1Candy mentally laughs at her comrades. Pai is attempting to cross the underground stream of slime with a rope, since he cannot fly right now. He nearly kills himself when he swears he see's a skull floating in the water. He lurches backwards, and narrowly catches himself. "Darn," he mutters. "I have to pay attention."

Lettuce is shouting encouragement. She tries to pretend she can't see Candy nearly dying from laughter. Of course, Candy, unfortunately, can't literally die, because she already has. So instead, she nearly keels over with laughter when Pai claims he sees another bone. "You can do it!" calls Lettuce encouragingly. "Yeah, only three feet away from the end!" calls Candy. Pai's head snaps up to see if Candy is telling the truth. This causes him to nearly fall into the river.

Candy isn't laughing out of insensitivity. The truth is, the whole situation is hilarious. Pai walking across a rope, and panicking at the sight of water. And if they fall in, the worst thing that will happen is that a skeleton will grab them. And Candy isn't planning on letting that happen. So of course, she has a right to laugh. Man, was she this weak when she was alive?

"Go ahead, Pai, you can make it!" calls Lettuce. "It's only 2 ½ more feet!" Pai looks down at the black mass swirling below him. The white froth stands out against the darkness of the water below. Pai takes a deep breath and prepares to take another step. Suddenly, he feels a familiar cold wash over him. Don't look down again, Pai, says the voice hypnotically. Pai tries to fight the cold, but finds he cannot. Do you remember yet? asks the voice. Pai tries to take a step forwards, but suddenly everything is covered in the frigid mist. He can't even see the rope he is standing on.

'No, I don't remember,' Thinks Pai desperately. The mists in front of him begin to swirl. Slowly at first, but then faster and faster. As the start to part, Pai wonders what is going on. Then, finally, he is face to face with that haunting voice.

Pai would gasp if he could move. In front of him is his sister! I'm so sorry for making your life miserable, Pai, she says. Her eyes are a misty pale grey, and her lips are so pale, they are almost pure white. Her skin is white as fresh snow, and her long, grey hair hangs like ash behind her. Pai can only stare. Do you forgive me? She asks. Pai thinks about it. It would be so easy to say no, he doesn't, but then, those little words might destroy this pale specter. She doesn't move, only looks at Pai, as though resigned to her fate.

I'm sorry for telling you Mom liked me better. She didn't, as you probably already knew. She doesn't move her lips when she talks. The words seem to form themselves out of thin air. She doesn't blink her grey eyes; she just stands and watches Pai.

Pai isn't sure what to do. She made his life miserable after all. It could be a trap. But he can't help but remember how she helped him at the school. And how when he was little, she had showed him how to spell his name. And the time when he was eight, how those bullies had been picking on him, and she came to his rescue. Suddenly, his mind is made up. "I forgive you, Inola," he says. She looks directly at him, her grey eyes spewing multitudes of gratitude, and the mists again swirl about her. As she fades away, she smiles and calls, 'thank you Pai.'

Meanwhile, Lettuce is wondering what is going on. Pai seems to have frozen. She tried to call out to him, but Candy shook her head. Now, Lettuce is worried. But suddenly Pai seems to snap out of his daze. "You're almost here, Pai! You can do it!" calls Candy. She acts as though nothing has happened. Lettuce admires her courage. It can't be easy, to be dead. Lettuce can't imagine not being able to cook, or tuck Melody in before bedtime, or see Pai off to work. There are so many things that the dead can't do. But still, Candy acts like it's no big deal. Lettuce isn't sure she could do the same.

Pai takes another step forwards, thinking. He helped the person who he thought to be his enemy, and it felt good. He is barely aware of Candy's knowing smile. "Go on, Pai! You can do it!" he is aware of Lettuce's voice though. 'She sure does have a nice voice,' he thinks. If only things could have worked out between them. If only, if only. It would have been nice to marry her, instead of his fiancee. He never wanted anything to do with any female but Lettuce. She is the only one who comes close to understanding him. But of course, those days are long past. Sh couldn't love a fool like him! He shouldn't have ever been in a relationship with her. That would have spared them both the heartbreak.

Of course, he'd been so happy when they were together. He remembers his return to earth. How he knocked on the door of the house he knew to belong to Lettuce, and how a small girl with crystal-blue eyes and black hair had answered the door. "Hello," he had said. "Is Lettuce here?" The girl had smiled and nodded. "Mommy!" Melody had called. "Someone's here to see you!"

Pai has to admit, it was generous of Lettuce to allow him to board at her house. He hadn't been sure if she was still mad or not. Melody, though, had truly warmed right up to him. The time in the store someone nearly stole his money, She had stuck up for him. She had even let him borrow her lamp until they could buy him one. And, to be truthful, Melody is the closest thing Pai has ever had to a daughter. It probably helped that Pai made a potion that made him look human. She might have been a bit skeptical of his formerly large ears. Who wouldn't be?

Pai hopes they find her soon, so they can go home...