Look at the last panel, particularly the ears and chins. Either this is a timeloop and Mindy is exploring the house with her younger self, or the ghost is the same type of para as Mindy.
possible typo, panel 2: “qwiet whie espworwing” — perhaps “whie” needs to be “while” ? (I can’t mentally determine a reasonable pronunciation without making that word “while”.)
Might have worked better if she had said “whiew”. At least that’s what I get out of it. A young child new to expressing themselves and not quite good with consonants.
Children with a speech impediment (either due to age or… other factors) tend to not only misspeak but also shorten words, so ‘whie’ is more than acceptable instead of ‘whiewill’ (rather than ‘whiew’)
Can’t be Barbara. Stone tape excludes interaction. Unless… unless I’m full of crap and its proof that time is not a condition where the past is no longer and that all instances are occurring simultaneously.
Came here to point out that the “ghost” is holding Mindy’s hand and clearly interacting with her physically. Glad to see I’m not the only one to notice.
I’m reading it more like the thread of time is passing by itself and causing an effect analogous to crosstalk in electronics. Close enough to affect each other, but not technically overlapping.
We know of at least two different phenomena which can create “ghosts”. There’s the stone-tape replay of past memories, and there’s the sort of multiverse-based “leakage” across alternative timelines that brought Daylla and Dustin together.
I agree, this doesn’t look like a stone-tape replay.
It could perhaps be a cross-worldline interaction (more tangible than just voices and images leaking over). In an alternative timeline, “Barbara” might be years younger than in Mindy’s timeline. That would not, however, directly explain the childhood experience that “our” Barbara spoke of.
Or, it might be a third “ghost” effect… some sort of a time-wormhole within a single timeline. If that’s the case, then this is the four-year-old Barbara that we see, and Mindy is the “lady with the lantern” who will shortly give young Barbara a berry tart.
this reminds me of the UK TV series “The Living and the Dead” where the past and the future interact… really badly it seems… hope it happens better this time ’round.
1) Who would be the “they” that this spectral rapscallion hopes does not find them
2) Is this being captured by the many cameras she and Hiroshi set up?
3) What is that light source in the background?
I’m assuming the “they” is the “ghost”‘s family or guardians from her time, and she is experiencing these events from her perspective in time, even if Mindy is still firmly rooted in the present day.
“I’m on a secret mission” is a great game that many kids play.
1) “They” are the young Barbara’s contemporary family, as Corellian pointed out.
2) It depends if the cameras are in the region of intersecting time, and if so, whether they are still able to communicate with their hub.
3) The bright light is Mindy’ flashlight (or lantern, as young Barbara calls it), as Frank pointed out. The dull light is mostly the nighttime forest gloom permeating the windows, but might also partially be daylight from young Barbara’s time (as it’s daytime where she is/was).
I love your comic. For the last few weeks I’ve read it from the beginning whenever I had to sit quietly next to the bedroom door for my daughter to go to sleep. Simply marvellous
What a sweet widdle spectre!
Can we keep her?
Awwwww! Baba!
Look at the last panel, particularly the ears and chins. Either this is a timeloop and Mindy is exploring the house with her younger self, or the ghost is the same type of para as Mindy.
That’s not Mindy, that’s Barbara. Or one of her forebears.
Of course it’s Barbara, since we know she was exploring the house as a preschooler.
Mindy is the lady with the lantern, and she probably looks translucent to young Barbara.
And I’ll bet that ley line Bud mentioned is the cause for this meeting.
It is Barbara — see the “only others” link above (or here: http://wapsisquare.com/comic/only-others/ )
pretty sure this nails it, interesting time loop. ~<3
I had to go back and look at Barbara’s ears and chin. Yep, they match Mindy’s very well. Easy mistake.
That speech pattern is adorable.
“Be vewy vewy qwiet…”
“…I’m hunting wabbits. Huh-huh-huh-huh.”
possible typo, panel 2: “qwiet whie espworwing” — perhaps “whie” needs to be “while” ? (I can’t mentally determine a reasonable pronunciation without making that word “while”.)
Might have worked better if she had said “whiew”. At least that’s what I get out of it. A young child new to expressing themselves and not quite good with consonants.
Children with a speech impediment (either due to age or… other factors) tend to not only misspeak but also shorten words, so ‘whie’ is more than acceptable instead of ‘whiewill’ (rather than ‘whiew’)
I’m not sure where your going with your comments, but I read it as
quiet-ly exploring
Can’t be Barbara. Stone tape excludes interaction. Unless… unless I’m full of crap and its proof that time is not a condition where the past is no longer and that all instances are occurring simultaneously.
Came here to point out that the “ghost” is holding Mindy’s hand and clearly interacting with her physically. Glad to see I’m not the only one to notice.
I’m reading it more like the thread of time is passing by itself and causing an effect analogous to crosstalk in electronics. Close enough to affect each other, but not technically overlapping.
We know of at least two different phenomena which can create “ghosts”. There’s the stone-tape replay of past memories, and there’s the sort of multiverse-based “leakage” across alternative timelines that brought Daylla and Dustin together.
I agree, this doesn’t look like a stone-tape replay.
It could perhaps be a cross-worldline interaction (more tangible than just voices and images leaking over). In an alternative timeline, “Barbara” might be years younger than in Mindy’s timeline. That would not, however, directly explain the childhood experience that “our” Barbara spoke of.
Or, it might be a third “ghost” effect… some sort of a time-wormhole within a single timeline. If that’s the case, then this is the four-year-old Barbara that we see, and Mindy is the “lady with the lantern” who will shortly give young Barbara a berry tart.
I like it.
this reminds me of the UK TV series “The Living and the Dead” where the past and the future interact… really badly it seems… hope it happens better this time ’round.
A few things:
1) Who would be the “they” that this spectral rapscallion hopes does not find them
2) Is this being captured by the many cameras she and Hiroshi set up?
3) What is that light source in the background?
Don’t know about 1 or 2… But the light source I do believe is Mindy’s flashlight…
I’m assuming the “they” is the “ghost”‘s family or guardians from her time, and she is experiencing these events from her perspective in time, even if Mindy is still firmly rooted in the present day.
“I’m on a secret mission” is a great game that many kids play.
1) “They” are the young Barbara’s contemporary family, as Corellian pointed out.
2) It depends if the cameras are in the region of intersecting time, and if so, whether they are still able to communicate with their hub.
3) The bright light is Mindy’ flashlight (or lantern, as young Barbara calls it), as Frank pointed out. The dull light is mostly the nighttime forest gloom permeating the windows, but might also partially be daylight from young Barbara’s time (as it’s daytime where she is/was).
Took me an entire day to realize she’s holding a flashlight…neeeeeeeedddddcooooooofffffffeeeeeeeeee…….
Even if the ghost is merely playing, “they” still has a slight sinister affiliation
‘They’ are Lil Barb’s family, and Lil Barb is supposed ta be sleeping
Well, there she GHOST again… (poor lil’ spirit probably doesn’t even know she’s dead.)
If that is the earlier Barbara, she is very much alive, then, and now.
Just ghost to show you.
“… cuz iss an Adventure”. Vuj e’Dea.
I love your comic. For the last few weeks I’ve read it from the beginning whenever I had to sit quietly next to the bedroom door for my daughter to go to sleep. Simply marvellous
Thank you much! ^_^ Happy you enjoy it.