Momo: A Jinx in Pure Heart

Chapter 2: A Ghost Among Ghosts

The sun had set even further, and more of the Sweetypies, both children and adults, were more anxious than ever to commence the main candy-hunting event. Pretty much all the tents had been set up, not just in the town plaza but even out on other surrounding streets and the neighboring grass fields. With still some time before the sun set completely and the moon rose up, some of the Sweetypies occupied themselves with playing games in the pastures.

Momo, for instance, was chasing her other two friends near the valley's wooded areas, particularly on the grassy area right behind her school. All of them passed the remaining time until the festivities began by challenging one another to a game of tag. As of the current moment, Momo was winning by tagging a friend and evading tag-back longer than the other two. She was having so much fun that she had to actively pay attention to keeping her hat from falling off her head.

At the same time the playing was happening, a lone soul was peering out through the attic window of a rundown house at the end of the school's backyard. To be exact, this lone soul appeared rather ghostly, like a spirit...as the soul was indeed a ghost. Now this ghost wasn't exactly like the ones that had attacked Momo's school before. While both had the same shape, the ones in the school were a solid white and rarely had limbs, while this lone one in the house was transparent with a tint of blue and had a pair of noodle arms. The ghost also had the distinction of being calmer and quieter than that of the more aggressive school invaders. Turning away from the window, the lonely ghost drifted over to a mirror to stare into its reflection.

Knowing it was a ghost, it was also in reflection of how its kind had been known by the non-ghostly creatures for years and years. Remembering the troubles its kind had caused for so long, not to mention their takeover attempt at the school not too long ago, made the little spirit slump. Unlike the other ghosts, this one felt no urge to destroy or invade, but as far as it knew, there were no other ghosts like it. The damage had already been done as well, so who would see this ghost any other way?

Turning its gaze to another corner of the attic, it happened upon a dusty painting from a long time ago. The image was a bit of a sensory overload to look at: images of large-sized ghosts with leery eyes and sharp teeth terrorizing little bunches of Sweetypies, sadistic grins of laughter on their faces while the Sweetypies were that of abject fear. The little bluish ghost shook its head from looking at the picture. It didn't want to be reminded of what it was, what people thought it was. Without further thought, the ghost quickly covered the painting of the scary ghosts with a small crayon drawing it made itself, one that depicted itself and a few Sweetypies playing together in peace.

The little ghost looked around. It knew that despite its friendliness, no one would be willing to stay with any ghost for longer than a few seconds. So it began scanning the attic's various piles of boxes filled with junk. During the Harvest Moon, people would go out dressed in costumes, like disguises, so the ghost figured it would wear a costume too. In no time at all, the rummaging began.