Ghosts, Ghouls, and the Inbetweens

Chapter 4: New Fawn

Hedrick eventually stopped screaming, tears stopped falling from his face. He wiped the few bits of moisture still in his eyes away. He looked back into the store window, still not being able to see himself.

He was able to see the people inside though. He placed a hand on the glass, staring into the small store, full of toys. A toy store?

Gee, he never went to a toy store for years. When your above the age of thirteen you don't have a need for toys. He squinted, trying to get closer views of the people.

He got closer to the glass, and without warning; phased through it.

He panicked, realizing he wasn't outside anymore.

"H-holy fuck."

He looked around, the inside was so bright. Bright and colorful, it could've given someone an eye strain in all honesty, but this was a toy store marketed towards children. His eyes landed on a child, she was carrying a small rabbit toy.

She was following behind an adult, most likely her mom. But she bumped into her mom, who came to an abrupt stop. The girl dropped her toy.

He didn't know why he instantly went to pick it up, maybe it was instinct, maybe he just wanted to be a nice guy, even in the afterlife. But he was even more puzzled when he was able to pick the doll up. He had just phased through a building, hadn't he?

Never the less, he went to give it back to the girl, tapping her shoulder with his free hand. She turned around, her eyes wide. She smiled and grabbed her doll. "I didn't even know I dropped Mr. Hops, thank you!"

Hedrick smiled, "No problem." She didn't hear him, but she turned back to her mom. "Mom look! The air gave me back Mr. Hops!"

The mother rolled her eyes. "Susie it's not okay to lie."

"I'm not lying!"

"Susie the air can't just give you back things, keep this attitude up and I swear I will take you back home."

"Just watch!" As soon as Susie said that she dropped the toy, Hedrick smiled. He picked it up again, handing it back to Susie once more. "There ya go." His new cheerful mood was suddenly crushed by the mom's expression.

She was scared, her face pale and eyes completely widened. She was silent for a moment, before letting out a shriek, alerting everyone in the store. She grabbed Susie's hand and ran, "We have to get out of here!"

Everyone else looked around, Hedrick was in a full on panic. "W-Wait!" He tried to get people's attention, gently touching them and moving objects. This only created more of a panic, now others were shrieking, an employee was calling someone. Perhaps the police.

Hedrick only knew what thing during this frenzy, he had to leave.

He rushed to the doors, phasing through them as people screamed and ran. It caused confusion on the street, confusion he didn't want to be apart of, even though he knew it his was his doing. He wanted to get as far as way as he could, just like the others.

He kept 'running', the shop farther and farther out of view. "God you're an idiot! A big idiot!" He told himself, still getting far away from the shop. He didn't know what to think.

He honestly didn't know what to hate more, the fact he caused all this commotion, or the fact he was dead. He 'ran' through a crowd, but they didn't notice him. Of course they didn't, he was dead. A ghost!

A big, ugly, idiotic ghost.

He finally stopped, he looked around. He had no clue where he was, but before he could beat himself over it, he read a few signs.

'New Fawn Bakery'

Another.

'New Fawn Library'

And another.

'New Fawn Dry Cleaners'

New Fawn? Sounded like a fairytale. Then again, he lived on a street called Springluck Road.

He looked around some more. "New Fawn, huh?"

"Sounds like a road to hell."