Ghost Kids

Hi there, I'm 27 years old and I grew up on the San Carlos Apache Reservation here in Arizona.

I used to live in a very modest little house that my grandfather built with his own hands. Back then it was located in the mostly isolated part of the "rez". I was five years old at the time, yet this experience has been branded in my mind forever.

I was fast asleep on a warm summer evening when a lightning storm woke me up. I was terrified of thunder and lightning so I made up my mind to sleep next to my mother. She was in bed in the next room, so I got up and stood there frozen for a minute, mind you, I was groggy and had to adjust my eyes to the dark. Slowly I stumbled across the small living room floor, lightning flashing every minute or so, since the storm was almost overhead, illuminating the livingroom with a bright flash of electricity. All of a sudden two small children appeared before my eyes. Their sex was undistinguishable since their two bodies were mostly shadow figures, yet I knew they were children because they were playing ball, one of my own favorite games!

I really don't know how long I stood there, mesmerized, but finally I spoke up and asked them," What are you doing here?" They never answered, but instead continued to toss a ball to each other. I thought these kids were ignoring me so I said it louder, "What are you doing here?" Their response; silence. It never occured to me to feel frightened, I was mad because they ignored me. I forgot about the storm outside and how much it scared me. I just wanted these kids to hear my question. I finally woke my mother with my screaming and yelling. She was mad! "Who were you screaming at?" She demanded "Those kids!" I insisted "I didn't see any kids, you were dreaming!" "No mommy, I wasn't, they were playing and they didn't want to talk to me, they were mean!"....

Nowadays I look back at that evening and shiver violently, because I believe I caught a glimpse of two spirits in limbo, stuck forever in that same motion, playing ball. Who knows who these ghost kids are? I never will.

Maybe two lost souls from a family of pioneers, wiped from this existence by my ancestors, or maybe victims of the dangers of traveling- disease, robbers, accidents- who knows? I have had only one experience with them, but I will never forget the ghost kids......