100 Tales 89

Ghost

"Now, make sure that you go to sleep after you come home from Trick-or-Treating, so that Tigerstar's ghost doesn't get you!" Daisy chided her two kits. Rosekit and Toadkit were bouncing with excitement.

"We won't, Mother!" declared Rosekit.

"Yeah, Mother! We won't!" agreed Toadkit.

Hollypaw laughed, and rolled her eyes. I don't think they even got the message. However, she couldn't tell Daisy, or else the easily-fretting queen would be mad! She chuckled.

"What's so funny?" Lionpaw was looking at her like she'd gone mad.

"Oh, just those two, with their mother." Hollypaw snorted, pointing discreetly with her tail towards Daisy and her two kits. "Daisy is just so…. frightful, sometimes!"

"I see what you mean." Lionpaw smiled. "Those two are quite unfortunate to have such an over-protective mother…." He looked thoughtful.

Hollypaw laughed. "Yeah, I know. But…. ghosts don't really exist…. right?" She nudged Lionpaw.

"What?" He shook himself, jerking awake from his thoughts. "What's that?"

"You don't really believe in ghosts…. Now, do you?" she pressed.

"No, of course—" Lionpaw was cut off by Jaypaw suddenly sidling up to them—he wasn't wearing a costume; no, he was going as himself—"Because," he had joked, "Twoleg kits are always going out as blind men on Hallowe'en…. right?"

"Oh, I don't know," he began seriously. "StarClan tells me that weird spirits may be wandering around, tonight…."

"You can't be serious!" Hollypaw snorted, and doubled over with laughter.

"No; seriously," Jaypaw insisted. "This is the Clans' first Hallowe'en. Who knows what kind of ghosts, and goblins, and ghouls, all from The Dark Forest, probably, are going to be wandering around, tonight?!" He shuddered. "And I'm not quite sure I want to find out."

Hollypaw frowned. "If all you two are going to do is be silly—"

"No, I think Jaypaw's right," Lionpaw interrupted her. "Well, a-anyway, let's go. There's no point in waiting around here until all the candy is gone, right?" He winked.
"Sure, I guess so." Hollypaw sighed. "Let's get moving." And so, they were off.

Apparently, Jaypaw's comment had spooked her more than she thought. All through the night, whenever bushes rustled, or something similar, she always jumped.

Did I really let Jaypaw's comments get to me? About…. about ghosts?! She laughed bitterly to herself, but she knew it was true: Ghosts do exist.