Clarry The Shy Ghost

In a cozy old house on Maple Street lived a very special ghost named Clarry. But Clarry wasn't like other ghosts at all. He didn't try to scare people - instead, Clarry got scared of almost everything! Loud noises made him jump. Sudden movements made him hide. And people? Well, people made Clarry so nervous that he would turn completely invisible and float up to the ceiling! For a long time, Clarry lived all by himself in the quiet house. He liked the peaceful mornings when birds sang softly outside. He enjoyed the gentle afternoons when dust danced in the sunbeams. Everything was calm and quiet, just the way Clarry liked it. But one sunny day, a big moving truck rumbled up to his house. "Oh my!" squeaked Clarry, and he quickly hid behind the old grandfather clock. A family was moving in! There was a mom, a dad, and a little girl with curly hair and a bright yellow backpack. Clarry peeked out nervously. He had always dreamed of having friends, but he was far too shy and scared to say hello. The family bustled around, unpacking boxes and arranging furniture. Every sound made poor Clarry jump! SLAM! went a door. "Oh!" squeaked Clarry, zipping behind the curtains. BEEP! BEEP! went the smoke detector when Dad burned the toast. "Eek!" cried Clarry, diving under the stairs. ACHOO! Dad sneezed so loudly that Clarry jumped and tumbled right out of his hiding spot behind the bookshelf! "What was that?" asked Mom, looking around. "Just the old house settling," said Dad with a smile. But Clarry felt terrible. He wanted to help his new housemates, but he was too frightened to let them see him. So Clarry came up with a wonderful idea - he would be a secret helper! Day after day, Clarry found gentle ways to help his new family. When the little girl dropped her crayons, he quietly picked them up. When Mom couldn't find her reading glasses, he moved them somewhere she could easily spot them. When Dad left his coffee mug too close to the edge of the counter, Clarry carefully nudged it to safety. "This house is amazing!" Mom said one morning. "It's like everything takes care of itself!" Clarry felt warm and happy inside. He was helping, even if they didn't know it was him. As the days passed, Clarry learned that the little girl's name was Lucy. He could see that Lucy was starting at a new school and feeling nervous about it - just like Clarry felt nervous about meeting new people! She would sit by her bedroom window with a worried look on her face, and Clarry wished he could tell her that everything would be okay. Then one evening, a big thunderstorm rumbled into town. Thunder crashed and lightning flashed outside, and Clarry was absolutely terrified! Storms were one of the things that scared him most. He quickly floated up to Lucy's bedroom and hid behind her curtains, shaking like a leaf. BOOM! went the thunder, extra loud. Clarry couldn't help it - he let out a tiny, scared "Eep!" Lucy looked up from her book. She walked quietly to the curtains and gently pulled them back. There was Clarry, looking very small and scared, with his ghostly hands covering his eyes. "Oh!" said Lucy softly. "You're scared of thunder too!" Clarry peeked through his fingers. Lucy didn't look scared of him at all. She looked... understanding. "I get scared of loud noises too sometimes," Lucy whispered. "Are you the one who's been helping us?" Clarry nodded shyly. Lucy smiled the kindest smile. "Thank you for taking such good care of us. Would you like to sit with me until the storm passes?" And so Clarry floated down like a soft cloud and sat beside Lucy (though he stayed mostly see-through, just in case). She read her book quietly while he listened to her calm voice, and somehow the thunder didn't seem quite so scary anymore. From that day on, Clarry and Lucy were secret best friends. Lucy would whisper "Good morning, Clarry" when she woke up, and leave little drawings for him on her windowsill. Clarry would help her find her lost socks and make sure her nightlight never burned out. When Lucy felt nervous about school, Clarry would leave a small flower from the garden on her desk to remind her that someone cared. When Clarry got startled by the vacuum cleaner, Lucy would quietly say, "It's okay, Clarry. It's just Mom cleaning." Lucy never told her parents about Clarry - it was their special secret. Her family just thought they lived in a very lucky, helpful house. And Clarry? Well, Clarry finally had what he'd always wanted - a true friend who understood that it was okay to be shy, and that being gentle and kind was the very best way to be. Every night, Lucy would whisper, "Goodnight, Clarry. Thank you for being my friend." And though no one else could hear it, Clarry would whisper back, "Goodnight, Lucy. Thank you for not being scared of me." In the cozy house on Maple Street, a shy little ghost and a kind little girl had found the perfect friendship. The End.