The eleven-year-old was completely flummoxed now.
What in the hell just happened? The policeman just stepped through the body of that man.
Her thoughts were running wild for a possible explanation for the bizarre event she had just witnessed.
Am I going mad? I can still see the tattered young man lying on the grass, someone no one seems to notice, not even the two policemen standing right next to me. Did I just imagine all these events? Is that man even real? I'm way past the age to make up stuff like this in my head.
The two policemen who were asked to watch her kept giving her weird looks. Of course, they have their doubts about the story.
In their perspective, I had just pointed to an empty space and told them that their man was lying there. They must be thinking that I'm over the bend.
Did the break-in really happen? I was lonely and bored and then suddenly my house gets broken in by some guy. But why would I imagine stuff up that makes me so scared and petrified that I would be afraid for my life? It doesn't make any sense to me.
The man was still lying on the floor apparently unconscious of her hit. She had been able to strike him on the head and render him unconscious, while the others were not even able to see or touch him. This gave more credence to her theory that this was all inside her head. But why on earth would she make up something like this was beyond her.
One of the policemen, Bradley was calling her parents and she had no idea what she would tell her parents about this.
Something about this entire thing still didn't feel right to her. She had heard the loud crash coming from the basement. She could have imagined it, but still, she had found the windows shattered and glass lying all over the floor. Something must have done that, most likely her imaginary intruder. She had seen him open the front door as well. He could touch things he wanted to if he could use the doorknob. And obviously, she could interact with him considering that she had knocked him out. The only real way to know the truth about the man was to find the evidence of breaking in and shattered windows in the basement. But then again, she could have done that herself if this was all supposed to be her imagination.
This is not real, this is not real. She kept repeating this mantra over and over in her head, hoping that the man would disappear. But still, she could see him lying on the grass.
Would he wake up and try to hurt her? None of these people could even see or touch him. They won't be able to protect me. They wouldn't even believe me if I told them. They would think that I'm just going nuts over fear.
She was rummaging her head, trying to think of a solution for this seemingly impossible situation when she noticed that some of the policemen that went in were coming back.
"Looks like he got away," the policeman said to her.
"The windows to the basement were broken in as you said, but there is no sign of him inside the house. He must have bolted out before we came here."
She didn't say anything back to him. The house was broken in. She hadn't imagined that part. That means that most likely, she hadn't imagined the man either. But that didn't make any sense to her as she was the only one able to interact with him. That also made her feel very scared now as to how to deal with the man when he eventually woke up. She could just thwack him in the head again. But she didn't tell the policemen about the invisible intruder again. It won't do any good for her right now.
"We will stay here with you till your parents get here," the policemen told her.
But she wasn't paying any attention to him now. Because at that moment the unconscious man had started stirring and no one else seemed to notice it. He slowly got up, nursing the back of his head where she had hit him. He looked around and noticed the police were there and then he spotted her.
She took a step back in fear of what was to come. But he wasn't looking at her anymore. He was addressing one of the policemen.
"Hey Officers, I think there has been a huge misunderstanding," he told the police.
Apparently, he didn't know that no one could see him. And it appeared as if no one could hear him either as no one except her paid any attention to him.
"Well, this is weird. Usually, people would be all over me, not outright ignoring me" he said as he tried to tap the shoulder of a policeman. But to his surprise, the hand just went through his body.
"Well this is unexpected"he continued. "I'm a ghost then."
She was rooted to her feet watching all this happen, while the policemen were talking about filing a report. They were starting to guide her back to the house when the man's gaze fell on her again.
"You can still see me, right," he asked her.
She couldn't answer him back. She just gave him a small nod before letting the policemen guide her back to the house.
"OK," he said before following them into the house.
She didn't really know where this was going.
He is following us back to the house. What does he plan to do? And he thinks he is a ghost?
They waited inside the living room until her parents arrived ten minutes later. Her parents were hysterical that their only daughter could have been attacked in her own home. Her mother was all over her in a second, crying and hugging her and placing kisses all over her face. Her dad was worried as well, looking over her every now and then while talking to the policemen.
When all of this was taking place, the invisible man was sitting in a corner of the room, watching the proceedings with a hint of curiosity and amusement.
Eventually, all the policemen left the house and her mom and dad were sitting down with her asking the details and comforting her. The man still looked on at the scene not making a move.
It had been two hours since the incident, and the man had still not disappeared on her. He was still sitting there in the corner, with an expectant look over his face.
Her mom and dad had gone to the basement to check out the damage a while back. Her mom had insisted on staying with her, but she had assured she was fine over and over until she relented. After all her mom wouldn't be able to do anything if the man acted and it was better for her that her mom and dad would out of harm's way.
She summoned up all the courage in her body and walked up to the man, trying to hide the fact that she was nervous and a little afraid. As soon as she got to him she did something really, really stupid. She slapped him right across his face and found to her astonishment that she could actually touch him.
The man who was looking all amused right up till that point had a shocked look on his face.
"What did you do that for?" he asked her bewildered.
"That was for all the mess you've caused and then scaring the life out of me" she exclaimed, pointing a finger at him.
"Fair enough," he said in a calm voice.
"Also I wanted to make sure that I could hit you" she blurted out without thinking.
He gave her another look tinged with curiosity.
"How were you able to hit me, or even touch me? My hand just went through that Officer's body when I tried to call him."
"I don't know" she answered him. "Maybe it's because you are part of my imagination, and I make the rules over there," she said with a bit of daring in her voice.
She was still not sure if the man in front of her was just her head playing games, or a real person out of phase with the reality. She was never going to admit the ghost theory.
"Let me stop you right there kid," he told her.
"I'm pretty sure that I am not some random guy you created in your head. I had a life, I had friends and family, and I'm certain that I am dead and standing in front of you as a ghost."
"Of course you are not a ghost" she replied in a rather heated and loud voice. For a moment she was concerned that her parents had heard her. Both of them kept looking at the basement for a moment before turning to each other.
"You are not a ghost" she lowered her voice to a whisper.
"Ghosts do not exist. If you were one, why am I able to see, hear and touch you? I did knock you out, didn't I? I wouldn't be able to do that if you were a ghost" she added in a tone that suggested finality.
"Um, interesting theory" he started.
"But considering the fact that the last memory I have is of killing myself and then considering the current circumstances, I would think that I am pretty much dead."
He continued, "And for your information ghosts do exist. I have seen plenty of ghosts, I even got ghost friends."
She was even more puzzled and horrified by what he had said. Had this man tried to kill himself?
But she didn't have long to ponder and ask the man any more questions, because at that moment she could hear her mom and dad coming up from the basement. She quickly made up her mind on what to do with the stranger.
"OK, I am only going to tell you this once," she said. "Do not ever hurt my mom or dad. Don't even try that, get it."
The man just looked at her smiled. It really was silly of her to threaten a man who could phase through people, but she had to do it.
"I will never hurt your mom or dad" he promised.
"Or you for that matter. Scout's honour" he finished with a salute to her.
It looked rather comical when he did that but she didn't tell him that. There was no way she could ensure that he would keep the promise, but at least he had promised. For now, that will do.
"Thanks for your promise. Let me introduce myself" she told him while extending her right hand.
"I am Jemma Simmons."
"I am Harry," he told her as he shook her tiny outstretched hand.
Neither of them knew that this meeting would change their lives for many years to come.