Phantom Memories

 

Rachel looked around the kitchen in confusion. She did not remember why she was there. Meanwhile, watching her from behind was a ghost.

“How do I tell her how I feel? I wish she could see me.”

Rachel felt a strange presence beside her, although she could see nothing around her. “Why do I feel like I’m being watched?” she thought.

“I’ll always be here for you, Rachel,” the ghost thought.

Rachel heard those thoughts. “Who’s there?” she asked, grabbing a knife and moving away from the kitchen entrance.

“Wait, you can actually hear me?”

Rachel felt her heart begin to pound. Was she hearing things?

“You’re not having hallucinations, Rachel. It’s me, Andrew.”

“Stop it!” Rachel held her head and fell to her knees. The voice was echoing endlessly in her mind.

Andrew quickly reached out to her and placed his phantom hand upon her head. “I’m so sorry.”

Rachel looked around the kitchen in confusion once again. Unable to remember why she had arrived there, she went back to the living room. Her mom was watching a movie, so she sat next to her on the sofa.

“What’s wrong, hon?” her mom asked.

Rachel shook her head. “Nothing. I just forgot why I went to the kitchen.”

“Again? We need to get you checked. You’ve been having too many memory issues since last week.”

“It might just be the stress.” Rachel did not truly believe her own statement, but it was the only reasonable explanation she had.

“Perhaps, but maybe we should have you meet a therapist.”

“I don’t need therapy, mom. Don’t worry, I’ll be fine.”

Later that day, Rachel was seated at her desk trying to study, but she found herself unable to concentrate. “What’s wrong with me?”

“Nothing’s wrong with you.”

Rachel almost threw her textbook. She jumped out of her seat and looked around, panic beginning to crawl under her skin.

Andrew stopped himself from talking or thinking. He could not force her to endure anymore pain.
Rachel’s mom walked in on her inspecting her room and asked what had happened. Rachel said she thought someone was inside the room.

“Don’t be silly, hon. There’s no one here.”

Andrew lost control at that moment. “Don’t call her silly,” he said.

Rachel’s mom now heard him too. She grabbed a bat and looked around, but found no one else there but them. Andrew grew afraid of his influence on them and left the room immediately. Rachel’s mom suspected that something supernatural may be behind their strange experience, so she called a friend of hers called Jen who had experience with the subject. Jen arrived at their house that evening.

Jen brought with her a book and several other objects that she said were necessary to communicate with ghosts. Following a series of chants recited from the book she had, Jen was finally able to make contact with Andrew. Jen asked Andrew to leave the house since he was putting their health at risk, but Andrew refused.

“I love her, and I want to be here by her side forever!”

“Remaining in the realm of the living will deteriorate your identity as well. You need to leave.”

“No!”

The evening passed, and the ritual was complete. As Jen walked out of the door, Rachel and her mom thanked her for all her help. But unbeknownst to all of them, Andrew still hovered at the top of the staircase, his ghostly face contorted with bitterness after what he was forced to do. He had rewritten all of their memories from that day.