New in Town

Flash Fiction

New in Town

“I heard this place was haunted.”

“Heard it … where?” Alex laughed.

“In school…” Randy said, “Bill Trent said he saw ghosts looking out the windows!”

“Bill Trent is afraid of bugs. I would be very surprised if he ever even came over here. He says things just to talk. He told me once that he saw Big Foot in his back yard. He lives in an apartment, third floor! His backyard is just a driveway with parking spaces!”

“Oh,” Randy said, looking at the old broken house.

“If there’s a ghost in there, I’ll tell him not to eat you…” Alex laughed. “Come on, are you telling me you’re really afraid of ghosts?”

“Not afraid so much as not wanting to disturb.”

“You don’t want to ‘disturb’ a ghost? Is this how people think in your old town?”

“Yes, no… maybe? We never thought about ghosts like that.”

“How did you think about them?’

“I guess we didn’t. It would be like saying how do you think about squirrels.”

“Squirrels are everywhere, most people don’t ever even think about squirrels, well… unless they see one.”

“Exactly. I only think about ghosts when I see them.”

“You’ve seen ghosts?”

“Of course… haven’t you?”

“Funny… no I haven’t seen ghosts, but I won’t ‘disturb’ the ones in this house if you are afraid of them. Let’s go back to the park…”

“Thanks,” Randy said, smiling, “no ghost hunting today!”

As they turned and started back. Randy looked over his shoulder and saw the family that stayed in the house, they waved.

“What are you waving at?” Alex asked.

“Just chasing away the bugs…” Randy said, as he watched the family smiling, before they disappeared in a puff of smoke. “We’re the bugs!” he yelled, laughing as he ran toward the school.