the detour. Now take me to the final destination.” 

   If this is what it takes for him to be sorry, then so be it. I have no real regret. I never will at this point.

   I have no feelings. 

   He grunts, and leads me back into the woods. I should’ve known my oldest brother would be lurking closer than Jameson would let on. 

   “Norah, dear. It’s been too long.” Jax spreads his arms wide like we’re going to hug. As if I would ever hug him. 

   “Jax,” I say, only to acknowledge him.

   “Stubborn as always, are you? Did you know, Norah, that that’s what got you killed? You couldn’t admit that you pushed me out that window on purpose. And so you paid the price with your life.” 

   “It was an accident!” I must’ve said that over a million times in my life.

   And not-life.

   “Sure it was. And me locking you in a shed and burning it was an accident.” Jameson laughs. “I am sorry about that by the way.” 

   He is just as sorry as I am. 

   He didn’t bring me here to apologize. No, I can tell they have a bigger plan in play here.

   “I can tell you’re wondering why you’re here,” Jax says. 

   “Wow. You know me so well.” 

   “Well, dear Norah, I have a proposition for you. A bet, of sorts. Would you like to hear the conditions?” He doesn’t let me answer before he continues, “I want us each to haunt as many kids as we can in a year. Kids, adults. Doesn’t really matter. Whoever haunts more in three months wins.” 

   “Wins what?” I ask.

   “You didn’t let me finish. If I win, you have to apologize for pushing me out a window and causing my death, and say you deserve what Jameson did to you.” 

   “And if I win?” 

   “Name your price.” He shrugs.

   “You have to accept that what I did was an accident, and Jameson has to apologize.” 

   It was no accident, but I’m not stopping my innocent act now. 

   “Done.” 

   We shook on our deal. 

   I was no longer a friendly ghost.

   Everyone would be terrified of me.

   I was going to be not only a ghost, but a monster.

    I was going to win. 

   Ghost-an apparition of a dead person that comes back to haunt the living.

   And I plan to be the best ghost I can be.