TWO SOULS: INTO THE FIRE ... # 277

TWO SOULS: INTO THE FIRE
# 277
warning...adult content



~
Linda had pulled the van into the parking lot of the small police station. She and Melody sat there a few minutes, trying to compose themselves, before going inside. It was a tidy, brick building, with a glass door in front. They didn't see the squad car anywhere.

"I don't see it; there must be a parking lot back behind the building," Linda said.

"What do you think they'll do to Steve and Ghost?" Melody asked.

Linda shrugged. "I don't know, but I hope they don't actually put them in jail. Maybe they'll just get fined or something. I suppose we better go in." She and Melody got out of the van, and helped Stevie and Mandy out of the back seat.

"Now, kids, I need y'all to mind your manners in here," Linda said.

Melody pushed open the door to the police station. Linda breathed deep. This could go either way. Small towns did things different than L. A. she knew. In front of them was the sergeant's desk. She went up to ask what they should do next. He didn't look too happy to have his evening interrupted, though.

Clearing her throat, she said, "They brought my brother and his friend in from up at the visitor center. Where are they? What do I need to do?"

The officer narrowed his eyes, as he stubbed out his cigarette. "Yeah, they radioed it in. They're in back being questioned and processed. It will be awhile," he said. His tone changed then, as he looked over at the kids, and smiled. "Got three of the young'uns, myself. Here, that is if it's ok." He pulled out a couple of lollipops from a drawer.

Linda smiled, relieved that he wasn't as mean as he looked. "Thank you," she said, and gave one each to Stevie and Mandy. "Y'all sit quite, now...we have grown-up business to do."

Looking back to the officer, she asked, "Can you tell me what will happen, now?"

"Well, let's see," he said, rubbing his chin. "It's been awhile since we arrested anyone." He chuckled. "Sorry, well...after questioning, they'll determine the outcome. Probably just pay a hefty fine, and of course the gun will be confiscated. Then, they can leave, after bail is posted. If there are no outstanding warrants, that'll be about it. Gotta run 'em through the wanted list, of course. Any marks on their record, might land 'em in jail for awhile, until all that is settled. We'll just have to wait and see."

"Ok, how much will the bail be? I'll pay it right now," Linda said, pulling out her wallet.

"We'll have to wait for the bondsman. He's been notified. Should be here soon."

Linda nodded, then went to sit down with Melody and the kids. She leaned back on the wall, with her eyes closed. Melody squeezed her hand.

"Is there anything I can do to help?" she asked.

"No, we just have to wait."

An hour passed, and still no word. The sergeant had gone back to watching a small tv, and monitoring the radio. Melody took the kids to the restroom, to wash the stickiness from their hands and faces. Just as she returned to the main room, the holding room door opened. Another officer came out, giving papers to the desk sergeant, who then nodded.

Looking over at Linda, he motioned her over to the desk. "Ok, ma'am, the bail is set at $500.00 each. Pay that, and they're free to go. There will be a hearing with the judge in six weeks. Basically, just a formality to close the case. But, make sure they both show up. No skipping out on it, or it'll be a definite jail sentence. Do you understand?"

"Yes, sir," Linda said. She handed him her credit card, and signed the ticket. Steve and Ghost were led out of the back room, then.

"Oh my God, Steve," Linda said.

"Hold on, Miss," the sergeant said. Turning to Steve and Ghost, he asked had they been appraised of what needed to happen.

"Yes, sir, we understand," Steve said.

"Ok, y'all are free to go. Good luck."

They all walked back outside into the cool mountain air. The sun was just coming up. Linda hugged both Steve and Ghost. She could tell Steve was tensed up, and barely holding back his temper.

"Not now, Steve...please calm down," Linda said.

Ghost was just quiet, all the energy drained out of him. Linda hugged him especially gently, trying not to bump his swollen face. "Get in the car, hon," she said, guiding him to the door.

~
Next part coming soon!


Peace, Love, & Writing

TWO SOULS: INTO THE FIRE ... # 276

TWO SOULS: INTO THE FIRE
# 276
warning...adult content




~
Ghost frowned, as he looked around the motel room. "No, it didn't come back in, but I was afraid it might. And it did come back, only in my nightmare."

Steve nodded. "I knew you weren't awake, but man, you were all crazed. You were attacking me, Ghost, and I had to make you stop. You growled, and bit me so hard."

"Oh God...I did this to you? I'm so sorry. I didn't mean to hurt you, Steve," Ghost said.

"I know you didn't, but it hurt so bad, I tried to make you stop. I'm sorry, too, that I hit you. I didn't know what else to do. You were coming at me like a rabid dog...all growling. I was thinking you were possessed or something."

"I think I was," Ghost said. "It felt like it even if it was in my nightmare." He touched his swollen eye and lip, and sighed. "You hit me?"

"I didn't want to..."

"You had to, Steve. It's ok...you had to. I didn't know I was biting you. I'm so sorry." He wrapped his arms around Steve's shoulders, but Steve shook him off.

"I hate myself," Steve said. "I said...no, I promised  I'd never hurt you again." He jumped up from the bed to pace around the room. "Guess that makes me a fucking liar, don't it?" he stared hard into Ghost's eyes. "I don't think I can do this any more. I can't ever do what's right."

Still pacing, he ran his fingers into his hair, yanking hard. "I try...I tried. It just don't work for me."

Ghost was getting dizzy watching Steve go back and forth. "Stop...stop, Steve." He got up, but swayed, and had to sit back down.

"Where's the gun, Ghost?" Steve asked. "I'm scum, just like Kinsey always said. I don't deserve you, or your love. I don't even need to be here any more, hurting you over and over." He strode to the door, yanked it open, and headed for the U-Haul.

"Steve! Steve, come back here." Ghost stumbled to the door, holding onto the furniture, as he went, the room spinning wildly in his dizziness. Just as he reached the doorway, Steve charged back in, running into him, knocking him flat on the floor. He looked down at Ghost.

"See? See what happens? It never ends." Reaching out with one hand, he helped Ghost up. The other hand was holding his gun.

"Put it down!" Ghost yelled. He tried to grab for the gun, but missed. As Steve twisted out of Ghost's grip, they were both startled, as the gun went off, blasting a hole in the ceiling.

Ghost screamed, sure that Steve had shot himself. Steve dropped the gun, and rushed over to Ghost, thinking he'd shot him. They were both relieved to find out no one had been shot.

"Don't ever kill yourself...promise me," Ghost cried, hugging Steve.

"I can't. I can't keep my promises," Steve said, as tears ran down his face. "But, I won't kill myself, ever again, Ghost."

Ghost nodded, as he hugged Steve tight.

Linda and Melody ran into the room just then, and they all could hear sirens approaching.  "Oh my God, are y'all ok? What happened?" Linda asked. Melody was hanging back, eyes wide with shock. Before Steve could explain, two policemen, and the motel manager walked in.

"Anyone need an ambulance here?"

Steve shook his head. "We're ok. It was an accident."

One cop retrieved the gun from the floor, putting it in an evidence bag. He was making a call to headquarters, to check on the gun ownership. The other policeman was questioning everyone about the incident. Then they conferred.

"This gun is not registered to either one of y'all. You don't have a license for it either. We'll have to bring y'all in. It's the law."

Steve was trying to explain about the gun, but they read him his rights, and handcuffed him. Ghost said nothing, as they handcuffed him, also. As they were put into the squad car, Steve told Linda to follow them to the station. The manager was still going on about who was going to pay for the damages.

"It will be taken care of," Linda said, as she and Melody gathered up Steve and Ghost's belongings, and went back to their room. Linda got the kids up, and into the van, as quick as possible.

"Linda, what the hell was that all about?" Melody asked.

"I don't know, but we're about to find out," Linda said.

"Did they have a fight? They were both hurt and bleeding."

"I don't know," Linda shouted. She wiped at her eyes, trying to stop the tears that threatened to fall. Her hands were shaking. "Oh, Melody, I just don't know what to do."

After a few seconds, Melody said, "It'll be ok. We'll figure it out."

"I know, I'm just so tired, and we're so close to home. This was all we needed right now, ya know." Linda said. They were down off the mountain, now, and Linda pulled into the small parking lot at the police station.

~
Next part coming soon!



Peace, Love, & Writing

TWO SOULS: INTO THE FIRE ... # 275

TWO SOULS: INTO THE FIRE
# 275
warning...adult content




~
Steve came out of the steam filled bathroom, after his shower. "There's still hot water, if you want to get in there," he said.

"Ok, I will," Ghost said, getting off the bed. "Oh, here," he tossed the remote control to Steve. "It don't work very good." He went on into the bathroom, closing the door, as Steve flipped through the tv channels.

"Nope, nothing on," he said, and turned off the tv. He sighed, and closed his eyes. The bed was soft, and the quilts were fresh and fluffy. When Ghost returned, he saw that Steve was asleep. Turning out the light, he snuggled close to Steve, under the covers. He'd been wanting more, but he just lightly kissed Steve's lips, and whispered, "In the morning."

He yawned, and made himself think of home. Pictures filled his mind. He always liked thinking of home, but this time it felt different. He sensed that he needed to do this, to block other thoughts from intruding. Bad thoughts, scary thoughts, were on the edge of his consciousness. Sometime in the night, the nightmare began. Ghost flailed about, hitting Steve.

"What? Hey, stop...stop..." Steve hollered, as he came awake. Ghost was talking, and moaning. "Ghost...wake up." Steve took hold of Ghost's arms, but in the throes of his nightmare, Steve wasn't able to subdue him.

Ghost sat straight up and screamed. His eyes were open, but he wasn't seeing Steve at all. As Steve watched, as if in slow motion, Ghost turned to him and actually growled. He lunged forward, biting him hard on the shoulder. Steve screamed in pain, as he felt blood trickle down his arm. In a purely reflexive action, he hit Ghost hard across the face, to make him stop biting.

"God damn it, that hurt...get away, Ghost...what the hell is wrong with you?" Steve shouted, scrambling backwards off the bed. Ghost lunged again, his teeth bared and bloody, still in his nightmare.

Steve was frozen to the spot for a second, but managed to sidestep Ghost, as he came at him again. Running to the bathroom, he filled a cup with cold water, then threw it in Ghost's face, hoping to wake him up. It worked. Ghost was drenched, but he shook his head, looking confused.

"Why I'm wet?" he asked, from the floor where he'd fallen. He licked his lips, and rubbed his hand over his mouth, the taste of his and Steve's blood, and the smear of it on his hand, confused him even more. As he looked up, Steve could see that he desperately needed to get Ghost home, as soon as possible. He needed more meds, and the sessions with the therapist, just as the doctor in the hospital had urged.

Even in his pain, Steve's heart melted with love and worry. "Ghost, you were having a nightmare. I had to wake you up, so I threw water on you. You are awake now, aren't you?"

Ghost nodded. "I'm awake." He coughed, and spit out blood.

Steve closed his eyes for a second. How...how am I going to explain Ghost's busted lip, the blood, the black eye... He could see Ghost's eye already swelling, and it looked bad. His own shoulder was throbbing and bleeding, still. A crazy, wayward thought crossed his mind, I hope he's had his shots... He tried to muffle a burst of nervous laughter at that thought. It's the stress, that's all...shut up...

Ghost could barely see out his swollen eye, now. "Steve? What...why?" Steve reached out a hand to help Ghost up off the floor. They sat on the edge of the bed. Ghost, just noticing Steve's injury, cried out, "You're hurt, you're bleeding...let me get a wet cloth." His legs shook, as he shuffled to the bathroom.

Running water on the wash cloth, he looked up into the mirror, He had to steady himself on the edge of the sink, as he saw his own face. After a few deep breaths, he returned, to gently wipe blood off Steve's shoulder. "Steve, tell me...I have to know." He tried to look into Steve's eyes, but Steve was hanging his head down, covering his face with his hands, shaking his head. Ghost waited.

"Oh, Ghost, I don't even know how to say it." Ghost was smoothing back Steve's hair, still waiting for an explanation, and he kept dabbing the cool cloth onto himself, then onto Steve.

"You were having a real bad nightmare. Do you remember it, any of it?"

Ghost shook his head. "no, but right before I went to sleep, it felt...I don't know, weird, or bad in here."

"But we threw the holy water. You said something ran out. What? Did it come back in?" Steve asked.

~
Next part coming soon!


Peace, Love, & Writing

TWO SOULS: INTO THE FIRE ... # 274

TWO SOULS: INTO THE FIRE
# 274
warning...adult content




~
Steve tried to adjust his position in the U-Haul's seat, as he kept driving. They were getting close to their stopping place for the night, and he was ready. The cabins they'd stayed at last summer, would be a welcome sight. He'd told Ghost how many miles and time were left until they got there, but he knew Ghost didn't really understand. He seemed satisfied, though. He shook his head, and yawned.

"Hey, look," he said, pointing out the sign up ahead. "It's the sign for the visitor's center and the cabins. We'll be there in no time."

Ghost gave him a funny look. "No time? What's no time mean?"

"Oh, it means real quick," Steve said.

"Huh, no time is real quick? Is there a yes time?"

"I don't think so," Steve said.

Ghost drummed his fingers on the window ledge. "Times are confusing. There's too many of them to keep up with."

Steve let that comment pass, with no reply. He knew Ghost would be off and running on a tangent about time, and he didn't have time to listen to it, right now. They were there. He pulled into the parking area.

"Whew, here we are. I'm done driving for the day."

Ghost was grinning, as he saw the restaurant. "C'mon, let's go." He opened the truck's door to get out.

"We'll go in when Linda gets here," Steve said, looking back down the road. "Here she comes, now."

Linda parked the van next to the U-Haul. "This place is beautiful," she said, as she got out and looked around. "Come on, kids, come look." Melody helped Stevie and Mandy out of their car seats.

"Smell the air. It's so fresh and piney," Melody said.

"We been here before," Ghost yelled. He started turning around and around, with his arms outstretched. Stevie and Mandy copied him, while they giggled.

"What are you doing?" Melody asked.

"He's just being Ghost," Steve said. He rolled his eyes. "Who's hungry? Let's go inside."

They all headed to the small restaurant. "Me first. I want to surprise them," Ghost hollered, as he ran up to the door ahead of the others. He yanked open the door, took a step in, and tripped on the door sill. "Aiii," he screeched, as he landed hard.

Before anyone could react, they heard a woman holler from inside. "Ghost...it's Ghost and Steve. Look y'all, they're back." She rushed over, reached down, and helped Ghost stand up. "You ok, hon?" she asked, lending her arm for Ghost to hang on to.

"Um-hmm," Ghost said, and rubbed his palms together, where they'd been scraped a bit. "Surprise," he said, with a big smile on his face.

"Oh, it's so good to see you again." The waitress gave him a hug. "Y'all come in. Hey, Steve, how ya been?" She didn't wait for an answer. "I'm getting y'all some coffee. What will the kids have?"

"Chocolate milk," Stevie said, bouncing on the booth's seat.

"Ok, I'll bring it all in a minute," she said, bustling off to get their refreshments.

"See I told ya they were nice here," Ghost said.

"Yeah, I never seen any waitress be so nice," Melody said.

"Ok, here ya go," the waitress said, setting the drinks down on the table. She handed them a menu to look over. "Are y'all needing cabins for the night?"

"Yeah, we're staying," Steve said. "Hope you have a couple available."

"We sure do. It's not quite tourist season yet, so you're in luck. Let me know what you want to order, and I'll go get the keys to a couple of the cabins," she said.

When she got back with the keys, they told her what they wanted to eat. "Good choices, and whenever you're ready, just go on over. They're just down the way, you remember."

As they waited to eat, a couple of the year round regulars came in. They came up to the table to visit.

"Y'all gonna sing us some more songs?" one of them asked.

"Oh, not tonight," Steve said. "But, I'll bet we could in the morning, before we leave."

"All right then," the guy said, as he and his friend went to their table.

"They love you here," Linda said.

"Uh-huh," Ghost said, as he dug into his plate of pancakes with molasses.

Steve smiled, remembering the last time he saw Ghost eat pancakes and molasses here. He was anticipating a repeat of that night. Ghost looked up at him, having heard his thoughts.

"Yes," he said, and smiled.

"Yes, what?" Linda asked. Then she saw the looks between Ghost and Steve, and she understood. "Ohh...I see," she said, grinning.

They continued to eat, and drink coffee that the waitress kept refilling their cups with. Linda, looking at the kids, said, "Well, y'all, I need to get these kiddos to bed. Anyone else ready to go?"

Ghost yawned. "Me, I'm ready," he said, getting up from the table. He helped Linda get the kids down, and then they all said good-night.

"How do we do this?" Linda asked. "We need some things from the van. Do we just walk over there to the cabins, or drive?"

"We have to walk, but it's not far. We can get our things and carry them over," Steve said. It was just getting dark, so he turned on the flashlight to light their way down the path, after getting their things.

"Which one do you want? They're about the same, I think."

"Oh, this one's fine," Linda said, going up to the closest cabin. "We'll see y'all in the morning." She, the kids, and Melody went inside, locking the door behind them.

Steve was yawning now, too. "C'mon, let's get inside," he said, as he and Ghost walked the short distance to the next cabin over.

As soon as Steve opened the door, Ghost hesitated. "Just a minute," he said, peering inside. "It's not clean."

"How do you know? I haven't even turned on the light, yet," Steve said. "Come on."

"Wait, let me...hang on, Steve, it's here somewhere." Ghost felt around in his backpack. "Ok, now...throw some of this in there ahead of you." He handed Steve a little, cork topped bottle.

"What the hell? Holy water? You been carrying that around all this time?" Steve asked.

"Uh-huh, just in case, and now it's the case, 'cause it don't feel right. Something happened in here that wasn't good. I need to cleanse it." Ghost explained.

Whatever..." Steve sighed. He uncorked the bottle. "Just drip some around? Are you gonna say stuff?"

"Yeah, just shake a little bit out in here, and in the bathroom. I'll say stuff," Ghost said.

"Ok, here goes." Steve shook a few drops out in front of them.

"You bad left overs, get outta here. You're not wanted here any more," Ghost said, loud and clear, as he closed his eyes, and turned around three times. They did the same in the bathroom. Steve wondered if three was a magic number, and how Ghost knew when three times had happened.

"Ow, did you feel that?" Ghost asked. He'd opened his eyes, and was staring back behind them.

"I felt you bumping into me. What happened?" Steve asked. He didn't see, hear, or feel anything strange.

"It was the bad thing. It pushed me, and then ran out the door. I felt it go by me, like a cold wind. Hurry and close the door," Ghost said. Steve did, and locked it.

"It's gone? It's all clear now?" he asked.

Ghost breathed deep, as he stared into the corners. "Yeah, it's gone."

"Good, I'm taking a shower, then going to bed," Steve said.

Ghost turned down the bed, and clicked on the remote. The reception wasn't good up here in the mountains, though. A couple of channels came in, but were snowy. He smiled. "Yep, just like home." He felt a zing of anticipation at the thought of home. It wouldn't be long, now.

~

Next part coming soon!


Peace, Love, & Writing

TWO SOULS: INTO THE FIRE ... # 273

TWO SOULS: INTO THE FIRE
# 273
warning...adult content




~
Steve kept driving toward the mountains, but needed to stop for gas one more time, so stopped at a little convenience store in the next town they came to.

"Have we been here before?" Ghost asked, as he looked around. They had gotten out of the U-Haul to stretch their legs a bit.

Steve was shaking the stiffness from his legs, as he pumped gas. "Yeah, we were here before. We played that bar one night. You remember, it's where somebody broke our windows in the car, and slashed our tires." He frowned at the memory.

"Oh, yeah, this isn't a good place," Ghost said. "Hurry up so we can get outta here." He climbed back into the truck, and locked the door.

Steve finished filling up the gas tank, and went inside to pay. Linda, Melody, and the kids were already in the van, waiting.

"You know what?" Melody asked. "This seems so familiar. I think I was here, and it may be where I saw Ghost and Steve for the first time." She thought for a minute. "It feels the same, and the people at the show were mean."

"Mean...how?" Linda asked.

"Well, they vandalized Steve's car, for one thing. They were rude in the bar, and I think there may have been a fight, or words said, or something. I only was there for a little bit. I didn't see anything, but you could feel it being tense in there," Melody said.

"It was the next morning, when I walked by, that I saw they were still here, out back in the parking lot. They were fixing the car, then they drove off. I don't think they saw me. I was kinda hiding by the building, and spying on them." She laughed.

Linda laughed, too. "Yeah, and now you find out you're family. That is a crazy coincident, for real."

They saw Steve come out of the store, and get into the U-Haul. They waited until he pulled out to the road, then followed.

~
"I'm ready to get the hell out of this po-dunk town," Steve said, when he got back in the truck. "They're still mean."

"Want me to go beat 'em up for ya?" Ghost asked.

"Huh? Oh, I see...you're making a joke."

Ghost nodded. "Yeah, are you too upset to laugh?"

"Kinda," Steve said. He sighed, letting his anger dissipate. "But, now we're leaving, and we'll never come back here, anyway." He pulled out of the parking lot.

Just as he did, a motorcycle roared around the corner, almost running into them. It swerved just in time, but they heard the driver, yelling obscenities at them.

"Asshole," Steve hollered, as he slammed on the brakes. It sent Ghost sliding off the seat, into the floor board. He bumped his head on the console.

"Dammit, Ghost...put your seatbelt on." Steve yelled. Then he asked, "Are you ok? Sorry for yelling. That guy was being a bastard."

Ghost reclaimed his seat, and rubbed the sore spot on his forehead. "Yeah, I'm ok...just a..."

"Ghost?" Steve asked, and looked over at Ghost, when he didn't finish what he was saying

"Huh?" Ghost asked, "What happened? I'm dizzy." He was holding his head.

Steve saw that Ghost's eyes were jerking back and forth. "Ghost, try to focus. Does anything hurt? You're not gonna pass out, are you? Do you need to lay down?"

Ghost shook his head. "No, just there's this knot on my head, and my head hurts, and I'm dizzy."

"I'm finding a doctor," Steve said.

"No...I'm fine, just let's go."

"I don't know, maybe we should," Steve said.

"Please, just go, Steve. This town is bad...I can feel it." He fastened his seatbelt, then leaned back, shutting his eyes. "It's better now, anyway."

"Ok, ok," Steve said. He drove slowly out onto the street. In a short time, they were out on the highway, heading east. They began to feel the change in altitude, as they drove higher into the mountains. Steve had to keep yawning, to keep his ears from feeling muffled. He did hear Ghost laugh, though.

"What," he asked.

"You look funny when you do that," Ghost said.

"So...don't you have to pop open your ears?"

"Sometimes, but not as much as you," he said, laughing.

"You feeling better?"

"Mmm, yeah. You're not spinnin' around anymore."

"Let me look at your eyes," Steve said, glancing over. He saw that they weren't jerking around trying to focus anymore, and the pupils were a normal size. "Good, that's good."

"Hey, do you think our friends at the restaurant are still there?" Ghost asked.

"Well, maybe. I guess we'll find out soon enough."

"I hope so. They were nice when we were here before. How much farther is it?" Ghost asked.

"Oh, about five miles or so. Probably take us about ten minutes."

"Ok, 'cause I'm hungry."

~

Next part coming soon!


Peace, Love, & Writing

TWO SOULS: INTO THE FIRE ... # 272

TWO SOULS: INTO THE FIRE
# 272
warning...adult content



~
Linda glanced over at Melody, again. She knew she wanted to know all about her brother, Ghost, but she knew it would take time for Ghost to feel comfortable opening up to his sister.

"I know you want answers, Melody," Linda said. "I don't know when Ghost will feel ready to say more about his life, and his life with Steve. When he's ready, I'm sure he will. He may feel you're not ready to hear it, yet." She sighed, knowing there was still so much Melody had to learn about her new family.

Melody shrugged, "Guess I'll just have to wait, then." She looked out the window of the van, looking at the passing scenery, but not really seeing it. Her thoughts were on Ghost.

After a little while, she asked quietly, "He has problems, doesn't he?" She was frowning, and biting her lower lip.

Oh, God...she is so like Ghost in the way she looks, and moves...how on Earth, what on Earth can I say to her?

"Honey, Ghost has been through more than anyone should ever have to deal with," Linda said. "He has problems, big ones, serious ones, but he is doing his best. He's the sweetest person I've ever met, though. Just take him like he is...just love him...that's all he wants." She took a deep breath, collecting her thoughts. "I will warn you, though, he does have seizures at times, so don't be afraid when he does. Just comfort him, and see that he doesn't hurt himself. It's scary, but so far he's come out of them ok."

"Oh, Linda, that's awful, but thank you for telling me," Melody said.

They drove in silence for a little while, then Linda asked, "What about you? I know you were adopted when you were a baby, but they never told you until recently?"

Nodding, Melody said, "Yep, that's about it. It was just out of the blue that I found out. Well, we never really got along. We argued all the time, my mom and me, then right in the middle of yelling at me, she blurted it out. I was shocked of course, and didn't believe her. But, the more I thought about it, it made sense, I guess. We were nothing alike." She shrugged. "You know, I was grateful that someone took me in for all those years, but it wasn't Disneyland, for sure."

"Were there any other children?" Linda asked.

"Nope, just me. After I found out, I didn't see any reason to stick around. I was old enough to leave home, anyway, and be on my own. So, I just went here and there, travelling as much as I could. That's when I saw Ghost and Steve at a place, playing a gig. That was so freaky. I had no idea what to do, ya know, seeing that Ghost looked just like me. I was scared to find out who they were, and where they came from. I wish I had, though." She laughed, as she remembered that night.

"Wow, it sure must have been unsettling to find someone that looked like you, that you'd never heard of before," Linda said. "I understand how you were hesitant to find out."

"Um-hmm...I was at the time." Melody took a minute, before she continued. "You see, Linda, I did have a pretty normal growing up. There were good times, too, don't get me wrong. My friends had the same complaints about their parents as I did. You know how teenagers are." She rolled her eyes, and smiled.

"Yes, I do," Linda said, "and I'm trying to be prepared for when Stevie and Mandy are that age."

Melody looked in the back seat at the kids. "They are awesome kids, Linda. I don't think they'll give you much trouble."

~
Over in the U-Haul, Steve was singing along to the songs on the radio, and tapping his fingers on the steering wheel. Ghost had been asleep quite a while, but was now waking up, and singing along with Steve.

"You awake, yet?" Steve asked.

"No, where are we?" Ghost asked.

"Well, hell, sit up and see for yourself."

Ghost raised up a bit, to look out the front window.  "The mountains...Steve, it's our mountains!" he was grinning big.

"Yep, the very ones," Steve said, and laughed. "The Great Smoky Mountains. We'll be up there pretty soon, and in North Carolina. I'm thinking we can make it all the way to the visitor's center, and the cabins, before we stop."

"Yes...don't stop until we get there," Ghost said.

"Well, unless you'd rather stay at the haunted old house, like that one time we did."

"Uh-uh, no way, Steve. That old lady was mean."

"I know, so the cabins it is," Steve said. "Why don't you call Linda's phone? Melody will answer, and you can tell them our plan, ok?"

"Oh, good idea. Just remind me of the letters to push, again." He took the phone from his backpack, and called Linda, with Steve's instructions."

In the van, Linda's phone rang. "Hello?" Melody asked.

"Um, hey...it's me Ghost."

"Oh, hey, what's up?"

"We was gonna tell ya we're going to the mountains, and...oh, yeah, there's some cabins we can stay at tonight," Ghost said.

Melody relayed this information to Linda. "She says that sounds good to her."

"So, that's all I guess," Ghost said. "Bye." He turned the phone off, and looked at Steve. "Now what?"

Steve shrugged. "Keep driving for now. Oh, see if there's a snack or some water in here. I need some of both,"

Ghost reached for a grocery bag down in the floor board. "Here's some water," he handed the bottle to Steve.

"So, how's the hangover, today?" Steve asked.

"The what? Oh, I don't guess I had one. Or it disappeared, or...well, I feel good," Ghost said. He got out a package of peanut butter, cheese crackers to share.

"Well, I'm surprised, since y'all were drunk and high last night," Steve said.

Ghost shrugged. "I don't remember."

"Do you remember sleep walking and climbing a tree?"

"No, just you saying I did."

"Hmm, odd...well, did you have any weed left?"

"Yeah, a little bit. Ya want some now?" Ghost asked. "I can roll one."

"No, we'll wait until tonight in our cabin. Sound ok to you?"

"Sure," Ghost said, and grinned. He caught the underlying message Steve was suggesting. "We can do that, too."

~
Next part coming soon!



Peace, Love, & Writing

TWO SOULS: INTO THE FIRE ... # 271

TWO SOULS: INTO THE FIRE
# 271
warning...adult content




~
Ghost continued trying to explain his feelings to Steve. His lips quivered, and he brushed the wetness from his face. He took a breath.

"I haven't even got to write very much, and I never get to sing, anymore...and, and...too much, things get in my head and gets me messed up. I try to be ok. I try and try, and it's never good enough." He glanced up at Steve, and whispered, "It's never gonna be good enough." Putting his head in his hands, he sobbed.

Steve sat close, hugging him. It was breaking his heart, to see Ghost in so much pain. "Cry, babe, go ahead, let it out, it's ok," Steve said softly, as he rocked Ghost in his arms.

Melody heard them, and came out of the tent. She came over and hugged both Steve and Ghost. "Oh, hon, it's ok. We want to help you feel better. I don't know much about why you're upset, but I can feel it. I've had some really down days, too. We're here for you, with you."

Ghost nodded. "I know. It's ok...I'll be ok."

Linda had joined them, taking Ghost's hands. He looked into her eyes, and she knew in that instant, she would do everything she could to help and protect this fragile child, her brother's love, no matter what. She loved him like her own kids, unconditionally and forever. She didn't have to say a word; Ghost knew. He took another shuddery breath, and she heard the words clearly in her head... Thank you, Linda, thank you..

"Ok," she said, standing up. "Are we all gonna go back to sleep, or just go ahead and have breakfast, and get on the road?"

"I'm for staying up, eating, and getting the hell outta here," Steve said. "How about you, Ghost?"

"I'm hungry. I'm ready to eat."

"Ok, then. I'll get it started, " Linda said. She went to get more wood for the fire. "Melody, get some eggs and bacon out of the cooler. We're getting this party started."

Ghost got another cup of coffee, and sat staring into the cup awhile longer. Steve checked out the U-Haul and the van. As the food was done, Linda woke the kids. "Time for breakfast, you two." They came out of the tent, and grabbed juice boxes to sip on. They'd had enough sleep, and were now teasing each other. With everything set out on the picnic table, they all gathered in the morning light, made hazy from a soft mist that was rising.

Steve and Linda were at one end of the picnic table, going over the route they'd be taking through Tennessee, and into North Carolina. The road would be more familiar now, as he and Ghost had travelled it the past summer.

Ghost felt around in his backpack, and pulled out his Jesus rock. He rubbed it a bit, then set it on the table in front of him.

"What's that?" Melody asked.

"This? It's my Jesus rock," Ghost said. "I found it a long time ago. See, it looks like Jesus on it." He handed it to Melody.

She looked closer, and smiled. "It does. This is a special rock. Do you always have it with you?"

Ghost nodded. "Yeah, but I thought it was lost one time, then it came back."

"Wait a second, I'll be right back," Melody said. She went to the van and got out her purse.

"Here, I want you to have this," she said, draping a long necklace around Ghost's neck. "It's a rosary. I have one already, see?" She pulled out the one that was around her neck. "It's almost the same, and it has the cross, and Jesus on it. It's so you will always have Him with you." She smiled. "You'll never be truly alone, and he'll protect you."

Ghost ran his fingers over the shiny beads and the silver cross. "I like it, thank you." He looked up at Melody, meeting her eyes, so like his own. He could hear her wish...that she get to know everything abut him. "Maybe someday," he whispered. "I'll tell you things, but you wouldn't want to know others."

"Whenever you're ready, Ghost. I'll be ready to hear," she said.

~
Breakfast over, and everything put away, cleaned up, and packed, they were ready to leave.

"I'm riding with Linda for awhile, ok?" Melody asked.

"Uh, sure," Steve said. "Let's do this."

They pulled out onto the little road that led back to the highway. In the U-Haul, Ghost stretched out as best he could, and played with the beads around his neck.

"What's that ya got," Steve asked.

"It's a rosary. Melody gave it to me."

"Nice."

"Um-hum. Steve, she wants to know things...about me."

"Yeah? Well, sure she does. Why...does that bother you?"

"No, yeah, well maybe. Some of it bothers me. I mean, how can I do this? Maybe she don't need to hear about everything," Ghost said.

"Oh, I see," Steve said. "You don't have to tell her things that you'd rather not. It's ok to leave parts out. In fact, it's probably best you don't say certain things. Not everything has to be for everyone to know...ya know? So don't worry about it, just let things happen naturally, in conversation. You don't have to make a special speech or anything."

Ghost was nodding along with Steve's words. "Yeah, that sounds a lot better. I was scared to say it all, anyway. She might not understand...at least not yet." He smiled, feeling relieved. "I'm gonna sleep awhile, now, unless you need me to keep talking to you?"

Shaking his head, Steve said, "Naw, I'm fine. I'm going to turn the radio on, anyway. You take a nap." He turned the radio on, and found an oldies station that came in pretty clear. Ghost closed his eyes and slept.

~
In the van, Linda had given Stevie and Mandy some crayons, and a coloring book each, to keep them busy awhile. She kept her eye on the road, but could see that Melody was fidgeting, like she wanted to talk about something. For some reason she could sense that Melody felt awkward, or shy about whatever it was.

"Ok, what's on your mind, hon?" Linda asked.

"Huh? Oh, just wondering...about...oh, never mind," Melody said, and sighed.

"It's ok, no problem," Linda said, "but if you want to know something, don't hesitate to ask, or say what you want. This family you've landed in don't have many secrets. We're pretty much an open book." She left it at that. Melody would talk to her or not...her choice.

After a few minutes, Melody tried again. "Ok, I love this family already. I just want to know all about y'all, but I don't want to pry, you know. I mean, only if anyone wants to tell me things. Shit, I can't even say what I mean," Melody said, and laughed. "I guess it's so new to me, to have a family, that I feel I have to hurry and catch up with y'all's history, or something." She shrugged.

Linda laughed. "Oh, I know what you mean. I'm kinda new, too."

Melody looked confused. "But, I don't get it. You knew your family all along."

"Yes, I did, but we lost contact for a really long time...like fifteen years or so. I never knew what happened to Steve, so we're still catching up, too. It's only been a few months, we got back with each other."

"Wow, that's kinda sad, but I'm happy you've got each other, now," Melody said, after hearing Linda's story.

"Me too," Linda nodded.

"So, what about Ghost?" Melody asked. "How does he fit in? He and Steve met at school, and got to be friends. Then what?"

"A lot, from what I've heard," Linda said, feeling a bit like this part wasn't her place to tell. "I can tell you some, but even I don't know the whole story, and it's not for me to be telling it. I wasn't there, so you'll have to ask Ghost. He'll have to be the one, if he wants to. I'm sorry, Melody, all I can say is that Steve saved Ghost's life, and they've been together ever since, just as friends, then later as lovers. There was some bad, bad times between them, and even though it looks like they are fine now, they are still working hard at making it work out, again. But, I've said enough. Ask Ghost, ok?"

"Yeah, I did, sort of, and he said he'd tell me some things, someday, but not yet. I want to know, now...what's he waiting for?" Melody asked.

~
Next part coming soon!


Peace, Love, & Writing