Johnny never had a gambling problem. It was more like he had a losing problem. Bad luck followed him where-ever he went.
Johnny sat at the poker table he thought for sure this time he had a winning hand. The man sitting across from him had no tells so he was hard to read.
"Call and raise you fifty," he said throwing a few more chips on the table. 'Damn. This guy is too good.' Johnny thought.
"I fold," he sighed. The man in the sunglasses grinned and collected his winnings. 'Bluffed out again'.
The following Tuesday Johnny made his way to a dingy little town just outside of Reno. He entered a diner and sat down. Johnny lit a cigarette and took the remaining twenty-one cents out of his pocket. That's when he saw her. The first good thing that had happened to him in years. She was slender, had long red hair and was absolutely gorgeous.
"What can I getcha?" She asked. Her voice was like honey in his ears. Johnny couldn't believe his luck.
Over the next few weeks Johnny continued to see the waitress he had met at the diner, much to the displeasure of her father; Staff Sergeant Harrison Melnick.
"I don't want you to see that boy anymore! He's no good for you!"
"You can't tell me what to do! I'm eighteen now daddy, I can make my own choices!" she screeched.
"Where are you going? Catherine!" The young woman ignored her father as she stormed out the door. Johnny placed his arm around Kat and they walked out to his motorbike.
"Shouldn't we wear helmets?" she asked swinging behind him.
"Nah. Don't worry about it Kitten. I'm feeling lucky." They set off down on the open road, unaware of the danger up ahead.
Johnny sat up and groaned.
"My head... what...?"
"You hit a patch of black ice and slid into a tree." Johnny looked up and shakily got to his feet.
"I am the Keeper of the Ghost Zone. I have seen some potential in you. I am offering you a chance to be a ghost," the Keeper said.
"Ghost? Does that mean..." Johnny spun around to look at the crash. Johnny's body was slumped over and couldn't see his head but something else scared him more. Kat's body hung over the back of his bike, her neck was jagged at a terrible angle.
"On one condition. My girlfriend becomes a ghost too."
"Done." Kat's spirit floated out of her body. He grabbed her and pulled her away from it.
"Johnny? Johnny, what's going on? Why are we floating?"
"We're ghosts now Kitten."
"Wha- We didn't-?" Johnny placed his hands on her face to keep her from turning.
"Don't look baby. All that matters now is you and me. We don't have to follow rules now. We're free." Kat burst into tears and clutched his jacket. Johnny held her close and kissed her forehead.
"I love you," he murmured into her hair. With a wave of his hand, the Keeper made a ghost-motorbike appear next to them.
"Something to help to adjust to your new afterlife," the Keeper explained. "And since bad luck seems to follow you around like a shadow..." a black shape rose from the patch ice. It was mostly shapeless at first but it had glowing green eyes.
"This is yours to control." Johnny nodded. "Now all you have to do is forget your old, human life." Johnny straddled the bike and Kat did the same.
"You ready Kitten?"
"Yeah," she said sheepishly.
"Then let's go Just don't look back. Hold on tight babe." Kat's arms wrapped around his chest and buried her face in his back. He was her lifeline. Johnny sped away, the memories of the bodies instantly vanished. All he knew was his that he love his girlfriend, his bike and his shadow.
We have people standing by on the scene now.
"Thank you. We are on the site of the crash that occurred at 12 am last night. It is unclear on the exact events that proceeded last night, but the police are sure that they both died on impact. The bodies have been identified as Catherine Melnick (18) and Jonathan Walker (21). It is a tragedy that such a thing could happen to people so young. We will have more details as this story unfolds. Back to you in the studio."
The Keeper watched the young couple argue. Even in the Ghost Zone it seemed that life had some normality. Kitten stormed off in a huff and Johnny went to find a portal into the human world to blow off some steam. If only she knew of his sacrifice. He didn't have to choose her. Johnny could have just been a ghost himself with only his shadow for company. They would fight just as couples do but the Keeper knew that they loved each other. They were literally bounded to each other.
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