TWO SOULS: INTO THE FIRE ... # 173

TWO SOULS: INTO THE FIRE
# 173
warning...adult content




~
                                                    CHAPTER 24

Morning came, and Ghost was still bothered about the dream he'd had. As he and Steve were having their coffee, he did tell him what it was about. He asked, "Steve, who is Linda? I've heard that name before, but why?"

Steve was stunned. "Ghost...that's my sister's name...my oldest sister. She ran away from home when it got too bad, a long time ago. I was probably ten, that year. No one ever heard from her again. Not long after that, my mother took my next oldest sister, and left. I never saw any of them again." He stopped, a pained look on his face at the memory.

"It was just me and my dad, and he was getting worse every day...so, when you asked me to come stay at your house, well...I never went home again. But, why would she be in a dream with Kinsey and Terry? It don't make any sense." He looked at Ghost, in confusion.

"I don't know, Steve, that's just how it came in my head," Ghost said shrugging.
~
They went about their day, but the conversation kept nagging at them. Later Ghost asked Steve if they could go do something. "I'm bored," he complained.

"Well, where ya wanna go?" Steve asked.

"Anywhere but here. The snow's all melted, so we can get on the road again."

"Ok, why don't we go into town, and we can check on the club and the record shop. You know, go in and look around."

"Ok, I'll get ready," Ghost said.

They drove first to the record shop. Letting themselves in with the key, Steve turned on the lights.

"It's weird in here, with Terry gone," Ghost said.

"I know...too quiet...let's check the club," Steve said.

They drove over to the back parking lot of the Yew. Everything was dim and quiet over here, too. Steve went through the whole place, while Ghost wrote an entry onto the writing wall. As Steve came back downstairs, his phone rang. It was Kinsey.

"Hey, Kinsey," Steve said, "we're over here right now, checking on things. Everything looks good, and tell Terry the shop is ok, too."

"That's great, Steve," Kinsey said.

"Where are y'all, now?"

"We just got back to our hotel...spent all day at Disneyland. Man, Terry was having a ball, and I took a lot of pictures," Kinsey said.

"Cool, can't wait to see them," Steve said. "Oh, yeah...Ghost had a weird dream about y'all last night..."

Kinsey interrupted him, "Steve, there's something I need to ask you."

"Ok, what?"

Kinsey paused a moment, "Well, I don't know how to put it, but did you ever hear anything about your sister, Linda? I know she left home, shortly before your mother and your other sister left. I hate to bring this up, Steve, but..."

"Kinsey, it's ok..." Steve said. "What's weird is that's what Ghost had a dream about... you, and Terry, and Linda, and Disneyland...and no, I never heard anything from any of them after they left. It was just me and my dad, and well...you know that whole situation."

"Yeah, I always felt bad for you...about all of that, but listen...this is the really weird part," Kinsey said, "I thought I saw someone that I'd swear was Linda, today. This woman looked a lot like you, and of course it's been so many years, I couldn't be sure..."

"You saw her?" Steve asked.

"Well, I thought it could be her, but see, I don't know," Kinsey explained. "This lady was waiting for a ride, with two kids...looked about six or seven years old, I don't know. Anyway, I went up and said hi, and asked if she was Linda. Well, she acted funny. At first she smiled, when I said her name, then I have a feeling she recognized me...maybe. But, then she looked like she was just going to run away from me, but said her name wasn't Linda, and I must be mistaken. I asked did she have a brother named Steve...and she looked straight at me and said no. Then she took the kids, and walked away real fast.

Now, Steve, I don't know what to make of it, and I probably shouldn't have, but I took her picture with my phone, as the three of them walked away," Kinsey said. "They're not great photos, but if you want, I'll send them to your phone. This may not mean anything at all, ya know...just a weird encounter."

Kinsey waited a few seconds, thinking his phone had disconnected. "Ya there, Steve? Can ya hear me?"

Steve had not said a word while Kinsey had been talking, trying to take it all in. "Yeah, I'm here," he finally said. "Go ahead and send the pictures, Kinsey. I don't know what to think, it's so random, ya know. But, then that dream Ghost had last night...could be something to it."

"Ok, it'll take a few minutes. There's three pictures I'm sending. Anyway, that's all the news from us. We're heading back east, tomorrow. Call me back if you want to talk," Kinsey said.

~
Steve was agitated, and paced around, there in Kinsey's office. Ghost was sitting on the couch. He'd heard Steve's part of the conversation. "It's her, Steve...it has to be." he said.

"I don't know, Ghost. It's strange, but what if it is? What should I do about it? From what Kinsey said, she doesn't want to be found." He sighed, trying to calm himself. "Oh, here's the pictures, now."

He stared closely at the photos as he searched the woman's features. They were not ideal, being at a distance, and only one full facing the camera. "Look, what do you think?" He gave Ghost the phone.

"That's her, Steve. That's her...and those little kids...they're the same ones as in my dream. And yeah, she does kinda look like you, with the same kind of hair. I can't see her eye color, but they are dark like yours. I'm gonna say yes. Of course, I never seen your sister before, so I can't really know, but that's for sure the ones I seen in my dream." Ghost handed the phone back to Steve.

"But, what am I supposed to do about it?" Steve asked. "I mean, she said she wasn't, and we don't know where she lives or anything..."

"Call Kinsey back."

Steve did call back..."Hey we looked at those pictures. It's hard to tell, but we both see the resemblance. So, what do you think we should do? We don't know where she went after talking to you."

"I know, Steve, but listen...I did give her my business card, and also wrote your phone number on the back, too. Maybe she'll contact one of us. Guess we'll just have to wait and see. If not, well, probably wasn't meant to be, or it really wasn't her at all," Kinsey said.

"Yeah, guess that's all, just wait and see. Anyway, thanks Kinsey," Steve said, ending the call.

He looked at Ghost, and shrugged. "We'll have to just wait and see if she calls. If we get contacted, then I'll deal with it. Now, though, it's business as usual around here."

"You don't seem very excited...or upset about it," Ghost said. "Why not?"

"I don't know, guess because it's not for sure. And truthfully, I don't even half way remember her. I was just a little kid when she left, and so much was going on at the time...all the bad stuff, and then my mom and my other sister, Lisa, left..." he closed his eyes, as he rubbed his face.

"Ghost...it was bad. I know you've heard me say how it was, but that's just something that gets deep inside ya...and, it's all I could do to make it through. Well, I know you understand...then, I finally left to go to your house that day. I look at it like you and your grandmother pretty much saved me." He stopped for a minute.

"Steve..." Ghost asked. "whatever happened to your dad?"

Steve sighed, shaking his head. "I don't think you remember, 'cause it happened when you were out at the graveyard, messing around in the woods one day. I'd come in the house for something. I think your grandmother was getting us something to eat and drink. I was going to bring it back outside for us. Anyway, my dad came to the house, and Ghost...he started yelling and threatening your grandmother...about stealing me away from him. I hid in the bedroom, but I could hear him. Your grandmother was a strong, feisty lady. She let him have it right back. She told him she'd turn him in for child abuse, if he ever came back."

Steve looked into Ghost's eyes. "She meant it, too. Anyway, he left. That was the first time in probably five years I'd even seen him. Well, I was about sixteen then, I already had the T-bird. That was the last time I ever saw him...well, ya know...hear him. Why he pretended to care that day, I don't know. Anyway, I was embarrassed to face your grandmother, but she came in the bedroom and saw me...a big 'ol teenager, crying like a baby. But, she said not to worry, she'd always stick up for what was right. She gave me the biggest hug...I loved your grandmother, Ghost..."

He took a deep breath. "Anyway, some time later, maybe a year, I don't know, she told me he'd killed himself...over in Georgia. She'd heard it from someone. I don't know the details, but I didn't even care. I was glad, and that was the end of it."

Ghost was frowning. "How come I never knew any of this, Steve? You didn't say anything about it, and neither did my grandmother. I wish I would'a known...I maybe could have helped ya feel better."

Steve shrugged. "I don't know...I was still embarrassed that my family was so messed up, and it was over anyway. I asked your grandmother not to say anything to you. I'm sorry, Ghost. I knew even then that it would really bother you."

"Ok, Steve, I get it. So, now what? What are you gonna do if that lady is your long, lost sister?"

~

Next part coming soon!



Peace, Love, & Writing