𝐒𝐇𝐄 𝐖𝐀𝐒 𝐓𝐇𝐄𝐑𝐄 ── CASPER McFADDEN

𝐈𝐈. 𝐂𝐀𝐒𝐏𝐄𝐑 𝐀𝐍𝐃 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐆𝐇𝐎𝐒𝐓𝐋𝐘 𝐓𝐑𝐈𝐎

quote: "be kind. for everyone you meet is fighting a battle, you know nothing about,"
— unknown

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I GRIN IN THE way you tilt your head with a large grin and oddly for me the smile wasn't forced but I couldn't help but feel like an intruder as I was now living in Casper's rightful home. "Thank you very much, Casper. I'm sorry that I'm here. I'm really sorry that I am. The town threatened to knock this place down if someone didn't buy it. So my mum brought it because she loves old things and she's lived in Friendship her whole life. I suppose this place is apart of her and the town."

"So you're born and bred here then?" He asks as I sit on the sort of dusty bed. As much as I begged my body to relax and allow myself to trust Casper my body didn't allow me too and unfortunately the goosebumps wouldn't go away either. "Yeah, I've lived here my whole life," I say with a small swell of pride as I met the bright and clear blue eyes of the friendly ghost. "Well most kids my age, want to finish school and be able to get out of here. I never want to leave it's my home." Then I looked away from Casper's ocean blue eyes suddenly saddened by what happened to him, Casper didn't deserve to have gotten sick from pneumonia and pass away but I managed to choke out the words. "Casper, I'm sorry what happened to you. I really am."

"Why are you so sorry? It wasn't your fault, it was mine." The friendly ghost says in his scratchy, childlike voice trying not to show his sudden confusion, but as he spoke the words his answer was rather distant, in some sort of haze and I could swear I saw a hint of what I thought was regret in his eyes. Yep, lots of regret for sure, but in a way, I could tell that he also sort of wasn't that something good must have happed to him after he died. "Casper, I've lived in this town my whole life. I know what happened to you, I was taught about you and in history class for crying out loud! Every year, parents and I, even the rest of the town would lite lanterns from our house for you... Casper, I know what death does to people. I know how it affects them, I know what happens when you lose someone you love."

Blue eyes widen and Casper looks at me rather confused and unsettled. "Why are you so kind to me? Nice? Understanding? You don't even know me, no matter what you were told! You shouldn't care!" Casper says raw with emotion and frustration. Who exactly let the dogs out? "Please just don't drag yourself into this." Now he was begging me, and it was that moment that I knew someone or something had hurt him so deeply that he hadn't healed. I wanted to reach out and comfort him because I never wanted to see someone so hurt like I was when my father passed away. "Yeah. Fine. Whatever... you know what? I was actually thinking about being your friend Casper. My dad died two years ago. He's gone, Casper. I know when you lose someone, how you cry, scream, how you want them back, how you go insane but there gone nevertheless and there is nothing you could possibly do about it. I know what it's like to feel the unbearable pain." I spit, my voice a little raised.

Casper's eyes soften, growing gentle and apologetic and makes out as his childlike voice trembles, "I'm sorry, about your father. I'm sorry about what I said. I just haven't had a friend for a very long time."

"Casper I know we have just met and all but I would be happy to call you my friend. I mean anyone would be lucky to call you their friend." I say as I look at my feet, shifting my position on the bed. "I'd like that." He blurts, a massive grin plasters on my face. "I mean friends." He repeats fixing himself. "My mums gonna freak out about this, she's gonna think I'm seeing things. She'll think that I'm Delusional, Insane even."

"It's okay it's better that she meets me first, my uncles aren't very good at first impressions." He says thinking deeply. "I hate scaring people, it makes me sick."