Those Made to Suffer
Introduction-My Name Is...
It is true. Ghosts do, indeed, exist. I have firsthand knowledge of this, being that I am one.
I’ve been a ghost for more than fifty years and, believe me, I am not a ghost by choice. I passed away in London, the place of my birth, at the ripe, young age of twenty. My name is...no, actually, I’d rather not tell you. There’s no need. Don’t want to get that chummy with you all just yet.
Anyway, I have a story I’d like to share.
But, first, let me set this all up by letting you in on some of my ghostly characteristics, as they come into play in the narrative.
First and foremost, ghosts can make themselves visible and invisible at will, to both the living and other ghosts. That’s an obvious one. Everyone knows that. Just so you know, I remained an impartial observer, invisible to all, throughout the course of the story I’m about to reveal. It should also be noted that ghosts, if they’re not careful, can be felt by the living, usually in the form of a cold chill, or a shiver. A tingle on your neck or spine more often than not indicates a ghostly presence. Could also mean you left the window open. Regardless, a ghost who doesn’t concentrate on making him- or herself permeable to the living will be felt. There are those ghosts who revel in that activity. Others are more careful. So, in conjunction with my invisibility, I was permeable throughout the story, as well. In short, no one knew I was there.
Some ghosts, like myself, have the ability to read minds, be it a human, an animal, or another ghost. A few ghosts can even read several minds at once. Even fewer ghosts—again, like myself—can control those minds.
Animals’ minds are the easiest to control. Ever been sitting alone with your pet dog or cat when they suddenly sit bolt upright and stare at nothing, their heads cocked to the side slightly? They’re listening to or watching us. Oh, that reminds me. I mentioned earlier that ghosts can be invisible to the living. That doesn’t apply to animals. Animals can see ghosts. We can’t hide from them, and we have no idea why.
Humans can be difficult to control. Too much free will. Even if you are successful, it can have a draining effect on a ghost. It can be fun, though.
A ghost cannot control another ghost’s mind. It’s impossible. A ghost can only read another ghost’s mind.
As it applies to the story, I did read minds. I did not, however, control any. I wanted to see how everything would play out on its own, without my interference. Made things much more interesting.
Possession. A ghost cannot possess another ghost. Animals are easy to possess. Humans are also easy to possess, if they let you in. If a human has a strong will, they are nearly impenetrable. A ghost can possess a strong-willed individual a mere second, if that. Then there are those who want to be possessed. That’s what séances are for. Controlling a human’s mind is draining, but possession, for a ghost, is downright exhausting. It’s exhausting for the human, as well. And, no, I possessed no one in the story.
Finally, a ghost can physically interact with the living. This requires the greatest amount of concentration a ghost can muster. Touching, throwing, pushing, pulling, lifting. Out of, say, one hundred ghosts, fifteen can do these things. Oddly enough, even though a ghost can move something, he or she cannot feel that something. Say, for example, a ghost moves a set of keys from a kitchen counter and sets them under a couch cushion, a favorite pastime for ghosts, by the way. He or she can see that they are picking up those keys, lifting the couch cushion, et cetera. There’s simply no sense of touch accompanying the act. Again, I did not interact with the physical world at any point during the story.
A long-winded way of saying I was merely a fly-on-the-wall.
Now, then, the central character in this story is a man by the name of Ralph Laffoon, a man whose exploits I have been following for quite some time.
Why?
You’ll see...
*please note - the copyright for the above material is held by Philip Colander. It may not be reproduced without the author's permission.
