~History Repeats Itself~

Chapter 12

“Hey, Uncle Stretch? Are you okay?” Casper asked with growing concern as they hid away in the attic. “I oughta be asking you that, shortsheet..” Stretch’s voice still revealed his pain from inside, making Casper feel heartbroken. “C’mon, Uncle..” He put his arm over the lanky ghost’s shoulder reassuringly. “Well I..I just feel so guilty..” Stretch was choked up with tears, using his tail as a hankerchief. “Why? You don't have to be..”
“But I deserve to be..” Little did Stretch know that his nephew wasn't the only one listening to him at the moment. “Stretch? Can we come in?” Stinkie asked from outside, softly knocking on the door to prevent from intruding again. “No, ya can't!” Stretch took a small box next to him and tossed it at the door. He ignored the mumbles outside once he saw something fall out of it. “What the-” He floated over to it and picked up an old photo. He instantly recognized the human form of himself holding his seven year old nephew at the time being, not to mention his two brothers smiling at the camera beside him. “What’s that, Uncle Stretch?” Casper asked innocently.
“Ya remember this?” He handed the photo to the boy. Casper beamed at it, and then to his uncle. “How could I forget, Uncle Stretch..”
Stretch gently lifted his nephew and sat him on his lap. “Yea, that's a good boy..but you always were, ya know that?” He was embarrassed to admit, being quick to change the subject. “Say, don’t ya go telling the boys I said it, ya hear?”
“Yeah, uh huh..” Casper smirked playfully. Stretch began to instinctively examine him for marks or bruises, due to him being harshly grasped earlier. He realized it was as if he had experience with it from the time of being alive. “Did them two stooges hurt ya before?” He questioned with already growing suspicion. “Nah..I'm alright..” Casper replied, not wanting his uncle to worry anymore than he already was. However he wasn't convinced. “C’mon now, tell your Uncle Stretch..and we'll make it all better, alright? How's that sound?” Stretch jokingly morphed himself to appear as if he were wearing a nurse's uniform, causing Casper to chuckle good-naturedly. “Yeah..thanks..” Then Stretch gently touched a large black and blue mark on Casper's arm. “Hurts...” He winced. Stretch gazed into his nephew’s eyes with concern. “Yea? Ya alright?” But before he could answer, Stinkie and Fatso slowly floated through the attic door with their heads bent down, facing the floor. Stretch glared at them coldly. “Whaddya two morons want now?”
“We're sorry, Stretch..” Said Stinkie and Fatso in unison. “We..we didn't think it'd get ya that upset..” Stinkie continued, unsure if his words were helping the situation.
“Oh, yea? Well dun say sorry to me, how about saying it to him?” Stretch pointed to Casper who was eyeing the floor nervously. Stinkie and Fatso carefully approached the frightened boy, under Stretch's watchful eye. The young ghost whimpered in fear while floating away from them. “Hey it’s okay bulbhead, we ain't gonna hurt ya, right Fatso?” Stinkie said carefully.
“I'm with you all the way..” He replied softly.
“You won’t?” Casper's voice was barely a whisper, as he still refused to trust them. But the two older ghosts ceased to answer, due to their shock of finding the several bruises on the boy's ghostly body just as Stretch previously did. “What the heehaw?!” Stinkie exclaimed, clearly shaken with confusion. Stretch instantly saw their jaws drop. “Take a closer look, will ya?” He ordered. “Why?” Stinkie asked, exchanging confused expressions with Fatso. “Cuz I said so, now do it!” Stinkie and Fatso obeyed their oldest brother’s command and flew closer to Casper, further examining him. “It's no big deal Uncle Stretch, honest!” He grinned sheepishly. But after just a few moments of silence, their mesmerized expressions faded away and were replaced with grief upon glancing back at Stretch. “Just like what Dad used to do with us..” Stinkie recalled hesitantly. “Only different..” Fatso added. “Ya know, I'm too depressed to smack you.” Stretch said to his rounder brother, rolling his eyes. “But I think the point is, we turned into what we hated, right?” Stinkie pointed out shamefully with a shrug. “Yea, but especially me..” Stretch admitted. Stinkie put his hand on his tall brother's shoulder. “But ya were the foist to see this..”
“And I would've never seen it without you, Stretch!” Fatso added.
“To be honest with you boys..” Stretch floated up to them and lowered his voice to remain out of his nephew's earshot. “Look at him..he's a good kid. Just like J.T. too. He dun even deserve to be treated bad, the lil’ bulbhead.”
Stinkie and Fatso both nodded in understanding, looking to the little ghost who was gazing into the photo at the moment. “Hey whatcha got there, bulbhead?” Stinkie asked, suddenly becoming curious. Casper faced the photo toward them, revealing yet another long lost memory from their pastlives. Then the friendly ghost unexpectedly flew up to them and threw his arms around his three uncles. “I love you guys!” Casper cried in delight.
“Well um..we uh..love you too..” The Trio replied, returning the group hug despite sounding slightly embarrassed. Yet later in that night when their day had finally come to a close, the Trio had tucked into their beds as usual, but this time there was another one there to join them. Their nephew was snuggled into Stretch's lap, and was being lulled into a peaceful rest by his uncle's soft humming. “Maybe I oughta try this on the Doc next time, in that session tomorrow..” Stretch mused, looking to his brothers who had also been put to sleep by his soothing hums. That night was certainly the most memorable one in the four ghost’s afterlives.