Rewritten- Let Love Flow

Chapter 8: He's not welcomed

Chapter Summary: Clementine is displeased with the uninvited guest, but allows Casper to stay the weekend much to the children's joy.

"And that was it... when I woke the castle was empty, a few things were on fire but other than the dead bodies one would think nothing had happened... Only a few things survived that night... Mom, me and the few servants alive tried our best to clean the place up. We fixed the bridge, replaced the lost doors and just... tried to keep on living. That's where we are now. The village never bothered us again..." Thatch sighed heavily, not lifting his gaze from the pond.

"Thatch I..." Casper could barely speak. He never imagined something like this. Thatch saw such horrors Casper could barely imagine. This could only explain so much; no wonder Thatch hated fleshies so much. They took so much from him. "I'm sorr-"

"If you say sorry I swear I'll bite you." He hissed. Thatch annoyedly kicked the water, causing it to splash and ripple which startled the once peaceful fish- who swam right to the other side of the pond to avoid the danger. "It's not your fault, stupid ghost. It's those damn fleshies... Awful things they are." He sighed, leaning more against the ghost as he calmed himself after a few tense moments. None of this was Casper's fault so he shouldn't be bad to the poor ghost. "Thanks for listening, Casper... it was nice talking about it." He carefully admitted.

"I... a-anytime. I'm good at listening." Casper smiled. The ghost contently rested beside Thatch, gazing into the pond. It was nice to bring comfort to someone, and he felt a bit of pride knowing that Thatch trusted him enough to confide in him. "I think fleshies might have gotten more understanding..."

"You found one good fleshie, fine cool whatever. When you get a group of them they're mindless murderers. Never trust them, Casper." He warned, but Casper just couldn't believe him. No way all fleshies were bad. Surely they could all be friends. He had once been human after all, but that was so long ago now. Thatch had never been human, he was born a vampire. Casper knew he couldn't explain it to Thatch, he simply wouldn't get it. Thatch just had to trust Casper and listen.

They didn't get to talk much more, for they heard a window snap open behind them. Casper could just see Thatch tense, his eyes wide as he froze like a deer in headlights. Caught.

"Thatch! Thatch Vincent Manora!" His dear mother screamed angrily out the window. And now terror struck the vampire. The middle name only meant one thing: He was in so much fucking trouble. He was a dead man walking now. No child could survive being called by their full name. He was going to see hell soon surely.

Yet the vampire tried his best to be brave. He turned around to face the house, pulling his feet out of the pond as he put on the most innocent smile he could. He didn't dare move any closer, just sitting by the calming pond and trying to look as innocent as he could as he sat beside Casper.

"Y-yes, mom!" He called back. Casper could see the vampire was utterly terrified.

"Who is with you, who got within the gates!? Thatch come inside this instant!" She yelled shrilly. Her black painted nails were digging into the wooden window frame, looking more like claws. She was gritting her teeth and Casper could see her two sharp fangs. It was hard to tell if her expression was one of anger or fear. Something told Casper she was more scared than anything.

"N-no mom, it's ok! He's a friend from school." He tried to reason. The vampire child stood up, grabbing his socks and shoes before he dragged himself over to the window- leaving his cloak by the waterside. "His name is Casper mom, he's from Scare School."

"Scare School?" She turned up her nose, a frown pressed to her lips. "That awful place that stole you?" She hissed coldly. "So you did actually make a friend there- I'm..." It was hard to read her emotions, but for a moment Casper thought he saw relief, maybe joy even. She was happy that Thatch made a friend, but that look was gone so quickly Casper thought maybe he just imagined it in the first place. "... Wait, no you didn't." Her eyes narrowed ever so slightly as she watched the guilty vampire child before her. "In all the letters I received it tells me you and Casper are always fighting, he's the one that causes all the trouble for you!"