Title: Memories
Theme: Crusade
Pairing: None
Rating: K+
2. Crusade
There were days when the ghost zone was thrilling. He would go in and meet someone famous, who would talk about his life and earn Danny an A on his history test, not to mention all kinds of facts he could throw out and prove he was smart. He had met Alexander the Great once, and, just to make Sam blush, he had whispered in her ear that yes, he was gay, and a couple of things that he did with his lover. Sam's blush made that awkward talk worth it.
But then there were those days, where not even a blush from Sam, if one could be found at all, wouldn't make it better.
"Hello?" he asked, opening the door cautiously. "Anyone here?"
"I do labour here," a small voice responded, almost a cockney British accent. "But you ought t'run. The master gets angry when others come. It distracts us from our work."
"Your work?" he crept forward, and found a small child sitting in the grass, with bright red hair, green eyes, and freckles from the sun. He didn't look busy, he simply smiled and ripped grass up, tossing it into the wind. Danny crouched down, frowning slightly, "What do you do in here?"
"Keep the memories."
"Memories? Of what?"
He laughed, pointing. "The soldiers come through there, and they leave through there, and we run and scream, like we're supposed to. Then it ends and we do it again, forever and for always."
Danny shook his head, frown deepening. "But what do they do?"
"This," he said.
And the room was transformed, the grass on fire, there was a village in the distance crumbling while women screamed and babies cried and men fought with their swords clanging, and the little boy's body destroyed, his head cut off and his arms bent oddly, and he grinned up at Danny still. He kept that small child voice, and he cackled, "Remember the crusade, ghost boy! Those that live can't let this happen again!"
He screamed and ran, slamming the door, and didn't tell his friends what hid behind it.