TWO SOULS: INTO THE FIRE ... # 122

TWO SOULS: INTO THE FIRE
# 122
warning...adult content



~
When they returned home, Ghost looked over his instructions for the séance, a few more times. Steve made them some hot cocoa, and they relaxed on the couch.

"I'm calling them tomorrow," Steve said. "I think you're ready, and I want to get this over with."

"Ok, but we can't do it on Halloween, because of their show. I'm thinking maybe later, maybe after," Ghost said.

"Oh, yeah, you're right. I guess tomorrow is out. They'll be rehearsing, then the gig, then the next day they'll be sleeping and recovering from the party. Guess the next day after that would work," Steve said.

"Are we gonna do more recording in the morning?"

"We might as well, if Terry is up for it."

"Ok, sounds good," Ghost said. "I'm done with this for now." He handed Steve the instruction page. "I'm going to bed." He took his mug of cocoa, called to Spirit, and went to his room.

Steve locked up the house, and turned off the lights, but checked in on Ghost, before heading to his own room. He saw that Ghost was writing on the wall, while Spirit was on the bed, watching him. He said good-night, figuring that the next few days would be intense, and they needed all the rest they could get.

~
The next morning had dawned cloudy and drizzly. Ghost woke first, then made coffee and fed the cat. He brought a mug of the coffee to Steve, to wake him up. Setting it on the nightstand, he knelt beside Steve. His breath caught in his throat, at how much he loved Steve. Im so lucky to have him love me back.

He leaned over, kissing Steve lightly. Steve stirred, cracking open his eyes, to see Ghost's face staring at him, and his coffee breath tickling his nose.

"I brought ya coffee." Ghost said.

Steve smiled, reached up to bring Ghost in for a kiss. "Thanks for the coffee and the kiss, Ghost. I'm awake, now." He wiggled up in the bed, while Ghost plumped the pillows behind him.

"I'm going out on the porch for awhile. I'll make some pancakes when I get back," Ghost said, as he went to get himself another cup of coffee. He and Spirit went out to sit on the swing.

It was chilly and damp, and the blanket Ghost had brought out with him, felt good. He rocked back and forth on the swing, trying to clear his mind. His dreams of the night had left him with an uneasy feeling. Nothing specific, but he could sense a tension building up. He didn't know if anything would come through, if he relaxed his thoughts, but he tried anyway.

He closed his eyes, letting the steam from the cup of coffee, bathe his face in the rising steam. Inhaling the rich aroma, helped him enter a drifty kind of sensation, normally a good place to be, when he received visions.

Behind his eyes he began to see a swirl of colors, making him a bit dizzy. Just as he thought he could make out a form, a gust of wind blew a spattering of drizzle onto his face. It surprised him; it felt like sharp needles on his warm face. In the second it took for him to feel this, and open his eyes, he glimpsed the form. It was not good; it was barely recognizable as a face...made entirely of red lumpy stuff, and a gaping mouth of sharp teeth. They snapped at him. That was when the cold needlelike drizzle had slapped his face.

He gasped, and reflexively threw his mug of coffee at this image. It spilled and shattered on the porch. Ghost screamed, and Spirit yowled at the sudden noise. Ghost's eyes were wide, as he darted looks all around. He was breathing fast, as his panic rose.

He could feel himself going into a seizure, and there was nothing he could do to stop it. This was at least familiar, if not enjoyable. In one part of his mind, he knew he'd come out of it ok, but the other part was terrified that he wouldn't. He tried calling out to Steve, but could only manage a keening moan.

Spirit was scrabbling at the screen door, climbing up, still yowling. Steve heard the commotion, and came as fast as he could, hopping on one leg, to see what was going on. He saw the cat, halfway up the screen, it's claws dug in, as he pushed open the door. He reached Ghost, and immediately knew he was having what he called 'one of his spells'.

Ghost was shaking uncontrollably now, and Steve wrapped the blanket tighter, putting his arms around Ghost. He held on, crooning soothing words and sounds, humming a calming tune...anything to help Ghost come out of it. After a few minutes, it was over. The shaking slowed to only a shudder, off and on. Ghost was silent, exhausted, and sweaty.

Ghost put his head in Steve's lap, while Steve rubbed his temples, and forehead, brushing his hair back. "Ghost, can you hear me? You're gonna be ok; it's over. I know it was scary, but you've been through this before. It's ok, now. Ghost?" Steve kept on, until Ghost was responding a bit.

"Steve?" Ghost whispered. "Are you here?"

"Yeah, I'm here...are you feeling better?"

"No...my head hurts, and I can't hardly see you...and I feel sick." He began to swallow hard, and Steve had just enough time to turn Ghost's head to the side, before he threw up, onto the porch. He didn't know two cups of coffee could produce so much liquid when it came back up. Again and again Ghost heaved, until there was no more left. Then he cried. 

"I'm sorry, Steve, I'm sorry..."

"Ghost, it's ok, don't worry about it. Come on, can you walk? I want you to get in bed for awhile, ok?"

Ghost nodded, "Ok, but hold my hand, I can't see where I'm going, yet."

They managed to get off the swing, and stumble into the house. The cat had gotten himself down from the screen, and came inside with them. Steve helped Ghost into the bed, pulling the blankets close around him.

"Try to sleep, you'll feel better when you wake up."

"Mmm-hmm," Ghost murmured, already half asleep.

Steve sat and watched him for awhile, making sure he was still breathing, ok. The he went into the kitchen.  Guess I don't get pancakes, now, unless I make some, myself... He hated that he'd had that thought. Slamming his fist down on the table, he sank down into a chair, and put his head down onto his arms. Tears of frustration dampened his sleeves. He wanted so bad to fix Ghost, but there was no way. All he could do was be here for him...and that never felt like enough.

This is getting to be too much...already bad things are happening to Ghost... He knew, though, that if he tried to make Ghost call it off, that he'd try even harder to make it happen. He never gave up on anything, once he made up his mind.

Getting up to check on Ghost, again, he saw he was sound asleep, the cat right next to him. "You keep an eye on him, Spirit. Let me know if Ghost needs me, ok?"

He decided to try making pancakes, himself. He knew Ghost would be starving, when he woke up. He stood there in the kitchen, trying to remember what Ghost used to make them. After gathering the ingredients, and a bowl, he stirred up the batter. Hmm...this isn't so hard... He took one of the finished ones off the skillet, tasting it. "Not bad..." he smiled. He began to get into the cooking process, trying his hand at flipping them in the air. He caught one back in the pan...a few more fell in the floor. "Guess it takes practice," he said.

He continued, until he had a huge stack ready. He fixed himself a plate of them, drizzled with maple syrup. Looking around the kitchen, he noticed that he'd almost destroyed the place. He sighed, and began the clean-up. As he finished, Spirit came into the kitchen, meowing.

"Hey, kitty, ya hungry?" He gave the cat a dish of cat food, but Spirit went back to the bedroom.

"Oh, is Ghost waking up...you came to get me?" He followed the cat down the hallway to Ghost's bedroom.