The Lone
Ghost Rider
Scarlett Michealson
As I walked home late one night, I saw him coming in the distance. He rode alone. I always knew it was him for multiple reasons, but the main reason was how he seemed to glow from a distance. His bike was on fire. I stopped in my tracks and let him ride up. As he closed in, he slowed, and then stopped next to me. His head was a skull, which glowed from the flame which always burned around it. His eyes were dark holes and when he did speak, his voice was mixed between a growl and a monster. But despite this, I loved him.
"Hey Johnny." I smiled. He turned his head and for a moment I stared into the empty space which had once been his soul. He nodded his head behind him.
"Get on." He growled at me. I nodded, and smiled. Despite the fire, I was not burned and so I got on the back of his bike and we rode the rest of the way to town.
When we arrived at the other end of town where my house sat, he slowed and then stopped. I got off first as he turned the bike off, and then looked at me, as I stared back at him, his flaming skull melted away to reveal his human head and his beautiful blue eyes. He took my hand.
"Hey Roxanna." He smiled, and we kissed.
"I missed you, Rider." I whispered in his ear. He chuckled his low, raspy, chuckle. Something like love stirred deep inside me. He got off the bike and held me in his arms.
"So, I still don't scare you?" He whispered as I laid my head against his chest. I shook my head a little.
"You never will." I replied. He nodded.
"Good." He hugged me tightly and then he stepped back. I looked back into his blue eyes.
"Just passing through?" I asked. He nodded.
"You know me. Always chasing after that devil." He nodded and I watched him get back on the bike. When he fired it up, he fired not only the bike up, but himself too. I smiled. He wore it well.
"Be safe Johnny." I told him. He looked at me one last time.
"I'm already a monster." He replied, and with that he leaned forward and tore off into the darkness.
Five Years Later
Living in the city was different, better. I had a job, an apartment, and life was never boring. The sirens didn't bother me and neither did the streets. I kept to myself for the most part, so people left me alone.
"Roxanna, where's that tape?!" Erik called from the room next door. I rolled my eyes, laughing.
"The filing cabinet. Bottom drawer!" I shouted back. I heard the drawer slam and knew he had found it.
"So Karen says you have a secret." He said from behind me. He was leaning against the door frame. I rolled my eyes and turned in my chair.
"Well Karen doesn't know me. And neither do you." I smirked at him. He sighed.
"Come on! We don't even know where you're from! Give us a hint! You've been here forever!" He begged. I shook my head.
"Erik." I said. He went quiet, waiting for my response. "It's personal. Buzz off." I told him, giving him a dark glare. He put his hands up.
"Sorry. Jeeze." He replied, and he let it be.
I got back to work as people started to leave for the day. I had been working on this project for months, and I was finally getting places. As far as everyone knew, it was a research project for some scary Halloween article, but in reality it was something much worse.
Months ago I had found the story of an old western legend. It was called Lone Ranger. It was about some Texas Ranger who watched his comrades all die. He went after the killer and learned a lot along the way. His mask made sure no one ever knew who it was that rode in the night, chasing that horrible man.
When I searched more about the legend, I came to a sad end. No one seemed to have any idea of what ever happened to the Ranger. Until I came across another legend. You could say I'm a little more familiar with this one: The Legend of The Ghost Rider.
The Ghost Rider was originally created by the devil. It was a demon who hunted down the souls of the wicked. The devil made horrible deals with human men, making them into this monster. The last known Ghost Rider had lived in the west...in Texas.
That's when I began to think. What if they were related? What if they were the same...
The last time the Lone Ranger was seen, was by a women whom many called his wife, though it was never confirmed. She saw him ride off on his horse, into the sunset, and he was gone. It is said that the women died shortly after, and he never returned to the town.
It is also said that the Ghost Rider made his deal with the Devil in the desert... The place where the Lone Ranger went. I shook my head. I happened to know the Ghost Rider. He had never told me his story. And now more than ever I wondered.
I had known him better years before. As I thought back to those times, I remembered his odd little quirks. He spoke with an accent. It was obvious he was born and raised in Texas. He also owned, and used, a pocket watch. Not a regular wrist watch. I frowned. The Lone Ranger Legend told a tale of a man whom he chased for a year. The man was wealthy and influenced. Those men, in those days, owned pocket watches. I sighed. Things were beginning to make sense.
As I continued my research, the last of my colleagues, left for the day. I sat alone in the office. I scavenged through all the stories, articles, and journals I had, until I found what I was looking for. His name. His human name. That's when I knew it for sure. What I suspected was correct. I took a deep breath.
"So you know?" A deep voice growled behind me. My entire body froze for a moment and my heart skipped a beat. I took a deep breath and turned in my chair. It was him. The Ghost Rider.
"Johnny..." I gasped, rising from my chair. His dark eyes seemed to draw me in, but I was careful not to stare for too long. His Penance stare was downright deadly.
I watched as he carefully walked up to me, and put his flaming hand out. I watched as the flames drew back, disappearing, and then his hand turned back to its normal state. I lifted my head and looked into his blue eyes. "Johnny..." I breathed again. I hadn't seen him in so long. He smiled.
"Hello Roxanna." He smiled, taking my hands in his. I couldn't stop smiling at him.
"So you know." He said, nodding behind me at my desk which was covered in research. I sighed, looking at the ground.
"Yeah...I figured it out." I breathed. He nodded.
"That's too bad," He started, putting on a serious face. "I was starting to like you. Guess I just have to kill you now." He mocked. I laughed, pushing him back.
"Stop that, Silly." I smiled and we both laughed together.
"But seriously," He said, coming back up to me. "Promise you won't tell anyone?" He asked. I nodded.
"Promise." I replied. He nodded.
"Thank you." He said, staring at me with his big, blue, eyes. He walked over to my desk and looked around it. I had a picture from of my parents, but that was all.
"Aren't you married?" He asked, looking back at me. I shook my head.
"Nope." I frowned, looking at the ground.
"Oh, hey!" He breathed, coming back over to me, and putting his hands on my arms, he bent down slightly and looked at me, lifting my head as he stood up straight again. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean it like that." He finished. I nodded.
"I know. I just haven't met anyone yet." I shrugged. "Maybe I'm just better independent." I replied. He shook his head.
"Hey! No! Don't think like that!" He frowned. I shook my head and felt the tears already coming. He was the only person who I could be like this with. He looked deep into my eyes, and I stared back, deep, into his. He nodded.
"You trust me, right?" He asked. I nodded.
"Of course I do." I replied. He took a deep breath.
"Come with me." He smiled. I followed him out of the building and watched him walk up to his bike. We both knew it was dark outside. It was night. That also meant something else... As he fired his bike up, he fired himself up. I shook my head.
"So where are we going?" I asked the Ghost Rider as I got on the bike with him.
"Don't worry." He growled, and he revved the bike and we sped off down the street.
He drove us out of the city, and beyond its limits. We rode into the middle of nowhere, away from lights, noises, and people. He came to a rolling stop in the middle of a field. When he shut the engine off, the only noise around us were crickets. The only light came from him.
For a long moment, we were both quiet, just staring out into the night, up at the sky, and over the field. It was peaceful and calm. Finally his flames calmed and then faded away, revealing himself once more. I saw him smile at me, and we kissed. I knew I loved him. We just didn't speak about it often.
"I have so much to tell you." He whispered. I nodded.
"Then tell me, I'll listen." I breathed. He nodded, and turned himself around, sitting backwards on the bike. Taking my hands, he started from the beginning.
"I have found out a lot about myself over the last couple years. First, is that I'm not possessed by some demon. I'm actually helping an Angel to be who he was meant to be. Second, is that because of that, I now control it. You see that it's night, but I'm myself. And, well, third, is that I'm now immortal. I don't age anymore." He told me. I nodded.
I was happy to hear that he had more good than evil in him, but the last part scared me. I wonder what that meant for his future.
"I'm happy you have good inside you. Does that mean...that you have a soul?" I asked. He sighed, lowering his head.
"No. I sold my soul to the devil. I don't think I'll ever get it back. Unfortunately." He replied. I nodded, putting a hand on his shoulder. He raised his eyes and looked at me.
"Roxanna, can I ask you something?" He asked. I nodded.
"Anything."
"I know that we've known each other for a long time. You've known me for years and you've kept my secret. I trust you more than any other person. Even the other guy likes you. I feel it. He has never ever wanted to go after you. The point is, we both know the other, and we love each other..." He paused, taking a deep breath. "The point is, well, would you ever consider marrying me?" He asked. I looked up at the sky, and smiled.
"I have considered that question every day for the last five years. Absolutely." I smiled. The light that appeared in his eyes was not from the flames within him, but from his pure happiness. I watched as he transformed back into the Rider, and then looked at me.
"Watch this." He growled. I smiled. He took the glove off his right hand, which was now on fire as well. He took the chain from around his chest and torso and snapped the last link from it. Then he brought his hand, which held the iron link, up to his mouth. Leaning back slightly he blasted a wave of fire over his hand, melting the iron. He took his other hand and molded a perfect ring. He let the flames dance across it, adding a beautiful gold color to it. Then, snapping a spike off his jacket, he took it pressed it into the ring, and just as before, the fire danced across it, transforming it into a beautiful diamond. The fire which he blew from his mouth now turned blue and cooled, before fading away. The ring was more beautiful than any ring I had ever seen.
"Wow!" I gasped, even laughing a little. "How on earth did you do that?!" I smiled. When I looked up, I was still looking into the dark eyes of the Rider.
"Because I love you." He whispered. It was not a growl. This was the Rider. Even he loved me... My felt my heart melt. I smiled.
"Thank you." I whispered back, and I watched Johnny put it on my finger. It fit perfectly. I shook my head as I stared at it.
"Be careful with that." He winked at me. I gave him a suspicious look.
"Why?" I asked. He shrugged and then snapped his fingers. A small flame, like a candle, appeared between them, and suddenly I noticed my ring was also on fire.
"When I fire up, so does the ring. That way you'll always have a piece of me." He explained. I nodded. It was amazing, what he could do.
"One more thing." He said, taking my hands in his. "The angel told me a secret in a dream. He told me that...well, I can share this ability with one other person...for life." He finished, and then he looked up at me, to see my reaction. I sat back, giving him another incredible awe-struck expression. He laughed.
"If you don't want it now, or you want to think about it, that's totally fine...or not at all..." He went on. I could tell he was nervous about it. I laughed, taking his hands in mine.
"Johnny. To be your partner in crime forever...that's a big commitment, but yes. I would love to. But then you won't be the Lone Ranger anymore." I ended, winking at him. He sighed.
"Yeah, but I haven't worn that mask in a very long time anyway. I'll be okay." He assured me. I nodded, and then paused.
"Why did you leave? Didn't you have a wife?" I asked. He sighed, looking at the ground.
"She wasn't my wife. Everyone just assumed that. I took care of her for my brother, who passed a long time ago." He replied quietly. I nodded.
"I left because I thought I was coming back. She was sick. I went out looking for a doctor, and then...sold my soul to the devil in exchange for her life. But he lied, and took it anyway. I could not bring myself to go back to that town again. I hated him for it. I've been after him ever since. I also want my soul back." He explained. I nodded. Suddenly it all made sense.
"I'll help you." I replied and our eyes met. He nodded.
"Then let's do this." He smiled. I nodded. He paused again and then sighed.
"I'm sorry." He breathed. I frowned.
"What for?" I asked.
"The pain I'm about to give you." He replied. Suddenly I knew what he meant. I shook my head.
"Don't be. This is what I want. What we both want. Don't you worry about the pain. It'll only last a moment anyway." I reassured him. He nodded.
After a moment he put his hands on my shoulders and I felt how his energy switched as he transformed from man to monster. Staring at the Rider, I had never felt so sure of anything. This was happening, and we were both happy. I nodded.
"Do it." I told him. His skull nodded and drew in a long, deep, breath.
I looked into his dark eyes, and then suddenly was being so shaken. I felt the fire, the rage, the power, the angel, the good, the bad, and the intense, all going down my throat, pouring into me like water from a bucket. Suddenly I felt my whole body grow warm. My eyes seemed to light up, and my hair grew brighter than it had ever been. I stepped back and looked down as he backed up. Looking at my hands, they were now bones, which glowed from the fire around them. I still wore my ring, which had a candle-like flame coming up from it. I smiled and looked up into the dark eyes of Johnny's Rider. Now we were riders together. He smiled.
"Whistle." He told me. I stood up from the bike, and putting my fingers between my teeth, whistled. For a moment there was silence, and then a faint growl. As it got closer, the growl grew louder until I realized it wasn't a growl...it was an engine. It was another Motorcycle. I smiled.
It came to rest in front of me, revving it's engine the whole time. It was a pink, 1975 Harley Shovel Head with flames spouting from the pipes and jetting from the tires. It's handles held flames which licked across the bars. I smiled. It was mine. It was perfect.
Getting on the bike, I looked at Johnny, who looked at me.
"Let's ride." He growled, and we rode off into the night.
Walking into work I couldn't help but keep smiling. I was engaged. Just like that. And in a way, we already taken our vows. He had given me the one thing he could never take back.
As I sat at my desk, I took all the research and carefully hid it in my bag. I made sure no one saw me, not even cameras. Then I found all the other stories and legends I had discovered along the way, and I quickly typed an article up. Tomorrow was Halloween.
"You have any plans for tomorrow night?" Erik asked as I printed the rough draft out. I nodded.
"Yeah, catching up with an old friend." I lied. He frowned.
"That's too bad. A lot of us were going to party." He replied. I nodded.
"Yeah, sorry." I frowned. I was secretly happy. Erik had always had a thing for me and I was not into it.
"So how's that article coming along?" He asked, nodding at the papers in my hand as I walked past. I paused and looked back.
"Good. Giving it to Editor." I replied and I walked down the hall and around the corner.
The article was a success and I could take a sigh of relief. I finished up the rest of my work and turned everything in. The day was almost over. As I looked out the window, I could see the sun slowly going down. I still had at least two hours.
"What happened to your article?" Erik asked, coming around the corner. I rolled my eyes.
"Nothing. Why?" I asked, looking over my shoulder. He shrugged.
"I thought it would be about some Rider or Ranger story." He replied. I hid my expression of horror. He had gone through the papers on my desk.
"Dead end." I smiled. He nodded.
"Really? I thought you were on to something. Too bad." He shrugged. I nodded.
As I watched him walk away, I felt on edge. He was starting to give me a bad feeling. I collected all my things and closed down my computer. I was careful to take everything with me. As I put my jacket on, I felt my ring begin to heat up. I quickly threw it in my pocket and grabbed my things.
"What did you do with the other article stuff?" Erik called from down the hall.
"I threw it out!" I called back and I walked out. Jumping in my car, I quickly drove home.
Johnny was already there. His bike sat locked behind the fence. I smiled and went in.
"You know where I live?" I asked when I got in. He was in the kitchen making something.
"I know a lot of things." He smiled as he turned and walked up to me.
"Oh yeah, like what?" I asked. He stopped in front of me and kissed me. I took a deep breath. His kisses were intoxicating.
"Your secrets." He whispered in my ear and he kissed me neck. I leaned my head back.
"If you're not careful, things might get heated." I breathed. He chuckled.
"Literally." He responded. I put my things down and took my jacket off.
"Be careful Johnny Blaze. You might burn me." I teased. He laughed.
"You're funny." He told me. I nodded.
"Can I ask you something?" He asked. I nodded as I started making dinner.
"Did I hurt you last night?" He asked. I paused and then looked at him. His blue eyes never ceased to amaze me.
"No." I replied. He raised an eyebrow and walked over, taking my hands in his.
"Are you sure?" He asked. I nodded.
"It actually felt good. The fire was...powerful. It was amazing." I smiled. I meant it. He had a concerned look on his face, but he believed me and he smiled after a moment.
"Just...please don't be afraid of me...of him." He breathed as he walked away.
After dinner I put everything away and bid him goodnight. I watched him as he got on his bike. He paused, staring at the handlebars. Looking over his shoulder, he saw me and smiled. I waved at him and he turned forwards again. After a moment, he fired the bike and himself up and tore off down the street. I smiled, rubbing my arms. I had the heart of the Ghost Rider.
I closed the door, locking it, and went upstairs. I closed my bedroom door behind me and then walked up another flight of stairs to the roof. As I stood out in the open, I looked over the city. I had a great view from up here. I could even see the stars and moon. I smiled and I felt my face and skin grow warm. I closed my eyes for moment, and when I reopened them, I knew I was on fire. I took my ring from my pocket and put it back on. I had a bike, I knew, but I didn't have anything else. Tonight I would have to sit out, but when I had what I needed, I would ride with him.
I sat outside for a long time, just letting myself burn the night away. It felt good to let off smoke.
The next morning was the first time I realized I would never sleep again. I got out of bed and walked down the stairs into my kitchen. He stood by the window, holding a mug of coffee. I walked over to him and he put his arm around me.
"Good morning Beautiful." He whispered, kissing my head. I put my head against his chest. It was hot. I giggled to myself.
"What's so funny?" He asked. I shook my head.
"You're literally hot." I whispered. He chuckled.
"Yeah, but so are you." He whispered back and we kissed.
"How was it? Are you okay?" He asked. I nodded.
"Yeah, it was fine. I'm okay now." I told him and I went and got ready for work.
As I grabbed breakfast he came and sat down. I sighed. I did not want to go in to work today.
"What's wrong?" He asked. I shook my head.
"My boss. Erik. He's being weird. Remember that day when I was researching and you showed up? Well, I had that all out as "research" for an article I was writing. Really, I planned to write something different, I was just curious. Well, apparently, he saw it sitting on my desk and read some of it and was all excited about it, so when I published the other article he got mad. It's so stupid. He keeps bringing it up." I finished. He sat back and frowned.
"He doesn't know who that was about, right?" He asked. I shook my head.
"No, your name never came up." I assured him. He nodded.
"Just, be careful. The Rider has a habit of coming out when I get angry." He nodded at me. I made a mental note of that. There was no way, on earth, that I could ever let myself slip.
"And no matter how horrible he treats you, you can't ever be tempted to use the Penance Stare on him. Got it?" He told me. I nodded and made another mental note.
He kissed me and hugged me goodbye and I got in my car and drove off. No one at the office knew I had a motorcycle, or that I even knew how to ride one, let alone, drive one. No one knew my secret, or his secret. No one knew...
I had been at the office for an hour, and Erik was nowhere to be found. Everyone else went about their business, so I did the same. It was highly unusual for him to be late. I looked at his desk a couple times, but didn't complain. Not having him hovering over my shoulder was not a bad thing. I liked the peace and quiet.
"Are you coming to the party tonight?" Carmen asked. I looked over my shoulder and shook my head.
"I'm busy tonight." I frowned. She nodded.
"There's always next time." She smiled and she went on her way.
It was more than half way through the day and no one had seen Erik. People were getting curious, wondering where he had disappeared to.
"If he's not here tomorrow, we should report it to the police." I heard others saying. I took a deep breath and kept to myself.
Suddenly I heard an ear-piercing scream and people shouting. As I turned around, the glass wall between my office and the hall, shattered. I dropped to the floor, covering myself with my hands. I felt them begin to heat up, and I took deep breaths to calm myself. I looked around and saw a dark figure walk by. I locked my jaw and slowly got up. I grabbed my phone and hit Johnny's name. Then I tip-toed across my office and looked around the corner. The figure was down the hall, his back to me. I could see people ducking and hiding, trying not to scream.
I remembered my mental notes. I remembered all of them, and then I decided to ignore them. Carefully, I turned the corner and took small steps towards him.
"What are you doing?! Roxanna! No! Get down!" I heard people whispering, but I ignored them.
"Who are you?!" I shouted out, everyone ducked down as he turned around. He didn't pull the trigger though.
"The better question is: Who are you?" He said, as he turned to face me. It was Erik. As I stared at him, I also stared into the barrel of the machine gun he held. I shook my head.
"I found that article. You dug pretty deep. I think there's something you're not telling me." He continued. Everyone kept their heads down, hiding behind the desks. No one moved.
"It was just an article Erik." I replied, putting my hands up. He shook his head.
"I think you're protecting someone...something. I think if I shoot this gun again, he'll come real fast." He threatened. I took a deep breath.
"It's an old legend, Erik. It's not even real." I lied. He held the gun up, higher.
"Oh yeah? Should we test that theory?" He threatened again. I shook my head. Suddenly, I felt my ring heat up. I held my breath and carefully removed it, making sure that it didn't seem like anything was wrong. I slid it down my sleeve, trying to keep my hands up.
"Erik, even if he was real, why would you want to meet him?" I asked. Erik shook his head.
"That doesn't matter." He growled, putting his finger on the trigger. I kept my hands up.
"Erik, you really don't want to do that." I told him sternly. I wasn't afraid. I knew what would happen, but I also didn't want to do this in front of all my colleagues.
"Ha! I think I do!" He laughed, and he pulled the trigger. I watched in slow motion as the first bullet fired and came at me, as it shot through the air, I closed my eyes. I felt my entire body heat up, and in when I re-opened them, it exploded in flames. The bullet disintegrated when it hit the fire and fell to ashes on the floor. I heard gasps and screams and I stepped forward. Erik's eyes widened and the gun lowered slightly.
"What the..." He breathed, his face white.
"I said, don't shoot." I growled and I ran towards him. He shrieked and tried to get away, but he backed himself into a wall. I grabbed his collar and picked him up off the floor.
"You will pay..." I started. Suddenly I heard a door slam behind me.
"Everyone out!" A man's voice shouted and I heard people moving around and gasping and yelling as they ran out the door.
"Roxanna!" I heard the man's voice shout. I paid no attention to him, as I stared Erik in the eyes. He was freaking out and I was enjoying it.
"ROXANNA!" The man's voice suddenly seemed more like a roar...like a...monster. I looked over my shoulder and recognized him. Johnny...
"Roxanna, please, put him down. He's not worth it. Trust me." He pleaded with me. I stared at him for a moment as I comprehended what he had said. I knew his face, I knew him, I trusted him...I loved him. I nodded, and then I carefully put Erik down, but I held onto him as Johnny walked up.
"So the Rider has a soft side?" Erik mocked, looking at me. Johnny grabbed him and I let go.
"I wouldn't say that." He growled, and his eyes lit up with the fire from within him. Erik screamed.
"How on earth...?!" He cried.
"Shut up." Johnny growled, holding him. Johnny didn't transform into the Rider, but instead, held him there until the police arrived. I had cooled down back to my normal self by the time they arrived. I hid out of sight until they took him away. Since Johnny was normal, they didn't know the Ghost Riders had been here.
I watched as the police took the gun and Erik away. They asked Johnny many questions and then walked off. Johnny was supposed to go with, but as they walked down the stairs, he quietly disappeared, and found me later. We slipped out a back door from the basement and took off on our bikes. It was after dark, so we both fired up and road off together.
We road for most of the night, not making any stops. Half-way through we circled back and headed for home. As the sun was rising, we entered his town's limits and when we arrived at our home, the sun was above the horizon and we were both human once more. We hid the bikes and locked ourselves in his house.
"It's weird, being back here." I said. We had both grown up in this town. It was the heart of Texas.
"Yeah, it is." He smiled, kissing me. I took a deep breath as we looked at each other for a moment.
"How did you do that last night?" I whispered. He looked at the ground.
"It's a secret." He whispered. I gave him a suspicious look and he chuckled.
"You should know the answer." He replied. "You've done it, and didn't even realize it." I thought for a moment, but it didn't come to me. He smiled and sighed.
"My Rider, he knows my heart, and my thoughts. He knows that I love you, that I trust you. In a way, because of that, he's grown to care for you, to trust you too. He listens when you talk to him. For you, it's the same. Your Rider knows me, because you know me. She trusts me, and she'll listen to me. That's why." He whispered. I wore a surprised expression. I didn't know that was possible.
"Wow." I said, just shaking my head. He nodded.
"Are you okay, after last night?" He asked. I nodded, and then paused again.
"Why did you stop me?" I asked. We both knew he had it coming.
"Because you remember when you take someone's life. And I don't want you living with that guilt. That's not why I turned you into this. Trust me, you don't want to live with it. It will haunt you forever. And once you kill, you keep killing. The Rider becomes numb to it, you will not." He explained. I nodded. That made sense.
"I love you." He whispered, kissing me again. I smiled.
"I love you too." I replied.
It seemed like the perfect happy ending to our little story, except, it wasn't over yet.
He went and made breakfast for the both of us. When we were done, he got up and put his boots on.
"I'm going into town. I'll be back in a bit. You need anything?" He asked. I shook my head.
"I'm good. Thank you though." I replied. I watched as he picked up a white hat and a black mask, and started putting them on. I got up and walked over to him.
"The Lone Ranger?" I asked. He nodded.
"You knew that about me." He chuckled. I shook my head.
"But I thought that was your past." I replied. He smiled.
"The people here know that John Reid has been dead for one hundred years. But the Lone Ranger still lives." He said. I frowned.
"What about Johnny Blaze?" I asked. He chuckled.
"Johnny Blaze looks identical to John Reid." He whispered. I nodded. Now it made sense.
I watched as he walked out the door and whistled. A moment later a white stallion rode up, stopping before him.
"Hey Silver." He whispered. The horse nudged him. I could tell they cared about each other and I smiled.
The only question in my head now, was did these people, this little town of Colby, know that the Lone Ranger was also the Ghost Rider?
I watched him ride off down the dusty street. He didn't come back until night had fallen again, and as he rode up, I heard him coming and I opened the door again. I watched his glowing figure appear and I stopped, letting him ride up to me. And as he did, I saw how both he and the horse were fired up. And when he finally came to rest before me, I smiled.
"The Lone Ghost Rider." I said, shaking my head in awe. The Rider nodded and got off the horse. Walking up to me, he took my hands in his fiery bone-fingers. And when I looked at his eyes, he whispered.
"My sold my soul to the devil, but my heart belongs to you."
I would say the end...
Except that's just the beginning...