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How strange this fear of death is! We are never frightened at a sunset.

Two boys stand before Apartment 406. “You should say goodbye to him,” one boy says. “I don’t think I can,” the other replies. “You have to. You know you have to.” “I can’t. If I say goodbye to him, I won’t have anyone left.” “You know that’s not true. Seth is gone, but you’re not. You can’t let yourself become a ghost too.” The boy with dark hair and circles under his eyes looks down at his feet, composing himself. He gives his friend a small nod and enters the apartment for the last time. “Seth,” the boy calls. “I came to say goodbye. Parker and I are leaving the Foxberry. It’s not fair of me to leave you, but I can’t stay here. I thought I could. I thought that as long as I had you I’d be able to live in this sorry excuse for an apartment for the rest of my sorry excuse for a life. But I can’t.” The tears roll down the boy’s cheeks, creating thick, glistening tracks down his face. He sits down next to the spot on their couch where he could always find his brother. He waits. And ...
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I no longer fear the dark, for that is where my ghosts reside

Noah stepped into the apartment, unsure of what to expect. He looked at the other two occupants of the space: Elwood, standing nervously in the small apartment, and the red-haired woman, who now was giving Noah the same once-over she had done when he was on the other side of the apartment door. It didn’t feel any better the second time. Nobody spoke. Noah didn’t want to move from his spot an arm’s reach from the door. He considered this the best place to be, in case a quick exit had to be made. Although this was only the second story. A jump from here wouldn’t be too bad. “So you can see ghosts, huh? When did this ‘mediumship’ start?” The woman started to throw the questions like darts, with Noah being the dartboard. “Have you been able to see ghosts your whole life or is this a recent ability? Can you conjure spirits at will?” “Um…” Noah started “I…” “Is this a family trait? Are other members of your family able to commune with the dead?” “Phoenix, please,” Elwood said, trying to stop...
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I didn’t know you could get buried in your own silence

Standing in front of apartment 204, Noah was losing his confidence. He had come to the second floor to find Elwood Clark, the very-much-alive man who had promised to help Noah. In reality, it wasn’t even a promise, just Elwood saying “I think I can help you,” before being dragged away by a red-haired woman, but that was quite enough for Noah. Now, Noah stood in front of Elwood’s apartment, hand poised in front of the door, ready to knock. He had been standing in this position for the past ten minutes, hoping his hand and Elwood’s door would magically connect. Noah hoped, fruitlessly, for 5 more minutes. “This is stupid,” Noah muttered to himself and lowered his hand. “He probably thinks I’m crazy. And even if he doesn’t, how does he think he can help me?” Noah was now pacing the hallway of the second floor. “You know what, he’s probably crazy. This was a bad idea. A bad, bad idea. I’m leaving.” Noah turned to leave, ready to return to his own apartment, but while thinking of ap...
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There is no safety this side of the grave

Noah Chance was troubled, and when he was troubled, Noah liked to take a walk, find somewhere quiet, and think, which was exactly what he was doing now, wandering the streets aimlessly. He was too concerned with the thoughts that raced through his head like wild animals to pay attention to where his feet were taking him. Noah was thinking his plan to “save his brother” was a bit too ambitious. What was he supposed to do? Where was he even supposed to start? He thought maybe he should adjust his plan. Something like “find out why I see ghosts” would work just fine. But how was he supposed to find that out? Before his thoughts could become anymore uncontrollable, Noah was distracted by the faint smell of buttered popcorn, the distant twinkle of lights, and the faded sound of… “Is that... circus music?” Noah asked aloud. “I believe so” a voice replied. Noah startled, not expecting an answer to his question. To his right stood a young man around Seth’s age. They were both walking...
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Behind every man now alive stands 30 ghosts, for that is the ratio by which the dead outnumber the living.

Noah felt surrounded, overwhelmed. Everywhere he turned, there was a ghost. Susie Lightman’s grandmother, Old Man Jenkins’ wife, Jeffrey Randall, Mr. Evans. His brother. He was never truly alone. Sometimes, when he was returning from work or school, he silently wished that Seth wouldn’t be home when he returned. Then he immediately felt guilty for thinking such a terrible thought. He was lucky to be able to see his brother, considering the only time Noah should be seeing him was 6 feet under the ground. Now, Noah sat on the Foxberry’s roof, seemingly the only place the dead wouldn’t go. His bare feet floated in the warm water of the rooftop pool, the cuffs of his jeans rolled up past calves as to not get wet. The roof was empty, unlike the last time he was up here. Thinking back on the strange encounter, it felt like a dream. The way the steam curled off of the pool. The air thick with the scent of flowers. The strange Jack Stars and dead-raising woman. He was alone, finally. Noah felt...
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The rainbow connection

When Noah had walked into his apartment that evening, ready to crash onto the first available surface in the small space, he had not been expecting a visitor. On top of the small kitchen table sat a toy frog. No, it was too lifelike to be a toy. He could see the leopard-like spots covering its small body, the creamy white of its stomach. He could see the glisten of moisture on its back and the way its chest rose and fell as if it were breathing. He blinked. The small creature blinked back. Noah startled and backed away from the frog. “What is that doing in the apartment?” “His name is Kermit and I kinda need him to stay here for a bit.” Noah jumped again and looked to where Parker was, bent over the Chance's kitchen counter eating a bowl of cereal. Now he had two unexpected visitors. “First of all: How did you get into my apartment? Second of all: No way! This apartment is disgusting enough as it is.” “That’s exactly why he should live here!” “No! It’s not! We don’t need to make it...
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Tell me, has anything odd happened to you recently?

Cold wind brushes past Noah as he crouches behind a small car in the parking deck of the Foxberry. He shivers and attempts to shove his numb hands deeper into the pocket of his sweatshirt. “Isn’t that the spot where you died?” Noah asks his companion. “Yes. I think so.” Mr. Evans replied. “I don’t quite remember, but I do feel a pull towards that particular parking spot.” Specifically parking spot 303, where a young woman was currently snooping around. The woman continuously looked around her, as if to check and see if anyone was watching. Noah thought her behavior was quite suspicious, but, considering he was crouched behind a car spying on her, he wasn’t going to say anything. “A pull? Like a magnet?” “Exactly. It feels almost as if…” he paused, “as if I belong there. Odd, huh?” “Yeah, odd.” Noah was used to odd. When the people you thought were dead suddenly started wanting to talk to you, odd became normal. He figured he talked to the dead more than the living at this point. From w...
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