Soor about the delay, as per usual. I'm a bad updater, aren't I? Oh well, I hope this still holds your interest!


Carolina blinked. The sun was pouring down on her face and she could smell the wispy gusts of salt in the air and the sound of waves crashing. Finding that she was lazily sitting in the sand, she lowered her head and gazed around at her level, until her eyes landed on a pair of well worn out boots.

Large doe eyes gazing upwards, she was now peering at a roguish man, hands on hips and face looking down at her. Blinking again, she squinted at the oddly clothed man.

"Well darlin', how are you?" The man asked while leaning down so he was at eye level with her. Carolina blinked again, wondering whether she should be talking to a stranger. The man realized the young child's cautiousness and gave her a warm smile.

"Why you all out here by your onesies?" He asked in a soft tone, his face still with a warm expression.

Carolina shrugged, her hands absently playing with the sand, "I dunno. Mum said goodnight, and now I'm here. Who are you?"

The man sat back into the sand, loosing his balance for a moment before sitting up properly next to her, "Me name's Jack. I believe your Carolina?"

Carolina nodded, "Yes, that's me. How did you know?"

Jack gave a impish grin and the young girl giggled at the glimmering gold teeth. "Well, you see, I'm here to watch you," Jack replied while studying his nails, "I was brought 'ere without much said, and instructed to watch you."

"You're the man I saw in my class room."

Jack turned to her, "Ah, so you do remember me. Glad were not completely oblivious."

Carolina shrugged, her fingers still thoroughly occupied with the soft sand, "You were dressed funny. It was hard not to forget."

Jack furrowed his brow at her, "Dressed funny? I'll have you know sweetness, that this is authentic pirate clothing. One hundred percent real."

Carolina's eyes widened and exclaimed, "Pirate? Like Captain Hook?"

Jack turned back to face the ocean, "Aye, full blooded pirate. Dunno who this Captain Hook is, though," he gave a thoughtful glance, "does he have a nice ship and a lot treasure?"

Carolina stretched her legs out, letting the sand tickle her feet, "His ship looks scary, but Peter Pan kills him."

A slight surprised expression jumped onto his features, "Aren't you a bit young for killing?"

"Aren't your clothes out of date?"

Snapping his head towards her, he found the pint sized beauty staring at him, waiting for a come back. Jack grinned.

"You're quick, I'll give ye' that."

Jack suddenly became thoughtful, as if listening for something. Carolina stared curiously at him, and jumped slightly as the pirate suddenly jumped to his feet, stumbling slightly.

"Love, I think it's best we send you back to bed now," he took one of her small hands and pulled her to her feet. She busily brushed the sand from her clothes, "Your mum is going to be coming to wake you soon, Carolina."

"You can call me Lina, Jack."

Taking one of his hands, he was slightly surprised to feel the small fingers curl around his glove covered hand. He began to lead the small child down the shore.

-

Now, as my continued my schooling, I had become more alive and more roused when people spoke to me after my encounter with Jack. During my early stages of schooling, I had noted that I was the only one who could actually see Jack.

"What are you laughing at?" One of my class mates had asked me, as I started to giggle as Jack relentlessly tried to charm the teacher, who could not see or hear him what so ever.

I turned to look at the young boy and shrugged, "Just something Jack is doing."

The little boy tilted his head, "Whose Jack?"

I grinned as Jack stumbled forward while trying to hug the oblivious teacher, falling right through her and landing on the carpeted ground with a loud groan.

"He's my best friend."

-

Watching Jack humor me and try continuously to catch the eye of very attractive women in the street, at the shops, in the parking lot and even at my school, was by far one of the most educational things I had learnt at a very early stage.

I sat by myself at a bench, eating happily while waiting for Jack to join me. The play ground was full of students, running around playing tip, chatting in groups and the second graders on the play equipment. I was now in my third grade.

"Boo!"

I yelped, threw my sandwich into the air and spun around to see Jack grinning at me. I sulked, "That wasn't funny, Jack," Jack made a small pouty look before taking a seat next to me. "Where have you been?" I asked while watching Jack scoop my sandwich from the ground.

"Been tryna' get the kindy teachers attention," he examined the sandwich, blew off some dirt, then took a bite, "I followed her into the ladies bathroom, and she jumped when I tried to tap her on the shoulder."

I closed my lunch box and began my apple, "Did she actually see you? And I don't think it's good you went into the ladies bathroom, Jack."

Jack's brow knitted as he chewed thoughtfully, "Nah, I don't think she saw me, but she did jump when my hand passed through her arm," his face lit up happily with a sudden thought, "maybe she's startin' to notice me!"

I gave a small hopeful smile while staring at Jack's expression. He was fixed between contemplative and confused with a dash of thoughtfulness. Then again, this was one of Jack's most common facial expressions.

The few years Jack and I had become the best of friends, he had unusual trips of physical capabilities and other times, he was only just a ghost like figure. At this time, I hadn't known much about the emotionally triggered ways of the afterlife, but I will explain that later on.

Jack was still chewing thoughtfully on my other half of sandwich as one of the older students approached. I turned away and looked at the towering sixth grader and blinked.

"You the little girl with the imaginary friend?" The girl who so threateningly looked down at me, was Agatha Jones, female smaller sized Arnie with a whacking stick instead of a machine gun.

Jack stopped moving, his sandwich an inch or so away from his mouth, mid-chew and his brow creasing as he looked at Agatha.

I didn't answer.

She scowled, "Are you dumb?"

I didn't answer.

A sneer graced her bulky features, "Deaf too?"

"She can 'ear an' speak perfectly well, dearest", Jack said in a loud, clear tone but of course I was the only one who had heard.

Two other girls had joined Agatha, Marie Donaldson and Janie Hotes, the evil cronies. Jack continued to lean slightly away, almost taken aback with the three girls who, at the time, seemed unusually butch for their age.

"It's none of your business." The words just came flying out of my mouth and Jack snapped his head in my direction. He dropped my sandwich.

I can tell you, from that moment onwards I could master the slow-motion effect. I watched as the evil grin on Agatha's face slowly turned into a frown of anger, her eyes becoming black beads of yuck and her thick brow knitting together like seaweed.

"Hey, I'll make it my business!" She snapped back, also lifting the stick up and bring it down in my direction.

I shut my eyes tight, waiting for the horrid hit to my face, head, chest, where ever. But it didn't come. Opening my eyes, I could see Jack standing in front of me, his hand tightly clenching around the stick that Agatha now stared at wondrously, her face contorted into complete shock.

I had never seen Jack angry, but there was something in his eyes I had never seen in the jolly pirate before as he stared seething at the girl. Agatha's eyes trailed upwards, obviously seeing that Jack was in fact standing in front of her. She still had a hard grip on the stick and Jack was not going to let it go, so it snapped right down the middle and she yelped.

A smile appeared on my face.

"It's not nice ta' be unnecessarily mean", he said in a firm voice, throwing the stick down and glaring at her.

And just like that, Agatha screamed like a spider had crawled down her throat, turned on heel and ran hopelessly away in the other direction.

The whole time during this episode, I could feel almost a magnetic, hard and stiff aura around Jack. And as the little devil child left, it seeped away and once again I could feel the light, airy, slightly tipsy vibe of the old Jack. But, something had changed…

He sat down, scooping up the sandwich and inspected it closely. "I nev'r liked that lass", he muttered while eyeing the specks of dirt.

Agatha never bothered me again.