Submission (#561) Approved

In front of the graveyard entrance, a young Luminite paced back and forth as he contemplated if he really wanted to enter the graveyard. Leigh has never been very good with dealing with scary things - heaven knows how much effort it took for him to work up the courage to come here in the first place. The distant call of a lone Nychtispirit, the quiet flutter of an Owllet’s wing, the shadow something cast as it glided across the night sky… Every little sound he heard, or movement he saw, made Leigh nervous. W-What if a ghost a-actually did appear? The rumours did say hauntings were a possibility for anyone who dared disrespect the graves of the departed! …The young luminite shivered at the thought. M-Maybe he should just leave? Maybe it wasn’t too late to go home now. A warm cup of chocolate milk would certainly calm his nerves…

Nudge, nudge.

Leigh froze in place as a chill instantly ran through his stardust. Someone - No, something - was right behind him. Hesitantly, he turned around. Right next to him was a semi-translucent, blob-like creature, hovering silently as it stared right into the Luminite’s eyes. A-A-A g-ghost! Leigh wanted to scream, but no sound came out of him. Instinctively, he backed away, only to end up stumbling. The ghost was approaching him, and all Leigh could do was close his eyes, bracing himself for what was to come.

“D-D-Don’t hurt me please I’ll g-give you all the fresh milk I have on me!!””

…No reply. Tentatively, Leigh opened his eyes. The ghost was mere inches away from him, but didn't appear to have any intention of attacking him. Instead, it circled around him, seemingly curious about the graveyard's newest visitor. Actually, the longer Leigh looked at the ghost, the… cuter it appeared? With its translucent wispy shape, it reminded him of steam rising from a warm mug of coffee. Feeling slightly braver now, Leigh decided to speak up.

“H-Hello!” There was still a hint of shakiness as he addressed the ghost, who stopped and tilted its head at him. “Would you happen to know, um, a good spot for grave farming, around here?”

The ghost seemed to think for a moment. Soon, it circled Leigh once more before heading into the graveyard. Was it trying to lead him somewhere…?

Following the spirit, Leigh reached a sheltered spot by the edge of the graveyard. The soil underpaw was surprisingly soft, and he could feel a certain dampness in the air. In other words, this was perfect for produce that thrives in the dark. The ghost wasted no time, nudging Leigh slightly, encouraging him to try it out. But Leigh was confused - how should he even start?

As if understanding his confusion, the ghost made an ethereal call. All of a sudden, ghosts rose from their graves and gathered around. The graveyard was suddenly filled with life, as ironic as it might sound, and Leigh found himself surprisingly at ease. The ghosts discussed amongst themselves, and eventually nodded towards each other. They gestured to the best of their abilities, guiding him on what to do next. Leigh followed their instructions, and although he couldn’t understand a word the ghosts said, he managed to successfully prepare the spot for cultivation, and planted the ghost berry seeds he’d brought along. It wasn’t until he yawned that he realized that it was past his usual bedtime - in other words, it was time to go home.

“Oh…! It’s so late already…?”

He waved goodbye to the ghosts, and turned to exit the graveyard. As he left, a spring in his paws, he found himself looking forward to meeting his new ghost friends again tomorrow.

…Maybe ghosts weren’t so scary after all!

Reward	Amount
Graveyard Key	1
Grave Trowel	1
Ghostberry Cream Cookie (Recipe)	1
Farm Points	10
QuBits	410