So wow! I was really surprised that I so many positive reviews for this fic! You guys are awesomely awesome...like pie! Heh heh. I'm actually surprised I got this out as soon as I did; my dad bought me Kingdom Hearts 2 and it's basically been taking over my life. –hides sheepishly-
But anyway, this chapter is a little longer, but not by much...it'll improve though. I'll hush up now and let you read...
Chapter Two
I didn't really see much of Tuck—or anyone, for that matter—for the next two weeks, as I had to 'get my butt packing'. It didn't really seem fair that Mom and Dad hired people to pack for them, while I was stuck doing my own room.
Oh, well. After all, there are things I would really rather not let people see...like the journal I keep about the ghosts I meet, for example. Or the glowing ring a ghost had once given me who had been extremely wealthy in his previous life. What the heck would I tell my parents? 'Oh no Mom, that ring isn't just shiny; it's glowing 'cause it's spectral! I got it from a ghost! Wait? You're hauling me off to a mental institution?'
Welcome to my life.
About a week before Moving Day, I got a call from Tucker while I was dumping stuff from my closet into random boxes, and of course my cell phone had to be buried in said random box.
"Ugh! I don't see—ow!—how Tuck can like technology so much!" I yelled to my phone, whacking myself in the face with a combat boot in the process. I finally found the evil little device and flipped it open, throwing the boot that had attacked me against the wall.
"What!" I barked into the phone, not even knowing who I was yelling at.
"Well geez Sam, if that's how you're gonna greet everyone at your new school, forget about them calling you 'ghost hunting freak'," Tucker laughed.
I grimaced and leaned against the wall, pushing my bangs up from my forehead. "Sorry, Tucker. I was just trying to empty out my closet and inanimate objects decided they wanted to declare war on me."
"Maybe one of your ghostly pals decided they were out to get you."
I growled, literally growled into the phone. "Knock it off! And keep it down, will you? The last thing I need is for someone confirming that I'm totally crazy."
"Well I don't think you're crazy, even though I've never really seen any of these so-called ghosts, but isn't it nice to know that someone out there thinks you're sane?"
I let out a huge sigh. "Tucker, there's...there's more to it than that. I have to help them get out of the human plane by any means necessary. I don't exactly have a ton of 'ghostly pals', as you like to put it, sitting around doing my homework for me or anything."
"It's summer."
"That's beside the point. Now did you have something in particular to tell me, or did you call just to aggravate me about the ghosts I wish I couldn't see?"
"Actually..." Now Tucker sounded uncomfortable, which wasn't like him at all. Tuck never got uneasy about anything—he took everything in stride, which was probably one of the reasons we were such good friends.
"What?" I prompted.
"Well...I've been looking up some stuff on Amity Park..."
"Really? What a waste of time. What'd you find out?"
He let out a slight chuckle. "Well, I actually found out some pretty interesting stuff. There's a bunch of people in town that claim they've been victims of ghosts attacking them—and on top of it all, Amity Park is apparently home to two of the world's best-known ghost hunters."
I had to bite my lip to keep from laughing, but only because Tucker sounded so serious. "Oh, really? And who are these people?"
"Jack and Maddie Fenton. I have no clue if they actually do see ghosts or what, but they're the best known for rounding up any spooks. They've been in the business since their college days, apparently."
"Weird," I said. "I don't know Tucker, doesn't that just seem...really unlikely? I mean, I know there are ghosts around here, but none of them have actually attacked other people—just me."
"Oh sure." Tucker sounded unconvinced. "Like that one time ol' what's-his-name grabbed me by the leg, hurled me upside down, and threatened to break my neck unless you stopped the exorcism that you were performing?"
"His name was Damon," I supplied. "And yeah, I guess you're right, but the weird thing about ghosts is that they usually either stick around where they died, or they instinctively find me. I mean, some of the ghosts I've run into have been dead a really long time. I guess it's nice to have someone hear what you're saying for once."
"So you think that maybe there's someone in Amity Park with your little ability? I mean, I've heard of places being haunted, but Sam, the reports that come from this place are ridiculous. It's gotta be the only explanation."
"I guess..." I wasn't convinced. I mean, it would be nice to finally meet someone else with this quirky little trait of being able to speak to the dead, but it would also be...I don't know, really unsettling to know that someone in this very state had had the exact same "talent" as me. Something was telling me that Amity Park was a whole other story than what Tucker had found out about the place.
"So anyway..." I said, interrupting my own thoughts. "You're coming over for the next few days, right?"
"Every day 'til moving day," he replied, and I could practically hear him grin. "I gotta make use of that home theater while I still can!"
I smiled. "You would. I just hope I can take care of all the ghosts around here before I move. I haven't actually had to deal with one for a few weeks now, and when they just stop showing up like that, it always makes me nervous."
"They're all waiting for you in Amity Park," Tucker joked, bursting out into laughter.
He was cursing me. I just knew it.
--
On moving day, I expected just Tucker, and maybe some family friends to say their goodbyes to us as we quickly packed up and left town without commotion.
What I got, of course, was most of Dimmsdale on our lawn as I stumbled onto the lawn at nine in the morning, clad in fuzzy purple slippers and my black nightgown.
After I got into proper clothes (and silently vowed to murder Tucker), I discovered it was all a ruse set up by my parents and Tucker—it was a going-away party that I was supposed to enjoy while my parents helped pack up the extra boxes and stuff; sort of an apology for making me pack up my own room and plucking me from the town I'd been living in my whole life.
Oh yeah, thanks Mom and Dad. Now thanks to you, practically all of Dimmsdale knows what I sleep in.
Although about an hour into the "party"—which consisted of people breaking off into cliques and talking to the same people they did every day—I discovered someone who more than likely wasn't invited. In fact, I was the only one who knew she was at this little shin-ding.
She had to have been dead a long time, because her face was an eerie green color. She wore a long, full blue dress and had her long hair tied neatly back in a braid. A sad expression was set on her face, and I didn't think it was just because people were literally walking through her.
I leaned over towards Tucker, who had been taking random digital pics, trying to find some sort of way to blackmail a friend of his, Timmy (they've both had their eye on some popular bimbo for ages and are constantly fighting for her attention), and hissed, "There's a ghost here. I'm gonna try and figure out what she wants, okay? Cover for me."
"Yeah, no problem," he answered, clearly distracted. "If she's a hottie, give her my number."
Rolling my eyes, I slowly made my way towards the girl, trying as hard as I could to stay out of people's view as much as possible. Before I could get close enough, though, she looked straight at me, that gloomy look still in her eyes.
"He's the one," she murmured, not moving except to look at me. "But he wasn't supposed to be like this. Give him his chance."
I blinked. "Umm...I'm sorry...I don't know what you're talking about. Would you mind making sense?"
The ghost shook her head slowly, as if she were too depressed to do anything more. "He can't stop them. They know it wasn't supposed to be this way."
"Would you mind telling me who 'they' are?"
"He knows. He can feel it in his heart." She pressed a closed fist to her chest. "Remember that he's the one. You've both been searching—but know that it wasn't supposed to be like that."
"What the heck—"
Before I could finish my sentence, there was a gust of wind and the ghost disappeared.
--
GASP, I hope the suspense is killing you...well, not really, because if it did, you wouldn't be able to review! Muhahaha. Much love and thanks to the reviewers of the first chapter: KelcitaoOo, SummersSixEcho, silvermoonphantom, BlueMyst19, divinedragon7, FireMoonGoddess, Lacey52, dArkliTe-sPirit, Galateagirl, Oystiee, the wicked end, Denise, Kagome M.K, danny+sam 4E, not important, and Terrasina Dragonwagon. You guys are awesome and I hope you review again!