When Alfred was a child he ask his papa, "Do you have a little sister?"
His papa responded with wide eyes, "Did you see a picture of her?"
This confused Alfred's young mind. He sees her all the time when they are in France. She sits at the table but does not eat.
She smiles when people make jokes. She looked like papa but younger. They had the same blue eyes and short wavy hair.
Alfred then said, "Papa, I see her when we visit grandma in France. She looks like you but younger. No one ever talks to her. Why?"
Papa had a look of fear in his eyes. He then sat down on the floor and said, "Alfred honey, come sit with me."
Alfred did not know why they were sitting on the floor. His papa was always vey elegant and never had a hair out of place.
Papa combed his hand though Alfred hair and said, "Alfred, I use to have a older sister. She died when I was 5 but she was 11."
Papa then played with his phone to find a picture. He then showed Alfred the picture and said, "This was Lili. "
The picture was old and clearly not taken with a phone. It was a picture of a picture and was yellowing at the edges.
The girl in the picture was the person he sees when visiting grandma. Alfred then said, "But papa she is not dead. I see her all of the time when we see grandma."
Papa started to cry and hug him. Alfred shoulder got wet and he felt as though he brought up something he should not have.
Papa then stoped crying and said, "Please go play. Your sister will be back later with your dad."
Alfred left with more questions then when the conversation started.
——
Later that year they took a trip to visit grandma in Nice.
Alfred did not bring up Lili again to his Papa. He did not like seeing him cry.
When he saw the girl and no one was around he looked at her and said, "Hey, is your name Lili?"
The girl looked around. And said to her self, "Who Is he talking to?"
Alfred said, "Uhh, you?"
"Me! You shouldn't be able to see me." She was shocked.
"Papa said that you are dead. But you can't be dead. Dead people don't talk. So who are you." Alfred accused.
She said, "I am Lili, and you should not be able to see me. Or communicate with me. People will think you are crazy."
"Papa just cried when I told him about you." Alfred said.
"My brother was always a cry baby! Now you must not talk to me anymore. I am a good spirit but other ones aren't!" She paused and then continued, "They will try to take over you body or make you do bad things."
Until this point Alfred did not believe that hat she was a ghost. Until she when through the floor.
Alfred screamed and ran down stairs. She was no where in sight.
His grandma looked to him and said, "Alfred dear what are you doing?"
Alfred in a panic said, "She went through the floor!"