Befriending a Ghost

First Encounter

He was on top of the world.

Cole stood on the edge of the Mountain of a Million Steps, ignoring the building behind him in favor of savoring the view before and below him. He could see the first hundred or so steps descend down the side of the mountain, then disappear into a thick cloud bank, which was colored pinkish-orange due to the setting sun behind him.

All in all, breathtaking.

Cole took in a few breaths, letting in as much oxygen as the thin mountain air would allow his lungs to intake. His calves burned from walking up all of the stairs; his lungs were still adjusting to being several hundred feet above sea level; his bare upper body was slick with perspiration, causing the pack that carried most of his gear to stick to his back.

He was exhausted, unbelievably exhausted.

But he had never felt more alive.

Cole took in one more breath of air...and let out a loud whoop.

The whoop echoed from the mountaintop, giving it a rich, otherworldly tone. Cole closed his eyes and listened to the sound, a smile tugging on his lips and a familiar feeling of pride and happiness filling his chest

A chuckle from behind him cut the moment short. "You are truly your mother's child," a voice, rich in age and wisdom, spoke up.

Cole turned towards the voice's owner, the one who had guided him to this place, a shy smile on his face. "Mom would always do that when we made it to the top of a mountain," he explained, his right hand coming up to rub the back of his head. "I just....picked it up, I guess."

His guide's golden eyes twinkled and he smiled underneath his long white beard. "Not a bad thing to acquire," he replied, walking up to the young sixteen-year-old, the bamboo cane in his hand tap-tapping against the rocky ground.

Cole just shrugged, turning to face the view again. "I dunno, I guess...it helps me feel.... closer to her, I guess..."

The old man gave him a sad smile and gently tapped Cole's chest with the end of his cane. "She will always be apart of you," he said. "You may not see her, but she will be with you. Always."

Cole squeezed his eyes shut and bit his lip. "I know..." he replied, his voice thick with grief.

There a long silence, his guide allowing Cole a moment to grieve and regain control of his emotions. When Cole had done so--letting out a long sigh and wiping at his eyes with the back of his hand--his guide gently tapped his shoulder and gestured for the young teen to follow him.

They walked to the building that Cole had previously ignored, which turned out to be a monastery. Two huge, heavily decorated doors stood before them, hiding the inside of the monastery from view.

"Sensei Wu," Cole said to his guide, confused. "Aren't these kinds of places made for peace? How can I learn to fight here?"

His guide gave him a look that looked equal parts amused and mischievous. "There is more to this place than meets the eye, young Cole," he replied before turning and pushing one of the doors.

Cole gasped as the door swung open, revealing a small courtyard. Taking up most of the space was what appeared to be some kind of obstacle course, which had swinging dummies, tall wooden poles, and wooden swords inserted into wooden columns.

"Whoa," he breathed, walking up to a column. He gave one of the dummies attached to it an experimental punch, watching as the dummy--and the entire column--began to spin in a circle. "This is cool!"

"I am glad that you find this course fascinating," Sensei Wu replied. "You shall be trying to complete it during your training." Then, so quietly that Cole almost didn't hear, the old man muttered, "Though....I could have sworn that I had deactivated it before I left...."