The Ailehpos of Apartment 21D

We live in a home full of created ghosts. The four of us each find our own ways to manifest an ailehpo. These presences are squatters, but we cannot seem to find a way to evict them.

Sarah falls serially, hopelessly in love. At some point, she is inevitably ghosted. For months afterward, the phantasm of unfulfilled promise puts big, clumsy hands over favorite foods and hums over the refrain of any music. He imbues himself into anything that can bring joy.

Shay’s mother is not gone, but her whispers will not leave the apartment and go home with her. She stands behind every mirror, giving unwarranted advice on clothes and makeup. She also haunts the kitchen, where she suggests it’s best to choose celery over cookies.

Mine is the brother who cannot be happy for any success in my life. His voice has become faded and uncertain because it has been 15 months since he cut off all contact without explanation. The silvery shadow of his silhouette still hovers over the chasm between new opportunities and the belief that I deserve to be loved.

It was for Eloise that we named each entity. Hers is the loudest of all. It is the authentic presence of our friend before depression hid her deep inside. In grief, she has become a reflection of herself. She is our Ophelia.

Powerless, we love this mirror image of a tragic heroine and name our personal phantoms in her honor.