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Authors: Jonathan Carroll
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remote control and pressed the button to raise the volume.
Ben put his two index fingers together and blew an earsplitting whistle. Danielle pointed the remote control at the television. The bored expression on her face confirmed sheâd heard nothing.
Hands in pockets, he walked around her small home looking at things he had already seen before, but only through her eyes. The apartment consisted of a living room, bedroom, kitchen, and bathroom so small that it could barely fit a sink and a shower. He made the tour in only a few minutes. Danielle had big-furniture-and-stuffed-animals taste. Each room was painted a different vibrant pastel shade. There were eleven stuffed animals scattered in various strategic locations. She owned a very good fountain pen that she used frequently to write long letters to friends. She hung her hand wash in the bathroom. She was an indifferent cook. In the silverware drawer were two knives, two forks, two spoons, a white plastic ladle, and a red Swiss Army pocketknife with lots of blades. She used them to cut bread and meat.
In the living room was an overstuffed yellow couch from a discount furniture store. Next to it was an almost matching yellow Barcalounger chair that she liked to sit on while watching TV.
After touring her apartment, Ben stood beside the couch with arms crossed, watching this woman for the first time from afar. A few days before, he had looked up her telephone number. He called and tried to talk to her. But when Danielle answered the phone she did not hear his voice. She heard nothing. After waiting a bit just to make sure there really was no one on the other end of the line, she put the receiver down. She thought about that now while watching her TV show: the phone call the other day when no one was on the other end. The doorbell rings today but no oneâs there. This sort of thing never happened to her. Were the events somehow connected?
The ghost found it all very amusing. Standing nearby, Ling watched both people closely. Mr. Gould was now getting a taste of what it was like to be a ghost. No fun, was it? Ling was invisible to both people. Ben was invisible to Danielle Voyles.
âYou really canât see or hear me? This is insane. You
have
to know Iâm here,â Ben said, and then instinctively reached out to touch her, but his hand stopped halfway and dropped.
âSheâll never see you,â Ling said in a voice that Ben could not hear. âShe canât.â
There was a can of Dr Pepper soda on the table next to her chair. Ben wanted to grab it, shake it in her face, and shout, âLook at me! Iâm right here.â But if he did that and she saw only a floating can, the gesture would frighten her, nothing more. He didnât know this woman and had no desire to scare her.
At a loss for what to do, he crossed the room to the window and stared out at the street. Once when he was inside Danielle, sheâd done the same thing, so he was already familiar with this view. Whilestanding there he turned several times to glance at her. What could he do about this? Why was he invisible to Danielle Voyles? And why was he able to see the world through her eyes?
Ten minutes passed. Eventually she got up and went to the toilet. Ben took advantage of her absence and slipped out of the apartment. As he closed the door behind him with a barely audible click, he looked up and saw an old woman down the hall entering her apartment. She glared at him, her look saying, I know very well what youâre doing, mister: I see you sneaking around. Not until sheâd entered her apartment and closed the door too loudly did he realize this old woman
had
seen him.
And now here he was again in Danielleâs living room. Only this time his ex-girlfriend and their dog were there, and those two could see him just fine. German and Danielle had been making small talk for a while. Ben had completed his latest tour of her apartment and was sitting next
Ben put his two index fingers together and blew an earsplitting whistle. Danielle pointed the remote control at the television. The bored expression on her face confirmed sheâd heard nothing.
Hands in pockets, he walked around her small home looking at things he had already seen before, but only through her eyes. The apartment consisted of a living room, bedroom, kitchen, and bathroom so small that it could barely fit a sink and a shower. He made the tour in only a few minutes. Danielle had big-furniture-and-stuffed-animals taste. Each room was painted a different vibrant pastel shade. There were eleven stuffed animals scattered in various strategic locations. She owned a very good fountain pen that she used frequently to write long letters to friends. She hung her hand wash in the bathroom. She was an indifferent cook. In the silverware drawer were two knives, two forks, two spoons, a white plastic ladle, and a red Swiss Army pocketknife with lots of blades. She used them to cut bread and meat.
In the living room was an overstuffed yellow couch from a discount furniture store. Next to it was an almost matching yellow Barcalounger chair that she liked to sit on while watching TV.
After touring her apartment, Ben stood beside the couch with arms crossed, watching this woman for the first time from afar. A few days before, he had looked up her telephone number. He called and tried to talk to her. But when Danielle answered the phone she did not hear his voice. She heard nothing. After waiting a bit just to make sure there really was no one on the other end of the line, she put the receiver down. She thought about that now while watching her TV show: the phone call the other day when no one was on the other end. The doorbell rings today but no oneâs there. This sort of thing never happened to her. Were the events somehow connected?
The ghost found it all very amusing. Standing nearby, Ling watched both people closely. Mr. Gould was now getting a taste of what it was like to be a ghost. No fun, was it? Ling was invisible to both people. Ben was invisible to Danielle Voyles.
âYou really canât see or hear me? This is insane. You
have
to know Iâm here,â Ben said, and then instinctively reached out to touch her, but his hand stopped halfway and dropped.
âSheâll never see you,â Ling said in a voice that Ben could not hear. âShe canât.â
There was a can of Dr Pepper soda on the table next to her chair. Ben wanted to grab it, shake it in her face, and shout, âLook at me! Iâm right here.â But if he did that and she saw only a floating can, the gesture would frighten her, nothing more. He didnât know this woman and had no desire to scare her.
At a loss for what to do, he crossed the room to the window and stared out at the street. Once when he was inside Danielle, sheâd done the same thing, so he was already familiar with this view. Whilestanding there he turned several times to glance at her. What could he do about this? Why was he invisible to Danielle Voyles? And why was he able to see the world through her eyes?
Ten minutes passed. Eventually she got up and went to the toilet. Ben took advantage of her absence and slipped out of the apartment. As he closed the door behind him with a barely audible click, he looked up and saw an old woman down the hall entering her apartment. She glared at him, her look saying, I know very well what youâre doing, mister: I see you sneaking around. Not until sheâd entered her apartment and closed the door too loudly did he realize this old woman
had
seen him.
And now here he was again in Danielleâs living room. Only this time his ex-girlfriend and their dog were there, and those two could see him just fine. German and Danielle had been making small talk for a while. Ben had completed his latest tour of her apartment and was sitting next
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