By Paula Bianchi –

“I don’t feel like I’m dead.” Lucy said, as Ava guided her tall frame over to the staircase.

“That’s because you’re not dead in a spiritual sense. We continue on without our Earthly bodies. This is our true reality.” Ava gently urged Lucy to sit. 

The sound of mournful tears echoed through the two story, Victorian, house. Hearing her family cry over her, was more than she could bare. Lucy felt the sound waves with the heavy energy from each tear shed. The emotions of the moment finally caught up to her as she released a dam of tears.

While sitting on the stairs, Lucy bent forward, hugging her knees, until her forehead dropped down upon them, and sobbed. Ava sat down next to Lucy and put her arm around this newbie spirit.

“This can’t be happening to me. I don’t remember any car crash.” Lucy wiped the tears from her eyes. “I must be dreaming this whole thing.”

“I understand what you’re feeling right now, and I really wish you were dreaming, but I’m afraid you’re not.” Ava was acting very motherly as she tried to comfort Lucy.

Lucy lifted her head right when Michael, Emma, and Justin were walking out of the kitchen holding hands. It hurt her to the core to see them so grief stricken. They hugged one more time.

“What are you going to do now, Dad?” Emma asked, while she used her sleeve to wipe her face.

“I guess I have a lot of phone calls to make.” He answered, but he dreaded performing this unwanted task.

“Where’s Mom?” Justin wanted to know.

“The coroner took her body to the morgue.” Michael didn’t know how much he should share with his kids. The last thing he wanted to do was to cause them any trauma or leave them with any lingering questions.

“Can we go see her?” Emma regretted her question as soon as it left her lips.

“The officer strongly advised against that.” Michael hoped this answer was enough for her. He didn’t want to relay the gruesome details of their mother’s death and how it decapitated her head from her body. “We’ll talk more about it later.” Michael hugged Emma tightly for a moment or two. “The spaghetti should be ready. Do you still wanna eat?”

Both kids shook their heads no, and headed towards the stairs to go up to their rooms. Lucy jumped out of their way, but Ava just stood there. Lucy watched Emma and Justin walk right through her as they went up the stairs, and she looked amused.

“I used to move out of the way, but I don’t bother anymore.” Ava stated as a matter of fact.

Michael went back into the kitchen and started calling family and friends to tell them Lucy had died.

“I died in a car crash too.” Said a voice coming from the living room doorway.

Lucy spun around to see a short, teen aged girl with long blonde hair. She was wearing a purple halter top with big belled bottom, blue jeans. Around her neck, she wore a choker made of gold suede with a peace sign hanging from it. Lucy’s first thought was how pretty she was.

“Hi. I’m Lori.” She put her hand out to shake Lucy’s.

“You startled me.” Lucy commented as her surprise began to dissipated.

“I’ve always liked you, Lucy. I think you’re very pretty.” Lori said.

“I was just thinking the same thing about you.” Lucy smiled. “Are you two the only ones who live here?” She looked around the house waiting for someone new to pop in, and she sure didn’t have too wait for long.

A ball of energy started to form at the top of the stairs. Lucy watched as this orange colored light swirled with white and started to descend down the staircase. When it reached the middle, this energy began to change its shape as it continued to glide down the stairs. She could see a pair of feet materialize wearing brown working boots. With each step, more of this person materialized before her, until, she could make out the smiling face of a large black man who gathered Lucy up in a big bear hug.

“Hi, Lucy. I’m Ben.” He set her down. “It’s so nice to finally meet you, but I do wish we were meeting under better circumstances.” Ben took out a hankie and wiped his brow, then returned it to a pocket in his coveralls. His white, short sleeved shirt was a striking contrast to his dark colored skin. Lucy guessed he was in his late 40’s to early 50’s.

Lucy was very impressed with the size of this man because she was 5’ 11’’, and she had to look up to look him in the face. “It’s nice to meet you too, Ben.” Turning to Ava, Lucy noticed her cheeks were flushed with red, and she couldn’t take her eyes off of Ben. It was obvious she had feelings for him.

Suddenly, a bright white orb appeared on the stairs, and it looked like it began sliding down the staircase banister. As it reached the end, the figure of a young boy, around 9 yrs. old, materialized as he landed on the ground.

“I’m Dobson.” He extended his hand in greetings. “I’m very sorry you’re here with us, Lucy.” He sadly whispered.

Lucy could see a sling shot dancing in the pocket of his long sleeved, red and black plaid shirt, as they shook hands, then, he jammed his hands into the pockets of his blue jeans and stared down at his black, laced up shoes.

“Sorry about all the pranks I pulled on you.” He stated contritely.

“I’m not sure I know what you’re talking about, Dobson. I just met you.” Lucy sounded confused by his statement. “What pranks?”

“I’m the one who keeps moving your glass of water closer to your bed at night, so you’ll knock it over when you reach for it.” He tried holding back the sound of glee in his voice.

“That was you? I thought I was going crazy!” Lucy exclaimed. “I started marking the spot I left my glass, and I could plainly see it was being moved. I never told anyone because I didn’t want them to think I was crazy.” She searched her memory which brought answers to other strange things she encountered in her home. “Did you move all the stuff I’ve lost over the years?” She asked.

Dobson’s eyes quickly dodged her intense gaze, when he dropped his head, to stare at his feet again.

“Where’s all my stuff, Dobson?”

“I hid it all up in the attic.” His voice was filled with remorse. “I am very sorry.” He added.

“Don’t worry about it. I’m not upset with you.” Lucy didn’t want to start off on the wrong foot with her new roommates, and what good would it do her to hold this against him. “Maybe you could help me get one of my kids to find where you hid everything.”

“Sure, I could do that.” His energy changed as a smile crossed his face, and Lucy could feel he seemed much lighter.

After a quiet pause, Lucy asked, “Is there anyone else living here?”

“There’s one other, but she’s more like an imprint because she’s stuck in her death state.” Ava explained further, “She never interacts with us. We just watch her going through her moment of death over and over each day.”

“I’m glad that didn’t happen to me.” Lucy nervously tucked her short, A-line cut hair behind her ear. “Actually, I can’t remember a thing about it other than I was driving on the freeway one moment, then, I was suddenly standing here.” She looked at each of them. “What happened to me? Why am I still here? Aren’t we supposed to go to heaven or something?”

Just then, Michael’s voice rose from the kitchen. “All I know is she was involved in a terrible accident that decapitated her.” His voice cracked, as his tears started to flow again.  

Lucy looked at the new people in her life. “Decapitated.” She repeated, before everything went black.

In the continuing story of , Lucy in the Afterlife, Lucy goes to her own funeral. Come back, so you can follow her journey. Thanks for the visit. Bye for now.

Email: Remyel@hotmail.com

Writer’s note: Other than Ava, my grandson thought up my other ghostly characters for my story. He named them, came up with how they died, and how Dobson plays pranks. Not bad for a seven-yr. old. Thanks, honey!