Puzzles

Blank. It was all blank.

It was all a black hole where everything, even light, was sucked through, never to return. I didn’t understand why. All I remembered is waking up in an alleyway. There was nothing else my mind could tell me. Not even my name.

I stumbled around for a while, hoping, praying to find something that would tell me who I was or even where I was. There was no indication what so ever. My attention is turned to a busy street, people walking in different directions. My instincts told me to talk to them. I rushed towards the people. They seemed to ignore me as they passed by. “Um, excuse me,” I croaked to a younger woman. “Where am I?”

She didn’t pay me any mind as she continued to walk by me. I thought it was rude, but I moved on. I asked the same question to an older man but gained the same reaction. Were people always like this? I wondered, walking along with the crowd, something pulling me to walk that way. I decided that I was sick of being ignored. Maybe I needed to do something drastic to get their attention?

I jumped in front of an elderly woman, “Hey!” I yelled at her.

Again, I received no response, but something different happened. She kept walking as if I wasn’t even there, right through me. “What?” I whimpered, rushing to different people, trying to get them to acknowledge my existence.

I was frantic. What had just happened? Why did she walk through me? Why can’t anyone hear me? Sobs erupted from my throat as I was completely alone. No one would hear me if I started screaming my lungs out. I was alone in my own, blank mind. Not even a name to comfort me.

I looked around, stopping when I am at a window where I could see my reflection perfectly. Brown hair sat on top of my head in a messy bun, round green eyes stared back at me with a heart-shaped face. Nose turned up slightly and uneven lips. This was me. This was what I looked like, but what no one could see. I looked to see what I was wearing. An oversized red flannel, black sleeveless top, light jean shorts and black flats. I was curious about who I used to be. What did these clothes symbolize?

Who was I?

I sobbed again, shaking as I turned away from my reflection. That was who I was and who I was supposed to be. I continued walking for some reason. There was a strange feeling within me to keep walking as if it would solve all of my problems. I knew tears were streaming down my cheeks, but I couldn’t feel them. Why couldn’t I feel them? I had so many questions that would never be answered.

I gave up on walking, leaning up against a brick wall with a sigh. Sliding down, falling to my bottom, I wrapped my arms around my knees, crying loudly. I didn’t know who I was, but I mourned for it. I looked young, so I knew that I had my whole life ahead of me. “Are you okay?” I hear someone ask.

My head snaps up to see a man who looked around the age that I appeared to be. He had short black hair, an angular face, and startling blue eyes. And those eyes were staring right at me. “Y-You can see me?” I stammered.

His eyes widen, looking around, seeing people look at him in confusion, “You mean no one else can see you?”
As I nodded, he got up from his knees without another word, walking away from me. My heart broke. This was the first person who could see and hear me and he’s walking away. My hands balled into fists as I got up, running in his directions. “Hey!” I yelled. “Stop, please!”

He seemed to walk even faster at my pleas, wanting to get away from me. My eyes narrowed as I continued to go at his pace, walking in front of him, “Look, I need your help! You’re the only one who’s been able to see me, please!”

I continued to plead with him even as he turned down an alleyway. Finally, he stopped, “What could you possibly want?”

“I need help,” I begged. “Where am I?”

“New York City,” he says, his back still turned to me. “Anything else?”

“Please…”

He turns to me, a glare in his eyes, “I am so sick of you people bugging me to help you with something or another!”

“You people?” I quote him, folding my arms across my chest, “What the hell is that supposed to mean?"

“Don’t act stupid,” he snaps, rolling his eyes. “You people. Ghosts.”

I froze, “G-Ghost?”

It all made sense. No one seeing me or hearing me, not being able to feel the tears on my face. But that didn’t explain why I couldn’t remember anything. His glare softens at my shock, “Wait, y-you didn’t know?”

I shook my head, “I don’t remember anything before I woke up. All I knew is that something was wrong because no one could see or hear me, and someone walked through me. I was stupid and didn’t put the pieces together.”

“Well there you go,” he turns to walk away. “Now you know.”

“Stop!” He does so. “I don’t remember anything about myself. Is that normal?”

With a sigh, he looks at me, “No.”

“Then help me,” I beg, standing in front of him with my hands clasped together. “Please! I want to remember who I am! I need to know how I died!”

“Why should I help you?”

I duck my head down, looking at the ground, “I can’t give you a good reason. I’m just a ghost, and you should just move along, but I am begging you. Please?”

He folds his arms across his chest, walking away from me towards the crowd of people once more. I started shaking again, staring at the place I had been before he walked away. I really was alone. Even he wouldn’t help me. This is how humanity was? It was painful. Finally, I turned my head in his direction, finding him standing on the edge, staring at me with his hands on his hips, “Well, are you coming?”

Notes

I actually had a dream last night that this story is based around, but Andy was not involved, funnily enough. I just inserted him.

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