The next day came around all too quickly, at least Anthony thought so.
He woke up in the late morning, still feeling groggy and close to deciding to just fall back asleep. While wandering through his own trail of thought, wondering what might be if he never left his bed again, the doorbell rang suddenly.
Though he didn't want to get up, he knew that only he could answer the door and it would only spill new consequences for later if he didn't. Groaning, he lifted himself out of bed, exited his room and made his way down the hallway towards the front door. He did it all rather sluggishly, and through this the doorbell rang once or twice more for whoever was waiting on the other side of the door was getting impatient.
When he was finally within reach of the door, all Anthony had to do was reach out a hand, turn the knob, and pull. He did, and the first two things he noticed as soon as he opened the door were the blinding brightness of the daytime sunshine piercing through the atmosphere and the gentle, wrinkled smile belonging to the old man that greeted him on the porch.
"Hello, Anthony," the old man spoke in the same calm tone as he always did, "I hope I'm not interrupting anything right now."
The old man took into account of how ragged and tired Anthony looked at the moment. The poor boy appeared as bad as he's been emotionally feeling for the past few weeks. He hadn't even changed the clothes he was wearing from the previous day. The dark bags under his eyes hadn't gone away. In fact, they've gotten worse.
As a close neighbor, the old man had known the Neville family since they moved to town some years ago. Naturally, he was worried. That's why he had gone out of his way to buy a full load of groceries from the local supermarket, and now he was carrying two armfuls of large brown paper bags as he stood on the next door's property. Just trying to show he cares.
Anthony looked at the fresh produce, meats, and other foods much healthier and by far tastier than what he had been eating for a while, and it almost made him drool. But he snapped back to reality and back to the old man who was waiting for a response
"Oh. Hello, Mr. Solomon," he replied "No, things are just fine. I mean, they're basically the same lately, but…uh…"
Anthony tried to form the right words. They were on the tip of his tongue, but they couldn't and wouldn't quite come out. That's when Mr. Solomon jumped in.
"Well, as long as you're hanging in there. In any case, I've got some new groceries for you and your father, unless you've haven't already eaten everything you have in your kitchen yet," he joked, "There's more in the trunk of my car. Do you mind getting them?"
Mr. Solomon jingled his car keys in one hand and held it out to Anthony. He hesitated at first, still trying to process the situation, but soon he snapped back and complied. Snatching the keys from his hands, Anthony started heading down the porch stairs to the sidewalks leading to Mr. Solomon's driveway where his car was parked.
Once he put the key in the slot and unlocked the trunk, something out of the corner of his eye caught his attention. He turned his head in that direction, and a chilling feeling of déjà vu overwhelmed him, along with other emotions like confusion, irritation, and disbelief.
It was her. That girl with long blonde hair and quirky attitude. The same one who had previously conversed with him about Ghost Busters or whatever.
She was walking along the sidewalk, coming his way, and she was not alone. Another girl, this one with glasses and her hair pulled into twin long braided pigtails, was walking alongside her. They were talking to each other in the distance. Anthony could barely make out what they were saying.
He didn't want to have any more to do with that girl, not being in the mood to deal with anybody else. Maybe if he just keeps his head down and doesn't look at them, hopefully they'll pass him by. So he stuck to his plan, almost praying that it would work. He went about his business to get the few grocery bags out of the trunk and quickly and quietly make it back inside.
However, every effort he made in that moment was inevitably futile.
For as he had gotten all the bags into his arms, he realized he had no free hands to close the trunk. That's when two hands appeared out of nowhere, gripping the handle on the inside of the trunk and lowered it down with all their might. Anthony stepped back as the trunk slammed shut, and he now stood face-to-face with his plan that had backfired.
'Shoot!' he thought, 'Just my luck!'
The blonde girl grinned at Anthony, as if she were trying to tell him that he wasn't going to get rid of her so easily. Apparently, she had ran over to the car to close the trunk, which explained why her friend with the braided hair was still trying to catch up since physical activity was never her strong suit.
But the blonde girl didn't hesitate a second more, so she kept her large smile and began by saying, "I thought your house was that one over there," as she peered over Anthony's shoulder to look at the next door dwelling, "So why are you taking groceries out of a car in the driveway of a different house?"
Was this some kind of interrogation now? Anthony could tell that she was having fun with it for some reason.
"What's it to you?" he asked in a snappy tone.
"Oh my! Don't tell me you have two families!" the girl joked while acting shocked and covering her mouth with her hands, "Cheating on your first family for a different one, and now you can't decide which of them to choose so you secretly reside with both. How awful!"
"Oh, shut up!"
Suddenly, the blonde girl's friend finally stepped up beside her, almost wheezing over just the short distance of running she had done. She bent over with her hands on her knees for a moment before straightening back up and asked her friend, "What are you doing, Kiera?"
"Oh yeah, I forgot to tell you, Luna. This boy's house might have a spectral force in it, but he won't let me investigate it. Like he doesn't believe what I say."
The girl with braids looked at Anthony, scrolling her eyes up and down to examine him, "Do you know him?"
"No." Anthony jumped into the conversation. He wasn't fond of people talking about him when he's not involved and especially right in front of him.
"Of course you do! Don't lie!" the blonde girl exclaimed, "We met just last night. I felt a ghost's presence in his house's garage and he walked up to me, we chatted, but then he went inside without letting me go inspect the ghost. Like a jerk!"
Feeling insulted, Anthony tried to say something back. But as he opened his mouth to get the words out, he was interrupted by the girl with braided pigtails who asked the blonde girl, "But do you even know his name? And does he know yours?"
"Oh, right! Hahaha!" she chuckled in realization, and then she turned back to Anthony, "I guess we haven't really introduced ourselves yet. My name is Kiera Irving, and just to remind you, I am this town's greatest psychic and also the founder and leader of The Ghost Hunters' Club," she gestured one hand towards her friend, "And this here is Luna. She's a fellow member in the club, and she keeps records of all our ghost encounters. She's even going to write a book about it all someday!"
Embarrassment washed over Luna when Kiera mentioned those ambitions. Anthony could see it in her face.
There was a short pause in the conversation where the three kids just stared at each other until Kiera broke the silence, "Well, aren't you going to tell us your name?"
Anthony was getting irritated, "If I tell you my name, then will you please leave me alone?"
"Well that's not very nice!" Kiera pouted in response.
"I don't have time for this," he said as he turned around to walk away.
But as he only took a few steps away, he tripped over his own feet, and though he caught himself from falling over, he had no free hands to catch most of the contents that fell out of the brown paper bags he was carrying. A milk carton, a stalk of celery, and plastic bags full of apples and peaches were among some of the foods that spilled onto the concrete sidewalk and grass lawn at his feet.
'Oh, come on!' he thought, 'Can this get any worse?!'
A part of him knew that it can and it was going to.
Soon enough, Kiera's and Luna's hands began picking up the fallen foods and dusting the dirt off. They both then offered to help Anthony carry his groceries inside, Kiera clearly stating, "It would be very rude if we just stood by and watched you drop your precious food on your way to your kitchen."
Anthony didn't know whether to take that remark as a joke or a taunt. Regardless, he soon realized he wasn't going to be able to bring in everything himself. So, against his own better judgement, he reluctantly gave the girls permission to assist him. Even if it meant risking him getting further annoyed with the situation.
And so they walked together, armfuls of groceries, towards the front door. Then they entered the humble house and followed Anthony as a guide through the hallway and to the kitchen. Once there, they were met with Mr. Solomon who had already rested the several loaded paper bags on top of the kitchen table and waiting for Anthony to arrive to know where he'd prefer what goes where. Mr. Solomon was not expecting to see two girls accompanying the boy.
"Oh, I didn't realize you got some help while you were outside," the old man stated, then he shifted his attention towards the two girls standing on either side of Anthony, "I don't think I've met you two before. You can call me Mr. Solomon. I live next door from Anthony here. Hey, since you're here, do you mind helping us put all this food away? The more hands, the better!"
Anthony tried to contradict Mr. Solomon's request by lying that Kiera and Luna were busy with other stuff, but he never got the opportunity for the girls answered the old man's question with enthusiasm.
"You bet!" Kiera exclaimed.
"Okay, sure!" Luna replied.
That's when they all got down to work. Sorting through the contents from each grocery bag and began to put it all away. The refrigerable items in the fridge. The canned goods stacked into the cabinets. The boxed cereals and pastas in the pantry. It was all fine and good, especially since everyone barely talked in the process.
"It's very kind of you girls to help out here. And I can see you seem to be very keen on Anthony, too," Mr. Solomon disrupted the peaceful silence, "Are the three of you friends?"
"Not at all. We just met." Anthony replied.
"That's so mean of you!" Kiera scowled.
"Um, if you don't mind me asking," Luna jumped in, "But what brings you here to be helping Anthony with his groceries? And why were the bags in your car?"
"Oh, it's just a kind gesture. The Neville's haven't exactly had enough for three proper meals each day ever since Mrs. Neville went—well, I mean, it's just…"
Mr. Solomon caught himself as he was about to say something that would break the current nice and quiet mood. He turned to Anthony to try and assure him that he wouldn't spill the beans. Especially since it was his family matter and that it has been putting stress on the poor boy.
But to Anthony, the good vibe was already killed when Kiera first showed up. Or perhaps even when the unthinkable happened just a couple weeks ago. That's why he interrupted the old man by stating, "Because my mom disappeared, and my dad hasn't been taking care of things around here."
Kiera, Luna, and even Mr. Solomon looked at Anthony with shock. For he had said it so calmly and almost blankly, as if he didn't care about his dying family. No one talked after that. The good mood was truly dead now. Regardless, everyone continued the work until the work was done. Eventually, after everything was put away in its respective place and the brown paper bags had been folded and stuffed into the cabinet above the sink, the four of them rewarded their efforts with smiles upon the kitchen.
"Well, thanks again for helping us, girls. Hopefully this wasn't too tedious for you," Mr. Solomon said to Kiera and Luna, trying to revive the tranquil atmosphere.
Then Kiera smiled and turned to Anthony and said, "Oh it's no problem. And I'm sure your father will be able to appreciate our hard work, too."
Was she only doing this so she could get on Anthony's father's good side just so she could explore their garage?! Anthony sure thought so. But he bit down the urge to snap back at her. Instead, he just gritted his teeth and stayed silent.
"Well, if that's all, I think I'll just be leaving you kids to yourselves," Mr. Solomon declared, making his way out of the kitchen and out the house, but not before turning to Anthony and saying, "Remember, Anthony, if you need anything else, I'm just one house away."
Anthony was going to ask Mr. Solomon to stay at least until Kiera and her friend had left him, but the old man was already far gone and out of earshot by the time the boy could get the words out of his mouth. Then he found himself staring at the doorway towards a closed door, quiet and totally flabbergasted.
"So, just out of curiosity, where's the garage?" Kiera asked out of the blue.
Anthony turned back to her and her big bright smile, confident in herself and somehow enjoying the attention. She waited for him to give an answer, but it wasn't the one she was hoping for or expecting. In fact, he didn't even respond to her question.
Instead, he decided to let out all the frustration he was feeling and vent his rage and stress towards Kiera, "Oh, for crying out loud! How many times are you going to keep trying to pry?! I'm telling you, there's no way my father is going to let you in the garage! Because he locks himself in there every day, he's got no time for you or your nonsense about playing Ghost Buster!"
"How many times do I have to tell you?! I'm a Ghost Hunter!" Kiera snapped back, "And if you don't want to believe me, that's fine! But I'm telling you, there's a ghost in this house, and I must investigate it! You don't even have to help, either! I'll find it myself!"
All of a sudden, Kiera ran past Anthony before he could react. She exited the kitchen, taking a sharp left, and started dashing down the hallway, while darting her head from side to side and stopping to open each new door she came across. Only a moment later, Anthony started chasing after her, yelling at the blonde girl to get the hell out of his home. The while, he was followed closely behind by Luna who was preparing to sort out their conflict.
It was a full-on chase around the Neville abode, going around in a little over half a square before Anthony turned one last corner and found that Kiera had stopped dead in her tracks. He quickly saw why. His father had just left the garage and locked it tight with the key in his hand right before he noticed Kiera running up to him.
Everyone was stunned. Not even Kiera's feisty and optimistic attitude could mask the amount of tension that had just entered the house's halls.
Mr. Neville, having been succumbed to the strain over his wife gone missing and no signs of her at all over the past couple of weeks, looked a mess. The toll was really taking its hold on the man.
His face was bearing many little whiskers for having not shaven for days, and he had let his hair fall to the sides of his head in greasy strands instead of using his hair gel to comb over and pull it back. His eyes were somewhat dark and sunken, and the dark bags under them were even worse than Anthony's. Even his clothes were ruffled, dirty, and smelled like the dead, while his shirt was left barely buttoned and untucked.
Mr. Neville, after another hard day's work in the seclude of his sweet garage and just wanting to lay his head down for the night before getting up at the crack of dawn and doing it all over again, wasn't expecting to come face-to-face with a little blonde girl staring back at him with wide silver eyes.
It was a face-off. Nobody spoke. Not for a long while. The silence was like torture to Anthony. Fearing what his father might do to Kiera, something worse than what he could ever do to him, he eventually mustered up all his courage to walk up to them, until Kiera broke the stillness suddenly with a newly dignified tone, "Well, well, you must be the father of this household."
Mr. Neville didn't respond. He just stared at her. This frightened Anthony more.
But Kiera stood her ground firmly and continued her annotations, "If I may say so, it's not very good of you, sir, to keep yourself locked up in the garage working on whatever you got going on in there, while disregarding the states and well-beings of both your home and your own son!"
'What the heck is she on about?!' Anthony thought in his mind.
Does she have no filter at all?! Was she trying to make him feel better? Or to prove a point? Either way, she didn't stop there.
"Is some woodwork project or something really above your duties as a caretaker?" Kiera continued, "A man like that doesn't have the right to call himself a father! Even if you try to make amends, it'll probably be too late."
Things were getting nerve-wracking. Especially since both Anthony and Luna could see that Mr. Neville was beginning to acknowledge Kiera's statements with clenched fists at his side.
"Whatever is in your garage right now shouldn't be so important that it goes before your son! Unless, of course, you've got something big to hide…"
Kiera made a sly face at Mr. Neville when she made that last remark.
"Come on, now," Kiera started up again, "She's calling for you, after all. You don't want to keep her waiting."
'What is going on here?!'
Just then, it looked like Mr. Neville was about to lose it and take it out on Kiera, but then Luna rushed onto the scene, stepped in and began apologizing over and over again for her best friend's behavior. Kiera tried to pull her back, but soon the two girls leaned in on each other and started whispering in the other's ear. The whispering lasted for only a couple of moments, and then they both turned back to the man standing in front of them, with slight smiles on their faces.
"I guess that's that, then. I'm very sorry about my tone before. I just get a little worked up when it comes to standing up for my friends," Kiera stated.
'Since when are we all buddy-buddy?!'
"Yes, we'll get out of your hair now," Luna said, "Um, Anthony, can you please show us to the door?"
"I don't—! Oh…uh, okay…"
Anthony was about to yell again, but once he processed what they were asking of him in this moment, he calmed himself down and soon he led the two girls away from his father and to the front door.
He saw that Kiera smiled at him as he shut the door on them while they waved goodbye. Then she winked at him, as if indicating that this would not be the last of her.