Ben had been haunting me for days. The moment he died, his ghost appeared. The apparition wore Ben’s favorite shirt: the orange one with the ink-stain on the cuff. He was smiling.
My brother was always happy. Some people are impossible to depress.
I watched the undersize coffin lower into the ground. Mom tossed a handful of dirt; her eyes were red with constant tears.
Beside me, Ben began to fade, starting at the feet. As more dirt fell, more of Ben disappeared. Finally, like the Cheshire Cat, there was only his smile.
That faded, too and he was gone.
Author’s Note: I love phrases that have double-meanings.
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