High Hopes
Molly flies through the night sky. Starts surrounding her while her bright golden ghostly energy lights up the night. She doesn't know how this happened or what's going on, but she doesn't care. All she wants is to enjoy this moment being free and joyful in her own world.
Continuing to dance in the sky, Molly takes in this feeling. This pure peace and exhilaration. A paradox that you need to experience to truly feel in your soul. She needed this, now more than ever.
Then, Molly stops. Looking up at the bright full moon with curiosity and wonder. She wants to get closer. To go up as far as she can and never look back. High in the sky where no one can reach her. To escape.
I need this. It's not selfish to give myself the freedom and happiness I deserve. I'm having fun and finally enjoying life again! I'm going to make the most of it.
So Molly flies. As fast as she can. Higher and higher as the bright full moon gets closer and the world below her starts to fade away, seeming so small as she looks back one last time.
Suddenly, Molly's eyes start to glow bright pink as she feels this energy take over. It's electric and almost euphoric in an eerie way that leaves her curious and cautious, but also wanting more.
Everything looks so bright as Molly's eyes glow and she keeps flying higher. Then she stops. Noticing some electric energy pulsing around her hands, she decides to try something.
Molly points her hand at the night sky and sends a blast of lightning through the air. Then, in an instant, she changes back to her human self. That's when a sinking feeling comes over her and fear takes over.
Suddenly, Molly starts to fall. Plummeting to the ground so fast and out of control that she starts to panic. The world once so far away, getting closer and closer, ready to end her.
"No…No! Ghost powers, please come back! Please!" Molly yelled.
Nothing happens. Molly just continues to fall. Flailing her arms and trying anything to make herself float, but nothing's working.
"Come on, think…Happy thoughts! Puppies, unicorns, rainbows! Something to make me a ghost again! Come on, joy! Come back to me…" Molly said.
Molly thinks, trying to remember what happened before she turned into a ghost. Still nothing. The ground getting closer and closer. Then, she remembers something.
Wait. I know how I became a ghost! I…I left my body. My soul separated from my body and I became a wraith. I was…Sad. So sad, lost, and alone…That's the feeling I need. But what made me feel so empty?
Suddenly, the memory and feelings flood back to Molly as her body and soul separate once again. Her ghost self grabs her body before she hits the ground and lowers her down gently.
Molly looks back up at the night sky full of stars, wishing she could experience that freedom again, but she knows the magic is gone. For now.
Molly's ghost carries her body and flies back home. She quietly opens the window and sets her body back in bed, giving herself a moment to reflect before she becomes whole again.
"That was quite the adventure, huh human me? Well, don't worry. We're home and safe. That did feel pretty good though! To be a ghost and fly around without a care in the world. Feeling so light and free. It was so…Enhappifying." Molly said.
Molly's shell looks at her with that blank expression and soulless tired eyes. Not able to even comprehend the feeling or experience. She just stares into space. Then, she speaks in that monotone voice.
"Happiness is a lie. An unattainable goal that will only drive you insane. Misery is the truth. It's the only way out of the madness." Molly's shell replied.
Molly looks at her shell self with pity and a bit of fear.
"Okay, that's just creepy. Let's make me whole again so I won't freak anyone out with that depressing attitude." Molly said.
Molly flies back into her body. To her surprise, it's a little bit tricky to find herself this time. It takes her a few tries, flying through her shell self as it stares at her with that blank expression. Then, finally, she becomes whole once again.
"Alright, there we go! All back to my, everything is totally normal, Molly McGee self! This time, that's not a lie! I hope…No! I know it's not a lie. I'm totally okay! I'm happy and joyful and…" Molly said.
Molly stops talking when she looks over at Scratch's little ghost house. She couldn't bring herself to get rid of it after he left. It's been over a year and it's still hard for her, but she knows he's happier and that's enough.
Molly tearfully smiles, lying down in her bed as she faces the little ghost house.
"Goodnight buddy. I hope, wherever you are traveling in the world, you're happy." Molly said.
Molly starts to slowly drift off to sleep, crying a little, but not out of sadness. These are tears of joy for her friend's happiness. She knows he wouldn't want her to be sad, so she does her best to hold onto the memories. Letting them keep her company as she drifts off to sleep.
Before Molly falls asleep, she sees a little blue light coming through her window, feeling hopeful until her tired eyes shut and the light goes out. Just for a moment, she smiles and wonders, letting her imagination take her away to dreamland.
The next morning, Molly wakes up to her alarm playing the latest upbeat pop song. She gets out of bed, joy reignited, and opens her window. Letting the sunlight in as she starts to dance, taking on the day with a smile.
Then Molly stops for a moment, wondering what happened last night and how she turned into a ghost.
"Was it all just a dream? No, I don't think so. It felt so real! I was flying and felt so free and happy. And what was that power? I shot lightning out of my hand! How? I've got to try that again! But wait…Is it dangerous to split myself in half like that? How did I even do it? So many questions…All I know is, I want to experience that feeling again! I need to." Molly said.
Suddenly, Molly hears something rustling around in her little ghost house. She starts to think it's Darryl's pet spider in there and freaks out. Jumping back in her bed and hiding under the covers, peaking through to see what it is.
Wait, I was a ghost last night. Fearless, flying through the air, and shooting lightning out of my hand like a joy warrior! I can't be afraid of something as seemingly harmless as my brother's pet spider.
So, with a brave face, Molly jumps out of her bed and gets into a fighting stance, ready to battle whatever creature decided to make its home in her best friend's dollhouse.
"Get out, invader! This isn't your home. It belongs to someone very special and…Well, you just need to go." Molly said.
Molly starts to tear up as she says this, thinking of Scratch and how much she misses him again. She starts to feel anger rising up in her at the thought of someone in Scratch's home. So she kicks the dollhouse and it falls over.
Molly rushes up to the dollhouse and starts to cry as she tries to stand it back upright with shaky hands.
"Oh no! I'm so sorry! Don't worry little dollhouse, I'll fix you and everything will be okay. I promise." Molly said.
Molly hugs the dollhouse close, wanting to keep the last piece of her ghost friend with her. It doesn't feel like hugging a marshmallow, but it's all she has left and she'll hold onto that forever.
Molly sits there for a moment in tears, still hugging the dollhouse. Then, all of the sudden, it starts to feel like she is hugging a marshmallow.
Confused yet intrigued, Molly opens her eyes. Freezing with shock and overwhelmed with joy at the sight she sees. A familiar blue ghost right in front of her with tears in his eyes and a smile on his face. Her forever friend.
"Hi Moll." Scratch said.
Molly is so surprised seeing Scratch again, part of her can't believe this is real. It's been over a year since she's seen him and now he's a ghost again.
The feelings of joy, relief, and shock overwhelm Molly to the point where she starts to feel dizzy. Her vision starts to blur as she loses her balance.
"Woah! Careful there!" Scratch said.
Suddenly, Molly faints, but Scratch catches her before she hits the ground.
Scratch sets Molly on her bed and sees that his spider web hammock is still here above her bed, so he lays in it. It's just like old times. Although he had fun traveling the world with Adia, he missed these simple times with his best friend. Still, he's worried about her.
"Moll, I know you can't hear me right now. But, when you wake up, we need to talk about you becoming a ghost or wraith in your sleep. I don't know what's going on with you, but we need to figure it out before something happens." Scratch said.
Molly shifts around a bit, almost as if she's off in a dream. Somewhere Scratch can't protect her, in her mind. He just hopes she's safe.
Suddenly, Molly wakes up and sees Scratch lying in his hammock above her. A worried look in his eyes as he tries to hide it behind a smile.
Molly gets up, takes Scratch's hand, and pulls him into a big hug. Tears streaming down her face, her contagious laughter filling the air.
"You're back, Scratch! I missed you so much! How is this possible? Wait…" Molly said.
Molly breaks away from the hug and looks at Scratch in all seriousness.
"Did you die?" Molly asked.
Scratch looks at the floor, sadness in his eyes as he comes to terms with the fact that, yes. This time he's a real ghost.
"Yes. I actually died this time…But it was peaceful…I died in my sleep in Paris. Not choking on a croissant or anything dramatic like that…But hey, I still lived my life to the fullest while I was traveling. Just like you said." Scratch replied.
Molly smiles. Just knowing that Scratch was satisfying his soul is enough.
"That's…Amazing, Scratch! I'm so proud of you! And all your memories of your forever home, and me…Came back too! I'm just so happy you're here." Molly replied.
Molly starts to tear up again so Scratch hugs her. Telling her that everything will be okay now that they're together again.
Molly knows Scratch is here and it makes her so happy, but there's still this feeling she can't shake. This emptiness that seemed to separate her soul from her body.
I'm glad you're here. I missed you. It's just…This sadness, the grief I felt, is still here for some reason. I don't know why, but I need to feel that sense of freedom again. To fly and be a ghost, like you. Maybe we're not so different after all...
Scratch remembers what Molly was talking about before he came out of the dollhouse. He will be talking to her about it because the idea of her wanting to be a ghost, to let go of her human life, terrifies him. But, seeing her cry in his arms, happy that he's back, but still so sad and afraid he'll leave her. He just can't bring himself to talk to her about that right now.
Once they break away from their hug, Scratch wipes a tear from Molly's face and smiles.
"Don't worry. I'm not going anywhere." Scratch said.
Molly smiles, hope in her eyes and that light that warms Scratch's non existent heart.
"The dream team, you and me?" Molly asked.
Scratch can hear it in Molly's voice. The uncertainty, now that he left once, scares her. It makes him sad, but this time he knows he'll stay.
"For all eternity." Scratch replied.