Most people can't see me, but Emily can. My name is Penelope, and Emily is my friend. Her mother says I'm her imaginary playmate, but that's only because her mama can't see me.

Sometimes it seems like I've been here forever, but other times, it is almost like all that bad stuff just happened. I only went to school two years, so I don't know much about dates. I remember we all had to print the date on our tablets. The last one I printed was October 20, 1876. I still remember. Emily said that was a time before her Mama was even born.

I was just eight when I got like I am now. I don't think I get to keep getting older like most people. I wanted to be big because Daddy was going to get me a pony when I was ten. But something terrible happened and ruined everything. My hateful cousin, Barnaby, pushed me out the attic window, because I was going to tell on him for stealing Mama's ring. He told everyone I fell, but that was a lie. That is when people stopped being able to see me. They had a funeral for me, and Mama cried and cried. I kept trying to tell her I was still here, but she couldn't see or hear me anymore.

Barnaby could see me though. I always went to his room at night, because after I died, he was scared of me. He'd scream something awful, and Aunt Bessie would come running. She'd tell him it was just a bad nightmare, but it wasn't. I liked to scare him. If I could have, I would have done more than that. He got a lot bigger, but he was still scared of me. I was glad when he finally went away. I think he might have went to the crazy house, cause I heard Aunt Bessie say he wasn't right, and they would need to send him away.

Mama was so sad about me. She didn't want to live here anymore. Finally, everyone moved away. I wanted to go too, but I couldn't leave. This is my home. It was empty a long time, and then some other people moved here. They had a dog, but when I tried to pet him, he would back away and growl. All his hair would stand straight up. Those people decided the house was haunted. They got a priest out here to do something with Holy Water. I think he was trying to get rid of me, but it didn't work. Then they got some weird lady. She said because I died violently, my spirit was trapped here. She kept telling me to go toward the light, but I didn't dare do that, because the bright light might have melted me. If I'd melted, I never would have met Emily.

Emily is the only one who has been nice to me in years. We play together when she's not in school. She says she's going 'Trick or Treating' tonight. She wants me to go with her, but I can't leave. Her mama bought her this ugly skull mask to wear. It is supposed to look like a dead person. I told her it's not right. I don't look like that thing. She says it doesn't matter, because the people with the candy don't know the difference.

I wish I could still eat candy. I'm going to try to talk Emily into mixing some of the rat poison in the pantry with some squished up candy. I'll bet it wouldn't taste so bad if she mashed it up with chocolate bars. Then she won't ever grow up, and she could always be here to play with me. She wouldn't have to go to school anymore, and I wouldn't have to be so lonely. I think it would be perfect for both of us. Don't you?