TWO SOULS: INTO THE FIRE...# 111

TWO SOULS: INTO THE FIRE
# 111
warning...adult content



~

Ghost stayed at the table awhile longer, dozing off. He was awakened by Steve calling for him. Going into the bedroom, Steve asked, "You ok?"

"Yeah, guess so. What do you need? I'll get it for you."

"Um...this is kinda awkward," Steve said, " but, I need you to help me up. I gotta go use the bathroom."

Ghost grinned, "Ya want me to..."

"No...just help me in there. I can do the rest by myself...jeeze..." Steve laughed.

So, Ghost helped him onto his crutches, and watched him hobble down the hall. He straightened Steve's bed, and brought some water and his medicine.

"You're supposed to take these," Ghost reminded Steve, when he returned. "It's been a long time since you had any."

"Yeah, I guess it is time." Steve took the pills. "I'm tired of laying in the bed, now. Maybe I can sit on the couch and prop up my leg. Grab a pillow, will ya?"

Ghost got the pillow, and a blanket, and helped Steve get comfortable in the living room.

"Can you get me something to eat, too?" Steve asked. "Just a sandwich is fine."

"Ok, I'll get it...and, ya want to watch a movie, or something?"

"Yeah, we could do that," Steve said.

Ghost snuggled close to Steve on the old couch, as the movie played, but they both fell asleep before it was over. Sometime in the night, they made their way to their bedrooms.

~
They slept until mid-morning, and were up having breakfast, when Kinsey came back to check on them. He brought Terry with him.

"Hey, guys," Terry said, when he came in. "How's the cripple and his cohort, this morning?"

"We did fine, Terry. Y'all get some coffee. What's been going on?"

"Oh, you know...the usual. Things are getting back to normal after the storm, and the power's back on everywhere. There were a couple of trees taken down, by the snow and all, but all in all, not too bad. Business is slow these days, though," Terry said.

"Well," Kinsey said, "I'm opening the club tonight...see who shows up. Terry and the guys are going to play a show for Halloween. It should be a crowd by then. Do you think you and Ghost can make it?"

"I'll see how it goes," Steve said, "but, yeah, we'll probably be there. Ya want to Ghost?"

"Sure, when is it?" Ghost asked.

Steve rolled his eyes, "It's on Halloween...uh, not this weekend, but the next."

"Everyone can wear costumes, if they want to," Kinsey said. "I don't imagine R. J. will be having his usual house party, this year, being that he'll be playing with Gumbo until late, but it should be fun."

"Yeah, y'all should come," Terry said. "It'll be a great party."

Ghost hadn't said anything else to anyone, but went to get more coffee. While his back was turned, Kinsey mouthed silently to Steve, "How's he doing?"

Steve shook his head and shrugged, "Still, moody," he whispered. "I think he's still a little sick...don't feel good."

Ghost turned around. "I know y'all are talking about me. I'm ok, Kinsey...I just don't feel good. My throat is hurting again, and my head hurts real bad. But, I'll be ok. I still have medicine to take, so...so...just ask me, ok. Don't whisper behind me, 'cause I can hear it anyway...so, just don't."

"What's eating you, Dude?" Terry asked. He hadn't heard about the latest blow-up, yet.

They all looked at Terry, like he'd upset the balance of the universe, or something.

"What...what'd I say?" Terry asked. "You guys are all acting weird today."

Steve sputtered an explanation of sorts..."We're fine, it's nothing...we're not weird, right, Ghost?"

Ghost was disgusted with all of them. He grabbed his jacket from the back of the kitchen chair. "Fuck you all...I gotta get outta here..." He left out the back door, slamming it behind him.

Steve, Kinsey, and Terry were left with their mouths hanging open. "Dude..." Terry finally said, then decided he better leave. "C'mon, Kinsey, let's get going. I don't want to hear anymore."

"Wait, y'all, don't go, it's ok," Steve said.

"Steve, Ghost just needs to take a break...he'll be back in a little while. We need to go, too, so...later, man," Kinsey said. They left Steve sitting alone at the table.

"Well, this is just great," Steve said to the empty room. "Leave the injured person all by himself...I see how it is...nobody cares...just go on and do your own thing, everybody. Don't worry about 'ol Steve...uh-uh..."

He pulled himself up from the table, and managed to get his crutches under his arms, then eased over to the window. He didn't see Ghost anywhere in the back yard. "Well, shit...guess I'll just go back to bed, then," he said.

He made his way back down the hall, and got into his bed, with little trouble. "See, everyone, I did it. I didn't need your help, anyway." He lay back and closed his eyes.

~

Some time later, Steve was awakened by Ghost, barreling into the house. "Steve, Steve, where are you?"

"Back here," Steve called out. "What the hell you making so much noise about?"

"Steve, look what I found," Ghost said, as he came into the bedroom. He unbuttoned his jacket, and took out a tiny, black and white kitten.

Steve smiled, as Ghost handed the kitten to him. "Aww, he's so cute...where'd ya find him?"

"I was at my grandmother's grave, and he just walked up and got in my lap. It's just like the one I found in that motel in Tennessee, isn't it?"

"Kinda, but this one is a baby," Steve said, petting the kitten, as it roamed around on the bed. "Probably somebody dumped it out...didn't want it," he said.

"Well, maybe," Ghost said, "but, I think my grandmother sent him to me."

"Could be, Ghost...at least there was some reason y'all were in the same place at the same time."

"Yeah...like it was meant to be," Ghost said.

They laughed at the kitten's antics, and wiggled their fingers under the blanket, to watch him pounce.

"So, are you over being in a snit, now?" Steve asked.

Ghost frowned, "What's a snit?"

"Go look it up, word genius...you'll learn something, today," Steve said.

"Just tell me, already," Ghost said.

"Fine, it means in a bad mood, pissed off, throwing a fit...like that," Steve explained.

"Oh, well...guess that was what I was in, then, but not anymore. I still don't feel good, but I'm not snitty now."

Steve laughed, "Good, I had enough of your snit..." he kept laughing. Ghost got to laughing, too.

"We're gonna keep him, aren't we, Steve?"

"Sure, why not. He makes us laugh," Steve said. "So what are we gonna feed him? We don't have any cat food."

"Should I go get some?" Ghost asked.

"Maybe tomorrow...for now just give him some lunch meat or something."

Ghost went into the kitchen to find some.

Steve played with the kitten, while they waited. "Hey, Kitty, you put me and Ghost back in a good mood, guess you can stay."

Ghost came back with a saucer of chopped up turkey lunch meat. "Here ya go," he said, putting the plate in front of the cat. They watched, as he ate it all. "He sure was hungry," Ghost said.

"What 'cha gonna name him?" Steve asked.

"Hmm...I don't know, yet. You got anything in mind??

"Well, when you found him, how did you feel?"

"I felt happy...he made me smile," Ghost said.

"Ok, you weren't feeling good, you were in a bad mood, and he came along and lifted your spirits...right?" Steve asked. Ghost nodded.

"So, we could call him Spirit," Steve suggested.

"Yeah, I like that," Ghost said, grinning. "Ok, then, your name is Spirit," he said, picking up the kitten. "Do you like that?" The kitten mewed. "He said he liked his name," Ghost said.

"Yeah, I think he does," Steve said.

They spent the rest of the day playing with Spirit, and working on their music and writing.

~

Next part coming soon!



Peace, Love, & Writing