TWO SOULS: INTO THE FIRE ... # 284

TWO SOULS: INTO THE FIRE
# 284
warning...adult content




~
Linda stirred three teaspoons of sugar into the hot coffee she was going to bring out to Ghost.

"Come on," she said to Melody.

They walked through the living room, and out to the front porch, the screen door slamming behind them.

"Here, Ghost, drink this. It'll calm you down." She handed Ghost the mug, and he gulped half of it right down, not waiting for it to cool.

"Ahh, thanks Linda," he said.

Melody was watching from just in front of the door. She'd not come any farther out. Ghost noticed her hanging back, and knew she was upset, and a bit fearful.

"Melody, it's ok. I didn't mean to scare you." Ghost looked up at Steve. "Tell her, Steve. I never mean to, it just happens."

"Do you do this a lot?" Melody asked.

"Yeah, but I don't plan on it."

"Are you gonna find out what it was this time?" Steve asked.

Ghost shrugged. "It will be more clear later, when it wants to reveal itself." He drank more of his coffee, now feeling he was done talking about the vision he'd had." The others were wanting to hear more, though, but the only thoughts Ghost was picking up on were Melody's. He didn't want to. He didn't like what he was hearing from her.

He tried not to stare at Melody, as he was concentrating on what she was thinking, but she was staring at him, and the look on her face was scaring him. He kept sending reassuring thoughts to her, but it was hard getting through, now. Her own thoughts were too loud. She seemed to be afraid of him...wary. She was overwhelmed at all the new people, ideas, and weirdness that she'd been exposed to the last week or so, since meeting Ghost, and his...now her family. She was surprised that it felt she'd known these people a long time, but a short time, also.

"Melody?" Ghost said, aloud. "I'm not...stop saying it."

"I can't," she said, then ran back inside the house.

Frowning at Ghost's and Melody's sudden outburst, Steve asked, "What's the matter with her, now?"

"I'll go see," Linda said, and followed Melody inside.

"Well? What's the deal," Steve asked Ghost. "What did you want her to stop saying?"

Ghost looked confused. "She was saying I'm crazy and scary, and why did she even have to meet us, and she wished she'd never met any of us."

"Damn, I thought she liked us," Steve said.

"Why would she say that?" Ghost asked. "Why now? I don't understand."

Steve could see Ghost truly seemed bewildered. He never seemed to remember that he had a way of appearing to others as strange, and yes, a bit crazy. It was just normal for him...he was who he was, but it took people awhile to get used to him.

"She's just getting to see us the way we are at home. The traveling and all was fun, and exciting, and new. It's just sinking in that we are her real family now, and there's no going back, now that she knows." Steve said, trying to explain, hoping this was the truth, and this was all that it was.

"I want her to like us, not be scared of us...of me..." Ghost said. "I don't mean to be scary. And, she wanted me to show her how to talk to the spirits."

"I know, Ghost," Steve said. "It just got a little too real for her all of a sudden. She can't help what her thoughts are. And, she didn't actually say any of that out loud."

"Oh, yeah...but I heard them real loud." Ghost sighed, and rubbed his face. "Sometimes I wish I didn't hear things."

Steve didn't have an answer for that, so he said, "Why don't you go in there and talk to her?"

"About what?"

Steve rolled his eyes. "About what we just talked about. Show her you're not scary...weird, yes...but not scary. She don't need to feel afraid of you, I mean, you're twins, for God's sake. Don't even have to talk. Just do that mind meld thing you do. I don't know."

Ghost made a face at Steve. "Mind meld thing?"

Steve shrugged. "Yeah...now go on in there."

Ghost went to the door and peered in through the screen. "They're not in there."

Steve just pointed to the door, giving Ghost a look.

Ghost went in. He could hear Linda and Melody talking in the kitchen. He sidled in, poured himself another mug of coffee, and sat at the table. He nervously stirred sugar into it, making the spoon clink on the cup.

Linda had stopped talking, as she saw him come in. It was an awkward silence, that she felt needed to be broken. "You two need to talk," she said, then left them there, as she went out to join Steve, on the front porch. Ghost was on one end of the table, Melody was on the other.

"Well, they talking?" Steve asked, as Linda came outside.

"Nope, not when I left."

After a couple of minutes spent rocking back and forth on the swing, Steve asked, "You think she'll fit in here?"

Linda was a bit surprised by the question. "Why wouldn't she? She's family."

Steve shrugged. "I know, but I get the same damn feeling that I get from Ghost...that she could just up and disappear at any time."

Linda nodded. "Oh, yeah, I see what you mean. I kind of feel it too, at least about her. She seems a bit flighty."

"Um-hmm, that's it," Steve said. "She should at least give us a chance before taking off, if she does." He closed his eyes, shaking his head. "God help Ghost, if she does take off. He'd be a total wreck. He's always wanted to find some kind of relative, and she looks to be the only one he has."

Linda looked worried. "We have to make sure she sticks around, then."

"Yep," Steve agreed.

~
Inside, at the table, Ghost took a drink of his hot coffee, just as Melody spoke, startling him so, that he spilled half of it onto the table. "Shit, you scared me," he blurted out.

Melody giggled. "I'm sorry." She ran to get a towel. Ghost watched, as she mopped up the spill.

"I don't want you to be scared of me. I'm sorry if I do crazy things, and I never mean to."

Melody sat back down. "I know, and I didn't mean what I said out there." She put her hand over his. "I'm just trying to take in everything that's happened to me, since I met y'all. I'm really glad you found me, and that we're twins, and I have a for real family."

"Me too," Ghost said. "I always wanted to find someone, but never thought it would happen. Are you mad at me?"

"Mad? No, are you?"

"No."

Melody smiled. "Then can we start over?"

Ghost nodded. "Yes."

~

Next part coming soon!


Peace, Love, & Writing