*beep*

-static-

~What is this anyways? ~

*unintelligible murmuring*

~A recording device? Those work for ghosts? ~

*more unintelligible murmuring*

~It’s started recording already? Oh. Okay. ~

-static-

~The 1st Day.

There are lots of ideas people have about death. Most of them are partially true, although some have really gotten quite skewed.

Let me set the facts straight. Ghosts exist. Most people turn into ghosts when they die. It’s hard to believe, I know, but it’s simple if you think about it. People turn into ghosts if there’s something in their previous lives that they could’ve made up for, which means everyone in the world, apart from kids that have died early (as in baby or toddler stage), is a ghost after death.

The first type of ghost is a victim: someone that dies as a result of an accident, a natural disaster, or an attack- whether it be a personal attack, a bomb, genocide, or a heart attack.

*whispering*

Oh, um, Isra’el just told me heart attacks don’t count. Isra’el is one of the angel guides and all ghosts are given one to show them the ropes, tell them what they have to do, answer any questions, et cetera. Anyway, victims are people that have died -insert quotation marks here- ‘as a result of someone else's actions or beliefs, or as a result of unpleasant circumstances’. I got that from the Cambridge Dictionary, by the way.

I guess I’d be classified as a victim. My death was really quite painful- I was shoved off a building 140m high by one of my neighbours. I’d gotten multiple fractures, crushed my skull, burst a lung and was essentially stuck to the ground. Needless to say, by the time the ambulances got there, I was already dead. My killer got away scot-free, though, ‘cause everyone thought it was an accident.

I’m gonna get my mission tomorrow.  Missions, by the way, are tasks that ghosts have to complete to go to Heaven. They can be anything, from making amends with old friends to dealing with murderers. Isra’el says that I have a high chance of getting a mission that requires me to deal with my killer.

I hope that’s true.

Until tomorrow! ~

*beep*

*beep*

~The Second Day.

Isra’el told me what my mission was today, and it’s exactly what I hoped it would be.

I, Hickory Pellegrini, have received the task of haunting my killer. Or as I’d put it, scaring her to death and then tormenting her for the whole duration of her afterlife.

*furious whisper-yelling*

Okay, okay!

*more whisper-yelling*

Fine. Maybe I embellished the details. All I’m supposed to do is to tail the woman and find her side of the story…

But I really don’t get the point of it.

*murmurs*

WHAT?!

*murmuring*

There is no way I’m doing that!!

*whisper whisper*

Great.

And, apparently, forgive her, which will firstly allow me to redeem myself and get a pass to Heaven, and secondly, prevent me from becoming an animus.

Let me explain. The second type of ghost is an animus. I suppose you could say that they’re the horror movie ghosts: the ones that have the insatiable bloodlust and kill everyone.

Any ghost can become an animus. They just have to have enough hate in them, and act on it. If I decided to kill my killer, that would turn me into an animus. It’s irreversible, and also the kind of thing that gave ghosts a bad name in the first place. I mean, it’s not like all ghosts are out for blood.

But I’m digressing here.

The main aim in recording my killer’s story is for me to gain some sympathy for the poor woman.

And now I raise my eyebrows in a sceptical fashion.

Then I can provide evidence to God that I actually did the task He set me (not that He wouldn’t know) and also that, despite being a killer, she may not be as vile as I believe her to be and therefore shouldn’t go directly to Hell.

Which, personally, I think is impossible.

But who knows? Maybe I’ll be surprised.

I’m going to spend the rest of the day researching my former neighbour, and tomorrow I will become a glorified stalker.

*giggles*

Sayonara! ~

*beep*

*beep*

~The Third Day.

Ok. I’m standing in the foyer of my old flat and just waiting around for Elodie – the killer - to get out of her car and, y’know, come inside. Then I can follow her up to her flat.

Looking at this place, it’s… it hasn’t changed. Same shiny floor, weird floral wallpaper. Even the people I’ve seen so far, I can recognise, by face if not by name. Old Grammie just walked by, with her little cocker spaniel. I loved him, he’s so CUTE! Although he was rather fond of biting me- I still have the scars.

*BARKING*

What the-?!

Get away from me- BAD DOG! BAD DOG! Go back to Grammie!                                                                           

*GROWLING*

Oh my God help me!!

Nonono don’t try and eat me! NO!

-static-

…

Turns out dogs can’t interact with ghosts.

Ok, Elodie just came in.

And now I’m in the elevator, standing right next to her.

If I wanted, she’d be able to see me.

Luckily for her I’m not a prankster. I’m seriously tempted though.

The third type of ghost is a poltergeist. The ones that pop out at people and disappear for a laugh. They tend to stay as ghosts for a long, long time. Pranks and more pranks. Personally, I wouldn’t be able to cope.

We’ve gotten out, we’re on the landing, and now we’re in her room. She’s talking on her phone to someone…

‘Hello? This is the pharmacist, yes?’

‘Are the medicines available?’

‘Doctor Keeling prescribed them to me. You know, for my CBS.’

No part of my research on her told me about CBS. Is she lying? Was I not thorough enough?

The most important question: what’s CBS, and did Elodie having it affect my death?

I guess that’s two questions.

She’ll be going to bed soon. I’ll be going back for some more research.

Well, bye for now! ~

*beep*

*beep*

~The Fourth Day.

CBS is short for Charles Bonnet Syndrome, and anyone affected hallucinates.

I’ve been following Elodie around for quite a while, and she’s been writing in a little notebook every now and then. She does it randomly, like, she did it at the supermarket, in church, at the pharmacy.

Right now, she’s looking around with a tiny little frown… she’s shaking her head, rubbing her temples… and she’s taken the notebook out again. What did she write?

Let’s see…

‘Around 5.00- the little red balloons floating around. They’re floating up off the ground and just flying away.’

I think this notebook is filled with records of her hallucinations, which means that if she was hallucinating on the day of my death, it’d be in that book.

I have to look in it later, when she’s sleeping.

And lucky for me, she’s going back home for a nap anyways.

-static-

It’s been, what… half an hour? She’s snoozing away anyhow.

*sighs*

I have the notebook open at 23rd January, and it turns out she was hallucinating after all.

‘7.00- I followed a little old man up to the roof of the flat. He told me he wanted me to meet his grandson. Then I saw a snake slithering up to him and I panicked; I pushed him away from the snake and he fell off the building. I looked over the edge and there’s a little girl, my neighbour’s daughter, lying on the sidewalk. I don’t know what to do I don’t I really don’t, am I a murderer? It was an accident I’d swear on my life…’

The fourth type of ghost is a mourner. They wander around wailing about how they’re going to Hell and how they regret everything.

I feel like Elodie may become one when she dies.

What I remember from the accident is that I was standing on the roof, quite near to the edge, with a telescope next to me. The stars were slowly coming out, one by one. Then I heard my neighbour – Elodie – come up behind me and ask where ‘my grandson’ was. I turned around and she was like “GET AWAY FROM THE SNAKE!” and she dived at me and pushed me.

I guess she saw me as the little old man.

I have to go and show this to Isra’el.

Bye. ~

*beep*

*beep*

~The Fifth Day.

Elodie hadn’t intentionally killed me and therefore wasn’t arrested for it.

I accept that.

And I understand that my hate was unfounded.

The fifth type of ghost is a redeemed ghost. The ones that have fulfilled their missions and are free to go to Heaven.

Like me.

(yay!)

I hope these recordings were helpful and that you complete your mission too.

See you in Heaven! ~

*beep*