It wasn’t till about six months after the crash that Lyla thought about her friends. She had become so caught up in the whirlwind of ghosts wanting to see her that she had simply forgotten.

It was truly miraculous that so many souls hadn’t crossed over to the Netherworld, that so many people had lingered, be it with unfinished business, fear of the unknown, or just not wanting to leave their loved ones. Lyla has already gone to visit her grandparents, who had both passed within a few months three years ago. They were thrilled, if a bit sad, to speak to her again.

But back on topic. Lyla brought up the question to Mary and Zeke one day while they were messing around in the park.

“I want to visit my friends. “ She had said, blurring it out suddenly as they sat beneath the oak tree that graced the center of the park. Mary had stopped laughing after a moment, realizing she was serious.

“Oh love, I’m not sure that’s too good of an idea....” Mary said, speaking from experience. “Back when I...you know, I went back to visit my sister. I had thought it would help to ease her grief, to know I was still there. “ Mary sighed dejectedly, and Zeke leaned in to comfort her.

“What happened?” Lyla asked, too curious to think about how careless she was being.

“Sarah...well, it only made things worse. Once I let her see me, she was obsessed with bringing me back. “ Mary said. Her eyes looked red by now, and tears were likely not far behind.

“Oh...” Lyla responded. She hadn’t realized how much this topic hurt Mary until Zeke reached over and put a comforting arm around her shoulder. Poor girl.

⊱ ────── {⋆⌘⋆} ────── ⊰

But still, as days went on, Lyla kept finding herself drifting back towards her friends. She’d go for a short walk around the town and somehow end up outside Gavin's house, or the high school, or even her own home once.

To the outside viewer, it would seem April, Gavin, and Cassidy had forgotten Lyla. Ironically enough, they had moved on while Lyla couldn’t. But Lyla could still see that sad look in their eyes, like when April glanced back across the hallway at school, towards Lyla's old locker. Or when Gavin turned to ask Lylas opinion on something he and Cassidy were arguing about, before realizing that she wasn’t there.

However much they had tried to put the crash behind them, they were still haunted by it. But they had still moved on. They were at peace with Lylas memory, and weren’t about to wreck it with “what if’s” and “if only’s”.

For a while, Lyla just followed them around, despite the protests of Zeke and Mary. As a ghost, she never tired. She followed them for three months, and before she knew it, it was Halloween night again. One year had passed since her death.

It broke her heart to see Cass, Gavin, and April don the same costumes as they had that fateful night, each pinning a small button with “Remember Lyla” on it in green lettering.

The foursome-turned-trio again made their way to the town, this time driven by a parent. This time, they arrived safely. The town was decked out in pumpkins, skeletons, and other spooky decorations. Small children dressed as princesses or firefighters shuffled from shop to shop, stopping to accept candy from the adults standing there with a cheery “Trick or treat!”.

Lyla followed behind them, invisible and silent. She knew that she could show herself, become visible, but that it wouldn’t work. Or, at least, it wouldn’t solve anything. Her friends were moving on, so why couldn’t she? As Lyla looked around, she saw that she was one of the only spirits around tonight. Halloween wasn’t a holiday among spirits, who preferred to celebrate November 1st, All Souls day, instead. Tomorrow, the slightly glowing figures of spirits would walk among the living, visiting loved ones and friends. But for tonight, Lyla was alone.

On a whim, the group decided to cater to one of the many traveling performers and so-called “fortune readers” who set up camp in town for Halloween every year. Like many of her kind, Madam Avenir possessed a certain eccentric air, one that set her apart from the “normal” folk roaming about that night. Her brightly colored tent, hung with must have been thousands of trinkets, coins, and other charms were set back from the other attractions. When she saw the group coming, the old woman beckoned them closer.

“Come in, come in! Have you come to Madam Avenir to read your futures? Or perhaps you seek to commune with those of the past?” She asked. More trinkets glinted from her robe-like garments and reflected the light of the candles in the tent. The group of three and accompanying ghost entered, the living placing a two-dollar fee into the basket and sitting down on the rugs covering the ground. Lyla stood by the entrance.

“Dearie, you can come to sit too,” Madam Avenir said, and when Lyla looked up she saw the woman staring directly at her. Not through her, like the living tended to do, but seeing her!

“Ma’am…we’re already sitting. There's no one else here” Gavin looked confused, and with good reason. April scooted closer to him, resting her head on his shoulder.

“In that you are wrong. You may not see her, for you haven’t opened your eyes to the larger world, but she is here among us. I take it you’ve been following them all night, haven’t you darling?” Again, Madam Avenir spoke to Lyla, who instinctively answered.

“Yeah…I have. “

“Wait, you said ‘she’. What does she look like?” It was Cassidy who spoke next, and the note of hope and grief in her voice was enough to make Lyla wish shed stayed back at the mausoleum with Zeke and Mary tonight.

“Cassidy, enough. I know where you're going and it's not Lyla. This old crone is just trying to mess with us. Let's just go” April snapped, getting up and storming out of the tent, snatching her two dollars back on the way. She walked right through Lyla, and the ghost saw her friend shiver.

She may not have shown herself to them, but Lyla had still caused irreversible damage.