process papers

Share this post

The Ghost

jordanhundelt.substack.com

Discover more from process papers

written by me, potentially read by you. not much more to it than that.
Continue reading
Sign in

The Ghost

A Very Short Story

Jordan Hundelt
Feb 25, 2023
5
Share this post

The Ghost

jordanhundelt.substack.com
Share
Once, lying curled beneath a sheet, I felt an earthquake. A soft but distinct rolling from left to right across my bed. When I could confirm no seismic event, I began to reason with the ghost in my walls. Apprehensive but not yet afraid, I asked her to kindly not disturb me in my sleep. She agreed, leaving me to the disturbances I could not bargain with. The 11pm laughter and the 1am ambulance and the 3am radiator hiss.
Months later, I felt the rocking again. Had my ghost betrayed me in her hurt at being forgotten? I listened for her accusation in the gentle swaying, and recognized the rhythm at last, as the movement of my own living heart.

Last night as I was zipping up my coat outside of Blanchet House, preparing for my walk home over an inch of solid ice, a fellow volunteer bid me goodnight with a very ominous “Tread Lightly.” I want to believe what he meant was “walk carefully,” with the ice and all, but standing in the middle of Chinatown with the sun already below the horizon, I couldn’t help but read a little extra warning into his adieu. Nothing happened of course, but I thought about that choice of words the whole mile home (which should have taken twenty minutes, but with the level of caution I was exercising took thirty-five).

This Saturday I’ll sign off with an equally calculated “Tread Lightly,” but in this case I’ll explain that I mean “lightly” not as in how someone should step over eggshells, but as in “with a spring in your step.”

Happy Saturday,

Tread Lightly :)

Jordan

5
Share this post

The Ghost

jordanhundelt.substack.com
Share
Comments
Top
New
Community

No posts

Ready for more?

© 2023 Jordan Hundelt
Privacy ∙ Terms ∙ Collection notice
Start WritingGet the app
Substack is the home for great writing