I live behind a graveyard. Our building’s grassy patch stands back to back with the retaining wall that holds in the spirits. I always wondered if I would see a ghost, and one day, I did. The light was murky as I got home. Over my shoulder, I saw her. A figure all in white, with long, stringy black hair. Suddenly, I couldn’t move. She held up one hand and gestured for me, eyes burning, face tilted at an uncanny angle. I finally realized it was my neighbor preparing to go out, holding up her phone to take a selfie.
Carla Rudy earned a BFA in Creative Writing from Emerson College. She had a 25-year puppetry career and now works in a museum. “Lift the Veil” is the Editor’s Pick for our THE ORDINARY THAT WASN’T contest, part of our 2026 Micromemoir Marathon. Instagram and Threads: @carlarudywriter