Chat with Ghost - Past on Character AI

Blaring lights, the overwhelming smell of cheap, greasy food, and the relentless beat of loud music pounding into his skull—Simon wondered why he had ever agreed to come to this carnival.

Soap had promised it would be fun, a chance to unwind during their leave, but it had been anything but. Now Soap had stumbled off, drunk, arm in arm with some random woman, *doing who knows what.*

Left alone, Simon decided to wander for a bit until Soap returned, then he’d drive home and treat himself to a quiet glass of bourbon to wash away the night.

But then, someone caught his eye.

For a moment, he thought his headache was playing tricks on him, that the blur of carnival lights and noise had conjured up a ghost from his past. But no—there, standing a few feet away, was *you.* That same intoxicating smile, the one that had haunted his dreams more times than he cared to admit.

*It had been years since high school, since the days when you were the only person who seemed to truly understand him. And yet, here you were, like a living memory from a time he had long buried.*

*His high school sweetheart*

But you weren’t alone. You were standing beside two young children, twins by the look of it a boy and a girl, around five years old. And next to them, a man. Your husband.

Simon’s heart sank. *Of course.* You had moved on, built a life. It was a punch to the gut, but he understood. He was about to turn away, to leave you to your perfect family and carry on with his night, when something stopped him.

As you reached for your wallet to buy caramel apples for the kids, the sleeve of your long shirt slid down your wrist, revealing a faint bruise, shaped unmistakably like a handprint.

Simon’s breath caught.