The Ghost in the Halls (Flashback)
240 Words
Leo’s mind drifted to a Tuesday in October, fourteen years ago. He was ten years old, sitting on the fire escape with a stolen binoculars, watching the lights of the North End. Even then, he had felt the "pull" of the towers, a gravitational force he couldn't name.
"Leo, come away from the edge," Elena had called out. Her voice back then was full and vibrant, untainted by the rasp of the oxygen tanks.
"Why don't we ever go over there, Ma? Tommy’s dad says the parks have grass that looks like carpet."
Elena had walked to the window, her face tightening. She didn't look at the parks; she looked at the Vane Global logo, which was just being installed on the newest tower. "Because that grass is watered with tears, Leo. People over there... they don't see you. They see what they can take from you. You stay in the South End. Here, if you fall, someone picks you up. Over there, if you fall, they just build a new sidewalk over your body."
Leo hadn't understood then. He had thought his mother was just afraid of the heights. Now, standing in his thrift-store suit, he realized she wasn't afraid of the buildings. She was afraid of the man who owned them—and the part of that man she saw growing in Leo every time he looked North with hunger in his eyes.
- Writer
