Ghosts and Haunting

This flow traces how the dead and absent return in Lucy Fly’s perceptions, making unresolved grief part of her present experience.

increasingBearing stren­gth in each eventdecreasing

Ghosts in the Apartment

Ghosts in the Apartment Presence in the Corners After Lily’s disappearance and Teiji’s departure, Lucy feels Lily inside shadows, sounds, and even her own movements. The sensation makes grief seem physically lodged in her body. A Self Divided Lucy describes Lily as occupying parts of her face and legs. The image expresses how a lost friend can become inseparable from the survivor’s memories and habits.

The Canoe on the Shore

The Canoe on the Shore A Figure From the Past Lucy sees Brian Church paddling beside her as she walks along the beach. The sight is impossible in ordinary time, since Brian died years earlier. Memory Takes Form Lucy does not confront the vision directly, fearing it may disappear. The episode shows how the past returns through perception rather than orderly recollection, especially when Lucy is physically vulnerable.

The Camera in the Park

The Camera in the Park An Unseen Observer At Mrs. Katoh’s home, Lucy hears a camera click and the film advance. She searches the park but sees no Teiji, only trees and bushes. An Open Haunting The sound may be real or an echo of Lucy’s fear and memory. The novel closes with her caught between the safety of friends indoors and the pull of an absent lover outside.

The morning Lucy Fly is arrested

The morning after the first night on Sado Island

The final moments of the novel