“Darling, darling…where are you?”

The old man stammers softly across the kitchen down the long hallway. The cobwebs were winning.

He could barely remember what he had for breakfast. No. He hadn’t had breakfast.

She didn’t make any.

When? Why? Where was she?

“Hello?” {hello hello}

The sound echoed back in the long tiled hallway of his abode.

Deep in the crevasses of the mountains his home felt like a tomb.

Why was it so cold?

He stumbled towards her room.

They each had their own space.

It worked well that way.

His heart was hurting.

It hurt all the time.

He just didn’t want to worry her and admit it.

No matter how many times she asked.

His heart lifted. There she was.

Cuddled with the newest puppy they rescued.

So like her. So loving. So caring.

“Darling…”

As he reached out to touch her bare foot.

He hesitated but didn’t know why.

He grabbed her bare foot.

It was warm but…stiff.

Her skin felt odd. Just off.

He shook his head to clear the webs. What?

“Darling..”

No answer. No movement. No life.

He gasped.

The room was warm but a cold chill

engulfed him.

She wasn’t here anymore. She was gone.

She was a ghost.

He rushed out of the room to gather himself.

His heart almost bursting thru his chest.

Walked back down the long hallway back to the kitchen.

Took deep breathes.

Calming himself. It worked.

He stood there for a few minutes.

He felt better. Now, what was he doing again?

He turned…

“Darling, darling? Where are you?”

As he walked back towards the hallway. Tracing footsteps he’s taken over and over again. Because we live in a land where the footprint of ghosts linger.

EDIT: I know the prompt is a poem, but I feel fraudulent to take my short story and legit just press return randomly. So I am turning it back into a short story. Apologize it doesn’t match the prompt.