The Secret Friends

Secrets so secret we dare not share from our friends who are not really there My little brother sees them the most in his little head, he thinks them ghost One is a pretty lady with a shrill laugh the other a short fat fellow with sense to lack The woman never smiles with her eyes so pale the fellow is jolly and arrives with a chill Our parents cannot see them and wonder why my little brother and I whisper and seem to hide We go out to the pond and stand by the reeds my little brother sees her first and grows weak in the knees A sound like old soft music hums in the breeze then a coolness as we chuckle for the fat fellow sneezed We can't move for we are bewitched by her stare over the pond, the wind blows her dark raven hair Something unseen tugs me to step towards the water's edge suddenly I see her sweet smile and the fat fellow ridge Another step and I almost slip into the water below but my little brother pulls me back at the gasp of the fellow The lady vanishes while biting her lip and the little fellow fades as he turns and trips My brother warns me lets tell mom I shake my head and assure him to be calm Days to weeks to months go by and the two secret friends become a forgotten lullaby Our parents don't worry for we boys seem normal again as my brother and I laugh and play without those friends Then one summer's eve my brother froze in silent fright a deep chill seemed to swallow the night We both saw the little fat fellow alone waving us on to further leave our home Go to the woods for we have more secrets to share follow me boys, don't be babies acting scared I step forward but fall to my face as my brother trips me and begs our escape I look at him with scorn and raise my hand to strike than goosebumps made me quiver from a shrill scream of fright We both ran fast home and slept with the covers over tight after we told our mom about the secret friends that night We never saw them again and new homes now cover that patch of woodland