The Blur

This is a very short story that I wrote tonight while fighting the effects of a migraine.  I think it turned out well given the length & state of my head at the time :)



     Returning home from work early with a burgeoning migraine was not the way Marci had planned on spending her evening.  Still, with the migraine busily pounding away at her skull and no other options available, she decided heading to bed was her best bet.  As she slowly made her way from the front door of her apartment to the bathroom, that blur moved past her again.  Marci sighed.  Really?  Do you have to do your blur thing right now when my head is trying to detach itself from my body?  
The blur had been making appearances in her apartment for about two weeks now.  Talking to some of her pagan friends had given Marci the information that right now was the time when the veils between the worlds were the thinnest.  Apparently in October the spirits of the dead found it easier to come back and say hello.  While Marci found the pagan community interesting, and had many close friends in it, she didn't really want to experience any paranormal activity herself.  
Since concentrating on anything right now made her head throb even more than it already was, Marci did her best to ignore the blur and continued on to her bedroom.  She finished her nighttime routine and climbed into bed.  Alright you blur, she thought at it, if you leave me alone to sleep off this migraine, I'll ask my friends about you tomorrow.  Deal?
A strange shimmer seemed to happen next to her bed, and then the room because strangely comfortable in a way she hadn't felt before.  Taking that as a yes, Marci drifted off to sleep.
The next morning Marci called Jenna, who happened to be researching quite a bit of paranormal material.  Jenna asked a slew of questions, to which all the answers were no.  "Well it doesn't sound like this ooga booga wants to hurt you," Jenna announced.  "You said you thought it heard you last night....what did you do?"
"I just kind of thought at it," Marci replied.  
"Well, if you want to know what it's doing in your house, maybe you should just ask it," was Jenna's reply.  "Maybe it needs your help or something."
"Okay, I guess it can't hurt to give it a shot.  Thanks, Jenna" Marci said, then hung up the phone.  She had the morning off from both work and school, which made it an ideal time to try to contact the blur, or whatever it was.  Marci took a deep breath, let it out and then tried to focus on thinking at the blur again.
My friend says you probably don't want to hurt me, and I'd like to keep it that way.  Can you tell me why you happen to be here, in my apartment?  And maybe even what you want so you will leave my apartment?
For a few seconds nothing happened.  Then, that same shimmer from the night before happened in the hallway leading to her bedroom.  The shimmer stayed where it was, perhaps so it wouldn't frighten her.  In her mind, Marci saw the image of a young boy form.  She figured it must be what the blur/shimmer/spook was.  Then she heard in her head, but not out loud You look like my sister.  And I can't find my mommy.  And I don't want to be alone because it's scary.
Marci sat in her bed and blinked.  I just talked to a ghost.  And he talked back.  Holy crap.  Marci tilted her head at the ghost and thought back at him Well, I'll make you a deal.  You can hang out with me until you find your mom or sister.  But, you have to behave yourself and not scare any friends I have over.  Deal?
The shimmer waved a bit in the hallway and the image of the little boy clasped his hands together excitedly.  Yes!  I don't like being lonely and then the little boy smiled at her.  The image in Marci's head faded as did the shimmer in the hallway.


Marci had her unique roomate for almost two years, and then one day she noticed that he was gone.  The apartment felt strangely empty without the little ghost, but Marci hoped he had found his family.