This year I participated in NYC Midnight’s 500-word fiction contest. If you’ve never heard of the NYC Midnight storyteller challenges, entrants generate a story based on genre, action, and object within a time period. My assignment to complete a 500-word story in 48 hours:

Genre: Ghost Story. Action: Sleeping. Object: A to-go order

I entered early, so when the weekend came around to participate, I was swamped! I left it until the last few hours to write, edit, format, and submit my story.

Since it’s a ghost story, I thought it would be fun to share this Halloween. I hope you enjoy it!.

The Truth About Dave

©️2025 Andi Shay

Dave was in my bedroom when I got home from the hospital.

I focused on escaping my hovering mom, so I didn’t register him at first.

“The doctor said you shouldn’t be on your phone.”

“I know, Mom.” I rubbed my temples, the throbbing reminding me I hadn’t walked away unscathed from falling off the top of the cheer pyramid.

“Your dad will get a to-go order from Pappi’s.”

“Thank you. I’m going to rest.” 

Slipping into my bedroom, I closed the curtains to block out the bright light.

Then I saw him.

“What the…” I rubbed my eyes. 

Dave stood before me, iridescent, with a frown on his face. “You can see me?”

I placed my hand on my chest. Was my head so screwed up that I imagined someone in my room? The doctors said I might have some mental fog.

“What… what are you doing here?”

Translucent Dave paced. “Of all the people I could haunt, I get a high school cheerleader? Why couldn’t it be John Hopfield? Or Alain Aspect?”

I sat on my bed. “Who are they?”

“You wouldn’t know.” 

“Why, because I’m a cheerleader?” I rolled my eyes, and a piercing pain made me wince.

Dave pushed the center of his glasses. “Nobel Prize winners in Physics.”

“You get to choose who you haunt?”

“Apparently not.” 

“You’re not going to watch me shower, are you?”

Dave banged his head silently against the wall. “Why? Why?”

“Hey! What’s wrong with me? And why are you here?”

He stopped and crossed his arms. “You know what happened, don’t you? I think I’m stuck here until you tell someone what you saw.”

Dave was gone because Scott “Rocket Arm” Dennison took his eyes off the road to catcall Tina Dean. Everyone wondered why Dave walked in front of Scott’s car, but Scott swerved because of Tina.

“You didn’t tell the police what you saw because, what, the football team was headed for the playoffs? They couldn’t win without the rocket arm?”

Why hadn’t I told anyone? No one knew I witnessed the accident. Had I really diminished the life of a person I hardly knew for a football championship? A life that had so much promise and was whisked away?

Dave leaned against my desk. “If you tell the truth, you’ll bring closure to my family.”

I sighed and crawled to my pillow. Sleeping at the hospital overnight had been impossible with someone checking me, lights blinking, and monitors buzzing. I was so tired.

Closing my eyes felt good, and it shut out Dave. 

Tapping on the door roused me. “Dad’s home with takeout, Ella.”

I sat up. Dave wasn’t here. Had I imagined him? 

I stood and noticed a newspaper on the floor. Where had that come from? Staring back at me on the front page was Dave, holding a medal, with his family. His little brother looked up at him with a smile. My heart stuttered.

“Okay, but there’s something I need to do.”

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