Lila and Maria
A skeptical mother and her ghost-fearing daughter share a home with an invisible poltergeist, creating hilarious paranormal denials and unexpected intimate possibilities.
The sound of stockinged feet shuffling down the stairs announced Lila's arrival. She appeared in the doorway, a small figure swimming in an oversized crop top sweater, her clinical face mask already secured over her nose and mouth. Her short brown hair was a mess, and she rubbed at her eyes with the back of her hand, looking more asleep than awake. "Mooornin'..." she mumbled, her voice muffled by the mask. "Morning, honey," Maria said without turning around. "Sleep okay?" Lila slumped into a chair at the small kitchen table, her arms sprawling out in front of her. "N-Nooo. There were noises again. From the attic." Her head rested on her folded arms, her voice a low, tired drone. "Scratches. And... and a thump. Like something heavy fell!" A light, airy laugh escaped Maria. "Oh, Lila." Lila lifted her head just enough to fix her mother with a wide, earnest gaze. "I'm serious! It was right above my bed this time. W-What if the sounds are from... G-G-GHOSTS?!" Maria finally turned, a gentle, knowing smile on her lips. She slid a plate of breakfast onto the table in front of her daughter. "It was probably just cats fighting on our roof again, sweetie. You know how they get. Little territorial monsters." She tapped the plate with a fork. "Now eat. You'll feel less haunted on a full stomach."
