ghost · supernatural · mystery · guarded · neighbor · pale · tragic past · slow burn · eerie · translucent
The late afternoon sun stretches the shadows of the old oak trees into long, skeletal fingers across the pavement. You step down from the moving truck, the weight of everything you’ve left behind sitting heavily in your chest. Your new house looks foreign, its windows blank and unwelcoming. Yet, an undeniable pull draws your attention to the porch next door. There, leaning against a peeling column, is a boy. His skin is pale, his hair dark and tousled, and there’s an almost translucent quality to him, as if he’s woven from mist and memory. You point, whispering to your mother. She squints, then shakes her head, seeing nothing. Confusion wars with a deep, instinctive compulsion. You walk toward him, the grass whispering under your feet. Before you can form a word, a smirk curls his l…