Chapter 3

And the pain still hates me

So hold me until it sleeps…

Casper didn't realize that he had dozed off until he awoke several hours later. The rain had tapered off, leaving nothing but a night sky filled with stars. He looked at Kat's bed, the indent where she had lain was there, but the two flowers had been moved to a vase on her nightstand. He reasoned that she must've woken up and went downstairs to eat. The clock chimed eleven. Yawning, Casper got comfortable again. He was just closing his eyes when Kat walked through the door. She stopped when she saw him, an unreadable expression beginning to form on her face. Casper this was a little odd, but then again, she could be tired.

"Hi, did you like the flowers?"

"Yes, they were breathtaking."

Now it was Casper's turn to make a strange face. He floated back a bit, and she followed. She was wearing a loose fitting cloak that dragged along the ground, making her body just about disappear into the dark room. He couldn't see her arms at all because of the massive sleeves that swallowed them.

"Nice costume, it's a couple of days early though…" He uttered a tense laugh.

"It's always Halloween to me."

"It must've been the rain; you sound like you have a sore throat."

She didn't reply.

"I'll just get you some medicine…"

He edged passed her and down the hallway. He passed by the medicine cabinet and went straight on to Dr. Harvey's. She didn't look to well, her skin was pale. He had to tell Dr. Harvey that she might be ill. He wouldn't mention the way she was dressed, like something out of an Edgar Allen Poe poem. The ghost stopped, Kat was now walking towards him, her usual smile in place.

"Hi Casper! Thanks for the flowers! I decided not to go to the dance, it's stupid anyway."

"But…but…Weren't you just in your room?" Casper pointed up the stairs.

She gave him a confused look. "No, I've been in the kitchen for half an hour."

"Then, who's that?" The other Kat was now partially visible in the 2nd floor hallway.

She (?) flitted back into the shadows when the two spotted her.

"It's just the trio; they followed me to the mall. The Dust Buster's in my room."

She began to climb the stairs, Casper following reluctantly. What was going on here? Why was there two Kats? And why was the imitation one wearing that cloak? Kat walked swiftly to her room, calling the trio out. She was clearly not afraid. Casper was hanging back a little, but he soon joined Kat's side incase the trio's attitude turned malicious. They both reached the doorway and stepped in. From nowhere, the twin pounced. Kat had time to open her moth to scream, a bony hand shot out skimmed over the skin on her face. Casper screamed too, Kat slumped over, completely lifeless. The being had her face, but its arms were a skeleton's. Casper now knew what it was; it was in legends and had countless variations. The Grim Reaper.

"Reaper." Casper hissed. "What did you do!"

The thing smiled, Kat's face was washed away, becoming gaunt. Before it transformed back completely, it lifted its hood, obscuring everything underneath. Casper leaned over the real Kathleen, glad to see she was still breathing.

"Casper. It's been awhile." It rasped. "Don't worry about her, I only grazed her face."

"What are you doing here? No one is dying!"

"But someone is dying to be alive again, remember your 'I'd do anything to be alive'

statement?"

Casper rose from Kat's side, the Reaper pulled out his scythe and waited.

"That was just because I was sad about Kat leaving; I know there's no way to be alive."

"That's not entirely true."

Casper looked both shocked and hopeful, but then frowned.

"I know better than to deal with you."

The Reaper chuckled, sounding a bit like a crackling leaves."

"You want this offer, there's no way to refuse."

"Yeah there is, I'll just say no."

With that, Casper turned his back. The other ghost laughed again, he reached over Kat's sleeping form and twirled her hair with his skeletal finger.

"Such a pretty girl, hate for her to go this early. Did You know she almost had an unfortunate accident today?"

"Don't!"

Casper swatted his arm away. "What do you want?"

"Take over my job."

For a moment, there was no sound, save for Kat's soft breathing and the creak and groan of the bones of the appalling specter.

"You're crazy."

"You haven't heard me out yet."

"I don't need to, leave."

"You get to be alive."

Casper hesitated. "How can I be alive and have your job?"

"That's a good question. I'll tell you all about it."

He slowly sat down, joints popping, and lifted out a tarnished watch. The face of the clock resembled a pirate flag, with the crossbones as the hour and minute hands. He gave a sound of approval, and then put it pack into his robes.

"You see, with all these medical technologies these days, people aren't beating down my door. And when they do, they take one look at me and make a miraculous recovery, and then I'm out of work."

"So?"

"You had such the pretty face when you where alive, that any girl would keel over for you, am I right?"

"I was barely twelve!"

"Well, you the poster boy look down pat. Now if they see you, they would be begging to go."

"I'm not going to help you murder people! In case you haven't noticed, I'm the nice ghost!"

"Whatever. I think your girlfriend's waking up."

He jabbed a pointy finger in Kat's direction, where the teen had stirred and opened her eyes. She took in the scene, and fainted again.

"Why don't you just leave?" Casper asked, his patience wearing thin.

"I'm not through yet. So here's the thing, you take over my job; you'll be the first Reaper in history to be living. I'll even throw in the deal to make you her age."

The sickle was nudged in Kat's way again. Casper crossed his arms, still holding fast.

"I said no."

"I was hoping it wasn't going to come to this."

The dark figure stood and staggered over to the snoozing girl. Casper's eyes widened and he raced over to block Kat. "No! Don't!" But it simply reached through the pearly spirit to the flora on the tabletop. Having the flowers in its gruesome hand, Casper watched as the silky petals shriveled and dropped off. Now the radiant rose was black and shrunken, the lily an unrecognizable clump of brown foliage. The Reaper laid their remains next to Kat, and then swiveled to face the young ghost.

"Unless you want a fifth ghost joining you, I'd recommend you take up my offer."

"I would never!"

"Okay." It moved closer to her face, a thin hand outstretched.

Casper was torn. He opened and closed his mouth to speak, only to be stifled out by his conscience. "I'll, I'll…" He started. "You'll what?" asked the sinister phantom. He had the index finger trailing along her chin, where the skin was turning green. Kat moaned and whimpered, then coughed as her breath drew short, her cheek bones almost showing beneath the pasty skin…

"Stop! I'll do it!"

"I was just beginning to enjoy the show." It straightened up, Kat sucked in a breath her features now back to normal.

"Why me? There are plenty of other guys."

"You are 'The Friendly Ghost', couldn't resist the challenge."

"You said something about all the girls liking me? But what happens when it's a man?"

He swore he could see the apparition grin, even though it had no skin and was concealed beneath its shady hood. It chuckled slightly.

"You won't be completely taking the job; it's more like a partnership. I'll help out here and there. You'll just get more of the deadbeats."

"You're humor is worst than your deal making."

"I don't get paid to be humorous."

"You don't get paid at all."

"Another reason for you to help out! I can't keep doing a free job on my own! So yes or no, I gotta be at McDonald's in fifteen minutes."

"Uh…"

"Come on." Reaper tugged out the pocket watch again.

Casper glanced at the angelic form of Kat fast asleep. He would do anything to keep her safe, but this? He saw how destructive that touch could be. If only Amelia could help him. He held his head high and made up his decision.

"No."

Reaper looked stunned, scratching his skull in bewilderment. "No?"

"That's what I said. Kat wouldn't want me to do this, even if it was for her."

"You know she dies right?"

Casper shook his head, "I won't let you."

"You know what? Since I'm in a forgiving mood tonight, and you are just being plain difficult mood, plus my lunch date in a few, I'll leave you with incentives."

"Incentives?"

"Yeah, you'll be living and, of course, Kat's age. I give you a week to decide since it's such a big job. But only a week, then if you still refuse, it's six feet under for her. So, in or out? That's amazingly nice for me."

Weighing his options carefully, Casper made up his mind.

"Alright."

"Great, just let me get ready here."

The Grim stood up and readjusted his scythe. "Now this might hurt a little…"