Grim Grinning Ghosts

“I’m… getting married.” Freya said as she stared ahead, eyes not really focusing on anything, she had spoken with her parents earlier but through all the anger she had hardly processed what it actually meant until now.

“Congratulations...or condolences. I don’t really know how to read you and this situation.”

“Through my life I’ve heard the phrase if walls could talk but boooy, what they really should be worried about are plants… Seriously… I’m kinda ashamed now and feel like I should apologize to uhm a couple of trees.”

“Part of me is telling myself not to ask why you should be apologizing to trees. The other part of me is just really curious as to why.”

“You haven’t heard any progress on fixing this dumb element thing, have you?  I’m getting really sick of not having my earth magic.”  Granted, Isabel was developing an understanding of the unclaimed but it was not something she wanted to live with forever.

“Nope, no idea when any of it’ll be fixed. If I could, I would gladly give you the earth magic I got stuck with. I don’t remember having this much trouble with fire when I first got it.”

“I haven’t quite gotten to the whole tree step, but I”m hoping to have this figured out before I get there.” He smiled. “But maybe there is a way to make the tree go?” 

“I wish I had meant to do it. It just kind of happened and none of the spirits I’ve talked to have really been in the helping mood.”

“It may be inconvenient, but it’s also a major oportunity to learn about one another.” he said as he found himself landing on th ground again. “And flying isn’t the worse thing.”

“Air wouldn’t have been so bad. I don’t know how I feel about earth though. There’s been more mishaps than I would have liked.”

“Whaaat, really?! Thank you so much! I’m gonna look after Terry for sure, do you have any hedgehog housekeeping tips though?”

“I have cat housekeeping tips. I don’t think those will help too much though. I can only imagine they like some kind of a wheel like hamsters have. I’ll ask around when I get the food for you.”

“While I have never had a problem with plants, but I don’t know how I feel about them growing around me…” 

“You and me both. There is a small tree in my office now and I don’t know how to get it out besides getting a chainsaw.”

“Nah I poked holes in the box and everything, I just… don’t know what hedgehogs eat? I googled it and everyone says dog food but I can’t go out and get dog food cause then they’re gonna bust me for having a pet. Please don’t take Terry away from me.” 

“I’m not taking Terry away from you. All of you kids could have pets if it was up to me. It’s probably a good thing it’s not. Anyway, I will get you food for your hedgehog. You just have to promise me that you won’t get it killed.”

“Oh come on, that was at least 10. ……—sooo umm, there was a hedgehog wondering around on campus and I might have… put him in a little box and kept him because he was cute and wouldn’t stop following me…”

“Stop. Just...you forgot to poke holes in the box didn’t you? Or did you forget to feed him? None of the situations going through my head end in any kind of remotely positive way.”

“Errr, no?” his voice rose a few octaves higher.  “It should be fine… totaaaally fiine…” It was not fine.

“That was approximately...five percent convincing. Mostly due to the fact that I’m not blind or deaf. So, what’s happened?”

“Ooooh no… Did I just… hooookaay, shit.”

“What did you...should I be concerned about whatever happened? Are you okay?”