It must have been like ten years ago this happened. It was before I met Cheryl and that craziness, back when I was living in the South by myself.

I was working the second shift at the plant. The job was easy enough. It was mostly automated; I just had to keep the machinery working until the midnight crew showed up. A lot of them complained about the hours, but I didn’t mind. I didn’t have much else going on at the time, no one waiting at home for me or anything.

My home was an old trailer parked off Baker Road, about a mile away from the plant. The guy who owned it had lived there when he’d worked at the plant, but when he retired, he moved to Florida and rented it out to folks like me who didn’t need a lot of space, but wanted a place close to work. It was a straight shot down Baker Road, so I walked to and from work most days.

My co-workers — wouldn’t call them friends, exactly — thought I was crazy for walking home in the dark in the middle of the night. But it was warm enough, and there weren’t many cars on Baker Road. Besides, after my time in the service, I wasn’t too worried about taking care of myself if worse came to worse.

I’d been working at the plant and walking back and forth for just over a month when I saw her. I was on my way home. The blacktop was all shiny under a full moon, and a slow breeze cooled things just a bit. Up on the right side of the road, I saw a woman. She seemed to glow in the moonlight, and was looking up and down the road like she was waiting for a ride.

Now, if she’d been frantic or freaking out, things would have gone a bit differently. I would have figured she was lost or had had a car accident or something. But she seemed calm, if a bit impatient, so I didn’t know what to do or say. Even a friendly “Hey, how’s it going?” can come off real creepy in the middle of the night — especially if it’s coming from a man talking to a lone woman on a lonesome stretch of road.

So I just nodded as I walked by. No sense in getting maced, but no point in being rude either. She acted like she didn’t even see me.

Fair enough, I figured. It had to be just as awkward for her.

When I saw her again the next night, I figured it would even creepier not to talk to her this time.

Once again I walked right up to her, and she totally ignored me.

“Evening,” I said, trying to sound casual.

The woman turned in my direction and squinted, like she was peering through a fog.

“Good evening, sir,” she said.

Her accent was odd, vaguely European, like an immigrant or something.

“Sorry to bother you, ma’am,” I said. “But I just wanted to make sure everything’s all right — it being the middle of the night and all.”

“Everything…” her voice trailed off as she looked down the road.

“Everything is in order,” she said, firmly. “Once Johann arrives, we will be on our way.”

“Okay,” I said. “Glad to hear you got a ride. I was wondering after I saw you here last night.”

The woman frowned at me and shook her head.

“I’m afraid you must be mistaken. Last night I was safely sleeping beneath quilts and a fine roof. And I have been waiting tonight but since sunset. Johann will be here shortly, and we’ll both be rid of this place.”

“Um… Okay,” I said again. “Well. Good luck.”

I didn’t sleep well that night. I was distracted at work too. I kept thinking about the moon woman. Was she crazy? I tried to remember if she dressed like a crazy person, but was surprised to realize that all I could remember about her was long hair and a shawl. And the way she talked? Was she Amish or something? Or…

Okay, I was thinking “ghost.” But I didn’t want to say it, not even to myself. Not yet.

That night, I walked right up to her wished her a good evening.

“Thank you, sir.”

“Are you waiting for Johann?” I asked.

The woman stepped back and narrowed her gaze at me. Her lips were thin and suspicious.

“Who are you?” she snapped. “Did Father send you?”

“No, ma’am, no one sent me. I’m just a traveler, walking home from work.”

“Then I suggest, sir, that you continue walking and stay out of those affairs which are not your own.”

I nodded.

“As you wish, ma’am. Just one question — when Johann gets here, you’ll be safe, right?”

“Safe and gone, sir. Gone far away, never to return to this… this deplorable place.”

“Best of luck to you and Johann, then. Have a good evening.”

The moon woman said nothing. If she’d heard me, she ignored me.

So yeah, she was a ghost. I’d tried to get a better look at her clothes this time, and they were… vague and unfocused in the dark. But what I could make out seemed old-fashioned: a heavy dress, some embroidery around the throat, and that shawl… it pretty much screamed “hundred year-old ghost!”

The next night, she was gone. The full moon was over and the road was just a gray smudge in the starlight. I have to admit I was a bit relieved, and slept better than night than I had a since I’d first seen the moon woman. But I figured I’d see her again in about a month. But this time, I was going to be ready.

“Evening, ma’am.”

Moon Woman peered through the darkness at me without recognition.

“Good evening, sir,” she said.

“Pardon my intrusion, ma’am, but is your name Agnes Bunt?”

She looked suspicious, but nodded just the same.

“Yes, sir, it is. And who might you be, who has me at such a distinct disadvantage?”

“My name is Joseph,” I said. “And I have been sent by Johann to find you.”

“What? Why? He was to meet me here.”

I tried to sound soothing and sympathetic.

“That’s true, but I’m afraid he won’t be able to make it here. We’ll have to go to him. And then you can go… where ever you want.”

Agnes looked me up and down and narrowed her eyes.

“I’m not sure I can trust you. How do I know you aren’t one of Father’s men?”

I gestured to myself. I wasn’t sure what folks were wearing for midnight walks in 1843, but I figured it probably wasn’t blue jeans, sneakers, and a Yankees windbreaker.

“Do I look like one of your father’s men?” I asked.

“No, I suppose you don’t,” said Agnes. “Though you don’t much look a friend of Johann’s either. If you’re lying to me, sir, I will have you flogged.”

“Fair enough,” I said. “But if you want to catch Johann tonight, we’d better get going.”

We turned off Baker Road onto an old gravel track through the woods. Agnes made no sound. It was slow going by moonlight, but I’d walked the route the previous weekend. Guess I could have brought a flashlight, but I didn’t want to lose Agnes.

“If you are taking me back to the farm by some circuitous route, I shall flog you myself,” said Agnes.

“No, ma’am, we’re not heading for the farm. There’s a hill around here…”

I peered into the gloom and caught sight of a ribbon up ahead. I had hung it from a tree branch to mark the way. It twisted slowly in the breeze, flashing silver when the moonlight caught it.

At the ribbon, we turned onto a narrow trail. I pushed branches out of my way. Agnes was silent behind me, and I got the distinct impression that the branches were passing through her. Even now, I’m glad I didn’t look back.

“You still back there?” I asked.

“I’m here, sir, but growing concerned as to where –”

The woods around us opened up, revealing the hill I’d seen earlier. It was a grassy, moonlit mound topped by a single thin tree. I wasn’t sure if I’d be able to find the place, but the newspaper articles were surprisingly detailed… and in all that time, not another tree had taken root on the hill.

“Johann!”

My lungs turned to ice as Agnes ran through me and up the hill. I slumped and clutched my chest, willing myself to breath again.

“Johann!” she cried again, and I heard a muffled reply.

Air seeped back into my constricted throat. I looked up the hill and saw Johann, as pale and silver as his lover, his arms held out. I’d been afraid that he’d be all bloody from where Agnes’ father had shot him, but he seemed whole and healthy.

I’m not sure what I was hoping for, bringing the two of them together. Maybe a flash of light, or some sparkles, or even a stairway to heaven or something. And maybe they did shine a little bit brighter for just a moment, but then they faded away to nothing, and I was alone on the hill.

The next night, Agnes wasn’t at her usual spot in the road. She didn’t show up the next full moon either. And the one after that… Well, by then I’d met Cheryl and I had things other than ghosts on my mind.

I’ve never seen another ghost since that night. But I keep trying. Where ever I go, I walk the roads under the full moon and hope to catch another glimpse of the other side.