Chapter 4: (B) Ghost Brat

As my hand comes closer and closer to the trash, I notice my hand shaking. And to be completely honest with you, I don't know if it was fear or excitement. I mean, yeah there are joke ghosts, but as I am, does that even matter? I still can't fly. I can't turn ghost. I can't even use the ecto blast! And that's like Ghost 101.

At the same time though, I can't deny some of my best moments are under pressure. Pressure makes diamonds, and maybe some actual excitement, danger, will be just what the doctor ordered. I mean, OG Danny didn't make any real progress until the Lunch Lady Ghost right? Sink or Swim Baby. Do or Die.

Quickly, I swipe away the piles and plastic bags filled with the unwanted and jump back as quickly as I can. I may be looking for trouble but that's no reason to be reckless. Or even more reckless than trying to find ghosts or criminals without proper control of my abilities.

However, my caution doesn't seem to be needed. Looking over, the spirit doesn't move. It doesn't do anything but float there and cry. Observing more closely, the ghost isn't even one of the fully formed ones. It looks like the cannon fodder from the opening of the show. The pure green blobs. The only identifying characteristic being a band that runs down their face.

I'm not gonna lie, after a good 5-10 seconds, I start to feel massively uncomfortable. I lower my guard and just stand there, watching and listening to the cry. Until I finally can't take it anymore and walk back up. This time with much less hesitation and place a hand on its shoulder. A hand that goes right through her. The action seems to make her weeps stronger.

What? Can I not touch them? They're clearly not intangible, in fact, they were just moving the trash around them, so there's no doubt they can interact with the physical world. How the hell does this work? Wait, focus man, there's a crying girl(?) in front of me. Focus on the right priorities. Figure out this ghost shit later.

"Hey, is there something wrong? Is there anything I can do to help?" I ask while taking knee to bring myself to their level. For a moment, the shivering and shaking stops and their red eyes seems to look up from the ground and look into mine. And we just stare at each other, before they widen in surprise.

"A-are you talking to me?" She(!) exclaims/asks. I nod slightly. Another anomaly? What's going on here? Maybe it's an issue of control. She may be going to invisible without trying to whenever someone comes. But that brings up the question why no one came before me? A child was crying in an alley.

"Of course I am sweetheart. There's no one else here is there? Any Ghost Parents or something?" I ask with a soft voice. I wonder how this happened. If this really is a problem of control, that means she's a new ghost. Someone who died recently. She can't be more than 9 or 10. How in the world did this child parish?

"Ghost Parents? Why would I have Ghost Parents silly?" she asks with a giggle which makes me raise an eyebrow. She points out of the alley to the park across the street. "Mommy and Daddy dropped me off at the park to play with my friends. But everyone is being super mean! No one wants to play with me. No one ever wants to play with me. Even Mommy and Daddy."

I look over to the park. It's pretty empty, a few kids here and there with their parents on the benches. This kid must have died somewhere around here. Maybe at the park itself? Another problem, she clearly doesn't know that she's passed. Or maybe she refuses to accept. Or simply can't comprehend what's happening.

"How about this sweetie, I'm not like those mean kids. You could play with me instead." I offer with a charming smile. The response I get makes my heart almost stop and my brow twitch. This girl had the gall to float back a bit and look at me with a face that clearly says, "Gross".

"Mommy says only sick nasty perverts ask kids to play with them when they're old. You're not going to offer me candy too, are you mister?" The little shit asks. It takes me a while to form a response that doesn't have me using foul language on a brat who just got out of diapers.

"Listen you little shit-" I failed. "You want someone to play with or not?" I ask one more time. My twitch gets even more exuberant as I watch her look me up and down with squinted eyes. I'm like 14 in this body!!! What the hell does she mean old?! Yet alone sick and nasty!!"

"Daddy always said beggars can't be choosers." she responds with a sigh that makes it seem like she's the one doing me a favor. "But you have to promise to not be a weird, sick, nasty, pervert!" she demands while pointing at me in an accusing tone. Don't hit her. Don't hit her.

She holds out her pinkie and eyes seem to shine. Despite her previous words I can tell she's really excited. She's a brat but she is just a kid so I guess I can swallow my pride for now. I am a hero after all. What kind of one would I be if I left this situation like it is? I stick out my own pinkie and she interconnects them immediately with a wide smile.

"I promise." I relent with a roll of my eyes. I guess it can't hurt.