Chapter 26

Boinky and I rushed into the house, the Controller in Boinky's hand.

"Tommy, the graveyard!" he realized, as he gestured to the edge of the lot.

We ran there as fast as our legs could carry us, and Boinky beat me as he crossed through the gothic fence into the small family graveyard. Dad's grave sat next to Cindy's, the small space dedicated to them left relatively left undecorated.

"You know what to do, right?" I asked him, as we centered ourselves by Cindy's grave.

He nodded, "Yeah."

Boinky punched the buttons on his Controller, and the Philosopher's Stone appeared right next to them.

"Alright, here we go." I declared, as I walked over to the shining orb.

I waved my hands over the stone and just then, Cindy's grave disappeared.

"Well...did it work?" I asked.

Boinky turned to me, and raised his arms in confusion.

"I'm right here guys." a female voice called out.

I whipped around to see Cindy, in ghost form, floating in mid-air, her form slumped down, almost burdened.

"Hey, you're alive! Sorta...kind of…" I trailed off, not quite sure what to say.

She floated over to me, tears brimmed in her eyes, and she pulled me into a hug, as she began sobbing into my shoulder.

I patted her on the back, "It's okay sis, you're home now."

"What do you mean we're not resurrecting Dad?!" Tommy bursted out in shock.

"You heard me." I told him, "He wouldn't want it."

We were all sitting in the living room, waiting for Mom to come back from work and Marcus to get back from school.

Boinky nodded, "Honestly, I have to agree with Cindy. Despite what happened to Dad, he was already towards the end of his life."

Tommy sunk his head into his palms, "I just...don't get it. I mean, if you had a chance to come back to life, wouldn't you take it?"

"Iwould, but only because I have unfinished business." I argued, "Dad seems pretty satisfied."

"How would you know? Have you talked to him?" he asked accusingly.

I nodded, "Ghosts sometimes come out at night. We're no exception."

"Besides, we have more important things to worry about. How will Mom and Marcus react to know that Cindy's back?" Boinky told him.

"Oh what do you know?!" Tommy shouted, exploding in anger, "They're not really your parents anyway!"

He angrily stomped out of the room, leaving Boinky, shocked, to rest his cheek on his fist, his expression blank.

"Boinky…" I began.

"No, no, it's okay." he stopped me, "I...know he didn't mean it. He's just angry, he's been through a lot."

"No kidding...hey, do you think he's still afraid of you?"

He looked over at me, "Him? No, not since we were kids. But I'll admit, there is a certain amount of distance between us. We just kind of teamed up out of necessity. I mean, I don't think I'll be the first in line to go get a drink with the guy anytime soon. I mean, in a way, he is my brother, but at the same time he has a point. Biologically, I'm not his brother, and I really shouldn't have a right to call Mom and Dad-"

I floated over, sat down on the couch with Boinky, and rested my head on his shoulder, "No. You know Mom and Dad think of you as their son, even after you went to boarding school."

He wrapped his arm around me, something we haven't done in a long time, "Thanks."

"Mom?" I asked, as I floated out from behind a corner, accidentally floating through a part of it.

"Oh...Cindy…" she gasped, as she clenched her fists in front of face.

She ran over to me to hug me, "I knew you'd come back."

"Wait...what do you mean?" I asked, as she pulled away.

She chuckled suddenly, "...don't worry about it. What matters is that you're back. And I have just the thing to celebrate. I've been working on it for a long time." she jogged over to the refrigerator, running as if she were twenty days younger.

She opened the fridge and presented a single plate of Ambrosia, "I was saving it for your father, but, I think he would want you to have it, don't you think?"

I thought back to the conversation that Boinky, Tommy and I had, and, the conversations Dad and I had when we were both dead and alive. He didn't need to be dragged out of the coffin again and again like Principal Wright, and nobody wants to live forever. But, even so, I still felt a twinge of guilt...this was meant for him...

"Cindy, you deserve this." Tommy admitted weakly, as he leaned against the hallway wall.

Mom put the plate on the dining room table. The dish emitted a colorful aura, almost as if it was stale, but it had a pleasant scent to it, like fruit and whipped cream. I sat down at the table and a fork appeared in my hand. Boinky entered the room as well, standing next to Tommy. Both of them looked on as I began eating. I quickly finished it, and I stood up,

"Well...did it work?" Tommy asked.

I'm suddenly surrounded by the same blinding bright lights that was emitted from the Ambrosia. When the lights died down, I lifted up my hands and saw, skin, my skin.

"...Mom?" a young male voice asked.

I looked up and saw a teenaged Marcus standing by the front door. Now it was my turn to run over and hug him,

"Oh Marcus, you're so big, when did you grow so much?"

"M...mom...you're, alive." he stuttered.

"Yes dear, I'm alive." I repeated.

I let go, and he smiled, his crew cut hiding his father's deep blue hair.

"Son, when did you become a Teenager?" Boinky asked, his hands in his pockets.

He looked up, "Oh, just about an hour ago."

"So, you do realize how late it is?" he asked authoritively.

"...yes, Dad. But I was just staying late at school to clean the bird cages when it happened." Marcus explained.

His father smiled, "Alright then, you better get on to bed. Gonna be starting high school tomorrow."

Marcus, however, didn't look pleased at the idea, "Yeah...I know." he mumbled as he sulked off to his room.

I walked over to Boinky, "Is Marcus still having trouble at school?"

Boinky nodded, "Yeah. He's an Honor student, but he just can't seem to make any friends. I have no idea why."

"Well, from what I've heard, school's a lot different from when we were going." Tommy added, "Sunset Valley is a lot smaller now than it use to be. Everyone lives in Pleasantview now. Some are even calling Sunset Valley 'Old Town'."

"I know, that's why we moved there originally." I remembered, "Have either of you tried talking to him about it?"

Boinky and Tommy looked at each other nervously, both of them afraid to give an answer.

"Ugh, you guys." I rolled my eyes, "If neither of you will, than I will." I marched over to his room, and as the door opened, I saw that the lights were already off. His room was decorated with various posters and I noticed he was sleeping in the bunk bed Boinky and I shared as kids. He looked fast asleep, so I carefully grabbed the handle so the door wouldn't slam on its own like it always does, and carefully shut the door.

"In the morning." I promised myself.