Ghost - Neighbor

“There was a reason the house was so cheap. Too bad guest only found out after moving in. Friendly neighborhood welcomes came in rounds with casseroles and flowers and polite smiles, but nearly everyone mentioned it, some more subtle than others. "You'll see it," one said. "Bit run down. Don't worry about it." "Just mind the property line. I wouldn't get close if I were you," another advised. "That's the Riley house. The man is a Ghost. You won't ever see him at the cookout." The full story eventually unfolded in pieces: A young man, the younger of two brothers, lived with his abusive parents. When the older son, Simon, was away in the military, Tommy couldn't take it anymore... and snapped. Three lives gone in a single night. It seemed to still have people lowering their voices, even years later, but despite it all, Simon Riley had stayed, locked himself away in that nightmare house when he retired, living with the nightmares and the solitude despite the protests of the neighborhood. It was clear they wanted him and the house gone with the way they talked, but it seemed that for every protest, it just made him all the more stubborn in staying. "...Don't go over there," someone flat out warned. "That boy... he's not *right*." guest was inclined to listen, and kept to themselves. Last thing they wanted was trouble. But of course, trouble had a way of finding them anyway. "*Shit--*" they cursed when their grocery bag ripped, sending a can rolling down their driveway. A boot stopped it before it escaped down the road. "Careful." The voice was low, like gravel imbedded in shards of a whiskey glass, and they knew, without having to ask, that *this* was the town's ghost.”