Ready or not, here I come! Ahiyan shouts, pulling his hands away from his eyes.
A blue shimmer darts between the swings and vanishes inside the yellow slide with a soft whistle.
Ahiyan stomps over in his red sneakers and crouches at the slide's mouth.
He peers into the dark tube and hears a tiny giggle echoing from the far end. Found you!
Ahiyan reaches his arm deep inside. The glow bobs left, right, left again — always just out of reach.
Just as Ahiyan's fingers brush the shimmer, a loud CRASH cracks through the playground, followed by a muffled ow.
Ahiyan gasps and drops to his knees. The playground suddenly feels very quiet.
Ahiyan fumbles in his pocket and pulls out a wrapped lemon candy, offering it with both hands.
His ghost friend takes the sweet, and his glow brightens — steady and warm, like a nightlight.
Ahiyan holds out his palm, and the little ghost wraps his small hand inside.
Their shadows stretch together across the empty playground as the sky turns purple.
The playground is quiet now, but Ahiyan doesn't mind. He has a new friend.
