Ghost Sees Ghost

A/N: Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental. This work is a fictional creation and does not intend to depict any specific individuals or occurrences. Inspired by Youtubers who live exciting lives, and refined by ChatGPT.

I will never forget the day that I saw a ghost.

Or spirit, apparition. Whatever.

It all started when I was twelve, after school.

I was waiting for my mom to pick me up after school, and it was raining. A lot.

She was late, which wasn’t normal of her, but after waiting fifty-seven minutes exactly I figured she wasn’t coming and poked a hole in the giant trash bag I had in my hands.

I had forgotten my umbrella, so wearing it like a poncho was the best way to make sure all my stuff didn’t get wet. It was really pouring that day and I had a long walk home.

It was dark and I normally would cross the football field onto Franklin Terrace to get home, but seeing as it was all muddy, I decided to take Skyler Street instead. Dad was very strict on me keeping my clothes presentable and I didn’t like to make him mad.

Especially my shoes.

He’d been working hard to provide for us since coming to America so he hated it when he felt I didn’t appreciate the things he bought me.

When I finally got home, the house was unusually dark.

I fumbled with my keys, my wet hands making it difficult to unlock the door, but when I got in the lights wouldn’t work and the usual hum of our appliances was replaced by an eerie silence. I tried to call my mom, but the house phone wasn’t working, either.

I wasn’t too worried.

Our power always went out during heavy rainstorms, and I had watched my dad reset the breaker outside the house dozens of times. Knowing what to do, I fished for a flashlight from the kitchen drawer and made my way out into the storm.

I remember the wind howled around me, and the rain pelted down even harder, soaking through my makeshift poncho. I trudged through the mud, each step sucking at my shoes as I approached the breaker box on the side of the house.

Just like how Dad did it, with a flashlight clenched in my teeth, I opened the metal cover. I’d seen him do this so many times—it should have been easy. I reached for the switch, hesitating for a moment as lightning flashed across the sky, illuminating the yard in a stark, white light.

Taking a deep breath, I flipped the breaker.

Nothing.

Going for a second try, a violent jolt surged through my body, sending me flying backward.

The next thing I knew, there were flashing red and blue lights. The sound of sirens wailed through the storm, and I remember how my muscles would spasm in such a way that they had difficulty lifting me into the stretcher. I caught glimpses of the paramedics talking inaudibly as they carried me to the ambulance.

Inside is when I first thought I saw something.

The bright lights above blurred as my vision faded in and out, but I thought I saw shadowy figures in the corners of my eyes. They were indistinct at first, but as the ambulance bounced and jostled on the way to the hospital, they became clearer.

When the ambulance arrived at the hospital, the figures seemed to grow more menacing. I was rushed through hallways, the bright lights above me streaking past in a dizzying blur. Each streak of light seemed to contain faces, distorted and watching me with an unsettling intensity. They loomed over me, whispering indistinct words that sent chills down my spine.

As I was wheeled into the ICU, the figures became more defined. Their features twisted and grotesque, they hovered close, almost as if they were waiting for something. In the emergency room, I could see them more clearly than ever. Their dark forms flickered in and out of the harsh fluorescent lights, their eyes piercing and cold.

The doctors and nurses moved around me, preparing to put me under for treatment. The figures drew closer, their presence suffocating and oppressive. Just as the anesthesia began to take hold, I saw one lean in, its face inches from mine.

.. You saw one lean in?

Yes. But that wasn’t the last time I would see it.

When I came to, I found myself in a hospital bed.

The room was dimly lit, the only light coming through the doorway that led to the hallway. I turned my head slightly and saw my mom slumped in a chair beside the bed, fast asleep. Her face was etched with worry even in her sleep, and I felt a pang of guilt for causing her so much distress.

I glanced at the clock on the wall. It was 1 AM. The steady beeping of the monitors was oddly comforting, and for a moment, I thought I was going to be okay. But then, I tried to move, and my body wouldn’t respond. Panic surged through me as I felt I was paralyzed. I tried to call out to my mom, but no sound came from my lips.

That’s when I realized I could no longer hear anything.

The beeping of the monitors.

The nurses talking in the hallway. Nothing.

The room seemed to grow darker, the edges of my vision blurring. A heavy, oppressive weight settled on my chest, making it hard to breathe. The faint light from the hallway flickered, and I felt a familiar, creeping dread.

I later learned this was called sleep paralysis. Or scissor lock. Night terrors. Whatever.

Everything faded to black and the creatures emerged from the shadows, their forms even more grotesque and terrifying than before. They danced around my bed all helter-skelter, some moving in slow motion, while others moved in an inhumanely fast pace. Their eyes glowed, and their whispers grew louder, filling my head with a cacophony of unintelligible words.

One of them leaned in, its face inches from mine, and I felt its cold, clammy hand on my arm.

FLICK

“Why is it so dark in here,” a soft voice asked as the light turned on before gasping, “Are y’all watching the Avery Kim interrogation?”

“Yes, Garcia,” a man responded, rubbing his eyes at the sudden change of brightness while sarcastically muttering, “feel free to come on in without knocking.”

The video paused, showing Avery seated in an interrogation room from an overhead angle.

“Why?” Carl Garcia inquired with a curious tone. “How’d you get it?”

“Newsum’s taking him on as a client,” he answered with a smile as he rolled his chair back to reveal Sarah Newsum sitting in an office chair hugging her knees. Her strawberry hair was held in a messy bun with a pen, and Carl was certain she wore that same lavender blouse yesterday.

“Starting today.”

“No! Girl, you’re kidding!? He’s a troll!” Carl shrieked, his voice betraying his true emotions of excitement. “We thought y’all were finally hooking up in here!”

The refined lawyer grimaced, shaking his head before turning toward Sarah who shot him a death stare behind her big square glasses.

Unlike Sarah, who couldn’t seem to get control of her hair, Derek’s stylish graying mane had no strand out of place. “She always has her lunch here.”

“He keeps all the best condiments in his office,” Sarah explained while holding up her lunch.

“Oh I know girl, I sometimes steal a little spritz of that ‘Sri-cha-cha’ hot sauce,” Carl admitted proudly before looking Sarah up and down. “Where do you put it all away, you tiny little thing.”

“Genetics.”

“Lucky.”

“It’s,” Derek started pretentiously with his finger in the air, “pronounced ‘Sriracha’, and Newsum was just about to thank me for finally giving her a high-profile client.”

“No I wasn’t,” Sarah said, pointing at the unflattering image of Avery before pressing play.

“Well, don’t mind me guys, press play!” Carl said as he leaned on the back of both their chairs, much to Derek’s chagrin, as Sarah pressed the spacebar to resume the video.

CLICK

“I broke free immediately upon contact, but that’s when the ghost seeing happened.”

There was a pause as Avery appeared to gather his thoughts before continuing. He leaned forward, and for the first time, Sarah got a good look at him. He looked way younger than she thought, with his frizzled black hair, round eyes, high cheekbones, and pale skin. The detective, on the other hand, was unidentifiable based on the angle of the footage.

“What do you mean? What happened?”

Avery took a deep breath. “It was like the colors and everything rushed back in a sickening way. The world around me snapped back into place, but creatures remained. They just began taking steps backwards during the madness, each one leaving out the door, while their eyes were locked on mine.”

“...”

“Doctors believe I suffered a brain injury from the accident and began sending me to specialists,” Avery explained, his voice steady. “They ran all sorts of tests on me from MRIs to CAT scans, dog scans, you name it… they did it all, and my family didn’t have insurance-”

PAUSE

“I think I’ve seen enough,” Sarah said, pausing the video at a particularly unflattering moment of Avery. “This is some joke, right?”

Derek paused it, his expression a blend of amusement and seriousness. “Oh, I assure you, Newsum, this is no joke. His case perfectly fits with what we do. Need I remind you?”

Sarah rolled her eyes.

Andrew Johnson, Derek’s grandfather, is the renowned Vegas lawyer who, together with Mr. Bernstein, gained prominence for successfully defending a controversial mobster in the seventies. With the public against them for taking the case, they were able to successfully prove the man was innocent in the death of his sibling.

Since then, they have built a reputation for taking on controversial clients that other lawyers refused.

“And now we’re defending.. Whatever you call this,” Sarah said sarcastically, still pointing at the screen.

Derek’s expression turned more serious. “Exactly. We take on the cases others won’t touch. It’s part of our legacy, Newsum. We take cases others cannot.”

Derek suddenly turned and gripped her hands, both startling and causing her to blush. “That’s why I need you to take this seriously. Avery Kim might seem like a joke, but the allegations against him are very real..”

Sarah momentarily froze but yanked her hands away. “Oh, really? Flatter me.”

“We have fallen a long way, Newsum,” Derek started, his voice taking on an almost political tone as he rose to his feet, “from the firm’s glory days.”

He had a contrasting presence compared to Carl, who was robust and playful, with his fit physique and tailored suits. “Not long ago we were the go-to for high-profile cases that no lawyer wanted to touch.. Vigilance, ingenuity, you name it.”

Derek’s voice took a somber turn. “Now? Traffic tickets and drunks.”

“Derek, what are you talking about -”

“One day I will be taking over this firm,” Derek interrupted coolly, now pacing regally, “and as the current Senior Partner, I wish to start restoring it to the glory it once held. Starting today, with this case.”

“What the hell is going on?” Carl asked with a mischievous smirk.

Sarah remained quiet, her arms crossed defensively and her eyes narrowing. “You think defending Avery will do that?”

Derek suddenly turned to her, snapping his fingers. “Precisely! You are the one I can trust to do it, Newsum.”

“No you’re not,” Sarah responded bluntly, her tone almost childish in defiance before confusing what she was responding to. “I mean, no I’m not.”

Derek asked with a raised eyebrow, his expression a challenge. “Oh yeah, and why’s that?”

Sarah hesitated, trying to find the words. “Because... because this case is insane! It’s impossible, Derek! A complete waste of time, how am I supposed to prove that the man can see ghosts?”

“You spent your summer trying to prove that Yetis were real when you were in high school,” Derek teased. “Think of it like that.”

She was hoping he’d forgotten that stupid holiday party.

“Derek, I came in here today to be put on more cases.”

“Oh? Not my condiments?” Derek patronized as he shook a bottle of honey mustard.

“I’m serious!”

“So am I,” Derek responded, suddenly deadpan. “You will be taking on this client, and that’s final.”

“W-wait!”

Derek sighed audibly as she clung onto his coat tails. “Please let go Newsum, this is a very expensive suit.”

“Derek,” Sarah implored, her voice laced with urgency and an uncharacteristic seriousness as she slowly let go. “Please? Haven’t I paid my dues already?”

Both Carl and Derek were taken back by Sarah’s sudden desperation.

“I’m not some publicity stunt, Derek, I’m an attorney,” she quivered. “For Pete’s sake, I-I went to UNLV on a scholarship when Dad said I didn’t even have to go to school, Derek! I-I passed the bar! But what have you had me do since I got here, huh? It’s been two years and-”

Derek raised an eyebrow, which reeled Sarah back to reality.

“I mean, I know our dads are best friends Derek, and I’m lucky to be here so I don’t expect any favoritism.. “

Tears welled up in her eyes.

“But think about all I’ve done since I got here. Fetch coffee for partners who think of me as some nepo-kid. Or, or handle stupid traffic ticket appeals and maybe.. Just maybe handle petty lawsuits. Any client I bring, you re-assign to someone else! Do you know how embarrassing it was when I spent the other day organizing office birthday parties with Carl?”

Derek leaned in, his expression serious. “That’s exactly why I chose you for this, Newsum. If anyone can find the truth in this madness, it’s you. You have the tenacity and the heart to prove yourself.”

Sarah stared at him, her skepticism still apparent as she rubbed the tears from her face.

“Yes,” Derek assured firmly. “The others see this case the same way you do. But you’ve got something the others don’t. Drive. Drive, youth, empathy and conviction. These hurdles are necessary if you wish to make Junior Partner one day.”

“B-but you’ve been promising me that since we were kids!” Sarah protested again, her tears welling up again. “You can’t keep promising me that!”

“That vacant little office,” Derek snapped, causing Sarah’s eyes to widen. “Garcia, after lunch, please help Newsum move her things there from her cubicle.”

She gasped, exchanging ecstatic glances with Carl. “For real?”

“She’ll need it for her meeting with the GHOST SEES GHOST team tomorrow. Now, please, go get prepared.”

Sarah happily obliged, stuffing the last of her lunch in her mouth as she got up to leave. Carl began to follow but Derek hinted at him to hang back.

“She really gets to you, huh,” Carl teased as Sarah left the room.

Derek had a faint smile. “She’s a good kid. Always has been, even when we were younger. Besides, it’ll keep her off my back about being put on more cases. You know how her dad is..”

“Speaking of which, is he going to be okay with this?”

Immediately, Derek’s smile faded and his eyes narrowed. “Call around the other firms. See what the other assistants have to say about this… Lyle Wes and .. Yiska.”

“Got it.”