Devin never liked walking home from school, especially along Route 49. A cemetery from the 1850's was arranged with utmost respect and attention to detail. He was not sure why but he felt drawn to that place. It had towering gothic features that stood up mightily. It’s paths were adorned with statues of men, women, and even angels. Faded replicas of a past long gone. And a few monuments with the names that were cracked and seeming to be forgotten by time, but it was peaceful.

From a distance it's easy to see why such a place would hold up such a creep factor, but when you actually spent the time there it was not so bad. It struck his fancy to stop and look at the graves and to learn the names, well the ones that still remained on the grave markers. As the days and years went on, each time he walked home he grew somewhat comfortable walking along Route 49, that is until one day until it happened. He was in the Cemetery when out of the corner of his eye the figure of a girl caught his attention. Devin took a step closer.

The girl standing merely feet away had just walked out of the giant concrete relic that he always passed by because of it's nameless cover. A chill went up Devin's spine, but he decided to follow her. Were his eyes playing tricks on him? The most beautiful girl he'd ever laid his eyes upon, was walking some thirty paces ahead of him now. Long black hair, and an hourglass figure that would make the average man lose himself in her gaze. Devin wanted to approach her but he was afraid.  Just like other young men in those tender teenage years, he viewed her as a total knockout in the looks department.

At the last minute he both lost every bit of courage to say hello and the sight of her. She had disappeared. He went on about his business exiting the cemetery and continuing his journey home. And then came a day that he saw the same girl walking not in the cemetery, but out alongside the road. When he saw this it always seemed to be around the time that he was heading home from school. Was she looking for him? He wondered. And then out of the blue she would disappear again. Day's would pass when he would walk along the same path, he would not stop at the cemetery like he'd become so accustomed to. After walking along this path so much, and seeing this girl so many times.

Dead or Alive, he was going to muster the courage to walk fast enough to catch up to her and spark up a conversation. And then it finally happened. Devin was walking along the side of the road after school when he stopped to tie his shoelaces. While he was down on his knee he noticed someone walk right by and in front of him. It was the girl. He immediately finished tying his laces and started walking after her to catch up. The two passed the old cemetary on Route 49 as they walked along that way to go home. Devin followed her long past the road that his house turn off onto.

This ended up happening a few times over the period of a few weeks. Every time he would see her go up to a house, and then he would be on his way. Each time still without saying a word to her. He never thought much of it, other than her house was a big nice empty looking home with a driveway full of cars. It looked like a happy home full of loving people. The date was February 13,2017 Devin was feeling lonelier than ever. And here this beautiful girl was along his usual path that the takes to walk home every single day now. So after a great deal of time wasted, came the day after so many other times, he built up the courage to speak to this young woman.

''Hey there I am Devin, how are you doing?'', said Devin. The young woman glanced at him but did not answer. ''Are you a student at Parkview High School? I am a Junior there. I could have sworn that I saw you in my Chemistry II class. I just noticed for this period of time that we walked along the same path and I wanted to introduce myself.'', said Devin. The girl stopped, and looked into Devin's eyes. It sent a chill down his spine. One of fire, pain, and fear. For a brief moment he felt as if he looked into the eyes of death. It's like there was no one home, her face was even expressionless. Tears could almost fall from her eyes with the look that she gave him. She turned away as if responding to him held no importance.

He made an attempt to grab her shoulder. She was ice cold to the touch.  When he tried to get her to turn around so that he could speak to her, she was gone. It scared him to the point that he fell backwards into the street. Devin was surrounded by a cool breeze, a  static fog that felt like cobwebs. On the air he could hear a whisper that almost wanted to shout his name out, but it danced on the wind as a moan. He felt his skin crawling with fear. The days grew darker and colder. And Devin would no longer stop, much less pay any attention to the old cemetery. He was at a point that he no longer was willing to walk home, now that his parents helped him buy his first car.

On the way home from school, the first day of his senior year he saw a familiar sight, while he was driving. The girl with the long black hair walking on Route 49 all alone. He stopped to give her a ride, even though he knew where it might lead. She got into the car and thanked him. This time around, the girl spoke to him. His overall sense of dread was beyond control, he was sweating bullets. Devin's jaw felt as heavy as a ton, he wanted to ask her so many things, but the girl rambled on, he could barely make sense of half the things she was saying. All he could do was smile and nod. Who would have known a dead girl, a ghost had so much to say. ''My turn is right here.''

The beautiful girl with the black hair pointed out. Devin made the appropriate turn into the drive. The car crept up the gravel driveway. There was a slow rumble under the tires, the normal grumbling sound of rubber against rocks. They came to a stop, and the girl looked over at him. Devin was not sure what to say or how to react, she leaned over and kissed him on the cheek. He felt the ice cold embrace of her lips. ''Thank you, all I needed was a ride and no one was willing to help me.'' ,The girl added with a giggle. As she was pulling away he did not care that she felt ice cold. Devin wanted more but the best think he could think of jumped right out of his mouth upon her leaning towards the passenger side door to leave, ''Say, I never caught your name?'' The beautiful young woman with the ice cold touch looked to him briefly and barely made I contact,''It's Elise.''' For as long as Devin will live he'll never forget how smoothly those words rolled off of her tongue and out of her mouth. Then the car door opened and he watched her walk up to the front door. As he drove away, he could see her still standing at the front door in the rear view mirror. A moment later he glanced back up and she was gone. He looked away for a moment because he had to keep his eyes on the road. He couldn't help but wonder if she'd gone into that house or perhaps she was homeless. There's no way that she was dead, he actually felt her physical touch and she looked so damn real. How is such a thing even possible? 

His only thoughts were, could it be that my dream girl is dead and I am alive. Or am I in love with a woman who is just weird and homeless.who was afraid to tell me the truth. All he wanted to know was, when he could see her again. Later that night Devin did some digging on the internet, while he was supposed to be doing his Chemistry II homework, he was researching information on the girl. He found out that Elise died 20 years ago, that she was walking home and that she had needed a ride at school, but no one would help her, so she decided to walk when a semi truck driver fell asleep at the wheel, killing her instantly. She did not see it or hear it coming as she was listening to her walkman full blast. And the report goes on to say that over the years sightings of the young woman's spirit came and went, but no one was really sure what she wanted other than to make.... her walk home. To this very day Devin still remembers that look she gave him just before she faded away. And he wonders when he will see her again.