I Am The Ghost Here – Kim Samek

I returned to the app often to see them pile up. But even with hundreds of thousands of hearts lighting up, something was missing. — FOR HIS FORTIETH BIRTHDAY, I got him a bottle of Suntory whiskey and a soft-looking yellow cashmere sweater. I figured robots were cold, all that metal. It seemed like a thoughtful gift. He handed the minder the bottle of whiskey and asked her if she could clean him with it later.

He told me it had been a long time since he felt cold or hot or any other sensation, so a sweater wasn’t needed. “It’s just a gesture, then,” I said. “Just say thank you and accept the gift.” “I don’t accept the gift,” he said. At least he was speaking to me now. This felt like progress. He told the minder to lubricate his elbows so he could cross his arms.

He told the minder to turn his head to the left, so he could be petulant. She did as she was told. “You don’t have to visit,” he told me. “I want to visit,” I said. “I live up the street. You’re on my way home from the park. It’s convenient. Plus, I miss you.” “I don’t miss you,” he said. “If I’m going to be alone, I may as well actually be alone.” He told the minder to push him to the window so he could look at the police helicopter hovering overhead.

I folded up the sweater and left it on the kitchen counter. — I WENT OVER TO my sister’s house to check on her. She said she was doing better. I didn’t force her to act cheery or take pictures of her path to recovery.

I brought her some food and unloaded her groceries. She seemed grateful once she knew I wasn’t going to make her perform. She listened to my problems. I had a lot to say about Ralph. She said he probably just needed some time to adjust. He’d been smart his whole life and was facing an identity crisis not so different from my own. It was bound to make him neurotic. I reminded her that I easily overcame my identity crisis.

She said he would overcome his, too, if I gave him enough time. She agreed the eyebrow wiggle was significant. Now that Ralph and I were having problems, I was finally experiencing the kind of sisterly relationship I had craved. This was the kind of relationship sisters had on those television programs I liked to watch. A few days later, she sent me a news article that seemed true and could help fix Ralph.

She was a real scientist. I trusted her links. I went by his place.

An imprint of Random House A division of Penguin Random House LLC 1745 Broadway, New York, NY 10019 randomhousebooks.com penguinrandomhouse.com Copyright © 2026 by Kim Samek Penguin Random House values and supports copyright. Copyright fuels creativity, encourages diverse voices, promotes free speech, and creates a vibrant culture. Thank you for buying an authorized edition of this book and for complying with copyright laws by not reproducing, scanning, or distributing any part of it in any form without permission.

You are supporting writers and allowing Penguin Random House to continue to publish books for every reader. Please note that no part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner for the purpose of training artificial intelligence technologies or systems. The Dial Press is a registered trademark and the colophon is a trademark of Penguin Random House LLC. Some of the stories in this collection were originally published in Catapult, Ecotone 33, Guernica, North American Review, The Threepenny Review, and Zyzzyva.

Hardcover ISBN 9798217153572 Ebook ISBN 9798217153596 Book Team: Production editor: Luke Epplin • Managing editor: Rebecca Berlant • Production manager: Samuel Wetzler • Copy editor: Kathy Lord • Proofreaders: Liz Carbonell, Megha Jain, Taylor McGowan Book design by Elizabeth A. D. Eno, adapted for ebook by Vincent Mancuso Cover design: Michael Morris Cover image: Nrey/Shutterstock The authorized representative in the EU for product safety and compliance is Penguin Random House Ireland, Morrison Chambers, 32 Nassau Street, Dublin D02 YH68, Ireland. https://eu- contact.penguin.ie. ep_prh_7.3a_155144341_c0_r0 OceanofPDF.com CONTENTS DEDICATION I AM THE GHOST HERE EGG MOTHER EVERYTHING DISAPPEARS WHEN YOU’RE HAVING FUN TRASH HEAP HERO RETURN THE SHARPEST KNIFE SVEN MUSCLE TO MUSCLE, TOE TO TOE ANOTHER TOAD IN THE FEELY BOX THE GARBAGE PATCH THE MILF HOTEL THE CLOUD ACKNOWLEDGMENTS PUBLICATION HISTORY ABOUT THE AUTHOR OceanofPDF.com To Josh and Isidore OceanofPDF.com I I AM THE GHOST HERE t is not until my older brother is thirty-three that I learn he’s controlled by a puppeteer.

The truth comes out after a family emergency, when Jeff is unable to summon the puppeteer on short notice and must appear as himself for the first time. I don’t immediately recognize my brother as he hurries through the automatic doors of the hospital.

This is a short excerpt from the opening of “” by Unknown, quoted for review and introduction purposes. All rights belong to the copyright holders.

Book Information

• Unique ID: 3b5d8b3b4e9184e9
• File Extension: .pdf
• File Size: 3,374,199 bytes (3.218 MB)
• Title: –
• Author: Unknown
• ISBN: 9798217153572, 9798217153596
• Pages: 170
• Language: English (en)

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• Estimated Reading Time: 272.92 minutes
• Total Words: 54,583
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• Average Characters per Page: 1691.96

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