He was only a ghost in the technical sense of the term, in that he was dead and haunting the Earth. Most of the time, he thought of himself as a commuter, like countless other souls taking the train in and out of the city each day. He read the paper, preferred window seats, and glared at passengers who spoke too loudly on cell phones. When it was busy, he would always give up his seat for an older passenger, and when it was especially crowded, he would melt into the walls.

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Jim O’Loughlin is the author of the flash fiction collection, Dean Dean Dean Dean (Twelve Winters Press). He is the publisher of Final Thursday Press and host of the Final Thursday Reading Series in Cedar Falls, Iowa, where he teaches American literature and creative writing at the University of Northern Iowa.

This piece was originally published on Flash Flash Click. We are honored to host it here in partnership and collaboration.

Image: “Ghost Sign Signature” by Paul Sableman