a Halloweener

 What was that I heard?  Someone calling for help?

"HELP!"

Yup, there it was again.  And it continued with rhythmic frequency

"HELP!"

"HELP!"

I was in a hallway at work, and to be honest, such pleas are not uncommon.  They can be for anything from, "I dropped my glasses" to "I've fallen and can't get up" and anything in between.

I entered the room and asked the resident if there was something I could do for him.  He was a relatively big man sitting up on his elbows in bed, his eyes a bit wild looking, just recently admitted for rehabilitation of some kind.  I didn't know anything about him or his condition.  

But it was evident that he could sufficiently hear me, and he spoke clearly with no slurred or slowed speech. All in all, at first glance, he seemed in pretty good shape compared to some of the others, until...

"There was a little kid just in here!  He was looking for somebody, and then he took off!  My legs don't work or I would've gone after him!"

Oh, okay.  I made a mental note that the guy wasn't as coherent as I'd first thought.  There were most certainly no little kids running around the facility.  But I played along and asked for a description, so the man would know I took him seriously.

A little boy, about 9 or 10 years old.  He's wearing pajamas and looking for someone named Nick.  He'd entered the room and even listened to the man's chest for a while before running out into the hallway.  

"Okay, thank you, sir.  I'll let others know to be on the lookout.  I'm sure we'll find him and get him in touch with Nick", I responded.

He seemed relieved and relaxed back onto the bed.  I mentioned the episode to his CNA and chalked it up to another day in a care facility.

Pffft, a little boy running around in his PJs.  

In a care facility.

Yeah, right.

I mean, people die here.  

It's no place for kids.

Right?

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Linking up this week with MamaKat for the prompt:
2. Write about something that has pleasantly surprised you.

the last time I saw her

"Don't look!", I told myself.  Act like everything's normal.

I knew if I looked, she would either disappear or I would totally freak out.  Or both.

But I knew she was there.  She was ninety degrees to my right, standing in the doorway to my bedroom.  I was facing a mirror above the dresser, getting ready for work.  It was early morning and still a bit dark out.

So I didn't look.  I pretended to continue to primp, but it was bad pretending because even without looking, I was freaking out a little.  Even without looking, I KNEW she was there.

Eventually, I figured that, since I was already freaking out anyway, I might as well look.  I had to look.

So I did.

And there she was.  The vision probably lasted less than a second, but I saw her.  She didn't speak.  She didn't move.  She was only standing there, looking right at me.  She was wearing navy blue and sunglasses.  She looked good.

Then she was gone, and I was left standing, looking at the hallway outside my bedroom.

My grandma.

About 15 years after she'd passed away.

I still wonder why she was wearing those sunglasses.  Maybe I'll ask her next time I see her.

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Linking up with Mama Kat for the prompt:
5.) Write about a time you were totally freaked out because thought there was a ghost.