First Timer

The last thing I remember was that I was walking home on New Year's eve. I always took a walk to have alone time and reflect on the previous year. As I rounded a bend in the road, I was blinded by headlights........... Then thud...... Nothingness surrounded me. Not the bright light to go to that you hear so much about. Just nothingness....

Now, here I am almost a year after being laid to rest so to speak, I am awake. Did I wake from a coma and who are all this grotesque figures surrounding me? Suddenly, one of the figures smiles and then speaks.

"I am Carl. I will be your guide for your first Halloween."

Wait!! What??? was all I could think.

"I can't go Trick or Treating! I am too old for that!" I replied.

I started to become angry as Carl laughed and pointed at me.

Then finally he quit laughing. "First timer!" He yelled. Then the other figures began to laugh too.

Disgusted. I said, "This is a mean prank to play on a man."

Carl said, "You don't know do ya? You are dead and have been for 5 years. You are in a cemetery and tonight is Halloween."

I rubbed my eyes. "Wait! What did you say? You mean I didn't survive being run over?"

Carl then looked at me sympathetically. "No you didn't. I was sent here by the Higher Office. See, many people die but only the chosen few get to come out on Halloween."

I could not believe what I was hearing. I did not have any of the expected experiences that people talk about or that the movies say is going to happen.

Then, Carl continued. "Some people go straight to God. Some go straight to hell. Then, there is us. There is something keeping us here and we get to haunt, for better or worse, the earth. The only time we are truly free is Halloween. Halloween is a chance to find out what is keeping us here and then get processed through the Higher Office and move on to our spiritual destiny." Carl sighed and looked sad for a moment. "This is my 100th Halloween." His voiced trailed off. "You mean..." Carl cut me off. "I have never found out why I am still here."

I was always an optimist. "Carl tonight we will find out why we are both here. Maybe tonight we discover our destinies." We began walking down the cemetery path. Or were we floating? It felt like walking but, I was not touching the ground.

Carl looked at me. "You are dead. You are not supposed to be optimistic." He said. "I was in life. So, I guess I am in death." Suddenly, the ground shook! Carl looked at me and laughed. "That is just the spirit world starting to open up around the world. See we need to scare everyone according to legend. But really, I have always just enjoyed the kids dressing up to scare us away." Carl chuckled then continued. "Me.. I just enjoy stealing a little candy and occasionally allowing a human to see me." I stopped floating or walking what ever we new ghosts do. I thought for a second. "We can do that?" I said. "Of course. If you could do it in the living world, you can do it here in the spiritual world." "Weird..." I thought. It wasn't what I was expecting.

I had a feeling of deja vue. We were on the road where my accident was. For the first time, I felt fear. I felt that I wasn't supposed to be where we were.

Carl stopped. "What's wrong?"

"This is where I died." I said.

"Are you sure?" Said Carl.

"There is my wife and kids. They look so much older than I remember." I replied.

I walked over to them. They were posting a sign on an electric pole.

"Missing for 5 years." I heard my wife say.

Then I looked at the sign. It said, "Last seen walking along this road on New Year's eve."

I looked at Carl. Then, he gave a half hearted smile. Carl said, "Now we know why you are out tonight."

I stood there contemplating my situation. Then Carl said, "You are meant to be out every Halloween until someone finds your body. "

"Then how did I end up in the cemetery?" I exclaimed.

"Our spirit goes to the nearest one when we die. We have to check in with God so to speak." said Carl.

I felt happy that my family looked healthy but I was also sad because they looked so sad and didn't know what happened to me.

Carl said, "I think my job is done." With these words, he no longer looked grotesque. He went on, "You will haunt this area every Halloween and New Year's eve until someone finds your body. Some spirits don't realize that they can help others through dreams and haunting find their bodies. I was chosen to help you this Halloween because no one has ever found mine and my family will never know what happened to me."

I found myself feeling very empathetic towards Carl. I said to him, "Carl. I think we have found your purpose. You are still here to keep others from going through your experience. You have helped me and probably countless other find meaning in the world of the undead." Carl smiled. "Do you really think that is why I am here?" I hugged him. "Yes, Carl." I smiled and replied. With that there was a bright light. Carl yelled as he started to float higher and higher, "Thank you! I am going home." I smiled and waved good-bye. I took my place on the road curve. I occasionally made myself appear and disappear. I would point down the embankment where my body laid. Part of me hoping that someone would find me so my family would have peace. Part of hoping that no one would find me. If no one finds me, maybe I will get to see my family every New Year's eve.