Ghost Betweens (17 page)

Josh stood up and walked to the kitchen. Maybe Zach had kept her occupied while he did something in here.

"I'm going to go up and lie down for awhile, Josh," his mom called from behind him. "You can handle dinner on your own?"

"Yeah, Mom. Go rest up. You look exhausted."

He heard her murmur that she must be as she climbed the stairs. He stuck his head into the kitchen, but neither saw nor felt anything out of place. Zach's bowl lay on the kitchen table. He walked over to put it in the sink when he saw written in the melted chocolate an "H" and an "E." It looked like there'd been room left to finish the word, but he hadn't. Maybe the demon had caught on to what he was doing and put a stop to it. Or maybe this was all another part of the game she was playing. He sighed, rinsed the dish out, and headed upstairs to call Whisper.

*****

Josh crawled onto his bed and reached for his landline to call Whisper when his cell rang. He pulled it out of his pocket and saw it was her. Talk about timing.

"Hi, Whisper."

"Hey, Josh. I just wanted to warn you to be careful. Kendra stopped by a few minutes ago and tried to charm her way in past my parents. They'd have let her in, too, if I hadn't been there. Who knows what she'd have done."

"She'd have brought ghosts in there with her. Zach got here before I came home."

He heard her gasp. "Oh no. Are you alright?"

"Yeah. And more importantly, I think my mom is, too. Zach blanked her memory for a bit and made her take pictures to bring in ghosts. I thought I was going to have to call you over, but I got rid of them." He told her about the film he crushed under his feet and how when it was bent to useless, the ghosts disappeared as neatly as if they'd been banished.

"That's strange. Can we use that? Maybe Mr. Baxter will know." He heard clicking sounds in the background.

"What's that sound?"

"My keyboard. I'm emailing Mr. Baxter right now." She paused. "Why didn't your anti-ghost strip or whatever it's called work? I remember you saying you put it in."

"I don't know. But every click of the camera brought more ghosts, so maybe it was overwhelmed."

"I'll add that to the email."

"Add something else, too. It's about Zach." He explained the weird writing that appeared on his cheek, and the half-finished message of help in the ice cream bowl. "He gave my mom the camera. We know digital cameras work for getting ghosts to appear, but he chose that one. I don't even know how he found it so quick. I have no idea where she kept it."

"You don't think it was the demon trying to trick us again?"

"I don't think so. I can't explain why. It felt like Zach trying to get my attention, trying to get help."

He heard her type for a few more seconds. "Anything else you think I should add?"

Nothing immediate came to mind. "No, I think that's enough for now. Hopefully it'll all make sense to him."

"Okay. Sent. Let's hope he's by his computer."

"Yeah. Did Kendra seem like her normal self, or was she obviously possessed?"

"She seemed normal, I guess. I mean, I haven't known her for all that long, but she seemed okay. Until my parents left, and I told her to go away. Then she got a bit nasty. That's all I'll say."

"Yeah, Kendra doesn't do nasty. I wonder if she's trying to ask for help, too. But you'd have noticed."

"Maybe she hasn't figured out how like Zach." A ding sounded in the background. "Mr. Baxter's reply."

He sat up in bed. "What's it say?"

"Here, I'll forward it to you."

"Fine, but read it. My computer will take a few minutes to boot up."

"Don't let either of them in your houses. Think of something to tell your parents. Your talismans work fine, but with either of them already in the house, the ghosts can bypass the magic.

"As for the strange writing on Mr. Riley's face, it's quite possible he's inside trying to gain your attention. They both know everything going on around them, but there's nothing they can do to interact. I'm impressed he figured out how to do that much; it's certainly not the demon's doing.

"Finally, the film in the camera is an interesting angle. I've heard of such things, but I can't remember what. I know someone who has a more extensive library than I do, so I guess I have a road trip ahead of me this weekend. Stay vigilant and out of trouble. We'll talk after school on Monday, and hopefully we'll have a new plan of attack. Be safe, and I'll see you then."

"That's the end of it," Whisper said.

"At least he has a plan. Maybe Zach was able to give my mom that camera because he thought it'd help us."

"Maybe. I guess we shouldn't dwell on it too much."

"Yeah. Can I still call you later to do our math homework?"

He heard the smile in her voice. "Of course. We need to keep our minds off the supernatural, after all."

"And maybe we can spend more time together tomorrow than just the miniature golf? I'll take you on a picnic or something. There are some nice parks around here you probably haven't seen."

"That sounds wonderful." She laughed. "As long as it's not the farm."

He joined her laughter. "No, I promise it's not."

"Good. I'll make us some sandwiches and desserts, and you bring the drinks and chips. Deal?"

"Deal. And speaking of food, I should probably see if my mom wants me to make her any dinner."

"And I'm sure my dinner will be ready soon, too. Talk to you in an hour or so?"

"Perfect. I'll call you."

"Okay. Bye."

He hung up and took a deep breath, his mind on tomorrow rather than the events of today. That was exactly what he needed. He leapt up from his bed and went to see what Mom wanted for dinner.

Whisper leaned back against Josh as they gazed out at the duck-filled pond. The early afternoon sun danced along the water's surface in an intricate pattern, thanks to all the birds above and fish below. He hadn't been in this park since elementary school, when his mom used to bring him to play on the playground equipment. Then it'd been metal monkey bars, slides, and swings on a sand pit. Now it was an intricate maze of huge plastic toys on top of a rubber mat. Part of him was disgusted at the change from his childhood, but the rest of him realized that plastic monstrosity actually looked like a lot of fun. Ah, who was he kidding? If no one was here, he'd climb around on it right now.

Whisper reached up and stroked his cheek. "What are you thinking about?"

"Just reminiscing. I used to come here all the time. The playground equipment was different, older, but I always had fun." He kissed the top of her head. Even as he did it, he marveled at how comfortable he was with her. It was like they'd known each other forever. Was being perfectly matched with your partner part of being a Ghost Between? Or would they be like this without their supernatural abilities?

"It sure is beautiful."

"Yeah." He chuckled. "I never noticed before. When I was younger, it was all about the toys on the playground."

She glanced up and gave him a crooked smile. "Who are you kidding? You'd go play on those right now if you could."

He must've had a funny look on his face because she cracked up.

"What?" she said. "Am I wrong?"

"No, that's the thing. That's exactly what was going through my mind when you asked what I was thinking about. Can you read my thoughts?"

She rolled her eyes. "Please, don't scare me. Who knows what runs through the mind of a sixteen year old boy." She giggled and quickly kissed his neck. "I'm teasing. No, I can't read your mind. I just figured."

He grunted but wrapped his arms tight around her. "I'm guessing these Ghost Between powers mean we know each other better than should be possible."

"It's nice, though, isn't it?"

"Yeah. I didn't think I'd ever be this comfortable around a girl. Especially one as pretty and cool as you."

She guided his mouth down to hers and they shared as passionate a kiss as they dared in a crowded park. He wouldn't mind if the kiss lasted the entire afternoon, but something tickled his brain. A ghost. She felt it, too, and they broke apart, ready for battle.

"Zach and Kendra?" he asked. "Be ready."

She shook her head. "I don't think it's them. This doesn't feel evil. Not like any ghosts from the farm."

She was right. Movement on the pond that didn't match any disturbances the duck or fish caused caught his eye. A shimmering figure rose from the water, looked their way, and approached. As they waited at their blanket, Josh wondered what people around them thought of them staring out at nothing. Hopefully it looked like they were gazing out at the pond.

Josh wasn't sure how they'd communicate with this ghost, who looked to be a middle aged man in a cheap leisure suit like he'd seen in old sitcoms from the 70s. That question was answered when a voice sprang into his mind.

"Hello, Ghost Betweens. I've hoped you would visit me."

"How do you know us?" Whisper asked. Josh realized her voice, too, came directly into his mind. So this wasn't something that happened only with the evil ghost in the barn. At least people in the park wouldn't think they were talking to imaginary friends.

"The power that bleeds off of you two is unmistakable. We knew you were close the moment you met."

"What do you want from us?" Josh asked.

"It took me so long to realize I was dead that I missed my portal to the other side."

"And we can help with that?" Whisper asked.

"Of course. You're Ghost Betweens. There are a few others here in this park. I'm sure they'll come to you once you've sent me on my way."

Josh frowned. "But we don't know how to do that." Even as he said it, though, he realized he was mistaken; he did know what to do. He looked at Whisper, who nodded. Instead of linking hands, he put his arm around her shoulder.

"Be at peace," Whisper said, and the ghost smiled. They concentrated briefly, but instead of energy building up their arms, a bubble of energy expanded from them, enveloping the ghost. And just like that, he was gone.

"That was easy," Josh said. He felt almost giddy, like a tiny piece of the universe had been righted. The serene look on Whisper's face proved she felt the same.

"Maybe that's why we were given these powers. Not to fight demons, but to help ghosts in need."

"It felt good, didn't it?"

"Yeah. Here comes another." She pointed down the path that led around the pond. A young girl, probably no older than ten or so, waved at them and hurried over. She had the same shimmering skin as the ghost that came out of the pond.

"Hello, Ghost Betweens. You'll help me?"

"Of course," Josh said.

"Good. I miss my mommy and daddy. I can't wait to see them again." She smiled up, a look of such hope and innocence etched on her face that Josh felt tears come to his eyes that she'd been ripped from life at such an early age. He almost read her to find out what happened, but he didn't know what the etiquette for that was.

He and Whisper concentrated again, and seconds later she was gone. Before they could bask in the peaceful feeling, the third ghost approached from behind them. She was an older lady that Josh remembered seeing when he played here as a child. Then he didn't understand other people couldn't see her, while now he knew only he and Whisper could.

She smiled at Josh. "I knew, even back then, that someday you'd rescue me." Her smile shifted to Whisper. "And such a lovely partner you have."

"Thank you," Whisper said. "Are you ready?"

"Yes, dear. I've had plenty of time to realize I no longer drew breath. I want to see what's next."

Seconds later, she, too, was gone. Josh scanned the rest of the park, but couldn't sense any more spirits. His chest swelled with pride of a job well done. He couldn't believe how much more satisfying that was than forcibly banishing the evil spirits.

Whisper embraced him and sobbed quietly into his chest. "What's the matter, sweetheart?" He said it with his mind.

"Sorry, sorry. Nothing. Happy tears. They just overwhelmed me." She paused. "We're not talking, are we?"

He tilted her chin up and brushed a tear off her cheek. "No, just like with the ghosts. Could we always do this, or will it fade?"

She smiled. "I don't know. Too bad we don't have a class together. We'd be able to talk all we wanted during boring lectures."

He laughed, and then out loud said, "That would be fun."

"Hmm. I guess it wore off," she said, also out loud. "We'll have to play with that power and figure it out. It could come in handy."

"Yeah, but would we use it for good or evil?" He added his best super-villain laugh, which caused her to crack up.

"You'd probably use it for good." She flashed a wicked grin. "I'm not so sure about me, though."

"Ooh, you naughty girl." He gave her a tight hug, lifted her up, and spun her around a couple of times, bringing out a surprised squeal from her. He laughed and gently set her down.

She craned her neck up and kissed him. "Shall we put the stuff away? I'd like to walk around the pond for a bit."

"Sounds like a plan."

Josh knocked the orange golf ball towards the tiny anthill of the first hole at the Fantasy Kingdom Miniature Golf Course. Whisper clicked a photo as soon as he made contact. He'd struck it a little too hard, and it was destined to skid right over the top, but luck was on his side. It smacked into the lip of the hole, bounced up, and settled in the cup.

"Whoo! Hole in one!"

"Nice shot. No way I'll match that."

"Just do your best. I'll try to correct your form whenever I can."

She winked at him. "Hands-on approach, I hope."

He chuckled and felt his cheeks heat up. "If that's what it takes." He jogged over to the hole, picked his ball out, and returned.

She stood over the bright red ball, and he could already see she had no clue about what she was doing. She lined up too far from it. He didn't say anything this time, deciding to let her finish her first swing. Though he doubted it, maybe she had her own style that would work well enough.