Mom said that now that we have a new boarder I have to go back to school. I want to keep helping her with the restaurant, but she said that I need to get an education. I told her I can read and write real good already and she said that's why I have to go back to school. I hate school.

The new boarder's name is Vash, and he's got a brother named Knives and a car named Angelina. His brother sleeps all the time upstairs. I run real quick past their door to get to my room.

Dinnertime!

Today me and Jake played Thomas rustlers and Vash was our Thomas. He's funny, and he bought us apples. I wanted chocolate and Vash wanted doughnuts but Jake said apples were healthier. Jake's too grown up sometimes. I don't have a dad either, but I think chocolate is lots better than apples.

Vash says that soon, there'll be apples growing everywhere, and grass, and flowers, because now the plants can talk to each other again. Jake laughed and asked if cars will start talking, too, but I didn't say anything, because the ghost that follows Vash around looked so sad.

Vash talks to himself. He doesn't plan things out loud, and he makes sense. He just carries on half a conversation with someone who isn't there.

Mom's worried about him. Thinks he's been alone too long, out on the sands. Vash just laughs her off. Pretends nothing's happening.

I found a book in town, about ghosts, and I hid it in my room. It says ghosts like to haunt old buildings and old machines and other stuff like that.

I'd ask Vash who the ghost guy in the black suit is, but I don't want to make him all upset.

He doesn't know he's there! I asked Vash about the guy in the black suit, and he looked surprised, like he was gonna cry, then he smiled like Dad used to and walked off. I hope he comes back.

The ghost followed me home. He's sitting on my bed, staring at me. It's a good thing Mom can't see him, either, or I'd get into so much trouble. I'm not supposed to have anyone over before I finish my homework.

I wish the ghost could talk. He doesn't like Knives either, and I wanna know why Knives is all empty.

I ditched school today and went out and sat in my secret place on the Ladder. The mountains were kinda fuzzy with the dust storm, and at sunsset Castile City lit up all yellow and smoky way out to the south. I'm not a little kid anymore, and I know that that's not the entire world, but it sure feels like it. You can see everything from up there.

When I got home Mom made me take Knives his dinner. I just stood in the hallway until she came up and yelled at me and sent me to my room.

Father James is a bastard. (The ghost thinks that's funny.)

I asked Mom if I should tell Vash that Knives isn't there, inside, and she got angry and made me talk to Father James. I didn't want Vash to worry about Knives any more, but Father James said I was making up stories. He said that people can't see souls so I had to be lying. This ghost thought that was funny, too.

(Oh! I found out that this ghost is… was a priest! He jennyfleckted in the church-He's shaking his hand "kinda".)

I wish Vash would come back.

I don't like the clinic. It smells funny, and it's always cold.

Mom said that since Knives wasn't eating the food she left in his room, that he was gonna starve and die. I don't think he needs to eat, because Vash has been gone for so long, but she called the doctor anyway, and now Knives is in the clinic. They stuck a tube down his throat and he started twitching and the blue-haired ghost got scary mad.

Everyone thinks Knives is gonna die soon.

The sheriff wants to go through Vash's stuff, and stupid Mom's gonna let him.

Today in school I found out who Knives is.

"How art thou fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! How art thou cut down to the ground, which didst weaken the nations!…

They that see thee shall narrowly look upon thee, and consider thee, saying, Is this the man that made the earth to tremble, that did shake kingdoms;

That made the world as a wilderness, and destroyed the cities thereof…" (it's Isaiah 14.)

I think the ghost went to find Vash, 'cause I haven't seen him since the sheriff went through Vash's stuff and took his bible.

The caravan came today. We got a couple boxes of food for the restaurant and a newspaper, but no letter from Dad.

The newspaper said that a bunch of Plants have been acting funny, putting out lots more energy than normal, and some Plants have shut down totally. Maybe that's why Castile was so bright last week. I wanted to go see if it'd be super-bright tonight, but Mom doesn't let me to go out late when the caravan's in town.

There was something in the paper about a big explosion and somebody named Bashu, but then Mom took it.

I'm so mad!

Nobody'll tell me what's going on, and Mom says I can't go outside, not even to go to school. She's really scared. I hate it when she gets scared. I hate having to move.

Mom just told me to go to my room, but Mrs. Stamton said that Little Nowhere'll end up like July. There's no July on the map, so it must be a Bible thing, like Sodom and Gamera.

Promised Tokio and Billy I'd meet them tonight after dark. I'm gonna get grounded, but Dad said that a man always has to keep his promises.

Vash the Stampede.

The guy that put that hole in the Fifth moon, and blew up a whole bunch of towns, and kills with his eyes, and can't be killed…

No way. It can't be him. Vash is just this normal wimpy guy who likes doughnuts and dodgeball and doesn't even squish bugs! And when he came and took Knives away, he didn't even try to shoot anyone!

I'm grounded now, but at least I got to say bye.

Knives is a body without a soul, and the priest is a soul without a body. I wonder if they could-

Lots more ghosts showed up. I don't know where they came from, but they're not like the priest ghost or the blue-haired ghost that I thought left with Knives. I can't hardly see them unless I turn my head real fast, but I can see enough to know there's lots of ghosts in town right now.

I want the blue-haired ghost to go away. He keeps staring at me, and he's not really smiling.

How come I can see ghosts, anyway? It was fun to watch them when I was little, but it's not fun when they watch me back.

There's so many, ghosts and people and they're everywhere and they're so loud I saw Dad standing behind Mom and he was bloody and see-through and I couldn't hear him I couldn't hear the priest the priest Chapel traitor bastard but I can hear everyone now Jon Harper is calling for his wife and she's screaming for Kyle and Kyle is thinking of Vash and Vash and Knives are too far off I can't hear Knives-sama but I can hear Vash and something's wrong with my head and my hand feels all funny and I… I… Master? Master, I'm hungry.