The wind blew so hard that it was impossible not to hear the spirits that traveled along with it. It’s not that the spirit world is more active at the end of the October; people are just more receptive to interactions. Even without Halloween, everywhere there are examples of the world dying. When one’s mind is filled with thoughts of death, it is easier to hear spirits.

And when someone notices the spirits, it becomes easier for them to cross over and enter this world. They are not evil, but they are disruptive, for spirits do not see the world from our perspective. Good and evil are meaningless concepts to them. And their goals cannot make sense to us. So when there is interaction, misunderstandings abound.

So while it took on a human like form, and dressed in a long black coat and black hat, it could not ask for help in its search. As it walked, people instinctively moved out of its way, though they were only barely aware of it. Ignoring the conversation of its peers, it arrived at its destination and stepped through the wall.

The room was dark, with only the light from a television to provide any illumination. A cat noticed it and walked over to talk. She explained that this place was under her protection. The spirit would need to conduct its business quickly, and then leave, preferably without disturbing the other residents.

“Why are you crying?” asked a man who was sitting on the couch. The cat looked back in a failed attempt to placate him. The man jumped a bit when he caught sight of the spirit, but his brain must have immediately rejected the image, and he calmed down. “Please stop crying. For a second I almost thought I saw a ghost.”

The cat gave one last meow, “hurry,” before walking back to the couch. The spirit touched its hat in acknowledgment. As it walked past the man, he shivered but did not see the spirit again.

In the hallway, there was a table with a drawer. Whatever had drawn the spirit, it was inside. It tugged on the drawer. Unaccustomed to such things, it used too much force, and the drawer and all its contents crashed to the floor.

It bent down to pick up a piece of paper, but the cat was already there, yelling. “Begone! You are causing trouble. Out of my house!” The spirit quickly pocketed the paper and moved to exit the house.

The man had come to investigate – a bit slower than the cat – and yelled in fear when he saw the spirit walking. The spirit turned to go through another wall and out of his sight. In doing so, it knocked a photograph off of the wall. Now the cat was screaming at it to leave and adding threats. The spirit quickly passed through more walls, causing more disturbances, before finally reaching the safety of the outside once more.

The paper secure, and safely beyond the cat’s ire, the spirit continued its walk through the late autumn evening.