Ghost Travels - NaNoWriMo 2009 excerpt

For my NaNoWroMo story in 2009, I wrote a ghost story. It is my first attempt at writing a novel and I really surprised myself. I have pasted most of it below so I can share it. If anyone gets inspired by it, I would be very happy. All I ask is that you do not steal my idea. Plagiarism is not cool!

(NOTE: never mind the Chapter numbers. I had started this novel in a completely different way.)

The character had apparently died in a car accident involving a telephone pole. She was walking around a city at dusk. There were other people around, but they appeared to be alive. In fact, they were walking right through her. She walked for a long time. She found another girl who was being walked through and must also be dead. They walked, or floated, over to each other and started roaming the city together. They walked around for hours until it was pitch black out. That was when they finally started talking to each other.

The first one introduced herself to the second one as Sally. The other girl said her name was Bonny. They thought it would be a great idea to sneak around the city and scare people. So, they floated around looking for a very sleepy person who would probably not realize what had really happened. The girls found their target and decided on a plan. Sally was the first one to float through the wall, followed by Bonny. They both circled around the unsuspecting boy and started moaning. It took a few seconds for the very sleepy young man to realize what was going on, but when he did, he woke up fast. The ghost girls flew out of the house and down the street before the boy could call for help.

Later that night and into the next morning, the ghost girls chatted about what had happened to them. Bonny said that one-day she was alive and well and the next, she was a ghost. She remembered standing over her body and watching her family and friends in the hospital crying all around her, but she remembered nothing about what had actually killed her. Then she saw the doctor flip a switch, as her mother became hysterical. Sally felt really bad for her.

She told Bonny that she did not know exactly what had happened to her either. One minute she was alive and the next she was watching herself being carried away by some paramedics. She said it was the strangest feeling in the world to find out that you were dead.

The two ghost girls talked about what they had planned on doing with their lives. Bonny said she was planning on traveling around the world just to see what there was to see. She was in the middle of opening her own business when she died. Sally also wanted to travel the world. She, however, had a plan. She knew exactly what countries she wanted to see. They decided to make a list of those countries and start with that. They were free now to do what ever they wanted. They loved being dead. It was the ultimate freedom. They did not need passports or money or even food. The only problem was that they could not be with their loved ones, yet. They now knew what happens when we die. At least, that is what they assumed. There is a sort of life after death, and so far, it seemed much better then actually living.

They did realize that they had a really good friendship growing and they would have to be each other's companions on their trip around the world. It was their dream to travel, and they were finally getting the chance to do what they had always dreamed of doing.

They made their list and then decided to see what else they could do in their new form. Sally and Bonny floated over the city and found Sally's parent's house. The two ghost girls watched what was happening inside from a tree branch. It was after dark and the family looked like they were finishing up dinner. Sally watched with very heavy eyes as her mother picked up the dishes and start to weep over the sink. Her father came back into the kitchen, saw his wife, and went to console her. He had brought in a picture of Sally and they both stared at it with tears in their eyes. Sally was so sad, but could not actually cry in her ghost form. She could only look really sad. Suddenly, she flew through the wall and landed next to her parents. She could not hold them or talk to them. She seemed even more broken up then, but understood. She came back out after a long time and told Bonny about how she felt sorry for them. She wished she could tell them that she was there and she was all right. She also felt guilty because she was able to stand right next to them and be with them, but they could not do the same with her. They were not able to go to her, but she could go to them basically when ever she wanted to.

Bonny decided she wanted to see what her parents were up to. So, the two of them flew over to Bonny's parent's house. The same basic scene was going on at that house. Bonny's parents were finished with dinner and were watching TV. They could hear them talking about how sad they were that Bonny was not with them. They could not believe she was gone. It was so sad for the girls to watch. Bonny decided staring into the house was as close as she wanted to get.

After they had had enough, the two girls flew over the city once again. Bonny talked Sally into going to see her sister who had moved across the country. It was take them a long time to fly there so they wanted to wait until the next day and then take the train, since they did not have to pay for rides anymore.

Before they knew it, it was dark again. Sally became suspicious. She looked at a clock and realized a whole day had gone by without them even realizing it. It seemed they vanished with the light of day and came back when it was dark again. They had a good laugh at some jokes about them being vampires and then worked on their plan of action to get to the other side of the country. As far as they knew, they had all the (nighttime) they wanted.

After they were satisfied with the schedule, they flew to the train station. It would be light out soon, so they did not board, just in case. They had no idea what became of them during the day. It appeared they simply vanished into thin air, ceasing to exist.

Bonny and Sally were roaming again before they knew it. That time, the time between the to nights seemed very short. As they waited for the 11:15pm train to pull in, they saw a shiny figure floating around at the other end of the platform. They went to introduce themselves to it. But when they moved closer, the figure flew further away. So, they moved closer and called out how they wanted to be friends. It did not seem to relax the figure at all. Once again, they moved closer and showed the figure that they were also ghosts and shouted their names to what they could now see was a boy.

So, the girls decided to change tactics. They started talking to each other right where they were instead of moving closer to him anymore. Right before the train was due to arrive, the jumpy figure floated cautiously to them.

“Hello, my name is Bonny and this is Sally. What is your name?” Bonny said in a sweet voice as to not frighten the boy. Up close, the girls could see that he was about eighteen or twenty and very nervous.

“h-h-hi.” He stuttered. “M-m-my name is Martin. Am I really…dead?” Martin whispered the last word as if it were a secret.

Sally answered, “I am afraid so. But we are also dead. We both died a couple of days ago and so far, it seems to be almost better than being alive. Why are you so frightened?”

“Oh, because there was so much commotion around here on this platform early this evening before the sun went down. I was alive and caught in the middle of fight. There were people everywhere. I remember being pushed and then grabbed, but nothing else after that.” Martin recounted for the girls.

They told him their stories, which were similar to his with not being able to remember exactly what happened during the last few moments of their lives. Just as they finished, the train arrived. None of the three ghosts knew what was going to happen. What if they sat in a seat but when the train started moving, they stayed still and the train passed right through them? What if someone sat on top of them without noticing?

It was too late to turn back now. The three ghosts boarded the train, found an empty car, and sat down. The train started rolling, as the three ghosts starred at each other and out the windows to see if they were moving with the train or not. Fortunately for them, they were. Bonny let out a sigh and Sally had a huge smile on her face. Martin, however, looked worried.

“What is the matter, Martin?” Asked Sally.

“I miss my family. I have no idea what is happening, and I do not know where we are going. What is going on?” moaned Martin in response.

Bonny took this one. “I am very sorry, but take it from us, there is no point in seeing you family. It will only make everyone sad. Stick with us, and we will learn what is going on and what we can do together. As for where we are going, Sally and I decided to live out the dreams we had while we were living. We are going to travel the world, starting with this country. We are making our way across the country. Are there any places that you would really like to see?”

“Yes. There are many states I have always wanted to visit but could never afford to.” Martin was looking much happier now. He had just realized he could now do what ever he wanted and go wherever he wanted and no longer had to worry about money or even food.

The three ghosts talked about where they should stop and what they wanted to see. The girls told Martin that they had to prepare for the daytime, when they disappeared. They told him they were still unsure of what exactly happened to them in daylight, but it seemed to pass really fast. Martin seemed to understand. He told them how he remembered studying the afterlife and ghosts when he was alive, but now realized at least half of it was not true. How could he have expected people who had never been dead to write the truth about what happened to people when they really did die? It seemed foolish to him now.

The train speed along for a long time before getting to the first stop. The ghosts were soon in the presents of live men and women. They moved to the back of the car where no one wanted to sit. They did not want to find out what happened to them when someone sat on top of them. The train speed along the tracks once more as everyone settled in.

A couple of men started talking to each other in the middle of the car. They seemed to be business partners in the middle of a conversation. They talked about heading to a town called Montville where they would set up their equipment. One of the men took out a camera and the other man took out a book. The book was entitled How To Catch a Ghost using only a Camera.  

Sally, Bonny, and Martin looked at the book and then at each other. They laughed a little, but were also wondering if there was any truth to it.

At the next stop, the men stood up and got off the train. The ghosts decided to follow from a distance just to find out what they were planning on doing with the camera. Maybe there were other ghosts around this town that they could talk to. Ghosts that had been dead for a lot longer than they had been and maybe had some answers for them.

The trio followed the men at least 200 feet behind them. The men turned down a path and went into a house. The ghosts watched and listened to the men from a tree outside the house in front of a window. They still had no idea who, if anyone, could see or sense that they were around.

The men talked to a third man inside the house for over ten minutes. They went about with small talk for the first few minutes and then got down to business. The owner of the house seemed to say that he believed he had a ghost haunting this house and wanted it removed. The men looked at him and then handed him a piece of paper. It appeared to be an invoice with the amount they charged for their services and what they were planning on doing in his house to remove the ghost. The man thanked the men, agreed to the terms and conditions, and then led the men to the attic.

The men set up their tripod and camera and moved around the room for some time. Bonny found a clock on a wall on the first floor. It was 3:25 in the morning. Martin told her the next hour was the perfect time to catch a ghost according to the books and movies he researched while he was living.

Sally noticed something on the floor next to the first man. It was transparent and shiny. It was hidden under a rug. She pointed it out to Bonny. The two girls watched and starred at it for a few minutes before realizing it was another ghost. They wondered what to do now. Should they go in and warn the figure or watch what happened. Maybe this ghost already knew what was going on and knew what to do. They tried to get its attention before the men started getting to work.

If they shouted, would the other ghost be able to hear them or would everyone be able to? They really did not want that to happen. Bonny and Martin floated down to the lower level and Sally was the brave one to try and shout to the ghost in peril. The ghost inside looked up but the men did not seem to notice. She called to the other two that it was all right to come back up. The ghost inside the house starred at the three at the window and them came out from under the rug. He flew over to the window but would not come outside.

He looked scared, but when the trio told him to come outside, he would not do it. The ghost told them that he was a haunting ghost. He stayed inside that attic and haunted it. That was what he did. Sally and Bonny were very confused. The ghost inside the attic saw how confused they were and explained to them the difference between a haunting ghost and a roaming ghost.

A haunting ghost says in one place, usually the place he or she died. A roaming ghost was able to move around and do pretty much anything they wanted. A haunting ghost says in one place because they were bound to that place in some way. The main reason was the cause of death. If their death was unsolved or if there were still questions that the ghost needed answered, or if they had sworn to protect the house, land, or inhabitants, they were stuck in the house until their deaths had been resolved or they were forced out of their haunting grounds.

Sally and Bonny asked about what was going to happen to him since he could not leave. He told them he would either be fine like he had been in the past when other people had come to try to force him out, or these men might actually be successful with their exercising or ghost hunting strategies and force him to leave.

Just then, the men started doing something with their camera. The resident ghost told the trio to leave so nothing would happen to them. He also told them that he had been haunting this attic for over 200 years and if it was time for him to move on, it was his time. He was fine with that, but still scared about how it would happen. He did not want it to hurt.

The trio drifted off into the night, looking back a few times, as if to say good-bye or to see what was happening. 

Sally suggested they go back to see what they could find out about what was happening. Bonny and Martin said there was no way they were going back. They did not want anything to happen to them. They were going to continue on with their trip around the world. They had already had too much fun for the night.

Sally, Bonny, and Martin decided to roam the city where they were until they found out exactly where they were and what to do next. Sally remembered one of the men had said on the train that they were going to Montville and that must be where they were. The only question left was what state were they in. That was when they realized it was almost dawn. They found a quiet and secluded place under a tree where they figured they would be safe from the unknown during the next day.

It was the next night. Sally, Bonny, and Martin were back and ready to go to the next town. They realized they did not really care what state they were in. One thousand years ago, all of this land was open and free.

            Marin and Sally really wanted to find out if the ghost that was haunting the attic of that house was still around or if he had moved on. So, the three of them made their way back to the house they had visited the night before.

            When they got there, they could not find that ghost. Sally flew through wall and searched under the rug and in every corner but still could not find the ghost. The trio flew away, but kept looking back to again. They were not sure if they should be happy or sad for the haunting ghost. No one seemed to know what happened to a ghost when they are forced out of being. What would ghosts even be called? Not undead, just plain dead then? So being dead was not the end, so what was? Bonny stated some of those questions out loud and the other two did not know what to say.

            Sally found a train station down the street while they were out searching in opposite directions for something to do or some place to go. She met back up with the other two and led them to the station. There was about an hours wait for the next train. They three ghosts tried to figure out what was going on with them. Martin seemed stressed. Sally wanted to relate them to that friendly ghost show that had been on television when she was a child. Bonny sat quietly and mostly listened. She had no idea about what was going on.

            The train finally came, and they found an empty car to travel in. That was one of the benefits of only being around at night. There were a lot less living people traveling around and bumping into them. Sally said the next time they get off the train should be in a city. Martin said due to the hours of darkness, they should get off the train no later than 4:00 in the morning. Bonny was going to be the one to decide at each stop if they should get off or not. Ghosts apparently did not sleep, so they all stays awake during the ride. There was a lot to see out the windows.

            Sally started to sing a lullaby. Bonny mouthed the words along with her. Martin looked scared again. Sally almost started to cry as she got close to the end. Martin asked her what was wrong. Sally told them a story from her childhood. Her mother used to sing that lullaby to her every night until she fell asleep. They were very close until about a year before she died. Now she wished she had let those silly arguments go and made up with her mother when she had the chance. She knew her mother was probably feeling the same way.

            The train rolled to a stop. Bonny looked out the window and decided they were not going to get off the train there. The area looked too light and yet boring and dead. She decided it was best for them to travel on to the next stop. She really wanted Sally to calm down a little more too.

They were silent until the train slowed down again. This time Bonny felt that all three of them wanted to get off the train. When she saw the sign that told them they had arrived in Brookfield, she really wanted to get off the train and explore the town. They were in the town that claimed to be the scariest town in America. What ghost could turn that down? She looked over at Martin and realized she was right. He had a huge smile on his transparent face and would probably have been jumping up and down if he still had legs. All those years of studying ghost stories in his bedroom could finally be put to use.

Martin took the lead. They found a fountain with a plaque on it that explained the legend of the town. Brookfield claimed to be the most haunted city in America due to the amount of ghost sightings per square mile.

“It all started in the early 1800s when this town was officially settled. The town founders had no idea they were building on top of an ancient Native American burial ground. Fortunately, most of the spirits seemed to be harmless. Certain buildings were so haunted that they had to be torn down. With the first set of demolitions in the early 1830s, more spirits came to haunt the town. No matter what the people of Brookfield did to get ride of the spirits, they could not succeed. People from all over the world come to this town to see a spirit, interact with them, or get rid of them. There are many places in this town that are hot spots of activity. Please take a map or hire a guide to show you around.”

The trio looked up at each other and wondered if it were true. Maybe they would finally be able to talk to a ghost that has been a ghost for a long time and could give them some answers that they really needed and wanted.

Sally, Bonny, and Martin looked up and out to the city for the first time and could not believe what they saw. There really were ghosts in this town, lots of them. Some were in groups window shopping and others were alone and looked as if they were late for a meeting. Other ghosts could be seen in the windows of the buildings along the street. They mostly looked sad and lonely. The trio did not know where to begin so they ended up drifting down Main Street taking in all there was to see.

Every store window featured ghost memorabilia, souvenirs, and anything and everything else that the storeowners could possibly thing of to create and sell to eager tourists. There was even a haunted house that was clearly just a Halloween themed fun house. There were still hundreds of living people walking the streets, the shops were all open, and there were streetlights that were on. It seemed they tourists believed the best time to check out the town was at night. They were right. As Sally, Bonny, and Martin already knew, ghosts were only around at nighttime. They disappeared with the daylight.

Before too long a cheerful looking older woman beckoned the trio into a fairly quiet pub. They were still cautious and careful. The woman floated to the second level and the trio followed. There were no living humans on the second floor so it was much quieter.

The ghost woman moved about the room in an orderly fashion but did not seem to really be doing anything. Bonny was the first to talk to the woman. “Excuse me, but why did you want us to follow you up here?”

The ghost woman replied, “Oh, you must excuse me, at this moment and in this room 200 years ago, I was murdered. Every night at this time I have to go through that horrible scene. I would really appreciate it if the three of you could watch and let me know what happens. I basically forget what happened right after it is over. No one has been able to figure it out. If I knew what happened I could find out some way to make it right or make peace with it and finally move on.”

Sally started asking the ghost woman about what they were about to see, but then it started. The ghost women had stepped to her right and then seemed like she was in a trance. The ghost woman was no longer alone. There was an older man standing behind her with a rope. He walked slowly towards her while she appeared to be folding laundry.

The ghost woman seemed to realize there was someone behind her and turned around fast. The man standing behind her had the rope in front of him and she realized he was planning on killing her. She screamed a blood curdling scream and took a couple of loud steps backwards.

 Bonny could tell the living people on the lower level had heard this commotion. They were silent and listening to what was going on. She started to worry that they might try coming up to where they were and see them.

The man with the rope said, “Fiona, I am sorry but I have to. You know too much. Your husband has ordered you dead or I will be handed over to the authorities.” He moved closer to her but there was a new noise at the other side of the room that made him stop.

            A new person was walking into the room. This time is was an important looking man in a suit. He saw what this man was about to do to Fiona and walked over to them with really loud steps. Instead of stopping the man with the rope, he took out his knife and killed the man. The ghost woman Fiona looked relieved. But, as she started to relax, the man stabbed her in the heart.

            Then the scene was over and the two men disappeared. Fiona stayed where she was for a moment before waking back up and started moving around the room again. She made almost a full round before seeing the trio. She seemed to have forgotten who they were and greeting them again.

            Sally and Bonny reminded her who they were and why they were there. Fiona finally remembered and then asked them what had happened. They recounted the events that had taken place in as much detail as possible.

            Fiona began to move around the room again, faster than she had done before and she was biting her nails. Sally asked her what all of that meant and if it was going to help her at all. Fiona could not speak. She looked as if she was going to start crying.

            After a few silent minutes, she picked her head up, stopped moving, and took a deep breath in and out. Fiona began to tell the trio her story.

            She started by telling Sally, Bonny, and Martin that the details were now a little hard to remember, but every night after the scene of her death was over, she had the same telling feeling.

            Fiona said that when she was alive in 1810, the town that they were now in was only a small settlement. The house they were in was one of the first ones built here. “As other settlers were finding this land and building houses, my husband decided to elect himself Mayor. No one argued with him, so he had the new seamstress make him a grand outfit and added an addition to the house. Soon, he became conceded and let the position he had created go to his head. A new resident of Brookfield, named for the beautiful brook that used to run behind this house, decided to challenge my husband.”

            “This did not settle well with my husband. He found a few men that were loyal to him and led his following all over town to talk to the residents and let them know how things were going to be run around his parts. He told them if they did not like it they could move to the next town or go find land of their own.”

            “The night after my husband and his gang met with the man who was planning on challenging him, our barn was set on fire. There was a very angry Native American, as you call them now, tribe had come close to town. It turned out that the man who wanted to challenge my husband for his position had talked to the Native Americans. He told them that my husband was planning on killing all of their men and taking all of their women for his own pleasure.”

            “Over the next few days, my husband and his followers, along with many of the other men in town, went out to fight the Native Americans. While he was gone, he must have done some really bad things. He would not tell me what he had done, but a few months later he assumed I had found out what he had done. He even accused me of plotting to leave him for the other man. I had no idea what he was talking about of course, but he swore that I did. Personally, I was under the impression that what ever it was he was smoking was causing him to be irrational. He had started smoking a pipe with a strange substance in it when he returned from the fights with the Native Americans.”

            “It was not long after that that he tried to kill me for the first time. I woke up in the middle of the night with him holding a pillow over my face. After that did not work, he got that other man you saw tonight to murder me. I guess my husband wanted both of us dead, so he had that other man come up here to kill me, but then came up after him and murdered both of us. It all does make much more sense now. I think that was the information I needed to figure it out. You three have really helped me tonight. I finally understand what happened and why I died.”

            Martin jumped in, “Before anything happens to you, can we ask you a few questions about being a ghost? The three of us died within the last week and we have no idea what is going on.”

Fiona looked surprised. “You mean no one has talked to any of you about the ins and outs of being a ghost?”

Sally, Bonny, and Martin all shock their heads, so Fiona continued, “Well, by now you should have realized that we do not exist during the day.”

The three ghosts nodded.

“Good. What else is there….Did you know that there are two types of ghosts?”

Sally and Bonny nodded, but Martin seemed unsure, so Fiona explained, “There are two types of ghosts, roaming ghosts and haunting ghosts. Roaming ghosts, like the tree of you, can go anywhere. Haunting ghosts, like me, stay in the place where they died until their death is revenged, they make peace with what happened, they are forced out of the area, or there is no longer a reason for them to stay. What else did you want to know?”

Bonny asked, “What happens when a ghost moves on? On to what?”

“That is a tricky question. Living people do not know what happens to them when they die, and we do not really know what will happen to us when we move on. Half of us believe that there is a heaven after the after life, the other half believe we finally rest in peace. No one can really know until it happens to them.” Fiona answered.

Just then, Fiona’s image started to fade. She waved and smiled to the girls and Martin as the last bit of her faded away. Bonny was really hoping that whatever came after death was as good as death. She was really starting to like being dead.

Martin was thinking the same thing. He loved to learn about ghosts and death when he was alive. He was just able to witness the actual death of a ghost right in front of him. He was ready to pick up a phone and call his friends to tell them. He knew none of them would believe him. Then he realized he was dead and could not pick up a phone or talk to his friends.

Sally was still in shock over what she had just seen. It was really cool and amazing! Then she realized she was a ghost and that made her happy. She started to wonder what other kinds of strange and awesome scenes they were going to see next. She could not wait for the next adventure to start. Sally led the group out of the room. She wanted to see what was going on downstairs.

Bonny and Martin thought Sally was acting crazy by heading downstairs. They asked her what was going to happen if someone was able to see them but it was clear she did not care. Sally said, "Hey, if you two do not want to come down there with me, fine, but I am not scared and I am going down there. You can watch from the window or something. If anything happens to me, fine, but if not, come in and join me." She headed downstairs as Bonny and Martin watched her with open mouths and big scared eyes.

Ghosts mouths are not like living people's mouths. When their jaws are dropped, they look long and their chins look pointy. Bonny and Martin looked at each other and looked out a window. They flew out of it and floated down to the first floor to watch Sally and see if she was right. It took a minute, but they finally found her in a far corner. She was looking at the bar and seemed to be remembering what alcohol tasted like.

Ghosts do not need to eat or drink anything. In fact, they could not do it if they tried. Ghosts only have the sense of speech and hearing. They cannot feel, taste, or smell anything. Well, they can barely smell anything. There were a few foul smells that Sally was able to pick up on while she was surrounded by the men at the bar.

Bonny and Martin watched as Sally went around the entire room and no one saw or even seemed to notice her. Bonny decided it was safe and passed through the wall to the other side. Martin was still unsure and waited for them outside. The two ghost girls floated through the room and pretended to scare the guests. A couple of times, the intoxicated patrons did seem to notice there was a ghostly presents near them. Sally was even able to learn how to pick up a fork and move it to the other side of plate of food.

She did it while the man was at the bar getting a drink. When he returned, he went to pick up his fork without looking but it was not there. He looked surprised and could not find his fork for almost a minute. He looked under the table and Sally took that opportunity to put the fork back in its place. The man looked up and saw the fork right where it was supposed to be. He was very confused. He looked around the room and up to the ceiling, but could not figure out what had happened to his fork. He shrugged it off and started eating again.

Bonny thought that was extremely funny and decided to try it herself on another diner. She chose a man on the opposite side of the room. The man got up as his lady friend came over to him. Bonny tried to pick up his fork, but could not move it. She tried again, but still had no luck. She called to Sally, who was already on to her next victim and did not hear her friend. Bonny flew over to Sally and asked her how she was able to pick up the fork but she could not do it. Sally told her she had to think like a living kid who wanted to be mischievous and just do it. Bonny tried again and again until she was finally able to do it. She did not even realize that the diner was able to see his fork float in midair. He started to scream followed by his lady friend and then the people at the closest tables and then the next closest until everyone in the dinning room and at the bar were screaming in fear.

Bonny had dropped the fork and floated over to Sally as she floated over to Bonny. They decided to leave there just in case someone had a method of getting rid of ghosts that actually worked. The two girls passed through the wall where Bonny had gone inside and tried to find Martin. He was nowhere to be seen, however. They started calling to him and went in separate directions to look for him, but still had no luck. Bonny looked behind a few trees and under the bushes and Sally looked behind the closest houses and anywhere else she thought he might had hidden, but still they had no luck. Sally and Bonny met up with each other again where they had separated and tried to think of a new plan.

Suddenly, Martin flew up beside them. Bonny shouted, "Where have you been hiding!" and Martin told them he had hidden in the attic of the next house to the one they had been in. He did not like the look of things inside when he saw Bonny holding the diner's fork. He knew something bad was going to happen.

They looked back inside the dining area through the window and watched as everyone inside was still crowding around the table where Bonny had held up the fork. Many of the guests had huge smiles on their faces. They were delighted that they were able to see or be in the same room as an actually ghost sighting. After all, they were in Brookfield, the most haunted town in America. Everyone there wanted to be a part of the ghost action.

The trio decided it was time to move on. They headed for the train station when Martin remembered something. He stopped to think about it. The girls did not realize it at first. When they realized Martin was not floating right behind them as he always was, they turned around and found him starring into space. They flew back over to him and asked him what he was doing. Martin explained to them that he had always wanted to visit Brookfield, the most haunted town in America, because he wanted to check out Old Creek Manor.

He explained to them that Old Creek Manor claimed to house the most famous ghosts of the town. He realized that what they had witnessed with the old woman was what had happened in the town right before the building of Old Creek Manor was completed.

The Manor was built for a famous plantation owner's daughter. The daughter wanted to move up north to get away from the heat. She apparently had some kind of strange illness where she was hot all the time. No matter what they did or how few clothes she wore, she was always hot. The Manor was supposed to be her retreat. She was supposed to move up north where it was always cooler and be able to live a normal life. However, it turned out to be not so simple. She did move up to this special Manor, which had been specially designed to let the cool air move around in the house and keep out the warm air, but just after the house was finished, a small piece on the porch had broken.

The plantation owner's daughter was just settling into her new home as the repair workers worked on the broken porch. One of the workers met the beautiful girl and instantly fell in love with her. She also fell in love with him, according to the legend.

Just before the porch was completed for the second time, there was an accident. The worker that was in love with the plantation owner's daughter was crushed under a large pile of debris and suffocated to death.

Another worker had always admired the girl and saw what had happened to her love. He took his opportunity to talk to her and make her his woman. She was so heart broken and in need of a shoulder to cry on that she accepted his offer. This man was actually the owner of the construction company. When the daughter found out about that, she decided to accept his marriage proposal. She was able to tell her father that she was to marry a business owner and made him proud but her heart always belonged to her first love, the worker who had been crushed under the porch.

The plantation owner's daughter swore that she was always able to sense her love was near by and that she was even able to talk and communicate with him. When her husband died, she spent all of her time alone in the house. She had food delivered to her and servants to take care of her so she never had to leave her house. She spent most of her time out on the porch on top of where her true love's body had been buried. Many of the townspeople thought she was a crazy old woman by that time, although some of them believed that she was able to see her love due to all of the other strange activities that went on in the town. When the plantation owner's daughter died, her ghost was said to be haunting her home with her love, together at last. That Manor is still supposed to be haunted by the lovers, unable to move on due to their fear of loosing each other again.

Sally, Bonny, and Martin headed towards the far end of the town to where the Old Creek Manor was located. Martin led the way most of the time, unless he was frightened by something and hid behind one of the girls. When they got to the Manor, they were shocked to see how many other ghosts were already there. Another ghost came up behind them and started talking to them.

“Howdy there. Y’all from around here?” He asked.

“No, we are not. What is going on here?” Sally questioned.

“Y’all don’t know? This here tonight is the 200^th anniversary of the death of that construction worker that died here. Him and his true love, that plantation owner’s daughter, have planned a wonderful speech for all of us ghosts who have found this here town. I sure am glad I did. When did y’all move in?”

Bonny answered the man, “We are just passing through, not moving in. Although it does seem like you have a great place here for ghosts.”

“Why yes, I reckon we do. I have lived here for over 60 years now. You folks should really consider moving here. I’ll tell you more later on. Our leaders, that is the man and lady of the Manor, are coming out now to give their speech.”

Sally, Bonny, Martin, and their new friend listened to the Man and Lady of the Manor for over half an hour as they gave their speech to the townspeople. Everyone was listening intently to every word of the speech. It was clear that all of the ghosts had a lot of respect of their leaders.

The Man of the Manor started to speak first, “Good night my dear friends and neighbors. I trust you are all doing well? I wanted to take the time tonight to make sure my Lady and I properly thanked all of you for making our town so great. As you know, we have hundreds or maybe even thousands of residents in this town and many of them like to, shall we say, take vacations on a regular basis? [Laughs from the audience.] They always find their way back here and make sure to tell everyone about what they had seen. No other town or area of the country is better for ghosts than our beautiful town. For that, I would like to thank each and every one of you. Now I would like to introduce a woman who needs no introduction. My wife in spirit and your fearless leader, the Lady of the Manor.”

The Lady stepped forward waving her hand and waited for the ghosts to settle down. “Good night everyone and welcome to our very special night of celebration. As you may know my husband in spirit and I have been dead now for 200 years. Over the course of the last two centuries we have seen a great deal. There were good times and bad times. There were times we were sure our time was over and we would be moving on. There were also times when our wonderful town doubled in size in a matter of days and we were overcome with joy. Each and every one of you who resides in this town means a great deal to us. Without you, we are sure we would no longer be here. I have always tried to make the Manor available for you to come and ask questions of us or seek our help. I have known many a ghost in my day. I no longer remember what it was like to be alive. It was 200 years ago now if our record keeper is correct. [She gave the record keeper a joking look with a smile and he smiled back at her.] This night is special because it represents our town’s history and present. I would also like to think that it also represents the future. It has been 200 years since we have died and no one knows how much longer we will be here. Let us all remember to be true and fair to each other and get along. We must all occupy the same space. This town has no history of violence or mistreatment and I plan on keeping it that way. So, are you with me? [There were shouts and cries from the crowd.] All right then! Everyone have fun tonight and be safe.”

After the speech was over, the new friend asked the trio if they would accompany him back to his house. They agreed and off they went. On the way, the trio saw many of the other ghosts, all with smiles on their faces as they floated by. There were so many to look at. Martin smiled and waved at many of them. There were ghosts from the 1600s, the Renaissance, the industrial Revolution, the 1960s, the 1980s, and from every other time period imaginable. It comforted the group somewhat that they could have the opportunity to be ghosts for as long as some of the others around there. Bonny thought it was sort of odd that some of those ghosts were still around. How come they were still there? Why had they not moved on yet? Could their deaths be so much of a mystery? And on that note, how come she was a ghost? She knew what had happened to her. There was no mystery and she had not sworn to protect anyone. She was a roaming ghost having the best time of her life.

They arrived at their new friend's house and took seats around his kitchen table. The house had no living people in it and that seemed to worry Martin. He asked his new friend why. The new friend, who introduced himself a Bubba, said that he had managed to find a gem. It was a ghost house. No living person could see it. The property had been cursed or blessed or "whatever you wanted to call it" as Bubba said and was forced to exist forever but the living people had torn down the physical house and all that remained was a ghost of what it used to be. He said he loved the house and really had to fight for it when he first came to town. Everyone wanted it but no one else had the courage to force Bubba out of it once he sat in the chair. So, he was considered the law around these parts due to his courage and force.

Bonny asked Bubba why she was still around as a ghost. Her death was not a murder, she was able to roam wherever she wanted and she had nothing to protect. She asked him why she did not simply move on after she died. He told her that all people get a chance to be ghosts. Their time spent as ghost can be very short or over hundreds of years. It depended on how long they wanted to be ghosts and how good they were at it. There were ways to get rid of ghosts as they had seen with the old woman, but there are also ways to move on when the ghost was ready. Many ghosts like living people are afraid of what happens next so they do not dare to do anything that would make them die. Those living people who commit suicide find that as ghosts, they are able to do what ever they want without many constraints.

            Bubba asked the trio if they had met Tiny or any other ghosts they thought might be not so great. They said no so Bubba explained. Not all ghosts were happily with being a ghost. They had truly wanted to end it all and die. When they find out they have to sort of live again, they go crazy. Those are they kinds of ghosts that Bubba had to protect his beloved town from. Some ghosts decide to join groups of ghosts that practice a type of religion that we call the Cursed. They, like living people, prey to their own god or creator and ask why they are ghosts and why could they were not allowed to go to heaven. Those could be the most dangerous kind of ghosts because they were prone to do anything in the name of their religion. Bubba said he called it a different kind of religion then Christianity because they ask different then they did when they were alive.

            Bubba warned the trio that if they came across a bad ghost, they had to be prepared. He asked them if they knew how to pick up objects or throw them or if they had learned to pass through walls. Sally and Bonny answered yes, but Martin did not because he had never tired to pick up anything since he had died. Bonny asked Bubba another question. She was wondering why it had been so difficult to for her to learn how to pick up solid objects.

            Bubba answered her and told her that when living people die their bodies become ghosts. Their bodies are not detectable to the living. It takes time to basically relearn how to pick up objects. However, they are instinctively able to pass through solid objects, such as walls, because their ghost forms are made for that. He warned them that until they had learned to control their ability to pick up objects and then change back to be able to pass through walls, they would more than likely get stuck.

             The trio and Bubba sat around and talked for a couple of more hours before the sun was due to come up. He was able to ask a bunch of questions that they had and explain a few more things to them. They told him about what they had seen with the old woman. He told them that he was happy for her. She had become tired with her ghost life and it was about time she was able to move on. As the sunrise time neared, Bubba told Sally, Bonny, and Martin to say at his house. The basement was the place where he spent everyday.

Chapter 29

            Before they could even tell that any time had passed, it was once again dark enough for them to reappear. That night, they decided it was time for them to leave. Bubba tried to get them to stay. He said he had traveled the country for 20 years before he had found this town and there was no other place like it anywhere else in America. They told him that if they found that to be true for them, that they would come back and stay, but all three of them wanted to explore the rest of the country and then travel abroad to see what other wonders the world had to offer and what other kinds of people and ghosts were out there for them to meet.

            They trio started to make their way to the train station. Along the way, they were stopped by a few friendly ghosts who wanted to ask them questions about where they were going, where they had been, what their death stories were, and why they were leaving. Every ghost seemed to ask the same questions. Even before they had made it to this town, they had been asked about their deaths a few times. It seemed that was just ghost small talk. They did not mind explaining it either. They learned about many kinds of death. Some ghosts were happy with the way they went and where they ended up while others hated the way they went but loved what had happened to them since. Sill others were completely unaware of their deaths and did not want to linger on the subject. It seemed even they had accepted the fact that talking about how they died was the form of small talk ghosts used.

            They finally made it to the train station just as a train was arriving. They boarded and off they went. For the next couple of hours, none of them wanted to get off at any stop but they did enjoy talking about what had happened to them at the last town. They had learned so much and seen many strange things. Martin asked if he was really dead a bunch of times. He could not believe how lucky he was. Sally and Bonny could tell he was a lot more comfortable with his situation than he was when they first met him. In fact they all were a lot more comfortable now. Being dead and yet seeming more alive and free than ever was a great feeling. Martin said what they were all thinking, “I just hope we do not run into any of those bad and hateful ghosts Bubba was talking about.”

            The three ghost friends ended up spending the night on the train. They suddenly realized the light was starting to peak over the mountains. Sally grabbed Bonny and Martin with surprising easy and they passed through the wall of the train and landed in the middle of nowhere. They were in a green pastor with lots of grass. Sally spotted a tree and they flew to it to hide in the branches. They had gotten there just in time.

            The next night, which seemed like only seconds and a brief blip in their memories, they came down from the treetop. Martin started to panic. He flew around and started yelling, “Where are we? How will we ever find our way out of here? What is going to happen to us?”

            Bonny and Sally headed for the train tracks and waited for Martin there. He eventually calmed down and met up with them. Bonny explained to him that if they followed the tracks, they could find a train station. He did not even have to worry about his legs hurting because he no longer had any.

            About an hour after they had started, they heard a train coming up from behind them. Sally said, “I wonder if we could pass right through the front of the train and land in seats?”

            Martin answered her; “I do not want to find out what will happen so lets move off these tracks right now!”

            Sally and Bonny were a bit surprised by how forceful and aggressive Martin had said that, but Sally the risk taker had to try. As the train approached, she called out to them that if it worked, she would meet them at the first station the train stopped at.

            Bonny could not decide if she wanted to try it with Sally or not, but Martin made up her mind for her. He grabbed her arm and pulled her towards him and led them very far away from the tracks.

            The train kept coming closer and closer and Sally smiled and waved at her travel companions. Martin covered his eyes and turned to look in a different direction. Bonny had to watch and see what happened. If Sally exploded or something drastic like that, she wanted to see it and make sure not to try it herself or if she could see Sally wave out a car window, she definitely wanted to see that Sally was alright.

            The train passed by them and Sally disappeared so quickly, Bonny was not able to see anything. She tried looking through the car windows but it was nearly impossible. Soon the train was gone from view and Martin turned back around to face the train tracks and found nothing on them. He looked like he expected Sally to be standing there, having just had the train pass right through her leaving her where she was.

            Bonny and Martin started to follow the train tracks again. Martin kept looking back to see if he could find any remains of what had happened to Sally. He asked Bonny what she had seen and she told him it happened to fast for her to have seen anything. She really could not tell if Sally had been destroyed or had made it onto the train in one piece. She did not tell Martin in such a negative way though. She only told him that she was unable to tell exactly what had happened.

Chapter 30      

What seemed like hours later, Bonny and Martin finally made it to the nearest train station. They had been almost silent on the trip there and they had moved as fast as possible. They wanted to see if Sally would be waiting for them or not.

As they arrived at the station, they were both looking around frantically for Sally. There was no sign of her yet. They floated up to the platform and looked around for her and started calling to her, but still no sign. Martin began moving faster and in a random pattern as he began to get nervous. Bonny looked inside the station but did not see Sally. She went back out on the platform and sat down next to a nervous Martin.

Suddenly, Sally jumped out of the station house and cried, “BOO!” Bonny was relieved but Martin was so frightened that he flew ten feet in the air.

Martin shouted as he floated back down, “Why did you do that to me?”

Sally was laughing so hard that she did not even really hear him. Bonny asked her what had happened to her when the train passed through her in the field.

Sally told her how the train started passing through her but she was able to stop that and sort of become more solid, just enough to end up in a train car and take a seat. Otherwise known as exactly what she thought was going to happen.

Bonny asked her what she had to do to make herself most solid but Sally could not answer that. She told her that she had just been able to just by thinking about it, like how she was able to pick up the fork back at the restaurant.

Bonny and Sally decided to try it and found an empty room to practice in. Bubba had warned them that altering their form is when living people could see them.

Martin followed behind but was too nervous and scared to practice. He was afraid to try and fail so he did not try at all. Sally and Bonny, who were easily five or ten years older than Martin thought he was being childish and tried to get him to practice. They told him it was a skill that he would need to learn in order to be a real ghost and do what ghosts do.

As they finished practicing and headed for the platform to wait for the next train, Bonny remembered what she was thinking about earlier. Why were they three of them ghosts, or still ghosts? Their deaths were not mysteries and none of them had sworn to protect their loved ones or their land. In fact, they had decided to roam the country.

The train arrived and the three ghosts boarded. Sally saw that something was troubling Bonny and asked her about it. After Bonny explained it to her, Sally suggested that maybe they were still ghosts because they had unfinished business. They had died so young and they all still had so much that they wanted to do. The old woman Fiona had told them that everyone gets to be a ghost and maybe their time was just not over yet.

Bonny seemed satisfied and the rest of the train ride went by smoothly.

Chapter 31

            Then next city the train came to stop at seemed exciting enough to the trio to stop and visit. As soon as Bonny, Sally, and Martin got off the train, they came face to face with a group of angry looking ghosts. That was exactly what they had not wanted to happen.

            To everyone’s surprise, Martin was the first to say something. “Can we help you with anything or is there a magic word we should say to get past you?”

            One of the ghosts in the group replied, “Who are you three and what are you doing here?”

            Sally answered this time before Martin could open his transparent mouth. “We are just three newly dead ghosts who are trying to figure out where we are. We did not mean to cause any problems.”

            The same ghost replied, “Well, in that case, you better come with us. It can be pretty dangerous around here if you do not know what you are doing. Fred and Stan, show these three ghosts to the safe house. Greg and I will be there in a few minutes.”

            Fred, Stan, Sally, Bonny, and Martin headed to the group’s safe house. Martin was becoming visually more nervous with each minute that passed. Fred and Stan were talking calmly to each other as they led the way. Sally and Bonny were quietly deciding if they should bail or continue to follow these strangers. Before they finished deciding, they all arrived at the safe house.

            Once inside, they two men turned to the trio and told them that they had been having trouble around this town lately with an angry spirit that had shown up. They figured that the spirit had either just died in this town and was angry about it or it was a roaming ghost that was upset about something and decided to stop in this town to take revenge. Either way, it was very difficult to get rid of this angry spirit. They had set up this safe house to protect the ghosts of the town. The two men explained that there are certain things that they could do to protect them in this house. “For some reason, certain spirits cannot stand garlic. I know the living think that vampires are harmed by garlic, but it is really spirits that cannot stand it. Not all spirits, either, only some. All of the ghosts that come here to hide or for protection are not affected by garlic at all. However, we have found that the angry spirit that has been haunting our whole town is affected by it. That is why you might have noticed all of the garlic around the front of this house.”

            Bonny and Martin has noticed the garlic all over the outside of this ghost house. Bonny asked, “Is this one of those ghost houses that the living cannot see or is it a regular house? And can the living people see all that garlic? Wouldn’t they get suspicious?”

            One of the men answered, “It is a regular house but most of the living people have moved out of this town. It is a regular old ‘ghost town’. In fact, I am surprised the train even stopped here. It usually passes us right by. The conductor must not have been paying that much attention. No one else got off the train when you three did, right?”

            “I do not think so,” replied Bonny. “So what do you do here all night? I mean, ghosts do not eat or drink. They cannot really do too much, especially physically. So, what do we ghosts do to pass the time?”

            “We have our own games and most of us like to talk to each other. If we were not stuck in here all night, we could fly to the next town and scare some of the children, that is always fun, or we could roam our town and go about not living.” Fred said.

Fred and Stan introduced the trio in front of everyone in the room and one by one they ghosts came up to the trio and introduced his or herself. They all seemed very nice and friendly except for the two that had not bothered to meet the trio. These two looked a great deal older than Bonny and Sally and stayed at a table in a corner. They did not smile or even bother looking at what was going on in front of them. Fred and Stan told the trio the two little old ladies in the corner were not very friendly to strangers, but once they got to know them, they would be fine.

Martin told the men how Sally, Bonny, and he were not planning on staying long. They had only stopped in the town to check it out but would be moving on soon.

Fred stopped him mid sentence and warned the trio that they could not leave, that it was too dangerous. Bonny and Sally looked at each other, then at Martin, and finally at Fred and Stan. Sally expressed how they really had no intentions on staying in that town and that they really wanted to leave. They were roaming ghosts. Bonny told them that they had to get to the other side of the country really soon. She was starting to forget the reason and the motivation. The men still refused to let them believe that they would be able to leave this house or this town any time soon. Finally Sally said, “If we cannot leave until this angry spirit is gone, then I guess we will have to help you get rid of it.”

“That is not going to happen either,” replied Fred. “Those other ghosts you met when you got off the train have been ghosts for a lot longer than any of you. They know a lot about this angry spirit, and they have not been able to get rid of it. What makes you three think you can do better?”

Martin chimed in, “I did not say anything. I do not think I knew better than anyone.”

            Fred and Stan looked at Bonny and Sally who said, “I did not mean we know any better, I just wanted to offer our services. We are not dumb or useless. We are not going to just sit around here and wait for someone else to try and force that thing out of her.”

            Fred did not want to continue to argue with Sally so he told her that when the other ghosts came back, she could talk to them and work something out. He really did not have any say in the matter anyways. He told the trio that until the other guys came back, they could get to know some of the locals. Sally seemed annoyed but she knew there really want not much she could do about it right then. It would help her to get it off her mind to talk to some other ghosts and maybe learn something.

            Sally, Bonny, and Martin decided to join a table in the middle of the room where three other ghosts were already chatting. Sally introduced herself, the other two, and then asked about them. One of them introduced herself as Marsha and her companions as Peter and Cindy. Marsha asked Sally what her story was. That meant she wanted to know how she had died. Sally told them and then Bonny told them her story. Martin could not talk. He was intimidated by the two girls and tough looking male ghosts sitting around him. Bonny told them his story. If ghosts had color and could blush, Martin definitely would have been blushing right then. Sally asked the other ghosts about their stories. Marsha started telling her story.

"I was on a beach on a beautiful summer day. I lived in Florida with my sister for the summers. We went to the beach at least once a day. We were taking surfing lessons from this gorgeous guy that we had met on the beach. One day, we were getting this lesson when a storm started to roll in. We were further out in the ocean than normal because he wanted to see how good we had gotten. As the storm approached, the guy told us that it would be fine to surf and even fun to ride the big waves that were coming in for at least another fifteen or twenty minutes. My sister decided to head back to the shore because she was chicken. I liked and trusted this guy more than she did anyways. Unfortunately, the storm came in a lot faster than we had anticipated. He was able to get back to shore but he had to leave me behind. It would have been impossible for him to save me anyways. I guess he made it because the next thing I knew, I was floating above my own body, dead from the crashing waves. There was another girl who was floating there with me who also was not able to make it to shore. I did not see my surfing instructor and assumed he made it back alive. Surprisingly, I was not really that scared. I really thought that I was going to make it back to shore alive. I had no idea that I was going to die. I did not feel a thing. It all seemed to work out for me because I was able to find this town and make some new friends. I realized really quickly that I could not stay near my family. My sister ended up marrying that instructor a year or so after I had died. I was so angry. That was when I finally decided to move away from that town and find some place new to live. You three were smart and left your hometown really soon after you died. There is only heartache and suffering if you stay." Marsha was right of course, but Bonny was just thinking about how her family and friends were doing back home. She could not believe how much she missed them sometimes. Most of the time, however, she had forgotten about them. It was as if she had never been alive and never knew them.

            Peter went next, “I was murdered about twenty years ago now.”

            “No you were not, Peter!” Marsha interrupted. “We all know that if you were murdered in the way you told us, you would be a haunting ghost, not a roaming ghost here with us. Now tell the truth.”

            Peter continued as Marsha rolled her eyes, “I know you might not believe it, but I really do think I was murdered. Maybe I exaggerated the story when I told it to you, but that does not make it any less true. Now, like I was saying, I was murdered about twenty years ago. And it was by a good friend of mine. We used to do some drugs together. Whatever we could find and afford. He began to act strange. I knew something was up when he was always able to get the same thing over and over. I was never with him when he got it either. I began to feel sick afterwards. Each time I felt sicker than the last time. He assured me it was not the drugs because he was doing them also and was not getting sick. Not too long after that, I was so sick I dropped to the floor and started to spasm like a fish out of water. I could not catch my breath. The next thing I knew I was watching my limp body from above. I was sure my friend had poisoned the drugs. He was probably trying to kill me. He knew how much I hated going to work everyday that I did and was probably trying to look out for me. That is why I did not become a haunting ghost, I was too happy being dead. It really did seem so surreal, though. So, I traveled around this part of the country until I found this town and settled in. I was fine with my death right from the start. I really did not mind not being able to live anymore. Going to work everyday and trying to make a living and have fun at the same time was nearly impossible. Being a ghost is much better then living, I am sure you three have figured that out by now.”

            Peter finished his story and then looked at Cindy. She started explaining how she had died, “I just died about a year ago. It was really my own fault, looking back on that day. Although, I am still not really sure what exactly happened. I do know that I was scared. I do not understand how these two could not have been scared. Death is so mysterious and scary. Anyways, the day of my death I was alone as usual in my bedroom. I lived with my parents but they were not home. I was working on my computer building my personal website. It was early in the morning but it was okay because it was a weekend. I was in college and taking lots of classes during the week. The website was an assignment for one of my marketing classes. You know, personal branding and image. Anyways, it was really hot out that night and the air conditioner was not working so I had all of my windows open. Well, while I was working on my website and listening to classical music, I did not hear the man sneak into my room. He touched me on my shoulder and I screamed, jumped up, turned around, and hit my head on an overhead bookshelf. I was unconscious for a couple of minutes. When I came to, I found that the man who had snuck into my room was this boy that really liked me from school. He had basically been stalking me and when he realized my parents were not home and my bedroom window was open, he figured that was his chance to try to get me to like him back. When I came to, he was pacing around the room. He had no idea what to do. I called out to him and he came over to my side. I tried to talk him through what to do. My cell phone was sitting on my desk. He was supposed to call 911 for me and get me or get me to the hospital somehow. Well, he was a nursing student and wanted to save me himself. So, he picked me up and put me on my bed. For some reason, I thought it would be a great idea if I got up and threw him out the window. However, when I tired, I tripped on my computer cable and must have fallen on a stack of books that I did not have room for on my bookshelves and was keeping on the floor. The next thing I knew I was floating over my body, watching that boy make out with my dead self. I remember trying to yell at him and make him stop, but he could not hear me. That was when I realized I was a ghost and I was dead. I watched my parents come home and cry over my body. I flew away so I could not watch them any longer. Before I knew it, I was here in this town. I do not even know how far away I had drifted. It seemed as if the wind had carried me here.”

            “Oh, my,” said Bonny. She felt so sorry for this young girl. “I think your story is one of the most unusual ones I have heard so far.” Ghosts seemed to like having the strangest or most unusual cause of death. It was like a badge of honor to them. Cindy smiled at Bonny’s remarks while the rest gave her dirty looks. Bonny could not help it though. She really did feel bad for this girl who was so young and smart. She could have really been somebody.

            Cindy told her that she should go to the next table and meet Fanny if she wanted to hear about a real tragedy. Fanny had died a few years ago in a very gruesome manner and loved talking about it. So, Bonny, Sally, and Martin decided to meet Fanny.

            Fanny was alone at the next table. She was looking around eagerly for someone to talk to. She was very excited when she saw the trio coming over. Sally and Bonny introduced themselves and Martin and told her how Cindy had suggested they come over to hear about how she died. Fanny looked down right ecstatic about this and quickly introduced herself. She started in on her story immediately. "I was only fourteen years old when it happened. I was in gym class, the one class that I was not perfect in. I may not look like much of a nerd or a geek, but I assure you, I am. [She really did look like a huge dork.] I had perfect scores in history, math, writing, and everything else except gym. Without that class, I would not have been able to go on to college. I needed a perfect grade in every class. So, I was standing around with the other students waiting for something to come up that I would be able to do and show the teacher that I was good enough to get a perfect grade. That was when ribbon dancing was introduced. I had no idea that was an actual sport. They have that in the Olympics and everything. I could not believe it. I told my teacher that I was going to learn a great routine and then she would have to give me a perfect grade in the class. She was not exactly cooperative so my parents, who are both lawyers, came in to talk to her. The next thing I knew, I was given a ribbon to practice with. I went home that night and learned everything I could about this sport. I needed my routine to be perfect or I would not get a perfect grade and not get into an Ivy league school and become a world class lawyer like my parents and I was not going to let that happen. My older sister had gotten one A- in a class one year and she was forced to go to a state school. What a nightmare. She ended up doing drugs and hanging out all night with men. It was awful and I did not want myself to have to go through that. Anyways, I learned a great routine and practiced every night after school and all day on the weekends. I could not believe how stiff I was at first and how awkward it was. I became much better within a matter of two or three weeks. I was finally ready to show my teacher and fellow students what I could do. She let me lead the class and show everyone one day. It was the most perfect day too. We were outside on the track on this really large soft cushion thing. I never could figure out what it was used for. I did my routine and landed perfectly where I was supposed to, of course. Then, all of a sudden, all of the students looked up in the sky. I was very upset because they were supposed to be cheering for my perfect routine and dance with the ribbon. As I looked up, most of the other kids had already started running away. I could not believe my eyes. A large object was hurdling towards my head. I was so stunned I could not move in time. What turned out to be a very large math textbook had hit me square in the forehead. I had no idea what happened to me next. I was floating above my body as I was realizing I was dead. It could not be. I was a very logical person. I did not believe in ghosts or an afterlife of any kind. Yet, here I am, sitting here with the three of you. What are the chances? So now I have all but given up on living my dreams of becoming a lawyer. Actually, now that I have been a ghost for a while, I realize that was never really my dream. It had been my parent's dream for me; I was just raised to believe that was my only option. Now, I can do whatever I want."

Bonny asked Fanny, "What was it that you really wanted to do? Now that you can pretty much do what ever you want, while being a ghost, what is it that you do?"

Fanny replied, "I have always really wanted to be an actress. I know I might not seem like the type. I do realize now that I am not considered attractive. I never took care of my looks because I never had to and never knew I should. But now, I am dead and cannot change the way I look. In the beginning I felt that I was never going to be able to live out my dreams even dead. Then I found out that scaring children is basically the same thing. Now, I love to go into people's houses and scare the kids. I usually wait until around Halloween because everyone is a little more forgiving and good spirited about it. The children sometimes even welcome me in. You cannot imagine how many children are so lonely and desperate for interaction, even if it is with a ghost. I feel so bad for some of them. I was very lucky that my parents, no matter how busy they were, always had time for me. I was forced to go to other children's birthday parties and at forced to belong to clubs even though I did not want to go. I realize now that that made me a better person and I never felt alone. But some of these kids today, all they want is love and attention from their parents, but their parents buy them video games and put TVs and computers in their rooms thinking that is all they need. They completely miss the most important rules of being parents, spending time with their children. It is so sad. There are many children I spend time with on a regular basis just to give them someone to talk to. I tell them not to talk about me to their parents but some of them do. That is when I have to leave them for a long time. I cannot show myself to them, children can see ghost a lot easier then adults. The children risk being accused of making up stories and being called crazy if they talk about me. I like to think of it as good will or volunteer work with a mix of acting. I get to scare the kids and then be friends with them. Then, after a week or two, if I find out something I do not like about the parents, I scare them so bad they almost pass out. It is great. Hey, you three should come with me to this one place. The parents are so mean to this poor girl. She reminds me so much of myself when I was her age. I feel for her because she is so like me and yet does not have the parents that I had to make her be better rounded and sociable. The parents are not smart like mine. I have no idea how she came from them."

Sally interrupted her there, "Fanny, we are sorry, but we cannot come with you. We have to find a way to get rid of this angry spirit that is pestering your town and then we have to move on. We are trying to get somewhere."

"Where and why?" Fanny replied. "We are ghosts. We have all the time in the world to do whatever it is you feel you need to do. What could be so important you have to leave so soon?"

Bonny answered her this time; "We are trying to get to the other side of the country to see a living person. That person does not have all the time in the world. In fact, her days are numbered. She is dying and I need to see here. My memory of her is fading with each night. They only reason I remember how I died is because every ghost around wants me to explain it to them. I need to find a way to get to this person and help her. I feel like I am the only one who will be able to help her."

Sally looked kind of stunned. She knew they were trying to get to the other side of the country to see her sister, but she had no idea why or that there was an urgent reason. She looked at Bonny with a quizzical expression. Bonny caught her eye and gave her a warning and determined look back. Bonny had not told Sally everything about her motives for wanted to get to her sister and she knew it was going to have to come out soon. But, she could not bring herself to say it there in front of Martin and Fanny.

Martin started talking to Fanny so Sally pulled Bonny away to talk to her about her sister. Bonny really did not want to talk about it but knew Sally deserved some answers. Fanny and Martin seemed very interested in what each other had to say. They did not even seem to notice that Bonny and Sally had left them alone. Bonny would have thought that were cure if she was not thinking so much about what she was going to have to tell Sally.

Sally asked the inevitable question, "What is going on, Bonny? Why, exactly, do you have to go to the other side of the country to see your sister that you have not seen or talked to in years? Also, why are you dragging me and Martin with you?"

Bonny responded, "First of all, I am not dragging anyone. You were the one that said you wanted to travel around the country. I just had a plan to do it. And, as far as my sister is concerned, it is really hard for me to talk about it. Years ago, we were really close. Then she grew up. She moved to the other side of the country. She started doing some things that I did not agree with and I felt abandoned. She stopped calling me and answering my phone calls. Growing up, she was the smart one. No one wanted to pay attention to me I was awkward and unskilled. She was smart and easy to talk to. When she moved away with her boyfriend, they got into all kinds of bad things. Now, she has so many problems. I have heard that her brain is messed up due to some bad drugs and she had a couple of bones broken and not fixed so now she looks funny. I guess she was afraid to go to the hospital while under the influence. She has been hurt and she still did not call me or even try to get in touch with me. That is why I need to go see her. While I was living, I always had excuses like not enough time or money, both true but I am sure I could have found a way if I really wanted to. I need to go see her now. She can't even see me this is perfect. I can find out exactly what happened to her and what her life is like now. Sally, I think that is why I am still a ghost. I have been compelled to go see if she is all right. I feel like if I do this, everything will be alright and I can rest in peace, but right now, I feel horrible. I am not at peace. I need to go do this. Traveling around the country and the world is truly one of my passions and I really do still want to do that, but I also need to stop and see my sister. I need to know she is alright and she is still alive. I do not even know if she is. Our uncle died about two years ago and we tried to get in touch with my sister but she would not answer. The phone number I had no longer worked and she did not show up at the funeral. So Sally, do you see it now? Does it make enough sense? Can we still move on as planned?"

Sally truly did not know what to say. She wanted Bonny to go see her sister but she knew it would only cause problems. The ghost world should not have anything to do with the living world. Everyone had been telling them that. However, Sally really felt bad for Bonny and wanted her to be able to rest in peace. Maybe she really did actually need to see her sister. Maybe that is why she is still a ghost. Maybe she was right. But, why had she kept it a secret? Sally figured maybe she had not kept it a secret; maybe she had just hidden her pain and not told her everything. So Sally replied to Bonny, "I guess if you really need to do this, I am in. What would you do without me anyways? You would never make it there alone. I had to show you everything." Sally was not being rude she was being smart.

Bonny looked relieved. She thanked Sally and they sort of hugged, the best they could do while being ghosts. It was awkward and other ghosts starred. They headed back over to the table where Martin and Fanny were, but they were gone. Sally and Bonny looked at each other and then started looking around for the pair. They asked Cindy and Peter who were still at the table where they were if they had seen Fanny or Martin. They said they had no idea. They must have been very quiet and laughed. They were ghosts. If they did not talk, they made no noise.

Sally and Bonny decided to get to know some of the other ghosts at the lounge while they waited for Fanny and Martin to come back. They figured Fanny knew where she was going. How much trouble could they get into anyways? Sally and Bonny assumed that two were probably just floating around together and checking out the locals. Maybe Fanny had decided to show Martin where the house was they she liked to go to scare the little children and their parents. Either way, they were not worried about Fanny and Martin out along together. Martin could be a scared easily, but Fanny looked tough enough for both of them.

Before Sally and Bonny could introduce themselves to anyone else, though, Greg and his friend came back into the lounge. They had been scouring the town for any signs of the angry spirit. The two ghosts went up to the front of the lounge to make an announcement.

The two ghosts started explaining what had happened, “The angry spirit has been spotted in town. We figured it would be best to attack tonight so we need volunteers to come with us and we need everyone else stay here where it is safe. Is everyone here?”

Peter shouted, “No, Fanny and that boy, Martin took off a little while ago. No one knows where they are.”

Bonny and Sally looked at each other once again. They each felt a little responsible for Martin and not knowing where he was. They were starting to get worried. Sally called out; “Bonny and I will go look for him in the other rooms.” Greg seemed to be fine with that so off they went. The pair searched everywhere but could not find any sign of Martin or Fanny. They returned back to the main lounge alone. Greg and the other ghost were rounding up volunteers so Sally and Bonny joined.

At first the two men told Sally and Bonny they could not help because they had no idea what they were doing and did not know the town layout but Sally was able to convince them that they felt responsible and needed to be out there fining their friend. So the men taught the responsibilities and quick training session and then the group was off. The basic plan was spread out to the edges of town in pairs and then everyone move slowly to the center of town. That would make the angry spirit follow them, hopefully, and then when most or everyone was there, the living preacher from the next town over, with his friend who was clairvoyant, would perform an exorcism to try and remove the angry spirit. Peter, Cindy’s friend, had bumped into the preacher a while ago and was somehow able to communicate with him. The preacher decided to help the ghost town by performing the exorcism when they needed him. Tonight was the night. The clairvoyant was brought in also in order to communicate with the spirit. The preacher was only able to communicate with Peter, no other ghosts. No one was sure why or how that could happen, but they were very happy about it now.

The pairs of ghosts spread out to their designated areas, waited the predetermined amount of time, two minutes, and then slowly made their ways towards the center of the town. Just as the first couple of pairs arrived, the angry spirit was spotted behind Sally and Bonny.

Bonny figured it had to have been behind them. It just figured. They were the new ones in town and the angry spirit did not know them. The preacher and clairvoyant were waiting for it and positioned themselves to face it. The next part of the plan was for all of the ghosts to get out of there as soon as possible or risk being exorcised with, or instead of, the angry spirit. The preacher started the exorcism and Sally and Bonny started to float away. They did not move too fast so the spirit would stay there. They also did not want to move too slow and be exorcised instead of it. They had worked and waited too hard for that to happen.  

The ghosts started to make it back to the lounge just as Sally and Bonny got there. All of those that had volunteered started asking if the angry spirit had followed any of them. Sally and Bonny told everyone how yes it had followed them and the preacher was doing the exorcism. There was an air of anxiousness, curiosity, and fear about the group.

All of the other townspeople had hidden in the basement or in the attic of the house. That was where they felt the safest. The group anxiously awaited Greg and Peter with the announcement that everything was over and the angry spirit was gone. Greg and Peter had planned on being out there the whole time and hiding. They were going to fly away as fast as possible and check back every so often to see what was going on. If the preacher were finished, Peter would be able to communicate with him and find out what had happened and then go tell everyone else.

The ghosts waited for a long time for Greg and Peter to show up. Sally and Bonny were also waiting for any sign of Martin and Fanny. They were still missing. The ghosts had promised to try to look into buildings and call out to Martin and Fanny as they headed back to the town center, but Bonny thought they were probably all too worried about their own well being to actually do it.

After what seemed like hours, Peter and Greg finally came back to the lounge. Some of the ghosts who had volunteered had gone up to the attic to hide and try to keep a look out through the windows. The rest of the ghosts were still waiting with Sally and Bonny in the lounge when Greg and Peter came back. The men looked worn out and somehow older (ghosts do not age). They announced that the angry spirit was finally gone and their town was once again safe to wonder.

There was something shinny behind Peter. Sally and Bonny craned their heads and necks to see what it was. Martin and Fanny came into view as they tried to rejoin the group without being noticed. They could not sneak around Sally and Bonny though. They flew over to the couple and asked where they had been and told them how worried they were about them. Martin told the girls he would explain as soon as everyone was done celebrating and it quieted back down.

The ghosts who had been hiding were starting to come back out as they heard all of the noise coming from the lounge. Sally and Bonny flew over to Greg and Peter to ask them it this all meant that they were finally able to leave. Greg said yes, but they should really stay for the rest of the night to party and relax at least. The two girls were considered the lucky heroes for being the ones who led the angry spirit to the center of the town and ultimately to its defeat. They decided that would be a good idea to stay so they joined the party. Everyone wanted to talk to them about what had happened. Eventually, they had to get up on the platform and reenact, with a few embellishments, what had happened to them while they were out in the town being followed by the notorious angry spirit. Sally and Bonny were very happy to do so.

The party did not die down until the sun was about to come up. The lounge was considered a perfect place for ghosts to spend their days, so they did not have to worry about hiding. Sally was starting to feel at home there.

The next night, Bonny pulled Sally and Martin to the side and told them to get ready, they were leaving really soon. Martin said he would no longer be joining them. He was very happy staying right there in this town with his friend Fanny. Bonny wanted to know what had happened to them the night before when they disappeared. He told them that Fanny wanted to show him what she had told them earlier that night. "Fanny really wanted to show me her living friends, the children she had told us about. I could not resist. I had to go with her because I felt bad for the kids. So, Fanny led me to the next town where there are no other ghosts but lots of sad children. That was all we did. She showed me her favorite house and we went inside to talk to the little girl. She could not see me though. She could only see Fanny. I will never understand how that happens. Fanny thinks it is because they really need a friend and can relate to her but not to me. I guess that makes some sense. Anyways, we headed back over here but heard the preacher doing that exorcism so we flew back to the other town and waited there for a long time. Fanny said she had read about exorcisms when she was living, as I had also, and we both knew that they could take a long time. We tried again to come back here, but heard the preacher still. Finally the third time we tried the preacher was talking with Peter so we followed them back here."

Sally and Bonny asked him what it was like to watch a ghost talk to a living person in a friendly way and some other questions. Then they asked him if he really wanted to stay here or if he was going to go with them on their trip. He said he was planning on staying. Fanny came over then and tried pulling him away. Bonny asked her if she was making Martin stay. She said no and that Martin really did fit in there and wanted to stay. So, Martin followed Fanny and Bonny and Sally started to leave. Peter, Greg, and a few other ghosts saw what was happening and flew over to them to say goodbye. It was sad for everyone except Bonny who had a very strong urge to leave and continue here journey. She was very happy that Sally was still coming with her.

After everyone was happy and content with their goodbyes, Martin and Fanny followed the pair outside and to the train station. Fanny wanted them to know that she would never forget them and they were definitely welcome back to this town anytime they wanted to come back. The next train was due any minute but they all knew it was probably not going to actually stop. Sally and Bonny took places on the train tracks and Sally explained as best she could what was going to happen and what they had to do in order to make it safely onto the train. The train came as Sally finished up her sentence. They both made it just in time. Martin and Fanny looked like a blur as the train kept going ahead at full speed. They next thing they knew, they were alone on the train again headed across the country and onto their next journey. What was going to happen to them next, they wondered. They could not believe what had happened to them so far!

Chapter 32

It was the middle of the third night before they train stopped somewhere the pair wanted to check out. Sally and Bonny both felt pulled to this location. They were not really sure where they were or even how close to the location they were, but they knew they had to check out this town.

That was one of the interesting things about being a ghost. They may not have had the regular five senses as they did when they were living, but now they had other senses. They would get urges to go places or do things and they had no idea why or for what reason. So the pair got off the train and starting looking around the town. There was a sign on top of one of the tallest building that said Grand Kino. They figured that must be the name of the town. They looked around some more and found a couple of stores with the same name. There was Grand Kino Lounge and Bar, Grand Kino Tattoo, and Grand Kino Coffee House.

It was the middle of the night, so there were not that many living people around, but enough for Bonny to realize that they were close to where she wanted to be. She felt that maybe her sister had moved to this area and that is why she was being pulled there. Sally was starting to think that she was being pulled to that area because of Bonny and her strong feelings.

As the night wore on, the pair started to meet some other ghosts. Bonny asked each one if they had any idea who Claire was. Claire was her the name of her sister. She had a gut feeling, another ghost sense, that her sister was close. The pair spent the rest of the night wandering around looking for Claire and asking all of the ghosts around if they knew anything about her. They had no luck that night though.

The next night, Sally and Bonny started out doing the same thing until Sally suggested they think about a strategy before wandering around aimlessly for another week. Sally found a phone book and started looking for the first name Claire attached to any of the last names that Bonny told her. Bonny figured, after her last name turned up no results, that her sister had gotten married. The last man her sister had been with had the last name like Sanchez or Salts or something that started with a Sa. After a few hours and no results, Sally suggested trying another strategy. She flipped to the back of the phone book to where the local businesses were located. Maybe Bonny's sister was in a hotel or was only working in the town.

First they tried the hospital. There was only one hospital in the town. They pair went to the hospital and looked through the computer for any patient with the first name Claire while the desk nurse was away from the desk. There were two Claire's listed. Sally and Bonny checked the first room but it turned out to be a dude. The second room was empty. The Claire that was supposed to be in that room must have been moved somewhere else, or worse. Bonny wanted to stay there to make sure it was not her sister, but Sally said she did not think it was. She was pretty confident that they were looking in the wrong place. She could just feel it. So, they started to leave. Just as they did, however, the patient was wheeled back into the room. That Claire must have been taken somewhere for tests or blood work and was being brought back to her room. Unfortunately, that was not the Claire they were looking for.

Bonny asked what the next plan of action was going to be. Sally told her they should probably focus on their feelings. So, Bonny started to try and feel where her sister was. For some reason, every time they passed by the Grand Kino Coffee House, Bonny felt compelled to stop there. It was the middle of the night and the place was closed and locked. It took Sally and Bonny a good hour before they remembered they were ghosts and could just float through the walls of the coffee house and see if there was anyone inside. That was what they did. To Sally's surprise, there was a woman cleaning behind the coffee house counter. Bonny looked stunned. This must be Claire, Sally thought. In fact it was. Bonny was sure of it. “Now what” became the question. What was Bonny supposed to do? Was she supposed to find a way to communicate with Claire, here living sister? Was she supposed to do something, anything, or just watch?

Just as she was finishing her though, Claire stood up straight and screamed. She had caught sight of Bonny the ghost and became frightened. Bonny and Sally were also shocked. They did not expect to be seen. Well, actually, Claire could only see Bonny, not Sally. Claire really looked as if she had seen a ghost, probably because she had. She recognized the face of her sister and started to relax. Bonny tried talking to her, "Claire, is that really you? Is it really my sister?"

Claire could barely get the words out, "Yes. I am Claire. It that Bonny, my sister?"

"Yes Claire, it is. I cannot believe I have finally found you. I am so happy. What have you been up to? How has your life been? Why have you never called or written to me?" Bonny asked.

"What is going on here? Are you real? Are you a ghost? What the heck happened to you?" was they only thing Claire said.

"I died a few weeks ago. You did not get the message? I know Mom and Dad tried to contact you right before I died because they had something to tell you. They wanted to tell you and me at the same time. I really wanted to know what it was but they said they really wanted to tell both of their girls at the same time. We were all trying to find you but no one had any luck. Where did you disappear to?" Bonny said.

"This can't be happening. I must be dreaming. I am not really talking to you, a ghost, and here while I am supposed to be working. This is not real." Claire was trying to convince herself that she was not really seeing Bonny.

"It is really me, sort of anyways," replied Bonny. "I am here but why are you? What is this place?"

Claire responded, "This is my coffee house. I opened it up about a year ago. I am still trying to get it up and running properly. I have not been having the most success lately. I am sorry, but, how is it possible that I can be talking to you? I mean, you are a ghost and I do not believe in ghosts."

Bonny understood her confusion and disbelief. She herself did not really believe in ghosts until she became one. It was going to be hard to explain to her though since she did not really know how to explain how she could see her. "Let me ask you this. Can you see my friend Sally? She is standing, well floating, next me to here," as she pointed to Sally.

"No. I can only see you and I do not know why or how I can."

"Claire, I have no idea how to explain it to you but you have to get past this disbelief and just know that I am here and you can see me. I can only be around here at night and I know it will be morning soon." Bonny said.

"Yes, it will be. I came into the store early to clean before I opened. Where will you go during the day? Will you come back tomorrow night? I really do want to get to know you better. I really have missed you. We have so much to catch up on."

Bonny replied in a tone that expressed how happy she was. She was in fact so happy to hear that her sister wanted to talk to her after all this time that she was almost in tears. "I will come back tomorrow night. I will be with my friend Sally even though you cannot see her. I have a lot to talk to you about also. You have to hear about our family. I do not really know what happens to us during the day. It seems like we just disappear."

"Alright, see you tomorrow night then. I will come back here early, say around 3 in the morning." "Great. See you then, sis!" Bonny said as Sally and her floated off to find a safe place to hide until the next morning.

Chapter 33

The next morning, Sally and Bonny made their way back to the coffee house. Bonny could not say thank you enough to Sally for helping her find her sister. She could not believe how far they had come and all that they had seen. Sally was happy to have helped. She even felt like she had accomplished something she was meant to do by helping her friend.

Claire was not at the coffee house yet when they arrived. So they decided to check out the neighboring restaurant. Bonny said she had seen a ghost go inside the night before and they loved meeting new ghosts.

The pair went inside and were very shocked but happy. There were lots of ghosts inside the restaurant. It was filled with dead people. Sally found the one she had spotted the night before who looked friendly and introduced herself and Bonny to him. He then told them that his name was Fred. He told them his story of how he had died. "It was a few years ago. I was all alone fishing on my favorite lake. I had not had a catch all day. It was starting to get dark out but I really wanted to go home with at least one fish. I put extra bate on the hook and cast it out one last time. After a few minutes I finally got a bite. When I reeled in the line, the fish started to jump. If flew out of the water and landed right in front of me. I could not believe what I had caught. It looked like a baby shark. They were not known to live in those waters but some new neighbors had brought their local fish with them when they moved in. They were from some foreign country and did not understand that they could not just bring in their own fish and expect them to live. Unfortunately, they did. Those new fish killed off all of the other fish that had been living in that lake. The one I caught was angry. It started biting me. It took a huge chunk out of my leg and then my foot. I fell down and was basically eaten alive. Between the wounds and the bleeding out, I died before I was able to even start to fight back. The next thing I knew, I was floating above my body as it fell into the lake. Those sharks ate my body. No one knew what had become of me for a week after that. Finally my wife told them about my favorite fishing spot. The police went down there and found my fishing pole. Pieces of my clothing were found floating in the water. They put two and two together and ruled my death as an accident. I met a local haunting ghost during that week. He figured I was a haunting ghost also, imagine that, two haunting ghosts in the same lake. That did not work out so well. However, when the police were done with my case, I started floating around where ever I wanted. That ghost told me all that I needed to know about being a ghost. When I started floating around and when I was satisfied with my case but still there, we figured I was not in fact a haunting ghost, but a roaming ghost instead. I left that town and eventually found my way here. This is a nice enough place, but I am starting to get antsy. I'll probably move on soon."

Bonny had listened to his story with intent. She loved hearing about how people died. That made her store seem normal. Bonny then told him, "I am here because my sister lives here. Sally and I found her last night. She owns the coffee house next door. I had not spoken to her in over ten years before last night. I think I like this town."

Fred looked shocked. "Your sister is living?"

Bonny replied, "Yes. She is."

"You cannot be talking to her. Bad things will happen if you interact with the living for too long." Fred replied.

"I had to. I was pulled here. I had to come."

"That does not mean you were supposed to talk to her. You should never talk to the living. It will not end well for you or her."

"Tell me what is going to happen? I cannot not talk to her. I have so much to tell her. And she can see me and talk to me. I have to." Said Bonny.

"All I am saying is what I have been told and warned against. That is why I left my home in the first place. I listened to that haunting ghost and went away. I know how you feel. I am just giving you the warning.” Fred floated away, not wanting to talk to her anymore.

Sally and Bonny decided to go check if Claire was back at her coffee house yet. Sally tried to convince Bonny that Fred was right. She probably should not be talking to her sister. Just being near her should probably enough to quell her need to be near her sister. Bonny refused and told Sally that nothing bad was going to happen. What could possibly go wrong? She needed to talk to her sister. Did no one understand that? This was a once in a lifetime chance for her. She was finally able to see her sister after more than ten years and her sister was able to see her. Wasn't that a sign? Claire could see Bonny but not Sally. That had to be a sign.

They passed through the walls of the coffee house and found Claire waiting for them in the sitting area. Bonny wanted to hug Claire but knew she could not do that. She would pass right through her. So Sally and Bonny took a seat across from Claire. "Good morning," said Bonny to her sister.

"Good morning to you too. So, what exactly happened to you?" It seemed even the living people wanted to hear about how the dead had died.

"Well, if you had come back to live with us at home, you would already know about it. You could have attended my funeral." Bonny wanted to see what kind of reaction she was going to get from her big sister. She wanted to make her feel sorry for leaving her.

"I know. I am sorry. I have so much to tell you about, though." Claire replied. She really did feel sorry.

Bonny told Claire what had happened to her and how she died. Then she asked Claire, "So what did happen to you? One day you were there and the next you were gone. I guess Mom tried to call you and find you but could not."

"Well, I basically ran away. I was really unhappy living in that house. I just could not be there anymore. You know how I felt. Mom, Dad, and I always got into fights. I was never smart enough."

"I did not know how you felt. I thought Mom and Dad thought you were perfect. They were always buying you things and treating you like you could do no wrong. I thought you were always getting perfect grades in school. You were at a great Ivy League school. What could be better or wrong with that?" Bonny could not believe she was hearing this from her perfect sister.

"I was forced to be good in school. Mom and Dad always made me participate in all of those things. They made me study. I realized when I was eighteen that I was still treated like a child even though I was an adult. I met Donny and he was so great. He was so different. He was basically a hippie but I did not know that until later. He told me that we should move upstate for the summer. That was the plan. That was what happened at first. We spent the summer at his place. Well the place that his rich parents had given to him. We did drugs, we stayed out late, and we basically did whatever we wanted. I loved every minute of it. Well, almost every minute. I started to forget things and became very angry at Mom and Dad, and even you sometimes, for not letting me live my life the way I choose for all of those years. I also started to forget things. The drugs were really starting to mess with my head. I started getting bad grades in school and ended up almost failing out. I decided to drop out and go to work. I started working for one of Donny's friends in a coffee shop sort of like this one. I loved it there. I could not bring myself to call you or anyone else from my, our, family. It hurt too much. I did not want to be considered a disappointment. Fortunately, I made really good money at that coffee shop. I had enough smarts left to move up the business management ladder. I ended up being the assistant manager until the owner died and left it to his son. That was when he decided to turn on me. He had been the one that got me the job in the first place. He was not as smart as I was and decided he did not want me around anymore. So, I took my belongings, broke it off with Donny, which was a really good thing, and moved here. I got a bank to give me a loan and I opened up this coffee house. It has been my pride and joy for a year now. I love running it."

Bonny had listened carefully but still wanted to hear more, "Why was it so good that you broke it off with Donny? What did he do to you? And why did you think no one back home would love you anymore? You should have known your little sister would always love you no matter what."

Claire responded, "I am sorry Bonny. But you have to understand how I was feeling. I could not go back home. Mom and Dad would have disowned me.”

“No they would not have. They would probably have been upset, but over the last few years I have watched Mom cry over you. She really wants to see you, to make sure you are alright, and just to know that nothing bad happened to her oldest daughter.” Bonny had seen her mother crying many times while holding a picture of Claire. I am begging you Claire go see her. Go back home and see Mom and Dad. They will probably even take you to see my grave. They are lost without you especially now that I am not able to be with them. I know Mom, she will be upset that her dreams for you were not able to come true, but look at what you have done. You own a coffee house. You are an entrepreneur and you know how much Dad wanted us to own our own businesses. You will still be able to make them proud.” Bonny was beginning to think that this was the reason she was supposed to find her sister.

“I guess you are right. Everything seems less drastic now that I have talked about it in the open. I still do not think that I can just pick up the phone and call Mom and Dad. I really cannot see myself walking up to the old house now and saying, hey, here I am.” Claire had a point. It sounds easy but Bonny knew that as soon as the shock of seeing her daughter wore off their parents would be very angry.

“Claire, why don’t you call Mom, and tell her that you read about my death in the newspaper or on the Internet or something and ask her what happened. You do not have to go see here right away. You do not even have to give her your phone number or address. Call from here. I will give you the current number. You do have a phone that you can call out from here in your coffee house, right?”

“I know that sounds easy but I will not be like that if I call. You do not understand all that happened to me since I left home.” Claire looked worried about something.

“So tell me about it. I can listen and maybe even try to help you get this place up to shape before you open.” Bonny had come all this way, she really wanted to hear why.

Sally had decided to go exploring. She told Bonny that she would be waiting for her at the same spot when the sun was about to come up that they had stayed at the morning before.

Claire and Bonny spent the next few hours talking about their lives after Claire had left. Claire told Bonny about her first boyfriend, “Donny was the bad boy, the one that was a complete opposite of me. He hardly ever seemed to go to classes but always managed to pass them. We would smoke pot and drink whatever he would bring over. I was living in one of the girl dorms. He lived in his own apartment off campus so we spent most of our time there. It was a world of difference from the all girls’ high school Mom and Dad made me go to. I could not keep up with that sort of live style and started to let my grades slip. Every time I tried to study, Donny would come over to me and tell me that I was being a drag and told me that I should have one instead and handed me a cigarette. The next thing I knew, I was in a completely different room of the apartment and not studying. I thought I was so cool, though. I started not caring about my classes and instead focused my energy on blaming all of my problems on our parents. I knew deep down that they were just trying to make sure I had a good life but at that moment it felt like they had ruined my life. I was the only one there who had never been in a relationship before and I was the only one that had been in band in high school. I wondered where they all came from. Everyone I knew in high school was just like me. If one of those girls got a boyfriend we called her bad names and thought she was lame. Boys were stupid in high school but everyone wanted at least one in college. It seemed so different and exotic. All I wanted was that life. The kind of life they had. So when I first met Donny it was like a dream come true. I had finally become normal. Unfortunately the normal there was failing out of school and doing drugs. I often wonder about how my life would have turned out if I have gotten into a different school. I mean, what would I have been able to accomplish at this point in my life if I have decided to go to a college that was number two or three on my list."

Bonny hating hearing her sister talk about her life like this. "Claire, I know that may seem like a good answer but the fact of the matter is what was supposed to happen happened. That was all meant to happen to you. Imagine if you had gone to a different school. Don't you think that there would have been the same types of people at that school too? It could not have just been at the one you happened to go to. And what if it was completely different, just like you would have wanted? Look at all of that valuable life experience you would have missed out on. Did I not just hear you talk about how cool you thought you were? What if you had gone to another school and been a straight arrow? What if you had done exactly like you were supposed to? You would probably still have looked at all of those other students that were doing drugs and being in relationships and would have been extremely jealous of them. You would probably have spent many nights thinking about ways to get back at them for living a good and fun life instead of spending all of their time with their noses in books like you. You cannot dwell on all of the 'what ifs' in life. What happened to you happened to you and that is all.

"I know you are right. I just wish I could redo my life sometimes. I think everyone feels that ways at one time or another." Claire looked a little better but not by much.

"Claire, listen to me. I know that you may wish you could have done things a little differently. So do I. What I really wish is that I got to have my big sister in my life. Instead, I missed out on learning all of the growing up things from my sister. Mom was so upset every times she had to teach me something because she remembered teaching you. I felt bad for her, so I started teaching myself. It was kind of awkward. But, I know that I was not the only one in town that had to learn things from my mom and not my sister. A lot of my friends were the oldest children in the family. At least I had a cool story. I had a sister that lived far away and was really cool. I got to tell my friends that my sister was in college and lived on her own. Some of the other kids would even ask about you sometimes. They would ask me if I you ever got to eat pizza for breakfast or if you got to stay up late sometimes.” Bonny and Claire both laughed a little at the thought of those questions. By now, all of those kids were adults. Some even had their own kids by now.

The sisters talked for a little while longer about the ‘what ifs’ and then it was time for Bonny to leave. It was almost daylight and Claire had to open the store. They had one of those sad goodbyes without being able to hug or hold each other.

Chapter 34

            Over the next week or so, Claire and Bonny spent their time together revisiting the past. They talked about the games they used to play together and the fights they used to get into. One memorable memory was the spy game they used to play. While other kids were playing house or doctor, Claire and Bonny used to pretend that they were spies and had to solve rather complicated situations.

            “Bonny, remember that one time when I kept bugging you to play spies with me and you kept saying no but an hour later you said that you were playing all along but were undercover so you could not tell me? That was so funny.”

            “Oh yeah, I had forgotten all about that. That was funny. I think I was pretending I was in the middle of the city and I was supposed to be on a stake out. Wasn’t I reading, or pretending to read, a magazine or something?”

            “Yes, you found one of Mom’s old magazines and you were sitting next to a window in the living room. You kept looking out the window.”

            “That is right. I was pretending that no one that was walking by was the person I needed to find. Then I pretended you were the bad guy, well, girl.”

            “Exactly. You told me my time was up and that you had caught me.”

            “Yeah, it was so great that you played along and became the bad guy. Those were good times. We used to have so much fun together.” Bonny sighed.

            “They really were. I remember after I started being the bad one, I ran away to the back yard and hid in the leaf pile. I did not think I had hid very well but you could not find me for about ten minutes or so. You even went into one of those monologues like in the movies. I thought you were so smart. I still sort of remember it because it was so great.”

            “Well, thank you sis. We both had our share of good playtimes moments.” 

The next night, Bonny said goodbye to Sally who usually went exploring and meeting new ghosts when they split up in the middle of the night, and went to meet up with her sister, Claire. When she arrived at the coffee house, she realized Claire was not alone. There was a man helping her clean the bar. Claire saw Bonny and ran over to her. "This is my boyfriend Mike. I told him about you and he really wanted to meet you. I think it is because you are a ghost and not because you are my sister, but either way I am kind of excited about it."

"Claire, you should not have told him anything. I told you before; I am not really even supposed to be talking to you. Bad things happen when ghosts and humans interact."

"We have been talking for over a week now and nothing bad has happened."

"I know, but I think that has something to do with you being my sister and the reason I have not moved on yet. I felt that I had to talk to you, but not him."

"Bonny, please. I know you are not supposed to talk to him. He will just stay until we can figure out if he can even see you or not." "Fine. I will meet him but then one of us will have to leave." Claire introduced Mike to Bonny and asked him if he could see her.

"Yes, of course I can. This is so cool. It is so nice to meet you Bonny. Claire has talked about you so much over the past couple of years that I feel as if I already sort of know you."

Bonny had a bad feeling about him. She did not like the way he was dressed or the way he presented himself. He was wearing some pretty trashy clothes, granted it was three in the morning.

"Hello, nice to meet you too. So, how long did you say the two of you have been together?"

"Well, I think it has been two and a half years now. We met when I worked with her at the old coffee shop. That did not last long though, did it baby?"

Claire replied, "No, I had to fire him. I am completely against dating coworkers. I was his boss then."

"Great," said Bonny, "so what do you do now, Mike?"

"I do construction mostly. I have a band I jam with on the weekends."

"Sounds like fun. Well, I have to be going now."

Mike wanted to ask her questions about being a ghost and would not let her go. "Wait, just answer one question for me before you leave."

"Fine, what is it?"

"What is it like being a ghost?"

"I am afraid you are going to have to be more specific."

"Alright, what was it like dying? Did it hurt?"

"Most ghosts only realize they are dying or are dead after they become ghosts and are watching their bodies from above. I guess the people that die in terrible ways that hurt a lot do feel it, but for people like me, no it did not hurt. Now if you excuse me...."

"One more question and then you can leave," Mike looked like he was serious so Bonny consented.

"When you are a ghost, can you do all the regular stuff, like eat and sleep and take showers? I would not think so but I just had to ask. A buddy of mine and I have fought and bet about that for years. I did not think that I would find out until I died, but this is the perfect opportunity to find out and win my money."

"Look, Mike, I cannot tell you the answer to those questions if you are going to talk to someone else about it. I am not supposed to be talking to you at all. You cannot tell anyone else about me. Bad things will happen to you and maybe even me if you tell anyone else that you were talking to me. Promise me you will not tell another living soul that you have talked or even met me."

"Can I tell Claire?"

"She already knows. She is standing right behind you."

"Fine, I promise. Can you still tell me?"

"No. Now I am going to leave before I say anything else. It is not safe for us to be talking. Claire, I might come back another night but it will be to say goodbye. I will not come in here unless you are alone. It is for our own good."

"I understand. I am sorry. Please make sure you come back."

"I will try. Goodbye." Bonny left the coffee house and went looking for Sally.

Chapter 35

            Bonny finally found Sally at the lounge down the street. Sally looked like she was having fun talking to a bunch of ghosts in the middle of the crowd. Bonny did not want to interrupt her having fun. She decided to take a stroll around the town to clear her head. She had become angry with Mike and the thought of her sister betraying her like that. She understood that it is really hard to keep such big secrets like this one, but still. How could she have told a guy like that? Even more, how could she be dating a guy like that?

            Bonny started thinking about the downsides of being dead. She had not really thought of them that much before this incident. Being a ghost seemed like fun. It was so freeing. She was able to go wherever she wanted and meet so many new friends. She was able to learn so much about history. There were ghosts flying around her from centuries ago. Bonny had always loved history. It had been here favorite subject in high school. She even though about getting her degree in that subject but figured her parents would not be happy with that choice. There were not many careers in history. There were pretty much no high paying careers in that field at all.

            The bad side, the cons of being a ghost started to float through Bonny’s transparent mind. She could hug her family or friends ever again. She could not even spend time with them. All she could do with her family is watch them. She knew she could no longer talk to here sister. Not after what had just happened. Bonny planned on saying goodbye the next night and then see if Sally wanted to continue on their travels.

            More downsides to being a ghost started to occupy Bonny’s thoughts. Living forever seemed to be desired by every living person but now that there was no end in sight for Bonny, she was not so sure that was such a good thing. The Man and Lady of the Manor back at the last town Sally, Martin, and Bonny had visited had been dead for over two hundred years and were not planning on going anywhere. Bonny wanted to travel the world, which may take a few years, but after that was over, what would be left. She did not think she would be happy settling down in one town.

            Bonny had already made a complete trip around the town and was back in front of the lounge where Sally was. She felt a little better after thinking things over. She wanted to try and make some new friends with Sally.

            Bonny entered the lounge area but did not see Sally where she had been before the trip. In fact, there were not many ghosts around at all. Bonny looked up at the clock and realized that dawn was just a few minutes away. She had to get back to the safe spot with Sally before the sun came up, although, there were still many ghosts hanging around this lounge. Bonny quickly flew up to one of the ghosts and asked her, “What is going to happen to us, to me, when the sun rises? Some of the ghosts have left here. Why?”

            That ghost seemed a bit shocked that Bonny had come up to her and started asking questions like that but she answered, “Why are you so worried? Noting really happens to us. We kind of fade away and then come back the next night right where we left off. Unless, or course….”

            There was a brief pause where nothing at all happened. Then, just as if nothing had happened, the girl Bonny was talking to continued, “we were somewhere where ghosts are easily detectable, like a graveyard or other holy grounds.”

            “I am sorry, what just happened?” Bobby was confused. She noticed a pause and empty space, but she did not know what happened.

            “What do you mean?” Replied the girl.

            “There was a pause just then. It felt like emptiness. You did not feel that?” Bonny asked.

            “Oh, that. You will get used to that. How long have you been dead now anyways?” This girl was starting either interested in Bonny or annoyed by her, but Bonny could not tell witch one yet.

            “I have been dead for almost a month now I guess. There is another girl that died about the same time as I did. We have been traveling together and we thought that we have to hide or something when daybreak came.”

            “Most newly dead ghosts do and I guess many others still do. Like I said, you do not really have to worry unless you are someplace that is more visible or if there is a living person around that can see you or feel your presents. We basically disappear during the day but energy can never be destroyed so we are always around in that sense. My name is Ella by the way.”

            “Nice to meet you Ella. My name is Bonny. My friend Sally should be here any minute now. You did not happen to see where she went last night did you?”

            “Was she the one who looked a little smaller than you and was sitting in the middle of the lounge making all that noise?”

            “I did see her sitting in the middle of the room but I only peeked in. I was over at the coffee house when she came here. We usually go to that old barn during the daytime to cover. I guess we do not really need to anymore though.”

            “No. You will be more than safe around here. This building is one of those that living people cannot see unless they can see ghosts and spirits.”

            “That is good to know. How long have you been here? You seem to know your way around?”

            “I lived in this town before I died. I really do not want to leave it. I was really into ghosts and the history of this town. It worked out though because my family lives a few towns over so I do not have that urge to go see what they are up to. I think I might have been murdered or something sometimes since I cannot really leave this town. Well, I do not think I was actually murdered, but the circumstances surrounding my death are complicated and mysterious enough to hold me here. All I remember is that about five years ago I was studying for my Doctorate degree in social work and the related fields. I was volunteering at a shelter for abused and neglected women three or four days a week. I think one of the girls that had come to the shelter just a day or so before my death had mentioned how her boyfriend or baby’s father or something like that had threatened her not to leave him. No one was too worried about this guy in particular because that was common around the shelter. A man came to the shelter one day while I was there and started shooting randomly. No one was sure which woman this man had been after but before I knew it, four or five of us were floating over our bodies. There had only been five or six of us there that day. He might have killed us all. It all happened so fast and the last moments of you life are never too clear. That man still has not been identified. The police have very little to go on. I am not sure if I am a haunting ghost or not. I have never tired to leave this town. But from what I have heard, haunting ghosts have to relive their deaths over and over again and had an urge to bring closure. I do not have those feelings. I know who killed me, even if the living cannot prove it. So, what about you? What is your story?”

            Bonny told Ella her death story. She had become pretty good at it by now. It sounded a lot more glamorous each time she told it. Bonny imagined that was what everyone ended up doing after awhile. Now instead of just being in a car accident that ended with her car being wrapped around a telephone pole in the middle of the night, Bonny’s story involved a dark and foggy night, her favorite music turned up really loud, a broken stop light, and a small furry animal that she did not want to hit. Some of that was mildly true, but Bonny definitely took her story to the next level. 

            Sally came into the lounge as Bonny was finishing her story. She looked a bit upset. Bonny was pretty sure it had something to do with her not meeting her at their predetermined daytime spot. 

            As soon as Sally got close enough she said, “Bonny! There you are. Where have you been? I was worried about you. What happened?”

            Bonny could still not tell if Sally was upset at her or if she was relieved that she was okay and replied, “I had a chat with my sister’s boyfriend. Before you say anything, I know and it was a mistake. I did not know that he was going to be there. He saw me before I could leave. But I do not think anything bad happened so I should be fine. My mind was so full of what had happened after I left that I could not come in here to see you. I ended up floating around the city until almost dawn. I came back here but you were already gone. I started talking to Ella and now here we are. She just told me that we do not really have to worry about hiding during the day as long as we are in a place like this, a place were the living cannot harm us. We are probably safer here in the lounge then out in that hiding place we found.”

            “That is good to know. Hello Ella, nice to meet you. I am Sally, Bonny’s friend.”

            “Yes, good to meet you also. Bonny was just telling me about you,” Ella replied.

            “I am sorry Ella, but can I tear Bonny away for a moment? I really need to talk to her about what happened last night. It sounds too good to miss,” Sally sounded sarcastic.

            “Of course. I should probably get back to my friends upstairs anyways. It was nice to meet the both of you.” Ella said as she got up and headed straight up through the ceiling.

            “Bye!” called Bonny as she followed Sally out of the lounge.

            “What is going on Bonny? I think I have the right to know.”

            “It is nothing. I went to the coffee house last night, Mike, my sister’s boyfriend was there and could see me. He kept asking me questions but I did not answer them because I knew I was not supposed to be talking to him at all. Then I left and started thinking about all of the things we cannot do as ghosts, became mildly depressed, toured the town, and then went back to the lounge. Nothing bad happened, except my sister betraying me and telling ‘another living soul’ about me. I even told her I would probably not be able to go back there or see her anymore now. I promised I would go back one last time to say goodbye, but that would be all. I think I will go tomorrow and then we should leave.” Bonny explained.

            “That sounds like a good idea. I think you should stay with me tonight so you are not tempted to go back there. Tomorrow, I will go there with you and make sure you do not stay there for a long time, then we can hop on a ship or a plane or something and continue on with our adventure.” Sally seemed to be in a better mood now.

            Sally and Bonny decided to join a group of ghosts that Sally had met a few nights before for what they called a death party. Sally told Bonny that from what she was able to gather, their death parties were basically like game night for the dead. All of the games that they had come up with were about death. The most popular game was a game that was basically charades but the point is to guess how each person died based on clues they act out. It may or may not actually be the way that person died. Apparently this game is more interesting then it sounds because those ghosts come up with complex death situations.

            Sally finished explaining what Bonny should expect as they turned onto the street where the ghost party was being held. It still seemed odd to Bonny that there were living people walking down the street that could not see her. There were even ghosts walking towards her and Sally that a living woman walked right through without even blinking. She wondered how many ghosts she had walked through when she was living and was walking around the city at night.

            A ghost by the name of Peter welcomed them inside the house. There was lots of noise coming from the second floor, where many of the ghosts were playing the games. There were more on the first floor where Peter was leading Sally and Bonny.

            Peter introduced the pair to his wife, Emily, and their friends. Emily told them that she and Peter had died in a car accident together. “I knew we were destined to spend forever together. The best part is that we do not have to worry about all of those living emotions. We are supposed to be together and we are. Neither one of us has to worry about the other one cheating on them.”

            “That sounds great,” said Bonny. She was not really feeling very supportive.

            Sally, Bonny, Emily, and the rest of the girls sat and chatted for a while. Just when Bonny thought she knew everything about being a ghost, she would learn more.

            Emily had explained to her exactly what she should expect if she was supposed to be with her sister but decided to leave anyways. Bonny thought she was going to be able to leave without having to worry about anything except her own feelings. Emily, however, told her that if she was supposed to stay but left to continue on her journey with Sally, something bad would happen to her sister Claire and she would end up being pulled back to this spot and become a haunting ghost until she figured out why she had left and made it right with her sister.

            Peter came back in the room, this time followed by Ella. Bonny was happy to see her. She was happy to know someone else at the party besides Sally. She did not like not knowing anyone at a party.

            The group of ghosts was finally big enough to where Emily felt they could take on the men upstairs in the charades game. Bonny was a little shy about this at first, but as they started playing and she found out how much fun it was, she ended up really enjoying herself.

The night seemed to go on forever but in a good way because Bonny and the rest of the ghosts were having so much fun. She hardly even realized the pause for daybreak.

Sally pulled Bonny over and told her that it was the next night at four in the morning. She suggested they go over to Claire’s coffee house and say goodbye to her. Bonny did not want to leave the fun but knew Sally was right. They could always come back to this house after saying goodbye.

So Sally and Bonny said goodbye to everyone at the party and floated out in the direction of the coffee house. Bonny sensed there was a problem and started to fly faster. Sally did not realize this at first and fell behind. She tried to catch up to Bonny and shouted to her to wait up.

Bonny shouted back, “There is something wrong. I can feel it. I have to get to the coffee house as fast as possible. I will meet you there.” Then she flew as fast as she could all the way to her destination. She knew something was not right but had no idea what it could be.

Bonny made it to the coffee house almost a full minute before Sally. She went inside and tried to find Claire but could not. She called out to Claire and heard a faint noise coming from the second floor. Bonny passed through the ceiling to the second floor just as Sally arrived. She too flew up to the second floor. To Bonny’s mild surprise, there was an apartment on the second floor.

“What is going on?” Bonny almost screamed. Mike was laying on the floor unconscious while Claire was crying over him.

“What is wrong with him? I came up here a few minutes ago and he was lying here on the floor. What is happening?” Claire cried.

“Did you call the police or an ambulance?” Bonny replied.

“Yes. They should be here any minute now. I do not know what happened.”

“What is this place?” asked Bonny.

“This is an empty apartment. Mike and his brother have been trying to rent it out for a long time now. They started hanging around up here and using it as their studio.”

Sally heard the emergency vehicles arrive at the front of the coffee house and alerted Bonny. They both felt it would be better if they stayed out of the way just in case one of them could see them. She started to wonder where Mike’s ghost was. She had not seen it.

Bonny and Sally floated up to the ceiling. Sally asked Bonny if she had seen Mike's ghost anywhere. Bonny told her that she had not seen it either.

"That means that he is not dead yet, right?" asked Bonny.

"I guess so. Although he seems pretty dead to me." Sally replied.

Claire looked like she was going to completely break down as the emergency workers got to work on Mike. She looked up and saw Bonny watching her and gave her a faint smile to let her know she could see her and she was happy that her sister was there with her.

The medical workers strapped Mike into all kinds of machines and tubes then started strapping him to a gurney. One of them was saying something softly to Claire. Claire nodded her head a few times and then started sobbing again.

It seemed like an hour before they were finally leaving with Mike. It did not look too good for him. Claire stayed back and waited for everyone to leave. Bonny and Sally floated down from above when the coast had cleared.

"What is going on?" asked Bonny.

"He is barely living. They are not sure what is going to happen to him, but it does not look too good right now. I do not know what is going to happen. I can't loose him now. I just can't." Claire replied.

"I am sorry, but why exactly? He does not seem like that great of a man."

"I know he might now seem like a good guy, but he is. He loves me for me and that is something special." Claire said.

"Was he on drugs or something? He seemed so strange the other night and he did not look too good just now."

"I do not think so. He told me he stopped doing drugs a long time ago. You will tell me if he dies right? You will be able to see him even if I cannot, right?" Claire asked in a serious tone.

"I should be able to see him if he dies. That would mean I would have to be close to him in case he dies and then takes off, though."

"Can you follow me in my car?"

"Sally and I can ride in your car if you really want us there."

"Oh, I forgot about your friend. Is she here?"

"Yes, she is here with me because I was supposed to say goodbye to you tonight and then we were going to leave." Bonny answered.

"You cannot leave me now!" Claire almost shouted that out to Bonny.

Bonny replied, "Claire, I am not going to leave you. Go lock up the store and I will meet you out front by your car. Okay? Now, go."

Claire headed down the stairs and Bonny turned to Sally. "What do you want to do? I am going to go to the hospital with my sister. Are you going to stay here in town, come with me, or leave on your own?"

"I am coming with you. This is the stuff that excites me." Sally replied.

"Great. Let's go." Bonny replied and lead the way out.

On the way to the hospital, Claire kept looking over at Bonny. She seemed like she wanted to ask her something but did not know how to say it. "What is the matter, Claire? Why do you keep looking at me?"

"It is nothing. I am just making sure you are still there. I thought you might have flown out or something when we went around that curve."

"I am fine and I will be able to stay in the car. I do not know how, so do not bother asking, but I will not fly out." Bonny replied.

They arrived at the hospital and headed inside. It was getting early and Bonny knew they were not going to be able to stay long. Bonny wondered what would happen if Mike passed away during the day. They would not be able to see what was happening and would not be able to catch Mike if he decided to take off right after his death. Bonny could see that Sally was thinking the same thing.

It seemed like hours before they heard anything. It had to of only been a few minutes though because the sunrise was still a ways away. Bonny told Claire quietly that she would not be able to do or say anything during the day. Claire understood but was still unhappy about it.

Mike's doctor came down the hall to talk with a nurse. The nurse came over to Claire afterwards and told her that Mike was not in the best of conditions and it could still be awhile before they found out anything. Then she asked Claire about Mike's family. She asked if there was anyone else who should be notified of what was going on. Claire told her that all of his other family members were in New York which was very far away and they were probably sleeping. Claire said that she would call them in the morning. She would have to go to his apartment to get their phone numbers.

Claire asked the nurse what they thought was happening to her boyfriend. All the nurse could tell her was that it seemed to be caused by some sort of drug. They were still unsure if the drugs were legal or illegal. That reminded the nurse to ask Claire about his drug use, if he had any, and if so, what was it that he did. Claire told her that as far as she knew, he had tired a few drugs in the past but was under the impression that he had not done any kinds of drugs in time recently.

Claire came back over to the sitting area and started crying softly into her hands again. She was upset now that Mike was apparently doing drugs again behind her back. She told Bonny that she had helped him get off drugs in the past and thought that time in their lives was over.

The sun was about to come up, so Bonny and Sally found a quiet place in the vents to hide.

The next thing they knew, it was the next night. They came out of their hiding spot but did not see Claire. They looked around the other waiting room down the hall and found her sleeping in the corner.

Bonny went over to her and gently woke her up. “Claire, good morning. How is everything going?”

“Oh, hello Bonny. What time is it?” replied Claire.

“I think it is around eight o’clock now. Any news yet?” Bonny asked.

“Not that I know of. Hey, can you go into his room and check on him? I was thinking of that during the day, but you were not here.”

“Let me think about that. I am going to ask Sally. She is the smart one when it comes to these kinds of things.”

Bonny flew back over to Sally and asked her if she thought it was a good idea to go into Mike’s room. Sally was not sure, but figured if they both went in, she could watch the doctors and nurses to see it they were able to see them and Bonny could check on Mike.

Bonny waved to Claire to signal that they were going to check. Sally and Bonny headed to Mike’s room. It seemed as if he had been waiting for them because as soon as they got inside his room, he flat lined. Bonny felt horrible for her sister but realized that this was the first time she had been around someone dying and not being scared. She knew what came after death so she no longer had to be afraid it.

Mike’s ghost was still nowhere to be found, at least to Bonny. Sally started to float forward towards his bed. She had seen something shiny just to the left of Mike’s hospital bed.

“Hello? Is that you Mike?” asked Sally.

“You can see me?” he asked.

“Yes, barely.”

“Am I dead? Am I really dead?” Mike seemed very happy about the possibility.

“Yes, you are. You must be if you look like that.” Sally answered.

“That is awesome! It worked.”

“What do you mean? Mike, what are you talking about?” asked Bonny who could not believe what she was hearing and went to join Sally and Mike.

Mike replied, “Claire did not tell you? I left her a note.”

The nurses and doctors piled into the room to check on the noises coming from the machines as Bonny and Sally looked at each other and then said in unison, “No. What note?”

“I left a note in the apartment on the computer. I wanted to die. I hated living. I had so many responsibilities and things I had to do or take care of. When I met you Bonny, I realized I would be able to live without any of those things. I was finally able to go back to the life I wanted to live. The drugs and parting that I had given up to ‘grow up’ were no longer off limits because they would kill me. Who cares if they were going to kill me? Being dead is like having all the time in the world. Why do I feel so light, though?”

Sally wanted to tell him this one, “It seems you are only barely here. You are more transparent than any other ghosts that I have ever seen. And we have been just about all the way across the country.”

“Come with us. Let’s go see Claire. See if she can see you.” Suggested Bonny. As she lead the way out of the room. It was just in time to see the nurses and doctors decided to pull the plug. They had no idea that whatever they had just tried to do was no use. Mike was already dead.

 They went back out to the waiting room where Claire was waiting. She was the only one in the room so they figured it was safe to talk to her. Bonny asked if she could see Mike but she could not. Bonny had to tell her what was going on.

“Did you see a note on the computer?” Bonny asked Claire.

“No. I hardly ever turn that thing on. Why?” asked Claire.

"Well, Mike apparently wrote a note to you about what he was planning on doing." replied Bonny.

"What? You mean he was planning on killing himself?"

"Not necessarily. Apparently he was planning on going back to his old way of living and whatever was going to happen was what he was warning you about. I guess from what he is telling now that he was not really planning on dying so suddenly, but he is happy now and wants you to be happy for him." Bonny said. Mike had been whispering to Bonny while she was talking.

"So, what you are saying is that my boyfriend went back to doing drugs and partying and as a result died?"

"Yes, I guess that is what I am trying to say. Now he is happy because he does not have any responsibilities or rules to follow." Bonny has again repeated what Mike was whispering.

The four of them stood or floated around for a few minutes without saying anything. No one really knew what to say. Finally, Bonny said that they should probably head back to the town and figure out what was happening to Mike. She was really curious as to why he was so faint.

Claire was approached by a nurse who told her that Mike had died. Bonny guessed it was actually hearing it out loud that had done it because Claire started crying really hard at the word 'dead'.

After she got her crying under control, she had to fill out paperwork as the next of kin to give the hospital permission to put Mike's body through testing and then in the morgue.

When she was finally done, the group made their way outside to Claire's car. Bonny could not imagine how strange it must feel for Claire to know that the spirit of the man she felt she loved was sitting right behind her but she could not see or communicate with him. Death sure is strange, thought Bonny.

When they got back to the coffee house, there was a police car waiting outside. The police officer asked Claire to open up the store and show him where Mike's body had been. She told him that the police had already searched the room and filled out paperwork but she would show him the area again if he insisted, which he did. So, Claire led the officer to the second floor and watched as he looked around again.

After about ten or fifteen minutes, he put his pen and notepad back in his belt and told her he was finished and could show himself out. Bonny, Sally, and Mike came up to meet Claire when they saw the officer leave. Claire looked so tired. She told Bonny that she was going to take a nap up there in the apartment and asked if she would see her the next night. Bonny could not say no to that. Claire laid down in the living room of the apartment and fell asleep almost instantly.

Sally figured it would be best to bring Mike to the lounge and see if anyone there knew what was going on with him. Maybe he was not a ghost after all, but some kind of spirit or something.

The trio made their way to the lounge and started asking other ghosts what they knew about Mike's condition. One ghost, one that looked as if she had died in the late 1800s was able to offer some insight. She introduced herself as Edna and told them all she knew about Mike's condition, as they called it. It turned out Edna knew quite a bit about what was going on.

"Mike here is what we call a half spirit. He is only half here. Pretty soon we will start to see him fade away. He may come right back into focus, but his state is not steady. This usually means he committed suicide or played a big part in his own death. Am I correct?"

"Yes, it seems he overdosed," answered Bonny.

"That will do it. Basically, being in this state is a form of punishment for wanting to die. People are not supposed to kill themselves. We all have our proper time. When a person messes with that balance, he or she also messes up the after life balance. His time will run out faster than any of ours. He will fade in and out for a few days or months, sometimes even years, until one night, he will be completely gone. He, unlike us, will be around during the day. He is going to have to watch out for himself during the days. Make sure you figure out a way to explain that to him. It seems he is not very comparative. Can you communicate with him?"

Bonny answered, "Yes, but it is difficult unless he wants to talk to us."

"Yes, I can see that. He must have died while the drugs were in his system. That means he is not really all there. Now, back to what I was saying. We as ghosts are almost pure energy. Remember from school that energy can neither be created nor destroyed. Well, from what I know, we are energy that can never be really be destroyed. During the days, we are still energy in some form, but not aware of it. When ghosts move on, as I am sure you have heard that term, our energy is not destroyed, we simply move onto another form. There are some that believe that form is reincarnation and others believe our energy goes to create a new life. We will never be sure of that just as we are never sure of what happens to us when we were living and then died. We now know that we become ghosts but do not know what comes after that. Are there any other questions you had for me? I realize I know a great deal about these sorts of things and ghosts love to ask for my knowledge. Fortunately, I enjoy sharing what I know."

Sally answered her this time, "Thank you so much for your insights, but I think that will be all for now."

Edna replied, "Well, if you have any other questions, feel free to come and ask me. I am usually here in the lounge. Have a great night."

Bonny said, “You also. Thank you again.”

The trio left the lounge and made their way to the safe spot Sally and Bonny had used as a hiding place. Mike was already becoming even less visible. Sally and Bonny wondered how much longer they had. They spent the rest of the night in the safe spot looking after Mike.

Chapter 36

            The next night, Mike was barley visible. Bonny and Sally brought him back to the coffee house one last time. Bonny thought how lucky Claire was to have her there. Most living people never get to say goodbye to their loved ones. Claire was now able to catch up with Bonny, make peace with her, say goodbye to her, and say goodbye to Mike through her. She also thought how unlucky Claire was for having Bonny there. It was because of her that her boyfriend Mike had started living such a reckless life and is now dead. He is fading away so fast that even if Claire were to die that night, she probably would not get a chance to be with him. Bonny started feeling really bad about what had happened. She could tell that Sally was noticing her bad mood so she tried to look happier.

             Claire was not at the coffee house yet. Bonny checked the time. It was only ten pm. They were going to have to wait a long time. Claire did not usually show up until about three or four in the morning. Mike wanted to go up to his apartment to say goodbye to it. He was still in the same state he was in when he died. Whatever he had taken was making him very happy and relaxed. He flew through the floorboards and the up through the ceiling to the second floor. Bonny and Sally once again looked at each other and then followed Mike to the second floor. They found him zooming around the place like a kid in a candy store. He did not really seem to be upset.

"Look at me!" He shouted. "I love it up here. I will never forget this place. I think I will stay here forever."

Sally tried to get him to understand what was going on, "Mike, pretty soon you will no longer exist. You will disappear and it will all be over. Is there anything we should know about this place? Is there anything here that might get Claire in trouble?"

"What are you talking about? I feel better than ever. I am not going anywhere. And if you mean anything that will get us in trouble, will this do it?" He was trying to pick up a floorboard but could not do it. His hand and arm passed completely through the floor.

Sally went over to where Mike was and tried to pick up the floorboard herself. She could not lift it either on her first try. She tired a second and third time to pick it up but still had no luck. Finally, Mike remembered that that was not the right board and moved over to his left about a foot. Sally followed and saw the right board. She was easily able to lift it. Bonny joined them as they stared down into the opening. It was his stash all right. There were enough illegal substances there to put anyone behind bars. Bonny knew she had to remove it before the cops found it. It was hard for her to pick it up, but with Sally's help they were able to pick up the bags and bring them outside. They found a quiet place in the woods about a mile or so away from the coffee house to dump them. There was a deep ravine that they were able to drop the bags down where they were almost positive no one would go looking for the stuff.

Sally and Bonny flew back to the coffee house and tired to find Mike. He had managed to vanish while they were gone. Sally asked Bonny if she thought he had really disappeared or if he was just missing. Bonny was not sure but figured at the rate Mike had been disappearing that he still had another hour or so before he was completely gone, so he must have taken off or hid some place.

They looked around for some time before they started having doubts of his continued existence. Bonny realized this was the first time that she had actually felt tired since she had died. Mike was wearing her out. She felt bad, but could not help feeling that she could not wait for Mike to disappear and he done with it.

Claire finally came to work. She looked tired and depressed. Bonny felt horrible for her. She considered Mike’s death to be her fault. She felt responsible for letting Mike believe that being dead was not such a bad deal.

“Hello Claire, how are you doing tonight?” asked Bonny.

“Not so good. I know Mike is not in any pain or anything, but I miss him. I just want someone to be able to hug. Now that Mike is gone, I have no one. There is no one here in this town that cares about me. I feel stuck. I cannot leave because I have to run and manage this coffee house. I have one employee and he is not able to take care of this place alone. What am I going to do? I assume that you will also have to leave me soon? You said that the other day. You cannot stay or else bad things will happen. Although, I do not know what more could happen. The love of my life is dead now. Isn’t that bad enough?”

“I am so sorry. I wish I could hug you. I could use one myself. I feel horrible about what had happened. I never meant to cause anyone harm. I had no idea that he was going to act like that.”

“Do not feel guilty for Mike’s death, Bonny. He was probably already doing those bad things before. He just got carried away after he learned that death was not as bad as he thought. I know he was not perfect. He lied to me all the time. I loved him because he was there for me. For some reason, he inspired me to be the best me that I could be. Maybe it was because he was such a loser. I don’t know.” Claire finished talking with a sigh.

Mike had heard most of what Claire had said even though he had been flying around his apartment during her rant. She had no idea yet that Mike was even there since she could not see or communicate with him. He slowed down and stopped next to Bonny.

“What did she just say about me? Did she even really care about me or was she just using me that whole time?” Mike asked.

“Excuse us Claire, Mike and I have to talk for a minute.” Bonny said to Claire.

Claire realized that Mike had been there and started to blush. She did not mean to hurt his feelings. “Of course. Take as much time as you need. I will be downstairs getting the store ready.”

Claire headed downstairs and Sally, Bonny, and Mike went to the back of the apartment to talk.

Bonny started, “Mike, I do not think Claire was using you. She really did love you. She just did not approve of some of your activities. She is probably disappointed that you were lying to her and doing those things behind her back. Think about it, if you had not done those things, you would still be alive. Maybe you would not be happy, but she would be. She is upset that you are no longer there for her after what you had promised.”

Mike replied, “I know I was not the best boyfriend, but some things are more important than others. At that moment, I felt that I was making the right decisions. I know I was stupid, but what am I going to do about it now? Bonny, tell Claire that I really did love her and still do. I am not sure what is going to happen to me when I disappear, but no matter what, I did love her and I am sorry that I can no longer be there for her. I have made many mistakes in my life, but leaving her alone at this time in her life, especially, was wrong and for that I am sorry. Make sure to tell her all of that.”

“I will, I promise. I can see why she cared about you so much. You really are a nice person and I can tell that you really did care about her,” Bonny replied.

The trio decided to go downstairs and see if they could help Claire out with anything before it was time for her to open the coffee house. Mike was barely visible. He had started to fade in and out focus. He did not have much time left. Bonny pulled Claire aside while Sally put the centerpieces out on the tables. Claire could not stop watching them float across the room. She could see the centerpieces but not Sally. Bonny knew Claire believed that there were other ghosts and spirits there now. She had not been sure before that. Mike floated around when he was visible. He wanted to make sure Bonny was telling Claire what he had told her to say and also wanted to enjoy what could be his last few minutes of existence.

“Mike wanted me to tell you that he really did love you and that he is sorry for leaving you so soon. He did not think he was going to die so soon. He just fell back into that lifestyle and could not get out. He was having fun but he is sorry things turned out the way they did,” Bonny felt better after telling Claire what Mike had said. She felt that she had made Mike feel more at peace with his passing. He started to fly around them less and less. He had also started slowing down. Bonny did not think that was a very good sign. She told Claire that she was going to take him and Sally back upstairs to be with him until he faded away completely. Claire thought that was a great idea. She wanted someone to make sure he was all right. She finished getting the store ready to open while she watched Bonny float through the ceiling to the second floor.

Bonny and Sally sat around the apartment with Mike. It was not too much longer before Mike started being very hard to see. He was barely visible at all anymore. Bonny knew that it would not be long before he would be completely gone for good.

The next time Mike was visible, Sally asked, “Can you see what is happening to you? Do you know what comes next? Can you even explain what it is like?”

Mike replied, “I can’t really tell. I do not know if I just disappear or if I go somewhere.” He faded away for a few seconds then came back into view. “I do not know if I just cannot explain it or if there is nothing after being a ghost but I cannot tell you what it is like.”

Bonny told him that was all right and Sally was just being nosy. The next time Mike faded away she told Sally not to ask him anything else about what goes on after ghosts move on. She told Sally that if found out what happened, there was a chance that something bad would happen to her. The way being a ghost was going, not knowing seemed to be the best option. Sally agreed but was not happy about it.

Mike came back one more time but was just a glow. He said, “I think this is it guys. Have a good one and tell Claire that I loved her.”

Sally and Bonny wished him good luck on the next journey and goodbye. Then he was gone. Just like that. Mike would never be back. They did not want to think that they were never going to see him again because they did not dare to think about what happens to ghosts and spirits after they move on.

Bonny left Sally in the apartment and floated down to the coffee house to see Claire. She was not sure if she was going to tell her yet that Mike was officially gone. She did not want to see the look on her face. The sun was about to come up though, so she knew she had to say something quick.

Fortunately for Bonny, Claire asked the question first. “He is gone, isn’t he?”

“Yes. He is. He seemed happy though. He was fading in and out for awhile and each time he came back, he was more excited about going,” Bonny lied. She wanted Claire to think he was comfortable when he moved on. From what Bonny had seen, he had seemed fine with the situation but he was not necessarily excited about it.

Bonny told Claire that she would be back the next night and that Sally and Bonny were going to spend the day up in the apartment. Claire was happy that about that. She wanted to know that her sister was close to her.

The morning was coming very fast, so Bonny headed upstairs to be with Sally.

Chapter 37

            The next night, Bonny and Sally floated down through the floorboards and waited for Claire in the coffee house. There was another ghost there waiting for them. This ghost was very large and scary looking. Sally and Bonny did not know if they should fly away or what. Before they could decide, the large ghost started talking. “Which one of you is Bonny?” he asked.

            Bonny replied, “I am. Is there a problem?”

            “Yes, Bonny. There is. We have had complaints that you are communicating extensively with a particular living person. That is forbidden. You must stop this communication or be punished. Do I have your word that you will never again communicate with the living?”

            “I do not know who you are or who this ‘we’ is. Until I am told what is going on here, I am not promising anything,” answered Bonny.

            “I represent the Ghost Awareness Committee. The GAC is responsible for making sure nothing happens to the ghosts that live in certain towns, including this one. We have been informed that you have been spending every night with one living woman in particular.”

            “How can you even confirm that? What is this GAC exactly and why should I bother listening to you?”

            “Look, Bonny, I told you. The GAC is an organization that is involved with the making rules and regulations that all ghosts are expected to follow. We have found ways to enforce these rules and regulations. Ways that you do not want to experience. I need you to sign this document and give me your word that you will no longer communicate with the living. You have well over stayed your welcome here in this town. You and your friend here need to either comply or face the consequences. Do I have your word?”

            “Look, I am going to stay here, say goodbye to my sister and then we were planning on leaving anyways. If I do not do that, she is probably going to kill herself. No one wants that now do they? So, I will say the quickest goodbye ever and we will be on our way. That is the best that I can do. I cannot promise you anything more than that."

"If you really believe that this living person is going to kill herself if you do not say goodbye, then you have a duty to make things right before you leave. Other than that, do not speak to another living person under my watch. And I will be watching you so do not try anything funny." He said.

"You have my word on that. I will not talk to anyone any other living person. I do not want to talk to anyone else. I just want to say goodbye to my sister. I promise you that. You have my word on that. So, is that good enough? Can you leave us alone now?" Bonny asked.

"I will leave this place but I am not going to leave you alone. Someone will be watching you. Do not try doing anything stupid." He said.

"We will not. I can promise you that. Thank you for telling me about your organization. No one mentioned that to us."

"Thank you for understanding. Have a good night if I do not see you," he replied in a serious but understanding tone.

The large ghost finally left them alone just as Claire entered. She was completely unaware of what had been going on in her coffee house while she was gone. Bonny knew that he was probably floating around right outside the store so she was planning on talking really fast to let Claire know what was going on and that she was now being forced to leave.

"Claire, listen. Sally and I have to leave you know. We have been told by the GCA that we can no longer talk to you. I just found out about them tonight, I had no idea who they were or that they even existed but they are watching me now and I have to leave you. I do not think that I will ever be able to talk to you again while you are living. I am so sorry. I will never forget you. I will look for you in the papers. As soon as I find out that you are no longer living, I promise to seek you out. I love you so much. You have so much left to give. Never give up. Now, I have to go. I have to leave you. I love you and goodbye." Bonny almost had tears in her eyes, which she thought was strange being a ghost and all.

Claire seemed to understand. She did have tears in her eyes. "Bonny, thank you so much for coming here and finding me. I love you too. I will never forget you. Don't worry, I will not tell anyone that I have seen or talked to you. I understand that you have to leave. I knew this day, or night, would come. Thank you for helping me through this tough time. I think I am going to sell this shop and go back home. Thank you, good luck, and goodbye."

Bonny looked over at Sally to signal that it was time to go. Sally came over to her and the pair started to leave. Bonny kept looking back at her sister. Claire’s eyes did not leave Bonny. She did not want to see her go. Bonny could see tears rolling down Claire’s cheeks. It seemed so unfair that they had to part for what seemed like no good reason.

Sally and Bonny passed the big ghost who had been watching them. They nodded at him and he did the same. The pair headed towards the train station. Sally seemed to have a plan in mind but Bonny just followed. She did not really care where they were headed now.

Another thought crossed Bonny’s mind. What if her time was up? What if she had just completed what she needed to do and was going to move on herself? She had felt the pull to go she her sister and now she had taken care of that.

The pair reached the train station and waited for the next train. Bonny voiced her concerns to Sally who replied, “I am not sure. That does sort of make sense, but I feel that I need you. I do not think that you can move on until we have finished our journey because I feel that I need to travel with you. That may sound strange, but that is how I feel. Remember back in that town when you were off talking with your sister? I could have left and gone off by myself or with any of those other ghosts, but I had this feeling that I needed to stay with you. So, until we have traveled the world, I think we are stuck together.”

“I think I am fine with that,” replied Bonny with a smile.

The train arrived and Sally and Bonny boarded it. The train started pulling away from the station and they were off on their next adventure together.