#anywhere

"I went to school with her, aye."

"I almost feel sorry for you there. " He says "Sis is a bit of a .. ah"

"Aye. I was not one of the popular crowd."

"Still."

"not popualr? wait, are you the Schwartz girl?"

"Yes."

"Oh geez. I'm sorry"

"Sorry, I know she was.. oh I mean.. really. She was a bitch"

A little shrug. "But it has been a while since she's been able to harm me. Is there aught you would wish sent to your family?"

"For you are, forgive, quite dead."

"Stop saying that. I'm too rich to be dead"

Zara laughs gently.

He looks well, spooked

"I can help you, for few others will even see you. But you must believe me, and seize the help I offer."

Indeed, a they have gotten down, and a townsman walks by with a cart

"Sir, I need a phone please? Mine isn't working" the ghost waves, "hey?"

"He cannot see you. He does not know the Dead."

"Wait? what? he steps in front of the guy "Oh right. ME . AMERI-Can. Need TELEOPHONO, Habla?"

And the man with the cart walks through him

"Ah!" a gasp

Zara waits.

"he walked through me..right through me! Didn't even see me! It's like my crush on Betsy Garlick in Middle School all over again"

"Aye. You are dead."

"This SUCKS.. who do I complain to?"

"Nobody. It is what it is."

"Now, is there some regret you hold?"

"Something which has kept you here?"

"My ... my phone isn't working?"

"No. You are dead."

"Okay, well, if I'm dead.. why am I stuck here? I mean.. Shouldn't I be apologizing to St. peter or something?"

"Aye. Something is holding you."

"Usually regret, sometimes duty."

"I'm not the duty bound kind of guy"

"No, I suspect not."

"Ah, would ..would not helping a woman out be a form of regret?"

"Yes. It is a... tether, nu? Something that holds you here."

"But how can I help her now? She's not even.. I mean, no one can see me except you" A blink "wait, YOU see me? Holy shit, jews really are the chosen people"

"Well, maybe I can help you, help her."

"Well... " And he leads her towards the house. A woman, in a hovel, tends to her sick child.

He blinks "I didn't know she had a kid? I thought she was just.. hyou know, a panhandler?"

Zara can see through the cracks the child sweating, coughing

"Aye... and you ignored her?"

"Yeah, first thing my mom warned me about was that when your'e rich, folks see you for what you can do for them, not as a person. " He winces

"Many people only see the surface, not the person. It is very rare to be seen in this world."

"I guess.. but I'm dead. How can I help them now?"

"Good question. Were you staying in the village?"

"I rented this little villa, it's another six miles though"

"And within - is there cash?"

"Yeah. I have 300 bucks for fun money" he says "In American dollars.. hardly enough to do much with right?"

"That would pay for a doctor."