It would be fun to write a ghost story about a protagonist that disbelieves in the paranormal so hard that it stop existing around them.
They pick a soaking wet teenaged girl ghost in their cab and take her home. They pull up to the house and ghost girl looks longingly out before resigning herself to be sent back to the roadside.
Protagonist is just like, “so that’s $14.50.”
The ghost is surprised, she’s still there. She fumbles for cash but she didn’t die with any.
Does she feel oddly warmer than normal?
The seat more solid against her skin?
The protagonist sighs, “of course.”
They couldn’t just leave a teenage girl out there on the side of the road in the middle of the night, something bad could have happened to her. But he still had bills to pay.
“Come on. This is your parent’s house right? I’ll walk you in.”
For the first time in twenty years the ghost opens the car door and steps out onto the sidewalk.
The protagonist knocks on the front door and her parents, use to the midnight visits, wearyily open the door.
She starts to cry and hugs her parents tight. Apologizing for sneaking out. Babbling about what happened to her. How her friends had egged her into going deeper into the woods. How they had gotten separated. She’d fallen into a river.
Her parents are crying too. She finally made it home. They finally had confirmation of what happened to her. No body had been found so they were never truly sure.
The protagonist awkwardly interrupts, “so there’s still the matter of her cab fair…”
They don’t want to be insensitive but they need to get going and bills don’t pay themselves.
Eagerly her father rummages around in the pockets of his coat hanging by the door and pushing a twenty dollar bill into the protagonist’s hand. He knows it’s more than enough.
They thank the protagonist for bring her home, “keep the change,” they tell him.
As the protagonist gets in their cab and drives away the ghost can feel herself slipping away from life once more. But not back to the river and woods, waiting endlessly for someone to pull over and offer her a ride.
Her unfinished business is complete.
She’s moving on.
To somewhere warm and bright, she can feel it.
Her parents press final kisses to her cheeks as she starts to go. Through tears they whisper, I love you’s.
She’s finally at rest and there are no more stories of vanishing girls picked up off the backwoods roads
Bless you OP for going “It would be fun if someone wrote this” and then writing it. FLAWLESS.
this is gonna sound like a shitpost but the best advice i have if youre consistently coming off wrong is to start talking like an elcor
you will feel like a dumdum at first, but once you get used to it youll realize that telling people what kind of thing you’re about to say ahead of time flattens their anxiety a huge amount
ive been starting every question with “question:” for awhile now and i almost never get people reading too much into what i mean anymore
it seems super dumb, but “what are your plans tomorrow?” gets people asking me what i have planned despite me obviously being in the process of figuring that out, whereas “question: what are your plans tomorrow?” gets me a quick rundown of their schedule, followed by “why?”
it also makes it really easy to work tone indicators into your verbal speech. if you’re always saying “question: [your question here]?” then no one blinks when you say “genuine question: [question that could read as sarcastic]?”
it also gets you out of your own way for any types of things you struggle to say. “can you make sure to do the dishes before you go to bed?” feels like an argument waiting to happen, but “request: can you make sure to do the dishes before you go to bed?” gets the words flowing on a neutral word while making it clear that you’re not looking for a fight
so yeah. suggestion: talk like an elcor
i said “suggestion for you if you havent thought of it:” today so im reblogging this
Useful addition: “this is not a guilt trip or moral judgement, just checking facts: have you done the dishes”.
Or “Just checking if I need to, have you done the dishes today”
Or “please do the dishes, Im not upset I just need a plate”.
Being clear about your intentions this way also heads off RSD or trauma-type anxiety, guilt, frustration, demand-avoidance, fear, etc.
Another phrasing useful for when you are emotional is “Im definitely frustrated, but Im not frustrated at you because I know you’re doing your best.”
Of course it only really works if you genuinely mean it.
Oh, a getting to know you question chain. Feels like I’m back in the 90s, @cardenvondraken 😁 (as I yell at the TikTok youngsters to protect their privacy from my internet front porch)
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Favorite Color: sapphire blue is probably my biggest mainstay, but it often depends on my mood.
Currently Reading: honestly I just cannot with books lately, it’s truly sad. I am slowly working through an illustrated version of The Way of Kings by Brian Sanderson, which was a lucky find in our local little library.
Last Song: “I’m into something good” by Herman’s Hermits 😂
Last Series: we tend to watch a few at once, currently catching up on What We Do in the Shadows and Obi Wan.
Last Movie: The Emporer’s New Groove
Sweet/Savory/Spicy: my plot would be strong I’m the savory area with a little in sweet and spicy - more sweet than spicy tho.
Ok I had to make a plot:
Currently Working On: trying to reconcile years of undiagnosed ADHD.
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I’ve been on tumblr long enough that most of my mutuals have moved on, so I’ll just toss over to @graeffyn.
