Colin was neither shocked nor surprised to see Amy waiting for him in his living room at the moment when he arrived home from work on one unusually bright evening in particular. How she knew where he lived or how she was able to let herself in would also be of no surprise. The evening may still be early enough though the presence of an uninvited guest could go some way in explaining why it appeared to still be so bright.

'Will you talk to me now?' she asked.

Colin had been ignoring her for most of the day after the realization came that Amy is in fact dead, she is a ghost, someone who is no longer actually living and not only that, but Amy was and is someone with whom Colin knows absolutely nothing about. She was and is a complete stranger and Colin had more than enough of helping out strangers in need, whether those strangers are currently living or otherwise continuing an existence taken from them by a little-known transition called ... death.

It was early that morning when they first met. Amy had looked right at Colin, with eyes so bright and blue they almost sparkled, and in a manner so directly, well, it should have revealed a certain something or at least made it quite clear if a second or two had been taken to fully notice.

And he had acknowledged her with a 'good morning' in that moment, before moving on. It was what happened next that had Colin thinking 'oh no, please no'. For as Colin made his way towards where he worked; Amy followed asking 'you can see me?' Colin indeed had instantly realized his mistake. If anything, her eyes should have given her status away.

Having had so much trouble in his past talking to spirits or ghosts in public, Colin had vowed never to chat with any soul, lost or however else they may be, in public again, so Colin continued on with his day as if he had never acknowledged this ghost of a stranger at all. He has had trouble in the past in regard to not just talking to thin air but aiding it on its way.

Those around him who cannot see spirits would think him mad, think him crazy, and during hours of being in employment, his activities would cost him and cost him dearly. Yeah, the times he has helped spirits in the past have regularly required him to give up a lot, from taking up all his spare time to being the cause for him to lose jobs and the likes. But now, trying to convince himself not to be so nice and to go on to not help out these spirits was proving to be quite a difficult challenge.

A lunchtime visit to the loo was to be the second that time Colin would acknowledge this new spirit. She was there, inside the gent's restroom. Colin was caught by surprise when he turned to see her just standing there, so much so that he almost fell over. When he was sure that there were no other souls, living or otherwise, in the immediate vicinity, Colin asked her who she was.

'My name is Amy, and I need your help.'

'I can't talk here at work, and neither can I talk to you while there are others around. People think I am nuts when I talk to thin air, they, living people, as you more than likely know, cannot see you as I do. You do know you are not alive, right? I may be able to see you but my work colleagues and others who may be around cannot.'

Another man entered the Gent's room and Colin whispered 'please go' before he began to make his way back to his office. This other man was left to wonder at what it was he had just witnessed, for as he noticed Colin leave, he had also noticed that there was no one else within the immediate vicinity with whom Colin could have been having any sort of a conversation with. The moment would be briefly questioned before being dismissed.

Now at this particular moment in time, Colin had arrived home, and Amy was there waiting for him in his living room just as if this were a place to which she belonged.

'So, will you? ...' she continues from her inquiry as to whether or not he will speak to her.

'Even though you are intruding on my private space, I will listen to you but, I am telling you now, I am not going to promise you anything. I am happy with how my life is going right now and I am not going to make any unnecessary changes to it just to suit the ghost of someone I do not even know' was what Colin spoke to Amy in an attempt to lay down some ground rules if that was in any way possible.

He placed his briefcase on the living room table and hung his jacket on the back of a chair then made his way into the kitchen. A briefcase and jacket, things a young Colin would not have foreseen for himself. At thirty, things are what they are, and besides, it is not like he had the freedom to choose. He'll take what he can and how right now is, to him it is just that, it is what it is.

'This must be unsettling for you. I understand and do apologize,' she says having moved right up to him in one quiet and brief motion. 'I have but one request of you, and I wouldn't even ask it of you only for the fact that I don't know what else to do.'

'Alright' responded Colin turning and almost falling over, being somewhat surprised as to how quickly and how close she had got to him. No matter how many encounters he has had with spirits, he still can't help but be caught out at times. 'If I can, I will help you, though as I said I am not making any promises. What is the problem?'

'It is my father; I do not know where he is. I need to find him, and I need you to help me tell him that everything is alright and that I love him.'

'Your father is living?'

'My father is living?'

'Yeah, I mean ... is he still alive?'

'Yes, of course.'

'You are sure of this?'

'Yes, he is alive; I just need to find him, that's all.'

From their continuing conversation, Colin discovers that Amy had died in an automobile accident, an accident in which her father had also been in. Her father apparently and obviously survived. Amy was only nineteen-years-old and had been living alone with her dad before the accident, well ... the months prior to the accident, Amy had been away at college. Amy's mother had died a few years earlier, a loss both father and daughter struggled with right up to the time of the accident. Amy had no siblings.

Before, all she had to do was think of her dad and she'd find herself in his company, but that doesn't work any longer. She has no idea as to why this may be. So, what else could she do other than seek help wherever she could find it and her hope is that she will find it in Colin.

The obvious place to try to find Amy's dad Colin thought, was in the house they had lived in. Colin got that information from Amy though she did say that she had been having trouble finding him there. Even though it had begun to dull a little outside by this point and that Colin would need to take a bus to get to this house, he thought that it was as good a time as any to go get things sorted so that he could get past this moment and move on with his own life.

Of course, Amy would tag along, after all ... Colin was going to where he was going, so he could help her or more so to help himself to be rid of her, though all along and on this little journey, Amy would become slightly disturbed by a few things. First of all, the bus they got on was blue and cream in colour. The buses Amy was so used to getting when she was alive were all green in colour and they had a conductor. Colin paid his fare to the driver upon entering the bus. He also almost felt compelled to pay a fare for Amy, but this was just due to a momentary lapse of concentration.

Something else that bothered Amy was how the passengers dressed and looked. It was not at all what she had been used to. What she was used to seeing when she had boarded buses in the past were loud people, most of whom would be colourfully dressed with haircuts and hair colours to match their clothing.

Handheld radios, or getoblasters as they more often than not had been called, would have been a common thing as would conversation between passengers, but now as she looked around, she saw sad people, dull looking people, some of whom were reading books, some were looking at and touching strange handheld devices, while others wore strange earpieces.

Some of these people on the bus even seemed to be talking away to themselves rather than to any other passenger. She told Colin of her observations but of course, he didn't reply, not wanting to seem to be talking to thin air or to himself. Amy didn't understand this, why Colin wouldn't acknowledge her while others around them seemed to be talking to no one in particular.

Amy told Colin where to get off the bus though the actual stop would be a little further away than where she remembered it to be. Colin had a question to ask upon getting off the bus.

'Amy, I know this may sound strange, but can I ask you what year it is?'

'You're right, that is something that does sound strange.'

'Humour me please, what year is it?'

'It is 1988, silly.'

'Amy, it is 2011.'

'Yeah, sure it is. My accident was only a little over a month ago, there is no way that twenty-three years have passed by since then.'

'You are not the first ghost I have encountered and all I know is that after we die, time can so often appear not to be so straight forward. Weeks, months, or even years, can seem to pass in an instant, and this has happened with you.

Here in this time, 2011, people do not carry around radios anymore like in your time, well at least not ones like what you would be used to seeing. We have small devices that can store thousands of songs which we can playback through headphones or earphones and these devices can also tune in radio stations. As for those who seem to be talking to no one in particular, they are using other mobile devices or phones to talk to whomever they need to.'

'Then, if you are so concerned with being caught talking to thin air, why don't you wear one of those earpieces for when you do want to communicate in public with spirits? I guess no one would think anything of it.'

Colin was thrown somewhat by this suggestion. Amy had a point; why Colin had not considered such a thought prior to this particular moment is something almost as unusual as the gift he possesses so happens to be.

Amy, still being quite amazed by the bus trip explanation, began to take in this logic. Thinking of what she could remember after her death, it made a little more sense. Spending time with her father was something which came naturally. Just being able to be at his side was something which came with thought and memory, and now it had got to the stage where she just could no longer find him. Time and distance can make this so.

Colin asked again about the possibility that Amy's father may be no longer among the land of the living. Twenty-three years have passed after all. Amy knew somehow and without a doubt that her father was and is indeed still alive, she couldn't explain how she knew this, only just that she did.

'I know you were in an accident and were with your father when you died but can you tell me more about what happened?'

'I had made a decision to drop out of college, my father was devastated, I am sure he may have been angry and disappointed too, but he didn't really let it show. I know that he just wanted the best for me, I just did not want to be where I was, it had been his plan for me to go to college. My father picked me up the day I made the decision to leave, and that was the day I died ...'

Visually being able to see what happened that day as if it were happening all over again, Amy takes a moment.

'... We argued in the car for no more than a minute or two when we were blindsided, hit by a truck which hit on my side. I guess, I died instantly. I remember standing just outside the car looking in and being able to see my own body, bloodied and broken. Seeing my father hurt hit harder, and I could do nothing to help him. He could not hear me calling him or shouting right at him. I was helpless and have remained that way. I watched my dad fall apart. He blamed himself for my death and I could do nothing to tell him it was alright. I need to find him and tell him it is alright, that I am alright.'

Amy turned away from Colin as she finished speaking and she didn't see his expression. He felt that finding Amy's father was going to be at least a little more difficult than he had previously anticipated and arriving at the house where Amy had lived prior to her death, proved him right. That trip too, to Amy's former home, was only a short bus journey followed by a short walk.

Knocking on the door of Amy's former home, Colin asked Amy 'what is your father's name?'

'It is Kurt, Kurt Patterson.'

An elderly woman answered the door, 'can I help you?'

'Who the hell is she?' asks Amy.

Colin thought it was just as well that Amy was a ghost, and that the lady could not see or hear her.

'Sorry for disturbing you madam, but by any chance would Mister Patterson be home?'

'Mister Patterson? ... Oh, you mean Kurt.'

'Yes madam, is he here?'

'I am sorry, but Kurt has not lived here for quite some time.'

'You wouldn't happen to know where he moved to by any chance, would you?'

'Unfortunately, I don't.'

'Well thank you very much for taking the time to talk to me at such a late hour.'

The lady apologized for not being able to help and went back inside her home, closing the door as gently as one would expect a lady like her would do.

'So, what now?' asked a very worried Amy.

'I am going home to get some sleep that is what's now.'

'You have to help me.'

'I have helped you; unfortunately, it has come to a dead end, literally, and it is getting late now too.'

'Please.'

'Please what? ... We do not know where your father is, so there is nothing else I can do, sorry but I have given up a lot helping those like you, I shouldn't even have come here, and it is time for me to go home.'

'Those like me?'

'Yeah, ghosts, spirits, or whatever it is that you are and not only just ghosts but ghosts of strangers. I do not know you. I did not know you when you were alive and no offence, but I do not want to know you now, so goodnight, I am going home.'

'Goodnight?' asked Amy in an uncertain tone, 'goodnight ...' she continued in disbelief before turning around and vanishing.

The following morning Colin awoke, put on his trousers, and made his way to the bathroom only to almost fall backwards with what he saw. Amy was there, right in the bathroom no less, ready and waiting to make a new plea for Colin to help her. He caught his balance by holding onto the bathroom door. This is the third time Amy has caught him off guard.

'God, what is it with you and toilets? ... Can you guys not just leave me alone?'

'I could ask you what's up with constantly tripping over yourself. And ... and, I can never rest until I can get to my father, and you are the only hope I have of ever getting to talk to him.'

Colin shook his head and turned away from Amy.

'Look, I tried to help; we don't know where your dad is. I have a life to get on with, you don't, so I wish you all the best.'

'I saw him.'

'Good for you, I need to get ready now.'

'No, you don't understand, I saw my father.'

'I understand fine, it is you who does not understand'. Having moved back into his bedroom and now looking through his wide range of six shirts hanging in his closet, Colin continues 'wait ... you saw your father as in since I last saw you?'

'Yes, he has aged real bad and he hardly moved at all.'

'Where did you see him?' Colin asked once more, seeing an opportunity to move on from Amy rather than actually having a chance to help her.

'I don't know, it is kind of hard to explain, like I just got an extended glimpse of him, he was wearing a dressing gown and slippers and he was sitting in a wheelchair.'

'Ok ... alright, we may have a starting point here ...'

Colin and Amy now have a place to start as to how and where they could find Amy's dad. From what Amy described, her dad could be in some sort of hospital or nursing home. But for right now at this particular moment, Colin had to get to work. He promised he would help Amy when he got back. As he knew all too well, he had indeed lost so much in the past helping the ghosts of people he never knew before they had passed, so for this moment in time, he was not willing to lose anything else other than his spare time. For right now, it was time for him to go to work and the hunt for Amy's dad would have to wait.

Frustration hit when the search did resume. Ringing hospitals and nursing homes was not getting the two of them anywhere. Of course, it was Colin making all of those calls. It would be one heck of a trick if Amy was able to physically help with that though phone calls involving the dead is not something completely unheard of.

The fourteenth phone call provided the breakthrough. Colin rang a place called Harvey's Medical Retreat and the lady who answered could only say that she could not discuss anything in regard to the patients residing at the home and that included their names. After that particular phone call, Amy told Colin that this was where her father was.

'Are you sure?' Colin asked Amy.

'Yes positive, just like I got to see my father before, I somehow saw that nurse that you were speaking to. I could see and hear both sides of the conversation at the same time even though you both are miles apart. I recognize the building where she is, I know my dad is there. It is the same building that I saw him in.'

'Alright then, I will see you on Saturday and we will go see your dad.'

'Saturday? How far away is that?'

'Today is Wednesday ...'

'So, it is three days away, right? I need to go there now.'

'I told you, I cannot lose my job, that facility is a five-hour bus trip away, I would never get there and back on a weekday with the hours I work so we will have to wait and go at the weekend. By the way you didn't seem to notice twenty-three years pass, so I guess three days won't seem all that long at all.'

'Jeez, I've been dead longer than what I was alive ...'

Huh, a strange thought was coming Colin's way. Maybe Amy in some way or another was beginning to once again grasp the concept of time. Just how or why Colin can do what it is he does is as much an unknown as is, so it goes relating to the spirit world. Maybe helping her and interacting with her might go some way with helping him figure some things out.

The weekend came and the trip was made. Colin once again found it difficult taking a bus trip and not talking to Amy who sat right next to him for the whole five hours. Someone even asked as to if the seat next to him was free, and he said it wasn't. He questioned his own sanity and why it was so that he was doing this, and it all was about to get a little worse too. Amy still couldn't understand why Colin couldn't just get himself one of those earpieces so that he could at least pretend to be on the phone and actually talk with her while others are around.

The nurse on duty at the medical home again refused to acknowledge whether or not anyone named Kurt Patterson was staying at the home. Colin was not a relative, even though he said he was representing a relative. With this, any kind of argument would only get him nowhere fast. Amy called for Colin. While Colin had been speaking with the nurse at the front desk, Amy had gone to look around and she had found her father.

Colin's first thought was to ask if he could use the loo then try and sneak over to where Amy was heading back to but instead, he decided to tell the nurse why it was or is that he had come to this place. At first, she was skeptical, the thought that the guy on front of her could see and talk to the ghost of Mister Patterson's dead daughter was not an easy pill to swallow, but that changed when the nurse felt a chill and a light breeze hit her face when Amy passed directly in front of her.

'C'mon, what are we waiting for?' asked Amy as she once again began to move back to where her father is.

Moving quickly, Colin followed Amy and the nurse, being at least a little bit intrigued, followed Colin. Colin approached Mister Patterson who sat motionless in a wheelchair in a small square bedroom. The man before him appeared to be as catatonic as anyone can be that even Colin felt unsure if he could help the situation.

Something came to Colin, to call it divine intervention may be a little much but for Colin, there was something there. He crouched down in front of Amy's dad. Before Colin could speak, a single tear began to flow down Mister Patterson's face for what he saw, what he could see, was not the face of a strange man hunkering down before him, he could see his daughter just as she looked right before the accident that killed her had occurred.

Their hands held each other's and after an unspoken moment, Colin stood up and thanked the nurse and then left. There had been a glow in the room, one ever so brief. The nurse looked at Mister Patterson and saw his head turn slowly towards her. She believed she witnessed a miracle, for Mister Patterson hadn't moved so much as an inch by himself in all the time she knew of him. This moment ... well, it moved her too.

Colin never saw Amy again after that day, but he would often think back on that time, for in a way it had set him on a new path in life, a path that would take some time to actually find. About nineteen months or so had passed by such time when Colin noticed a man walking up the garden footpath to his house. He moved to open his door and was greeted by a much healthier looking Mister Patterson than the man he had met sitting in a wheelchair all those month earlier.

'You can see me, can't you?' came the question.

It took a moment, then it hit him like a brick. Mister Patterson was no longer in the land of the living. This is why he looked as well as he does. The body is but a shell and when it is gone ... and as it now is, Mister Patterson had come for Colin's help ...