None of the characters in this scene are mine. It's been over a year, nearly two since I've last written. I've gotten caught up in the publishing of my very first novel! Hopefully it will be ready to be published by the end if this year. But back to the whimsical world of Casper. This fanfiction always seems to pop on in my mind when I least expect it, though that's no excuse. I'm determined to give Casper and the Ghostly Trio a good, satisfying ending no matter how many years it might take. Sorry if the writing here seems a tad choppy and awkward; I'm trying to get back into the groove of things. EDIT: I realized how horrible my first draft of this was, so now I'm going to polish it up.
"Whoah."
Kat stood amid the wrecked library that once served as her father's office. Everything in the room had been destroyed. The furniture was smashed to bits, all the windows shattered, papers torn and tossed about everywhere. And there was the strangest smell of smoke and sulfur hanging in the air.
"Wow. Uncle Stretch has flipped out and busted stuff up before in the past..But this?" Casper stared wide eyed at the disaster. Even the spiral staircase had been dislodged from the mezzanine, and lay on the far side of where it was mounted, a twisted mass of metal.
"Any word from Fatso or Stinkie? It's been hours," said Dr. Harvey, attempting to step between bits of debris and broken glass.
"No. The last I saw they said they were going to find out where he disappeared to," Casper shrugged, helping Kat step over an edgy pile of wood that was once a part of a book shelf.
"Dad, what did you say to make him so mad?"
"Usually anything I say does the trick. But this time? I'm not sure. He said he'd been having nightmares. Things I believe from his life were starting to resurface. He mentioned a few names. Jimmy. Some woman named Margie. The memory of them seemed to make him...Agitated. Casper, do those names sound familiar to you at all? Him being your uncle, and you having recently remembered some of your own life..."
"Well, no. But then again, the Ghostly Trio aren't exactly my real uncles anyway. We all started going together long after I became a ghost." Kat and Dr. Harvey paused, staring at Casper.
"But I thought Whipstaff belonged to the McFadden family."
Casper sighed, settling on the edge of Dr. Harvey's desk.
"Oh, it does. I mean, it did. This was my dad's manor, him being this famous inventor and all. But when I first became a ghost, I guess I got so scared I got pretty lost. I forgot everything. I was wandering around for years, trying to talk to people. Heheh, I guess I didn't really get why everyone was so afraid of me. I thought they just didn't like me or something. I had no idea it was because I was a ghost. It was pretty lonely for a long time. Going around, no one to talk to, no one to give me answers. It seemed like forever before I found out the truth. That I was a ghost. It was really tough news. I had no where to go. I eventually came to this place called Deedstown, and hung around there for a while in this historic mansion. That's when the Ghostly Trio found me, and kind of taught me the ropes of being a ghost. It was great a first, but uh.. after a while we uh...got chased out of Deedstown altogether."
"Chased out? How? Did your uncles act out? Was there an exorcism?" Dr. Harvey had pulled out his notepad and was taking notes out of habit. Kat's green eyes stared at Casper with intense interest. Suddenly he felt a tad on the spot.
"Heheh, well..not quite. It was kinda my fault."
"What happened?"
"Eh, well..you see, I-I'm not very good at being a ghost. You know me. Always wanting to make friends with everybody. Applegate Mansion kind of became a tourist spot. Everyone was coming over to visit the Friendly Ghost of Applegate in Deedstown. Heheh, they even put me in the paper. It was great for a while. But, well, ghosts aren't supposed to get famous for being friendly. And it got us all in trouble with all the other ghosts around town. My uncles and I were told we'd be made to leave our mansion unless I passed something they all made up called Scare School."
"Scare school? Please tell me you're joking. They actually have a school for ghosts?" Kat laughed. Casper frowned.
"It may seem funny to you, but it was no laughing matter to me," Casper shrugged again. "Anyway...I tried my best to make the other ghosts happy, but I just couldn't cut it, I guess. So I dropped out and we got the boot. The Ghostly Trio were pretty mad at me after that. All four of us had nowhere to haunt. When a ghost doesn't have anywhere to haunt, we forget more and more about ourselves until there's nothing left. Lucky for us, I remembered a little bit about living at Whipstaff in Meduncook...I mean, Friendship. We've been together here ever since."
"So," said Dr. Harvey, still scribbling away. "Suffice it to say, not only do none of you know the full details of one another's former lives, but you hardly know your own story."
"Yeah. I guess I never noticed how weird that is. We been living like a family for years...and I don't even know my uncles' real names." Casper suddenly began to feel that strange, uncomfortable way he did the other day when he and Dr. Harvey talked about the dance. Why did these questions make him feel so funny? He began to fidget, suddenly wishing to become invisible.
"What triggered your memory of Whipstaff, Casper?" Dr. Harvey asked. His probing eyes stared at him steadily over his glasses. Kat frowned.
"Gosh. I'm not sure. One day, all I can remember is my name, and the next? I don't know. I think...it had something to do with boats. Yeah, that's it, I guess...Boats and sails and...Gee, I don't know, Dr. Harvey, I'm sorry. I'm trying to remember. I-I just-...I'm not...I can't..."
"Try to remember, Casper," Dr. Harvey pushed. "This is very important."
"I..I..."
"Dad, come on. Chill. He says he can't remember. It's ok, Casper. Don't worry about it." Kat smiled at Casper gently, placing her warm hand over his. He relaxed and melted, blushing.
"I'm sorry. I'd remember everything if it could help you with Uncle Stretch. I really would...Do...Do you think he'll be OK Dr. Harvey?"
"Well, Casper, it's difficult to say. We all cope with trauma in different ways. Maybe the memory of his own life was too much for him to handle. I'm sure he'll come to terms with it eventually." Dr. Harvey patted Casper's shoulder. "You all will." Casper swallowed hard. Kat crossed her arms.
"In the meantime", the doctor continued, "lets see if we can't do something about this mess. Casper, could you run and find the vacuum for me?"
"Gotcha! I'll be right back!" Casper disappeared into the wall, glad to escape the scrutiny of it all.
"Dad, what's the deal? Why were you being so harsh?" Kat said.
"Honey, those four need to confront their pasts. It's part of the healing process."
"Ok, but do you have to be so intense? You were kind of freaking him out."
"Well, look around you. Don't you think things have already gotten pretty intense? And besides, the last thing we need from that lousy Dib's character is for him to see this mess..."
"Dibs? You mean that scrawny guy that used to hang around Ms. Crittendon? What's he got to do with anything?"
"Honey...Sit down a minute, we need to talk." Dr. Harvey cleared a space on his couch for himself and his daughter.
"What's wrong, Dad?"
"Bucket. I know you like staying here. And I know that you and Casper have formed a very unique bond. But, you do know that legally we can't stay at Whipstaff. This house belonged to Crittendon, and now that she's gone, it has been left to her assistant, Dibs. He is going to have the place demolished in the winter, and no about of spooky business will stop it. We've got to find an apartment somewhere in town. We've got to leave."
"But what's going to happen to Casper?"
"Kat, sweetheart. You and I both know that Casper isn't supposed to be here. He's trapped himself in his old life, but that life is long been over. Staying here like this isn't good for him. If he doesn't cross over and this house, which is his last claim to his old life, is gone...he'll be lost again. Forget again. Forever. The world is moving on and leaving him behind. It's time he moves on, too."
Kat lowered her eyes. "Okay."
"I need your help. He needs to realize that the past is gone. He needs to come to terms with it, let go. You're his friend. Maybe he'll listen if it's coming from you. Promise me you'll help him understand."
Kat nodded, and her lip trembled as she hugged her father. "I promise."
That night, Kat coughed as puffs of dust swirled about her face. She tried to keep quiet. She didn't want to wake anyone, least of all Casper. It was 3AM, but it was nearly impossible not to cough and sneeze. Everything in this attic had been sitting here for almost a century. She had to find something to help him remember more about his life. A keepsake, maybe. Or another newspaper clipping.
In the corner of the attic, she spotted it with her flashlight. The old chest that had once carried Casper's mother's dress. There had to be something else in there. Anything that could help him remember.
Opening the chest felt like a violation of privacy, somehow. But it had to be done. He had popped it open so easily before, but this time it wouldn't budge. Rusty hinges, maybe? Kat planted her foot at the base of the chest, set her teeth and pulled with all her might. With a loud creak, the chest reopened. There were a few other dresses piled on top, but beneath was a wooden box. Inside of the box was a collection of journals, diaries and letters...
