Ghosts: A Graphic Novel

“Maya has cystic fibrosis. It’s a thing you’re born with. It affects breathing and digestion. And there’s no cure.”

One of the traits that most heavily characterizes Maya and propels the plot of the story is her disease. Maya’s CF is debilitating and leaves her unable to engage in normal activities much of the time. She ends up in the hospital after hiking up to the mission and is left behind on Halloween when Cat trick or treats. Maya’s CF is also what leads the family to move to Bahía de la Luna in the first place, as her parents hope that the damp, salty air will aid her breathing. What Maya experiences is the opposite; she gets sicker and requires a breathing tube.

“The vest helps loosen the mucus in her lungs. Her soul doesn’t need any loosening, though.”

Despite her disease, Maya is eternally optimistic and cheerful. She is brave in the face of extreme challenges and wants desperately to do what normal children do. One of the treatments that Maya undergoes for her CF is a vibrational vest. While wearing it, Maya sings, listening to the vibrations in her voice and enjoying the pleasant sensation. Cat observes that Maya is free-spirited and bold, admiring her sister’s optimism and strength.

“Because of the fog, the ghosts see our town as the perfect place to hang out.”

Carlos is proud to explain that his town is known to be a home for many spirits. Maintaining a connection with the deceased is an important aspect of Mexican culture, and the ghosts seem to be attracted to the town due to its Mexican heritage and windy, foggy weather. In this simple sentence, Carlos foreshadows many coming events, including the hike up to the mission, Cat’s encounters with spirits, and the Day of the Dead celebration.

“After your abuela died, a lot of old traditions died with her.”

Despite her mother’s Mexican heritage, Cat’s family is Americanized. The family does not observe any Mexican traditions or cook Mexican food. Much of the reason for this lies in Cat’s mother’s difficult relationship with her own mother and the rebellion against tradition that resulted from it. Cat’s mother admits that she feels guilty for rejecting her heritage, including its language and celebrations. Fortunately, Cat’s abuela is present after all as a spirit, and the family members will soon reconnect with their heritage.

“I want to know what happens when you die …. Dying isn’t pretend, Cat. It’s real.”

After taking the ghost tour with Carlos, Maya is disappointed not to have met any spirits. Cat is relieved, but when Carlos insists that they can meet ghosts at the mission at the top of the hill, Maya is desperate to go. Not only does Maya want to meet the spirits, but she also wants to know more about what death and dying are like. Maya knows that she does not have many years left to live, and she hopes to find inner peace about her own death and leaving her family behind before she passes. Maya is wise beyond her years and grasps the reality of her imminent death on a deeper level than her older sister does.

“Most of the people buried here were from Mexico, so they like it when you speak Spanish to them.”

Bahía de la Luna is a town rich with Mexican heritage. Built by Mexican families, it is home to the spirits of several generations of Mexican people and rich in Mexican culture. When Carlos takes Maya and Cat to meet the spirits for the first time, he encourages them to speak Spanish to them in the hopes that the spirits will not only understand but even welcome them. It seems to work too well, as they begin taking the air out of Maya, causing her to collapse.

“They can’t breathe on their own, so they absorb the essence of the world breathing around them.”

Carlos explains that ghosts are more likely to appear on windy days because they can more easily absorb the essence of life. On top of the hill, the wind is blowing fiercely, and dozens of spirits surround the children. Carlos unknowingly foreshadows the next moment, in which the spirits group themselves around Maya and begin to steal her breath. Because of her disease, Maya cannot afford to give up any oxygen and collapses.

“You can’t have her breath! She needs it!!”

When the ghosts begin taking the air out of Maya, Cat panics. Cat and her sister have an Unbreakable Bond, and Cat reacts strongly to the thought of Maya being hurt or worse. As she watches them surround her sister, powerless to stop them, she shows a side of herself that rarely surfaces until later in the novel: her courageous side. The ghosts eventually dissipate, but their actions seriously harmed Maya, and she needs to be hospitalized for several days.

“I’m her sister. I’m supposed to protect her!”

After Maya is hospitalized, Cat feels responsible for allowing her to go up the hill with her and Carlos. Carlos feels guilty and tries to apologize, but Cat takes her anger and fear out on him, yelling at him to stay away from Maya. Cat and Maya share an Unbreakable Bond of Sisterhood, and when Maya nearly dies, Cat goes into a state of panic. She cannot bring herself to confront the possibility of Maya’s death.

“Maya’s not ready!! Neither am I.”

On her way home from school one day, Cat is followed by a spirit. She again reacts with panic, not understanding why the spirit is following her. Cat believes that the spirit wants to steal Maya’s breath away again and demands that it leave them alone. In this moment, Cat reveals that she fears Maya’s death and does not believe it should come so soon. Cat is not ready to lose her sister and has not yet come to terms with this reality.

“People dressing up like the dead helps visiting spirits feel less … awkward and out of place, you know?”

As Cat starts to Discover Her Heritage and embrace her new life in the town, she makes new friends and learns about Mexican culture. Seo, one of Cat’s new friends, takes her to a harvest festival. There, Cat sees booths selling Día de los Muertos costumes and masks. Seo explains peoples’ reasoning for dressing up, noting that doing so makes the spirits feel more welcome among the living.

“I guess … I needed something of my own.”

Cat and Maya’s Unbreakable Bond of Sisterhood is almost compromised when Cat’s desire for independence overrules her responsibilities to her sister. Cat makes new friends in town and enjoys this first sense of belonging and freedom in the new environment. When she offhandedly mentions that Maya would love the harvest festival, they ask who Maya is. Cat lies and says Maya is a friend from back home, not wanting to reveal that she has a sister who is very ill. Maya inevitably finds out about this lie and is deeply hurt by it; this leads Cat to confess her inner conflict to her sister.

“We came to Bahia de la Luna so I could be healthier, right? So I could actually do stuff—I wanted to go trick-or-treating tonight so bad.”

Maya often feels cheated out of enjoying the things that other children do—simple things such as trick or treating or running up a hill. When Halloween arrives, Maya looks forward to trick or treating, but her parents insist that she stay home. They are not sure what will happen if she exerts herself. Maya courageously points out that the family’s plan to move to a foggy bayside town and help her feel better is not working.

“It’s not like I’m ever going to get better …. So why not let me have fun while I can?”

Maya continues to reflect on the shortness of her life and what little time she has to enjoy the simple things. On Halloween, she is forbidden from going out trick or treating, as her parents worry that she is not healthy enough to do so. Maya is not so concerned about how long she will live; instead, she wants to enjoy the time she has as fully as possible. Maya is wise for her age, largely due to her experiences with her illness, and she is tired of being held back from the joys of life.

“You open your door to one ghost … You’re basically inviting every ghost to come inside.”

When Cat is out trick or treating with Seo and her other friends, Seo warns her that the ofrenda they built for her abuela may invite other spirits into the house as well. She is not trying to scare Cat, nor does she mean that the spirits will be malicious; however, Cat has yet to overcome her fear of death and ghosts and reacts once again with panic. She runs home to save her family but finds everyone happily relaxing and watching scary movies.

“I never want to see the ghosts again. Not after what happened last time.”

Halloween night arrives, and Cat is still deeply afraid of ghosts. Traumatized by her sister’s near death at the mission and the subsequent encounters with spirits, Cat wants nothing more to do with them. She believes that the ghosts will steal the last of Maya’s breath, and she fears the loss of her sister. Sitting at home with Maya, Cat is missing out on the Day of the Dead celebration. Maya is not able to attend but wishes she could. She encourages Cat to go not for Maya’s sake but for her own. Her sister’s courage and persistence inspire Cat, and she takes it upon herself to finally meet the spirits.

“What happens if I die, Cat? Will you be afraid of my ghost, too?”

When Cat confesses her fear of ghosts to Maya, Maya raises a difficult question. She wants to know if their bond will persist even through death and points out that Cat’s fear of spirits may get in the way of that. This question scares Cat but also forces her to reflect on what is holding her back and confront her fears. Maya inspires Cat to attend the Day of the Dead party, where Cat has the chance to interact with many spirits and develop a sense of acceptance of the possibility of Maya’s death.

“If you give them just a tiny bit of yourself … You will never be lacking in spirits to call your friends!”

At the Day of the Dead celebration, Cat finds her friend Seo, who gives Cat a tour of the festivities and teaches her more about ghosts and the relationship between the living and the dead. Seo explains that ghosts thrive on the essence of the living, and the living must share a piece of themselves with the dead to keep them going. While Cat at first struggled with this idea, she opens up and embraces tradition by sharing sodas, blowing kisses, and conversing with the spirits in her milieu.

“I guess it’s hard not to feel good when you’re surrounded by so much life!”

In this ironic remark, Cat exhibits her inner growth and change of attitude toward ghosts, death, and the town in which she now lives. Cat is surprised to find herself enjoying the celebration and getting fully involved in the festivities. When she takes a break to reflect, the spirit of an elderly woman sits down beside her. Cat spends time conversing with the spirit, and when the woman points out that Cat’s own spirit seems to be good, Cat remarks that her positive feelings are due to the vibrant atmosphere around her.

“All I know is, they haven’t forgotten me, or else I wouldn’t be here, like this, tonight!”

At the Día de los Muertos celebration, Cat has the chance to meet José, who died when he was eight. Despite his short life, he seems happy and optimistic. He feels grateful to have the chance to return to the world of the living each year and spend time with his loved ones. They never forget him, and because of that, he is able to thrive off their memories and come back to celebrate with them. Hearing this comforts Cat, because it means that even after Maya dies, their bond will not be broken.

“If I die, Cat will be all alone. She’s terrible at making friends. Or at least, she used to be …”

Maya and Cat share an Unbreakable Bond, and Maya knows her sister well. She worries that Cat will have difficulty Accepting and Adjusting to Change after she is gone, and she cares more about how her sister will cope with her death than about dying herself. Maya has the privilege of meeting José, the ghost of a child. She expresses her fears to him but, in doing so, she realizes that perhaps she has less to worry about than she thought; Cat is making new friends, opening up, and overcoming her fears.

“We can run faster … Jump higher … And dance longer than any mortals! Especially with a little help from the world around us. Although we do get a little winded sometimes…”

When Maya meets José, she has questions for him about the afterlife. Because José is around Maya’s age and also died young, he is perfectly suited to easing Maya’s worries. He speaks from a child’s perspective, and his priorities remain playing and being with family. He provides Maya with a slice of optimism by pointing out that death has its own benefits. José also reminds Maya that she will need to rely on the world of the living once she joins the world of the dead.

“Another kiss, for added strength. And one for you, too.”

After the Day of the Dead celebration, Cat seems like a different person. She is more outgoing, feels comforted and accepting of the spirits who surround her, and feels brave enough to express her feelings for Carlos. Weeks before, Cat witnessed a group of spirits surrounding her sister and trying to steal her breath. When Maya almost died from this incident, Cat was traumatized and remained fearful of ghosts. Upon meeting José and other spirits, though, she opens herself up to them.