The Ghosts that were {Wonder}

“Very good Astrid….now lie still” spoke the calm voice before Astrid felt a pulse of electricity flood through her

Astrid woke with a gasp, cold sweat seeping down her forehead. The remnants of the ECT were lingering in the corners of her brain and she had not quite got the grasp of the world and what it was yet- so she still felt like she was staring at everything through a pair of misted goggles. The voices were quiet, the monsters that hurt her were hiding; she was alone for now, she was a human being for a brief time before they came back- she hoped it was the voices first, they tended to be a lot nicer. She sat up in the bed she had been staying in for the last 7 months and looked around the room she had been staying in too; it was certainly up to her parents standards, the room, and the bed was comfortable but the room still had the feeling of hospitalisation. She couldn’t figure out what it was, maybe it was the wooden panelling or the carpeted floors or the bay windows or the fact she had straps dangling from the side of her bed and a discarded medicine cup on her bedside table.

Astrid looked up as she heard the rattling of keys- which was louder than normal- and saw the nurses opening her door so she could do as she pleased. Must be time for that stupid party... Astrid thought to herself as she watched the shadow in the window of the door walk away towards the next room. Usually- now was recreational time, and she’d be allowed outside for an hour and a half before some artistic therapy or something like that; but today, the winner of the 63rd Hunger Games was coming to visit. It made Astrid laugh, she did not like the games and she did not like anyone who came out of them- there were always the ghosts of those from the arena dragging behind them for a long time afterwards and then they would separate and float away to other places. Most ghosts floated into the sky, but those who had died in a horrible fashion- such as those of the tributes- were tied to the earth forever more and roamed it as they pleased. For Astrid, that meant seeing the occasional spirit of a dead tribute or two; she was used to those ones now, she saw one or two of her ‘friends’ almost every day and today was no exception for at the foot of her bed sat one tribute. If Astrid remembered correctly, she were Alikia Lombrary- the girl from 6 a few years back; the ghosts never did much but stand there and stare at Astrid. Sometimes, if Astrid was lucky, they would talk to her; they were awful good company.

Astrid looked up at the little ghost girl to see that she was smiling sadly “What’s wrong???”

The little ghost girl just pointed to the window- out into the communal garden, a beautiful little patch of land among the tall old brick building that housed some of the richest nut cases of District 2. She was one of those rich nutcases- well she had always been but she’d only recently been admitted after trying to burn her house down; it was for the best her hateful parents had told her when the men came to take her away. Astrid had not struggled, she thought it was a blessing to be taken from her god-damn evil parents, and simply had got in the back of the car without much fuss. Astrid stood and stumbled over to the little window that looked out into the snow covered garden to see the nurses preparing for the little party they’d be having to welcome Peridot Myler; The glorious victor from One Astrid thought spitefully, her fists clenching at her sides. Calm little birdy… whispered one of the voice in her head. Great…they’re awake Astrid thought being somewhat thankful it was them not the monsters, not yet anyway. She turned hearing the nurses whispering about the young man who would be here any moment and then she heard a rare thing for the institution- silence, it was so silence that Astrid could hear her heart beating and everything intake of breath she made.

“the others…are coming” spoke the ghost girl, who sat on the edge of the bed, her whispering voice sounding sad

Astrid nodded ”Yes Ali, they are…I hope they don’t come up here, I hope they don’t come say hello….the…beast won’t take kindly to that...no no…not another friend for Astrid he will say and he will hurt me…hurt…”


“…..hurt…” The ghost repeated

Riding, Riding, Riding the voices whispered inside Astrid’s head prompting her to say “my tricycle...and I fall off …oops”

Astrid then began to laugh, she found something funny about this memory and she was unsure what she found so funny about it, she remember the pain but she assumed that it was the voices who were laughing through her own mouth because Astrid began to feel sadness beneath the giddy laughter; tears rolling down her cheeks.

“Mama! Look! Look!” Astrid, aged 6 shouted riding her tricycle across the patio

Her mother, did not pay the slightest attention, she continued to chatter to her friends. Astrid began to feel annoyance towards her mother, and out the corner of her eye she could see that Nana was ignoring her too- that the world was turning a blind eye to little Astrid’s great feat. Fury bubbled inside the little girl’s body, spurring her to ride faster and faster and faster until CRASH!!!!! Astrid tumbled over the top of her handle bars and landed face first in the mud- which was the point that Astrid realized she had been riding on the grass; at which point she had turned onto the grass she did not know. She grazed her knees, and got mud up her dress and in her hair; a fact her mother was not best pleased about because she had stormed over and tugged Astrid up by her arm.

“Astrid! Look what you have done!!” her mother screeched before slapping her who cried as she looked at the pattern of mud she had created in the lawn.