Gilly the Ghost’s Great Gift

Gilly was a tiny, glowing ghost. She lived in a dusty attic. Her skin was soft like silk. She had large, round blue eyes. A bright pink bow sat on her head. Gilly was a very shy ghost. She liked to stay in her corner. She played with old wooden toys. She read stories to her teddy bear. But Gilly was also very lonely. She wanted a friend to talk to. She wanted a friend to play with.

One night, the moon was huge. It looked like a giant glowing ball. It was Halloween night in the town. Gilly looked out her small window. She saw children walking on the street. They wore many bright, colorful costumes. Some were lions with big manes. Some were pink fairies with glitter wings. Gilly felt a spark of hope. "Maybe I can go out," she said. "Maybe I can find a friend."

Gilly floated down the long stairs. She went through the heavy door. The night air was crisp and cool. The orange leaves crunched on the ground. Gilly saw a group of children. They were laughing and holding bags. Gilly floated toward a tall astronaut. "Hello," Gilly said in a soft voice. The astronaut turned around quickly. He saw Gilly’s glowing white face. "A ghost!" the boy shouted loudly. He ran away as fast as he could.

Gilly felt a little bit sad. She saw a girl dressed as a bee. The girl had yellow and black stripes. Gilly waved her small, pale hand. "Will you play?" Gilly asked nicely. The girl dropped her plastic flower. She ran to her mother's side. "I saw a ghost!" she cried out. Gilly let out a tiny sigh. She sat on a cold stone bench. She adjusted her pretty pink bow. "Why are they so afraid?" she asked. "I am a very nice ghost."

Gilly watched the party from afar. There was music and bright lights. There were games and sweet cakes. But Gilly sat all by herself. Then, she heard a quiet sound. It was the sound of someone crying. Gilly looked near the tall oak tree. A small boy was sitting there. He wore a bright red cape. He had short, messy brown hair. He wore blue jeans and sneakers. His face was buried in his hands.

Gilly floated over to the boy. She was very nervous and shy. "Are you okay?" Gilly asked him. The boy looked up at her. His eyes were red from crying. He did not run away from her. He saw her big blue eyes. He saw her friendly pink bow. "I lost my candy," the boy said. "The bag fell in the dark grass." He pointed toward the thick bushes. It was very dark over there. The boy was too scared to go.

"I can find it," Gilly said. She wanted to be very helpful. Gilly was not afraid of the dark. She was a ghost, after all. She floated into the tall grass. Her white body lit up the ground. She looked under every single leaf. She looked behind every big rock. Finally, she saw something very bright. It was a large bag of candy. It had chocolates and lollipops inside.

Gilly grabbed the heavy bag. She flew back to the boy. "Is this yours?" she asked softly. The boy’s face lit up with joy. "Yes! You found it!" he cheered. He took the bag from Gilly. "Thank you for helping me," he said. "My name is Leo. Who are you?" Gilly smiled a very wide smile. "I am Gilly," she replied happily. Leo stood up and shook her hand. Her hand felt like a soft cloud.

"Come with me, Gilly," Leo said. "Let's go to the big party." Gilly followed Leo to the park. The other children saw them coming. They saw the ghost and the boy. "Don't run," Leo told his friends. "This is Gilly. She is very kind." The children looked at Gilly’s bow. They saw her helping Leo. They realized she was not scary. They gave Gilly a tall blue chair. They shared their cookies with her.

Gilly played games all night long. She played tag with the lion. She danced with the little bee. She was not a lonely ghost anymore. She was the star of the party. She had found many new friends. Gilly was happy she was brave. She was happy she was kind. The moon watched over the park. Everyone was smiling and having fun.

A little kindness can turn a stranger into a friend.