The kitchen sink was turned on full blast, and Dani's hair was thick with soap suds. She massaged her scalp into a lather, and was reminded of the times she'd have to shower with buckets of water.
She had no clue when the last time her hair had been washed. Sand, grass clippings, and even potting soil slipped from her hair down the drain, and most days she didn't even notice the state of her hair.
But today was an exception, because Desiree had promised her something special – a makeover!
And she hadn't had to wish for it!
Which, on second thought, was weird and suspicious. Desiree was charitable with her wishes, but from what Dani saw, from the few wishes she'd given out to some gullible people, each ended up in disaster. A business man had wished for a briefcase full of "something to knock his board members dead," as a figure of speech and a bunch of snakes squirmed out. Dani hoped the man ended up fine, but she hadn't seem him around since.
Another time, a man had wished for a Lamborghini, and the expensive sports car had manifested above him and would've crushed him, if Dani hadn't cried out in horror, which caused Desiree to reluctantly move the car safely to the side. The man had run away, his brush with death made him move faster than the car which almost killed him.
Dani remembered sitting in the driver's seat of the Lamborghini, unamused to find when she turned the keyhole, that the car contained not a single drop of gasoline and was unable to make a single putter forward.
At least the Lamborghini was her new playhouse, and it was right behind the couch in the living room. Dani had toyed with the idea of filling it with gas and taking it for a spin – but that would attract attention Dani simply wasn't looking for.
Besides, what was the point of driving if she could fly?
She felt a hand clasp her shoulder as she tied her hair in a towel wrap. Desiree towered over her with a friendly smile and a bundle of shopping bags were grasped in her other hand.
Inside where various brands of cosmetics, with many multiple copies of the same colors and packaging – Desiree must've taken entire rows of the same product from a shelf.
What was she going to do with thirty-seven tubes of…beard gel?
"I wasn't sure what was required."
'Yes Desiree, that was obvious enough.'
Though Dani considerably cheered up when she noticed Desiree had also snagged a pile of sunglasses, each of varying sizes and colors. She plucked out a purple and gold pair, growing ecstatic as her vision turned a rich gradient. Picking up another purple and gold pair she held it out to Desiree.
"Ooo, put it on and then we'll match!"
Desiree smiled at her enthusiasm.
A moment later Dani felt Desiree touch her hair, combing it through with her long fingernails and a bulky orange comb.
"What are you doing?"
"Brushing your hair, what does it look like?"
Dani had nothing to say to that. No one had brushed her hair before. She'd simply done it herself. It was a little absurd...as if Desiree had decided to brush Dani's teeth instead.
But despite how weird it was, it felt nice.
She watched in fascination as Desiree began to braid her drying, slick hair. Dani sat on a stool by a windowsill so the setting sun would dry the strands faster. The sunset blended into breathtaking purple-red, yellow-fire hues.
Desiree began to tie off her brands with bright teal ribbons, but…she wanted to match…
"Desiree, do you think you could have the ribbons look like the sunset?" Dani clenched her lip, anticipating a 'no.' Desiree seemed set on doing things a certain way. Desiree was going to put in teal ribbons, the same color as the silk garments she wore.
Would she be offended if she wasn't keen on that teal color?
Desiree paused in her grooming. Her undead scarlet eyes blinked as they took in the light.
"Of course, child. It will be of utmost perfection."
Dani wanted to squeal with joy, but didn't want to come off as "annoying" or "uncontrolled," as Vlad had always told her she was.
A good child was to be "quiet and collected; seen and not heard," Vlad had said, over and over like a buggy computer; and Dani had a hunch Desiree's opinion wasn't too different.
"Hey Desiree, what's your favorite color?"
'Probably that turquoise-teal she always wore.'
"I'd have to say the color green, the shade of freshly sprouted grass."
Oh.
That made sense.
Dani liked purple and gold, but wore a blue hoodie and red wool cap.
'It's time to change that."
"Could we do something about my clothes next?"
Desiree chuckled, a soft yet confident tone.
"I was going to suggest the very same."
Dani smiled.
She wanted to get a sunset dress.
It had been days since the makeover but Dani would never let herself forget it. For the first few nights Dani had refused to take off the ribbons, even when sleeping with them in hurt. Dani also refused to brush her hair, for fear of it never looking the same.
But Desiree noticed, of course, and reassured her she would teach her how.
And she did.
Dani could braid her own hair now.
It was late at night and Desiree had coaxed her to travel with her further into the city, pocketed with residential areas, to the town square which contained Amity's fabled park.
Dani never came here, for fear of bumping into Danny Phantom.
Family or not, he was dangerous. And Dani didn't want a reputation for "hanging out with him" since he beat up so many other ghosts.
Desiree assured her it was too dark for him to be out. He patrolled with his friends Sam and Tucker till 10pm, but rarely over unless it was a weekend. Currently, it was 3am and all the ghosts with any sense knew to conduct their business when the Phantom was asleep.
A few unrecognizable faces enjoyed Amity Park. A man who looked out of the 1920's was sitting on a bench reading a pilfered newspaper from an unlucky neighbor, and a massive lit cigar hung from his blue lips.
A green lady with twelve pairs of cat's eyes was pulling a stroller, but there was no baby nor a single thing inside.
'Sad and eerie,' Dani thought. But Amity Park, a small quiet town, was paradise compared to the rest of the world she saw.
Not a lot of girls her age knew that the brimstone "Hell" spoken of in the Abrahamic-religions was made real on planet Earth. That people all shapes and sizes where swallowed up by the toils of everyday struggle, only to be kidnapped by a gang of rich freaks, never to be seen again. Some were ferried away deep into caves, trafficked into a cursed existence of slavery, fear, and starvation.
Dani wished she could help them.
But she was but a single, overwhelmed little girl.
And the Earth turned, round and round all the same.
No matter how many she'd rescued, hundreds more would fill in their ranks as soon as she flew away.
Dani needed a drink, a nice dark brandy to match her thoughts.
But Desiree had a hand on her shoulder and would not let her steal a bottle to set on fire.
It was nice to have company at the park for once.
Dani couldn't sleep one night. She was curled up on her prized leather couch with cotton blankets wrapped around tight like hot tortillas.
It was 5am if Dani had to guess. Looking out her window revealed the sun had yet to rise, and she always tried to time her sleeping, so she was able to see both the daily sunrise and sunset.
It was still sometime before sunrise and so she was left with her thoughts, least she miss it if she closed her eyes.
And she could only focus on one topic at hand.
Why was Desiree being so nice to her?
Was it because she was a ghost?
Or a child?
Did Desiree know she was lonely?
Was Desiree lonely?
None of those conclusions satisfied her, but Dani still knew one simple truth.
Desiree was her friend.
And that led to the cultivation of a dangerous thought.
Perhaps.
She could.
It was tempting to close her eyes and to forget about the whole matter.
But Dani didn't want to break her burgeoning record of never missing a sunrise.
That idea more so, made her sicker than any other.
So Dani kicked off her blankets and flew out into the dark morning sky. Entire flocks of birds were awakening from their spots in the bushes and she hovered in sleepy circles as she listened.
Eventually Dani came to a familiar spot, clouds above her crisping pink as the sun began peaking above its borders.
Perhaps.
She should ask.
"Why are you here at this hour, child?"
Before she lost her nerve.
Desiree still lived in a billboard next to Amity's Flea Market, right outside from Dani's sleeping couch.
She didn't live in the Ghost Zone like most ghosts, though Dani didn't know why.
"Morning."
Desiree emerged from the living space between the billboard seams, and a thick scent of frankincense and myrrh smoked from her tail.
"Morning child, though it does look a bit early for such." Desiree yawned and dramatically rubbed her eyes. A poofy sleeping cap was atop her head and Dani had to hold in a giggle at the exaggerated display.
"What's the urgently that you must wake me so?"
Dani's words felt bitter on her tongue.
"Well, I thought about this a lot…it's all I can think about really."
"And what would that be child?"
"H-how…how I could use a W-word, you know?"
"What is this W-word? Is that the name of a rap-minstrel we once heard on the radio?"
"Oh gods, no." Dani laughed. It made her feel less weird about what she'd say next. "No no no, I mean I want to make a W. I. S. H."
Desiree cracked her knuckles - during the seconds it took her to process Dani's words.
Then she looked more awake then ever.
"Ahhh, I…I understand now. Come let us speak inside, you are my guest."
Dani hesitated a moment, before being corralled inside by Desiree's coiling tail. The inside was surprisingly roomy between the two sides of the billboard. The floor was a metal grate with a ladder that went down to the very bottom; which of course, was useless to ghosts. Desiree had an endless stream of silks lining each corner, knitted together like a nest. Countless hanging instruments smelling of tea and incense decorated the walls.
They both sat down on a pillow. Desiree wore a forlorn expression, which scared Dani. She wasn't herself.
"While I am pleased you have come around to the idea of my magics, I must warn that it is no easy matter, for which you ask.
Desiree long knew what Dani wanted. She knew the desire of every living and dead creature, as surely as the sky was blue.
"You desire: parents, a family, dear Dani-child."
Dani bowed her head, barely concealing the hot tears which slid down her cheeks. It was easy for Dani to admit to herself, privately, her desires – but to hear them spoken out loud – by Desiree no less, embarrassed her.
"How long, did you know?"
Desiree looked away, biting her lips. "Since the first time I saw you I knew you needed my assistance; but unlike others I've granted wishes to, greed nor delusion consumed you."
It was the closest Desiree had ever come to a compliment, and Dani held her breath.
"We also have a kinship you and I, for we both share the same desire." Desiree reached out, combing hair out of Dani's face, revealing tears she already knew were there.
"Once-upon-a-time, I too wished for a family." Dani froze as Desiree's tail coiled tighter and the billboard shook from a startling bitter, snarl-cry, "But my children died one after the other - always! I never found a safe place! I never found a safe place!" Desiree collapsed against her piled tail, turning away into a shaking mass - words heavy but clear. "I was always moving across desert, stretches of sand after sand I only saw, yet one day I found a man whom I thought could save me from them – but in the end he chose another women - and I had no choice but to continue walking until all life drained away from me - I was unwanted, from my beginning to end."
Desiree was crying openly, cold glassy tears ran silently down her chin.
"That is the story of how I sit before you. I know your pain child, and don't wish to cause you more, now that you are known to me."
Seeing Desiree cry openly, Dani let her tears fall freely, scrubbing at her eyes with red-hot shame. She hated feeling "weak," hated being seen as "weak." She felt a hand clasp her shoulder, long fingernails seeping against skin like teeth.
"You are strong child, stronger than you know - perhaps, stronger than I - I can't grant your wish–"
"W-what?!
"–by myself! I know of another who is to help me, for this wish is beyond my power to handle with the care you deserve."
"Okay…welll, I wish for–" Desiree clasped a hand over her lips. "Not now child, you speak your desire to the one I speak of."
"Err right, so now what?" Bawling her eyes out to suddenly "formulating a plan" was giving Dani emotional-whiplash. Desiree must've been used to such pain, she concluded.
"We must go to the Infinite Realms – that is where you shall ask your wish."
"Ugh, the Ghost Zone you mean? Ok, I guess, if we have to."
"I'm sorry to say child but for me to make a portal, it shall take a few days, unless you wish to brave using the Phantom's portal?"
Dani shook her head to both.
"No, neither of those will be necessary. I already got a portal myself, close to a friend's house."
"How is this so?"
"How do you feel about boxes?"