cornflakes are good

Part Twenty-Four

"Huh?" Rat said. "Nothing happened!"

"Karen!" Senpie gasped.

"What do you mean, 'Karen'? Karen's not here!" Rat shouted. "Your stupid wand doesn't work!"

"No, wait!" Senpie said to Rat. "Karen's here! But as a ghost!"

"Rat!" Karen's voice called out.

Rat gasped. "Karen-Chan, where are you?"

"Hold on a sec," Senpie said. "Someone throw over a sweater."

Other Child pulled out a beige sweater from her purse and tossed it over to Senpie. She also tossed over a hat for good measure. Senpie's ghost caught the sweater and hat and handed them to Karen's ghost, who put them on immediately and hugged Rat.

"Karen. . .! You're. . . Here. . .!" Rat said with an uncertain tone. Karen was now. . . sort of. . . here. However, she wasn't alive.

"Yes, but. . ." Karen stopped. They both knew what they were going to say. "Not alive."

Just then, a voice hollered out, "Y'know, I could do so much better than making her a ghost."

"Shut up, Spookman!" Senpie shouted.

"If she's a skeleton, then at least you can see her properly. Just throw on some normal clothing and bam," Spookman said.

"What the heck are you doing here!?" Emily shouted.

Spookman ignored her. "Karen, let's make you into a skeleton."

"Skeletons are hideous!" Senpie said.

"No, you are!" Spookman shouted back. "Skeletons are hot."

"Like heated trash," Senpie said.

"Frick you, stupid loser," Spookman said.

Senpie pointed his wand at Spookman. "Wanna say that again, ugly skeleton?"

"Guys, STOP!" Other Child yelled.

A beam of magic shot out from the end of the magical girl wand and hit Spookman square in the chest. Spookman groaned in pain, and suddenly bright light emitted from his skeleton body. The others covered their eyes and screamed. Spookman screamed in agony as the bright light enveloped him entirely, making him disappear. . . But not entirely. The light died down, and everybody stopped screaming. Spookman fell to the ground and opened his eyes. . . Wait. . . He blinked. . . He. . . He could close his eyes. . . And blink? But. . . He felt for his eye sockets. They were filled. . . With human eyes?

"Oh my gosh," Spookman muttered to himself.

The others opened their eyes and gasped.

Sophia pointed her wand at Spookman and shouted, "Who are you!?"

"Wait! It's me! Spookman! I think!" Spookman responded. He felt his arms. They were fleshy now. He was wearing his regular clothes, an oversized T-shirt and black shorts, except they felt a little smaller now. . . Because. . . He was no longer just an assortment of bones. . . He was human.

Karen stared at him for a long while. "Wait. . ." She stepped closer to Spookman as he stood up and brushed himself off. "You're. . . Greg?"

Spookman faced Karen and said, "Huh?"

"Y-You must not remember. . . Or I'm going insane right now," Karen said.

"Who's Greg?" Sophia said while looking at Karen.

"My brother. . .," Karen mumbled.

Everyone gasped.

"Greg, you must not know how you died," Karen said.