Disclaimer: Thir13en Ghosts belongs to Steve Beck.

Claimer: I own Natalie Hayes.

This is the first of the series I will be writing based on a few of the ghosts of Thir13en Ghosts. This one is about Horace Mahoney, but in life. These are stories about how the most horrific spirits enslaved by Cyrus Kriticos were saved by what Cyrus himself claimed to be the most powerful energy: love.

Chapter#1: Meeting the Enigma

"Damn it!" She let out a long sigh of building frustration as she turned the key in the ignition for the fifth time in a row. Her car had broken down unexpectedly as she was driving back from visiting her grandmother. She had been trying to start it up again for the past five minutes or so, but all she was rewarded with was the scratching, almost painful screeches and groans from the engine.

Ticking her bottom lip out, she used it to blow upwards and move a stray strand of hair that was dangling in her eyes. Sitting up, she released another sigh of aggravation as she pushed the car door open and walked around the front of the car to pop the hood. She coughed as she was greeted with a face full of smoke, and she took a couple steps back while waving her arm in front of her to clear the offending cloud from her face. Once the smoke cleared enough for her to see, she was able to locate the problem almost immediately. The radiator cap was spilling fluid. Her shoulders slouched as a sheer dread washed over her. This was not something she had been expecting to deal with, and she was less than prepared to make repairs. The car was a hand-me-down from her father—a 1969 Mustang—and it had never given her or her father a single issue up until today. Its dark blue paintjob sparkled in the sunlight, but there was no question it could go for a good wash, too.

"Just what I need…" Sighing, she closed the hood and ran a manicured hand through her chocolate waves, contemplating her options. She'd only lived in the area for a few weeks, and she didn't know it very well yet. The actual town where she lived was still miles down the highway, and there were no buildings before then except for a gas station and a huge junkyard. The closest destination would be the junkyard. It would be about two miles of walking, but hopefully they'd be able to help her out.

Placing her hands on her hips, she turned to face the long stretch of road ahead. That was a long walk, and it was hot out. Not smoldering, but it was enough to cause a thin sweat to form on her skin. It was days like these that made her hate bras, because they turned into suffocating ovens. She had worn a black crop top and a pair of white jeans, but it did little to relieve the heat. The sun was setting steadily. It would be nightfall within the hour, but it would be a few hours before the air reached a comfortable temperature.

"This would only happen when I have to get up at 3 AM tomorrow," she grumbled, as she locked the car and walked off in the other direction. Just as she was about to start her long, hot trek, however, a sudden honking sound caused her to stop and look over her shoulder. It was as if the gods had heard her struggle, because she was presented with the sight of an old, red pickup headed in her direction. The windshield flashed when the setting sunlight hit it, and Natalie held up a hand to her eyes, squinting. They came to a slow stop when they reached her car, and she jogged across the road as the driver's window rolled down. A middle-aged man looked out at her, blue eyes squinted against the glare. He was wearing a grey uniform and worn out hat, the edges tattered and weathered.

"You okay, ma'am?" he asked her.

Natalie smiled at him, stopping a couple feet from the truck. "I'm okay. My car is the one suffering."

Nodding, he looked over at the sleek Mustang. "Nice car. 1969 Mustang?"

"Yeah. She used to be my father's. She hasn't given me a hint of trouble until today. I guess the heat got to her. I'm new around here; where I used to live it never got this hot."

He opened the door and hopped out of the truck, and he looked to her before motioning to her car. "Mind if I take a look?"

"I already know the problem. The radiator cap needs to be replaced."

"Did you test it?" he asked, walking over to the car anyway.

"No, but it's spilling fluid."

He opened the hood and examined the damage, and after a moment or so of prodding and tinkering he nodded. "Looks like that's the problem. It's not often you find a woman that knows cars."

Her silence was his cue to look up at her, and when he saw her less than impressed expression he sent her an apologetic smile.

"Sorry. It's not a bad thing. I'm impressed."

"A girl has to know how to take care of herself. I was headed towards that junkyard a few miles down the road. Would you mind giving me a lift?" she asked.

"Well, I don't see why not. I own the place after all." He smirked.

"Oh." Her eyebrows rose. "Well, that's convenient."

He chuckled and motioned to his truck. "Hop in. I'll take you there, and then I'll come back out and tow your car in for you."

"Thank you." She smiled at him, genuinely thankful. She walked back to his truck with him and climbed into the passenger's seat as he got back in the driver's. He extended his hand to her.

"James Mahoney. A pleasure to meet you, Miss…?"

"Oh, I'm sorry. How rude of me." She took his hand. "Natalie Hayes."

"A pleasure to meet you, Miss Hayes."

They reached the yard within fifteen minutes, and as James got out to unlock the gate Natalie took a moment to stare up at the towering chain link fence that surrounded the entire yard. Cars stacked high, forming a jungle of rusted metal and old parts. She stared up at them with fascination as James drove them through the fence. There were so many. This place was huge.

"Okay," said James. "I'm going to go pick up your truck. My son should be able to have it running for you by tonight. We usually close around five, but we can make an exception this time." He smiled at her.

"You have a son?" She looked at him.

"Yeah. He helps me out around here."

"Where is he?"

She was curious when he seemed to almost hesitate for some reason. "He's somewhere."

"Well, I'd like to thank him if he's going to stay up late working on my car. Could you point me in his direction?" she asked lightly.

"Uhh…" He appeared to wince. "Honestly, I think you should just wait here."

She frowned at him. "Why?" Why was he acting so strangely all of a sudden?

"He's… well, he's not really a people person, honestly. You should just stay here," he said.

Natalie was setting him with a slightly suspicious stare. Not a people person? What the hell did that mean? Was he leaving her with a potentially unstable person?

"…Should I go with you? I mean, should I be here alone?"

"Nah, he won't come near you. You probably won't even see him while you're here. He's probably in the garage. Look, just take my word for it, all right? He just likes to be left alone."

He likes to be left alone? Why is this guy acting so suspicious all of a sudden? Just taking a look around the place, she knew it must have been forlorn here. If she had to work here, she'd be overjoyed for any sort of company. Her suspicion and curiosity must have shown on her face, because he let out a heavy sigh.

"Look. He's never hurt anyone or anything. I just think you're better off staying away from him. He can be a little intimidating."

"…Okay…" she agreed finally; though, she wasn't fully convinced.

He appeared relieved at her surrender, even though he tried to hide it with a pleasant smile. "Make yourself comfortable. I won't be long. If you want, feel free to go inside and get yourself something to drink." He motioned to the trailer sitting off to the side against the fence.

"Thank you."

He nodded, and she didn't miss the glance he sent directed at something behind her. She made sure to smile when he smiled at her one last time before heading back towards his truck. She waited until he had driven a good length down the road before turning and taking off at a swift stride through the yard. Screw it.

It took her a few minutes of walking through the endless rows of stacked cars, but she was able to use a set of tire tracks as her guide, and eventually she came across the garage James must have been talking about. She knew she could be getting herself into trouble, but for some reason she felt determined to meet this mysterious man. The way James had acted was strange. Now that she thought about it, she remembered overhearing a conversation in town between a few people. She had been in a diner, and a group of two men and a woman were talking about the junkyard. She remembered what one of the men had said: That ain't no man. I won't go anywhere near that yard. James is a good man, but I don't know what he's thinkin' letting that guy work there. Could they have been talking about James' son? If she didn't have to fear for her safety, then why shouldn't she be able to talk to this man? Something just didn't fit. She was going to be careful, but she was going to get to the bottom of this. It was just how she was. If something were to happen, she had her knife and the training her father had taught her.

As she neared the garage, she became aware of what sounded like a blowtorch. When she passed the window near the door, she saw someone's head behind a car, but they were wearing a protective metal mask. Quietly and cautiously, she stepped in front of the opening and peeked inside. A man knelt behind a truck, but she could only see him from the shoulders up. An iron mask covered his face to protect his face from the torch. He didn't notice her as she slowly walked a few feet into the garage, intently focused on whatever he was doing. Here goes nothing.

"Um… hello?" she said, loud enough so that he would hear her.

His head snapped up at the sound of her voice, seeming startled. The blowtorch went out the next second, and for a few lengthy moments after that he just stared at her… not moving… not saying anything. Lifting her hand, Natalie gave a small wave.

"Hi. Sorry if I'm intruding," she said politely.

He stared at her silently for another minutes or so, and then there was a small clank when he set down the blowtorch on the cement floor. Then, slowly, he rose to his feet. Natalie kept her eyes on his masked face, but she was hardly prepared for how incredibly tall this man was. By the time he was standing upright, her head had tilted slightly upwards, and she found herself staring at his impressive height. Seven feet, she guessed, at the most. Not only that, but he was built like a professional linebacker. A single glance at his exposed arms was enough to impress her. Now she understood what James had meant when he said she might feel intimidated.

"Wow." She blinked. "Someone drinks their milk."

She didn't receive a response, just a blank stare from the iron mask covering his entire face. Either she had offended him, or he was trying to think of a way to respond. He had seemed pretty taken off guard when he looked up and saw her standing in the middle of the floor.

"Sorry." She winced the slightest bit with a small, apologetic smile. "I tend to talk out of my ass. My name is Natalie. I'm the owner of the car your father is bringing in…"

No response. She bit her lip, a little uncomfortable. Why wasn't he saying anything? That mask was beginning to unnerve her a little. She couldn't tell what he was thinking without being able to see his face. Maybe she should have listened to James and stayed in the trailer. This guy was big. If he was easily ticked off, and that's why she was told to stay away, then she didn't want to piss him off.

"My father let you back here?"

She wasn't sure why hearing him speak was so startling to her. His voice was deep—almost cavernous—and it sounded muffled from the mask.

"Um… well, not exactly." She felt her lips pull into a slightly guilty smile. "I wanted to come back and thank you for working on my car afterhours, but he seemed to resent the idea for some reason."

He didn't say anything.

"…Honestly, I found it a little odd. It's like he was worried for my safety or something." She quirked an eyebrow at him. "Should I be afraid for my safety, Mr. Mahoney?"

He didn't really respond, but then she could have sworn she heard him mutter "not for your safety." Without really realizing it, her eyes narrowed suspiciously. Not for your safety. If not for her safety, then for what? Her jade eyes studied the mask covering his face, and after a moment it slowly dawned on her. Faint traced of wonder and awareness replaced the look of caution in her eyes. Most people would take off the mask and look the person face-to-face, but he seemed to be intent on keeping it in place. The man's words from the diner filtered through her mind once more. That ain't no man. She studied him closely for a moment, her eyes knowing, and then nodded to the iron covering vaguely.

"Take off that mask."

His voice suddenly went cold. "You should leave."

"No. Something weird is going on here. I want to see your face."

"No."

"What have you got to hide?" she argued. She didn't wasn't trying to piss him off. All she wanted was the truth.

He didn't say anything. Natalie tilted her head to the side curiously.

"Why didn't your father want me to come out here… really?"

There was a pregnant pause, and she could sense his hesitation.

"He thinks I'd scare you away," he said at last.

She eyed him calculatingly. "Because you're big?"

"…Not exactly."

She stared at him, her expression not changing. "Take off that mask," she said again.

"You don't want me to do that," he said, and his voice seemed to darken.

"Try me," she said seriously. Now her curiosity was outweighing her caution. She wanted to see him, and that was that.

Reading his body language, she could tell he was very apprehensive about the situation he was in. He did not want to take off that mask. She didn't back down, though, standing her ground with her arms folded stubbornly over her chest. He seemed to recognize she wasn't going anywhere until he did as she said, because, very slowly, his hands lifted up towards his head. Natalie remained silent and patient, watching as he grasped the edges of the mask. He paused momentarily, hesitating, and then finally lifted the heavy-looking thing off his face.

He didn't meet her eyes, looking in an entirely different direction. Natalie gazed at the man before her. Now that she had seen his face, it made sense to her why Mr. Mahoney had wanted her to stay away. His facial features were harsh in appearance. He reminded her vaguely of a caveman, but his forehead wasn't that large. Staring at him, her eyes softened without her realizing it, lips parting ever so slightly. Daring to glance at her, he immediately looked away again, his eyes dark—almost pained.

"Now you know why he didn't want you back here," he said, sounding almost sad.

Natalie collected herself, and she immediately felt guilt twisting her stomach into knots. "I'm not scared," she said honestly.

His eyes darted back to her face, and she could pick out vague traced of shock as well as a fair amount of doubt. All she did was smile softly.

"What's your name?" she asked kindly.

He didn't speak right away, and now that she could see his face he was a lot less intimidating, because she could tell what he was thinking. She could tell he was trying to figure her out, like she was a demon in disguise. It almost made her smile. This hulking man was cautious of her. If it had been under different circumstances, she would have laughed.

"Well, my name is Natalie." Walking up to him, she extended her hand.

His eyes fell to her hand, but instead of taking it he just stared at it like he didn't know what the hell it was. A seven-foot tall man who's scared of girls, she thought with amusement. Priceless.

"This is where you shake my hand and tell me your name," she said in a friendly, slightly teasing tone of voice.

He hesitated. "…I don't think I should."

"Why not? Don't tell me you're scared of a 5'5" midget like me." She smirked.

His eyes met hers. "You're very small…"

Oh. "You think you'll hurt me?" She was giving him a gentle smile. "I don't think you will."

He still didn't make any move to touch her. Rather than giving him time to think it over, she decided to take charge and reached forward. She gently grabbed his hand with both of hers, and she rested her much smaller hand in his large palm. His hands were huge. She could literally lay her palm flat in his and have room to spare. Using her other hand, she gently curled his fingers over her hand.

He didn't know what to make of the woman before him. She'd literally appeared out of nowhere, and five minutes later she was willingly touching him. Her hand was tiny compared to his, but she didn't seem to care he was twice her size. The lack of fear he saw in her jade eyes astounded him. Her hands were very soft, unlike his, which were rough from working tirelessly in the yard. When he looked into her eyes, they were kind—a look he was immensely unfamiliar with.

Natalie fixed him with a somewhat flat expression, but there was a light smile tugging at the corners of her full lips. "Ouch. Stop. That hurts," she said sarcastically.

His eyes met hers, and judging by the look she was giving him, he could tell she was just kidding. He had no idea how to respond, completely nonplussed. He was accustomed to being teased, but kindly? Not so much.

"How many cars are here, anyway?" she asked suddenly. "This place is huge. I bet you could find some beautiful old models around here."

"…There's a few…"

Check. She smiled. "Where?"

He seemed to hesitate yet again, but then he cleared his throat, a bit nervously. "…I can show you."

Mate. Her smile grew, teeth exposing slightly. "I'd like that."

Meanwhile, James had returned with Natalie's car. When he didn't see her outside, he went to check inside the trailer, but then he stepped inside she was nowhere to be seen. Eyebrows furrowing in wonder, he checked the bathroom, but the woman wasn't there either.

"Miss Hayes?" Frowning, he went back outside and called her name again. When he received no answer, he felt his stomach drop. "Aw, no…" Turning, he took off at a full sprint towards the garage. "Horace? Miss Hayes?" Running inside, he was vaguely alarmed to see neither of them were in there. Where the hell were they? Countless scenarios began to run through his head before he could stop them, none of which were positive. Had she decided to go find Horace anyway, and then ran when she saw him? Was she running down the road back towards town, or was she still somewhere in the junkyard?

"I told her to stay put, Goddamnit!"

"Wow, this place is a freaking goldmine!" Carefully turning, Natalie stuck her head out the door of the car she was in, and she looked down at Horace standing below her. She was a good ten feet up, having received a boost into the old sports car she was currently exploring. "I can't believe people actually throw these beauties away like this!"

He just shrugged.

"This place is awesome. If I was rich, I'd buy all the cars you've shown me and make 'em all pretty." Looking down at him, she tilted her head curiously. "Do you guys fix up cars here at all?"

"Just repairs. Mostly chop 'em."

She nodded. "How long have you been here?"

"Awhile."

How long is awhile? "Okay, I guess I better get down." Carefully, she eased her body out of the car, her feet groping blindly for something to support herself. She felt the sole of her sneaker hit something hard, and she gave it a small test of her weight before easing herself out of the car. When her foot unexpectedly slipped, however, she found herself falling backwards, and she let out a surprised, frightened shriek.

A small squeak escaped her when she suddenly landed in what felt like a pair of arms, and when she looked up she was more than surprised to see Horace looking down at her, his expression almost as priceless as hers.

"Wow, thanks," she said. "Nice reflexes."

"What the hell…?"

Both their heads snapped up at the sudden voice, and they both froze at seeing James standing a few feet away, his eyes wide. An incredibly awkward silence followed after that, as they all just stared at each other like deer caught in headlights. Horace's expression was the best out of all of them, and after a minute Natalie actually found herself forcing back a smile, as she reached up and gave Horace's shoulder a small tap.

"You can put me down now, hun," she said.

Blinking, he looked down at her, just then realizing he was still holding her. Clearing his throat, he looked quite sheepish as he carefully set her back down to her feet. James was still staring at them as if he didn't know what to make of the situation. Natalie decided she mine as well explain herself considering she was the one that snuck off.

"Forgive me, Mr. Mahoney. Your son was just showing me around. I was curious if you had any older models like my Mustang."

"…It's… okay…" His incredulous stare shifted up to Horace.

"I was up in that car." She pointed to the old sports car she'd fallen from. "I slipped, and that's how I ended up in your son's arms." A small chuckle left her.

"…Oh, okay. I was a little confused, I must admit."

I bet you were. She suppressed the urge to roll her eyes in annoyance. The fact he seemed to be so shocked she wasn't running from his son irked her. Some family you are.

"Horace…" James shifted his eyes back up to him. "Miss Hayes' car is up front. Why don't you take it to the garage and get started?"

Horace nodded, sending Natalie one last, fleeting glance before heading off at a swift stride. Natalie was just about to walk after him, when James suddenly took her by the arm. She allowed him to pull her aside, and when she looked at his face she was a little annoyed to see genuine concern in his blue orbs.

"Are you alright?" he asked.

She found herself taken aback by the question, but in the next moment her surprise transformed into annoyance. Her eyes grew a bit colder, and she folded her arms over her chest in an almost challenging fashion. Now that she knew why he had been acting so strangely, she was less than impressed with him. It was clear to her now that he was ashamed of his son, and it sickened her.

"There are a few things I'd like to say to you, Mr. Mahoney, but considering you've been so generous to me today, I'll keep my thoughts on the way you treat your son to myself." With that, she turned her back to the bewildered man and began to walk after Horace, leaving James to stare after her with a look of shock mixed with hints of confusion.

She chose to remain in the garage with Horace while he worked on her car, not wanting to sit in the trailer where James probably was. Her first impressions with the man had been okay up until she realized that he seemed intent on hiding his son from the world, and not in the overly protective kind of way. It had all become painfully clear to her when Horace had taken off the mask that James was ashamed of him, even if he didn't want to admit it. Admittedly, she felt a little bad for her abrupt words with James, but her sympathy for Horace overpowered that guilt. Briefly, she pondered on how many people the large man had met face-to-face other than her. Had he been kept here his whole life—like some sort of prisoner? He didn't seem to mind working for his father, but maybe that was because he had no idea how much he was missing out on.

"…Can I ask you a question?" she asked suddenly.

He looked up at her in question. She hesitated only for a moment.

"How long have you been working here?"

He looked as if he wanted to ask why she cared, but after a moment he answered with, "I've lived here my whole life. Worked since I was thirteen."

He returned to what he was doing, and she let her eyes fall to the floor. His whole life. Had he really been stuck here his whole life? Poor guy. From where she was lounging on a bench, she looked over to where Horace was still working on her car. He never said a word unless she addressed him first, and when he did speak he was very short with his answers. She had a feeling it was because he wasn't used to talking to other people, but he wasn't childlike, really. He was just very quiet and kept mainly to himself. Natalie wasn't sure what it was or why, but she liked him right away. There was something about him that made her want to talk to him, but she let him work. It was getting late, and she didn't want to keep the two men longer than she had to.

She didn't remember dozing off, but when she awoke it was from a gentle nudge to her shoulder. Her jade eyes opened slowly, and she looked up sleepily to be looking into a pair of grey-blue eyes. A moment later she realized it was Horace.

"You're car is fixed," he said.

Yawning, she sat up on the bench she was on, and she suddenly paused when she became aware of a strange weight. Looking down, she saw she was covered with a blanket.

"Did you do this?" Turning her head up to him, she smiled.

He nodded meekly.

"You're a sweetheart." Standing, she folded the blanket and set it down on the bench.

"Fixed a couple other things," he muttered. "Brake pads and ignition coils needed replacing, and I changed your oil."

"Wow, really? What's all this going to cost me?"

He just shook his head. "Only charging you for the cap. You didn't ask for the other repairs."

Natalie stared up at him in shock. "Are you sure? I couldn't possibly—"

"Don't worry about it."

She shook her head slowly, but she finally smiled. "Thank you. Really. You didn't have to do all that."

He shrugged, and she surprised him when she took his hand again.

"Thank you, Horace."

Thank you. He wanted to say it, but the words never made it out. He had only known this woman for a few hours, and he found himself utterly fascinated by her. She was beautiful; long, wavy, chocolate brown hair, big jade eyes, full lips, and a sweet face. Hardly any makeup covered her face. She didn't need it. The way she had reacted to seeing him had shocked him to the core. Everyone else before her that had managed to see him had been nothing short of scared. He knew why. He wasn't naïve to the way he looked. People thought he was some dumb giant because of his size and appearance, but he wasn't, and this woman had recognized that. Even when his father had told her to stay up front, she had disobeyed for some reason and made a point to meet him. Why? He would probably never know.

Natalie drove her car back up towards the front of the yard, following behind Horace who was driving the tow truck. Once they had reached the front gates, she got out and paid James the money she owed him for the caps, not mentioning the extra repairs Horace had done on her car. Even if it had been partially James' idea, she was still feeling rather bitter towards him after learning the truth about his son, so she was giving him the cold shoulder. She would be back, though, to thank Horace properly. She felt she had to do something to pay him back for his hospitality.

Horace watched from a distance as she drove off back into the road, feeling a bit gloomy. There she went, the only person to ever treat him like a person. One second she was there, and then she was gone again. Feeling rather depressed all of a sudden, he turned and towards the trailer, walking straight passed his father without a word. He didn't feel like talking, and James seemed to sense this because he didn't try speaking to him. Horace stepped into the trailer, Natalie's face still clear in his mind. After finally experiencing what it felt like to talk to someone from the outside, he realized he had never felt so alone.

And it would remain that way, because he would probably never see her or anyone like her ever again.

Reviews would be appreciated. I'm willing to put into thought any constructive input! :)