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How could this have happened to me? I did the things I was supposed to do in my life. Then I was murdered and left stranded here in this horrible limbo of searching outside the castle each night after night, after night. This is just not fair! The nights, years, and decades that have now passed since this first happened have been long and agonizing. And yet I'm still stranded here in this horrible place I once called home!
Each long night is the same as the one before, and the one before that! My time has consisted solely of this endless searching for some way out of this. How long has it been? I'm not really sure anymore. My time here has been so long. I know it has now been several generations, but I'm just not sure how many. I suspect my sanity may have slipped away from me long ago because of this horrible lonely searching, but who am I to say?
And now on top of it all, the night is miserably foggy once again. I never used to care about bad weather, but that was before I had to wander around outside at night in the middle of the fog so many many times. Even though I am now just a disembodied spirit I still feel the cold, and I feel the damp clammy air. I can't see the sky and the stars, and I can barely see my arms out in front of me. I hate this!
I do know it has been a very long time now that I've been out here searching for any sign that might lead me to Heaven. I paid attention to events around me for the first several years, but it soon became tiresome. Nothing significant ever really changed for me. The only thing that changed were the people in the castle, and they didn't even know I was here.
The few friends and family I had have now long since died of old age. I didn't really know my family very well anyway, but a few of my servants were very dear to me. I have always suspected though that it was a family member who had me assassinated. But now even that doesn't matter because that person, whoever they might have been, is long since dead and gone. And none of them are out here with me!
Even the castle is empty now. Apparently the last of my murderer's heirs have died out. Either that or no heir thought my castle was good enough for them. The whole bunch have no honor anyway. Who will take care of the town now? I wonder what has become of it. Maybe one of these nights somebody will come back to the castle. And wouldn't it be wonderful if somebody could see me? I know that will never happen though. I wish it could.
I haven't had anyone to talk to since before my death. I'm not even sure anymore what I might say to someone. "Hello, I'm a miserable ghost. What about you?" I guess I always have myself to talk to, but all I have for myself are questions. It took many years, but I began asking myself if I did something to deserve this foul imprisonment.
I wondered if maybe I had been a bad person in life. I always felt as if I did the things I was supposed to do, but what if I didn't? Was I a cruel master to my people? I never thought I was, but what did the people think? The town was always prosperous under my rule. The people never went hungry or needed anything more. I always made it a point to visit them at least once a month to check.
One thing I liked to do was to pick a townsman to go hunting with me. There I would always treat him as an equal, and we would have the best time both of us had ever had before. I did this for two reasons. One was to show the people what kind of person I was. Two was to find out personally how my people were doing. But there was another reason. I was lonely, and I wanted a friend. That old loneliness was nothing compared to this hell that I now exist in.
I wish I could visit my town now and check on the people. I worry about them still, even though I must admit that my search is my overwhelmingly primary worry. But it's not as if I'm going anywhere. Out in this fog I'd get lost if I tried. I hate fog. I can't see the sky. I want to look up and see the shining stars, but this horrible fog is clinging to everything, even my lonely lost soul. This is a bad night!
The ghost has been waiting years. Maybe he's waiting for a historian to discover something about him and his murder :-)
ReplyDelete@John
ReplyDeleteI wonder how many legends of ghosts there are in the world. So many of them involve ghosts that have been at a place for a very long time. Some of these other ghosts must have very similar feelings as our castle ghost here in the story. I wonder what would happen if somebody actually saw him. We may find out in an upcoming episode.
seems like the ghost has been lost to history,and it it history that will rescue him.
ReplyDelete@Mike Golch
ReplyDeleteI think you and John are both on to something, but not in quite the way you may think. The ghost's castle is empty for now, but it may not stay that way.
Hi Ratty
ReplyDeleteHow sad and lonely he is.Sometimes children can see ghosts.There are also special people who attracts and can see ghosts.I hope he will meet one and ends his loneliness. Perhaps he is trapped for a reason,something that he has to do or help someone.
Thank you for sharing. I enjoyed reading this story very much.Have a great week ahead.
Umi
I sympathize with what umihoney writes. There seems to be some kind of connection between ghosts and the real life they lived. Something they never came to terms with.
ReplyDeleteA lovely story and very well written.
Thank You!
@Umihoney
ReplyDeleteI think the ghost might find at least a little bit of happiness if a person came there who could see him. He would really like a visitor or two. Maybe he'll get a visitor in a future episode.
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@Coralie Nellhard
There are a couple of connections from his life that the ghost seems to dwell upon. One is that he cares about the town he presided over. The second is that he was lonely in life, but so much more so now.
I wonder where you'll lead us from here. Will the ghost muster the strength to leave the castle and continue his search elsewhere? I mean, it's not as if he enjoyed himself thoroughly where he is. And as for getting lost in the fog, mightn't he just think that getting lost could somehow help him find the gateway to heaven? Anyway, despite the current muggy hotness of Paris, I can feel a clammy, creepy cold on my own arms after having wandered around so long in your vivid ghost's company. Waiting for the next instalment like a ghost myself now...
ReplyDeleteSomething has to give.
ReplyDeleteI wonder if the ghost has really been waiting as long as he thinks??? I wonder why the fog is always around and never lifts...surely if he has been around so many years and isn't reliving the same 24 hour glitch the fog would lift with the seasons....i don't know where the story is going...and I can't wait to find out!!
ReplyDelete@Dieter Moitzi
ReplyDeleteThe problem with the ghost going to another place is that he is stuck there on the castle grounds by an invisible barrier. His new goal is to leave, but he can't find a way out. The only real thing he can do is wait and hope something changes.
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@Christy @ scrink.com
You are definitely right. Maybe there will be a change in the next episode.
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@Allotments4you
The ghost may have been there even longer than he thinks. It has definitely been a very long time now. The fog actually comes and goes. This foggy night is just one sample of many nights the ghost has been out there alone. He may find out something in the next episode.