The Dead Are Living

“Hey Devin.” I grumbled and rubbed my forehead.

“October I am so sorry about your house.” He said and hugged me quickly. “Was it really Mitch?”

“Yeah… but he’s gone now so it doesn’t matter.” I whispered and stared at my feet. “Uhm excuse me.” I walked around him and went into the kitchen. “Chris do you have shoes that are to small for you that I could borrow?” I asked quietly and stared at the floor.

“No… but Devin brought you a pair of Kylie’s shoes.” he said I peaked up at Devin and saw the small converse in his hands.

“Will she be okay with it? I don’t want to piss her off or anything.”

“She was on video chat with me when Chris called so she told me to give them to you.” he said as I took them from him. “Where are you going?”

“Out… to take pictures.” I said quietly and slipped them on. “I’ll be back soon because we need to run over what my job responsibilities are.”

“You gonna be okay October?” Angelo asked and put his hand on my shoulder.

“Yeah I’ll be fine Ange.” I murmured and walked to my suitcase. I took out my Nikon and slipped the strap over my wrist. “I’ll be fine promise. I wont let you guys down.”

“Okay be safe.” he said from behind me and patted the top of my head. I turned at him and smiled sadly.

“In time you guys will learn that I cant promise that.” I said and then walked out of the house. I shivered a little when I saw my house but picked up my camera and took a picture of it. I got closer and took close up picture of the charred wood and broken glass. I reached it up and took a picture of the inside. There was a silhouette of a man sitting on the arm of the couch… where Mitch had been and the area around it was charred black. I would love hearing the explanation the fire department tried coming up with to explain the start of the fire.

I walked down to the park I had been at yesterday and started snapping random photos of everything and if I liked the shot I would keep it. I took a picture of the swings and when I looked at it there was a little shadow sitting on the swing. I looked up and there was a little girl but she hadnt been there before.

“Hi I’m Lindsey.” she said and gave me a toothy smile. “What’s your name?”

“October.” I said and sat next to her. Why didn’t she turn up in the photo and where in the hell had she come from? “Where are your parents?”

“Oh… they moved a while ago. I wonder if they miss me. Do you think they do?” she asked.

“Why would they move without you?” I asked confused.

“I died.” she said sadly and twiddled her thumbs. “I tried talking to them but they couldn’t hear me and when I got close to them they would just cry more and I love my mommy and daddy so I left them alone. You are the only person that has talked to me because usually they just ignore me and move on.”

“I am sure they miss you then Lindsey.” I said sadly and reached out to touch her. She met e half way and I could barely feel her fingers on mine. “I can see people that have died… it’s just something I’ve been able to do since I was a little girl.”

“That guy that fallows you around is a ghost to right? The guy with drawings on his skin?”

“Yeah.” I sighed.

“He was here last night. I didn’t know if he was dead like me or not but he talks to me sometimes.” she said and smiled. “He says that he comes here when his friend is sleeping. He reminds me of my daddy.”

“He is a good guy to be around.”

“I miss my daddy.” she said and her lower lip started to quiver.

“I know he misses you to but when him and your mom die they will be with you again and then you guys can all be happy. You wont have to miss them anymore. Remember that and maybe you wont be so sad anymore.”

“I hope so.” she said and then her body started glowing. The glow grew brighter and brighter and then she started giggling. I couldn’t help it so I took a picture. The camera flashed and she was gone but there was a picture of a smiling girl on it. I looked at it and smiled but felt tears in my eyes.

“I wonder where she went.” I whispered and stood up.

“She moved on to the next life. You helped her.” a voice whispered. I looked around me but no one was there. I shook my head and started walking back to Chris’s place. I hopped up his steps and stopped. Should I knock? I tapped the door and there were running footsteps then the door was thrown open and I was met by all six of them and my brother.

“What happened to you guys?” I asked.

“Well we… why were you crying?” Max asked and took my shoulders in his hands.

“I met someone.” I said sadly and found the picture in my camera. I showed them and they all looked confused.

“It is a little girl… so?” he said and scrunched his face up.

“She was a little ghost but I took this just when she was passing on and I got her.” I said and smiled sadly. “She just wanted to know that her family still cared and that she wouldn’t always be sad.”

“A ghost? Another one?”

“Max I have been seeing them since I can remember. I never had imaginary friends like you and everyone else believed. They were all very much real.” I said and walked around him. “You guys still want me on your crew?” I asked the six guys behind him. “Now that you know my biggest darkest secret?”