Chapter 3

There was a time when Hannah had been a proud but soft-hearted young girl as well.

After school, she would watch cartoons with me and play games with me.

My favorite game was Red Light, Green Light. But one day, while we were playing outside, Hannah had just shouted "Red light!" when one of her classmates called her over to ask about homework.

I stood there alone, waiting for ages, and that was when a stranger snatched me up. As I struggled frantically, I banged my head against a sharp corner nearby. The stranger dropped me and ran.

When Mom and Dad found out that I had become a fool, they got a divorce. Hannah was the one who took on the responsibility of taking care of me, even though she was small and weak herself.

But even a fool like me knew that none of this was Hannah's fault.

Hannah should have been free as a bird, able to do whatever she pleased. She shouldn't have been tied down by someone like me, turning her into a person who was too scared to even confess her love to the guy she liked.

I knew that if Blake hadn't made the first move, Hannah would've just spent her whole life admiring him from afar, sincerely wishing him happiness.

My heart ached. I looked up at the wind chimes swaying in the breeze.

Seeing the tear in the corner of Hannah's eye, I reached out to wipe it away, but all I touched was nothing. Thankfully, Blake was here.

"Hannah, I'd love to have a home with you," he said. "As long as I have you, nothing else matters."

"But other things matter to me." Turning around, Hannah buried herself in Blake's arms. "I can't even keep the simplest promise… Oliver will always be the most important person to me… He ended up like this because of me. I have to spend the rest of my life making it up to him."

No! That wasn't true! I shook my head frantically, wanting to scream at her that she was wrong.

I might be slow, but I could take care of myself. And if Hannah just taught me how to use the appliances, I could take care of Grandma, too.

She must not give up on Blake because of me.

Hannah was crying harder now, sounding as though she was going to cry her heart out. "Sometimes I wish I were the one who got snatched that day. Then I wouldn't have had to carry such a heavy burden.

"The last time Oliver snuck out, I actually thought that if he got lost, it would be better if he never came back. Blake, am I a terrible person?"

I froze for a moment, suddenly remembering the last time I had snuck out.

I usually did exactly what Hannah told me to do and never left the yard. But that day, there was a dog outside mauling a stray cat that Blake often fed.

In my mind, if Blake was sad, then Hannah would be sad too. And if Hannah was sad, then I would be sad as well.

So, to keep everyone from being sad, I snuck out and chased the dog away.

I ran a bit too far, though. I had to ask a lot of people to find my way back home. So this was what Hannah had been thinking this whole time.

My chest tightened with pain, but I was quick to console myself.

It was okay. I wouldn't be a burden to her anymore. Now that I was a ghost, I could blow on the wind chimes for her. The tinkling sounded really nice.

Thank goodness Blake managed to cheer her up.

After putting together a delicious meal, they set everything on the table. Hannah wiped away her tears before knocking on my door. "Oliver, dinner's ready."

Oh dear, I was a ghost now. Could ghosts eat?

Hannah didn't get an answer.

Just as she was about to come in, she noticed the lump beneath my blanket through the window and stopped.

Seeing her turn and walk away, I let out a sigh of relief. Good thing I was smart enough to stuff a doll under the covers.

With this, Hannah would think I was sleeping soundly in my room.