CaptainWacky
I want to smell dark matter
She didn't like walking down this path at night. It was dark and she was alone, with a more than five minute walk until she was home. She walked as quickly as she could. She heard voices, there were houses nearby, of course. What was she worried about? Nothing was going to happen. Yet whenever she walked here at night she got the feeling that someone was following her. It always turned out that nobody was, so there was no need to worry, logically. But the feeling was still there and she didn't like it. She walked even quicker the feeling intensified. It only got worse the further she went until eventually she span around dramatically to see if anyone was there. There was nobody. She laughed to herself, she was being stupid. She turned back around and look straight into the old man's face. She gasped, taking a step back.
"Sorry young lady, didn't mean to startle you," he said, bowing down a bit and removing his hat. He skin was wrinkled and his moustache thin. He was smiling a kindlly smile yet it didn't look at home on his face.
"Where did you come from?" she asked.
"Oh I was just around here. I'm always around here," he said. He looked her up and down, his smile widening.
"Do you...can I help you with something?" she asked.
"I was just wondering...can I come into your body?" he asked, politely.
"What...what do you mean?" she said, trying to back away but finding she was rooted on the spot.
"Let me explain, dear. I am the spirit of an old man who died on this very spot fifty years ago to this day. I have been watching you, oh yes. I like you. There's something about you, the shape of your mind...I could live in you, you see. Share you bodies. See the rules state I can aske someone every twenty five years. It's the only time I'm allowed to become corporeal. I asked a young man the same question twenty five years ago and, sadly, he said no."
As outlandish as this sounded, she was in no doubt at all that he was being truthful. "This young man you asked...what happened to him?"
"He died," said the man, coldly. Then, after a pause, "about twenty years later, run over. Nothing to do with me, but I could feel it happening. It was sad. I had hoped his spirit would walk the path with me when he was gone, but sadly he passed over. I am ever so lonely."
"Why can't you pass over?" she asked.
"Oh, I could if I wanted to, but I have so much I still want to do here!" he said, his eyes lighting up. "I do love people. Just watching them, people like you for instance, it's kept me sane all this time. I would have just faded away if not for the people who walk this path. Now, I'm not supposed to keep you long, the rules you see, I must ask you again: can I share your body?"
"It's my body," she said, quite firmly, surprising herself. "I don't like the idea of sharing it."
"I see," he said, disappointed. He stared at her.
"Are you going to let me go?" she said, angry.
"Of course, dear. Of course. If you still live in this area in 25 years time, perhaps I'll ask you again. You'll remember me when you see me, if you see me, but not before. Until then, I'll be watching. Goodbye." And he was gone in an instant and she found herself walking forward automatically. She stopped herself and looked around. There was no sign of him at all. Had it really happened? Already the memory was fading from her mind. Something about an old man? No, there had been nobody. She had looked and there was nobody. A cat jumped out of some near bushes, startling her. That was probably what she had seen, the cat. She smiled and walked on home. After a few minutes the familiar feeling returned, the feeling that she was being followed. But she wasn't scared of it now.
"Sorry young lady, didn't mean to startle you," he said, bowing down a bit and removing his hat. He skin was wrinkled and his moustache thin. He was smiling a kindlly smile yet it didn't look at home on his face.
"Where did you come from?" she asked.
"Oh I was just around here. I'm always around here," he said. He looked her up and down, his smile widening.
"Do you...can I help you with something?" she asked.
"I was just wondering...can I come into your body?" he asked, politely.
"What...what do you mean?" she said, trying to back away but finding she was rooted on the spot.
"Let me explain, dear. I am the spirit of an old man who died on this very spot fifty years ago to this day. I have been watching you, oh yes. I like you. There's something about you, the shape of your mind...I could live in you, you see. Share you bodies. See the rules state I can aske someone every twenty five years. It's the only time I'm allowed to become corporeal. I asked a young man the same question twenty five years ago and, sadly, he said no."
As outlandish as this sounded, she was in no doubt at all that he was being truthful. "This young man you asked...what happened to him?"
"He died," said the man, coldly. Then, after a pause, "about twenty years later, run over. Nothing to do with me, but I could feel it happening. It was sad. I had hoped his spirit would walk the path with me when he was gone, but sadly he passed over. I am ever so lonely."
"Why can't you pass over?" she asked.
"Oh, I could if I wanted to, but I have so much I still want to do here!" he said, his eyes lighting up. "I do love people. Just watching them, people like you for instance, it's kept me sane all this time. I would have just faded away if not for the people who walk this path. Now, I'm not supposed to keep you long, the rules you see, I must ask you again: can I share your body?"
"It's my body," she said, quite firmly, surprising herself. "I don't like the idea of sharing it."
"I see," he said, disappointed. He stared at her.
"Are you going to let me go?" she said, angry.
"Of course, dear. Of course. If you still live in this area in 25 years time, perhaps I'll ask you again. You'll remember me when you see me, if you see me, but not before. Until then, I'll be watching. Goodbye." And he was gone in an instant and she found herself walking forward automatically. She stopped herself and looked around. There was no sign of him at all. Had it really happened? Already the memory was fading from her mind. Something about an old man? No, there had been nobody. She had looked and there was nobody. A cat jumped out of some near bushes, startling her. That was probably what she had seen, the cat. She smiled and walked on home. After a few minutes the familiar feeling returned, the feeling that she was being followed. But she wasn't scared of it now.
