My Ghost Adventures (The Original!)

Part 2: Virginia City

"I'm going, whether you're coming or not," I called over my shoulder to my mom as I started to board the plane. I had been saving up every penny for months and finally had enough to leave. I wasn't taking no for an answer; I was leaving. "Either come with me, or go home." She looked to make sure the stewardess was distracted and followed me onto the plane.

I couldn't believe how beautiful Las Vegas really was. We arrived at night when all of the lights were glowing in the black like the moon shines on the ocean, making everything sparkle. My mom rolled her as was came in for a landing; my eyes got wider.

I had booked a room at the cheapest place I could afford. It wasn't so cheap that if you touched the sheets on the bed you might have the risk of getting AIDS but cheap enough to be able to have enough money to find out where they were.

"We're going out tomorrow, so sleep well. If you don't keep up with me, you're on your own," I said to my mom as I turned off the lights. She understood that I was on a mission, and did as I told her without question.

"Do you even know where you're going?" she asked, the next morning. She doubted that I was as well prepared as I really was.

"One block over is Freemont, eight blocks over is the Luxor and thirty feet down the road is a cab." I whistled out to the yellow box coming down the street and hailed it like a New York pro.

"Where are you going?" he asked, resetting the meter.

"Virginia City," I smiled.

"You're fucking me right? I ain't driving all the way out there! Get out!"

"Only when you tell me how I can get there." I sat back in my seat and glared into the rearview mirror.

"There's a car rental lot about twenty blocks up," he answered.

"Then take us there."

We had finally made it to Virginia City, not missing much of the action.

"What's going on, is it some sort of holiday?" my mom asked as we drove down the busy streets filled with cars and pedestrians.

"It's an anniversary," I responded, finally finding a parking spot. We got out the car and were greeted by the smell of kettle corn, cotton candy, corn dogs; it was more like a festival of death then an anniversary of life. "Follow me."

I led us through the swarm of people to a more open part of the chaos. This is where I wanted to be. I smiled and started walking in the direction of the stone building standing in the main view of everyone around us. I wasted as people posed in front of it, took pictures and awed over the structure; then I saw what I came for. Among the crowd, I saw a camera that seemed to be floating upon the crowd, walking around then stopping for a moment only to move ever so slightly in the opposite direction. I heard people yelling familiar names and ladies shriek and holler a familiar phrase. I started to laugh and run in the direction of the new chaos.

I couldn't find Aaron; my first idea failed. I saw Nick in a small distance, but Zak was nowhere to be found until a small group of spectators took a step to the side and revealed him lying on the old cutting stone where they would sacrifice. An idea popped in my head: I told mom what I intended to do. She laughed and agreed to help.

With a funnel cake in hand, we walked ever so casually right in the way of Nick's shooting. I laughed as Zak mumbled to himself and continued with a small laugh, obviously not noticing that it was me who had ruined the shot. Granted, I had cut and died my hair since the last time we saw each other, and I had lost a few pounds, so I wasn't too bothered that he didn't notice me right away. I just laughed and enjoyed my working plan.

"Hey," Zak called as I walked by, "we're trying to shoot here!" I laughed and turned around with a smile. "Holy shit..."

It didn't take long for Zak and me to catch up. It had been about four months since we saw each other last and it didn't end very well... After what had happened that night at the hotel, I woke up alone with a note on the nightstand, and the room paid for. I thought it was funny that it was the guy that had left.

"So you've been good?" he asked at the near end of our conversation, picking at the crumbs of our shared funnel cake.

"Yeah-"

"I miss you," he interrupted, licking his fingers.

"Then why did you leave like that?" I interrupted back.

"Because you don't want to get tangled up with me," he started, "I'm a mess."

"Well," I said after a pause, "I like getting dirty." I smiled and licked the sugar off my fingers.