The ghost refers to the recently deceased ghost of Bod’s biological mother. Since she’s recently dead, she looks different from the other ghosts—she’s insubstantial and looks like television static. Upon her death, she does everything she can to beg the graveyard’s residents to protect baby Bod. Because ghosts live where their bodies are interred (and the graveyard isn’t accepting new burials), she won’t be able to return and care for Bod herself.