The day I became a ghost

After leaving Ezra Ann's, I caught up with Juicy  who I was sure was pretty ticked off at me.  Mortals have the misconceived idea that All Hallow's Eve would be THE night for ghosts, but it's not like that at all for most of us.  For the majority, it's just another day in paradise and no need to get all worked up about it.  Tell that to Juicy, though.  I was pretty sure she'd want to know where I was all night and I figured she had a right to know.  After all, it was not only a big night for some in the spirit world, but it was also the night I met Juicy.

I was beheaded on the night before All Hallow's Eve in 1682, exactly fifty years after the day I was born.  It was the exact same night that Juicy was murdered.  In fact, her whole family was murdered from what I can remember.  It was gruesome. Juicy came from a peasant family; whereas I came from a noble one.  In real life, we probably would have never met coming from two very different backgrounds.

Although I knew my death was inevitable, it was still a shocker.  I watched them throw my limp body on a cart and roll it away to the sound of a cheering crowd.  I'll never forget it and I tried to get it in my mind that they were cheering for me, not against me, for now I was free from the torment that was bestowed on me my entire life and also free from Richelieu who I suspected all along that he didn't want me around much longer.  I wasn't much to look at, but it was my religious and political views that got me in trouble.  Had I not opened my mouth, I might have survived longer.

I was a humpback and shunned most of the time, but what I lacked in appearance, I made it up with my brains.  I was very vocal in what I believed in which landed my head under the guillotine.

It's painful for me to write this, so let's just get it all out and go on to nicer things.

I did see the light, but something told me I wasn't finished on earth.  Something told me I didn't want to take the coward way out and I wanted a chance to redeem myself.  I saw my mother who had passed a few years earlier.  She was waving at me to join her.  The urge to do so was strong.  She was my rock.

I just stood there.  One by one, more of my past relatives appeared and the light got stronger. I knew it was do or die and I refused to die.  Slowly, the light receded until it was no more.

I took a closer look at myself and was surprised to notice my back was straight and I didn't have a pain in my whole body.  It was like I was sixteen again, before the horrible disease took over which caused my hunched back.  I thought at first that this wasn't so bad.  Strange, but doable.  I don't know why mortals think this is something to be fearful of.  It was out of the ordinary for sure, but definitely very doable.

I discovered I could now fly.  And the good part about it was that I could go anywhere I wanted and no one would know I was there.  But I was still in the confused stage and that's about when I felt a foreign presence around me.

"Hello Henri."

I could tell the presence was not of mortal flesh, and eventually the figure took form so it could be partly recognizable.  I figure that if some strange being is the first thing you see after you die, it would totally disconnect you from the matter at hand.

"And who are you?"

"I'm Esop, your spiritual guide."

"My spiritual what?"

"I am your spiritual guide.  I am here to show you the ropes.  Got a minute?"

I wanted to laugh, but I knew I better get serious.  After all, there might be rules and conditions and all that and I needed to know.

"I've got all the time in the world now.  Lay it on me."

We did the Christmas past thing - Esop showed me different things that happened to me that I wish hadn't and told me what I needed to do if I were to stay on this realm.  He explained to me that by not going into the light, there were certain things I needed to know.

"You have decided to stay on this realm, Henri," Esop continued, "and so forth shall you do.  You have past karma to solve and I will be there to help you with it."

"Cool."  I wasn't all into being by myself at that point anyway.

"You had hardships in this life and now it's your time to fly, but you have to remember that in order to get to the next realm which you will want to do at some point in time, you have to perform certain tasks."

"Certain tasks?"

"Yes.  They will be measured in points.  You do a certain thing, you get a point.  That's the way it works."

"So, what's my first step?"

"Your first step is getting your wings.  You have limited flying ability right now.  In order to do all you have to do to get to the next realm, you must get your wings first."

"And how do I do that?"

"Go into the next town - La Rochelle. It's a good three mile walk but you can use what little flying ability you have to get there.  There is a young woman named Jessilyn Archambault.  Her family was just murdered and they have gone to the light, leaving her behind.  You need to find her."

"What do I do once I find her?"

"You'll know what to do."

Esop faded, then disappeared, and I started my journey.  As a ghost to find another ghost named Jessilyn Archambault.