Chapter 1: A Childhood

Six years passed.

The summer had finally arrived. The mundane routine of school was now left in the dust as children burst from their classrooms, rushing to play in the sun's sight. Kids everywhere shared a similar expression; happiness crossed their faces as three months of freedom greeted them. It was rare to see a child in a gloomy mindset for summer vacation and all it's glory. Nonetheless, that rare sight was to be seen on this day.

Children ditched their uniforms, on the grass before the school building; ties, sweaters, backpacks and binders lay sprawled before the lawn. Kids danced with no music, sung praise to the vacation, and cried joyous tears. Overlooking this scene of summer merriment, Michael stood at the school's second floor balcony. His eyes, looking lazily over the children, stared off at the joy he cannot possess. He knew why he would never share the same emotions, the same happiness that a normal child could.

The answer was right beside him. The spirit laid a hand on his shoulder, ever so gently. This was a newer ghost than the spirit that had followed him when he was eight. Now, at the age of fourteen, a different specter had graced his presence. The spirit is a woman - or, was. She had midnight black hair crawling up her shoulders and down her upper back. Her eyes were grayed with untold age, yet her face was devoid of wrinkles, casting the image of a young teenager about her. The soft hand resting on Michael's shoulder withdrew itself to cross arms over the spirit's chest.

"Look at those pathetic whelps..." she hissed. "Be glad you are not subject to a life like theirs. Meaningless and short, with little moments of happiness in between." Here, she stretched a hand to point at Michael. "You, Michael, should be grateful for what fate has given you." She laughed quietly.

Michael sulked in silence, watching the children enviously. He craved to experience bliss once more, but the emotion was robbed of him at the meadow. Oh, the meadow... curse the meadow. You were supposed to stay with me forever, Taylor. It was only a little bit of rain. Once you left, well that's a different story. Michael swallowed back tears and tried to banish the memory of the dark figure in the field.

The spirit cast its eyes to the nearby street. Cars were beginning to rush home with children scrambling in the backseats. The school's parking lot bustled with activity: children ran, parents shouted for little ones, and children reached for door handles scalding to the touch. The spirit snickered at each jolt of pain. "Clumsy oafs. Be glad you're not one of them," she inquired.

"You know what you must do, right?" She glanced at the rush of traffic once more. "I believe now is the right time to do so." Michael nodded solemnly.

The spirit let out a wicked laughter. She craned her head back and let the sound echo to the sky. She calmed down as her laughter grew weak. Michael, feeling obliged, laughed weakly as well. He stared with moisture building under his eyes out to the parking lot. A girl with shining brown hair and light blue eyes hustled into a car, slamming the door as she entered. The man in the front seat, her father, chatted idly; somewhere in the conversation, the girl smiled. Her dimples flashed along with her white teeth.

A tear ran down the side of Michael's face. He choked back the tears again. "Yeah. I know what to do." The spirit's eyes flickered from child to child, glimpsing at the bleak futures each had before them.