Over My Dead Body!

Chapter Four

"Great, you're awake. For a second there, I thought you were dead."

Keith slowly sits up, putting a hand on his aching head where it had hit the floor. He can feel pain in his chest from the binder he's been wearing. He notes that he has to remove it before bed. The scene before him is dim, because the sun came down and he hasn't opened the lights yet. Well, how can he? He passed out on the floor after trying to run away from a "ghost".

"I kinda wish I am," Keith says. "So I don't have to deal with this bullshit."

"Bullshit?" The echoey voice says. "Don't you think it's cool that you have a ghost talking to you?"

"That depends if the ghost is an asshole, which by the way, you are an asshole."

"Pfft, tell me something I don't know."

"Tell me," he stands up and opens the lights. "And I want the truth, are you really a ghost?"

"Affirmative."

"Then why can't I see you?"

"Uh, I don't know either."

"Bullshit."

"Hey, man. You're the first person that can hear me. I've been roaming around for months now and out of all people I tried to talk to, it had to be you who heard me."

"Why me?"

"I don't know either."

Keith sighs in exasperation, "Well then go away and find the answer. Don't come back."

"No can do, sir."

"What? Why?"

"Because," the voice takes a deep breath. "I need your help."

Keith scoffs, "Oh, you need my help?"

"Yeah."

"For what?"

"Alright," the voice pauses and Keith feels a sudden wind blowing to the couche's direction. "How about we sit down and I'll tell you."  

Keith crosses his arms, making no move to join the ghost on the couch.

"Okay, suit yourself. So, obviously you want me to leave you alone—"

"Gee, what gave it away?"

"—and believe me, I don't wanna be around you as much as you don't want me to be around you, but the only way you're gonna get rid of me for good is to help me."

"Help you on what?"

"Ah-ah-ah!" The ghost says and Keith imagines he's wagging a finger as he said that. "Before I tell you, you gotta tell me that you will help me."

"Fuck no!" Keith snaps. "I'm not the one in need here. I don't care what happened to you because from the looks of it, you died because you're an asshole and assholes deserve to die."

A long moment of silence consumes them before the ghost speaks again.

"Wow, sharp tongue." He says. "But that's not why I died."

"Yeah? Well, how did you?"

A pause, then, "I can't tell you that unless you tell me that you're gonna help me."

"This is bullshit." Keith says under his breath. "Why would I help someone who I barely know?"

"I'm already dead. What's the point in trying to get to know me?"

"For all I know, I could be talking to a criminal who deserved to die for a crime he did. While I like to get rid of you as soon as NOW, I'd rather let you suffer for a little longer for those whom you caused harm."