The Luxe Ghost
View(s):Liana’s sharp stilettos clicked against the pavement as she got out of the car. She faced the building while thanking the chauffeur. She liked the look of it; stylish with an air of sophistication and luxury.
Liana was immediately taken upstairs to the apartment that was apparently for sale. A woman was showing her around quite attentively. It was an elegant space. Quite the sort place for a growingly famous actress such as herself would find fitting. Liana smiled. On the back of her mind however she seemed unsettled. As though what her mother said still lingered. “I would like it if you stayed with us, Liana” her mother had said.
The ever-earnest lady told Liana to look around. She would return soon. She left after giving her a forceful, red lip stained smiles; as though there were fish-hooks on the corners of her mouth. As soon as the door closed in front of her, Liana felt a chill. The apartment suddenly seemed to hush and melt into a hollow gloom. Liana felt the wind on her neck. She turned around and staggered back in fear.
On the balcony, seated, was a woman. Her hair was loose and her nails were long, well-manicured and painted a crimson red. She wore a rich cream robe and her shoes were seemingly expensive. Despite this, she seemed frail. And her skin and hair seemed… translucent. Liana gasped as she noticed her face. It was once evidently beautiful. But now, wrinkled and had markings of several Botox injections.
Her eyes were black holes. They were deep and frightening and filled with greed. Liana quickly turned around towards the door. She knew what she saw. The woman was a ghost. She was lost in her own fame. She was encaged with greed-not being able to let go of her earthly desires. She was her future.
Avindya Perera
Flash Fiction
This rather bluntly written short story is effective because of the last sentence, which makes us look back at clues given right throughout the story like her mother’s words and phrases such as “growingly (interesting word)famous actress such as herself.”