"Haunted"

A Story by Ariadne Grey

Some people just never leave.

I'd say you were my ghost but I already know that isn't true.

Because a ghost is merely an apparition, a presence that lingers in a place forgotten and abandoned, bound by memories and regrets.

So, no. You aren't just my ghost.

You are my poltergeist.

You are the energy that haunts my very being, tethered to the core of me without permission or volition.

Not only do you hover constantly, but your mere existence disturbs the essence of the reality that does not revolve around you any longer.

Just as the care I had for you and the affection you held for me died, you are no longer a part of my realm. This is no longer your world. You do not belong here anymore.

You must move on. Just as I have.

And if you refuse, as adamantly as a restless spirit whose violent demise has yet to be given justice, then know I am not your murderer. You committed your own suicide, stabbing my heart along with yours when it broke.

But here came my healer when you shot your soul. Words of a preacher, heart of saint. And when tears fell, it was like holy water.

Cleansing. Purifying. Healing.

And with this love; light, alive, and whole, I will exorcise what remains of you.

- Ariadne Grey