It all started out innocently, I was scared to look at her as she was staring at me. Curious about her, I would watch from afar, but she never walked out of that old, depressing house. The ones who lived there would walk past her, like she wasn’t even there. Nobody noticed her, and now I know why. So let me tell you the story about that fiery redheaded girl. This may shock you to know that I was the only one to see her, and I know she saw me. A mistake turns out beautifully.
I remember moving to that small town, it was a new start, a new beginning even. Everyone seemed so nice. I moved across from that old, depressing house, the one that contained that fiery redheaded girl. Her family, or what I presumed to be her family, came to greet me, but she never came out. She just watched as if she was trapped. I just assumed she was shy. Every morning she stands at that old, wooden screen door. I still have yet to meet her, but I wave to her as if she’ll wave back, she never does. Occasionally she smiles, and as I begin to smile back, she’s gone. And now 3 months later, she doesn’t look any different, at first I felt uncomfortable with the way she would look at me, but now it was different, like she had no purpose, and I was still so curious about her.
One day, I built up the courage to go knock on the door of that depressing house that she inhabited. I needed to know her, I needed to be reassured that I wasn’t imagining her. As I knocked, the door creaked open with a slight “hello”, I remember smiling as I began to say “Hello Sir... Mr. Parker I came over to ask umm…well you know, that girl that stands by your door, the redheaded girl, is she around?”, he looked confused, “I’m not sure what you mean” he responded. As I began to leave, his wife invited me to dinner, and I agreed in hoping to see that girl.
Later that night, I went to the Parkers’ house for dinner, as they asked of me, determined to figure out the mystery of that redheaded girl. I remember walking towards that old, depressing house, my eyes wandering in search of her, but she was nowhere to be seen. Mr. and Mrs. Parker greeted me at the door once again, and following them inside I sensed something. It wasn’t fear but I felt a sense of safety. It was awkward at first, with all of the small talk, but soon enough I felt comfort. I remember one question in particular that Mr. Parker asked me, “so you’ve seen the redheaded girl?”, “yes, I have sir” I stated quick. I remember the way they looked at each other, and then back at me. At first, I’ll admit, it frightened me, but after a while, they brought me to her room. Mr. Parker walked away but Mrs. Parker was still there with me.
So much silence filled the air between us, so much curiosity, so many questions, where was she? What’s her name? Why are they so quiet? Mrs. Parker finally spoke up, “I had a daughter, this was her room, we didn’t have her for very long”, I stayed silent, “her name was Juliet, she was a lot like you in many ways, we lost her a while ago due to leukemia, before you moved here”. I felt like a burden, “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to bring her up…I... I’ve just seen her a couple times wandering around... I”, “don’t be sorry” she responded, “I’m beyond happy that you saw her, I’ve always felt as though she was still around, I just was beginning to doubt myself”. It was great to know I wasn’t imagining her, I wasn’t crazy.
After that, nothing has ever been the same. I still see Juliet from time to time. Always smiling at me as though I saved her, her mother knew she was still around, and I think she knows that. She was beautiful, mysterious even. I saw her when nobody else could, maybe the afterlife is real, maybe I am crazy, who knows? All I know is that she’s always there, every time I look across the street. Do you believe in ghosts? After this amazing experience, I know I do.