A ghosts life is a lonely one; wandering around without much purpose or idea of where it's going. If there's anything, ANYTHING, that can distract a ghosts mind from it's purposelessness, it should be taken to avoid the otherwise inevitable insanity. That's why this stories ghost, let's call it Ghostly (although ghosts don't typically have names), had pointed it's attention to a glow stick on a window sill that it had saw through the hole of a tall fence.

The glow stick, long and skinny, green, and emitting a soft glow giving it an aura of mystery, gave Ghostly a feeling of spiritual connection to the object--Ghostly had to possess it, or at least get a closer look. The house was surrounded by a tall wooden fence, and in the backyard was a doghouse. Only through a hole dug up, next to the doghouse, could Ghostly crawl under the fence and reach the window. The only problem was that any slight noise could wake the guard dog, but despite the risk, Ghostly was willing to take a chance.

Ghostly gently crawled under the fence and into the backyard where it seemed deathly quiet--not even the crickets chirped in this backyard. The ghost crept to the window sill one step at a time. Now closer, the glow sticks light seemed brighter than moonlight; it was simply beautiful. Ghostly reached the halfway point where the guard dog was sleeping. The dog looked meaner than expected, large fangs protruded from it's bottom jaw, scars crossed across it's long pointy face like lattices. Upon seeing the ugly creature Ghostly jumped in fear and fell over. The dog rose from it's slumber and growled as if it had been woken from pure tranquility. This was going to be bad.

Cerberus growled in annoyance. What had awoken him?

There was something he couldn't quite see next to the house, under the window. What could it be? Much too big to be that ugly cat from the next yard.

Cerberus barked sharply at the unknown. He heard the apparition whimper.

The guard dog knew he must perform his duty; he must protect his human family. He charged out from his doghouse, barking madly. He jumped on whatever-it-was.

Ghostly trembled in fear. Oh, wait a moment; a dog can't hurt a ghost! He issued an eerie moan.

Now Cerberus trembled. He whimpered. He ran for the shelter of his doghouse.

He felt something strange on his skin; it was like the sensation on his tongue that time he had stolen a spicy burrito from his human. And there's more horror! His paws, his legs, his flanks all glowed. The glow stick must have attacked him!

When Ghostly had calmed a bit, it realized that the vicious dog was more afraid of him than he was of it. How could that be? Well, it just was, and there was no reason to fret about the 'why'.

Ghostly approached the window sill; he used his mystical, magical ghostly powers to lift the luminescent cylinder. A voice rang out, "Put me down! You are not worthy to touch me!"

Uh, did the glow stick speak to him? "What is wrong? I just want to play with you."

"Only those who know the dragonflame chemicals may handle me."

"Who are you? What are you?"

"Do not presume to question me!"

"Are you Hephaestus?"

"I see that you are well-read, better than most who come near. Do you know the dragonflame chemicals?"

"What are those?"

"They are the secrets that make me glow. A great sorcerer seized my dragonflame and broke it into three substances. When they are mixed together, the flame comes back to life, like the reborn phoenix."

"What are these mysterious substances?"

"The first is a common oxidizer known as Hydrogen Peroxide. The second is diphenyl oxalate; this reacts with the oxidizer to produce the chemiluminescence."

"Uh, chemi-what?"

"Never mind, you ignorant peasant!"

"Are there other chemicals in you?"

"Yes. A solvent like dibutyl phthalate and a fluorescent dye."

"Well, you know, now I know the dragonflame chemicals. Can I play with you, now?"

"Not yet. Can you spell 'phthalate'?"

"Hunh? Not a chance!"

"That's okay. I can't either. Yeah, let's play."