If I was Like a Flower

Chapter 6: If I Was Like A Flower

 

Jack slowly opens his eyes and sees his wife is drying a plate with a towel. She looks up at Jack as she runs her hand through her long red hair. She dries her hands on her apron as she takes it off and throws it on the hook that’s on the blue wall. She turns off the gas on the stainless steel stove and opens a pot.

Ah!

She drops the pot cover and rubs her hands on her black dress. Jack tries to move but he cannot. He looks at himself to see that he is tied to pole. Jack tries to yell but nothing comes out. A kid runs up to his wife and hugs her. Jack face floods with tears as he tries to call out to the boy. The boy grabs the plates and places them on the table as Jack sees himself walking in the kitchen with his wife. Jack stares at him with his mouth open and the Jack look alike winks back at him. He kisses his wife and hugs her tightly while smiling at Jack. Jack’s wife grabs the pot on the stove and places it on the table as his clone goes in the drawer and takes out a knife. Jack yells as his family continues to set the table. The clone walks behind his wife putting his hands on her shoulder. He kisses her neck gently as he stares at Jack. Jack struggles to move as a vein pops out of his head. The clone aggressively turns his wife around and stabs her in the stomach. Jack yells but still no one hears him. The clone throws his wife on the ground kicking her in the stomach. The boy jumps on top of Jack’s wife as the clone steps to the stove turning it on. He turns around and stares at Jack as he takes out a book of matches. Jack fights the ropes as he continues to yell and frees himself. The clone laughs as he strikes a match as Jack begins to fall into the darkness beneath him. He throws the match at Jack and his eyes widen as he see the clone turn into a woman with a black cloak. She takes off her hood and runs her hands through her long golden hair. Jack stares into her eyes and sees that they are black with a blue pentagram in them. The woman laughs as Jack continues to fall slowly into the darkness. The match continues to fall towards him as he takes a deep breath and lands on a burning rock. Jack screams as his skin begins to stick to the rock and turn black. The match lands on top of Jack and the rock is engulfed in fire. Jack looks around  phobically and sees that he is surrounded by a lake of fire. He breathes heavily as he sees a figure moving in the fire. It slowly rises from the fire as it holds its hand out toward Jack. It has a red cloak with a rod on it’s back.  

“You, who have sinned,” says the figure in a violently loud deep voice, “You are to burn for five thousand years and then tortured two thousand years after.”

“What the hell is this?” yells Jack.

“This is the land of loneliness. You will stay here on this rock for the time that is given to you,” says the figure. Jack smirks and looks up as he laughs.

“This is hell, isn’t it? Figured as much. I never really believed in heaven myself but this has to be it. I never lived a perfect life so I guess that why I’m talking to you.” The figure in the cloak remains silent. “You know, I was against smoking but I think this moment calls for a cigarette. Can you give a man a smoke before I burn for…  five thousand years?”

“Do you not want to know why you are being punished?”

“No, my skin is sticking to this rock and I'm about to be dropped in this endless pit of fire. So it doesn’t really matter if  I think I don’t deserve to be here. This is my punishment for my family. I failed them by not protecting them. So if you want to punish me then go right ahead. Just give me that cigarette first.”

“What is your name?” says the figure as it floats over to Jack.

“Jack.”

“Well, Jack.” The figure puts a cigarette in Jack’s mouth. “I think I like you.” The figure points his finger at Jack as a small flames flows out of it and he light the cigarette. As the cigarette is lit Jack’s body becomes engulfed in red flames. Jack screams as his eyes turn red.    

 

 

Tess is laying on top of her bed in a black t-shirt and underwear staring emptily at a poster of Paramore on her ceiling. She yawns and scratches her belly as her alarm goes off. She slowly turns her head and looks at the clock. It reads seven o’clock. Tess looks back at the picture and takes a deep breath as she closes her eyes. The sound of the alarm becomes louder and louder as it continues to ring. Suddenly Tess opens her eyes and jumps out of bed. She stares out of her window intensely with her arms folded. She takes a deep breath as she looks over to her dresser, staring at a pile of flyers that has Jen picture on it. She then looks at her calendar that has x’s marked on each day. She walks over to it and mark an x for yesterday. She stares at it and walks away.                                

 

Dear uncle Luis, I thought I wouldn’t lose my mind if Josh left for a couple of days but it’s been two weeks. The gang is starting to think that he isn’t coming back, that he jumped ship and left everyone behind. I told them that they are crazy and they don’t know my brother like I do. They don’t seem to believe me, except for Peter. He has been acting different since Josh left. He’s not that much of a jerk anymore but still, I don’t like him. Speaking of people I don’t like I had to spend thanksgiving with Mr. Jones. The only reason I did is because I know that mom is worried about Josh and I am worried about her. I hate that man but it seems like he takes care of mom. I think the only reason that he is being nice to me is because he is dating my mom. He always offering me a chance to hang with the new family. Mom, Mr. Jones, and Jen brother and sister. I always pass. I don’t really care about forming a new family, a new family with them. Thomas has been here with me all the way. I think I can call him my boyfriend now and I know you don’t want to hear about my love affairs, but he has been good to me over these weeks. Just yesterday he took me to the lake and created this picnic dinner for me. He covered the ground with a black blanket and poured me a glass of wine. The food was awful but it was sweet. More importantly, my best friend has been missing these last two weeks. Peter and I go out everyday to look for her but we can’t find her. The guys seems to think that she ran off with Jack because he is also MIA but, I have this feeling that something is not right. I just hope we find her. I’m running out of things to tell her brother and sister. On top of Jen and Jack disappearing, the amount of murders in this town is well over a dozen. Everyday we find a new body. The new commander, and yes I do say new commander, is trying to keep this quiet as long as he can but when more than one person goes missing more than one person starts asking questions. Peter seems like he doesn’t care about his missing father but I know when we go looking for Jen, he hopes to find his dad. Nowadays people just stay in their homes, afraid that the town serial killer is going to get them. Yes the people of loserville think there is a serial killer. Who would have known? I just hope that Josh comes back and hopefully with a solution. Until he does I will continue to look for my own answers. I don’t know if Josh knew about these hidden pages in the journal but dad said a lot of things about the phantoms that doesn’t seem right. One page talks about how the phantoms were created to protect the world from the ghost and it is the queen that gives the phantom their power. That is the only way to become a phantom. When a person dies they have to go through a rite of passage to see if they are worthy enough to serve the queen, which fits Jack thoery but then the hidden page says something completely different.

 

Through my research I think the purpose of the phantoms is kept a secret, meaning that the main body is lying to us or rather Q is lying to us. We have been disconnected from the main body for over a hundred years, who knows if Q is telling the truth. Luis showed me something that was very interesting. Since he became a phantom he has been doing research on ghosts and why are they here killing everything they touch. Luis discovered that ghost are very similar to us phantoms, meaning that we are created the same way. This doesn’t make any sense. Why would the queen create us to protect the world from her own creation? Why is she creating these things in the first place? Why do I believe that Q has the answers? I feel like something big is about to happen.

 

It seem like my dad discovered the true purpose of the phantoms. Maybe Josh was right. Q did something to father and you for the research y’all were doing but Josh says that you have a different murderer. It’s not making any sense definitely without Josh or Jen here. Which is why I must find them.

 

Tess walks downstairs to the kitchen and sees Mr. Jones and Dee cooking breakfast, laughing, and having fun. Tess rolls her eyes as she leaves the kitchen.

“You want some, Tess?” asks Mr. Jones. Tess walks back in the kitchen and grabs a piece of toast. She gives a fake smile and walks to the living room. She turns on the tv to watch the news.

 

“That’s right Mary. There are two new bodies making it a total of 24 people dead. The cause of their deaths are unknown. Some doctors believe that this is a new virus outbreak and we need to contact the CDC. Others believe it's a serial killer.”

Is that Joe? Tess wonders.    

“Well it has to be a serial killer. The guy or maybe it’s a woman you never know these days… He likes picking people off at my bar. I notice that some of the victims go to my bar everyday and then they go missing. So I’m going to close down my bar for now, well, until the killer is caught.”

“Well whether it’s a serial killer or a virus something needs to be done. That's why I’m standing outside the police station now. Here’s the commander.”

“Commander have you contacted the CDC?”

“No their is no need for that, get that camera out of my face.”

“So, you are saying that it is a serial killer?”

“No comment.”

“Sir the people need a answer.”

“We are doing the best we can and if you want to help, call us if you find anything.”

“Sir is there a connection between this murder and the one that happened several years ago.” The commander just  looks at her and jumps in his car.

“Well there you have it people, there might actually be a connect between these murders and the classic case of the green zombie murder. Back to you Mary.”

“Well, as you can see, we are working hard to keep you up to date. Right now we know that the old commander and several other officers are missing, right along with many of Clearbrook’s native born.” A picture of Jen shows up on screen.

Mr. Jones cuts off tv.

“You don’t need to watch that nonsense,” says Mr. Jones as he hands Tess a cup of coffee. “So, you going to school?”

“School is canceled remember,” says Tess as she takes the cup and sits it on the table. “Until it’s safe to go back out.”

“You’re right, it’s a force of habit I guess. You seem like you got a lot on your mind. Talk to me.”

“Please! You don’t care about my problems. You made that perfectly clear.”

“That’s not true, Tess. I was looking out for you.”

“Looking out for me. That’s what you call that.”

“Yes! I didn't want you to fall behind or to get lost in this world because people do. They get so caught up in their problems that it becomes impossible for them to leave. You were heading down that road.”

“I can’t listen to this. I’m not going to take any directions from you. You know you might have my mother fooled but you’re not going to fool me.”

“Is there a problem?” asks Peter as he walks into the room.

“Thank god you are here. Let’s go.” Tess grabs Peter and slams the door behind her. Mr. Jones stares at the ground. Tess and Peter storm away from her house until they come to the main road in town.

“What the hell is wrong with him. He act like he hate me and at the same time try to be nice.” says Tess as she rolls her eyes.   

“So you like your new daddy?”

“Shut up.” Tess looks at the parking lot of a store.

“I never seen this town so empty. It’s like I’m in a dream.”

“Yea, it’s pretty crazy.”

“Have you heard anything from Josh?”

“No. What do you think happened to him?”

“I don’t know. Maybe Q got to him.”

“I doubt it. She would have came for you already.”

“Hmm. What about Jack? Have you heard from him?”

“Nope he probably is still living his life to the fullest.”

“You know ever since he got back from Q the first time he’s been acting weird.”

“I wouldn’t know. I did know him like you.”

“I don’t, I could be imaging things.”

“Yes, you could.”

“Did you get anything on Jen?”

“Nothing on that as well.” Tess takes out a paper that reads missing person with a picture of Jen on it and hands it to a old woman that is walking by them.

“Please, if you see her let me know.” The woman nods and continues to walk.

“You really think that’s going to work?’

“It has it Peter. It just has to.”

“So have you talked to Carla?”

“Why are you asking me that.”

“Come on, she’s your friend.”

“I don’t want to talk to her ever.”

“Why are you talking with me if you are still mad about the pool?”

“I am I… need to talk to you about Josh, that all.”

“Well if there is nothing else to talk about then I’m going to leave.”

“Wait, tell me about the ghost.”

“What do you want to know?”

“Well, what are they and where do they come from?”

“Well think of them as soul snatchers. They need to feed in order to stay alive so they take the souls of others to live. Like a virus. And they come from hell.”

“Are you being funny?”

“No, I’m not. I’m actually being serious. They come from hell. Well it’s in my mom’s journal, she believed that ghost were creatures of hell.”

“There is a hell?”

“Who knows, that’s what it said and besides it’s not like it matters.”

“So they are demons?”

“I don’t know and I don’t think so.”

“Is there anything else you know?”

“Well.. in my mom’s journal she only mentions the ghost once but there was one thing that was weird about it.”

“What was it?”

“The name of this passage is Terra’s children.”

“You mean Terra from Ron’s story?”

“I don’t know. That's all it says, the ghost are Terra’s children.”

“Weird.”

“Yes it is. Well I have to go, do you need me to walk you home?”

“No, I got it.”

Peter turns around and jogs away as Tess posts a flyer on a poll that has ten other flyers posted to it. Tess continues to walk down the main road in town. She looks to her left and sees a woman taking down the flyers that are on her store. As the woman walks back in Tess posts another flyer on the store. She continues down the road until she runs into Joe’s bar. It is boarded up and has a closed sign on it in big red letters. Joe is sitting in front of the bar drinking a bottle of rum. She walks over to him. Joe looks up to her and takes another drink.

“You still at it, huh?” asks Joe. Tess snatches the bottle out of his hand and throws it as far as she can. Joe stares at Tess intensely as she hands him a flyer and walks away. She continues to walk and sees the school also has a close sign on it. She stares at the school as tears form in her eyes and looks at the flyer of Jen.

Jen where are you, Tess thinks to herself.

 

……

 

The woman in the black cloak is walking down the squeaky stairs of the haunted house with a body of a man on her shoulders. As she walks down the stairs Jen whose head is bleeding jumps up in her cage and shakes it as she yells at the top of her lungs.

“Help! Help!” The woman throws the body on top of a pile that are stacked to the ceiling.

“Silent.” Jen trembles as she falls to the ground. The woman turns around and sits on the steps.

“Why am I here?” asks Jen. The woman remains silent. “Look, I’m tired and looks like you are tired too. Can, you just let me go?”

“No.”

“Who could I possibly tell about you. You killed the commander and a good cop, a good man.”

“I haven’t decide whether to eat you or kill you?”

“What, eat me? Oh my god you are crazy. Look I have to taste bad I haven’t showered in weeks. I wouldn’t eat me.”

“Shut it, you are not going anywhere? I finally got you back.”

“What?”  

“I don’t have time for this. I will be back and you will know my decision.”

“Don’t leave me down here! I have seen your face. How long do you think you can fool them?”

“Not for long I suppose, but they will never see it coming.”

“What do you want from them?” The woman in black smiles at Jen.

“I want what you want.”

“The hell are you talking about?”

“We want to destroy this world and everyone like it.”

“I don’t want that.”

“Of course you do. You just don’t remember.”

“Remember?”

“Yes, do the name Michelle mean anything to you.”

“Why would it?”

“Because that’s my name.” Jen sits in the corner of the cage.

“Why are you telling me this?”

“Because we are best friends.” Jen holds her head.

“Shut the hell up!”

“Is it working. Is the voices coming back.” Jen stares at Michelle. “Yes I know about the voices. I know everything there is to know about this time. That is why I am here.”

“This time?”

“Yes, I need to make sure that everything goes according to plan.”

“You are the bad guy. You killed everyone because of some plan to destroy the world?” Michelle stands up and walk over to Jen.

“Not just this world but this time as well.”

“What did we do to you?”

“Oh sweetie you haven’t done it yet and you never will.”

“You are crazy.”

“Really I’m the crazy one.” Michelle walks over to the mountain of bodies and puts her feet on Jack’s body.

“Stop it.”

“Don’t be silly he is dead.” Michelle holds her finger in the air. “You wanna know a story. It’s about your friend here Jack the slayer.”

“Stop calling him that.”

“Why that is his name. Did you know that he killed his whole family.”

“I would believe you even if it was true.”

“You’re right, I killed them.” Jen eyes widen. “At first I thought that it would be enough to just eat him and be on my way but that wasn’t enough for me. So I killed his son and left him clues so he can investigate it. I got to watch him suffer personally and professionally. But still that wasn’t enough. So I killed about thirty more people just to give him hope. He was becoming happy because he was going to make a break in the case. Leading him to a group of people that was in hiding and because of him I find them. I was happy for that but he himself was becoming happy, so I destroyed his hope when I killed the rest of his family. He never recovered from that.”

“You monster.”

“Please, Let me finish. As I was saying I wanted him to suffer more, so I turned the station against him. I planted one of my seeds in John’s brain and the rest is history.”

“That’s how you control them.”

“What?”

“The commander was talking about something being in his head and the guy, Nick was saying the same thing.”

“Oh my God, I didn’t know you wanted details.”

“I don’t.”

“Well for Jack’s wife I stabbed her in the gut and then kicked her in the same spot over and over again.”

“Stop it.”

“Now for his son, I took this knife.”

“Shut up! Shut up!”

“What, you never skinned an animal before.” Michelle laughs. Jen hits herself in the head.

“Why are you telling me this?”

“Because I thought your mind would’ve broken by now.” Michelle walks over to Jen. “I don’t want you, I want Isabel.” Jen stop shaking and looks at Michelle intensely.

“What?”

“I want- no, I need Isabel. So if you can bring her out that would be nice.”

“How-H” Michelle smiles and walks upstairs. Jen quietly sobs as she hits her head against the cage. She shakes the cage and grinds her teeth as she yelps. Suddenly a voices calls out to Jen.

“Jen… Jen.” She stares at the roof of the cage as she closes her eyes. “Let me in!” yells the voice. Jen screams.

“Hello.” Jen jumps back as she see the woman with the purple cloak.

“Who are you?”

“Don’t be afraid of me. I’m here to help you.”

“Are you the woman that helped Josh?”

“Yes.” Jen laughs.

“So you finally decided to help us. Took you long enough. Can you get me out of here?” The woman slowly waves her hand and the cage disappears. “Oh s**t, that is so cool.”

“Come we must hurry.” Jen slowly limps towards the woman.

“I can barely walk. It’s been so long.” Jen breathes heavily as stops and bends over. “God damn.” Jen stands straight up as the woman stabs her in her chest. Jen stares at the woman astonishingly as she grabs the knife. She coughs up blood as she falls to the ground.

“I’m sorry this had to be done,” says the woman as she closes Jen eyes.

 

……

 

Tess is sitting under the tree from school as she writes in her diary. The wind blows and knocks over her bottle of water. Thomas walks up to her with flowers behind his back.

“Hey beautiful,” says Thomas. Tess picks up her water and smiles.

“Hey you. What do you have there?” Thomas pulls out some flowers. “Oh my god, Thomas.”

“I don’t know what’s your favorite so I got all of them.” Thomas sits next to Tess as he hands her the flowers. She takes them and kisses Thomas on his lips as they briefly stare into each other’s eyes. Tess lays her head on Thomas’s shoulder as she picks at the flowers.

“Did you know that roses come in all colors, even black? Well some people say a dark red but still you manage to give me one in my favorite color. Purple roses always fascinated me.”

“I guess.”

“Sure, and this one. The hydrangea. Can you see how the inside is blue but the outside is purple? It’s something truly beautiful.”

“You really like flowers.”

“I like nature in general. I sometimes wonder if I was a flower in the grass of the plains would I be free? Would I bloom into something more beautiful than myself?”

“You are already beautiful.” Tess smiles as she smell the flowers.

“If I ever had a daughter, I would name her after a flower.”

“Kids, don’t you think you are moving too fast?” Tess punches Thomas in the stomach and kisses him on his cheek. Thomas grabs Tess’ dairy. “Let’s see what you have been writing.” Tess snatches the dairy out of Thomas’s hand and throw it in her bag.

“Please don't touch that again.”

“Wow, you must be hiding some pretty big secrets,” says Thomas as he stands up. Tess picks at the ground.

“I write my uncle. I know that he is dead and he will never see it but it helps me from going crazy. One day when I make it out of here I will look back to remind myself where I came from. It’s something I do alone. So please, don’t touch it again, ok?”

“Ok, as long as it's not some big secret.”

“You have no right, by the way, to be talking about secrets. I know nothing about you.”

“I don’t keep secrets.”

“Oh really, well how come I never met your mother or any of your friends for that matter?”

“We haven’t been dating that long.”

“I know but in that short time, you have met my bestfriend, my mother, and even a man that I hate. You are keeping secrets from me or are you keeping me a secret?” Thomas kicks at the dirt.

“Ok, I do have something to tell you.” Tess stands up. “Tess I have strong feeling for you and it’s getting in the way of my focus.”

“What do you mean?”

“Tess, I’m the reason everything is happening.”

“The hell are you talking about?”

“Tess-” Boom! An explosion goes off in the middle of town. Tess turns around to see red lightning striking the ground. The library is completely destroyed. As the red lightning is striking the ground giant hole in the sky starts to open. The clouds turn black as lightning flashes in them. In the middle of the hole is a hand reaching towards the ground. The people of the town walk out of their homes and stare at the sky, pointing at the hole. Teenager takes pictures of it as college student record it. The police steps out of the station and stares at the beauty of the red lightning. The new commander steps outside and takes off his hat as the lighting continues to pour from the sky. Carla stares that the lightning from her bedroom window. Joe stands up as he covers his face from the wind. Suddenly the lightning stop and after came silents. Everyone continue to stare at the sky holding their breathe. The earth began to shake as the roar of thunder made everyone cover their ears. Tess falls to the ground as the roar of the thunder starts to sound like a horn. Once again there is silence as everyone began to watch green lights fall from the hole in the sky. The lights slowly descends as people continues to take pictures. Tess gets up from the ground as she looks closely at the lights and sees that there are figures in them.

“What the hell is that?” says Tess. The lights touch the ground as everything started to decay. People are screaming and running from the lights. They are ghost.      More ghost start to flood from the hole into the town. The building continue to decay as the air turns green. Some people are choking on the air. One person is hit with the lightning as another is turned to ash by the ghost. A ghost picks up a man and flies into the sky. He stops and drops the man on top of one of the decaying buildings. Joe kicks in the door to his bar and turns around. He sees as family running as lightning strikes them. The parents are killed by the lightning and one of the kids is on fire. Joe takes off his jacket and runs over to the kids. He pats him down with his jacket and pick him. The is knocked out with burn mark on his body. He carries him in the bar and goes back out for the other child. Lightning strikes behind him knocking him on the ground. He screams as he holds his ear. He slowly gets up and gave the little girl and carry her into the bar. He lays on the ground as a couple is running towards his bar. He motioned his hand for them to come but a ghost grabs them and turn them to ash. Joe stares at the ghost as they turns towards him. Joe jumps up and closes the door. Tess shakes uncontrollably until she slaps herself.

“Thomas, you have to run.”

“I’m not leaving your side.”

“Thomas, I have to go. Just promise me that you will live.” Thomas kisses Tess.

“I will.” Tess smiles and takes off running. As she is running she moves around other people. A person next to her gets hit with lightning. Tess yells but keeps running. A ghost flies down and takes the man running next to her. Tess eyes fills with dread but she continues to run. Tess runs over to Peter's house and kicks in the door open.  

“What the hell is going on?” yells Tess. The house is filled with people and they are all pointing their guns at Tess.

“Hold on, Hold on everyone,” yells Peter! “Tess what the hell are you doing?”

“I came to talk to you but clearly I am… what are you doing and who are these people?” says Tess.

“Tess, just in time,” says Carl.

“In time for what?” says Tess.  

“Your boyfriend over here was about to lose his mind.” says Carl. Peter slaps him upside his head.

“He’s not my boyfriend,” says Tess.  

“Yea, I’m not her boyfriend,” says Peter

“We don’t care for that. What is it you want Tess?” says Ron.

“I don’t know what y’all have been doing all day but there is a hole in the sky that is sending ghost and bolt of lightning down from it. People are leaving.”

“You should leave as well Tess. Take your mom and go.” says Peter.

“Nonsense she should stay here. She is one of us.” says Ron as he hands Tess a gun. Tess looks at it only to have Peter take it from her.  

“Yea, she is not staying,” says Peter.  

“Josh would want her to stay close to us,” says Ron.   

“Screw Josh, that man- boy left us to die,”  says Carl.

“No, he didn’t you child,” says Peter.

“Hey, we don’t have time for this,” says Ron. “Peter we have to leave.”

“Tess, please leave,” says Peter.

“Not until you tell me what’s going on,” says Tess.

“We are going war,” says Ron.

“What! Q is here?” asks Tess.  

“It would seem so, but more importantly, we get to kill ghost at while they’re hunting.” says Ron.

“Hunting?” asks Tess.  

“Look we have to fight these things before they kill us all,” says Peter.  

“We don’t have time for this. Take Tess and let’s move out,” says Ron. Some men come and grab Tess.

“Let go of me,” yells Tess.  

“Don’t worry, they're my family. They won’t hurt you. You’re one of us.”

“What do you mean family?”

“While you and Peter were playing I was out building an army for this moment. We needed the numbers.”

“You killed people?”

“It’s nothing they didn’t want. Take her.” Tess looks at Peter as he just looks away. The two men take Tess and put her in a truck. Before they close the door they hand Tess a gun and give her a thumbs up. They drive off towards the town main street.

“You know that the bullets are special. They can hurt phantoms so they can probably hurt ghost as well. Tess.” says Ron. “Tess, you listening?”  

“Don’t talk to me. You are a liar.” Ron turns around and looks out the front window.

“You see that?” says the driver.  

“Yes I do,” says Ron. There are two green lights standing in the middle of the road.  

“There they are,” says Ron. “Alright let’s move out.”  Everyone start loading their guns.

“Here,” says Peter as he hands Tess a clip. Tess takes it and starts shaking. “Let me. Stay be me,” says Peter as he loads the gun. Everyone but Peter and Tess jumps out of the car.

“What’s taking y’all so long?” says Ron.

“We will be right there,” says Peter.  

“Come on lets corner them,” says Ron. He points his finger in the direction he wants them to go.

“Come Tess, we have to move.” says Peter. Tess jumps out of the truck with Peter. Peter stays in front of Tess.

“Alright you ghost this is a warning, you’ll need to leave town,” says Ron. The ghost continues to stand staring at the sky.

“What are they stupid? They are outnumbered,” says Carl. Carl waves his hand trying to get their attention.

“I think we should just attack,” says one of the men. Ron looks to see if they are looking at. Then he picks up a rock and throws it but still they are staring at the sky. Ron turns around and looks at Peter.

“What’s wrong with these things?” asks Ron.  

“I don’t kn- Ron!” yells Peter. Ron turns around and the ghost is standing in his face. The ghost touches his shoulder and he turns to bones then dust.

“Holy s**t!” yells Peter.

“Ron!” screams Carl.

Everyone opens fire on the ghost but the bullets fly right through them. The other ghost roars, turning the air green. People begin to fall down aging like all the other people that died in the town. Carl then tries to run away, but as he turns around the ghost is in front of him. The ghost is staring at the sky.

“Peter,” whimpers Carl. The ghost touches Carl’s shoulders and turns into black smoke.

“Screw this!” says Peter. Peter turns blue and shoots lightning from his hands. It hits the ghost pushing them back a little and now both ghosts are staring directly at Peter.

“Peter, what did you do?” asks Tess.

“Oh s**t,” says Peter.  

“We have to run,” says Tess. Tess turns around to see the ghost looking directly at her. She stares in the eyes of the ghost as her eyes turn green.