[November 20, 2042]

“Old-granny type walking by. She’s sort of short, squat, I suppose you could say, but her style is kinda cool. She’s wearing this big pink sweater and large black sunglasses. She’s walking three Pomeranians. Maybe she’s a retired movie star, living out her retirement in comfort. Yeah, that seems right. A big star in the 80s, or well, I guess it would be the 2010s now, enjoying her golden years with style and relaxation.”

“Look there! There’s a cute cat on the gate - a sphynx cat! Look at you! Psst, psst. You’re kinda ugly but kinda cute. Haha, look at your wrinkly bald head! Psst, psst! Can you hear me? Can you see me? There’s an old, old idea that cats like you can see ghosts. Is that true? Come over here and prove it. Flop right in my lap. …Ah, he’s gone. Next time for sure.”

“Middle-aged guy. Has kind of soft eyes and an easy smile on his face. He was talking on the phone as he passed by. A big guy, not ‘fat’ exactly, but large, beefy, sort of… Ugh, yeah. He… Oh, papa, he looked a little bit like you.”

Mel lowered the recorder in her head and tucked her knees into her chest. She was back to her favorite hobby: people-watching. It was a nice day with a gentle breeze, so Mel had set up a blanket on the vast lawn of Otter Manor, right at a slightly raised mound of earth so she could see the street easily and the individuals walking down it. It had become a habit for her now, these last few days, in the hours before Cal arrived back home from university.

For long periods of the days at Otter Manor, Mel was completely by herself, and so had to amuse herself with this simple past-time. Before now, she could rely on Aina or Bridget being in the house (as Aina was neither employed or a student, she would often spend long periods of the day watching TV, or when she thought nobody else was around, recite long monologues from the novel she had been reading since September), but not so these days. The fourth princess of Luvinia had as of late, whether from boredom or curiosity, begun to explore further and further outside the boundary of Otter Manor into the city, and Bridget, diligent as always, would accompany her lady without fail.

Mel thought that was a shame. She actually liked Aina quite a bit, even though she was intimidated by her beauty. The ghost loved to ask the princess questions about her world whenever she found the courage, which seemed as complex and wondrous as any creation in a fantasy novel. She also liked Bridget, the princess’ attendant, though for whatever reason, she felt slightly apprehensive in her presence. In other words, Mel couldn’t help but feel a certain competitive nature with Bridget, though what they were competing over she couldn’t say.

No matter. She would watch the people — the living who represented a vivid and storied world now inaccessible to her.

She definitely wasn’t lonely.

“A little boy all alone. Maybe seven or eight? Wearing blue overalls and a yellow shirt, like he wandered into the city from a farm or something. I don’t think he was lost. He seemed to know where he was going. I hope so, because if he was lost, I wouldn’t be able to help him. He wasn’t on the property, so if I followed, I would become invisible. Thinking about it like that, the boundary of my father's property is also the boundary of my life. I might as well not exist beyond this lawn-”

“Boo!” someone whispered aggressively in Mel’s ear.

Mel jumped up into the air, and remained there, spinning like a levitating top. “What?” She exclaimed. “Ellie?”

Standing on the hill was Ellie, dressed in a long white skirt that reached beyond her knees and an olive top. She was smiling, clearly greatly amused by her prank. “What’s up, man? Up to some ghost shenanigans?”

Mel blushed deeply, floated back down to the earth, and gathered the hem of her sundress around her ankles. “Simply enjoying the day. Couldn't you announce your presence with more tact?”

“Nah,” Ellie flopped down beside Mel on the grass, grinning with self-satisfaction. “That wouldn't be as fun.”

Mel bit her lip, and jutted her jaw away from Ellie’s direction. It wasn’t that she disliked the other girl, but she had to admit to herself that she wasn’t sure what she thought of Ellie. She recognized in Ellie characteristics of herself, playfulness and an eye for drama, but while Mel would only reveal those characteristics to a person she trusted and felt safe with (otherwise, the ghost could be a quite reserved and shy girl), Ellie didn’t seem to have any such consideration. Ellie was the kind of person who talked and joked around easily with everybody, even those she didn’t know well. It made Mel strangely uncomfortable. She didn’t trust anybody who smiled so easily; she preferred people more deliberate with their emotions.

And she walks around wearing nothing but a towel, even when Cal is home! Mel blushed again, thinking about it. What’s up with that?

“What’s that?”

“Hmm?” Broken out of her thoughts, Mel looked at the device in her hand that Ellie was gesturing at. “Oh, it’s a recorder. Cal got it for me. You can click it just once and it starts or stops. I don’t really know how to use the modern phones, and it’s easier for me just to touch something occasionally than all the time. Like, I could maybe write on some paper with a pencil, but it would be difficult.”

Ellie nodded in understanding. “I get it. What are you doing with it?”

“Just my hobby.” Mel said, becoming more comfortable in the situation. “I like to watch people from here on the hill. Then I record my thoughts on this-” (She held up the recorder) “-and listen to it later. What they looked like, what my thoughts at the time were, that sort of stuff.”

“Interesting.” Ellie said. “Yeah, I think I’ve seen you sitting out here before, but I never knew what you were doing exactly. Are you the sort of person who gets really curious about people?”

Mel considered the question. “I guess. I don’t get to meet many people…” She wavered for a moment. “...Now I won’t really ever again. So yes, I am. I’m curious about the kinds of lives people lead. This way I can interact with that without disturbing them, without inconveniencing them. They go about their day and leave a piece of themselves with me.”

Ellie nodded again. “Okay.” She paused, playing with a dreadlock. Her dark skin was stark against the green grass. “I can’t relate honestly. I’m not really that curious about other people, I guess.”

Mel blinked, her blue eyes filled with confusion. “Really? You seem so… personable.”

“I’m pretty damn charming, right?” Ellie flashed a grin, though it was quickly replaced with a contemplative expression. “Don't get me wrong, I like people. I’m not some secret misanthrope. I like people, and I’m good with them, I think. I can read their emotions and I know how to behave myself so I don’t accidentally hurt someone’s feelings.”

Ellie picked at the ground as she sat. She was crafting a ring of grass around her finger. “But people aren’t my interest. They aren’t what I spend time thinking about. They don’t… capture my imagination.”

Mel tilted her head. “What… does capture your imagination?”

Another grin, the widest so far. Ellie stood up to the full height of her long, athletic body, and pointed ahead of her, at a slight upward incline.

She was pointing at the sky.

The impossibly blue, impossibly wide, impossible infinite sky.

“That.” Ellie’s eyes had an expression in them Mel had never seen. Like the spark that appears for less than a second when you strike two stones together. “That, dude. And everything beyond it.”

Ellie nodded in satisfaction to herself, seemingly deciding she had said enough. “See ya, Mel. I’ve got a few things I need to get back to.” She looked at the ghost like a proud older sister. “Keep your head up, okay Mel? You’ve got this.”

The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation.

“I got this?” Mel repeated in confusion. “What do I have?”

“Ah, but I must go!” said Ellie in a pantomime sort of way, strolling with energy back down the hill. She turned her head to call back out to Mel. “But you’ve got this! So don’t get discouraged, okay?”

Mel watched Ellie skip down the hill, go through the gate, and vanish out of sight.

“What a weird girl,” she said to herself, adjusting her black hair. “I don’t get her at all.”

“Oh, it’s a nice-looking family. Let’s see… the husband and wife are walking together, hand in hand. They’ve got… goodness, they have about five children. They must have been very enthusiastic. I think I would clock out at around two children. If I could have kids. Not that I can, of course, or ever could-”

“-Is this really so interesting?” said Aina’s disinterested voice. She was squatting on the hill, cheeks cupped in her hands, her beautiful red hair falling amongst the green grass. “I fail to see the intrigue in watching a bunch of commoners go about their mundane, uneventful day.”

“Be nice, my lady.” scolded Bridget gently, though not without humor. She was holding many bags with logos on them. “Personally, I think there is great benefit in watching the everyday actions of others. They can reveal much about how we live our lives, what we prioritize, how we spend time without even being cognizant of it. It is a good thing to slow down and think.”

The princess and the attendant had returned from a trip to the aquarium, and met Mel on the hill as they went back towards the house. Curious about Mel’s actions, Aina had commanded the pair to stop and copy Mel’s vigil: to people-watch in order to “discover the purpose of the activities that commoners partake in.”

Bridget has remained standing, poised and dignified as ever in her formal uniform. Aina had squatted beside Mel, taking no heed of how she was getting the hem of her skirt slightly stained in the grass. She continually complained about how mundane she found the activity, but she also hadn’t moved — her green eyes scanning the street as if to look for something. Between her hands, the princess held a plush sea-lion that Bridget had bought her at the aquarium. Apparently, it was the closest aquatic animal to a sheep.

“I think it’s an activity that anyone can enjoy,” Mel responded shortly.

She was in a bad mood, though she couldn’t quite understand why, and was trying not to let it show in her voice or face.

“How silly,” Aina brushed back her hair with a dramatic flourish. The sun made it seem like it could be set alight. “Only commoners could waste time with this sort of activity. Now, nobles also waste time, but we do it with class. With style. We do not engage in activities to waste time, the point of the activities is to waste time, as a luxury that can be afforded. That is the difference!”

Bridget sighed. “You ought not to say things that paint you in a bad light, my lady.”

“Nonsense, Bridget. These are important matters to discuss!”

Mel was only half-paying attention to the conversation. Her dark mood was coloring her perception, making it difficult to engage with things in the moment.

“My family are kind of nobles,” Mel said, rather absent-mindedly.

Aina and Bridget both shot her a look of shock.

“Eh?” said Aina, “what did you say?”

Mel turned her lowered eyes at the princess. “Not to the degree of you, of course. We’re not royalty. But the Frost family have been wealthy acolytes of Extremis City for hundreds of years. I think my mother still technically owns some property in the old quarter.”

Mel looked at the Otter House. “How do you think my papa even afforded this place? He got to build a place in his image, in the style he wanted, on this beautiful property. You don’t get to do that unless you’re very rich.”

“It’s quite obvious now that you’ve said it,” Bridget put a thoughtful hand to her chin, “Mr. Frost doesn’t live here, but he owns and maintains the property, not at all a small expense, where he rents it to students for cheap. He also must have an additional property for habitation in the city. That’s not the behavior of a man who worries about money.”

“But this is fantastic!” declared Aina, her eyes shining in excitement. She grasped Mel’s hand and shook it, as if meeting her for the first time. “I knew from the moment we met we were similar sorts of people!”

Mel raised an eyebrow. “Is that so…?”

“You have a gentlewoman’s touch and manner!” Aina nodded to herself, proud that she had apparently guessed all this from the start. “How else could you tolerate being roommates with that fastidious man? To cohabitate with one such as him requires a certain higher standard!”

Mel stared out at nothing. “Do you really believe all that nonsense you say?”

She hadn’t meant to say anything, but once the world left her mouths, she decided she didn’t feel like taking them back.

Aina looked at her, stunned. Bridget watched with narrowed eyes, carefully taking account of the proceedings.

“Anyway, it didn’t really matter,” continued Mel, despite herself. “If my family was rich or not. It didn’t really change anything. The heir and the patriarch dying so close together would devastate any family. And my mother was never up to any task… So what else can my little brother do but…?”

She trailed off. A long moment passed, with nothing being heard but some distant birds in the distance.

Bridget bent down to a knee, though with her height she was still imposing. “Ms. Mel, are you quite alright?”

Mel smiled sadly at the attendant. “Yes. But I’d like to be alone now, if that’s okay.”

Bridget nodded with understanding. “Of course. My lady, come on.”

“But Bridget, we can’t just leave-”

“It’s for the best, my lady. Please. We need to get some of these things inside.”

Eventually, Bridget’s steady words and Aina’s protests faded out of ear-range.

Alone again. Mel supposed it was better that way. She wanted to be alone, but also wanted all of a sudden to see Cal.

What would you call such a feeling?

“Old man. In his eighties, approximately. Close to dying, I think. He wasn’t really looking at anything as he shuffled along, his daughter supporting his arm. I don’t think he even saw her...”

Mel didn’t feel like continuing anymore, didn’t feel like talking.

It was getting near to the end of the afternoon. The sun was beginning its last descent. Mel had stayed on the hill all day. The activity had brought her no greater satisfaction or fulfillment, as it typically did. Instead, she felt cold and somewhat angry, though she had nothing to direct her anger at all.

Her eyes traced a line in the air. She raised the recorder a final time.

“Young woman. My age. Well, my age if I was still alive. Maybe nineteen. Am I still nineteen? I guess I’m technically over forty, if we’re going strictly by time passed. Oh God… somehow, that gives me a bigger existential crisis than being dead. Anyway, this woman has… short, dark hair, small nose, and freckles. Wearing a cute yellow blouse… Um, what else… She looks happy. She’s really pretty, too. In the prime of her youth, I guess you could say. I bet she’s really popular at school. Probably has a boyfriend or a girlfriend. She looks like that type — the type that really, really enjoys her life. Makes the most of every second. Can I say something kind of childish and stupid and pointless? I’m going to do it. I’m by myself, after all, so it’s the perfect time. I wish I could have worn a blouse like that, once, when I was alive. Or anything cute: dresses, or short skirts that would make the boys blush, or something kinda quirky, like… um pantaloons. I would have rocked some pantaloons. It would have really been something. I would have twirled in front of the mirror for hours, just laughing and laughing. I would have stolen some make-up from mother’s cabinet for the occasion, too. Some eyeliner, some blush, like you see in the commercials. Imagine the look on mother’s face if she ever discovered… *Silence for a long time* Anyway, this woman… um… Would it be too absurd for a ghost to say I wanted to die when I saw her? I wanted to be struck down right there, haha, like God needed to smite me. Haha, yeah. I wanted to not have eyes.”

Mel lowered the recorder. The sun was low, dying the air strokes of purple and orange. Cal would be making dinner soon, food that she could not eat, of course. Mel always stayed away from the dining room during dinner time. She thought that her appearance would create emotions of discomfort and pity among the other tenants.

You can stay here, without purpose or love. Or you can take a risk, and see what’s really waiting for you on the other end of eternity.

A memory which did not exist had appeared in her head.

Mel felt tired and silly and overwrought all at once.

That woman was right, she thought, it would be better if I just didn’t exist. I should just confess to him and disappear. A life of regrets. I might as well do that, at least. Knowing I’ll be rejected somehow makes it seem easier. And then that will be it. Nothing left for me. Oh, maybe I can go visit Isaac. Just to see how he is. I’m sure he’s okay, but I want to see him anyway.

Mel furrowed her brow. What woman had she just been thinking of? She couldn’t remember. There was a slight pounding in her head.

It was time to go. The sun was dipping below the sea, the light bowing to the dark. Everything was sad and beautiful. The city was saying goodbye to all the lonely ghosts.