Gory Engravings. . .Wrathful Reading
Peyton felt weight on her waist on something warm and furry against her stomach. Her eyes flittered open and she saw Juby curled up against her. Her head lifted a little off her pillow she looked down at her waist. Josh's arm was wrapped around her waist. Amazingly enough, it was warm and comforting. She smiled to herself a little. Very slowly, Peyton scooted up against Josh some more. Almost automatically, she rolled her eyes and smacked herself in the forehead, moving back to her original position.
Gently, she lifted Josh's arm off her and put it next to himself. Josh moaned. Peyton quickly turned back onto her side, not wanting to get caught putting Josh's arm back. The mattress shifted slightly as Josh sat up and yawned.
"Peyton, we've got to go now," Josh yawned, stretching.
Pretending she just woke up, Peyton sleepily sat up and rubbed her eyes. Very convincingly, she yawned and stretched.
Juby lifted his head. He looked at Peyton with soft, brown eyes. She got out of bed and pat him on the head, smiling.
"Hey buddy. We've got to take you back to Simon today."
Josh started to go change when he stopped and looked at Peyton.
"Do you want to shower or change or anything?"
"I'll take a shower. Let me go get my clothes," Peyton replied, walking out the front door. A few minutes later she came back in, carrying a good sized bag full of things.
"I thought you brought only the essentials with you." Josh eyed the bad as if it were about to explode.
"These are the essentials," Peyton replied defensively, pulling the bag closer to her.
"Fine." Josh rolled his eyes exaggeratedly, "Bathroom's down the hall on your right."
"Thank you." Peyton walked down the hall and into the room, closing the door behind her.
Josh went to his room and quickly changed into jeans and his second favorite shirt. It had the regular "York Peppermint Patties" logo on the front, but instead of saying "York" it said "Dork." Hearing the shower start to run, Josh went back out to the SUV. He thought Peyton would be out in about 10 minutes. Putting the keys in the ignition, Josh turned the keys just enough to turn on the radio, clock, and windows in the SUV, but not enough to turn the car on fully. Josh reached over and got the CD case out. After flipping through the selection, he finally decided on Good Charlotte.
Half an hour later, Peyton waltzed out of the house carrying her stuff while Juby followed at her heels. She was wearing a long jean skirt that had a slit up to the knees in the back and a beige sweater with a furry beige hat. She looked in the SUV and saw Josh asleep in the passenger's seat. Smiling wickedly to herself, she walked silently as she could and got into the car on the driver's side. Slowly, Peyton lifted Juby up off the ground and put him gently in the backseat. Her smile was now a wicked grin as she leaned over to the passenger's seat.
"JOSH!" Peyton yelled in his ear, getting the reaction she was hoping for.
He jumped up, startled, and looked around. Even Juby looked a little upset. Realizing what had happened, Josh looked at Peyton, his eyes narrowed. In response, Peyton's grin only got wider as she turned the car on fully.
"How could you do that to me?" Josh asked, apparently upset.
"I think the real question here is, how could I not do that to you?"
"I'll get you back! You can count on it!" Josh swore as he settled back down in his chair.
"Besides, I need your help for directions to Simon's house. I forgot," Peyton replied as innocently as she could.
Josh shot a glare at her, then proceeded to listen to Good Charlotte. "Hold On" was playing.
But we all bleed
The same way as you do
And we all have
The same things to go through
Hold on
If you feel like letting go
Hold on
It gets better than you know
"Can I ask you something?" Josh asked Peyton, glancing over at her.
"Sure," came the reply.
"Well. . . You had an extraordinarily hard life, right?" Seeing Peyton nod, Josh continued, "Well, did you ever just want to quit? You know-"
"Give up on life?" Peyton finished his sentence for him. Seeing Josh nod, Peyton smiled, "Of course."
"Then why didn't you?"
"That's a very complicated question with a very simple answer."
After noticing Peyton wasn't continuing, Josh asked, "What's the answer?"
"I knew how much hurt it would cause my family. I had seen it before when I touched people, and I knew how much it would hurt them. I could never do that to them. Simple as that."
Makes sense, Josh thought. Then he asked Peyton another question, "What was your family like? I mean, you've met mine, but I have no idea what yours is like."
"I had a mom. That's all I can remember. We had a special bond. That was probably because she was the only one who understood me and didn't think I was a freak. I never had any siblings and I never met my dad. But it didn't matter to me that much. I had at least felt wanted somewhere, and that was all that mattered to me. After graduating from high school, I had to leave my mom to go help people. We still keep in touch."
Josh almost felt sorry for her. Then, seeing how she was content with just her mom, Josh smiled.
Noticing what Peyton was wearing, Josh asked, "Isn't that a little dressy?" Peyton looked down at her clothes.
"They're not that dressy. I can still move comfortably in them. Besides, I want to look good."
Hearing this, Josh smirked, thinking to himself, If she only knew. The rest of the drive to Simon's house was in a comfortable silence.
However, upon reaching Simon's house, both of them knew something was wrong. From the backseat, Juby started to get antsy. He paced on the backseat, occasionally letting out a low growl. Peyton looked back and saw Juby's fangs bared, an odd look for him. Josh stared at the house from the car in silence. Finally, he spoke.
"Something's not right. Peyton, have you seen anything?"
"I haven't had a vision since the one where I. . ."
The sentence just hung in the air. Taking a deep breath, Josh opened his door and slowly got out. Peyton followed the motion and got out of the car. Juby barked from inside the car and Peyton rolled down a window so that he could breathe. Slowly, Josh walked up to the porch, Peyton following timidly. Once they reached the door, Josh grabbed the handle and turned it. Surprisingly, the door was unlocked. Swallowing the lump in his throat, Josh pushed open the door.
The first thing both of them noticed was the smell of blood. It was so strong it made Josh and Peyton sick instantly. The house was in ruins. A lamp was shattered on the floor. Broken ceramics and glass was scattered everywhere. Rugs were pushed to the side. One couch was over flipped onto it's side. A chair was broken in the middle of the room.
Peyton and Josh slowly made their way into the living room as they looked over the disastrous house. As they entered the room, Peyton stifled a scream and looked away. Josh gasped, covering his mouth for fear that he would throw-up if he didn't hold it.
Dried blood covered the wood floor, staining it. Bits of flesh and intestines could be found everywhere, along with ashes. The cushions on the couch had been ripped to shreds and some of the stuffing was stuck to the flesh and intestines. Splatters of blood were still evident on the walls.
Josh looked into the kitchen, then turned away. He uttered a curse and walked away from the kitchen a little. Hanging above the island in the kitchen was Simon's head, bits of blood vessels hanging down from the neck. His faced was contorted in fright and pain as the head slowly rotated in a circle on the string it was connected to. Below Simon's head was his heart, blood staining the wood underneath it. In a circle around the heart was ashes. A memory flashed through Josh's mind and he realized that the ash must have been Simon's bones burned up. Josh remembered it from Donovan.
Peyton buried her head into Josh's shoulder, not wanting to see anything more.
"Let's get out of here. Please," Peyton whispered into Josh's shoulder, eyes closed as a silent tear leaked out of one of her eyes. She felt Josh moving towards the door, then stop. Slowly, Peyton lifted her head and looked at the door with bleary eyes. She gasped at the sight.
The door had scratch marks left in it. They looked like they were done by fingernails. Hanging the handle of the doorknob was Simon's hand. The one Peyton hadn't taken when he offered it to her. It was obviously frozen solid to the handle. There was writing on the wall, obviously left by the ghost. It was written in Simon's blood. Choking back the lump in her throat, Peyton read it.
Lust lives,
Love dies,
Truth isn't found
All is lies
Hope is lost
Despair will churn
Life gives up
People burn.
Going mad with hate, Josh slammed his fist against the door. Hearing a whimper from Peyton, he calmed down considerably. Painstakingly and slowly, Josh lifted his hands towards the door and traced the scratch marks with his fingertips. Hate welled up inside Josh again. He closed his eyes and tried to imagine what it would be like. . .
Shaking his head, Josh erased all thoughts from his mind that didn't have to do with Peyton and him getting out of the house. He just couldn't bring himself to take Simon's hand off the handle. Turning back around, Josh took Peyton's hand and led her towards the back door. The back door was a wooden door with intricate carving on it. It looked so out of place with what Josh and Peyton had just discovered. Josh kicked the door with all his might. The door swung open and hit against the brick outside.
Once again, Josh grabbed Peyton's hand. He led her outside and around to a tall six-foot wooden gate. Unfortunately, the gate had been rusted shut from not been used and was impossible to open. Quickly as he could, Josh climbed up the side of the gate. From there he jumped off and landed with a soft thump. Peyton followed him and scrambled up the side of the gate expertly. She was about to jump down from there but stopped when Josh outstretched his arms to her. A little uneasily, Peyton slide into the awaiting arms. She flinched slightly at the contact, but let Josh put her on the ground gently.
From there they walked briskly to the car, where Juby was barking loudly. Josh got to the drivers seat first and Peyton settled for passenger. Once inside they both just sat there, staring and doing nothing. Juby had quieted down, but did not stop pacing on the seat. Wordlessly, Josh started the car and pulled away from the sidewalk by Simon's house.
"What happens now?" Peyton asked breathlessly.
The loud had silence had been broken. Neither of them knew what to do now. They couldn't call the police. How would they explain what had happened to them? They couldn't keep Juby, but how could they explain what had happened to Josh's parents? A new silence began, louder than the first. The only sounds were the soft rustling of Juby pacing in the back, the sound of tires on concrete, and the soft sniffling of Josh and Peyton. Again, the silence was broken, but this time by Josh.
"We'll drop Juby off at my parents. Just slip him in and leave. They'll wonder what happened to Simon and then they'll call the police and leave the matters to them. In the meantime, we're going after that damn ghost!" Josh claimed, determined.
Soon, they pulled up next to Josh's parents house. Josh got out of the car with Juby and Peyton waited patiently in the car. He walked as steady as he could up to the door. Slowly, Josh opened the door and motioned for Juby to go in. Juby did as he was told and went inside. Josh shut the door and walked briskly back to the car. Once Josh got in the car, he turned the key in the ignition and sped away as quick as he could without being heard.
The inside of the car once again drifted into silence. Nothing was heard except for the wind as the car traveled over the concrete. Sick of silence, Peyton reached forward and turned on the stereo. Good Charlotte started playing again. This time it was "Bloody Valentine". Thinking that was not the best music for the situation, Peyton changed the song. This time it was "Movin' On". Frustrated and fed up, Peyton just turned off the stereo and pitched the SUV once again into an unforgiving silence.
"So, where to now? I mean, if we go after the ghost, we're going to have to know where to go first," Peyton said, glancing over at Josh.
"There's library with computers and a connection to the internet. We'll go there," Josh replied, taking a left onto a busy street. Peyton nodded and leaned back into her seat.
A couple of minutes passed and Peyton noticed the SUV pulling into a parking lot. Once the car stopped, Peyton and Josh got out and walked into the library. Peyton looked in awe at all the library had. The computers were new and up-to-date. There was a small café in the back. The café had some tables set up with chairs. Not to mention it had rows and rows and shelves of books.
"I'll go get us some coffee and you look up information on this ghost," Josh told Peyton, then moved towards the café. Peyton managed a small nod and walked slowly to the computers. Peyton turned on the computer and started her search. She started with looking through old newspaper articles on deaths from car crashes. After she had looked through a few articles, she came across an article that intrigued her. It read:
Boy Killed in Tragic Racing Accident
Peyton quickly clicked on the link to see the article. It read:
On Wednesday, a boy named Sloan Jackson was killed in a tragic racing accident. Sloan had been the champion of the racing for some time. He had been racing when his car lit on fire, with him still trapped inside. The fire had mixed with the gasoline and caused an explosion. Sloan was killed instantly.
"I don't know how this could have happened," Sloan's beloved girlfriend, Sally Hugh explains, "It was just another race. The races meant so much to Sloan. Someone must have done something to his car. . ."
Peyton continued reading. Josh came over with two lattes.
"What have we got?" Josh asked, handing Peyton her latte.
"Sloan Jackson. He died in a car accident. The car lit on fire and exploded," Peyton told Josh, feeling sorry for the ghost.
"Sounds about right," Josh replied coldly and unmercifully. Peyton glanced at him, then returned her gaze to the computer before her. She scrolled up and looked to see the picture. Drawing in a quick breath, Peyton looked harder at the picture.
"What?" Josh asked, looking at her.
"That's him! That's the guy! That's the ghost!" Peyton whispered urgently.
"Ok, well, I think it's time to go ahead and research what we can do about it." Josh went to the computer next to her and turned it on.
After an hour of researching, Peyton came across something. She tapped Josh urgently on the arm.
"Yeah?"
"I believe Sloan has been linked with a series of killings!" This caught Josh's attention. He leaned closer to Peyton.
"What?"
Peyton proceeded to explain, "Well, every year, a car crash happens in the exact place Sloan died on the exact date! That's just not coincidence. Plus, every single person that has gotten into one of these crashes, has died! How bizarre is that?"
"Well, we need to know where this place is."
"I do know! We'll go there. Anyway, it seems that every year on this day Josh releases his vengeance, then goes back to hell."
"So," Josh thought aloud, "when Donovan summoned Sloan, it was just making the time come quicker. Does that mean that Sloan is going to be sent back on this day?"
"I think so."
"So, when is this?" Josh asked, taking a sip of his latte.
"It's coming up. All we have to do, is get to where Sloan is going to release his vengeance and stop him, then send him back to hell."
"That's all?" Josh replied sarcastically.
Peyton shot him a look and took a sip of her latte, "At least we know more than we did before."
Josh nodded in agreement. "Well, shall we go beat this ghost from hell?" Josh asked, offering his arm to Peyton and getting up.
Peyton nodded and smiled charmingly, "Of course!" She took his arm and they walked out together, sipping their lattes.
Peyton walked to the drivers door and got in while Josh got in on the other side. She started the car and it purred loudly. Josh smiled at her. Realizing something, Peyton slammed her hands against the steering wheel.
"Dammit!"
Josh eyed her wearily, "What now?"
"We're not going to make this trip in on day. Where are we going to spend the night and with what money?"
"Good point. . ."
"You know what? I'll just empty my bank account. I'm not going to be around to spend it anyway!" Peyton fumed angrily, then stopped, realizing what she said.
"Peyton," Josh started, "You're going to be around. I'm not giving up on you that easily."
Peyton smiled, then said, "It doesn't matter anyway. I'll still empty my bank account. It's not that important to me."
Josh gave her directions and soon they were at the bank. Peyton made her way to one of the credit machines. Josh stood at the door, leaning against it and patiently waiting. Soon, Peyton came back out.
"How much was in your bank account?" Josh asked, flabbergasted, as he looked at the bills in Peyton's hands.
"Around $350," Peyton replied coolly as she walked to the car. Josh's mouth fell wide open.
"You're kidding, right? Tell me you're kidding and I'll sleep easier!"
"Ok, I'm kidding, but that doesn't mean it's the truth."
"What hotel are you thinking of staying at that you need $350!?" Josh asked, sliding slowly into the passenger's seat.
"Well, I'm sick of always living the low life. I want to live it up while I still can." Seeing Josh's blank look, Peyton continued, "Hey, I want to spend tonight in a fancy hotel! That's not that big of a deal!"
"Ok, whatever, but you're going to be pissed when you're still alive and you have no money left!" Josh told her, turning back and looking forward.
"Yeah, yeah, I've heard it all before!"
Peyton felt weight on her waist on something warm and furry against her stomach. Her eyes flittered open and she saw Juby curled up against her. Her head lifted a little off her pillow she looked down at her waist. Josh's arm was wrapped around her waist. Amazingly enough, it was warm and comforting. She smiled to herself a little. Very slowly, Peyton scooted up against Josh some more. Almost automatically, she rolled her eyes and smacked herself in the forehead, moving back to her original position.
Gently, she lifted Josh's arm off her and put it next to himself. Josh moaned. Peyton quickly turned back onto her side, not wanting to get caught putting Josh's arm back. The mattress shifted slightly as Josh sat up and yawned.
"Peyton, we've got to go now," Josh yawned, stretching.
Pretending she just woke up, Peyton sleepily sat up and rubbed her eyes. Very convincingly, she yawned and stretched.
Juby lifted his head. He looked at Peyton with soft, brown eyes. She got out of bed and pat him on the head, smiling.
"Hey buddy. We've got to take you back to Simon today."
Josh started to go change when he stopped and looked at Peyton.
"Do you want to shower or change or anything?"
"I'll take a shower. Let me go get my clothes," Peyton replied, walking out the front door. A few minutes later she came back in, carrying a good sized bag full of things.
"I thought you brought only the essentials with you." Josh eyed the bad as if it were about to explode.
"These are the essentials," Peyton replied defensively, pulling the bag closer to her.
"Fine." Josh rolled his eyes exaggeratedly, "Bathroom's down the hall on your right."
"Thank you." Peyton walked down the hall and into the room, closing the door behind her.
Josh went to his room and quickly changed into jeans and his second favorite shirt. It had the regular "York Peppermint Patties" logo on the front, but instead of saying "York" it said "Dork." Hearing the shower start to run, Josh went back out to the SUV. He thought Peyton would be out in about 10 minutes. Putting the keys in the ignition, Josh turned the keys just enough to turn on the radio, clock, and windows in the SUV, but not enough to turn the car on fully. Josh reached over and got the CD case out. After flipping through the selection, he finally decided on Good Charlotte.
Half an hour later, Peyton waltzed out of the house carrying her stuff while Juby followed at her heels. She was wearing a long jean skirt that had a slit up to the knees in the back and a beige sweater with a furry beige hat. She looked in the SUV and saw Josh asleep in the passenger's seat. Smiling wickedly to herself, she walked silently as she could and got into the car on the driver's side. Slowly, Peyton lifted Juby up off the ground and put him gently in the backseat. Her smile was now a wicked grin as she leaned over to the passenger's seat.
"JOSH!" Peyton yelled in his ear, getting the reaction she was hoping for.
He jumped up, startled, and looked around. Even Juby looked a little upset. Realizing what had happened, Josh looked at Peyton, his eyes narrowed. In response, Peyton's grin only got wider as she turned the car on fully.
"How could you do that to me?" Josh asked, apparently upset.
"I think the real question here is, how could I not do that to you?"
"I'll get you back! You can count on it!" Josh swore as he settled back down in his chair.
"Besides, I need your help for directions to Simon's house. I forgot," Peyton replied as innocently as she could.
Josh shot a glare at her, then proceeded to listen to Good Charlotte. "Hold On" was playing.
But we all bleed
The same way as you do
And we all have
The same things to go through
Hold on
If you feel like letting go
Hold on
It gets better than you know
"Can I ask you something?" Josh asked Peyton, glancing over at her.
"Sure," came the reply.
"Well. . . You had an extraordinarily hard life, right?" Seeing Peyton nod, Josh continued, "Well, did you ever just want to quit? You know-"
"Give up on life?" Peyton finished his sentence for him. Seeing Josh nod, Peyton smiled, "Of course."
"Then why didn't you?"
"That's a very complicated question with a very simple answer."
After noticing Peyton wasn't continuing, Josh asked, "What's the answer?"
"I knew how much hurt it would cause my family. I had seen it before when I touched people, and I knew how much it would hurt them. I could never do that to them. Simple as that."
Makes sense, Josh thought. Then he asked Peyton another question, "What was your family like? I mean, you've met mine, but I have no idea what yours is like."
"I had a mom. That's all I can remember. We had a special bond. That was probably because she was the only one who understood me and didn't think I was a freak. I never had any siblings and I never met my dad. But it didn't matter to me that much. I had at least felt wanted somewhere, and that was all that mattered to me. After graduating from high school, I had to leave my mom to go help people. We still keep in touch."
Josh almost felt sorry for her. Then, seeing how she was content with just her mom, Josh smiled.
Noticing what Peyton was wearing, Josh asked, "Isn't that a little dressy?" Peyton looked down at her clothes.
"They're not that dressy. I can still move comfortably in them. Besides, I want to look good."
Hearing this, Josh smirked, thinking to himself, If she only knew. The rest of the drive to Simon's house was in a comfortable silence.
However, upon reaching Simon's house, both of them knew something was wrong. From the backseat, Juby started to get antsy. He paced on the backseat, occasionally letting out a low growl. Peyton looked back and saw Juby's fangs bared, an odd look for him. Josh stared at the house from the car in silence. Finally, he spoke.
"Something's not right. Peyton, have you seen anything?"
"I haven't had a vision since the one where I. . ."
The sentence just hung in the air. Taking a deep breath, Josh opened his door and slowly got out. Peyton followed the motion and got out of the car. Juby barked from inside the car and Peyton rolled down a window so that he could breathe. Slowly, Josh walked up to the porch, Peyton following timidly. Once they reached the door, Josh grabbed the handle and turned it. Surprisingly, the door was unlocked. Swallowing the lump in his throat, Josh pushed open the door.
The first thing both of them noticed was the smell of blood. It was so strong it made Josh and Peyton sick instantly. The house was in ruins. A lamp was shattered on the floor. Broken ceramics and glass was scattered everywhere. Rugs were pushed to the side. One couch was over flipped onto it's side. A chair was broken in the middle of the room.
Peyton and Josh slowly made their way into the living room as they looked over the disastrous house. As they entered the room, Peyton stifled a scream and looked away. Josh gasped, covering his mouth for fear that he would throw-up if he didn't hold it.
Dried blood covered the wood floor, staining it. Bits of flesh and intestines could be found everywhere, along with ashes. The cushions on the couch had been ripped to shreds and some of the stuffing was stuck to the flesh and intestines. Splatters of blood were still evident on the walls.
Josh looked into the kitchen, then turned away. He uttered a curse and walked away from the kitchen a little. Hanging above the island in the kitchen was Simon's head, bits of blood vessels hanging down from the neck. His faced was contorted in fright and pain as the head slowly rotated in a circle on the string it was connected to. Below Simon's head was his heart, blood staining the wood underneath it. In a circle around the heart was ashes. A memory flashed through Josh's mind and he realized that the ash must have been Simon's bones burned up. Josh remembered it from Donovan.
Peyton buried her head into Josh's shoulder, not wanting to see anything more.
"Let's get out of here. Please," Peyton whispered into Josh's shoulder, eyes closed as a silent tear leaked out of one of her eyes. She felt Josh moving towards the door, then stop. Slowly, Peyton lifted her head and looked at the door with bleary eyes. She gasped at the sight.
The door had scratch marks left in it. They looked like they were done by fingernails. Hanging the handle of the doorknob was Simon's hand. The one Peyton hadn't taken when he offered it to her. It was obviously frozen solid to the handle. There was writing on the wall, obviously left by the ghost. It was written in Simon's blood. Choking back the lump in her throat, Peyton read it.
Lust lives,
Love dies,
Truth isn't found
All is lies
Hope is lost
Despair will churn
Life gives up
People burn.
Going mad with hate, Josh slammed his fist against the door. Hearing a whimper from Peyton, he calmed down considerably. Painstakingly and slowly, Josh lifted his hands towards the door and traced the scratch marks with his fingertips. Hate welled up inside Josh again. He closed his eyes and tried to imagine what it would be like. . .
Shaking his head, Josh erased all thoughts from his mind that didn't have to do with Peyton and him getting out of the house. He just couldn't bring himself to take Simon's hand off the handle. Turning back around, Josh took Peyton's hand and led her towards the back door. The back door was a wooden door with intricate carving on it. It looked so out of place with what Josh and Peyton had just discovered. Josh kicked the door with all his might. The door swung open and hit against the brick outside.
Once again, Josh grabbed Peyton's hand. He led her outside and around to a tall six-foot wooden gate. Unfortunately, the gate had been rusted shut from not been used and was impossible to open. Quickly as he could, Josh climbed up the side of the gate. From there he jumped off and landed with a soft thump. Peyton followed him and scrambled up the side of the gate expertly. She was about to jump down from there but stopped when Josh outstretched his arms to her. A little uneasily, Peyton slide into the awaiting arms. She flinched slightly at the contact, but let Josh put her on the ground gently.
From there they walked briskly to the car, where Juby was barking loudly. Josh got to the drivers seat first and Peyton settled for passenger. Once inside they both just sat there, staring and doing nothing. Juby had quieted down, but did not stop pacing on the seat. Wordlessly, Josh started the car and pulled away from the sidewalk by Simon's house.
"What happens now?" Peyton asked breathlessly.
The loud had silence had been broken. Neither of them knew what to do now. They couldn't call the police. How would they explain what had happened to them? They couldn't keep Juby, but how could they explain what had happened to Josh's parents? A new silence began, louder than the first. The only sounds were the soft rustling of Juby pacing in the back, the sound of tires on concrete, and the soft sniffling of Josh and Peyton. Again, the silence was broken, but this time by Josh.
"We'll drop Juby off at my parents. Just slip him in and leave. They'll wonder what happened to Simon and then they'll call the police and leave the matters to them. In the meantime, we're going after that damn ghost!" Josh claimed, determined.
Soon, they pulled up next to Josh's parents house. Josh got out of the car with Juby and Peyton waited patiently in the car. He walked as steady as he could up to the door. Slowly, Josh opened the door and motioned for Juby to go in. Juby did as he was told and went inside. Josh shut the door and walked briskly back to the car. Once Josh got in the car, he turned the key in the ignition and sped away as quick as he could without being heard.
The inside of the car once again drifted into silence. Nothing was heard except for the wind as the car traveled over the concrete. Sick of silence, Peyton reached forward and turned on the stereo. Good Charlotte started playing again. This time it was "Bloody Valentine". Thinking that was not the best music for the situation, Peyton changed the song. This time it was "Movin' On". Frustrated and fed up, Peyton just turned off the stereo and pitched the SUV once again into an unforgiving silence.
"So, where to now? I mean, if we go after the ghost, we're going to have to know where to go first," Peyton said, glancing over at Josh.
"There's library with computers and a connection to the internet. We'll go there," Josh replied, taking a left onto a busy street. Peyton nodded and leaned back into her seat.
A couple of minutes passed and Peyton noticed the SUV pulling into a parking lot. Once the car stopped, Peyton and Josh got out and walked into the library. Peyton looked in awe at all the library had. The computers were new and up-to-date. There was a small café in the back. The café had some tables set up with chairs. Not to mention it had rows and rows and shelves of books.
"I'll go get us some coffee and you look up information on this ghost," Josh told Peyton, then moved towards the café. Peyton managed a small nod and walked slowly to the computers. Peyton turned on the computer and started her search. She started with looking through old newspaper articles on deaths from car crashes. After she had looked through a few articles, she came across an article that intrigued her. It read:
Boy Killed in Tragic Racing Accident
Peyton quickly clicked on the link to see the article. It read:
On Wednesday, a boy named Sloan Jackson was killed in a tragic racing accident. Sloan had been the champion of the racing for some time. He had been racing when his car lit on fire, with him still trapped inside. The fire had mixed with the gasoline and caused an explosion. Sloan was killed instantly.
"I don't know how this could have happened," Sloan's beloved girlfriend, Sally Hugh explains, "It was just another race. The races meant so much to Sloan. Someone must have done something to his car. . ."
Peyton continued reading. Josh came over with two lattes.
"What have we got?" Josh asked, handing Peyton her latte.
"Sloan Jackson. He died in a car accident. The car lit on fire and exploded," Peyton told Josh, feeling sorry for the ghost.
"Sounds about right," Josh replied coldly and unmercifully. Peyton glanced at him, then returned her gaze to the computer before her. She scrolled up and looked to see the picture. Drawing in a quick breath, Peyton looked harder at the picture.
"What?" Josh asked, looking at her.
"That's him! That's the guy! That's the ghost!" Peyton whispered urgently.
"Ok, well, I think it's time to go ahead and research what we can do about it." Josh went to the computer next to her and turned it on.
After an hour of researching, Peyton came across something. She tapped Josh urgently on the arm.
"Yeah?"
"I believe Sloan has been linked with a series of killings!" This caught Josh's attention. He leaned closer to Peyton.
"What?"
Peyton proceeded to explain, "Well, every year, a car crash happens in the exact place Sloan died on the exact date! That's just not coincidence. Plus, every single person that has gotten into one of these crashes, has died! How bizarre is that?"
"Well, we need to know where this place is."
"I do know! We'll go there. Anyway, it seems that every year on this day Josh releases his vengeance, then goes back to hell."
"So," Josh thought aloud, "when Donovan summoned Sloan, it was just making the time come quicker. Does that mean that Sloan is going to be sent back on this day?"
"I think so."
"So, when is this?" Josh asked, taking a sip of his latte.
"It's coming up. All we have to do, is get to where Sloan is going to release his vengeance and stop him, then send him back to hell."
"That's all?" Josh replied sarcastically.
Peyton shot him a look and took a sip of her latte, "At least we know more than we did before."
Josh nodded in agreement. "Well, shall we go beat this ghost from hell?" Josh asked, offering his arm to Peyton and getting up.
Peyton nodded and smiled charmingly, "Of course!" She took his arm and they walked out together, sipping their lattes.
Peyton walked to the drivers door and got in while Josh got in on the other side. She started the car and it purred loudly. Josh smiled at her. Realizing something, Peyton slammed her hands against the steering wheel.
"Dammit!"
Josh eyed her wearily, "What now?"
"We're not going to make this trip in on day. Where are we going to spend the night and with what money?"
"Good point. . ."
"You know what? I'll just empty my bank account. I'm not going to be around to spend it anyway!" Peyton fumed angrily, then stopped, realizing what she said.
"Peyton," Josh started, "You're going to be around. I'm not giving up on you that easily."
Peyton smiled, then said, "It doesn't matter anyway. I'll still empty my bank account. It's not that important to me."
Josh gave her directions and soon they were at the bank. Peyton made her way to one of the credit machines. Josh stood at the door, leaning against it and patiently waiting. Soon, Peyton came back out.
"How much was in your bank account?" Josh asked, flabbergasted, as he looked at the bills in Peyton's hands.
"Around $350," Peyton replied coolly as she walked to the car. Josh's mouth fell wide open.
"You're kidding, right? Tell me you're kidding and I'll sleep easier!"
"Ok, I'm kidding, but that doesn't mean it's the truth."
"What hotel are you thinking of staying at that you need $350!?" Josh asked, sliding slowly into the passenger's seat.
"Well, I'm sick of always living the low life. I want to live it up while I still can." Seeing Josh's blank look, Peyton continued, "Hey, I want to spend tonight in a fancy hotel! That's not that big of a deal!"
"Ok, whatever, but you're going to be pissed when you're still alive and you have no money left!" Josh told her, turning back and looking forward.
"Yeah, yeah, I've heard it all before!"