Old lady

Hannah's POV

One day has passed and I am still outside of my house. This is the freedom that I wanted. I keep hanging around, trying different foods, and more. How can I eat? It seems that I can have a clone of these foods and objects or anything in my own dimension. Pretty convenient. I can taste food but I don't take a dump or anything. I think that's an advantage of being a ghost? While walking and enjoying my freedom, I saw an old lady sitting down the road. She looks so messy and dirty. I stop and stood in front of her while eating my taco while I am being passed through by people. I asked her as if she could hear me.

"Why are you living like that? Why not die already? Since you will die anyway whether you like it or not." then have a big bite at my taco.

The old lady looked me in the eyes and crawl fast then holds my feet so strong and with so much force that I suddenly feel pain after so many years.

"Ouch, that hurts!" I screamed in pain making myself drop my yummy taco.

I tried hard to remove her hands from me but couldn't, then she suddenly talked.

"You poor little lady! Do not even know how you die! Oh my, what a tragedy. I see blood on a rainy night filled with anger, anguish, and intent to kill!" The old lady shouted.

Every people around her gets confused if who is she talking to. All that there is to their minds is that this old lady had lost her mind because of hungriness and poverty.

"Poor old woman." The girl walking in the street said. She open up her wallet and gave 5 coins to the box near the old lady then continued to walk.

"What are you even saying!?" I turned my attention to the old lady that is still holding my feet.

She smiled evilly and remove her hands from me. "I may be poor in the real world and look like I might die because of hunger, but you are poorer than me lady. You have been sold to the devil lady! Your soul will suffer through eternity!" she said.

"At least I'll die knowing the fact that I have died in this situation. How about you? Already dead but still lurking around the human place." she added.

"Sold to the devil? What are you even talking about?" I curiously asked.

"And you can see me!?" I surprisingly realized that.

"You know so little about your existence dear. But don't worry! Someone brave enough will help you unlock your past. Find him! But as they say, take no one's words, including mine...but take only you, yourself, and your experience." She said while counting how many coins she have earned for the day.

"I cannot understand even an ounce of words you are talking old lady."

"Can I have your taco?" She spoke, great way to change the conversation.

"Sure, go ahead." Although I knew that she will not get it, because that taco is in my dimension, and will never appear in the dimension of the human world.

I turned around and walk away but I hear the old lady giggle so I look at where she is.

"This taco is so good. Never have eaten anything like this for years." she happily said.

"Wh-wh-how did y-you d-do that!?" I was surprised. This is the first time in my life a human talked to me without being my master and is able to get things from my dimension transferred to the real world. She can eat my taco!

"I just picked up the food that you have dropped lady. What is wrong with that? And stop wasting food, they are precious to other's life. Other people do not have any food to eat. But you are not part of the people so I guess you are exempted from that." She said.

"You are the reason I drop my taco! I am not wasting it." I angrily said.

To my anger, I just turned around and walked away, I was just tired of asking questions without being answered. I am used to that way but this is the first time that I was annoyed by that because she can see me and still, she does not want to answer them.

"Be careful young lady, even ghost has something that they should be afraid of. Even ghosts can be at risk!" she shouted.

I raised my hand and waved at her while still walking away.

"You will meet him soon! You will have your answers once that time comes!" She then added.

I kept walking until I arrived at a park. I looked around and found a place to sit. I sat there and rest.

"I don't wanna hear things anymore, those words make me more curious than before. Who is this 'him' that I will meet? What does he have to do with my past? What kind of past do I have? Why is my soul allegedly sold to the devil and who the heck did that to me? And... How did I die?..." I talked to myself while sitting at the park and watching the children play and have fun.

"It is sure nice to be alive. I wonder what my life has been when I was still alive..." I said in a soft voice.

I bow my head and watch myself play with my hands. Then I hear a voice crying. The voice was not so near and not too far also from where I am. I stood up and try to look where that comes from. I can hear it is a voice of a girl that is crying. Finally, I saw a little girl in the old park behind the park where children are playing. I did not realize that there is another park behind. This one is old, and I cannot see anyone playing here besides the girl sitting at the bottom of the old slide which is like... burned somehow.

"Are you fine little girl? Can you see me? Why are you not playing with the other kids?" I asked. I sat beside her. Her face was hidden in her bent-down knees.

"Why are you crying?"

The girl did not reply making me think that she cannot hear me. So I just stayed there and let her calm down to see what she will do next.

"Stop crying." I pat her head gently. Then she suddenly grab my hand and looked at me. She is grinning in an evil way.

"PLAY WITH ME!" she screamed making my ears hurt.

"You can see me?" I asked. I felt like many people have seen me now without them being my master.

"PLAY WITH ME PLAY WITH ME!" she grabs my hand tighter and pulls it with all her might. If I was a real person, my right hand will now be torn away from my body by the force she is exerting to pull it.

I suddenly look at the girl's face. It is very pale and not natural. Her face is not proportionate, like she may be turning into her scary form in no time. That made me realize that this girl is a ghost.

"I don't want to." I said.

The girl burst into anger. She stopped pulling my hand. I can sense the black aura that she is releasing. Then she suddenly screams in this very high pitch and changes into her scariest form as I have expected. The girl had blood on her forehead and several parts of her body that are distorted like her right hand, both her legs, and her hips.

"You do not know your real power, Hannah!" Someone's voice shouted in my head.

Then out of nowhere, I raised my hand in front of her while she is having her tantrum and screaming at me. I closed my eyes and whisper some words which I never know. Like an enchantment. A white beam came out of my hands that makes the girl calm down and return to her original form.

"I just wanna play." The girl said in a calm way.

I also calmed down and asked her what happened to her.

"I died here." she said.

"You remember how you died?" I curiously asked.

"Yes... I was playing at this slide and I am the only one at this park playing and some of my classmates came. When I reached the top of the slide and got ready to sit and slide down, they pushed me. I was unaware. So I rolled down the slide, had my forehead hit different things, and broke my hand, legs, and hips. Their parents seem to see what happened, they took advantage that we are just the only people at the park and burned me down including this slide, and run away with my classmates. Police investigated and believed the parents saying that they already saw me dead at that time and while calling the police, this slide was burned down with me." The girl told me.

"Why did they believe that?" I asked.

"I saw them while I was a ghost... that they give some money to the police officers investigating my case. They framed someone who was just near the park at that time which is my papa who was smoking outside the park premises. My papa was sent to jail. I could not do anything." Then she burst into tears.

"I just wanna play, even if I am alone. I know everyone does not like me but I did not realize that they will kill me because I am an outcast."

People are really getting bad and evil because of money. It is really real that money is the root of all evil.

"Stop crying. Everything will be alright. Is that... the reason that you are still here in the human world? Because you are guilty that your papa took the blame for what other people did to you?" I said while tapping her shoulder.

"I think so. But I am tired. I did everything I could but I cannot go outside the park's premises. I give up on seeing papa one last time before I forgive everyone." she said while wiping her tears.

"Just like me at the old house." I whispered to myself.

"I'll help you. I will find your papa! So you can go and rest in paradise!" I excitedly said.

"Really? You will help me?" she smiled happily.

"Yes! I just need to know what your father's name is."

"My papa's name?" she asked.

"My papa's name is Tommy Numble Sr." she then added.

"Tommy Numble Sr. Good! I'll find h-" Then I realize that I have met someone named Tommy... Tommy the fat guy who visited me at my haunted house. Maybe he and this girl are somehow related.

"What is your name little girl?" I asked her in a polite voice.

"My name?... I do not really remember... but I do remember I have a loving older brother also named Tommy. I miss them so much."

"Why can't you remember your name?"

"I do not also know. I assume that it's because I always think about my papa, my brother, my mama, and my death that's why they are the only memory that is still intact to me?"

"Do you remember where you lived before?"

"Yes, I do! That place is cozy and warm even if it is not that big." Her eyes glimmer in happiness and hope.

"Is your brother Tommy a fat little boy?" I added.

"Yes! he is so nice and good to me, he said I am the Numble's princess!"

"I think I know your brother, I want to be his and Johnny's friend but every time they see me, they see me in my scariest form." I told her.

"Oh! I think I am familiar with the name Johnny!" she said as she was surprised.

Her theory of how she remembers them is believable and possible. Now I am learning a few things about being a ghost. This is my first encounter with one of my kind which is a ghost. I already have 105 masters during the past years but everything got weirder since I forced myself to get out of that haunted house. Then a crazy idea pop out of my head remembering what I did at the haunted house.

"Hey little girl, hold my hand, let me get you out of this place." I confidently said. I have done this before, I cannot also go out of my house and whenever I try, I come back near clocky.

"But... I have tried it many times. It's no use." she said while her head bows down.

"No... we'll try it! Thou shall not lose thy hope!" I yelled.

I hold her hand and we ran as fast as we could aiming to go outside the old park's premises.

"We'll get you out of here!!" I said with a positive mind.

We ran as fast as we could and it is like we got out of the ozone layer. The barrier that holds the little girl inside the old park broke and...

"I have successfully got you out of the park!! I could not believe it!" I shouted and scream in shock and happiness. I picked up the girl, hug her, and turned around as many times as I could until we got dizzy.

"You are now outside the park." I smiled at her.

She is still in shock and could not believe it. I put her down and tap her head and she snaps out of it.

"I am really now outside the park. Wow, the sky is so beautiful here! All I can see at the old park are dark clouds!" she jumps and jump out of her excitement then grab my hand.

"Come on! let's go to my house!"

We run so fast and past so many trees, people, and places until we reach the place that she remembers as her house.

"Look! this is my house!" She smiled and wait for someone to go outside the house. Then someone opened the door. It is Tommy.

"Tom-Tom? Is that my older brother Tom-Tom?" She gladly asked herself.

She looked closely at Tommy and find something that she can remember about his brother.

"Oh, this birthmark! This is my older brother! He grew up so sooooo big!" She giggles and hugs Tommy.

"Ooooh. Chills." Tommy said and shakes in coldness.

"Brother it's me! I have come back!" She shouted and jumped cheerfully.

"Tommy did you already get the clothes?!" A voice inside the house yelled.

"Is that mama brother!?" The little girl's eyes were filled with excitement. She comes with Tommy who is going inside the house. I joined them too.

I saw some pictures hanging on the wall, the little girl is in it. She is really Tommy's little sister.

"Hey ma'am" the little girl addressed me.

"Just call me Hannah." I told her.

"Hannah, thank you so much! I am so happy that I have seen my brother and mama. The only thing that I wanted for before resting in peace is seeing papa together with them." then she gazed at Tommy and her mother.

Her mother was preparing a portion of food for three, so I guessed that his father had already gotten out of jail and is now living with Tommy and her mother. Someone knocked on the door and Tommy opens it.

"Papa!" The girl was so happy she runs toward her papa and hugs him very tight.

"Papa, hug me please." she cried.

Her father suddenly was shocked and could not move.

"Honey, what's wrong?" The mother asked worriedly.

"Nothing, I just got chills and remembered Tanya." he said on his sad face.

He then walked and put down her bag on the old sofa, while the girl is still hugging her left foot.

"So you're name is Tanya" I told the girl.

The little girl became silent for a second like she is remembering something.

"Right! My name is Tanya! I remember it! I remember everything!" She jumps for joy.

" I want them to see me one last time..." she said sadly.

"Hey, try closing your eyes and think that you really want them to see you one last time. Try very hard and let us see if it will work. Say you want to meet with them once more." I said to her.

Tanya closes her eyes and tries hard. She keeps speaking and shouting that she wanted to see her family one last time and then on the 20th time of her shouting, Her family finally sees her.

"Tanya?" Her father spoke.

Tanya opened her eyes and her family was looking at her with teary eyes. She runs quickly to them and hugs them and cried so much.

"Papa I'm sorry you got in jail because of me, it is not your fault. Tom-Tom I missed how we played whenever I am lonely and my classmates don't want to play with me. Mama, I missed how you cooked delicious food for me. I missed you all." Her family was shocked yet in the joy that they could talk, and hold Tanya once more.

"My sweet Tanya, how we missed you so much." Her mother cried.

"Tanya! You are that chill that I felt outside a while ago? W-why did y-you not s-see us before??" Tommy wailed.

"I tried but I could not get out of the park. Some ghost help me, her name is Hannah, she is with me now! She even said that she had met you brother, and Johnny when you visited her house! And she wants to be your friend! But I guess you cannot see her now. She said she always appeared in her scariest form whenever you see her." Tanya giggled.

"The monstrous-looking ghost girl?" Tommy was surprised.

"I have no time! I love you all, I wish I could spend more time with you. Now I can rest in peace. Do not worry about me papa, mama. I'll be happy and I will look over you forever! I do not want any revenge. I have forgiven everyone who hurt me so I hope you forgive them too. Live happily for me!" Tanya smiled brightly to them and turned around to me.

"Thank you, Hannah."

There is a glow coming from her body. Her father kissed her on the forehead and she waved goodbye to everyone and disappeared smiling. What a beautiful memory she has left for everyone. Such an angel.

"Thank you for helping my daughter whoever and wherever you are, Hannah." Her father spoke and smiled.

I felt a sudden warmth in me. Is this the feeling when you have helped others? It feels so good.

"My pleasure." I replied and go outside of the house. I got back to the place where I was sitting, eating ice cream on my first day outside, and watching people walk, talk, laugh, everything.

"It is surely good to be alive. I wonder what it feels like." Then I close my eyes and sleep for a while.