RATED T for some theories on reincarnation and romance.
DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN ANY OF THE AMAZING CHARACTERS ON GHOSTWRITER! BUT I SURE DO LOVE THE SHOW AND LOVE TO WRITE ABOUT THEM!
Chapter 24
Jamal was rubbing his eyes. What just happened? He swore as he opened his eyes that there was still a purple halo over the other team members and Chuck in the living room floor, although his eyes seemed blurred and his view was fuzzy. The purple halos subsided, and although Jamal felt like he wasn't going to be transported yet again through time and beyond, he couldn't come to terms with what had just happened.
He all of a sudden saw Chuck opening his eyes, having a hard time sitting up. His cane had fallen on the floor on to his side. Jamal quickly scrambled over to help him. Chuck and Jamal's eyes linked.
"You saw my past didn't you?" asked Chuck.
"No, I saw Lenard's," replied Jamal. Both of them nodded and smiled bitter sweetly. As the rest of the members started opening their eyes and sitting up Jamal noticed that for the first time in a long time the silence had become nauseating.
"Did we all- just see the same thing?" asked Lenni, as brought her fingers to the side of her cheeks wiping away the tears.
Tina and Gaby looked as if they were crying for hours. Gaby's eyes we're so watered down they look as if they were swollen.
"Those poor Japanese children. They all died didn't they," asked Tina, as Chuck nodded in response.
"We saw Lenard's past." That was all Gaby could say as she slumped into Lenni's living room plush sofa. As the sofa enveloped her, Gaby began to bring her knees up to her chin covering her face with her hands to hide away the tears. Lenni lay back against the breakfast counter arms folded in sadness, as Rob went over to comfort Gaby. Tina buried her face into Alex's shoulder, as he looked on to Jamal.
"How did- how did we all end up in this… crazy vision?" exclaimed Jamal.
"I think it may have been because of me" stated Chuck remorsefully.
"What was the word that I typed right before this happened? 'Lilly', remember? Not only was it her name but it was in the connotation of her."
"You know we were afraid of mentioning her- we thought it would send Ghostwriter into a whirlwind but never like this," stated Rob as a matter-of-factly.
"I can't believe it. Poor Lenard Harp= Poor Ghostwriter. No wonder why Ghostwriter is scared of dogs. In the dream as Charles and Lenard are escaping the drug dealers they have dogs chasing after him!" cried Lenni.
"It was a very turmoil and violent way to die- that's for sure. No wonder poor Lenard is stuck as a Ghost," stated Alex.
"It doesn't surprise me Jamal that your great grandfather is stuck as a Ghost that can only live through words and phrases. Lenard was a man of beautiful phrases. He would write lyrics for our songs with the greatest of emotions. He would write our music, and when he spoke, you just couldn't help but listen. He was a man of many words, but he wasn't a loud or boastful man. He was an avid reader, he brought books to Japan that I think kept him alive as he pinned over Lilly overseas. And those Japanese children that we took care of, believe me when I say- Lenard was like a father to them for those months," said Lenard sadly.
Lenni placed a hand on his shoulder, as Chuck grabbed it for comfort, looking very remorseful. He had just seen his best friend, through an unexplainable process, a vision that was able to connect the present and past. Chuck quickly remembered the air flight number and message Ghostwriter had sent moments before the vision occurred.
"I bet you that message that he sent us is on my cousin Charles. He's probably boarding a plane right now to London- and there is nothing we can do to stop it!" cried Chuck.
Lenni and Jamal quickly looked at each other and thought the same thing! They rushed over to the computer monitor and saw that Ghostwriter's message on the flight was still there.
"Tina quick! Throw me Gaby's casebook that's right beside you over there!" cried Jamal. Tina quickly grabbed the casebook from the couch and tossed it.
As Jamal caught it Lenni already had her pen out ready to copy it down:
:Passport Number: A3420009555009PL:
:Destination: London:
:British Airways:
:Flight Number: BA744
"Someone type to Ghostwriter or write to him! Ask him if he's ok, is he even here?" asked Gaby hysterically. Rob held her hand as she got up abruptly form the couch motioning her to sit back down, hoping he could get her to calm her down.
In a frenzy, Lenni starts writing to Ghostwriter.
: Ghostwriter are you ok?:
No response.
"I told you this would happen! Now we have no Ghostwriter!"
"Gab calm down!" exclaimed Alex.
Gaby starts to get up, and unhooks her hand from Rob's as she paces up and down Lenni's Living room. Chuck looking guilty as if it was his fault. If he didn't say Lilly or ask about her, none of this would've happened.
"What if he's gone for good?" cried Gaby.
All of a sudden there was a furious knock on the door. As Lenni went to answer it, her phone began to ring. Torn, Rob shot up "I'll get it" he said, leaving Lenni relieved, as she immediately dashed to the phone.
It was Casey.
"Jamal?" cried Casey. Rob opened the door more to unveil Jamal at Lenni's side who was sitting next to an old African American man whom Casey did not recognize.
Casey ran towards Jamal as he returned her sobs with a tight hug making her feel protected. Casey had seen the vision too. She now knew that Ghostwriter was indeed Lenard Harp- their Great Grandfather.
Chuck looked at the young girl that had just shot through the door. He was stricken with immense surprise. Casey looked like the spitting image of a younger Lilly Harp. The Resemblance was baffling. Casey could feel the old man's eyes on her. Feeling a little uncomfortable she backed away from Jamal's hug as she wiped her tears.
"Wait, you look familiar. Weren't you the one visiting – are you the man in the dream, the one that visited the cousin?"
The old man nodded. As the team, half the members in tears explained Casey the story of Tina being shot, Charles still questionably on the loose, and the background story of Lenard Harp, Chuck, and Charles, Casey looked overwhelmed.
" I know it sounds like a lot right now cuz, but believe me when I say that catching Charles will avenge Ghostwriter- or I guess Lenard Harp-" started Jamal.
"You mean Great Grand Dad," replied Casey. "Who knew all this time, Ghostwriter was our Great Grand Dad? Where is he? Has anyone tried to write to him?"
"No response," replied Rob, " wait though! Look at the computer screen!" exclaimed Rob has he pointed to the computer. The words of the flight number and the rest of Ghostwriter's latest message were fading in and out.
"What's going on?" asked Lenni as she slammed the phone and ran over to the team. By the time Lenni got there the message was gone. The computer screen, was blank.
"Why did Ghostwriter's words disappear?" asked Tina sadly.
"I have no clue. We didn't fight or get into an argument. Ghostwriter only gets weak when we are not together. Come on! We have to pull it through for him! We need to get on this case pronto!" cried Alex.
"It seems like Ghostwriter knows that we can avenge his death. We can do this for him. If we catch Charles…do you think Ghostwriter will rest in peace?" asked Rob
"You mean Lenard Harp," corrected Chuck, " we will be resting my dear friend in peace."
"Yes," says Jamal, " my great grandfather. I can't believe all this time I have talking to my own relative," says Jamal as he shoots a look to Casey both having shivers down their spine.
"Maybe he'll finally be well rested, with Lilly?" asks Gaby this time a bit more strong.
Tina comes to grab Gaby's hand happy to see her friend back in the logical sense of things.
"See Gaby. Maybe there is a silver lining after all to Ghostwriter being gone Gaby. He may not be with us, but maybe he will be with his love, once and for all," says Tina as she bumps her forehead to Gaby's. The two girls smile, finding some sort of comfort in Ghostwriter's possible eternal leave.
" Well I have some more news- I was just on the phone with some of our sleuthing friends in London. Guess who saw the vision too," stated Lenni as she shot a look at Jamal.
"What! Becky and Sam!" exclaimed Jamal.
"So does this mean that everyone who knows of Ghostwriter has seen this…vision?" asked Gaby.
"Well I did and I wasn't even in the same room as all of you guys," stated Casey.
"Well The only other people that know Ghostwriter is Hector and Catherine!" stated Alex.
"Right! When I talked to Sam and Becky they stated that they got the message from Ghostwriter regarding the flight number. They saw the vision, and also the whole chain of events in a snap with Tina. Tina they asked if you were doing ok- it looks like they got details in a vision that we didn't-"stated Lenni.
"Yeah? Like Tina being shot?" said Alex in bewilderment.
"Right. They know that this person who probably has these tattoos is Charles- Chuck's cousin. Also known as Tina's shooter. He's the one boarding this flight- and he's the one headed for London."
"Chuck- is there anyone Charles may know of in London?" asked Jamal.
"No, no one I can think of," stated Chuck.
"We need to head to the airport! Sam and Becky have stated that they are going to call their uncle who works in Heathrow Airport. They will try to stall or at least notify British Airways about Charles," cried Lenni.
"Wait not so fast. I say some of us stay back and try to get a hold of Hector and Catherine, " started Alex.
"I'll go with you Alex, we can go to the Bodega-" started Tina.
"No actually Tina- you should come with us. You can identify if Charles is the shooter," stated Jamal.
" Look we have no time guys! Let's just all go!" cried Gaby as she headed out the door.
As the team followed behind her steps away trying to get Gaby back, they were halted by a familiar face down the steps.
"Come on kiddos! I know what we are meant to do!"
"Catherine!" cried some of the team members in unison!
"Catherine I can't believe you're here!" cried Tina as she ran to give her a hug.
" I take it we all saw the vision, and well I just knew where you all might be at. I tried Jamal's house first but the lights were off. I assumed you all had to be at the Bodega or at Lenni's! And there you go process of elimination I got here!"
"What are you saying! You saw the vision?" cried Alex.
"Kiddo I saw the vision, and the MESSAGE! We gotta go to the airport now! You know I write them mysteries, I know how to be a super sleuth! If Frank were here he'd already be 15 minutes into his commute to the airport! Now come on! Let's go! "
The team ran behind Catherine and piled into to her Dodge Van. Jamal and Alex helped Chuck.
"Hold on tight Uncle Chuck!" cried Jamal. "Wait, is it ok that I call you Uncle?" asked Jamal.
"I'd be disappointed if you didn't!" smiled back Chuck the smile on his face even making his wrinkles look so happy and young. Jamal couldn't help it but in the midst of the emotion, the heated case, he rushed into the van and gave a big hug to Chuck. They were on their way to not only catch Tina's shooter, but to make right of Lenard Harp's death.