Sam waited for some time after the 12 year old Garrett had run away. He had hoped he would return immediately, but he did not.
"Garrett! Garrett! GARRETT!" he had cried to no avail. "What am I supposed to do?" he called out after the absent boy. But with the ding of the elevator, Garrett was gone.
So, once again he returned to the confusion that exists in the mind of a ghost. Sam returned to quiet corner of the room. He examined his surroundings. Things were mostly same, but somehow different. The bedspread was different. The TV was new. The curtains changed. He didn't remember all of these things happening, but he knew that things were different. In fact, when he thought about it, he remembered seeing several different bedspreads, curtains and pillows. He wondered how long he had been here. Had it been a day? A week? A year? Ten years? Sam still felt like an 8 year old boy. He looked at himself in the mirror. His eyes were read from crying. Had he been crying? He couldn't remember why.
Then he remembered his parents and thought about them for a long time. He thought about them for a really long long time. He thought about them for about 8 years, or was it just a moment? And then, he thought about Garrett again and wondered what Garrett might be doing. Was he playing a game? Was he in school? What grade was he in?
As he sat once again in the corner, lost in thought, the sound of the ringing elevator brightened his ears. Yes - he had heard that sound before. Just moments before, in fact. Or was it years ago? That's right - when Garrett left, he must have taken the elevator! When Garrett had run away so frightened, Sam had heard the elevator "ding" it's arrival and departure. And now it sounded again!
He waited in silent anticipation for what seemed like hours. And then, slowly, he heard the sound of approaching footsteps in the hallway. It was the soft sound of tennis shoes on the plush hotel carpet. And then slowly, ever so slowly, a young man appeared. The young man stood motionless in front of the open doorway. The hall was otherwise deserted and all was quiet.
Sam was afraid. The young man looked familiar, but it wasn't his Dad. Was it? He felt like he knew this young man, but it couldn't be Garrett. Could it? Hadn't he just seen Garrett just moments ago? Or was it years? He couldn't remember! In spite of his fear, Sam knew he had to take a chance. It just had to be Garret.
"Garrett?" he spoke softly. The young man took a quick deep breath and his eyes darted from one side of the room to the other, seeing only emptiness. He took a few steps backward remaining in desperate silence.
"Garrett," Sam spoke. "Is that you?"
Stammering, the young man spoke. "Yes. It's Garrett. Are you...are you...is your name...Sam?"
Sam fell to the floor, overjoyed that someone had finally heard him. Someone was finally here to help him understand what was happening to him. Someone could tell him where he was supposed to go and how he was going to find his parents. Finally!
But all Garrett could hear was the crying of an 8 year old boy. Garrett spoke again, "Sam, is that you, are you here? Are you okay? Are you crying? Where are you?"
Still sobbing Sam replied, "Garrett, I'm here! But I don't know why. What am I supposed to do, Garrett? Where are Mom and Dad, are they coming? Why aren't they coming for me, Garrett?"
Garrett, now in tears, said, "Sam, I can't see you. Where are you? Are you here?"
"I'm right here, Garrett." Sam said. "Tell me what I'm supposed to do. Tell me where Mom and Dad are. They are coming for me, aren't they?"
Garrett was speechless. "I...I...I don't know what to say? Sam, this is impossible! Why are you here? Why are you still here in this place? What are you doing here?"
Sam did the best a ghost can do to explain the confusion of non-being. "I don't know, Garrett. I just wait here. I keeping waiting for Mom and Dad, for you, for someone to come and get me and tell me what I'm supposed to do. Can you help me, Garrett. I need you to help me. Tell me why you're different. Why are you so old? Are you really my brother? Why aren't you ten anymore, Garrett? What's happening? Are Mom and Dad coming for me? When are they coming?
Garrett did the best he could. He did his best to explain to Sam that he had died ten years ago. Sam could not believe it. He couldn't understand. When Garrett asked Sam what he had been doing for ten years, Sam could not explain. Ten years meant nothing to him. For a ghost, there is no time. There is only memories, and longing to be somewhere...longing to be loved and at home, wherever that is. Sam didn't understand that he was dead, he didn't feel dead, he just felt a longing for his family. He he felt alone most of the time.
For quite some time, Garrett stayed in room 816, on the 8th floor of the Hilton and he talked to his little brother. He told him he loved him, that he missed him and that he would never have to be alone again. He told him that he would bring Mom and Dad to see him, that he should wait just a little while. Little did he know it was a promise that would be long in keeping. But Garrett told Sam he would come back to see his little brother, and that he would come back soon.
And he did come back. But it didn't go well. Not at all.
