"Either you're crazy or you think I am." I said. This conversation had gone so far off the rails from what I had rehearsed, I really wanted nothing more than for one of us to just give up and for us to go our separate ways.
"I've waited for so long man, even if you can't help me, please talk to me." Mike implored.
I just kind of stood there a moment, I could see my reflection in Mike's sunglasses and wished I could at least look him in the eyes when we spoke. He doesn't have eyes, I reminded myself.
"I'll listen to more of what you have to say, but I seriously doubt I can help you." I said, finally. We both sat down and I extended my hand to Mike. "I'm Jason, by the way." Mike shook my hand firmly with his pale, clammy hand.
"You have no idea what this means to me man." He said.
"Yeah, I probably don't. But don't take this to mean that I believe anything you've told me so far." I replied.
"Man, are you really that self centered? Do you really think that me and all these people would spend this much time and effort punking you? Are you some kind of celebrity and think we got hidden cameras here man?"
"No, it's just-"
"No, man I get it." He interrupted. "I, I don't believe it myself sometimes either. You would think in the years that I've been here, waiting for this exact moment I could've at least come up with a way to convince someone I am who I say I am.
I guess I was never really prepared for this to happen, I kind of gave up hope a long time ago. At first I had hoped that someone like the kid from that movie, who see's ghosts everywhere, would eventually come along and see me, but man, I guess that's just Hollywood."
"Ghosts are just Hollywood." I pointed out.
"I know man, there are times I don't think I'm a ghost either. I mean, this could be a dream. I remember dying but still... I could be lying in a hospital somewhere, in a coma. But this is all just too real, and too long to be a dream. If this is a dream and I'm in a coma somewhere I really wish someone would just pull the plug on me, this is worse than death."
"It really doesn't sound that bad. Who wouldn't mind being an invisible spectator at a nude beach..."
"Don't go there man. I used to think like you. I was a loner, a drifter. There was a time when I might have traded my old existence for this one." He interjected. "Be careful what you wish for man."
"I'm glad we at least agree that this all a little hard to swallow." I said. "I'm definitely not like the kid from that movie, I don't see ghosts everywhere, so I think seeing one now is a little unlikely."
"Are you sure about that man? Are you sure you're not surrounded by ghosts everyday? I get the feeling me and you have a lot in common. I can see you spend a lot of time alone, avoiding others. You don't want to know people and you don't want people to know you. You miss a lot when you go through life like that, man."
I was a little taken back. The possibility that I had some affinity for seeing ghosts and was just discovering it this late in life was definitely not a possibility I could have imagined on my own nor was it a possibility I was willing to try and wrap my head around. I was starting to regret allowing this conversation to continue.
"Even if I was surrounded by ghosts everyday and didn't realize it, my point still stands, I have no experience with this sort of stuff, so I don't see how I can possibly help you."
"I don't know how you can help me either man. I really don't know much at all. All I know is that I'm dead, and it seems like I'm doomed to walk this beach forever. Can this really be all there is for me, man?"
