TWO SOULS: INTO THE FIRE ... # 285

TWO SOULS: INTO THE FIRE
# 285
warning...adult content





~
"I really want to know you," Melody said. "Like, how it was growing up. It seems so different from me." She was drawing little hearts on the damp table.

"I do that," Ghost said.

"Huh...do what?"

"That...draw on the table," he said. "Ever since I was a kid, this here table. I drawed lots of stuff on here." He pushed his finger around on the still wet surface of the old-fashioned dinette. "It could tell you lots of stories about me."

"This table was our grandmother's?" Melody asked.

"Um-hmm," Ghost said, as he got a far-away look in his eyes.

"Oh, Ghost, I want to hear about her, too. I've missed so much."

Ghost looked up, meeting her eyes. He knew she meant it, and that he would tell her everything...everything. "Everything," he said aloud.

"Yes, everything." Melody repeated, as she looked deep into Ghost's eyes.

A thousand thoughts and memories were filling his mind...snippets of conversations, long gone, snap shots of his life, running together in fast-forward sequences. He wasn't trying to send his images to her, but she was hearing and seeing some of them, as she stared back. They both were totally in their own world, together...he sending and she receiving the images and feelings. They didn't hear Steve and Linda come quietly to the kitchen door.

They paused, watching Melody and Ghost, and were fascinated. Linda nudged Steve. He smiled, as they both could tell that these two were talking without words. Just then, Spirit jumped up onto the table, breaking their concentration. Both reached out to pet him, then laughed.

Steve cleared his throat to make himself noticed. "Y'all ok?"

"Yeah, we got some things to catch up on," Ghost said. "And Spirit says he's happy Melody came home to us, and I am, too."

"Me, too," Melody said. "I want to really be your sister, not just somebody who looks like you."

"I got lots to tell you, and show you," Ghost said.

Steve laughed. "Melody, you'll learn soon enough that once you get Ghost talking, he don't ever want to stop."

"I can't wait," Melody said.

"Y'all have plenty of time for that. Right now, we gotta go to the store, that is if y'all want to eat, later," Steve said. "Who's coming with me"

"Me and Ghost," Melody said, getting excited.

"I'm not," Linda said. "I'm going back to the Yew. Kinsey's probably pulling his hair out by now, trying to keep up with Stevie and Mandy. Y'all can take the van; it has more room. I'll drive Kinsey's car back."

Melody jumped up from the table. "Where's some paper? I'll make a list."

"I like making lists," Ghost said. "I'll get some paper for you." He went off to his bedroom.

"Well, brother," Linda said, "I'm heading back to town. Y'all coming in later?"

"Sure, we'll be in, and Melody will probably need to recover from the shopping trip, if you know what I mean," Steve said, shaking his head.

Linda laughed. "Oh, I think it's you who'll need to recover. Anyway, give me a hug, I'm outta here."

"Need me to pick up some things at the store, while we're there?" Melody asked Linda.

"Oh, yeah...write down juice, for the kids, and some cereal and milk for in the morning. I don't know what else right now," Linda said.

She and Steve walked toward the front porch. "See ya later," Steve said, waving her off.

Back inside, Ghost handed Melody some paper and markers. "Here, " he said. You can have this notebook for your own."

"Oh, thank you," Melody said. She started writing the list. "Tell me what y'all need to buy, and I'll write it." Ghost looked around the kitchen, naming off items.

"Put beer on there," Steve said, as he came back into the kitchen.

"And, cat food," Ghost said.

After a few minutes, the list was finished, and they were ready to go. "Where is this grocery store?" Melody asked.

"Raleigh...about thirty miles from here," Steve said. "There's a little one here, but for most of it, we go to the big one."

~
As they drove down the highway toward Raleigh, Steve said, "Ok, here's the plan. We go in, we get what's on the list, and we go home. Got it?"

"Uh...we need to go to the magic shop, too," Ghost said.

"And, why is that?" Steve asked.

"There's a magic shop," Melody asked. "I want to go see it."

"Maybe another day," Steve said. He expected to get a rise from Ghost, or even Melody, but they were quiet. He glanced in the rearview mirror at Ghost, then noticed Melody smiling and nodding her head...for some reason he couldn't find a reason for. Then it dawned on him...they were mind talking.

"Hey, y'all stop that ESPing each other." He frowned. "If ya got something to say, just say it."

"Ok, please, please, please, Steve, can we go to the magic shop?" Melody begged, hoping Ghost's suggestion would work.

"We ain't got nothing else to do today," Ghost said.

Steve was shaking his head, no, but said. "Oh, ok...y'all win, but just for a minute. We'll go in, say hi, and you can get what you need. How's that sound?"

"Ok, we can do that," Ghost said. He and Melody high-fived.

~
The rest of the trip was spent with Ghost singing songs, and Melody adding her voice along with him on the ones she knew. Steve smiled. They sound great together...

"Hey, I have an idea," Steve said. "You both should sing a few songs on the stage."

"Me...sing on a stage?" Melody asked.

"Yeah, you sing really good, and if you and Ghost sang together, it would be awesome."

"You do sing good," Ghost said. "When we gonna be on stage again?"

"Soon, I hope," Steve said. "We'll have to clear it with Kinsey, but I'm sure he'd be ok with some Saturday night.

"We can have Zack and Trevor up there, too," Ghost said, getting excited. "I need to sing. Well, more than I do now, anyway."

"I know, and it's been way too long," Steve said.

"What songs would you want me to sing?" Melody asked. "What if I mess it all up?"

"We'd practice a lot first, don't worry about it. You already know most of them, anyway," Ghost said. "It's really fun, and the kids love it when we play. They won't boo you, if you miss a word. They never do to me, and I forget the words sometimes...right, Steve?"

"That's right, Melody. Ghost forgets the words, even though he's been singing them for years. Then, he just makes something up and keeps going." Steve laughed.

"Well, ok...I'll try it, then." Melody said.

They were in Raleigh now, and Steve was negotiating the traffic. "This is a pretty big city," Melody said, looking at the buildings and shops.

"There it is...the magic shop," Ghost hollered, pointing it out to Melody. "It's got all kinds of cool things in there, and the lady is real nice."

~
Next part coming soon!



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