TWO SOULS: INTO THE FIRE ... # 178

TWO SOULS: INTO THE FIRE
# 178
warning...adult content



~
Ghost gave Zach directions to the little new age shop in the downtown area. As Ghost pushed open the door, the smell of sweet incense greeted them. Zach looked around, wide eyed, at the shelves of brightly colored goods for sale.

"Hey, Ghost...how are you?" the owner said. "Fighting any more demons?"

"No, not today," Ghost said. "This here is my friend, Zach. It was him and his boyfriend's house that had the evil spirits, but we got rid of them, and now it's gone...the house is all gone."

She smiled, and shook Zach's hand. "Well, hi Zach. You've got a real friend here, with Ghost. Don't let him get away."

Zach smiled, too. "You've got a really neat shop."

"Y'all look around, and if you need any help, just holler," she said.

Ghost showed Zach around the small shop, pointing out where the incense was, and the potions, books, and knick-knacks, that crowded the shelves. Going over to a display case, Ghost considered the crystals for sale.

"You gonna buy something?" Zach asked.

"Yep, I always do. I'm liking these crystals. They're real powerful, ya know," Ghost said.

"Well, I never thought about it before...about crystals," Zach said, as he looked them over.

"I have a big one at home, and I have a geode. They're on the hall table, and we smashed a vampire with the big one, one time," Ghost said, as if it was an every day thing to do.

"Oh, yeah," Zach said, "I think I remember y'all telling us about that. Maybe I should get one for me and Trevor. Will any of them do?"

"It depends on what you want to do with it...they all have different meanings." Ghost pointed out one. Here's one you could get for house protection." It was a medium sized one. "Oh, here's one you wear on a chain necklace. It's a prism cut."

"I think I'll get them both," Zach said. "I'm really digging this stuff."

Ghost was enjoying showing Zach around, and telling him about all the different things...things that were so familiar to himself.  "Zach, I could go on telling you about this stuff all day. I love it all. I've used all these thing since I was a kid, and my grandmother showed me. But, you probably don't want to hear me all day."

He picked up a book from a table. "Look, here's where it tells all about crystals, and stones, and all kinds of cool things...if you want to learn some more."

Zach took the book, and flipped through the pages. "Yes, I'll take this, too." He was thinking this would be his new hobby.

Ghost smiled, at hearing Zach's thought. "I think you'll like it. I need to get some remedies, and oils from behind the counter." He called to the lady, who measured out all the items Ghost mentioned. They took their selections up to the counter, and checked out, both leaving with a large bag.

"Ok, guess we can go home, now," Ghost said, then grinned. "Except...let's get ice cream first."

"Are you hungry again, already?"

No, I just want some, 'cause it's so good, and I know this place we can get some," Ghost said.

"Ok, let's do it," Zach said, as he drove off in search of the ice cream place.

They sat in the car while they ate it. "This has been a lot of fun, Ghost. I was a little nervous about it, but you, my man, are a lot of fun to hang with."

"Really?" Ghost asked. "Well, so are you, and I was nervous, too. I thought you'd be all critical and stuffy, and go like...I have to humor Ghost so he won't act crazy." He grinned. "I tried real hard not to, ya know."

Zach laughed at that statement. "I'm glad I got to know you better, Ghost. Steve's very lucky to have you. So, you ready to roll?" He started up the car, and drove toward the highway, back to Missing Mile.

"I'm going to call Trevor...see if Steve's still over there. We gotta sneak you back in the house," Zach said. He made the call, and found out Steve was still there, and he'd have time to drive Ghost home, before Steve found out he'd been gone.

"I'm getting worried, Zach."

"Why?"

"Well, Steve is going to ask me what I did all day. I don't ever lie to him, so what do I do?"

"Well...just say the truth..." Zach said. "Say I came over to say hi, and we decided to go shopping in Raleigh...and we ate lunch. That's the truth. And, you have the things you bought from the shop, anyway. Just leave out the car stuff we did, ok?"

Ghost was nodding. "Yes, we did do that, and it won't be lying at all." He yawned, "I need a nap, now."

"Me too," Zach said. "I'm going to drop you off at your house, then head home and crash. We'll have to hang out together some more, too."

At the house, Ghost got out of the car, and they said their good-byes. He went inside, and not long after, Steve came home. Ghost was at the table, looking through his purchases, as Steve came in.

"Man, what a day," Steve said. He came up behind Ghost, giving him a hug. "Hey, what 'cha got there?"

"Just some things I bought at that little shop in Raleigh," Ghost said, trying hard not to blurt out the real reason he'd been in the city.

"How did ya get there?"

"Oh, after you left this morning, Zach came by to say hi, and talk about the show and all. I asked him if he wanted to drive me to Raleigh, so I could buy stuff...so he did." He pushed around the things on the table, rearranging them. "He bought stuff, too, and Steve...we found a real good Cajun restaurant, and we ate lunch there. You have to go, sometime."

"Well, it sounds like yu had a good time...better than I had," Steve said, shaking his head. "I'll tell ya, that Trevor was up to something. That furniture moving deal...that was crazy."

"You didn't move any?"

"Yeah, we did, but it wasn't much. Then he kept suggesting odd things...like he wanted to draw my picture...for a comic book, of all things, and so he did. Turned out pretty good, too. Then we ordered a pizza, and he got to talking about his time in the orphanage, and foster homes." Steve sighed. "Then he wanted to play cards...just a random bunch of stuff."

"I think he just didn't want to be alone, today," Ghost said.

"Yeah, maybe that was it." Steve looked at the group of things on the table. Holding up a small, clear envelope, he asked, "What's this for?" Inside was a powdery substance.

"This one? Well, it says powdered willow bark, right on it," Ghost said.

"And...what's it for?"

"Oh, it's for when you hurt...like a headache, or you have a sore muscle, things like that. And, you only take a pinch at a time, in some hot tea, or even just lemon water," Ghost said.

"Oh, aspirin, then..." Steve said.

"Well, I don't know about that, but it's real strong, so you have to be careful," Ghost explained.

"How can you remember all this stuff? It's not even labeled very good."

Ghost shrugged, "I just do. Oh, look at this...I got a crystal...for house protection." Ghost held up the blocky gem.

Steve took it, turning it over and over, to see all sides. "Thought we already had one of these."

"Yeah, but it's been used a lot, already, so it's not as effective...ya know?"

Steve snickered. "So, these things have an expiration date?"

"Stop it, Steve...gimme that back," Ghost grabbed the stone. "Don't laugh...it's true, but they can get weaker. So, I have to get fully charged ones, sometimes."

"Oh...like a battery, then?" Steve kept on teasing.

Ghost rolled his eyes, and sighed. "I guess so, since you evidently know so much about 'em."

Steve lightly punched Ghost's arm. "You know I'm kidding, don't ya?"

"Um-hmm, well, anyway Zach got some too, and he was all interested in hearing me tell about this stuff. He even got a book to study."

"Really?"

"Yep, and we got incense...see?" Ghost held up a package, and smelled it. "Here, smell...what do you think?"

Steve took a sniff, and coughed. "That, smells good," he coughed again.

Ghost narrowed his eyes, staring at Steve, waiting for a wisecrack, but Steve thought better than to say any more.

~

Next part coming soon!



Peace, Love, & Writing