TWO SOULS: INTO THE FIRE ... # 176

TWO SOULS: INTO THE FIRE
# 176
warning...adult content





~
Before going home Steve suggested getting some lunch over at the diner. Ghost agreed, as he was hungry, too. "We haven't been back there since that weird day before Thanksgiving. We can see if it ever got back to normal," Ghost said.

The parking lot was full of cars, when they got there. "Hey, there's people here, now...not like last time," Steve said.

Inside, their favorite waitress came up, saying, "Hi, you two. Good to see y'all are back."

"Yeah, and it's not a time warp now," Ghost said.

"I know," she said, "and I heard that the strangeness was more than just here, that day. Thank goodness it didn't last long."

They ordered a pizza, and enjoyed watching people come and go. Sometimes they felt isolated living out on Burnt Church Road. There was a couple in the next booth, with two small children. Ghost was facing them. The kids kept peeking over the top of the seat, behind Steve, making funny faces at Ghost. He made a funny face back to them. They giggled and hid in their seat.

"What the hell are you doing?" Steve asked. He'd only seen Ghost make a face.

"Huh? Oh, nothing..." Ghost said.

The kids peeked over again, and Ghost made another face at them.

"What's wrong with you?" Steve asked.

"Nothing, Steve...just playing with those kids behind you, that's all."

"Kids?" Steve asked.

"Yeah, behind you. They're cute...look..."

Steve turned around, coming face to face with them. They hollered and ducked down, again. He shrugged and smiled at their parents.

"They like to be silly," the mom said. "It happens all the time, so just pay no attention, and they'll stop bothering you."

Steve waved to them, and said hi. The kids started asking Steve questions, and laughing. "That's enough, guys...turn around and eat your lunch," the dad said.

Their pizza came, then, so they began to eat. "That was fun and funny," Ghost said.

"Yeah, but I don't know how to be around kids," Steve said.

"Me either, but that was cool, playing with them."

As they finished eating, and got up to leave, Ghost told them bye, and the kids kept saying bye over and over.

~
When they got back home, Steve made a pot of coffee. He just wanted to relax and look through the books he'd bought. Ghost took Spirit outside in the back, to play, and he also took the phone with him. Steve didn't notice. As the cat prowled around, Ghost made a call to Zach.

"Hey, Zach," he said, "is the plan still in action?"

"Yep, Trevor is in a hundred percent, and will call Steve first thing in the morning. I'll come pick you up as soon as I can, ok?"

"Yeah, I'll be here," Ghost said. He hung up, and pocketed the phone. After a few minutes, he and Spirit came back inside. Steve was absorbed in his book, so didn't see Ghost put the phone back down on the table. Going into his bedroom, he started reading his own books.

The afternoon was easy, and uneventful. Later in the evening, Kinsey called them. "Hey, Steve, just checking in with y'all."

"How are thing going, Kinsey?" Steve asked.

"Great...we're in New York City...got here this morning. Terry's making us do the whole tourist thing...seeing all the sights. We went to a broadway show, and ate a bunch of good food. We'll be here another day, then we're on our way to Florida, for some deep sea fishing. Should be home a couple of days after that," Kinsey said.

"That's great, Kinsey. We're fine here, just the usual. We miss y'all, though. Everyone asks about when y'all will be home."

Kinsey laughed. "So, the town can't do without us, huh? I love it. Well, we'll see everyone soon enough. Got to go see some more stuff, Steve. Talk to ya later."

"Was that Kinsey?" Ghost asked.

"Yeah, they're still having fun. They'll be home in a few days."

"Good, 'cause I miss them," Ghost said. "And, we get to have a show when they get back."

"That's right, and we need to plan that out a little better, too," Steve said.

It was getting late, so they made a simple supper of sandwiches, and sat at the kitchen table. Steve went over their show plans, and plans for selling their book, and CD. Ghost knew Steve couldn't read his mind, so kept thinking of the plan he had for the next morning. Steve was trying to keep everything else on his mind, so as not to think of his plan for Ghost's Christmas present.

~
The next morning, Ghost was fidgety. He couldn't sit still, couldn't concentrate on breakfast, tv, or anything Steve wanted to talk about. He kept jumping, every time he heard a noise, thinking it was the phone call.

"What's got you all riled up, Ghost," Steve asked him.

"Nothing," Ghost said, as he paced around the house.

"Well, why don't you take that nothing, and go outside and run around...burn off some of that energy."

So, he did, and when the phone call did come, he missed hearing it. Steve took the call, then hollered out the door, to Ghost.  "Hey, come here."

When Ghost got to the porch, Steve said, "I just got the strangest phone call from Trevor."

"You did?" Ghost asked. "What did he want?"

"He wanted me to come over there and help him with something. I couldn't quite make out what, but sounded like move some furniture, or paint some furniture...I don't know what he was going on about. He said Zach wasn't going to be there to help, and could I come over."

"Are you going?"

"Yeah, guess so...you want to come, too?"

Ghost pretended to be thinking about it, then said, "No, you go on. I don't like moving furniture."

"Ok, then, let me get my keys. Will you be ok here by yourself for awhile?"

"Yeah, me and Spirit will be fine," Ghost assured him.

"Ok, then, see ya later," Steve said, and drove away.

A few minutes later, Zach pulled up into the driveway, and honked for Ghost to come out. He came running, and jumped in the car, all out of breath, but grinning.

Zach was laughing. "This secret stuff is kinda fun, Ghost." He drove out on the highway toward Raleigh. "So what's the scoop?"

"The what?" asked Ghost.

"What's the plan? Where do we go first?"

"Oh, go to the bank. I'll need some money."

"You got it," Zach said.

"You drive fast," Ghost said, and kept cringing, when Zach passed other cars.

"Guess I do, but don't worry, I'm a good driver."

"Steve drives fast, too."

"You don't drive?"

"I can a little bit, but I don't like to," Ghost said.

"Hmm, I figured everyone liked to drive. Oh, here we are, the bank. Do you want me to go in, too?" Zach asked.

"No, it won't take long," Ghost said. He went into the bank building, and asked an employee to come help him in the safe room. He'd have to trust the person, because they'd have to count out some money for him. He didn't really know how much he'd need, so he told them he was buying a car, and to give him however much they thought it would cost.

The employee was helpful, giving Ghost a large amount, from his and Steve's safety deposit box.

Back in the car with Zach, Ghost told him to drive to a certain junkyard for wrecked cars.

"Ghost, I know it's a secret for Steve, but why here?" Zach asked.

"Because, this is where they took Steve's wrecked T-bird. I want to get it fixed for him. He loved that car," Ghost said.

Zach smiled. "Wow, that's a great idea," he said.

At the junkyard, Ghost told the clerk what he wanted to do. Clearing his throat, he then said, "A long time ago, there was a wreck, and Steve's car was brought here. It's a T-bird, an old one, and do you still have it?"

"How long ago was this?" the clerk asked.

"I think it was..." Ghost looked to Zach for help. "Zach, do you know?"

Zach shrugged, "I never even lived here, then, Ghost. Let me see what I can find out. They have records of what was brought in, I think."

~

Next part coming soon!




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