TWO SOULS: INTO THE FIRE ... # 171

TWO SOULS: INTO THE FIRE
# 171
warning...adult content




~
They watched the snowflakes begin to thicken, leaving a dusting of white over the golden leaves that covered the ground.

"Steve, I'm hungry. It has to be lunch time, now. Can we go?" Ghost asked.

Steve laughed. "Yeah, it probably is, and I'm hungry, too. Come on."

They walked back down the path to the house. Inside, they got dressed in something a little nicer than pajamas, grabbed the beer and wine, and left for Trevor and Zach's house.

"Turn the heater on, it's getting colder," Ghost said, as he shivered. Driving through town, they saw that the Yew and the Whirling Disc were still standing...no problems there.

Ghost closed his eyes and tapped his forehead, while making a humming noise. Steve gave him a funny look. "What's that for?" he asked. "You got a headache?"

His eyes still closed, Ghost said, "No, it's me trying to see what we're gonna have to eat."

"Ok, tell me...what do you see?" asked Steve.

"I see a big, fat turkey, and cornbread stuffing. But he did it Cajun style, ya know, with spices and red pepper, and something else...I can't quite get it, but it'll be good," Ghost said. "Then there's pumpkin pie, but it's from the store...and...fried okra. Oh, he's got shrimp cocktail, too," he said.

"Sounds different, but I'm not picky, are you?" Steve asked.

"Nope, I'm eating everything."

They drove up into the driveway of the newly rented house. "This looks way better than that old creepy one," Steve said.

Ghost was staring hard at the house, trying to sense any evil presence. Steve watched him for a minute. "Well?" he asked. "Is it safe to go in?"

"Yeah, I don't sense anything bad over here."

They got out of the car, and knocked on the front door. Trevor opened it. "Hey, guys, come on in." He held the door open for them.

"It smells so good in here," Ghost said.

"Y'all come on in the kitchen. Zach is being a chef today," Trevor said.

Zach was bustling around, and said, "Hey, guys...it'll be ready in a little while. I just have to do a few more things."

"We brought some beer and wine," Steve said, handing it to Trevor, who put it in the refrigerator.

"Come on, I'll show you around," Trevor said, and led them around the house, room by room.

"This is nice, Dude," Steve said.

"Yeah, and no demons," Ghost said.

Trevor laughed. "I know...we love it, and it's so good to not be scared all the time."

They went into the living room and got comfortable on the couch. "Y'all make yourselves at home. I'll see if Zach needs help."

Ghost and Steve looked around at the furniture and pictures. "It looks like a real home," Steve said.

"Yeah, they must have gone shopping, 'cause that other place didn't have anything in it, except that grungy mattress," Ghost said.

"Yep, this is real nice," Steve said. He walked over to look at some framed drawings of Trevor's comics, that were hanging on the wall. "He draws really good."

Trevor came back in, carrying everyone a drink. "It'll be ready soon. So what have y'all been up to?"

"We finished our CD," Ghost said. "It's ready to sell at our show, when Kinsey and Terry get back."

"That's great, guys. So, they already left on their vacation?"

"Yeah, they were excited to go. Kinsey said he'd call us to let us know where they are, and how much fun they're having," Steve said.

Zach came in to let them know the food was ready to eat. Sitting at the kitchen table, they watched, as Zach carved the turkey, giving everyone as much as they wanted.

"This is so good," Ghost said. "I love it."

"The stuffing is great, Zach...really hot, but good," Steve said, as he kept drinking water to cool off his mouth.

An hour later, they were finished and full, so went into the living room to hang out awhile. Steve's phone rang, just as they sat down. It was Kinsey. "Hey, happy Thanksgiving," he said.

"Happy Thanksgiving to you and Terry, too," Steve said. "How's the vacation, so far?"

"We're having a blast. We have a great meal coming up, and we've been seeing the sights in Arizona," Kinsey said.

Ghost grabbed the phone from Steve, and yelled into it. "Kinsey we're over at Zach and Trevor's house, and Zach cooked, and it was real good, and it's snowing. I told Steve to not fall down again, and he didn't...and we had an earthquake, and it disappeared people..."

"You don't have to yell," Kinsey said, "I can hear you just fine." He laughed...Ghost always yelled into the phone.

Steve took back the phone, as Ghost yelled again, "Wait, wait...I wasn't done talking."

"Ghost, if I didn't take this phone, you'd talk all night," Steve said.

"Well, bye Kinsey..." Ghost yelled again.

Zach and Trevor were just sitting there staring at the two of them.

"Kinsey, we're all fine, y'all's places are all fine," Steve said. "Are y'all ok? Where ya going next?"

"Yeah, we're doing great. Saw the Grand Canyon yesterday...it was awesome. Tomorrow we're heading to Disneyland...Terry can't wait. Y'all sound good. I'll talk to you later," Kinsey said.

"Ok, have fun," Steve said, and hung up. "They're doing what they want to do, having fun."

"Where they headed next?" Trevor asked.

"Disneyland...man, I can just imagine them two over there," Steve said. They all laughed at the thought.

Ghost had gone into the kitchen and brought back his bottle of wine. "Anybody want any?" he asked, holding it up.

"No, but I'll have a beer...anyone else?" Zach asked. He got up to get them all one.

Ghost began drinking his wine, right from the bottle. Steve watched him take a huge swallow. He was thinking this may be a long night. He could tell Ghost was already feeling good, and would be feeling even better, later...or worse...it could go either way.

Zach brought out a deck of cards. "Poker, anyone?" he asked, as he shuffled them.

Steve was non-committal, because he knew Ghost would want to play, and Zach and Trevor had never heard of Ghost's problems with numbers. He didn't want to call attention to it, so he hoped Zach would decide not to. But, he'd already started dealing out the cards.

"I'll sit out," Steve said.

"What? I planned on taking your money, dude," Zach said.

"Yeah, well Ghost wants to play, except he don't know this game very well, so I'll just coach him...if that's ok."

"You don't have to, Steve...you play. I'll just watch...it's ok," Ghost said.

"Well, y'all decide. I'm ready to play," Zach said.

Steve looked at Ghost..."Go ahead and play a time or two, if you want, then I'll jump in."

"Well, ok..." He picked up his cards, and looked at them. All he could tell was they were red and black.

Trevor put a card down, then Zach. Then it was Ghost's turn. He looked at Steve..."Which one?"

Steve considered, then pointed..."That one."

Ghost smiled, and put it on the table. This went on through two rounds. Ghost was happy he got to play, sort of, and Zach and Trevor were none the wiser. "Ok, Steve...your turn," he said. He got up, and asked Zach, "You got any CDs we can listen to?"

"Yeah, in that cabinet over there...play whatever you want."

The others started another hand of the card game. Ghost kept swigging his wine, as he looked through the music selection, finally choosing an eighty's rock band album. He put it on...loud.

"Damn, turn it down some," Steve yelled.

Ghost did, but just a little. He was feeling tipsy, now, and he started dancing around the room, while singing along. Once, he bumped into Trevor's chair, and almost fell down. "Sorry...sorry..." he giggled, and kept dancing around the table.

"Where's the bathroom, Zach?" he asked, right up in Zach's face.

Zach leaned back, and pointed down the hall. "Down there..." he said.

Ghost swerved down the hall, only bumping into the wall twice.

"Steve, he's drunk," Zach said.

Steve rubbed his face, "I know, man. He hardly ever drinks a lot, but when he does, it's crazy time."

~
Next part coming soon!



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