I knew they were all still looking at me. I knew
my mother had come to keep them from finding out too much. But well, what was
the saying; too little too late? I was looking at the ghost. “Who are
you?”
The ghost turned his gaze to me and smirked.
“Stay outta this, kid. It ain’t your
concern.”
I thought the top of my head was about to
explode. “What?” I sputtered indignantly. “Can you explain how it doesn’t
concern me when I’m the only one who can even see
you?”
I conveniently left my mother out of the equation
because she didn’t need the torment I was going through as I gestured to
everyone else in the room. “I’m the one being looked at as if I’m a freak and
you’re telling me to stay out of it.” I groaned, shaking my head. “Buddy, I’m
all kinds of in the middle of this, so I have no idea how it isn’t my
concern.”
The Detective was looking at me like I’d sprouted
two heads. “Who are you talking to?” hi voice had grown louder so I had no
choice but to acknowledge him.
Looking from the ghost to him, I was honest. “The
ghost who is standing beside you,”There, truth is easy; just pure, simple, and
to the point.
The look on his face made the ghost growl. “Oh,
come on Guy! You look like you swallowed a molded piece of
bread.”
I couldn’t help my reaction. “Ewwwwe! That’s just
gross!” I snarled up my nose.“And why do you keep calling him
Guy?”
At that question, they both responded at the same
time.
“That’s his name.” the ghost
said.
“That’s my name.” the detective
said.
I looked at the living man incredulously.
“Seriously? I haven’t heard that name since I was a kid watching Robin
Hood.”
Guy’s face went blank. “Yes, well . . . My mother
had a thing for Sir Guy of Gisborne.”He shook his head. “Don’t ask me why. We
aren’t analyzing my name. We’re trying to get you to tell the
truth!”
If I’d been holding anything, I would have thrown
it at him. “You arrogant pig,” I growled before turning to the ghost. “What’s
your name? Who are you to him? And what is there about you that only he
knows?”
The ghost looked back and forth between us for a
moment before sighing. “My name is Charlie. I was stationed with him in Iraq,
and I was blown to bacon bits in front of his
eyes.”
Blinking several times, I tried to get the image
out of my head. Glancing at my mom, I said softly, “I won’t be eating bacon any
time soon.”
Turning back to look at guy, I spoke almost with
regret. “The ghost following you is someone you were stationed in Iraq with. His
name is Charlie? He just told me you witnessed his
death.”
Guy just sat there looking at me with a perplexed
expression. “Really? Then why don’t you just go a little deeper.” He crossed his
arms over his chest. “How exactly did he
die?”
At that, Charlie started to explain a little
better. “Well see, I said bacon bits, but the truth was it was more like some
big nasty chunks! H actually got hit by a few
pieces—.”
Screeching, I stood up, waving my hand in front
of me as if trying to ward off a demon.“Stop-Stop-Stop-Stop!” I cried, in
horror. “Oh my Lord! Don’t you have any idea about too much
information?”
Looking back to the cop who was actually looking
pretty smug; as if he was going to really catch me I a lie, it was then I
understood why Charlie had gone into so much detail. He knew it was going to
take that to get through to him.
I took a few deep breaths to try to calm myself
as I moved to sit back down across from Guy. I looked straight into his eyes for
several seconds while I tried to figure out how to say what he was forcing me to
say.
“I’m sorry, sir.” I said softly. “I cannot
imagine how hard it must have been for you to see a friend blown up.” I watched
as all the color drained out of Guy’s face. “To be hit by pieces of his remains
must have been something that still haunts
you.”
Charlie, moved to my side and sat down on the
table. “He’s been acting like it was nothing, but I know he spent some time in
some serious therapy over what happened to me. He’s always felt like he had let
me down. But he needs to know it wasn’t his
fault.”
I looked up and nodded to Charlie as my eyes got
misty. When I turned back to Guy, it was to see him sitting still as a statue,
in shock and denial. “He wants you to know, it wasn’t your fault and there was
nothing you could have done.” I swiped angrily at the tear that had begun
traveling down my cheek.
Turning to look at my mother, I whispered, “Can
we go home now? I don’t feel like being here
anymore.”
She moved forward and grabbed my book bag off the
floor. As I stood and made my way to the door, the adults seemed to part. Mom
glared at the principal first. “We will discuss your lack of propriety on
calling me before he talked to her later. For now, I am taking my daughter
home.”
Then she turned to Guy. “If you have any further
questions, you will go through me instead of sneaking into her school and
wreaking havoc in her life! Am I understood?” Her voice was deadly calm, but I
could tell by the way the other adults watched as Guy just nodded; everyone in
the room took her seriously.
my mother had come to keep them from finding out too much. But well, what was
the saying; too little too late? I was looking at the ghost. “Who are
you?”
The ghost turned his gaze to me and smirked.
“Stay outta this, kid. It ain’t your
concern.”
I thought the top of my head was about to
explode. “What?” I sputtered indignantly. “Can you explain how it doesn’t
concern me when I’m the only one who can even see
you?”
I conveniently left my mother out of the equation
because she didn’t need the torment I was going through as I gestured to
everyone else in the room. “I’m the one being looked at as if I’m a freak and
you’re telling me to stay out of it.” I groaned, shaking my head. “Buddy, I’m
all kinds of in the middle of this, so I have no idea how it isn’t my
concern.”
The Detective was looking at me like I’d sprouted
two heads. “Who are you talking to?” hi voice had grown louder so I had no
choice but to acknowledge him.
Looking from the ghost to him, I was honest. “The
ghost who is standing beside you,”There, truth is easy; just pure, simple, and
to the point.
The look on his face made the ghost growl. “Oh,
come on Guy! You look like you swallowed a molded piece of
bread.”
I couldn’t help my reaction. “Ewwwwe! That’s just
gross!” I snarled up my nose.“And why do you keep calling him
Guy?”
At that question, they both responded at the same
time.
“That’s his name.” the ghost
said.
“That’s my name.” the detective
said.
I looked at the living man incredulously.
“Seriously? I haven’t heard that name since I was a kid watching Robin
Hood.”
Guy’s face went blank. “Yes, well . . . My mother
had a thing for Sir Guy of Gisborne.”He shook his head. “Don’t ask me why. We
aren’t analyzing my name. We’re trying to get you to tell the
truth!”
If I’d been holding anything, I would have thrown
it at him. “You arrogant pig,” I growled before turning to the ghost. “What’s
your name? Who are you to him? And what is there about you that only he
knows?”
The ghost looked back and forth between us for a
moment before sighing. “My name is Charlie. I was stationed with him in Iraq,
and I was blown to bacon bits in front of his
eyes.”
Blinking several times, I tried to get the image
out of my head. Glancing at my mom, I said softly, “I won’t be eating bacon any
time soon.”
Turning back to look at guy, I spoke almost with
regret. “The ghost following you is someone you were stationed in Iraq with. His
name is Charlie? He just told me you witnessed his
death.”
Guy just sat there looking at me with a perplexed
expression. “Really? Then why don’t you just go a little deeper.” He crossed his
arms over his chest. “How exactly did he
die?”
At that, Charlie started to explain a little
better. “Well see, I said bacon bits, but the truth was it was more like some
big nasty chunks! H actually got hit by a few
pieces—.”
Screeching, I stood up, waving my hand in front
of me as if trying to ward off a demon.“Stop-Stop-Stop-Stop!” I cried, in
horror. “Oh my Lord! Don’t you have any idea about too much
information?”
Looking back to the cop who was actually looking
pretty smug; as if he was going to really catch me I a lie, it was then I
understood why Charlie had gone into so much detail. He knew it was going to
take that to get through to him.
I took a few deep breaths to try to calm myself
as I moved to sit back down across from Guy. I looked straight into his eyes for
several seconds while I tried to figure out how to say what he was forcing me to
say.
“I’m sorry, sir.” I said softly. “I cannot
imagine how hard it must have been for you to see a friend blown up.” I watched
as all the color drained out of Guy’s face. “To be hit by pieces of his remains
must have been something that still haunts
you.”
Charlie, moved to my side and sat down on the
table. “He’s been acting like it was nothing, but I know he spent some time in
some serious therapy over what happened to me. He’s always felt like he had let
me down. But he needs to know it wasn’t his
fault.”
I looked up and nodded to Charlie as my eyes got
misty. When I turned back to Guy, it was to see him sitting still as a statue,
in shock and denial. “He wants you to know, it wasn’t your fault and there was
nothing you could have done.” I swiped angrily at the tear that had begun
traveling down my cheek.
Turning to look at my mother, I whispered, “Can
we go home now? I don’t feel like being here
anymore.”
She moved forward and grabbed my book bag off the
floor. As I stood and made my way to the door, the adults seemed to part. Mom
glared at the principal first. “We will discuss your lack of propriety on
calling me before he talked to her later. For now, I am taking my daughter
home.”
Then she turned to Guy. “If you have any further
questions, you will go through me instead of sneaking into her school and
wreaking havoc in her life! Am I understood?” Her voice was deadly calm, but I
could tell by the way the other adults watched as Guy just nodded; everyone in
the room took her seriously.
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