Christine Johnston

When I was five, I wrote my first story.

Don’t get me wrong; Shakespeare and Jane Austen have taught me a lot, but they will never rival the characters of my childhood favorites, spiders and wild things who I considered my friends.

You are the “fun one” in your friend group, who may have some questionable life views but is a safe bet to have by your side for a night out.

You were 6. You had no idea what you were wishing for.

The angsty guitar player who all of your friends made fun of you for having a crush on Junior year.

Ghost stories happen every day, all around us. They’re any story that’s left behind, all the words that we say and footprints we leave. Every conversation we have — these all linger somewhere around us too.

1. Don’t become too engrossed in your own world.

The day before I left for college, I sat in the parking lot of a nearby beach with the windows of my Jeep rolled down, trying to mentally bottle the sound of seagulls and Van Morrison and lobster traps being dragged along coral-covered docks.