"This was the last thing that I expected would happen" was the first thing JJ told me when we walked back into the farmhouse after all workers calmed down from the sudden fire worker's attack.
"What is it dears?" Sally said in the distance.
"Mom, you won't believe it, some dude was-" JJ started.
"was trying to steal Nessie" I interrupted loudly and gave JJ a look basically telling him to shut up. He had an extremely confused look on his face.
"What? Really? Sally came out from one of the rooms "What happened then? Did he take her? Did someone catch him?" she asked with concern.
"uhhh" I was going to start the lie.
"No, he ran away, but we caught Nessie," JJ said confidently. Oh wow. He was backing me up.
"Yeah, and the man was a runner like his life depended on it when Derek that new worker caught him" I made up a random name.
"True, I think he might have been a track runner" JJ inserted unessecarily and I turned to look at him in confusion.
"Yeahhhh, that too," I said "But everything is fine now, we should shower though, we had been running after him too and we are really sweaty" I took JJ by the forearm and grabbed him to his room. Sally was still confused but didn't push hard on the subject. I closed JJ's door behind us.
"WHAT WAS THAT ALL ABOUT??! WHY DIDN'T YOU WANT TO TELL MOM ABOUT THE FARM AND GUY ON FIRE?" JJ whisper yelled at me.
"ok ok, chill" I started. "I need you to keep for me a secret okay? I have a lot of explaining to do." I started explaining the ghosts and basically have superhuman powers where I see ghosts and that there once had been more people like me and the flame guy and that they live in realms now.
"What???" he asked and gave me a weirded look.
"I know. I know it's a lot to take in," I said, "but trust me on that one, this flame guy is after me and he wants me to come with him or he will light this whole place on fire." I told JJ.
"Dude, you must be out of your mind," JJ told me and that was the reaction I feared.
"I am not," I told him firmly "I can prove it to you," I told him and he didn't reply. He looked like he was curious, yet a little worried that I might burst in flames like the fire worker even though I clearly told him my power deals with ghosts. I snapped my fingers and this time Ross and a ghost I don't even know came up. I looked at them and so did JJ look their direction but of course saw nothing.
"Hey, Ross and you," I pointed at the other ghost "I need you two to check out what is JJ's father doing at the moment and check out on Laila, mom and Jeremy as well."
Ross looked at the skeptical. He was probably thinking: Am I actually going to explain to big Jerremy about the ghosts? Yes, I was. Ross nodded before him and the other ghost nodded and disappeared.
"This is bullcrap," JJ said sitting down "Vince, I really think you lost it. Do you need someone to speak to?" JJ sounded concerned about my health. "I don't mean about ghosts or whatever. I mean how your mental status. You should probably see a therapist" He suggested.
"I am not crazy, shut it," I told him in a burst of annoyance "Give it a few seconds and they'll be back," I said. JJ sat in silence and I was standing staring at nothing in particular with a frown on my face. Then, finally, Ross and the ghost showed up and I looked up to them "So?" I told them and JJ thought I was talking to him "Not you, them" I pointed at the ghosts.
"The dad is about to come in. The mom, Laila, and little Jerremy are now in the car having a fun ride blasting music" The other ghost said.
"Without me?" I asked. I wondered what this one perspective point of view sounded to JJ.
"Yes, pretty much mate," Ross said and gave me a sad grin and a pat on my shoulder.
"All alright," I nodded a couple of times then waved at the ghosts as a cue they can leave "thanks I told them."
I turned to JJ who was very silent. "Your dad is on the way home" I recounted the information "AND, mom, Jerremy, and Laila are blasting music in the car aesthetically," I told him shaking my head.
"Vince, can you just quite this act-" he started.
"I AM NOT PRETENDING" I yelled. Perhaps it was the frustration of having been shut down for years about my powers or the fact JJ was acting exactly the way mom acted while I didn't need another mom friend. Perhaps it was the fact that JJ just saw a guy throwing with his hand on fire and wouldn't believe .e for my ghosts is that annoyed me the most.
I don't what JJ saw. I don't know if he saw a guy's arm on fire or if he thought the guy was holding a torch. Some workers were scared to find out from the looks of it. Actually, according to them, this worker had just come to work in the barn that very morning.
I paused a few moments to see if Sally heard. When she did not come rushing into JJ's room I continued. "I need you to be a little patient okay? Just believe me. You just saw someone with fire powers. His arm was not on fire. It's not possible for normal beings to do that-" I paused hearing what I wanted the most. The farmhouse door clicked. I opened JJ's room door and just like I expected JJ's dad was getting inside the house. JJ came to see this phenomenon too.
"See?" I hissed as I closed the door back "I am not crazy."
"This could be a coincidence."JJ retorted refusing to believe I knew the dad was coming in.
"Okay, let's call mom then," I told him remembering I had my phone and hastily started going through the contacts to find mom.
"You told me you were grounded. You will risk letting her know you have the phone?" JJ asked out of the blue.
"Yes," I said after a pause, and right when I was about to click on mom's contact JJ said "All alright alright I believe you, sort of. Taken that we both think this fire guy is dangerous, are you only going with him to that Night Realm thingy because he wants to light the barn on fire?" JJ asked.
"For starters, I am meeting someone" I paused "And I would like to see the Night Kingdom," I said and I started telling him about what my ghosts told me about it.
"Wow.. that seems magical" JJ said and he seemed to have a sudden curious look taking over him with a sparkle of determination. "Alright, I will sneak you out," JJ said, "but on one condition."
"Go ahead," I said not liking the sound of this.
"You will take me with you."