Congratulations !
You have been awarded points.
Thank you for !
- Story Listed as: Fiction For Adults
- Theme: Family & Friends
- Subject: Ghost Stories / Paranormal
- Published: 03/07/2021
The Overtaking
Born 1961, F, from Kalispell, MT, United StatesAll his life, Ralph Overson had heard the same words yelled at him over and over again. “You're a klutz, you're uncoordinated, what's wrong with you buddy?” He had heard those and much worse. So today when he had tripped and fell while crossing a busy intersection, Ralph wasn't surprised to see his body being hit by a car. He was surprised however to find himself standing beside the rescue workers as they pulled his broken and battered body out from underneath the car. He was also surprised by the words he heard being spoken by one of the young men.
“There's nothing we can do for him. Poor guy, what an awful way to die.”
Ralph yelled at the man. “What are you talking about? I'm standing right here.”
Neither Ralph or his words were recognized by anyone and within twenty minutes, Ralph's body was loaded in an ambulance and taken away.
All Ralph could do was stand and stare. What was going on? if he was dead, why was he still standing in this intersection. Why hadn't he gone to heaven or the other place he didn't even want to think the name of?
Ralph, still standing in the intersection, looked up just as the light changed. He had to jump back when the cars started going through the light. Shaking his fist at the drivers, Ralph quickly stepped up on the curb. His brown eyes narrowed as he frowned in confusion. He wondered what the hell was wrong with those people, didn't they see him?
Slapping a hand to his forehead Ralph's eyes grew wide. Of course they didn't see him, he was a ghost.
Ralph stepped over to a plate glass window on the front of The First State Bank. He saw what he always saw in his reflection. A five foot seven, one hundred and thirty pound weakling. His orange hair was a mess and his freckles stood out on his pale skin. Shaking his head, Ralph stepped back and tripped over his own feet. Then he landed soundly on the cement sidewalk. Luckily for him, in the spirit shape, or whatever the heck he was in, Ralph couldn't feel the pain.
He started laughing. Realizing how he must look sitting there like that, Ralph looked around and then smiled. No one could see him. The people walking by didn't even look his way. Ralph started to stand up when a man about thirty stepped on him. Ralph was going to scream at the guy when he felt himself being drawn into the stranger's body.
Ralph stood up straighter as he felt the power of the man whose body now surrounded his spirit. Ralph couldn't believe it, for the first time in his life he felt tall and more than that, handsome also. Looking through the borrowed man's eyes, Ralph saw several women looking at him and smiling, actually smiling. He tried to smile back, but the man whose body he possessed wasn't cooperating. Ralph wiggled his spirit and the man frowned, feeling suddenly queasy like he was going to throw up, the man's steps slowed down.
Ralph wanted to move though. If he could just catch up to those women who had smiled. He tried to use his spirit to move the man's body and then tripped. Man and spirit fell to the ground and then the people did a lot more than just look.
As they started running toward the man, Ralph slipped sideways out of the body.
Ralph only stayed around a brief second before moving down the sidewalk. Now that he knew he could borrow a body, Ralph was on the look-out for the perfect body to use for his overtaking.
Up ahead of him, standing in front of a bar, a man Ralph was sure to be a biker was having a cigarette. The man was talking to another guy who was also smoking.
The biker was shaking his head. “I'll tell you what Sam, if I go back in the bar and those punks say one more smart ass thing, they'll be saying their next words without their teeth.”
Sam nodded. “I'm with you Nick. I haven't been in a good fight for a long time anyway. Just give me a signal and we'll take care of them together.”
Nick took one last drag off his cigarette and then put it out in the large metal can that stood by the bar's door. “C'mon Sam, let's get a beer and see what happens.”
As the two walked in the bar, Ralph stepped in Nick's path. As the man walked into Ralph's spirit, Ralph felt himself drawn inside the man's body. Immediately Ralph knew he had made a mistake. This Nick was not a nice guy. Ralph could feel the darkness inside the man. Nervously, Ralph began twisting and turning, trying to find a way to slip out. His actions had an adverse effect on Nick and Ralph could feel a pure hatred rising in the man.
Nick walked over to the bar. “Hey bartender, we need a pitcher of beer.”
Looking up, the bartender nodded. “Sure thing, just let me take care of these fellas orders first.”
Nick looked at the three men the bartender was talking about and his lip curled in a sneer. “They can wait, I want that pitcher.”
One of the men in the trio turned to Nick. “I think you can hang on a minute, my friends and I ordered our drinks first.”
Ralph wasn't liking the direction the conversation was taking at all and was trying even harder to squirm out of the body he definitely wished he hadn't bothered overtaking.
Before Ralph had a chance to think about a better way to get out, he felt Nick's body flying as the man from the bar tackled him. Nick, Ralph and the man all landed on the floor, knocking over tables and chairs on their way down. Glasses crashed to the floor along with the broken tables, spraying beer everywhere.
As they landed, Ralph slid sideways from Nick's body. Not taking the time to enjoy his new found freedom, Ralph began crawling toward what he hoped was the bar's back door.
Unfortunately for Ralph, the waitress, trying to balance a tray full of drinks, stepped on Ralph and he felt his spirit slip in the woman's body.
Inside, Ralph smiled at the soft, warm feeling. Apparently the woman didn't feel the same way as Ralph. Her body stiffened as she yelled before stepping backward and tripping. The tray of drinks she carried flew a few feet in the air before crashing to the floor.
Despite the fact that Ralph liked the feeling of the woman's body, he knew it was time to get out. Ralph rolled out and away from the woman and finished crawling to the back door.
Standing up when he finally spotted the way to freedom, Ralph stood and opened the door.
Stepping out in an alley way, Ralph was relieved to find the back entrance to the bar empty.
Ralph hurried down the cement steps and out through the back parking lot. He walked quickly past the cars, glancing around nervously. He finally made it to the end of the block and let out a long sigh. Ralph stood quietly a moment then just to steady his nerves and try to figure out a safe place he could go.
As Ralph was thinking he felt something rubbing against his leg. Ralph frowned as he looked down at his leg and saw a large orange colored cat.
Ralph scratched his own head of orange hair. He was a spirit, how could this even be possible?
As Ralph stared, two more cats approached. Ralph knelt down and scratched all three cats. He could hear them purring as he scratched. “Well hello kitties, it's nice of you to come and make me feel better.”
Ralph was surprised as he said the words how accurate they were. The cats could see him and it seemed they could feel him too. Knowing that lifted his spirits. Ralph stood up smiling. He was thinking he might just know a good place to hang out.
Looking around for people or cars, Ralph made his way through town. At the edge of the city, Ralph kept walking. Looking behind him, Ralph laughed. Now he had four cats and a dog following behind him. Ralph felt so much better he almost skipped to his destination.
It took another half hour of walking before he saw the place he had in mind. A small house sat a half a block off the main road. Ralph walked the dirt road that led to it. To the side and behind the house stood a large barn that looked like it was fighting the laws of physics to even be standing.
Ralph looked back at his new animal friends.
“I think we may have found ourselves a home.”
Ralph walked to the barn and then stepped through the wall to the dark interior. The cats and the dog that had been following, ran around to the front of the barn and entered through the partially opened door.
An older gentleman sat on a stool milking a cow when Ralph stepped in. Seeing the man, Ralph stopped in his tracks. He felt his happiness from earlier drain out as he wondered if there was any place left he could go. He had been so sure this would be the right place. Now he found the place was occupied.
When the man turned and smiled at him, Ralph would have had a heart attack if he wasn't already dead.
The man nodded at Ralph. “Welcome to you sir and to your friends too. Now don't be afraid, this farm has seen spirits before you and I'm sure it will see a lot more after you and I are gone. Now, how would like to learn how to milk a cow. I'm sure your friends there could use a drink.”
Ralph took a deep breath and then giving out a soft laugh he nodded and stepped over to the man and the cows.
The cats followed close behind.
The Overtaking(P.S. Winn)
All his life, Ralph Overson had heard the same words yelled at him over and over again. “You're a klutz, you're uncoordinated, what's wrong with you buddy?” He had heard those and much worse. So today when he had tripped and fell while crossing a busy intersection, Ralph wasn't surprised to see his body being hit by a car. He was surprised however to find himself standing beside the rescue workers as they pulled his broken and battered body out from underneath the car. He was also surprised by the words he heard being spoken by one of the young men.
“There's nothing we can do for him. Poor guy, what an awful way to die.”
Ralph yelled at the man. “What are you talking about? I'm standing right here.”
Neither Ralph or his words were recognized by anyone and within twenty minutes, Ralph's body was loaded in an ambulance and taken away.
All Ralph could do was stand and stare. What was going on? if he was dead, why was he still standing in this intersection. Why hadn't he gone to heaven or the other place he didn't even want to think the name of?
Ralph, still standing in the intersection, looked up just as the light changed. He had to jump back when the cars started going through the light. Shaking his fist at the drivers, Ralph quickly stepped up on the curb. His brown eyes narrowed as he frowned in confusion. He wondered what the hell was wrong with those people, didn't they see him?
Slapping a hand to his forehead Ralph's eyes grew wide. Of course they didn't see him, he was a ghost.
Ralph stepped over to a plate glass window on the front of The First State Bank. He saw what he always saw in his reflection. A five foot seven, one hundred and thirty pound weakling. His orange hair was a mess and his freckles stood out on his pale skin. Shaking his head, Ralph stepped back and tripped over his own feet. Then he landed soundly on the cement sidewalk. Luckily for him, in the spirit shape, or whatever the heck he was in, Ralph couldn't feel the pain.
He started laughing. Realizing how he must look sitting there like that, Ralph looked around and then smiled. No one could see him. The people walking by didn't even look his way. Ralph started to stand up when a man about thirty stepped on him. Ralph was going to scream at the guy when he felt himself being drawn into the stranger's body.
Ralph stood up straighter as he felt the power of the man whose body now surrounded his spirit. Ralph couldn't believe it, for the first time in his life he felt tall and more than that, handsome also. Looking through the borrowed man's eyes, Ralph saw several women looking at him and smiling, actually smiling. He tried to smile back, but the man whose body he possessed wasn't cooperating. Ralph wiggled his spirit and the man frowned, feeling suddenly queasy like he was going to throw up, the man's steps slowed down.
Ralph wanted to move though. If he could just catch up to those women who had smiled. He tried to use his spirit to move the man's body and then tripped. Man and spirit fell to the ground and then the people did a lot more than just look.
As they started running toward the man, Ralph slipped sideways out of the body.
Ralph only stayed around a brief second before moving down the sidewalk. Now that he knew he could borrow a body, Ralph was on the look-out for the perfect body to use for his overtaking.
Up ahead of him, standing in front of a bar, a man Ralph was sure to be a biker was having a cigarette. The man was talking to another guy who was also smoking.
The biker was shaking his head. “I'll tell you what Sam, if I go back in the bar and those punks say one more smart ass thing, they'll be saying their next words without their teeth.”
Sam nodded. “I'm with you Nick. I haven't been in a good fight for a long time anyway. Just give me a signal and we'll take care of them together.”
Nick took one last drag off his cigarette and then put it out in the large metal can that stood by the bar's door. “C'mon Sam, let's get a beer and see what happens.”
As the two walked in the bar, Ralph stepped in Nick's path. As the man walked into Ralph's spirit, Ralph felt himself drawn inside the man's body. Immediately Ralph knew he had made a mistake. This Nick was not a nice guy. Ralph could feel the darkness inside the man. Nervously, Ralph began twisting and turning, trying to find a way to slip out. His actions had an adverse effect on Nick and Ralph could feel a pure hatred rising in the man.
Nick walked over to the bar. “Hey bartender, we need a pitcher of beer.”
Looking up, the bartender nodded. “Sure thing, just let me take care of these fellas orders first.”
Nick looked at the three men the bartender was talking about and his lip curled in a sneer. “They can wait, I want that pitcher.”
One of the men in the trio turned to Nick. “I think you can hang on a minute, my friends and I ordered our drinks first.”
Ralph wasn't liking the direction the conversation was taking at all and was trying even harder to squirm out of the body he definitely wished he hadn't bothered overtaking.
Before Ralph had a chance to think about a better way to get out, he felt Nick's body flying as the man from the bar tackled him. Nick, Ralph and the man all landed on the floor, knocking over tables and chairs on their way down. Glasses crashed to the floor along with the broken tables, spraying beer everywhere.
As they landed, Ralph slid sideways from Nick's body. Not taking the time to enjoy his new found freedom, Ralph began crawling toward what he hoped was the bar's back door.
Unfortunately for Ralph, the waitress, trying to balance a tray full of drinks, stepped on Ralph and he felt his spirit slip in the woman's body.
Inside, Ralph smiled at the soft, warm feeling. Apparently the woman didn't feel the same way as Ralph. Her body stiffened as she yelled before stepping backward and tripping. The tray of drinks she carried flew a few feet in the air before crashing to the floor.
Despite the fact that Ralph liked the feeling of the woman's body, he knew it was time to get out. Ralph rolled out and away from the woman and finished crawling to the back door.
Standing up when he finally spotted the way to freedom, Ralph stood and opened the door.
Stepping out in an alley way, Ralph was relieved to find the back entrance to the bar empty.
Ralph hurried down the cement steps and out through the back parking lot. He walked quickly past the cars, glancing around nervously. He finally made it to the end of the block and let out a long sigh. Ralph stood quietly a moment then just to steady his nerves and try to figure out a safe place he could go.
As Ralph was thinking he felt something rubbing against his leg. Ralph frowned as he looked down at his leg and saw a large orange colored cat.
Ralph scratched his own head of orange hair. He was a spirit, how could this even be possible?
As Ralph stared, two more cats approached. Ralph knelt down and scratched all three cats. He could hear them purring as he scratched. “Well hello kitties, it's nice of you to come and make me feel better.”
Ralph was surprised as he said the words how accurate they were. The cats could see him and it seemed they could feel him too. Knowing that lifted his spirits. Ralph stood up smiling. He was thinking he might just know a good place to hang out.
Looking around for people or cars, Ralph made his way through town. At the edge of the city, Ralph kept walking. Looking behind him, Ralph laughed. Now he had four cats and a dog following behind him. Ralph felt so much better he almost skipped to his destination.
It took another half hour of walking before he saw the place he had in mind. A small house sat a half a block off the main road. Ralph walked the dirt road that led to it. To the side and behind the house stood a large barn that looked like it was fighting the laws of physics to even be standing.
Ralph looked back at his new animal friends.
“I think we may have found ourselves a home.”
Ralph walked to the barn and then stepped through the wall to the dark interior. The cats and the dog that had been following, ran around to the front of the barn and entered through the partially opened door.
An older gentleman sat on a stool milking a cow when Ralph stepped in. Seeing the man, Ralph stopped in his tracks. He felt his happiness from earlier drain out as he wondered if there was any place left he could go. He had been so sure this would be the right place. Now he found the place was occupied.
When the man turned and smiled at him, Ralph would have had a heart attack if he wasn't already dead.
The man nodded at Ralph. “Welcome to you sir and to your friends too. Now don't be afraid, this farm has seen spirits before you and I'm sure it will see a lot more after you and I are gone. Now, how would like to learn how to milk a cow. I'm sure your friends there could use a drink.”
Ralph took a deep breath and then giving out a soft laugh he nodded and stepped over to the man and the cows.
The cats followed close behind.
- Share this story on
- 7
Gail Moore
04/03/2021A great story, a bit of fun and a bit freaky. Can you just imagine that :-)
ReplyHelp Us Understand What's Happening
Help Us Understand What's Happening
Gerald R Gioglio
04/03/2021E Pam, what did my generation once say? Yep, 'far out and freaky.' Once again, nicely done. I'm working on an otherworldly kind of memorial. So, also thanks for some food for thought. Jerry
ReplyHelp Us Understand What's Happening
Help Us Understand What's Happening
Kevin Hughes
04/03/2021P.S. Win,
I agree with both you and Jd! Must have been fun to write, and it sure as all heck was fun to read.
Smiles, Kevin
COMMENTS (5)