Wow, didn't expect such positive feedback! Thanks!
I post once a week, but this is early because I'm waaay too busy this weekend.
HellboundShadow-I've never seen a whole lot of Tucker Centric...so I decided to make one of my own. Glad you like it so far :) And I hope I surprised you this chapter.
DemigodPhantom- Danny and Sam are always good, I decided to mix it up a bit. Hope you like it =)
Chapter 2
Darkness. I couldn't see anything. I couldn't move. I couldn't breathe. I could barely think. I knew that my nerves should feel pain, but they were deadened. I couldn't sense a thing. I felt completely different, and it wasn't a good feeling. It was like an out-of-body experience to the max.
More quiet. I couldn't move or hear, and I thought I was going to go crazy. I must have spent hours in that comatose position, doing absolutely nothing. Frustration welled up in me.
In these situations, you finally realize the meaning of silence. It's so freakin' loud that I wish to never experience it again. I will never understand why silence is connoted as peace.
I felt racing panic as I struggled to move, but my limbs would not function. My palms prickled with sweat. I couldn't even hyperventilate. If I could actually move, I'd probably be having a seizure.
The silence was finally ended with a gasp. I breathed in!
I set my focus to work on where I was and how to get out. I soon realized that it wasn't that I couldn't move, but something was pressing down on me. And whatever it was felt heavy as hell. I couldn't call for help, and I didn't think anyone would be around a dark place like this.
Thanks Gravity.
Hot frustration ran through me. How in the world was I supposed to get up? How could I get out of whatever prison I was in? If I was Danny, I could have been able to lift whatever the hell this was, or just faze through it.
The answer came to me by a sweeping cold across my body, making me shiver. I wrapped my arms around myself and breathed out cold air, despite the fact it was a warm summers' day. The darkness was now gone, replaced by an aerial view of a fallen tree on a sunny day. But how in the world did I get high enough to-
I fell to the group with a thud. Rubbing my bruised butt, I wondered how the hell I was in the airborne anyway. All around me, children were playing and adults were watching over them like mother hens. The tree was avoided, and no one seemed to see me. I did a quick glance over of myself. I was wearing the same yellow shirt and green hat that I was wearing before, except they were tattered beyond repair. I felt my head, but I couldn't find my beret.
The other strange thing was that I didn't have my glasses, but I could see perfectly fine. I had perfect vision.
Confused, I decided to just walk home. How did I make it to the park?
As I trekked home, I noticed something strange. People seemed to subconsciously part way for me. The street was partly crowded, but no one bumped into me. It was like I wasn't there.
I finally reached my house, and came into chaos. My dad and mom were there, with my dad hugging her on the couch. There were tearstains on her face and on his shirt. I immediately ran over, thinking of the worst possible situations.
"Mom? Dad?" Dad didn't react, but Mom flinched sharply, causing Dad to look down at her with a questioning gaze.
"What is it?"
My mom was shaking slightly. "I heard him, Jerome. I heard his voice!" Dad sighed, shaking his head.
"The police have looked everywhere, and the rainstorm from that ghost was the last time he was seen. Sharon, he might be…"
"What, Jerome? What!" Mom was angry now. And I couldn't help but think…
"You know what I'm going to say!" that the person..
"Why don't you just say it then?" they were talking about…
"Tucker is probably DEAD!" was me.
I fell to the ground, sobbing. That's why no one could see me. But I couldn't be dead. Dead people were
cold and not moving and unresponsive to the world. I could see everything, feel everything. How could I be dead yet feel alive? Unless…
"No," I whispered. "No no no no no." It wasn't supposed to happen this way. I was supposed to go to Jump City and get a new start. I was supposed to get a girlfriend, make some new friends. Hell, I could have even made up with Danny and Sam. I couldn't be a ghost.
Without thinking, I rushed up and grabbed my mom, desperate to touch her. My hand just went through her. Nononononononono.
She gasped. "Did you feel that?" Dad shook his head, exasperated. "That cold brush of air! What if it's a ghost?" Dad looked frustrated.
"There's no ghost. Now, let's head to the police station. Maybe they have some more news. After all, it's been 48 hours since we stopped by." Mom tiredly nodded her head and they left the house. I couldn't believe what was happening.
I'm a ghost. I'm dead.
At least Danny had half his life. I was completely gone.
"Time out."
I whirled around to see Clockwork, Danny's mentor and ghost of time. I all but rushed to him.
"What is going on?" I shouted. "How am I a ghost?" I grabbed his shoulders, shaking them slightly. Clockwork had to pry my arms off.
"Tucker, you aren't a ghost." He said slowly, cautiously, as if afraid of my reaction.
I shook my head in confusion. "Then what is happening? I woke up underneath a tree, my parents haven't seen me for two days, and no one can see me at all!" Clockwork nodded.
"You don't remember what happened, do you?" I shook my head again. Clockwork looked troubled. "That is certainly not good."
"What happened?" I asked? I needed some answers. Clockwork sighed.
"I can't tell you. You have to figure it out yourself. But maybe this will jog your memory. "He held up a sorry looking plastic 'Thank You!' bag that was tattered and about to fall apart. Inside was a broken can of peas and a completely crushed bag of chips, along with an empty battered carton of milk and an innocent looking candy wrapper.
I looked at the bag with befuddlement until it came to me:
The jocks…
Being chased to the park….
The rain….
Danny…
Vortex…
The fight….
Thunder.
I looked up to Clockwork with horror etching my face.
"It's been 2 days since the park incident." He said quietly.
"What am I?" I whispered. Clockwork sat on the couch, and I stumbled to sit next to him.
"You obviously know you are not a part of the living anymore."
The information wasn't outstanding, but hearing it out loud startled me. I was legally supposed to be dead. The thunder seared my flesh and cooked my bones. It should've turned me into a fried crispy version of myself. It was shocking I still had a body. But still, I was dead. No pulse, no nothing. I couldn't eat meat anymore! I probably couldn't even use technology. It was the end of the world. Something itched at me though.
"Wait, if I'm dead, how am I breathing?"
Clockwork nodded solemnly. "You just died, and your form might think it's suitable to breathe automatically at intervals. It's pretty much a reflex now."
I slowly nodded, and hid my face in my lap. It made sense now. I was a ghost, a full one, unlike Danny.
Danny always got everything. He was frickin' Hannah Montana and Superman mixed together for the first two years of high school. The best of both worlds. Human by day, ghost hero by night. He had a girl who was completely crazy for him, a sister who supported him, and a whole community who waited on him hand and foot.
SO maybe I was lying, I am a tiny bit jealous. But who wouldn't be. Danny had everything.
Clockwork was still talking, so I tuned in to the last part of his speech."…not a ghost, but close."
"What?" Clockwork sighed.
"You are not a ghost. Quite different, actually." Panic raced through me for the second time that day.
"If I'm not a ghost then what am I?" I said, panicked. I was hyperventilating (even though I didn't need it) and I felt like passing out.
"You are a spirit Tucker Foley." And with that, my mind short circuited. A spirit? What the hell was a spirit anyway? You can have school spirit, some alcohol is called spirits, spirit is a synonym for character, but what is a spirit? It took a while for me to function.
"Spirits are the same things as ghosts, right?" I asked demurely. I really needed to sleep on this. Did I even need sleep anymore?
Clockwork looked a bit impatient for a ghost of time. "No. Spirits are much different than ghosts. A lot of common 'ghost run-ins' are spirits. Spirits are not as negatively thought of as ghosts are, nor do they have an obsession. Spirits are merely beings that can travel in between worlds but do not have a set purpose."
That made no sense. "If they don't have a purpose, why aren't they in the afterlife?"
"Spirits, unlike ghosts, have more a mental connection to earth, while ghosts have a more physical connection to the living. There are some exceptions, like when a ghost has purely negative feelings an cannot pass on to the afterlife unless they are resolved, or a spirit who has a physical and mental bond to a person. A spirit can become a ghost, but a ghost cannot become a spirit."
This was so much information to handle. "Why?"
"Because," Clockwork started, "A spirit does not have a purpose or obsession. They can gain one with enough pressure, may it be positive or negative, but a ghost has a permanent eternal obsession. Do you understand?"
I nodded my assent. Clockwork stood.
"I am glad I could help. Do you have any questions?"
I vigorously answered. "No one can see me, and how do I tell my parents I'm dead?! I'm supposed to be moving to Jump with my dad in three days! Also, I phased out of a tree! What abilities do spirits have?"
Clockwork smiled at this. "Spirits, as I said, have more of a mental connection to the living. They have a lot more mental powers than ghosts. However, most spirits have one elemental ability. This is usually based on how they died. Only you can decide when to tell your parents. As for phasing, try to picture yourself before you died. That should help. However, like Danny, your form changes. Spirits gain a new form once they die, along with how they looked when they died. Try to make yourself visible. And here, take these." He tossed me a bag of clothes.
"How did-"
"Time ghost. Your clothes are damaged, anyways."
I nodded, and ventured to my room. Once inside, I focused on how I looked before I died. I saw my dark skin, glasses and clothes. I felt the sweeping coldness across my body, and put on the clothes in
clockwork's bag. It was time to look in the mirror.
"Clockwork! Why the hell do I look like this?!" My voice had jumped down an octave. I grabbed my throat in alarm.
Puberty seemed to hit me overnight. I looked completely different. I was tall, at least a foot taller than before, and I glowed white. My eyes were glowing softly. And don't get me started on my clothes. What was supposed to be a baggy yellow turtleneck was a form fitting blue v neck, and instead of green pants I was wearing black jeans. Along with the new ensemble I gained combat boots. The worst part was that there was no red beret to complete the look, but a black beanie. I still made it work though.
2 points for 'Too Fine Foley.'
Clockwork materialized behind me. "Well, it seems that your form was altered. That's strange. I've never heard of such an occurrence. The glowing is normal, however. I guess Spirits have puberty also. It's a good thing I got looser clothes."
I couldn't speak.
"I should be going now. Here." He gave me a Black hoodie. He must have seen my confused look because he added, "It's an enchanted hoodie that hides your face. You'll need it later."
Along with the hoodie he put a ring on my finger. It was covered in inscriptions I couldn't read. "This can lead you into the Spirit world, but only when you're ready. You will know."
I was doing nothing today but nodding.
"Goodbye Tucker. We shall meet again shortly. Be safe. By the way, to turn off your glowing, imagine shutting off a light inside yourself. You'll get it." And with that, he disappeared with the sound of the grandfather clock dinging 5 times. 5 p.m already? A key began turning in the lock.
Oh, crap.
I ducked into my room and focused on not glowing. I decided the best thing would be to pretend everything was normal, go to Jump with Dad, and put Amity aside for a while. My parents didn't need to know. For now.
Looking into the mirror and seeing I looked somewhat normal, I steeled myself and walked downstairs.
"TUCKER?!"