TWO SOULS: INTO THE FIRE ... # 136

TWO SOULS: INTO THE FIRE
# 136
warning...adult content




~
                                              CHAPTER 21

Ghost didn't move. He just absent-mindedly made himself another sandwich. His mind was reeling, though. Steve came back, ready to go out the door. He saw Ghost just standing there, his eyes unfocused.

"Ghost, what is it...go get dressed, we have to go." He waited a second, but Ghost didn't respond. "What the hell...wake up." Steve shook Ghost's shoulders.

This brought Ghost out of his head, for a minute. "What?"

Steve pushed him down the hall. "Get dressed, we gotta go to the club...now."

"Why?" Ghost asked, as he slowly pulled on some jeans, and a hooded sweat shirt. "I can't find my shoes...did you see 'em anywhere?"

"Did you hear what I said, before," Steve asked, "that there was a fire at the club, overnight?"

"Yeah, I heard ya." Ghost had finally found his sneakers.

"Well, why are you acting all weird? You looked like you were in a trance, or something. And, now, you're not even worried about Kinsey?"

Ghost shrugged, "He's ok...but, he won't be, if Trevor and Zach stay there some more."

"Huh? What are you talking about?"

"It was the evil spirit that Trevor brought with him, that made the fire, but it was just to scare them." Ghost said. "But, it liked their reaction, being scared. So, it'll try it bigger next time. So, I'm acting weird 'cause I'm not gonna give it a reaction."

He was nodding his head, sure of what he was telling Steve. "I'm not gonna be scared of it, 'cause it feeds on scaredness. So, you should calm down, Steve, or it'll latch onto your scaredness, and you don't want it to, so anyway..."  he trailed off, looking dazed.

"Fuck, I have no idea what you just said...and those words you used weren't even real words, but I understood exactly what you were saying...and now, I'm talking crazy," Steve said. "So, are you scared for real, or not?"

Ghost nodded, his eyes finally showing some emotion. "But, I can't say it out loud. It knows, though."

"Well, come on, we have to go over there. You act however you have to, but I need to check on him."

"Yeah, guess we could go visit for awhile," Ghost said, gliding out of the room, and out the front door.

Steve took a deep breath, and followed him. This situation gets weirder every minute...

~
They drove down the highway toward Missing Mile. Ghost was trying to write in his notebook, even though the moving car made the marker jiggle, leaving random marks on the page.

"What are you writing, now?" Steve asked.

"Oh, just the dream I had last night."

"So, you gonna tell me about it?"

Ghost looked up from the page, "I don't know...it seems to be not connected, but it might be."

"Connected to what?" Steve asked.

"The fire...I saw dark clouds swirling around, and I thought it was a tornado...but, maybe it was smoke from the fire. And then you remember, Spirit saw something in our room, last night. You know they can do that. Maybe it was dark demon clouds in our room, too. I don't know." Ghost said.

Steve almost ran off the road, when he heard that. "What the hell, Ghost? You tell me to try and not be scared, then you scare the crap outta me. Why...why do you do that?"

"I'm just saying stuff. I didn't mean you should be scared, Steve."

Steve sighed, "Whatever...I just don't want, what did you call it...dark demon clouds...in our room."

"Me either, that's why we have to try to get rid of them." Ghost said.

"Well, I want to get this over with. I'm telling Zach we're coming over tomorrow to do it."

"Ok, I'm ready," Ghost said.

~

They pulled up in front of the Sacred Yew. Everything on the outside looked fine. The street was quiet, as no one was out and about. As soon as they opened the door, though, they could smell the smoke, and see black soot scumming the walls and ceiling. The club floor was damp from the water from the fire hoses. They went on back to the office. As they stepped in, Kinsey nodded, but was on the phone. After a minute or two, he hung up.

"That was my insurance company. Thank goodness I had this place covered."

"What happened, Kinsey?" Steve asked. "I mean, Terry called and said there was a fire, but..."

"Yeah, it started in the kitchen. They're still evaluating why, or what caused it. I know everything was shut off, when I closed up. Maybe it was the wiring or something," Kinsey said. He leaned back in his chair, rubbing his face.

"We're glad you're ok, Kinsey," Ghost said.

"Hell, me too. I heard the smoke alarm going off, probably three a. m. , and I was sound asleep. Thought I'd have a heart attack. Smoke was already up here in my room. I called the fire department, and ran down here, but couldn't see a thing. The fire trucks were already here, and they busted in the door...man, those sirens and lights must have woke up the whole town," Kinsey shook his head.

"It was the demon," Ghost said.

"Huh?" Kinsey frowned.

"It wasn't the wires, it was the demon that Trevor brought over here, that caused the fire."

"What's he going on about, Steve?" Kinsey asked.

"Nothing, just scary shit...you know how he is," Steve said. He gave Ghost a warning look.

"But, Steve...he has to know...to not act scared, anymore."

"I'm not scared, Ghost...just tired."

"Well, we're fixing the problem tomorrow night, when we do the séance," Steve said. "Where's Trevor and Zach, anyway?"

"I don't know. I haven't seen them since the fire," Kinsey said.

"They're at their house," Ghost said. "They didn't want to bring more trouble over here."

"What trouble are you talking about? They didn't start the fire."

Ghost sighed, "It was the demon, Kinsey. The one from their house, that followed them over here. That's the trouble."

"Ghost, would ya stop with the demon crap...it's a bunch of malarkey...you know it is, so stop it already. That séance is just a game people make up to scare themselves," Kinsey said. As he looked at Ghost, into his eyes, though, he got a strange shiver. He knew Ghost was not lying. Either this stuff was real, or Ghost totally believed it was. Whichever, now Kinsey was actually getting scared.

Ghost stared at Kinsey for a minute, then shook his head to clear it. "I have to wash my wall. Where's some rags, Kinsey?" He stood up, headed for the door.

"There's a cleaning crew coming in later. You don't have to do it," Kinsey said

Ghost turned around, looking sad. "It's my walls, and I'll do it.

Kinsey shrugged, "Ok, then...there are some rags in the supply closet."

Ghost went to get them, and a pail of soapy water. Kinsey looked at Steve. "What's with him today?"

"He's in a weird mood, Kinsey. I guess just go along for the ride, is all we can do." He went out to help Ghost wash the walls.

Ghost was carefully wiping soot off all the writing. "Hey, Steve...good thing all this marker ink is the permanent kind."

"Yeah, it's staying on real good," Steve said.

They worked side by side for a couple of hours. There was still a long way to go, but their arms were getting tired.

"We can do some more later, but I need a break," Steve said. "Let's go get something to eat."

Ghost stretched, rolling his shoulders around. "Can we get pizza?"

"Sure, if that's what you want. Guess the diner is still open. Come on, let's go."

"Uh, Steve...why don't you go and bring some back...and get enough for Kinsey, too."

"You don't want to go?"

"No, I'm gonna go talk to Kinsey," Ghost said.

"Ok, then, but he don't want to hear anymore about the séance. He's got enough to worry about, with this mess here, ok?"

"Yeah, ok," Ghost looked down.

"I mean it, Ghost," Steve said.

"I got other stuff to talk about, anyway," Ghost said, "go get us some pizza."

Steve raised an eyebrow, at that, but went on out to pick up a pizza for them all.

~

Ghost went into Kinsey's office. He stood there, staying just inside the door, waiting to be invited all the way in. He had some things he wanted to tell Kinsey, but he didn't know how to start.

~

Next part coming soon!




Peace, Love, & Writing