Roger's new friend

One day Roger went to school. He played with his friends in the garden, drew some pictures and built a rocket ship from a washing up liquid bottle. Just before snack time he raised his hand and asked if he could use the bathroom.

"Of course", said his teacher, "you know where it is. Do you want me to come with you?"

Roger declined and made his way up the familiar stairs. Today the upper floor of the school seemed different. Everything seemed cleaner and tidier.

Just as he was making his way to the end of the corridor Roger encountered a boy sobbing.

"What's wrong?" asked Roger kindly.

"I'm lonely. There's no one to play with me. Father's always working on business. Mother's always meeting friends. And my sister's always at school or going out."

"Shouldn't you be in school?" asked Roger.

But the boy shook his head and insisted that he lived there.

"My name's Peter. Won't you come and play with me?" he begged.

Roger agreed and the boy led him into a side room. It was neatly furnished though rather old fashioned. They played several games of find the joker before Roger realised his teacher might be worried.

Roger said farewell to Peter and promised to play with him again. He re-joined his classmates.

Teacher asked Roger where he'd been. He explained he'd been playing with the boy who lived upstairs.

"Nobody lives upstairs." said teacher. But Roger insisted he was right. Eventually teacher took him upstairs to take a look. The upper floor was back to its usual tatty self. Roger showed teacher Peter's room.

"That's just a store room." said teacher, and unlocked the door. Inside were piles of dusty books and stacks of old tables and chairs. It was nothing like the room Roger had been playing in.

Then teacher remembered something. "Many many years ago, before it was a school, this building was a house. As I recall the last family that lived here had a son called Peter."

Did Roger see a ghost?

Next: Roger and the nurse