Chapter 2
Bill hoisted me up, his jaws stretching open so wide I could see every razor-sharp tooth.
He looked like he could swallow me whole.
I made a little "whoosh" sound as I blew air at him.
I even reached up and gently wiped the sweat from his brow.
"Bill, if I keep blowing on you, you won't feel hot anymore," I said.
Bill was sweating buckets. He must've been roasting in this heat.
I kept blowing on him, really trying to help him cool down.
I didn't catch the surprise in his eyes.
He clamped his mouth shut and gently put me back down on the ground.
Whew, that was close. His drool almost dripped out.
He stared at the wounds on my body for a while.
Finally, he tossed a box my way.
Inside were some meds and bandages for patching myself up.
I'd never used any of this stuff before.
Back home, even when I was beaten nearly death, my foster parents never gave me so much as a Band-Aid.
But if my brother got a tiny scrape, they'd freak out and rush him to the hospital.
This was the first time anyone had ever cared about me.
It was just a little thing, but it made me feel warm inside.
I sniffled, hugged Bill's leg, and said sincerely, "Thank you for caring about me, Bill. I'm so happy!"
Bill's fierce face softened all of a sudden.
The old ghost let out a sigh.
He placed me gently on a chair, then crouched down and carefully bandaged my wounds.
It felt just like a grandpa fussing over his little granddaughter.
The chat was flooded with question marks.
[Oh my god. Is this for real?]
[Why does this feel like a parenting channel now? Where's the scary ghost? Bill, go full monster already! Get back to your job!]
[Thumbs up to anyone who can say no to Milly. Me? Thumbs down. I'm totally weak for her.]
*****
Night fell.
The players waiting by the community gate were getting antsy.
Adam Ostrom, the guy who tossed me into the neighborhood, was frowning.
"Why hasn't the death notification for that little pest popped up yet?" Adam grumbled.
Every night, Bill needed to devour someone.
As long as he'd had his fill, the rest could enter the neighborhood safely.
Just as he finished speaking, the game announced, "Night's here. Players, pick your rooms. Anyone not inside the neighborhood in ten minutes will be wiped out.
"Players still alive: 6.5."
"Damn, that little brat's actually still alive!" Adam spat. "Let's see what kind of tricks she's got up her sleeve to keep herself alive."
When Adam walked into the security office, I was already fast asleep.
Bill had made me a little bed and was quietly singing a lullaby.
I always used to sleep in a doghouse.
But tonight, for the very first time, I got to curl up in a soft, cozy bed.
No more worrying about thunder or rain soaking me.
No more waking up scared in the middle of the night.
I whispered, "Thank you, Bill. You're really good to me."
Inside the office, it was all calm and serene.
Meanwhile, outside, Adam was totally baffled.
Adam blurted out, "Huh?" before he could stop himself.
I frowned at the noise, and Bill glanced at me before hurrying outside.
He shut the door behind him, growling through gritted teeth, "Who told you you could make a sound?"
Adam's eyes went wide with terror. He tried to scream, but before he could, there was a loud snap.
Adam was killed quietly.
The chat exploded.
[Serves him right. That jerk tried to throw Milly under the bus and use her as cannon fodder.]
[Bill is really spoiling Milly. I swear, this is the first time I've ever seen a ghost act so gentle. Am I going crazy or what?]
*****
The next morning, the game announced, "Players still alive: 4.5."
Blinking sleepily, I rubbed my eyes as my stomach started rumbling loud enough to make me blush.
Clutching my belly in embarrassment, I peeked around to see if anyone had noticed.
I hope nobody heard that.
Back home, I was always starving.
I never had a proper meal, so going hungry was normal for me.
Trying not to let my hunger show, I smiled and greeted Bill, "Good morning, Bill!"
Bill glanced at my flat belly, then eyed the food in the room.
There was a plate of pasta topped with some oddly-shaped meat.
After a brief pause, he picked up the plate and, in a gentle voice, told me, "Wait for me."
With that, he headed further inside the house.
Bill tracked down the remaining players, clutching the plate of pasta in one hand and grabbing them by the throat with the other.
"Hand over your food," he demanded.
The players went pale with fear.
"Food? What food?" one of them blurted out.
People in the chat started chatting again.
[The players probably were wondering what food Bill meant. After all, they were supposed to be his food.]
[What's Bill doing out in broad daylight?]
[Pretty sure he's out hunting for something Milly can actually eat. No way a human could stomach ghost chow.]
The next second, Bill handed the plate of pasta to one of the players.
"Since you took my stuff, hand over your food," he growled.
Inside the instance, everyone was stuck eating dry rations, barely managing to fill their stomachs.
But now, there was a steaming hot plate of pasta topped with juicy meat right in front of them.