The Ghost

A very short piece about Kaspar Hauser.

 

      I dream.

      It's the only thing I can do.

      I can’t see; I can’t move; I can’t speak.

      I can hear, sometimes.  A man whose name I don’t know takes care of me.  He feeds me; washes me; cuts my hair.  Whenever my arms and legs start to ache from moving, or whenever my eyes sting from the light, he makes me drink medicine.  It tastes horrible.  I’ll never get used to it. But he says I must, so I do.  And then I go back to normal; back to sleep; back to dreaming.

I know his voice, the man whose name I don’t know.  He sounds old, and frail, and weary. He calls me Kaspar.

Sometimes I dream what the old man reads to me; I’m a knight, or a pirate, or a monk.  Sometimes I dream of other things.  I don’t know what they are, but I like them.

The old man talks about God a lot.  And sometimes I dream of Him too.  I like Him.  He’s very nice. He tells me a lot.

      You will leave this place

He says.

You will move.  You will see.  You will speak.

      Other nights He tells me:

      Your name will be known throughout the world.  Your name will be remembered.

He says:

You will be a riddle, a mystery, an enigma. You will inspire.

You will cause uproar.

He tells me.

You will be hated. You will be a prince, a pauper, and a victim. 

You will be murdered.

When He says things like that, my heart beats faster.  I can hear it.  I breathe faster.  I get scared. 

He tells me these things, and I wonder about them.  I think about them.  I dream about them. 

Where will they happen. Why will they happen.

I ask God, “When will they happen?”

The only thing He says is:

Soon, Kaspar. Soon.

I can’t wait. 

Author's Note

This is not meant to be an accurate depiction of Kasper Hauser, so if you know anything about him, forget about it when you read this.

Reviews

[Barry!]

This is a very thought provoking piece. It holds with the idea that Kaspar was something other than a clever crook - but more. You insinuate that he has a belief he is part of some grandiose plan - beyond both sides of the debate about him... and that is an exceptional jumping off point.

I understand the use of bold print but must suggest that it is not needed. The story is quite clear without it.

The minimal nature is also quite compelling. Economy, in the use of words, outside of poetry, seems to be a rare thing but, for me, very interesting and, here, very engaging.

A clever use, a unique point of view and a story with all sorts of very interesting loose threads. It's a real gem!

[JENY]

Nice reading….
Well written ….
But who is the bed ridden man you are referring to…
Dear friend…
Is it a man in his death bed…
Anyway nice piece of writing…

ok ...I read authors note..

[thecoolone52]

thanks for entering the contest.......... its a pretty good read too early to determine if you place or not but thanks for the admission.......... nice job on the write by the way

[Last Lying Look]

Wow. This piece was....
AMAZING!
I absolutely loved it.
And for some reason the line at the end
"I can't wait"
Makes it so perfect.
Great work!

[cyanskye]

Oooh, very eerie and chilling. With very few words you have created the feeling of anxiety for the reader. I have to admit, I had to look Kaspar up. Once doing so I re-read the piece. Well, done.

[Eagle Cruagh]

This piece is another product of the most brilliant
imagination.
Beyond compare, the average human does not have
the experience to fully appreciate the depths of this
talent----pure genius !
It is suggested the writer take a second look at the
paragraph stucture and line of type. It may hold more
interest if broken differently and double spaced.
This is only a suggestion for the writer to consider, as
this piece is far above criticism.
My favorite !
My rating is 100 %
---- Eagle Cruagh