TWO SOULS: INTO THE FIRE
48th installment
warning...adult content
~
As the sparkling stars slowly faded to the new dawn, Steve awakened alone. He thought he'd had a very vivid dream, but as he shifted on the couch, the suede journal fell to the floor. Seeing it, Steve remembered it was not a dream.
"Ghost?" he called out into the quiet of the house. He smelled coffee ready in the kitchen, so made his way in to get a steaming mug. Ghost must have gotten up earlier, but where was he? He went to look in both bedrooms, but Ghost wasn't there. The back room door was still closed like they'd left it, and the bathroom was empty, save for the broken glass. Coming back into the living room, Steve noticed the front door open, so he went over, pushing the squeaky screen door.
Ghost was wrapped in a soft blanket from his bed, sitting on the old porch swing, with his own mug of coffee. The swing was slowly rocking back and forth, while Ghost just watched the sun rise behind the pine trees, turning the sky a soft pink. Steve's heart melted at such a serene image. He hated to break the spell, but he knew Ghost already knew he was there watching him, and what was in his heart. He went over and sat beside Ghost. Neither said anything for a few minutes.
"You ok?" Steve asked, in a hushed voice.
Ghost shrugged his shoulder, and nodded. "I guess so."
Steve nodded, "If you want to talk about it..."
"Not now, Steve. I just need to think it in my head awhile first," Ghost explained.
But then, a few minutes later, he seemed to be talking out loud to himself. Steve knew this wasn't the time to make a comment, or interrupt Ghost's train of thought. He needed to work it out in his own way. So, he just listened. Ghost's way of thinking about things was always fascinating to Steve. Even mundane things would take on an air of intrigue and mystery, when subjected to Ghost's weird, magical way of thinking. This was no different, but way more important.
"I wish she'd have told me from the start...too hard...I know about hard...everything is too hard...I hate that word...hard...it's a stupid word. Wish it didn't be about me, and everything's so hard.
I wasn't supposed to be here...guess that's when the hard started...why I do things weird, and it's hard to do things normal. I never was normal...ever...and it's hard to know stuff like that...ok...ok...quit thinking of that.
Why didn't they want me? I would have loved them, but now they'll never know...and I'll never know. Should'a just let me go back to wherever I came from and start over. Livin' is too hard this time...being dead is easier...but, I don't want to be dead yet. Steve'll help me not be dead yet, he loves me...and I have Steve to love. That is enough, isn't it?"
Ghost looked at Steve, then, and asked, "Isn't it enough, Steve?"
Steve was astounded by what he'd heard, and he pulled Ghost close, in a fierce hug, and said, "Yes, Ghost...our love for each other is enough!"
~
Steve watched, as Ghost took their mugs inside to get more coffee. He was thinking his own thoughts. Ghost probably did suffer a brain injury at birth, that caused him to not know about numbers, and why everything came hard for him, in so many ways. His psychic gift was inherited, so that was a good thing to have, his amazing way with words and songs, and that voice like no other, well...that was just God given talent. You get some bad stuff, and you get some good stuff...guess that's how it goes.
He was kind of surprised at Ghost's reaction, or rather, non-reaction to reading the journal. He was kind of too calm, after the big build up of trying to find it. He didn't want to think too hard on it just yet. He might jinx it, and maybe he should be ready for Ghost to one day completely lose it, when everything sinks in. He dreaded that happening.
Ghost came back out then, and said to Steve, "I don't plan on freaking out on you. It wouldn't change anything. I know about everything now...all that happened a long time ago. I am who I am, and for whatever reason, I turned out this way, and it's ok. I pretty much like who I am, and plan on staying here to drive you crazy as long as I can." He grinned his lopsided grin, his broken tooth showing. "Here's your coffee. What're we doing today, anyway?"
"Oh, shit, Ghost...I forgot to go to work! Terry will fire me for sure!"
"Guess it's too late now, huh? Guess you have to stay home with me all day, and I'll get to bug you." Ghost smiled, and then, "You have to clean up the broken mirror, too, 'cause I'm still scared there's a spider. Now I know why I hate them. They put creepy cobwebs all over me!"
"Yeah, I'd hate them too, if that happened to me," said Steve.
They didn't have a phone, so Steve couldn't call in sick, and he wasn't going to walk in to town to tell Terry he wasn't coming to work, so they just continued talking. Steve did wonder about the bank vault with Ghost's money in it. He wondered how much there really was. Money didn't ever seem to matter much to Miz Deliverance, and it meant absolutely nothing to Ghost. Where would she have gotten lots of money from, anyway? She sold a few potions sometimes, but he never saw any evidence of income. Maybe she'd inherited it. He didn't know, but she'd asked him to manage it for Ghost, so he needed to find out. Maybe he would soon.
~
Next installment coming soon!
Peace, Love, & Writing
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