Ghost of the Past

GHOST OF THE PAST

I

She came alone from the mountains. Thin, frail, and ashen, she appeared the ghost of a woman.

The people of the small countryside village watched her as they had before. They didn’t recognize her from the previous occasion. She spoke little, only dropping a few items in trade for provisions.

They muttered among themselves. Those who passed her closely enough saw something in her eyes they could not comprehend, and it disturbed them. Was it madness? Evil? Who or what was this woman and where had she come from?

They were happy to see her go. Her presence frightened the children.

In other towns along her route, she stirred similar reactions. Some were openly guarded. Others kept their eyes averted and lips sealed. Many maintained their distance.

In contrast, few noticed her on the crowded streets of Lima. It was the same within the airport unless she presented herself in a direct fashion, as she had to do when securing a flight back to her home country of t