Fiction: Frightened by gnocchi & ghosts (B)

~ Read Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4 A ~

Fiction: Frightened by Gnocchi & Ghosts (Part 4 B)

Sitting by the window sill where the rain couldn't reach, Black waited with Seventeen sitting beside him. The rain was pounding down above them. He glanced down at his wrist watch. It was nearly 3:30. He should have been in bed or at least, somewhere with real windows. "Did you know several men died in this house?" he said.
    "You're lying. You're trying to scare me." Seventeen tittered. The guy didn't just say men had died in the house. No, he didn't.
    "Eleven men died right here under mysterious circumstances. Some died upstairs and some in the basement and some in the attic." Black glanced at her sideways.
    "Where did you get your information from? Are you sure they are correct?" She didn't believe a word of it and yet, those ghosts had injuries that were certainly not made by natural occurrences.
    Black snickered. "It came straight from the murderer's lips."
    "You spoke to a murderer ghost?"    "Yes. She had homicidal tendencies. She loved to kill men who liked to be heroic. But she was possessing the body of a lady who was abused by her husband which she, the ghost, had also killed. I had to vanquish her."
    "I don't believe you." She was uncomfortably warm though the bins with bonfires were a little too far to reach her.
    "Don't believe me? Look it up. Check house #1212 and the name Simone Black."
    "Black? Is that the ghost's name or the lady who was possessed by the ghost? Any relation?" She turned to face Black.
    "That was the ghost's name. And no. Well, maybe. Sawyer said it was better not to know."
    "What happened to her? The lady that was possessed."
    "After the ghost was vanquished, the lady was convicted and went to jail serving a life sentence. The justice system back then was a bit less yielding to abused women but technically she is sort of responsible for the deaths of those men." Black stared out toward the bonfire. It had been a horrible daymare no fourteen-year-old should witness. If the roof hadn't collapsed, he might still have a living brother. But that lady, he still remembered her soft face and her kindness even after Black's lawyer couldn't get her off.
    "Where did ghosts go? I mean, where did you send them when you vanquished them? You didn't just obliterate them, right?"
    "No idea. But the theory my ancestors came up with is that we send them to their next life. Rebirth or reincarnation. The soul, the coil of our being, never dies or so my ancestors believed. I believed it too or else thinking of myself and all the people who are gone as being completely erased from this world is just too cruel. Rebirth or reincarnation is a better alternative, don't you think?"
    "I've never actually thought about it. But I like the idea of re-borning into another life, another existence. But to remove ghosts just because they don't conform to our way of living, isn't it a bit harsh?"
    "Harsh? Ghosts shouldn't exist. They are trying to live when they really should be moving on. Do you think possessing people and destroying their lives is something right?"
    "Of course I don't. I just think not all ghosts needs to be vanquished." Tofu's face came into her mind. And Sawyer. They were family and to lose them again, she couldn't imagine.
    "I can agree with that but don't you think if people, living or not, causes harm to another, they should be removed or sent away?"
    "I guess so. What if you send them to someplace where they will cause harm to other living beings?"
    "Well, don't you think its better that they are not here? Don't you have a love for humanity?"
    "Not really."
    "People haven't been kind to you, have they?"
    Seventeen shrugged. She had tried to ignore and even avoid people who were unkind to her but it was a lot easier to avoid kind people. "So what are you? A ghost remover, a ghost relocator?"
    "A ghost reaper. Well, that's Sawyer's term but I prefer witch."
    "You're a witch? There's no such thing." She chuckled. Witches only existed in stories.
    "Yeah, just as there's no such thing as ghosts. You're just a delusional girl who sees dead people." Black gave her a wry smile. He had never really had to explain what he did and when he had to, there was the usual disbelief and a maybe followed by a joke.
    Frankly, she didn't like the idea being delusional for these last eleven years. "Fine. I believe you. But... You don't actually need me to help up with ghosts, do you? I'm not much help to you."
    "No. But if you're with me, my brother worries less about me." It wasn't easy having a brother 20 years older than you. Sawyer had always been more a parent than a brother to Black. And now that Black was nearing his brother's age, he was starting to worry about the future. How long could he go on fighting ghosts? How long could his brother stay with him? Was there any point in any of this?
    At least the guy was honest. Seventeen didn't dislike him. He was a bit rude but being honest always made a person seemed rude. Out of the corner of her eyes, she spotted a large figure coming out of one of the dark corners. It opened its mouth revealing an extensive amount of teeth floating in the blackness. A scream escaped her. She raced toward the nearest opening and tripped and fell on her back. The lump she tripped on was shaped like a body under a pile of dirty blankets. She ran back to Black and grabbed his arm and pointed. "A— A dead body."
    Black looked across the room. The dead body stirred and sat up. "Who woke me?" it said.
    "Sir, sorry about that. I would advise you leave this house now," said Black.  
    The man stood up and stretched his arms. "Why? I like it here. Though it's a bit noisy today." He leaned forward and squinted his eyes. "Are you folks alive?"
    "Mostly," answered Black.
    The man nodded.
    "But I really think you should leave before it gets even noisier. I recommend the house three doors down to your right. It has a very cozy attic. I'm sure you will enjoy that much better than here." Black smiled.
    The man scratched his head and smiled showing some missing teeth. His long hair mostly covered his dirt-stained face. "I believe you're right. Wanna be alone with your sweetheart? I get it." He chuckled and picked up the pile of blankets. On the way out, he grabbed Seventeen's cap off the floor, dusted it off on his pants and put it on.
    There was a light bark and heavy panting. The large figure was still moving. "It's a monster! Kill it!" Seventeen didn't believe in monsters but there was a first time for everything.
    "Monster? I doubt that. I think you need to check your eyesight. You just said that man, who is very much alive, is a corpse."
    "He looked like a corpse!" Seventeen's hands shook. "Who sleeps on the floor of an abandon house?"
    "Most homeless people. Now this monster..." Black looked down at the coming figure. It looked like a dark cloud with legs. It panted and moved with the speed of a turtle. When the creature finally came into the light, Black sighed. "It's a dog. A fat-ass dog."
    "What?" She peered down. The mastiff was a deep shade of brown. His form was wide enough to be a couch. Its eyes seemed to be two bright spots. It moved slowly almost as if it was crawling instead of walking. She stepped farther behind Black. "Get rid of it!"
    "You're not afraid of murderous ghosts but you're afraid of a dog?" said Black.
     "He can still bite. Is he a... ghost dog?"
    "Hard to say but in my opinion—" Black paused. Was it a ghost? The dog was solid looking and yet there was something about it that even frightened him a little. Perhaps it was the way it opened his mouth so wide revealing a large abyss. The dog finally reached them and it tugged at the hem of Black's pants with his fat paw. Black pushed it with his foot. It fell sideways and its short legs swung as if trying to get back onto its feet.
    "Don't kick Gnocchi!" The kid ran to the dog and picked it up with ease.
    "I am against animal cruelty especially in giving them names like Gnocchi." Black chuckled.
    Seventeen struck him on the shoulder. "You shouldn't have kicked him."
    "Hey! I gently pushed him. There was no kicking involved!" Black rubbed his shoulder. He had enough. "Okay, kid. I don't have the patience for you today so save us the trouble and give me back my pendant."
    The kid put the dog down. "My name is not kid! It's Ten!" He pulled at the jacket with the letter X. "It says right here, my name, Ten!" He was skinny and was only slightly taller than the dog. He paused to look down at the dog. "I will return your pendant on one condition."
    "You want to negotiate with me? I can send you to your next life right now." Black pulled out a needle. The kid barely reached up to Black's chest.
    "Just promise me you will take Gnocchi with you when you leave. Take care of him and make sure his last days are peaceful and joyful." The kid smiled.
    Joyful? Black wanted to kick the kid. What kind of silly condition is this? The next thing the kid would tell him to take the dog home in a chariot and serve him food on a golden plate. "I'm sorry but I don't do pets."
    "But Gnocchi is a good dog. He's 8 years old. You should respect your elders." The kid glared at Black.
    Black glared back. "You should respect the living. That dog should have been put to sleep a long time ago. Was he always that... big?"
    "It isn't his fault he has a slow metabolism." The kid rubbed the dog's head.
    Black nodded. The kid must have fed the dog more meals than what the dog needed.
    "He's 8? How old is that in human years?" Seventeen's head ached and she wished she could just jump into a bed and sleep for a week.
    "Oh, he's old, probably 64 or more in human years." Black never had a dog but he had learned a few things about them.
    Seventeen looked from the boy to Black. "Sixty-four? That's old. Why not take care of him? He doesn't look like he have much life left."
    Is she kidding him? "Look, Miss Seventeen. Didn't you want me to get rid of it just now? Why don't you take him?" He raised his eyebrows at her.
    "Me? I can't have a dog. I can barely take care of myself." Seventeen peeked from behind Black at the large dog. It didn't look as scary as before.
    "You take care of Gnocchi or you'll never get your pendant back." The kid's lips where quivering.
    Was the kid going to cry? Black didn't like children crying or women or men or anyone. "Look kid, Mr. Ten, I'm not going to take your dog home and neither is she. The only thing I can promise is to take him to a shelter. What do you think?" Black admired the kid for such loyalty. "Besides, I don't think he wants to leave you. And you seem to be unable to leave this house. Am I right?"
    The kid looked up at Black. "Yes, I tried to leave a million times but I keep coming back here."
    Black laughed. "Mr. Ten, I don't normally negotiate with ghosts but I'll make an exception for you. How about: (1), You give me back my pendant and I promise not to vanquish you. And (2), I'll send someone to take the dog to a shelter. Do we have a deal?" Black was tired and getting more annoyed by the minute.
    The dog barked lightly and rubbed against Ten's leg. Ten leaned down and rubbed the dog's head. Did the dog had the same ability as Seventeen? Black glanced over at the girl. She was slightly leaning against his arm. Her eyes were half closed. He turned back to the kid.
    "Deal on the second. As for the first matter, I would like to pass on. Vanquish me, please." Ten dug into his jacket's inner pocket and pulled out an object and threw it at Black.
    Black caught it. The pendant gave off the energy he was familiar with. He tucked it into his inner shirt pocket. The kid must have been here for at least ten or more years. Some ghosts could get restless after a while. "Wait a minute. You did do all this just so I would vanquish you? Why didn't you just ask?"
    "I could have but it's more fun this way, don't you think?" Ten laughed.
    Black scoffed. "You thought we would have fun fighting ghosts trying to kill us with knives and mallets?"
    Ten grinned. "Come on, they were sub-par ghosts, they couldn't have killed either one of you. They aren't very smart. You enjoyed fighting them. Didn't...you?"
    Black gave the kid a wry smile. "Oh yes, I enjoyed it very much." He grabbed Seventeen's hand and gave the kid a good kick in the chest.
    The kid fell back onto the floor. "I deserved that." Ten rubbed at his chest. "Are we even now?"
    Black nodded. "Absolutely. Not. I think I would feel better if I can throw a refrigerator at you."
    "Are you out of your mind? You didn't have to kick him!" Seventeen reached out to help the boy up but Black pulled her away. "You're not sympathizing with a ghost who just ordered other ghosts to kill us, are you?"
    Seventeen lowered her gaze to the floor. The man had a point. She pressed her lips tight and shook her head.
    Ten stood up, still rubbing at his chest. "That was a great kick. I almost thought I was going to vanquish." He chuckled. "Shall we continue our discussion?"
    Black exhaled. "Go on."
    "Like a said, I want to leave this world. These fifteen years had been fascinating but it is time I go. I only stayed because there was no one to take care of Gnocchi. As long as you promised to look out for him until he passes, I don't have to stay," said the kid.
    "Oh, that's so sweet." Seventeen smiled.
    Black glared at the girl. She stopped smiling. "Come on, he just wants his dog to have a good last days. There's nothing wrong with that. And you vanquish ghosts all the time. What's one more?"
    "Please, let me leave this existence." The kid looked up at Black.
    "Fine." Black pulled out a silver needle. This boy really wanted to go. His eyes were pleading. Black put the needle back into his sleeve. "But you don't need me to vanquish you. If you really want to go, just go."
    "Really?" The kid's eyes widened. "Just like that? All I have to do is go?"
    Black nodded. "Ghosts don't need to be vanquish to leave this world. It is their will that keeps them here. If you just let go of everything, including your dog here, if you concentrate on moving on, you can leave without any help."
    The boy nodded. "I understand." Seventeen sure didn't understand. Was it that easy?
    Ten bended down to whisper something to the dog's ear and rubbed the dog's head and straightened up. "You promise to take care of Gnocchi, right?" He smiled at Black. Black didn't want to read into that smile but the kid was wistful, he was certain of that. "As I said, I'll send him to a home where he will be taken—"
    "We promise. We'll take good care of him." Seventeen smiled. The boy looked less grumpy and even sweet when he smiled.
    "Well, goodbye." The kid slowly turned into sparkling lights. Gnocchi barked. His periwinkle eyes stayed on the kid until the kid dissipated into nothing.
    Seventeen was amazed again and yet, a little frightened. Will she have to watch her brother go like this someday? Her head was throbbing as if someone was pounding it with a hammer.
    Black had seen ghosts leave often and yet, each time, there was a fleeting feeling of lost for the ones that left voluntarily. But he turned away. "Let's go," he said. The dog barked. How Black was to transport a giant dog, he hadn't a clue but at least, he could tell his brother he ended this affair peacefully without anyone getting seriously hurt. Seventeen went ahead of him. There was something on the back of her coat. "Hey, you've got something on your backside."
    "What?"
    "Your coat, the back of your coat. There's a—"
    "Is it alive? Kill it! Kill it!" She unbuttoned her coat and threw it to the floor and stomped on it a few times.
    Black chuckled. "It's just a few gnocchi. I'm sure they wouldn't have hurt you." He picked up the coat and dusted off the leftover dumplings and held it out to her. "Here you go. As good as ever."
    Seventeen took the coat and turned away. What the hell was she thinking? Something smelled horrible. It wasn't the same scent as before. This something  resembled rotten durians with hints of fish and sweaty socks. She lifted up the coat and took a sniff. "Ugh! What the hell is that smell?"
    Black took a sniff of the coat. "Not the greatest scent but still tolerable."
    "Tolerable? This is...yucky. Do you think scents like that would get out in the wash? Hell no!" She dropped the coat to the floor.
    "I don't want to tell you it's freezing in here and it's just as freezing out there." Black sighed. He pulled off his jacket off and offered it to Seventeen. "Here, put this on. I'm only loaning it to you so my brother wouldn't scold me for not being a gentleman."
    She put the jacket on. She was still cold but at least, she was a few degrees warmer though her head was baking.
    "Let's go." He lifted Seventeen up by her back and the pits under her knees.
    "Are we just going to leave the dog here?" asked Seventeen.
    "Do you want to carry him?" He raised an eyebrow at her.
    "No." She scoffed. "Why are you carrying me?"
    "You look like you're going to pass out. Less work for me if I carry you now. Pretend I'm your Prince Charming."
    She hit him on the shoulder. "Prince Charming? Please!"
    "You shouldn't hit your Prince Charming."
    "And why not?'
    "Because he will drop you." He widened his eyes.
    "I'm sorry. I take it all back. You're my Prince Charming. Mocha." She rubbed at her head. Why was her head so heavy and hot?
    Black paused by the door. "Gnocchi, you stay put until I find someone to take you to a home."   
    Gnocchi barked lightly.
    As he stepped outside with Seventeen, Black heard the slow panting of the dog. Down the few steps and toward the fence, the dog followed. Black turned around. "Stay!" Gnocchi paused and barked.
    "Gnocchi!" said Seventeen. "I think we should go to Tony's and get some gnocchi. Shall we?" She smiled.
    "Whatever you said, Princess."
    "Don't call me that! Wait a minute! Wait a minute. Did you say something about a dragon just now?"