Ghost Kisses by H.L. Dyer (comprehension books .TXT) 📕

know it sounds pathetic, but it just makes everything even more confusing." "Well, do you love him back?" Erin asked. "I don't know...I haven't even had enough time to even consider that." Tammy said. "Let's consider the facts: You had many restless nights while he was away, you think about him all the time, and you want to do everything you can to stay." "And?" "You're so in love with him." Erin replied. "You can't be serious, Erin, a human in love with a ghost." Tammy said skeptically. "Love is love, isn't it? I know, why don't you invite me over so I can help you with the make up work, then when we have time to spare, you can introduce me to your pen-pal of yours." Erin shrugged. "I dunno...It sounds too Twilight to me. And besides, Michael would be worried that his uncle might take you over." Tammy said shaking her head. "Tammy, I'm your friend and I support you all the way, but if you keep being skeptical and pesimistic, then I can't help you." Tammy looks at Erin for a moment then she sighs. "Michael's not going to like this..."
Chapter Six

When Sunday came, Erin and Tammy took hours to finish the piled-up late work. Between snacks and eye breaks, they didn't finish until 4 o'clock PM. "I think that's all of it. Now, let's meet the lover-boy!" Erin exclaimed. Tammy rolled her eyes as she whispers Michael's name. Just like that the pencil lifts and words appear on the page "Tammy, what is she doing here?"

Tammy hesitates, "This is my friend Erin, sh-she wanted to meet you." The pencil then writes rapidly "What are you thinking!? Do you know how much danger you just put her in?"

"Yes, I know, but she wants to help. Erin came here of her free will." "She still shouldn't have come. The more people here, the more at risk my uncle is of waking up."

"But Michael, if I may, I can help! I know a girl at school who might be able to make your uncle cross over without any harm being inflicted on anyone else." Erin spoke up. "No, Erin, you being here is risky enough-let alone Tammy and her mother being here as well. No...No one else can know of us."

"That's kind of late for that. Your scaring families away from here led to rumors around town. Most people don't believe in it, but there are some people who do. Including the girl that can help us." "...fine, but know this, you're making a big mistake, Tammy. When my uncle wakes, it'll be on your head."

Then Michael disappeared. "...So much for a boyfriend. He doesn't treat you very kindly." Erin says. "He's not usually like this, he's just really worried for me." 'Because he loves me.' Tammy added in her head. "That seems to make sense...Anyways, tomorrow we start on operation into-the-light!" Erin crows triumphantly. "Yeah, Erin, who is this girl we're going to see?" Erin smiles at her sadly. "She doesn't have many friends because she's considered an outcast, and lots of rumors had spread about her over the years...-" "Just get to the point, Erin." Tammy said irritably. "Okay, okay...We're going to see no one other than Victoria Blackwood."
Just as Tammy and Erin start to spot the dark-lipped goth in all her blackened glory, Tammy looks at Erin. "Why am I not surprised?" Erin ignored her as they made way to the table she sits, Victoria was doodling in a notebook when she looks up. "Mind if we sit?" Erin asks. Victoria shrugged and looked back down before saying "I don't care." Erin and Tammy then took their seats timidly. After a moment of awkward silence, Erin glanced at Tammy before elbowing her which caused her to jump before hesitantly asking, "So, you're an expert on...death, right?" Victoria looked up at them with ice-blue eyes "Among other things," "Well...we have-...a...special case we need for you to look into." Tammy continued. Victoria stared at them for what seems like moments then pointed to Tammy. "Yes, I can sense it. Death hangs around you, you carry its stench wherever you go." Tammy and Erin look at each other. "So...will you help us?" Erin asks. "I will, for a small fee of course." "A fee?" Erin questioned. "Yes...your souls." Tammy and Erin blanched before Victoria cracked a smile. "I'm kidding! I may be a goth, but I have a sense of humor you know." Tammy and Erin sigh in relief. "All I'm asking for is $35, this will go towards any supplies I might need to help you." "Done." Tammy and Erin agreed. "Okay, so when should I get started?"
"Mom, this is Victoria, she's just going to help us with some studying." Tammy lied. "Nice to meet you, Victoria, if you girls need anything, don't be afraid to ask." Tammy's mom said before they turn and head up the stairs. Tammy's mom looks on and shakes her head at Victoria's appearance before returning to washing the dishes.
As they walked into Tammy's room, Victoria looks around then says. "There are ghosts here." "We know that, what we need help with is getting rid of a certain one, an evil one." Victoria nodded, "I thought I felt a sense of darkness here, thing is that evil spirits are the hardest ones to get rid of. They usually stick around, much like other spirits, because they had a goal that was unfulfilled. This means that the only sure way to get rid of them is to let them fulfill that need and they'll go into the light." "But we don't want that, this ghost's goal is to kill people." Victoria looked on with sad eyes. "If that's the case, this'll be harder than I thought. What is the state of the evil one?" "Well, according to Michael, he's in a limbo." "Michael?" Victoria inquired. "He's the other ghost that lives here. His uncle is the evil spirit we want to get rid of. Victoria nodded. "I thought I sensed two. My guess is Michael's the poltergeist, completely harmless. It's the uncle that needs to be attended to." "The only problem is..." Tammy slowly sat on the bed. "What is it, Tammy?" Erin asked. "If we get rid of Michael's uncle, then we get rid of Michael as well." Victoria's already pale skin turned a sickly paler shade. "A bloodline cross-bond." "A what?" Tammy asked. "These are rare, but it happens whenever the spirits are related as niece/nephew and aunt/uncle. It's a curse that is casted whenever one kills the other before committing suicide. Usually when this happens, the murderer didn't intend for the curse to be casted, and rarely is. But if the murderer did so out of rage and did kill the parents of the victim, then the curse is immediately casted. The reason it is a rare occurence is because whenever-say the aunt kills the nephew and it was actually an accident or that the aunt wasn't in a rage when the killing occured and she commits suicide in grieving disbelief of what she's done, then there was no ill intentions to do so and therefore the aunt and nephew would be spared. But in this case, it's not just an evil spirit we're talking about here. We're talking about actual black magic and the forces of evil themselves." Victoria explained. Erin's jaw dropped while Tammy's skin becomes an ashen color. "Michael, did you hear me?" Victoria calls out. "...Yes, I heard you. What you said mostly does relate to how I came to be this way. My uncle was in a rage when he killed me."

the pencil scribbled excitedly. "How did you end up living with your uncle?" Victoria asked. "My parents died in a fire."

"Think back thoroughly, this outcome is very crucial to break the bloodline cross-bond. Would your uncle have any motives to kill your parents?" Victoria implored. "...No, I can't think of any real- Wait! I remember my uncle kept looking for something whenever he would join us for family reunions."

"What was it he was looking for?" "I'm not sure...There were arguments over a key, but I was never let in as to what the key was for."

"Okay, Michael, I'm sorry to have to say this, but I believe that your uncle may have killed your parents to get that key." Victoria said. "What does this have to do with the curse?" Tammy demands. "The key is what binds Michael's uncle to the bond. If we find the key, we can perform a ritual to sever that bond and deal with the uncle without risking Michael's soul." Victoria explained. "But how are we going to find the key? Michael said that his parents died in a fire. If that's the case, then the key would be melted." Erin pointed out "Whenever my parents argued with uncle about it, they keep telling him that he'll never find it. That it wasn't on the estate."

"Then the key is still alive." Victoria states. "Well, where are we going to start? We can't just search the whole town!" Tammy thought out loud. "True...Michael, we're going to need a list of places your parents went to, places they liked." The page turned and the pencil busily bullets places and locations in detailed addresses.
Once the pencil stops at two pages worth of locations, Victoria hovered over the notebook. "Okay, looks like we'll need to split up. Erin, you cover from here to here, Tammy here to here and I get the rest." she said, placing a black painted nail and gesturing through the bullets in even thirds. "Sounds like a plan." Tammy nods. "Wednesday I'll get the supplies necessary for the ritual whether we find the key by then or not. We should begin immediately, time is running short and I doubt Michael's uncle will be in limbo for long." Victoria states.