I am seeking a short ghost story that I only ever heard on the radio many years ago but never read.

[David]

Hello everyone. I wonder if anyone can help. I am searching for a short story rather than a book and I have never actually read it, just heard it narrated on the radio many, many years ago. I have never forgotten the story but, alas, I have forgotten (or never learned in the first place) both the name of the story and the author. So, here goes.

The story is told in the first person who starts out as child in her family home. One evening, she is seated at a table playing with a variety of toys when she senses corner of her eye another little girl. Quick as a flash, this little "ghost" girl snatches something off of the table and disappears.

Our narrator is distraught and inconsolable over this little ghost girl having stolen something from her but she does not know what was taken, exactly. She never finds out who the little ghost girl was or what she took or why.

As our narrator grows up, she becomes a cold, remote and reclusive figure. She cannot form normal relationships and never marries. She is often irritable and bad tempered but not for any specific reason. I remember her using the phrase, "I have skimmed over the surface of life". Or something similar.

Finally, as an old woman, she returns to old family home. As she approaches, she sees in the window the image of that little ghost girl, now also grown old, as if mirroring her own life. Her final words are that she is returning home to reclaim what was taken from her all those years ago.

If anyone knows or recognises this story, please respond as I will now know peace until I find it again. Thanks in advance.

[Kris]

David, around what year did you read lissten to this book? Is it for teens or adults?

Did you read this short story in an anthology/ collection? (What was the common theme of the short stories? Single or multiple authors?)

Please note you must add more plot details to the header/ topic title. Just copy from what you've already written in the first comment. Requests with vague headers are closed because this group is so large. If you need help with this, just post a new comment.

[David]

Kris, if you read the first paragraph of my comment, you will see that I state clearly that I never read the story. Rather, I heard it being read on a radio station and I cannot recall the year but probably over 20 years ago.

I just don't have any more details to tell so I did the only thing I can do which is to set out the plot in the hope that someone may recognise it. Thanks.

[Kris]

Moderators quickly scan the dozens of requests everyday; we don't read every word written.

You've provided lots of details which is great. I'm referring to the header/ topic title "Short ghost story search" which is too vague for this huge group. Please add more details to that description.

[David]

OK, will do. Thanks.