Disclaimer- I do not own any of the So Weird characters or locations.
THE GHOST IN THE MACHINE"Come on Fi!" Fiona Phillips heard her mother say from downstairs. Looked up, she then looked down at the box in front of her. She took a few items out of the box labeled "Personal". She sighed as she looked around the room.
"Seriously Fi, its time to watch the movie!" she heard her brother, Jack yell.
"Hold on!" Fi yelled back. "I'll be right there!"
Fi looked at the bottom of the box and grabbed her computer. The laptop was brand new and way more expensive and advanced than her old one. She put it on the desk near her bed, Fi opened it and the screen lit up. "You got mail!" it screeched.
She looked at emailed and laughed. "Annie, I'm doing fine, thanks for asking. Yeah, I got the package in the mail and the ring was in there. Talk to you later when I have more time." Fi said as she typed. It was weird, moving back in with her family. She had gotten so used her aunt and her house.
Fi exited out of the email and left the room. She began to walk down the stairs and went into the living room. "Took you long enough." Jack said.
"Oh shut up." Fi said.
"Guys." Molly said.
"Sorry." They both said.
Fi sat on the couch between her mother and her brother. Jack took picked up a VHS, labeled A Night to Remember and put into the TV.
00000000000000000000000000000000000000000
Ghosts! We all I know about them, dead people that come back to haunt the living. Sometimes floating bed sheets with no legs and sometimes headless horsemen. Whatever the case may be we all have seen them on TV. But what about in real life? Myths about ghosts and ghouls have existed as long as death has. People used to share stories and songs about the dead coming back for a little fun and they still do now. Hundreds of ghost stories were published in England in the 1700's. But are ghost really real? A lot of people say they are. A lot of people say that they have had personal experiences with them. I'm pretty sure that I have! So if they are real….why can't they do stuff that the living can? Eat? Sleep? Use technology? It has been said that spirits are attracted and curious with new technology. There have been reports where ghosts have contacted people through walkie-talkies, cell phones, pagers and even computers. If this is true and ghosts can use this stuff than what is stopping them from…using technology to hurt us?
00000000000000000000000000000000000000000
Fi laughed as she and Jack were dropped of my there mother at the Hope Springs High School. "Well, another year at school" Jack said.
"This must suck for you." Fi said. "I mean, to find out you didn't have enough credits to graduate."
Jack looked at his little sister as kids past him. "Yeah it sucks but hey I won't be here all year, plus I seriously don't think I was ready for college anyways."
"What have you done with my brother?" Fi asked. "You love school. You have wanted to go to college ever since I've known you, which is all my life!"
"Well you know, I want to graduate but I'm going to have to wait and I'm okay with that You know, finding out that everything you went through for like two years is was real, well, I guess it lets me know that the world isn't just about school. Science and Math is cool but maybe there is something bigger." Jack said.
"Are you saying that its my fault your deciding, not to go to college!" Fi said as they began to walk towards the school."
"No, Fi." He said speeding up and heading towards the doors. Jack opened them and held them for Fi as she walked through.
"Wow I haven't been here in a while." Fi said.
"Lets just hope we will here long enough to finish the school year." Jack said as they walked in the halls of the colorful school.
"What? Has mom talked about going on tour again?" Fi asked.
"Honestly, I'm not sure. I did hear here on the phone with Carey though." Jack said.
"And???" Fi asked.
"Well she was talking about new equipment and stuff. And also I heard her talking about the bus." Jack said.
"Hmm." Fi sounded.
"What's wrong? You don't want to go?" Jack asked.
"It's not that….I mean I do want to get back into this life though, Hope Springs. But I do kinda miss traveling around and stuff." Fi said.
Jack nodded. "Um when did you get that?"
"What?" Fi asked.
"The ring!"
Fi looked down at her hand. "Oh, yeah Annie sent it to me."
"But I thought you told her she could keep it."
"Well, I'm guessing she wants to be done with that life, you know? And to completely do that she got rid of the ring."
Jack looked puzzled and stopped walking, "But aren't you worried?"
"About??"
"About the ring! Isn't that thing the reason for all those weird stuff?!!" Jack asked.
"Well, yeah but I got rid of the attraction remember? See the inscription is gone. Annie loss it too, it's over." Fi said.
"Are you sure?"
"Listen, Jack. Things are different now, I mean I do have to ring back and I am carrying around a laptop but things are different now. I have had a completely different life for the past year." Fi said.
"That is a nice computer." Jack said.
"I know!" Fi said getting excited. "This thing is high-tech, top of the line, up to date! This things data base is completely fresh and it had so many gigabytes that I could put anything that was stuffed on my old computer on this and it would barely register as 2% on the memory bar!"
Jack laughed at Fi's enthusiasm, "Oh my god! Fi!" a girl screamed.
The siblings looked up and saw her two best friends, Chelsea and Rhonda.
"Guys." Fi laughed hugging both of them.
"It's so weird seeing you in person. You know? We've been talking online for like three years!" Chelsea said.
"Yeah, we couldn't wait for you to come back." Rhonda spoke hysterically.
"It couldn't have been too bad guys." Fi said. "You had Annie!"
The girls' faces scrunched up in disgust. "What?" Fi asked.
"We couldn't stand Annie." Chelsea said.
"What do you mean? Annie told me that you guys were best friends." Fi said.
"Well we made her think that, you know. I mean we hung out with her to make you happy and to prevent Molly getting mad at us. I mean, Annie was such a geek." Rhonda said.
"And she was really winy." Chelsea said.
"Plus, it was so embarrassing being with her." Rhonda said.
"You saw her clothes! Those stupid late 80's outfit she would wear." Chelsea said.
"Eww!" they both said at the same time.
"Okay guys that is kinda mean." Fi said.
"Sorry, Fi. But if it makes you feel better we would just act like she was you. Yeah, but here is something we didn't get." Chelsea said.
"Yeah, why is the weird stuff that Annie saw and stuff, not as freaky and scary as the stuff you saw?" Chelsea asked.
"Um…I don't know. Maybe she was just lucky?" Fi said.
All three of the girls laughed. "I gotta get to class, sis." Jack said.
"Okay, Jack." Fi said as Jack began to walk away, "I see you at lunch." She said after him.
"Your brother is REALLY growing up, Fi." Rhonda said.
"Rhonda, trust me he's not interesting. Too old." Fi said.
"Age is nothing but a number." Rhonda said.
The girls laughed again, "Ooh, Fi! What's in the bag?" asked.
Fi looked at her hip and saw the computer bag. "Oh, just my laptop."
"Oh." They both said.
"Just my new, state of the art laptop!" Fi laughed.
The girls screamed, "Awesome, can you put like music videos on there?" Chelsea asked.
"Umm…I guess but you know that I'm not interested in that.' Fi said.
"Well, you should be." Rhonda laughed.
Fi sat down near a locker and the girls did too. She opened up her laptop and the light shined on them. Fi handed it to Chelsea. Chelsea looked at it. "Ooh this is cool." She said.
Chelsea's eyes than widened, "Wow weird screensaver." She said. Chelsea saw a woman in old 1600's era clothing with long brown hair on the screen. The woman looked angry. Suddenly Chelsea's eyes glowed without Fi and Rhonda seeing her. And the woman disappeared.
"What screensaver?" Fi said taking away the computer. "There shouldn't be a screensaver."
"That's weird." Rhonda said.
Fi looked at her laptop, "I don't' see anything."
Chelsea nodded and stood up. The Fi and Rhonda did the same. "What did you see?" Fi asked.
"Nothing, Fiona. Nothing at all." Chelsea said putting on a strange grin.
"Okay, we should probably get to class." Rhonda said.
"Yeah, what class do you guys have next?" Fi asked.
"Me and Chelsea are both in the same class. World Literature." Rhonda said.
Fi took a piece of paper out of her bookbag and looked at it. "Cool so do I!" Fi said.
"Let us go." Chelsea said with out any enthusiasm her voice. As she slowly began to walked ahead of them in a trance like state.
"Why is she acting like that?" Fi asked.
"I don't know. Chelsea does weird things sometimes." Rhonda said beginning to follow Chelsea and so did Fi.
000000000000000000000000000000
Fi sat in her World Literature class, as the teacher talked about what to expect for the school year she looked around. She saw Rhonda sitting next to her on her cell phone; she hid it in her purse. Fi giggled and then looked Chelsea that seemed preoccupied. Fi began to watch Chelsea as she scribbled on the paper very fast. Fi glanced back Rhonda who was noticing Chelsea too and she shrugged.
After the bell rang all of the students got up and left the room. One kid called for the teacher and he left the room. Fi saw her chance and took out her computer to check her emails. "Annie said she would email me." Fi said.
"Ughhh!" Rhonda said.
"Don't start." Fi said. "I think she's online. Maybe I can set up a instant chat."
Rhonda looked behind her at Chelsea was stills scribbling. "Chelsea, are you alright?" she asked.
Chelsea didn't respond as she continued write quickly. Suddenly she stopped. "Augh!!" she groaned. As her pencil flew from her hands. "Not now! I need more time." She cried.
"What are you talking about, Chels?" Fi asked.
Chelsea seemed to be hit with a bolt of pain. She then looked at Fi. "Turn it my direction!" she pointed at the computer.
"My laptop?" Fi asked.
"Do it now!" Chelsea screeched.
Fi quickly got up with her computer and put it on Chelsea's desk. Chelsea looked at the screen and her eyes glowed. Suddenly Chelsea saw the same woman in old attire on the screen. "There's the screensaver again." She said weakly. Suddenly the woman disappeared and Chelsea couldn't see her anymore.
"What's going on?" she asked sounding even weaker and suddenly fell from her chair to the floor.
Rhonda screamed as she and Fi helped Chelsea back to her feet. "Are you alright?" Fi asked.
"Yeah I think so. I feel weird though." Chelsea said looking at her desk and picking up the paper she was writing on. "Oh my god."
"What?" Rhonda and Fi both asked.
Chelsea scanned the paper. "I didn't write this. I mean, I did but didn't. It's so weird. I don't know why I wrote it." She said handing Fi the paper.
Fi read the messy handwriting paper. "Fiona, I'm here to stay. If you try to stop me, you and your family get hurt. I just want to breathe again. That is all. The stench of fire and burning wood is stitched to my nostrils. Burn you will, and I will be departed from what seems to be the Nexus. For are family name is strong and powerful. Our power will not be diverted by mortals. Try to stop me and there will be blood."
The girls looked mortified. "Automatic writing." Fi mumbled.
"You mean when your hand just like writes by itself because of a spirit something?" Rhonda asked.
Fi nodded, "That must be it."
"I don't think so Fi." Chelsea said. "It was me. I mean I remember doing it. I was there but I wasn't there. It wasn't just my hand that was acting weird. It was my entire body, even my mind."
"You were talking about screensaver." Fi said.
"Oh, right. The lady." Chelsea said.
"What lady?" Fi asked.
"Some angry lady was on your desktop. She appeared and next thing I know she disappears when I was in class." She said.
"What about at the lockers. Are you saying you don't remember when were sitting down and when we went to class?" Fi asked.
"I remember sitting down looking at your computer and then I remember looking at your computer in here. But at the same time I feel like I was still here the entire time. Like something happened." Chelsea said.
"Okay, now I'm getting freaked out." Rhonda said.
"We're late to our next class." Chelsea said.
"Oh my god." Fi said.
"What?" They asked.
Fi raised her hand, showing off her ring. It began to glow and the old inscription scribbled its way around the ring. "Wow!" they said.
"It's happening!" Fi cried. "Again."
The girls stared at her. "I gotta get home. Tell Jack that I left."
"You're going to ditch?" Chelsea asked.
"No, I'm going to find some answers." Fi said jogging out of the classroom with her laptop.
Rhonda looked at Chelsea, "See, Fi is so much cooler than that stupid Annie."
"Definitely." Chelsea responded.