Wait, so you're telling me that you are a ghost?" I asked when I gained the ground under my feet a bit. „That's bullshit. Ghosts aren't real! They can't be, it's just … impossible! I'm dreaming. I had to fell asleep. For sure. I'm going to wake up any while now and everything will be normal again."

But deep down I knew I was lying to myself.

I looked at him. He didn't seem to be aware of anything I was saying. He just looked lost and destroyed. I had to say, I didn't wonder. I put myself together, if only just because of him. After all, I wasn't the one who was dead.

„What are you going to do?" I asked.

„I … don't know."

„Do you see some light or … something?"

He looked around and shook his head.

„Maybe I should call a priest," I suggested.

„I'm not a demon," he grunted.

I raised palms in defence gesture.

„Hey, I'm just trying to help you. What do I know how being a ghost works?"

„I'm sorry," he whispered. It sounded like a blow of the wind. I nodded.

„If only I know what happened," he said desperately. „I don't even know where my body is. And why I'm here."

„Do you think finding your body would help?"

„Maybe." He thought for a while. „Will you help me?"

I hesitated. There was still a possibility that all of this was just my mind playing games with me. And even if not, how could I explain I can see a ghost?

And who would I have to explain it? I reminded myself. Everybody in the town already thinks I'm crazy.

„I'm not sure …"

„Please."

He said it in such a tone it drew air from my lungs for a while. I haven't heard so much pain in one word for many years.

„All right," I sighed. „I'll help you."

He gave me a shy but grateful smile.

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Sleeping with a ghost in one room isn't very comfortable. Especially when the ghost is very good-looking and is just staring at you.

„Can you stop, please?"

He blinked quickly.

„I'm sorry. I just realized I don't need to sleep anymore. Or eat, or …"

That wasn't exactly the thing I wanted to acknowledged right now. How was I supposed to sleep with remorse? And it even wasn't my fault. I didn't kill him.

I stopped. I shouldn't think like that.

Like he was reading my mind, he tilted head.

„I know, it's not what do you want to hear. I'll be outside."

..........................................................................

I watched him flew through a door. And I fell asleep in a while. After all, the ghost was guarding me now.

I wondered if he will disappear at day. But when I walked into another rainy day, he was still here, maybe a little bit less visible than at night, sitting on the ground. Well, sitting. More levitating a few centimetres above the surface. It was kind of fascinating to watch.

He greeted me with a sad smile.

„Ok, er … where do you want to start?" I asked.

„Maybe we can ask someone if they haven't sen anything?"

It could be possible, but I doubted it. If someone saw something, they'd probably already told the police.

I heard screeching of the front gate. I made a mental note I should oil the hinges. But it was as good as a doorbell. And it could mean just one thing. Someone was about to drop another work on my head. And I was right. I saw a tall figure walking towards me, uhm, us, with typical hitching.

Albert Awerly, our local black raven. He stopped right in front of me, absolutely ignoring the ghost sitting at his feet.

„Hey Albert, how‘s business?“ I asked.

I didn’t like this man. He gave me chills.

„It’s Mr Awerly for you, boy,“ he threatened. „You are late with orders. That grave near entrance should have been already polished, do you recall?“

„I have other and more urgent things to do than polishing stones of your wealthy friends. If they don’t like it, I can just dig up their dear ancestors and you can personally find them some other graveyard. I bet they would be dedicated to it.“

He was sending daggers in my direction for a while but then gave up and throw at me a few papers.

„Your new contract. Enjoy it.“ And left.

„Who was that?“

I jerked. I almost forget about him.

„You don’t know him?“ I asked surprised. Everyone in a radius of 20 kilometres knew Awerly. But then I recalled what I read in newspapers. That the boy moved here recently.

„He’s a local funeral worker. He thinks he’s something extra. But in reality, he’s just a creep with lots of money. I wouldn’t be surprised if he had a cellar full of dead bodies.“

I recoiled.

„I’m sorry, I didn’t …“

He smiled sadly.

„That’s fine. I’m not that old, you know?“

Yeah and you won’t get any older, I thought.

He stared in the direction where Awerly disappeared.

„Do you think he can have something with your death?“ I asked.

He shrugged.

„I’m not sure if I’d recognize… anything. I don’t have a clue.“

„Ok,“ I sighed. „Where do you want to start? I’m not sure if we can just walk around and ask odd questions. People around here aren’t very sharing. I think it’s the mist. So even if they saw anything, they won’t tell. Especially not to me.“

"Why so?"

„You were really new here,“ I smirked. „Locals look at me the same way as I look at Awerly.“

He still didn’t seem to catch on. I rolled my eyes.

„How would you look at a guy who looks like me, runs a cemetery, and leaves about once a fortnight?“

„Wait, you actually live here?“ he asked surprised. „But why? It’s … weird.“

„I inherited it from my father. He was here almost all the time. And so was I. I don’t know much different.“

„Oh. I don’t know what to say. Sorry, I…“

„No need to be sorry. I’m used to it. So, where do we begin?“

He looked lost.

„I don’t know.“