Thirty-six hours earlier.
The best thing about being dead is that you never had to wake up for anything.
Scratch lay on his web hammock, eyes closed thinking of food, right now it was pizza, Delicious greasy pizza, full of melting cheese, topped with all kinds of meats, peppers, onions, his mouth was watering, a puddle of drool was starting to form on the floor.
His pizza dream was ruined by one thing.
"DAD!" Cried out an excited voice above him.
Scratch groaned, he opened his eyes and turned to look at the source of the noise.
Floating above him was his daughter with a large smile on her face.
He took a brief look around the room, It still the same, split into two, his side was dirty, full of cobwebs and food wrappers, the other side was clean and there were drawing on the walls of flowers and puppies, there were some books scattered about, he tried his best not to gag when he saw the other side, but it was hard.
Scratch closed his eyes again, "Remember rule one, Molly?"
"Don't be seen by humans?"
"Rule two."
"Don't interrupt you while you're eating?"
Scratch opened his left eye and looked at Molly, "Which was the one about not waking me before I'm ready?"
"Rule 37." Replied Molly.
Scratch closed his eye, "That one."
"But Scratch," Molly moaned.
Scratch turned away from his daughter, "but nothing Moll."
Molly looked at her father and with.a glare then a Smile. She flew underneath his hammock and pulled down.
Scratch opened his eyes and tried to look at his daughter, "What are you…"
Molly let got of the hammock and Scratch was catapulted out of the hammock., phasing through the roof and into the sky.
Scratch let out a cowardly scream only stopping when he felt someone grab his hand, he turned to see the yellow face of Molly floating beside him.
"Great you're up, look at this."
Molly flew him to the front of the house, It was still busted and broken as usual, however the overgrown lawn had a new addition.
A "for sale," sign that had recently had the for sale part covered with a smaller sign saying "sold."
Scratch floated there with a shocked expression on his face, someone was moving into his house.
"What the?"
Molly squealed with delight "We're going to have guests."
The blue ghost scowled at his daughter, she was doing her optimism thing again, "No, we'll have pests, They've got to go."
"I wonder if it'll be a family, maybe with a dog. A border collie puppy. Or maybe, they'll have a baby, I can float toys to them, or maybe they'll have lots of kids I can look after them as they grow up or…"
"MOLLY!" Shouted Scratch, "They're not moving in, I'm going to scare them away in a day, two hours tops."
Not letting this ruin her good mood Molly turned to her father, "They can be our new friends."
"They won't, they'll run screaming."
Molly sighed she needed to convince her father she decided to use the big guns, she widened her eyes, quivered her lips and tried to look the saddest she could.
Scratch floated there unaffected by Molly's attempt.
"No, Trust me kind this is for the best the humans got to go"
Molly was about to argue more when she saw a school bus drive by, "Oh shoot, I gotta go."
Before the blue ghost could respond she flew off chasing after the bus.
Scratch sighed, Molly had been going to school for three years now, why she kept trying to do human things he would never understand, she could have at least spent time learning to scare, but apparently she liked to learn things about humans.
He needed to get rid of these invaders, he didn't know how long he had, but he had to bring his A game.
"Take my home, will they? We'll see about that."
…
Libby Stein-Torres was not one of the popular kids, she always wore a green sweater no matter what the weather, when not learning she was usually found with her head in a fantasy book, To top things off she was a member of the chess club, Young Writers of America club and the oddly named Pretty Paranormal club.
Andrea Davenport was the opposite, she was the popular kid, wearing a fashionable pink jacket, she was a rising social media star, she did learn but would be the first to groan when there was a boring subject, she was asked to be in all the after school clubs but constantly turned them down, only being a member of two, Geode club and the other member of the Pretty Paranormal Club.
Libby was shy and receding, choosing to stay away from the spotlight.
Andrea wanted the spotlight, see needed everyone to look at her.
Libby's hair was long and simple, yet slightly unclean.
Andreas was dyed and had famous stylists worked on it monthly.
Libby's mom was a struggling shop owner.
Andrea's father was the richest man in town and owned the biggest and most successful business in town.
They were total opposites, in reality they should have nothing to do with each other.
Despite this they seemed to be friends.
Andrea would say she only hung out with Libby out of charity.
Libby said she hung out with Andrea because the rich girl wanted some of the intelligence to rub off on her.
Everyone believed that not knowing the girls were connected by a stranger truth.
Right now Libby was sitting at her desk with an open text book, her eyes however were directed towards the classroom's open door.
"She's late." she whispered to Andrea.
Andrea was currently sitting with her feet on the desk, looking at her phone, she rolled her eyes in response to Libby's question, "She's fine, she's just late."
All of a sudden a yellow blob floated through the doors, it floated around the other students unnoticed, eventually she stopped between the two girls desks.
The yellow ghost looked at both of them with an apologetic smile, "Morning girls, Sorry I'm late."
Both girls briefly smiled at her before pretending to go back to their usual activities, it had been decided long ago between the three that during school they should try to act like she wasn't there, after a few awkward moments where Libby and Andrea were caught talking to thin air it was decided that that was the best decision.
"It's fine Molly," whispered Libby from the side of her mouth
"What happened?" whispered Andrea.
"Well… Oooohhh, I'm so excited, someone's moving to my house." said Molly as loud as she could.
Andrea and Libby turned to the ghost.
"But your house is…" Andrea paused, "No I can't put it in nicely, It's a total dump."
"Gee thanks." said Molly sarcastically.
"I wouldn't say that… But the people buying your house must be kind of desperate," said Libby trying and failing to put a positive situation on the vacant house.
Molly scoffed "Please my house is fine, We have five raccoons in the basement and possum in the walls, who would turn that down."
Both Libby and Andrea looked at each other, before they could respond the homeroom teacher Mrs Lightfoot entered. "Morning students who's up for a day of learning.
Molly smiled, she loved school, it could be boring, but she enjoyed it, who could resist learning about the world, it made her feel alive.
As Miss Lightfoot talked, Molly concentrated on her, However she tuned when she heard Andrea cough, On Andrea's desk was her phone laying on her desk, Molly read the text.
"Do you know who's moving in?"
Molly shock her head, "No, I'm pretty sure I can convince them to stay."
Libby then coughed, Her phone was on her desk, Molly read the text on it, "How's your dad taking it?"
"He'll be fine he just needs a while to accept we'll have roommates.
Both girls turned an eye to the hovering girl giving her a look that screamed "really?"
Molly scoffed "Oh, just pay attention to the teacher."
The rest of the lesson was spent listening to Mrs Lightfoot explain Protons, Molly didn't even give the idea that something would go wrong with her new humans another thought.
…
Scratch lay in his hammock, he was sitting there stewing in his own anger, he knew if he kept like this for a few more hours he would think of the perfect thing to get rid of pests known as humans.
He wanted to just go with snakes everywhere, he'd put them in the kitchen in the living room, then when they were near fright he'd turn into a snake and smash through the floor, saying he'd eat them.
Nah, that wouldn't work, They'd write it off as a hallucination.
Maybe zombies? No, those were to over done.
Werewolves? Bah, Too furry.
Scratch looked at the ceiling wondering would scare them off from even thinking about living in a home again.
"Well you look as sour as a lemon who's just lost a gold stake."
Scratch rolled his eyes, he turned around to see a pink ghost floating there, she had shortish hair in a ponytail, and somehow she had an ascot around her neck.
"Sally," groaned Scratch. "What do you want?"
Sally flew around the room looking at Scratch's mess, "Just visiting, I saw the sign outside, how's Molly taking it?"
Scratched glared at her, Sally was a ghost that he should not be associating with, the type that didn't listen to the council and scare people, she lived in the woods with that bear of hers, the only reason he even tolerated her being in his house was Molly.
Molly loved her aunt Sally, the girl always listened to her stories and considered her the coolest ghost in the universe next to him, so Scratch tolerated her just like he tolerated Geoff.
"She's ecstatic, she doesn't know how bad having humans around the place are."
Sally laughed, "Of course she does, she has the chance to have other people around."
"Oh Yeah, that sounds great more humans running around causing problems, she's already got two flesh bags she's friends with, why not more."
"Sounds like you're jealous," said Sally in a sing-song tone.
"Muah," Scratch said mispronouncing the French, "Jealous, You're wrong there lady."
Sally placed her hand on where her ghost hips should be, "Is that why so scared for her to make new friends."
"Hey, all she needs is me, and maybe Geoff, You and those two humans are just excess baggage."
"She doesn't think so." said Sally with as smug smile.
Scratch turned away, "She doesn't know the truth though."
Sally was quiet for a few seconds.
"What?" said Scratch.
"Nothing," replied Sally, "But maybe it's time to-"
"No." Scratch said, bitterness in his voice.
Sally was about to respond, she was going to tell him that this had gone on long enough, that she knew about how he cared for her, but it was time to just let Molly start making her own choices.
That was before she saw the fear in his eyes.
It was funny, when one's existence was formed around scaring people, what would a ghost have to be afraid of, it was ironic then that ghosts had one huge fear, she had seen ghosts who talked about this place known as the flow of failed phantoms, Sally was never religious, but that placed sounded like the biblical hell, When ghosts talked about it, they could despair in their eyes.
Right now she could see the same look on Scratch about Molly.
She decided to end the argument there, she would let him win this argument, she cursed herself for being nice.
"Okay," she said quietly, "But she's going to have to find out one day."
Scratch was about to respond to her when from outside there was a loud metallic crash.
"Oh shoot," said Sally, who phased her head through the wall, "He's going at the garbage cans again."
She pulled her head back and looked at Scratch, "Tell Molly I said Hi." and then phased through the wall.
Scratch continued to lay there looking at the ceiling, listening to the sounds of shouting and roaring.
He just lay there waiting for some idea to enter his head, he kept telling himself he wasn't just doing this for himself, he was doing it for Molly, and tried to ignore the crawling feeling he felt.
…
"So what are you guys doing tonight?" said Molly floating beside her two best friends as they walked home.
"We're shooting a commercial tonight," said Andrea, "Fall is coming up and Davenports fall line up needs me."
"Mom's got a poetry jam tonight, I'm helping." said Libby.
"Ah so all three of us have an evening with the folks planned."
"Really what are you going to be doing then?" said Libby.
Molly floated in front of her two best friends and smiled, "I'm going to convince dad to let the new owners stay."
"Really?" said Andrea.
"Yeah, it can't be that difficult." replied Molly
"Well you may want to look at your house," said Libby slightly worried.
Molly turned to see her house had been covered in pain spelling out the words, "STAY AWAY."
The ghost girl hovered there for a second and shrugged, "Eh, pretty sure I can convince him that…"
All of a sudden there was the noise of a metallic snap from inside the house and a cowardly scream.
"Bear trap, of course," Molly groaned, "I'll see you guys later, I've gotta go deal with this."
Her two human friends waved goodbye to Molly as she floated away, phasing through the door Molly was greeted by the sighed of her father's upper house trapped in a bear trap.
"Hi dad," said Molly in her normal friendly tone.
Scratch squeezed his way out of the trap and turned to look at his daughter.
"Hey kid, Listen could you help out, I have six more bear traps to get ready and-"
"No," said Molly.
Scratch turned to her, "What? You're still on the keep the humans train?"
"Not just on it, I'm the conductor."
Scratch grimaced, annoyed at how she turned his metaphor against him, "Kid they'll just be annoying, we'll have to share this place, and you remember my rule about sharing."
"That you don't?" said Molly.
"Bingo, now help me set up the guillotine."
"NO," shouted Molly, "Are you trying to kill them."
Scratch scoffed, "No… just maim them a little."
"Still super messed up."
"Okay fine, I'll get rid of the traps."
"And the paint." Molly demanded.
"Fine, It'll be more fun to just scare them off old school, and It'll be fun to see the look on your face when they run."
Molly just glared at him, "And it'll be even more fun to see the look on your face when they stay."
"Ha," Scratch said loudly, "Kid we both know you can't stop me, I'm the best scarer in town."
"Yeah but I'm a better… What's the opposite of a scarer? A braver?"
"There is none, that's why you're going to lose." said Scratch with glee, laughing at her.
Molly just folded her arms and floated through the ceiling, she'd show him.
…
Scratch tried to sleep.
As a ghost he didn't need to sleep like humans did,
He just found something pleasurable about it, Just resting doing nothing.
He remembered how in the past it was so easy to sleep just lay in his hammock made of webs and sleep.
That changed thirteen years ago.
Back then Molly would cry all night until he held her, and being the selfish creature that she was, would start crying the moment he let her go, he had to hold her while she slept comfy in his arms, and he had to ignore just how cute she was.
Right now, she was laying on her cushions looking at the ceiling waiting for tomorrow.
She wasn't making any noise, but he could feel here energy from the other side of the room.
"Kid go to sleep," said Scratch annoyed.
"I Can't," said Molly her teeth and fists clenched, her eyes wide open. "To excited."
Scratch sighed, he was never going to get to sleep with her like this, "Okay Kid what can help you get to sleep.
Molly turned to him with a big smile on her face, "You could try and tell me a story, The usual one would be nice."
Scratch sighed, and sat up, "Okay."
Molly sat up on her biggest cushion and looked at him with the big wide smile on her face.
"Once upon a time there was a ghost, he lived alone in a wonderfully big creepy house."
"What was his name?" asked Molly.
Scratch rolled his eyes, "Crunch." he always changed the names for Molly.
"That's the name you're going with?" said Molly bemoaning her father's lack of effort.
"Crunch," Scratch ignoring his daughter's complaint continued, "loved to scare people he flew from house to house looking for people to scare, he loved it, and he loved being alone.
"Then one day Crunch heard the sound of crying just outside his house." he said sounding curious, "Now this ghost usually loved to hear crying usually however this crying was not like that, this crying was just annoying, so he looked out the window he found a small ghost floating in the wind."
"What did he do?"
"He flew outside and brought her inside, where she kept crying and crying really upset at everything, She was annoying."
"Was she really?" said Molly sarcastically.
"Oh, like you wouldn't believe, and always wanted the Crunch to hold her, and what's worse is that when she didn't want to be held she'd crawl off and get lost, so the big ghost would have to look after her."
"Reading a lot into this story."
"You should, She constantly got into trouble and even became friends with humans."
"She sounds rather cool."
"She was not," Scratch said quickly, "You might ask why Crunch would want to keep her around, considering how much trouble she was."
"It's because…" both Scratch and Molly said at the same time, Molly knew this part of the story by heart.
"The big mean ghost felt something warm in his heart and decided that as much trouble as his baby ghost caused him she was worth keeping around."
Molly looked at her father and yawned, "Thanks dad."
"You're welcome Mol-."
"That said your story could do with some improvements," said Molly.
"Really? Like what?"
"Oh, Like how you don't mention the time the Crunch, ruined the picture the baby ghost was drawing in the dust, she spent like three weeks on that."
"Okay maybe but…"
"And that time he scared her two human best friends at that sleepover."
"Hey Crunch needed a scare to make up his quota," Scratch protested.
"And you failed to mention, how Smelly, Gross and rude he is."
Scratch was about to protest before he stopped and shrugged, "Okay that's fair."
"And lastly you didn't mention the most important thing."
Scratch rolled his eyes. "And what's that?"
Molly smiled, "That despite all of those many flaws the baby ghost loved him," she flew over and hugged her father.
Scratch hugged her back "I love you too kiddo, I am so glad you're a ghost."
A green aura appeared around Molly for a second, and faded, Molly had never noticed the hug in all the years he gave her, he could probably just write it off as the magic of his love affecting her if she did.
"Anyway, not get to sleep You have a big day tomorrow."
"You mean meeting some new humans friends? "Said Molly excitedly.
"No, Me scaring them away." said Scratchlaughing, Molly gave him a stink eye but smiled while doing it, she floated back, lying on her cushion.
A few minutes later Scratch could hear the snoring of his daughter, he looked at the ceiling, tomorrow he would scare whoever was coming to this house, and it would be the two of them forever.
