Disclaimer: I don't own The Paranorman. I don't own the picture (cover). Or the song.

(qwertuno and SilentReadersMatter)

(Hope you enjoy.)

The ghosts are friends despite all. Normal felt more at home with them than the human who are supposed to be family.

"Hey, Norman!"

A ghost waved cheerily. He smiled nervously and waved back, looking for any signs of humans eyeing him of strange occurrences.

There is none. Thank God.

"Hi, Miss!" He saluted whilst walking. "Glad to see your still hanging!"

She snorted, the ghost rolling her eyes playfully. A running that never seemed to get old. She enjoyed indulging the boy coming last every morning.

It's one of the highlights of the day.

"Hi, Norman! How's school?"

"Hi, Sargent!" Norman smiled at the ghost floating holding a shotgun in their hands. "I'm good! How's the battlefield?"

"The soldiers making fast." The ghost grumpily twisted the gun, bullets emptying with the purpose of replacing old ones. "But we will be victorious! And the enemy will lose!"

"Bet they will!" Normal gave a thumbs up, putting his hand on his heavy bag again to steady it. "I have to go school kid, see ya!"

"See ya, kid!"

Norman chuckled as the ghost fizzled. They had unfinished business and he honestly felt bad knowing some wouldn't finish what they started.

Talking to them at least lit up their day.

"Norman!"

"Hi, Mrs.Brisby." Norman laughed as the woman danced to pop music. Amusing as always. "Nice move you got there! Competitions better pick you or they'll be missing out!"

"Aren't you the flatterer? Come here!"

Norman helped as the ghost grabbed both arms. She spinner him in circles over and over again, vision eventually blurring as she used him as a partner.

"Yay!"

He forgot the minion the ghost looked maybe thirteen years old so she might have been obvious to his growing discomfort.

"Please!"

He begged, laughing. Norman started enjoying the little fun she introduced that morning. He indulged the desires and danced with the ghost.

"Freak!"

The call was enough to get his attention. Norman turned and saw people pointing, laughing and recording on their phones. He gasped in fear.

Oh no!

If uploaded, the video would result in more ridicule than what he already received. His chest turned and a repressed whimper forced its way out.

The dancing ghost paused her movements. Observing the commotion and humans daring to mock the one who she made a partner.

"Seeker?"

The ghost's voice sounded deeper. As if an unseen force possessed the dead. He shivered in anticipation, knowing what to coming next.

"Yes?" He asked softly, placing his bag on the street, walking to another curb. "Do it. I don't need this crap today."

The ghost nodded slowly. Suddenly giving an ungodly shriek, like a banshee's but so much higher pitched. The humans would regret their actions.

"AHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!"

The smiling ghost was replaced with a demonic grin and sighed gently. Wailing cracked all the street tiles. Humans recording the event were treated to bleeding ears and cracked screens. 

Gasping themselves, they shouted obscenities aimed at Norman. He tuned it all out for a bit until shaking on his shoulders brought his attention.

The dancing ghost's smile was back. She gestured to the humans who were now gone. Blood splattering the streets a little as blood poured earlier.

"No one hurts the seeker." Demonic voice took control. Then the normal returned. "Good luck at school, Norman!"

The ghost fizzled by the music leaving Norman to his thoughts and a shiver creeping up his spine. This total stranger made people's ears bleed because of a few names and he didn't wanna imagine what else others would cause if there was any other causes.

Norman shuddered as he collected hit bang. Standing and stretching, he travelled to the school one more with his own intention of not being late again. He didn't want detention again.

"Hey, Norman!"

"Hey, sir! I have to go school!"

***

Class is a nightmare.

"The freak's here!"

"I saw him talking to another ghost."

"Bet he's schizophrenic, means psychopath."

"Ewwwwwwwwwwww! Hehehe!"

Sitting down, Norman kept his eyes trained on books used to study the topics teacher usually chose to make their lives a little harder to live. For a moment, he wished to be a ghost to get outta here.

"QUIET!"

At last, the class obeyed. Voices hissing except those in the background Norman is cursed to hear until he actually does and he knows that isn't gonna happen for a long time.

"How dare they!"

"The seeker shouldn't be treated like this!"

"Henry the VIII has six wives..."

"We should make them pay~"

"The seeker should be dominant."

"And he killed them all..."

The teacher's voice faded into the background. Norman's pounding heart and the ghost's hushed whispers filled his hearing. Ears picking up nothing but the spirits gossip in how everyone would die.

It's disturbing and somewhat satisfying to hear.

"Seeker, seeker, seeker~"

A named formed over the years becoming a town known name amongst the supernatural folk wondering aimlessly in the afterlife.

The Seeker.

Norman didn't know who popped the name or even the first to spell it out to others. Just it clicked and now ghosts all over closed him that name as they deemed necessary in situations stuck as before when the couple targeted Normal for a cruel joke.

They'd learn their choices weren't best.

And that's if they got off lightly. Some ghosts aren't as merciful as others would like to be. Extended the cruelness of punishment to a whole new level.

Norman  never experienced the worst. Frankly, he swore, more praying that humans wouldn't anger the supernatural enough to evoke their wrath.

"That's how the second was murdered."

Children ghosts floated around the teaching making rude gestures too ludicrous to be described. Normal stifled tempting laugher, pretending it to be a simple cough placing his hand over his mouth.

"Why?.."

"She's booorrrrrrriiiiiinnnnnnnnggggg..."

The ghosts stretched the words thins as it could. The sitting student really tried not dying of laughter himself still pretending it to be a cough.

"Norman." The teacher lowered her glasses, looking pretentious as she flicked to the next page. "You need to go to the nurse?"

Norman eagerly took the opportunity. Jumping up and grabbing his bag rushing to the nurse's office. It was a place of salvation away from the humans.

"Thanks, Miss!"

The teacher rolled her eyes. Reading the next fact of the text book. Alvin eyed the door scowling and vowing the make Norman pay for skipping class.

He wanted to.

"Freak. Supernatural freak."

"Alvin!"

"Sorry, teach."

The teacher got back to the class once more.

***

The nurse isn't there thankfully.

Norman on the bed used primarily for patients either injured in gym or the halls due to bullies. Most came here because of the latter. The school never did anything about it.

"God, she's boring~"

The child spirit floated. It's twin missing by its side. The two are usually peas in a pod.

"You two are awful." Norman laughed quietly. "What were you thinking?"

"My siblings idea." The ghost shrugged upside down in the air. "I can't object. You laughed, out goal was complete. We hate those humans."

"I know, humans suck."

The fact Norman said humans instead did people really said who he hung out with more. Referring their one kind, the ghost noticed, he noticed.

None spoke of it.

"You might as well be amongst our kind." The child ghost muttered softly. "You'd do well with us instead of pathetic flesh bags you call family. You belong with us."

The ghost lifted Norman's chin so they'd make eye contact. He knew it was telling the truth and so could not deny that facts even if there wasn't much evidence to back it up. There was plenty to back it up.

That was the sad part.

"I know." Norman gently pushed its hand away. "I have to remain here. I'm not dead yet."

The ghost paused. Digesting those words and so Norman didn't all it out of its way of thoughts. And it didn't attempt either. Ghosts underhand Norman more than his one kind.

"I know. Your gonna die in years and be us."

Once again, the truth was sad.

***

Drama is also a nightmare to behold.

As usual, Norman's places as the weirdest part, some kind of civilian meant to be in danger. Running in circles in panic when the monster invaded.

He hates that part.

The drama teacher is droning on about some random piece of history Norman probably knew anyway. He tuned out what she was saying.

"Drama is the reason I died."

A ghost girl showed up. Eyes gouged out and arm missing. She crawled like a spider on the ceilings all over the teacher eyeing her as a piece of prey.

"That teacher criticised my moves. I hated her. She made me feel as if I was worthless."

She moved over the Norman. One leg attaching itself and others surroundings the boy in an embrace. This one is more sinister than others.

"I want revenge, I have unfinished business. I know you can hear me, little one. Don't pretend to not."

"What do the want?"

"The seeker to listen."

"...I'm listening."

"The seeker is to listen. Humans are garbage."

"NORMAN-...."

Alvin punched Norman to the floor. Norman landed with a soft thump, grunting light as he rose and sat with his legs pulled up to his chest.

"Worthless freak."

Screams of humans. Ghosts all over surrounded Alvin, angered by these turn of events. Suddenly able to be seen, someone screamed cowardly.

"They hurt the seeker."

One mumbled possessively. Fangs bared and launching at Alvin, missing as a little warning. He screamed as well backing away from Norman keeping eyes contact the whole time.

"Now the seeker's sad."

Ghosts circled everyone in the room. Norman was dragged to a corner to witness the carnage forming under the role of ghosts. No longer holding back.

"Please help-.."

The teacher is dragged to the floor. Pinned down by some and scared by others. Comments by there hissed translating into repeated phrases over weeks.

"Worthless child."

"Do the part again!"

"Norman, stop being Norman!"

Ghosts all over who met Norman knew they instant they'd been summoned was a sinister event. Attacking the kids out of command.

"Hurt Seeker, we hurt you."

Their tones changed. Switching from angelic to demonic. Dark sides taking over, having enough of their humans who can see hurt by the flesh bags who meant nothing to them all.

"Hurt seeker, we hurt you."

Alvin was dragged into a dark void where the demons probably hid. Norman's frame shook as it was soothed by the spider ghosts whispering hushed assurance of love and care.

He felt more cared for than his family did.

"Hurt seeker, WE HURT YOU."

The ghost reverted to their basic instinct. No longer humanised and punishing those who crossed the lines they set long before any of this.

"We protect, we help."

Norman only nodded to those assurances.

Children begged, children pleaded, children screamed of mercy. The ghosts proceeded without any mercy for their future punishments. All in here hurt Norman is some way or form.

Some were more conscious than others.

Such as Alvin who's demons tortured him with his one fears. Making him feel what Norman felt everyday when he tormented the poor kid.

Norman hadn't snapped. The ghosts who he spoke to and cared for snapped. Watching their human suffer brought an unspoken rule to life.

"Protect the seeker."

Attacking everyone who came near, Norman stayed back and covered his one laughter and grin. Hidden among all the chaos and noise so no one heard out.

He's glad and terrified.

The ghosts continued their attack. Searching the bullies and making them relive their worst memories. Now they know how Norman feels.

It's enough to the ghosts and they back down. Everyone in sight is afraid of what they've been shone and the spider ghosts sticks around.

"They know what we can do."

Norman smiled. The spider hugged him close, breath ivy in contrast of his one more warm breath on her ghostly skin. How she made contact he had no idea. A rule is unspoken.

And when it's broken, every ghost will enact the punishment those who can't learn from their mistakes and teach them respect boundaries and the rule they set and expected them humans to follow.

It's common curtesy. Why wouldn't humans be able to register one simple rule the ghosts set out? And you know what the rule is?

"Protect the seeker."