| Ghost of a Chance, Part Three With timid steps, the living girl lead her spectral companion out of the graveyard the following morning. The two girls were nervously trembling, both of them half-expecting Beatrice to fade away on the spot. No such thing occurred however, and so the two began to walk into town. It might seem dangerous to simply let young children walk where they will, but this area had a laid-back and carefree attitude that was devoid of most crime. Chrissie's mother thought it was 'suspiciously happy' but Chrissie loved that this part of the world was still able to relax. Chrissie showed her companion all sorts of places in the town, passing a diner as well as several other eateries. The place of their first date was eventually chosen: A happy-looking corner cafe. The waitress eyed the pale girl beside Chrissie with hesitancy, but it passed as she asked for their order. Chrissie looked over at Beatrice, nervous as she didn't want to offend her but not quite sure if ghosts were able to eat. The blue-eyed girl simply smiled at the waitress cheerily and ordered herself and sandwich. Wanting to share so they could be closer, Chrissie ordered the same and moved to sit beside her companion. Beatrice gently reached up, gently running her fingers through Chrissie's hair. Ever since she'd toyed with it earlier, it would seem she was for the moment infatuated with the short red locks. Chrissie didn't mind at all, flushing darkly as the affectionate touches continued. "How are we able to buy food without money?" The ghost mused, thinking that she couldn't have been dead so long that they no longer used money. "Kids always eat free on Friday nights~..." Chrissie said, her voice dream-like as her companion toyed with her hair. --------------------- The cook in the back worked on the sandwiches as though they were an art, he always took cooking very seriously. His wife was close at hand, supplying him with any of the ingredients he needed. The two seemed to work in perfect sync despite the fact that they were well on in years. When the order was done, the cook's wife reached down and picked up the sandwich. "I'll take this one out myself, dear." She said to her husband, who merely nodded. When she'd left, he sat back in a chair in the kitchen and sighed. His cafe hardly ever saw customers anymore, he wondered who it could possibly be. More prevalent on his mind, however, was the fact that today was an important day to him. He was waiting for his wife to return so they could leave and pay respect to the occasion, when he heard a shriek and the dropping of a tray from outside the kitchen, as well as two small voices. "A-are you okay, Miss?" "Yeah, what's the matter?" -------------------- When he left his kitchen, never in the world did he imagine he'd see what his eyes came to rest on. A pale image of a little girl sat in the both hand-in-hand with another girl. "B-button?" He asked of her, using her familiar pet name. Beatrice's eyes suddenly widened with fright and she grabbed Chrissie's hand, running out of the restaurant with her companion in tow. Confused and still a bit absent, Chrissie simply allowed herself to be pulled until the ghost girl came to a stop. She turned to her spectral companion, her hand on her shoulder. "What's the matter? Why did that man call you 'Button'?" "O-only people I love, w-who love me can call me Button. I-it was daddy's name for me... That was my father. If he sees me, if I know he's being taken care of... That's my reason for staying, I might disappear!" Chrissie didn't quite understand but knew she didn't want her companion to vanish, grimly hugging onto her. "I don't want to pass on..." Beatrice said sorrowfully, clinging to her companion and nuzzling her neck. "I want you, I want this..." Chrissie was not sure of how to calm her companion, but when they turned their heads to look at each-other she let instinct rule as she found a way to silence Beatrice's fears for the time being: She pressed her lips gently into the ghosts, like she'd seen her own mother do with people she loved before. Beatrice was shocked into silence, but her gentle flush showed she wasn't unhappy and after awhile she began to press her lips back in desperation. It wasn't a deep kiss, it wasn't an experienced passionate kiss, but that single intimate gesture expressed volumes between the girls and glimmering affection shone in both of their eyes when they separated. "Don't worry, Button." Chrissie said with a warm smile, "It'll be okay." Their warm moment was cut short when they heard footsteps behind them, and the girls took off into the city. "We might as well look around more if we're going to be running..." Beatrice said with a small smile, and Chrissie agreed with a smile of her own. ------------------- "It can't have been real," Penelope mused, helping her husband clean the mess. Her father knew better, but he seemed a lot happier than anyone might have expected. The girl with his Button was taking care of her, and she was happy. It was all that mattered to the father, and his new high-spirited attitude brought in more than a few customers that afternoon. ------------------ That night Chrissie walked Beatrice back to the graveyard, giving her the last hug of the evening. "So, was it a good date?" Chrissie asked, tilting her head and waiting for an answer. Beatrice nodded with a gentle smile and soon the girls parted for the night. Beatrice sat in front of her headstone, pulling the sleeve of her spectral garment back to see what she'd been hiding from Chrissie out of sorrow since the escape of the cafe: Seeing her father and Penelope happy together had put her affairs in order, she was starting to fade away. |