Chapter 9

Charlie POV: Damn it! I could also kill someone I was so mad. I dial for the thousand and one time. It continued to ring and ring and ring. Then it went to answering machine, one of the biggest tortures ever. “Hi! This is Emma’s home phone. I either am gone or can’t get to the phone now. Leave me a message and I’ll get back to you as soon as possible. Oh and you could also call my cell. I always-“ and then it cuts off. I would have called her cell if not for the fact I didn’t know her cell number. The only reason I am calling her now is because she gave the number to James. She probably didn’t even like me. James was always the ladies man. But I couldn’t stop calling her. As soon as Emma had ran away I knew that it was bad. I shouldn’t have kissed her. I shouldn’t have hoped she and I would be together. In my basement, studying, going to the movie theater, where I wouldn’t watch the movie, only watching her. Or even going out to ice cream, where she would eat the cone quick as lighting, like she drank that chai, or my whip cream off my drink at the coffee shop. I couldn’t help but think about her smile when I had first said yes to her. How all the anger in me melted away as she smiled excitedly for the going to get coffee. The one thing I couldn’t stop replaying in my mind over and over, every other memory. The feeling of her lips against mine. The way she was excited but frightened. How as soon as it started she was pulling herself away, breathing heavily. As I noticed I also was breathing loudly she turned and ran away. The only memory left.
Then I thought of why it was almost a gift that she wasn't answering the phone. Although she was the most beautiful girl I had ever seen I couldn’t help but think of all the signs. She was a classic case of ghost hunter. The laugh at pain, the indecisiveness, the cocktail personality, piercing eyes. That wouldn’t be bad if I was anything but a ghost, along with my family. She wouldn’t know it that she was one. It doesn’t fully mature until 18. Then just speaking of ghosts they are on a rampage. Trying to kill the ghosts. Dad or mom must have come down from ghost hunters.
I looked at the clock. 6:25. Yes! Five minutes until Eric and Anna got home. I was so lucky to have them. The Norwegian/Swedish couple that knew everything about ghosts and other important things. The history of ghosts, the signs of ghost hunters, and different facts about the different ghosts. They had owned a Scandinavian coffee and bookstore in East Bethel, Minnesota back a couple decades. They were getting something in Minneapolis from a supplier when they found my “body.” They were the first voices I “heard.” We ghosts had a interesting fact. Although we do not have a non-mass despite what many think, we are sometimes see through to other ghosts. They see the real us. Ghosts can also read each other’s minds. James and Luddy were also ghosts. They did not have the such eventful death that I did, but were found also by Eric and Anna. Eric and Anna found us teens and decided to help us. They knew that teens would get questioned and that we could use the help. They are very kind and really help us when we are in need.
I ran down the stairs and got seated at the kitchen table just as Eric was pulling in the driveway in one of his classic cars. He loved rebuilding them on days off from working as a lawyer and even made some cars for some car collectors. As Anna and Eric went into the laughing about a joke that Tessa, the stock girl, had told them as Eric picked up Anna from the old Norwegian shop that Anna ‘inherited’ from her grandmother. “Eric? Anna? Can I ask you guys a couple of questions about ghosts and stuff?” They came into the kitchen and sat down across from at the table. “What is your questions?” Anna asked in her thick Norwegian accent. Although it had been about a hundred years since her and Eric’s deaths she still was a pure Norwegian. Although Eric had been a Swede he fit in right with the Norwegians. Though that was the reason for their deaths. Someone in the Swedish village that Eric was from didn’t approve of their marriage and killed them both at their engagement party. Many people didn’t approve of Anna and Eric’s union no one took it that far. The Norwegians and the Swedes were sworn enemies and so many didn’t approve. Eric and Anna would not let anyone stop their marriage. Not even their parents’ threats. The person that killed them both was a ghost in the village.
Oh I should explain. Ghosts are made by the ghost killing another person. That ghost is then finally put to rest. The body of the dead is then left but the new ghost’s spirit then floats away from the body and gradually becomes visible to humans. Also, any scrapes or cuts are visible only to humans and not real. Ghosts also can’t be killed again they just look badly hurt.
“I have this person who I think is a ghost hunter. What should I do?” I asked. Eric answered me, “Well is the person that you were with yesterday afternoon? Well I would need to really understand them before we knew for sure. Does this person
have an exempt to the usual reactions to pain? Happy for it? Do they have a decision-making problem? Do they have a switching personality? Changing a lot?” “ I-I think so.” I said. He was spurting out this information really fast. Probably from the mention of ghost hunter. Emma could kill us if we didn’t do something. “Well that isn’t too bad.” He mused. “Wait does she have piercing eyes? Like they could look into your soul?” He was standing up pacing. “Well only when she really opens her eyes. Like if you were in shock. But they get really huge. Like out of eye socket huge.” Eric was looking at me eyes almost as wide as Emma’s. “Yeah like that.” Eric looked really worried. Anna moved from the table. Likely to get tea ready for Eric. To calm him down. “ A half. I’m sure of it. Damn it. Wait. What is that color of it’s eyes?” “Well a mixture of blue and gray.” “No! We only have a couple months. Almost full grown. Shoot. We need to do something.” “What do we do?” “Well other than waiting for it to kill us and send us to eternal hell, we could kill it or run.” “NO!” I had stood up. I had knocked over my chair, sent the tea that Anna just put next to me off the table and onto the floor, and almost sent the table flying to the floor too. Eric just looked at me. His eyes softened. "Charlie, I understand but it is the only way. You'll tha-" His voice was cut off as I headed out the door and to Emma's house. I knew somehow that her face would calm me and possibly help me think. The idea of something other then her living was not an option. Even if us killing her would save us all, I just couldn't do it. As I road to Emma's house saying this in my head I was questioning myself. Was it really necessary to stop them. I answered yes finally. And as I looked into Emma's house, seeing her face, I knew I had chosen right.