The Living and the Dead

The last thing I remembered was the impact. One second, I was standing in the street. The next, I was lying on the pavement. Then, everything went black. When I opened my eyes again, everything was different. I was standing on a different street outside a cemetery, but that wasn’t the most surprising thing. I distinctly remembered it being summer, but now the decorations screamed Halloween. Surely, I had just closed my eyes for a moment. And why did everything feel so weird? Why did I feel weird?

“You new here,” someone asked. I turned to find a figure grinning at me. I stepped back, ready to brace myself on the street light, but I could reach it. When I looked, I saw my hand had completely passed through the pole. My scream echoed through the street, but no one seemed to notice. There was a couple who walked nearby, so I tried to step in front of them. No, they passed through me too. What is happening, I wondered. I tried to knock on a car window. I tried to pull open the fence. Nothing. 

“Hey, easy, girl. You’re just dead. You’re a ghost, alright,” the entity soothed. I turned to him. He looked like any regular boy I passed on the street. He had dark hair and brown eyes, and he wore a t-shirt and jeans. Perfectly normal. 

“That’s impossible,” I snapped. “I’m not dead.”

“Look, I know it’s hard to believe since you look pretty young. Most of the newbies react this way, but it’s true. What’s the last thing you remember,” he questioned. When I didn’t answer, he continued, “That was probably the moment you died. If you think about it, it makes perfect sense.” The more I looked at him, the more I realized he wasn’t normal. His shirt featured an 80’s band, and his hair was styled differently. No one wore that. Could it really be? Could I really be dead? 

“Are you, are we both dead?”

“Yes, we are, but it’s not all bad,” he said hurriedly. 

“Gosh, we can’t possibly be dead. And why now? It was summer before. Now, it’s Halloween.”

“That’s not usually the first thing the newbies say,” he mused. “But we’re only allowed to roam on Halloween. That’s when the veil is thinner or something. Some of us can stay longer if someone keeps us alive.” At my puzzled look, he just smiled. 

“Come on, and I’ll show you,” he suggested and started running down the street. I was never much of a runner, but when I started to follow him, I didn’t grow tired. I didn’t once find myself out of breath. Perhaps, it was due to the fact that I was no longer breathing. So, I started to run faster until I was keeping pace with the boy. He laughed. We ran until we came to a neighborhood with a bunch of kids trick-or-treating. 

“I’m Samuel, by the way,” the boy said. 

“I’m Lizzie,” I replied and stuck out my hand. Surprisingly, he took it. I supposed that while ghosts based through the living, we could touch the dead. Samuel grinned at the realization and gestured me forward. 

“Where are we going,” I asked. 

“To someone who can see us,” he replied. Before I could ask any more questions, he stopped. In front of us stood an ordinary-looking house, complete with kids running up and ringing the doorbell. A few pumpkin carvings sat on the porch, and a few blow-up tombstones greeted us from the lawn. I winced at the sight, wondering what my own tombstone was. It was funny how quickly I accepted something when I didn’t have any other choice. I stepped up to the door and reached to ring the doorbell. 

“We don’t have to do that, remember,” Samuel said and pulled me through the door. Right, I thought. I could just do that. 

Inside, the decorations went a bit overboard. Even I could recognize that. There were some fake cobwebs and spiders hanging from the ceiling. A sheet ghost hung from a nearby doorframe. Even the two adults sitting on the couch were dressed up. They were probably a couple since one was dressed as Jack Skellington and Sally. 

“Huh, it’s a bit underwhelming from last year,” Samuel mused. At the sound of his voice, the girlfriend or wife looked up and grinned. 

“Sam, it’s so good to see you again,” she exclaimed and ran up to him. She could see us, I realized. Then, she hugged him. She actually hugged him. She could touch us too. “Mike and I are still trying to hunt down that necklace of yours, but we think we’re close.” 

“Sounds good, Mrs. Smith, as long as it’s not too much trouble,” Samuel replied. 

“Of course not, Sam. It’s our pleasure. You want to be here all year round, so we’ll make it happen,” she continued.

“Oh, Mrs. Smith, this is Lizzie. She’s new,” Samuel introduced. I smiled. 

“Pleased to meet you, Mrs. Smith,” I replied with a bow of my head. 

“It’s a pleasure to meet you as well, young lady. I know this is all a little overwhelming, but is there anything you want us to find from your life? I don’t know if Samuel already explained, but if a living person has something special of yours from your life, you can stay as a ghost all year if you so desire. It’s not for everyone, of course, but there are a few spirits who prefer that. However, I’m afraid it takes us a minute to procure your object,” she explained. I nodded, letting it sink in. Did I want to be a ghost year-round? Did I want to be practically invisible to everyone except this woman?

“I have to think about it, but thank you for the offer,” I answered. 

“Of course. Protecting the spirits has been the sacred duty of my family for generations,” she said. The doorbell rang, and she grabbed the candy bowl. “Grandma June is in Jacob’s room with the little one. I’m sure both will be happy to see you. You know he likes you. I’m sure he’ll warm to you too, Lizzie.” Samuel nodded as Mrs. Smith and Mr. Smith started toward the door. From the man’s expression, I supposed he couldn’t see us, but he seemed to respect his wife’s ability. 

Samuel grabbed my arm and started to lead me to another part of the house. Obviously, he had been here multiple times before. 

“I’m not sure if this is rude or not, but how long had you been dead,” I asked tentatively. He stopped and seemed to count. 

“30 years or so, I suppose, but it’s not really a sour subject. I’ve seen my family once or twice during the holidays. I’ve adapted to this century with Mrs. Smith’s help. When she finds my necklace, I’ll be able to stay here all year,” he answered with a grin. I nodded and followed him down the hallway into a room. Jacob’s room from what Mrs. Smith said. Inside was an old woman, presumably Grandma June, and a little boy about 5, presumably Jacob. My heart melted at the sight of him. I had a little brother about his age, and for the first time, I wondered what my family was doing at the moment. Eddy was probably going trick-or-treating with Mom while Dad stayed home to pass out candy. Or were they staying home, I wondered. I was dead, after all. Would they have chosen to stay home? It couldn’t have been more than a few months since I had died, right? Oh, poor Mom. Poor Dad. Poor Eddy. For the first time, it hit me how devastated they must have been. I was barely 16. I was cheated out of so much. 

“Samuel, how lovely to see you again,” Grandma June gushed. She clasped his hand in hers. She was probably Mrs. Smith’s mom since she could see us. Seeing ghosts must have been some sort of family trait. From Jacob’s face, he probably saw us too. 

“Sammy,” the boy shrieked, grabbing onto Samuel’s legs. I couldn’t but smile and wonder whether Eddy would react the same way if he could see me. What would my parents say?

“Oh, you must be new, dear. Did you die this year or the last,” Grandma June asked gently as she turned to me. 

“This year, ma’am, during the summer,” I replied. Surprisingly, it wasn’t that weird to say. It was the truth and the past. Sure, admitting that I was dead felt a bit weird, but at the same time, it felt normal like saying I had brown hair. 

“You’re pretty,” Jacob suddenly declared. I grinned wider and knelt to his level.

“That’s very nice of you to say,” I replied. “You’re pretty cute too.” I ruffled his hair gently as I usually did with Eddy. 

“Do you want to see my train? Mama got me a new train, and it runs all by itself,” he asked, though he was already tugging on my arm and Samuel’s. We let ourselves be pulled to the other end of the room. Jacob sat down in front of a train set, so we did the same. He showed us how the batteries worked and let the train run on the track. Since I couldn’t physically do anything, I pointed and offered suggestions on how to arrange the tracks to make it look interesting. Eddy liked to play with trains too, so I knew all the cool tricks. 

“I like it. Can you stay here all year? Will Mommy find your item,” he asked. 

“Hey, squirt, I’ve been coming here forever, and you never asked me to stay,” Samuel objected playfully, but Jacob didn’t respond.

“Well, if you want me to stay, you should probably ask my name,” I replied. 

“Oh, right. What’s your name?”

“I’m Lizzie.”

“Okay. I like you, Lizzie because you’re pretty and you know all about trains, so can you stay here? I’ll help Mommy find whatever you need,” he insisted, grabbing my hands. He felt so much like Eddy that it was hard to say no. Before, I had been on the fence about staying. I wouldn’t age. I was pretty sure my family was still in town, but the best I could do was see them from afar. Samuel wouldn’t be there with me. I would only have the Smith family and whoever stayed as a company. But, when Eddy looked into my eyes, I made up my mind. 

“Of course, Jacob. I’ll tell your mom what to get, okay? I don’t think it will be hard to find,” I decided. Jacob grinned, revealing that he was missing his two front teeth. 

“Woohoo,” he whooped. Samuel and Grandma June smiled as Jacob ran to tell his parents. 

“You know, dear, it takes him a while to warm up to ghosts. This is the first year that my grandson has been that happy to see Samuel. You must be really special,” Grandma June mused. Mr. and Mrs. Smith walked into the room with still grinning Jacob between them. 

“It’s time for bed,” his dad announced. Samuel nodded and stood. Mrs. Smith gestured the two of us out of the room while Mr. Smith and Grandma June started to put Jacob to bed. 

“So, Jacob says you’ve decided to stay. I must ask if you are completely sure,” Mrs. Smith said. I thought of Jacob and my own brother. If I couldn’t see and help raise Eddy, I could be with Jacob. I could see some boys grow up with trains and everything. I had to. 

“I’m sure,” I declared.

“Most people in my family have grown up with one particular ghost. I mean, I grew up with Samuel,” Mrs. Smith continued. “If you’re absolutely sure, then Chris and I will start looking right away. Jacob’s taken such a shine to you, and I think your spirit item will be easy to find.”

“There’s an old toy of mine, a teddy bear to be precise. It has a small pink bow around its neck,” I explained as I brought the image to mind. I had that bear since I was three at least. If there was anything my “spirit” was tied to, it was that item. 

“Alright, and your full name?”

“Elizabeth Michelle Martin.”

“Thank you. Christ and I will get right on it,” Mrs. Smith declared and looked at the time. “Do you want to go see your family before the sun rises? Until we get that teddy bear of yours, you won’t see them for a while.” 

“Thank you for everything, Mrs. Smith,” I said. 

“It’s our pleasure, Lizzie. And you, Samuel? How are you spending the night?”

“If Lizzie doesn’t mind, I’d like to accompany her tonight,” Samuel answered, so I nodded. Mrs. Smith grinned and ushered us off. 

“Well, go on,” she urged. This time, it was me leading Samuel away. I started to run until I came to a familiar intersection. From there, I could find my way home. I could find my way to Eddy and my family. With any luck, he’d still be in costume. I’d love to see him in his outfit. Mom always made him the most creative costumes. 

Samuel kept pace and stopped when I did, in front of my house. The streets were mostly empty, but when I stepped into what used to my home, Eddy was sitting on the couch with my parents, still in costume. He was wearing a homemade Darth Vader outfit. When he breathed, a harmonica sound played. For the first time, I wondered where I would be staying if Mrs. Smith found that bear. I was dead, so I didn’t need to sleep, right? So, what would I do? 

“Is that your brother,” Samuel muttered. 

“Yeah, that’s Eddy,” I replied. “My little brother.”

“Was that why you were so eager to stay? Because of your brother?”

“Partly because of my brother, and partly because of Jacob.”

“I see. Is there anything else you want to do tonight?” I looked at the television screen. Eddy and my parents were watching Hocus Pocus. 

“Care to watch a movie,” I suggested. Samuel chuckled but knelt with me in front of the screen. Gosh, I always loved that movie. Samuel and I stayed there until my parents went to bed and when they finally did, we stayed outside to watch the sunrise. 

“What do ghosts do when it isn’t Halloween,” I asked, but Samuel just shrugged. 

“I wouldn’t know. Maybe we just sneak around and scare people? Most of them stay with the Smiths and help them look for the other ghost artifacts. I guess we do regular things. I heard of one or two ghosts who help the Smiths solve crime somewhere,” he answered. I grinned at that and leaned on his shoulder. The sun started to peak on the horizon. 

“See you next year,” I muttered as the rays hit my face. 

“See you next year,” he replied, and it was the last thing I heard when everything faded away. The next thing I knew, I was staring at Jacob holding a little brown teddy bear. 

“Lizzie,” he exclaimed, and in my living or dead life, I had never been happier. I was, from that moment forward, the living dead.