life is possessive
I’m not afraid of Ghosts. I pity them. They are the ones who can’t let go or accept that their time on this Earth is over. They can’t move on. They’re stuck on this plane with unfinished business. So, no. I am not afraid of Ghosts; I pity them. I do not feel bad that they are caught haunting the same halls. I do not feel bad that their transparent auras linger beside the lives they once were and can never be again. I do not feel bad that they look at flesh and blood and bone with envy. I do not feel bad that they forget touch and smell. And I don’t feel bad that they lose themselves.
After a certain amount of time, long after their physical bodies have sunk back into the Earth and tangled with the roots of trees, the Ghosts start to forget. They start to forget why they stayed in the first place. Their minds sink slowly from this plane and move on to the next, but their spirit stays here. Motivations and memories leave in a feather dusting of the mind, dissipating into the air in gusts of wind. They forget but they can’t leave. They’re tethered to life while not being alive themselves. The Ghosts float with aimless fury, wondering why they’re still watching what they cannot be. Haunted by those who still walk and feel. It’s a sickening cycle, but I do not feel bad.
Soon after they forget, they fear. They fear life with all its vibrance. Laughter and smiles hurt, burning at their sad miserable presence. They long for the afterlife but it’s been so long that they’ve lingered. They gambled and lost on what would be more forgiving. Life tethered them to her and she won’t let go. They were the ones that decided to stay. Of course, they wanted to stay with her. Who they once were: of flesh and bone. Of arteries and veins. Of organs and pulse. Of muscle and tendon. Their bodies left Life like always but their soul decided to stay. Ghosts decided to stay.
Life is possessive. She will keep them. I do not feel bad. She will keep them because all of her creations leave her. The bird eventually stops flying and the flower wilts into nothingness but the Ghosts remain. She won’t let the ones who chose to stay, slip away a second time. She will treasure Them. She failed to Death once, She won’t let Them fall prey to Afterlife. So they stay, tethered and trapped and fearful in Life. They holler and scream and beg. Slam doors and whisper in the dark corners of the world. Their memories shaking windows and rustling trees. They nip at the heels of those who cross their path, trying to make the brightness of life dim down to nothing. Many are scared of the vengeance born from envy but I know. They made their choice so many years ago. I do not feel bad. They should’ve known what I do. Life loves all her creations and she won’t let the ones that decided to stay, go.
