Ghost Guardian

Chapter 19

(Thi song is perfect for this chapter)

Third Person POV

Twelve years prior...

They say that you can influence the future with every action you make. A drop of a pencil. An opening of a book. A simple, "yes," or, "no."

Anything.

Eight-year-old Silas McCallister watched as his six-year-old cousin climbed up the jungle gym faster than he did. Instead of being upset about it, he was proud of his cousin, Emery, who was scared of the thing at first. 

"Would you look at that?" Emery's mom smiled as her son made it to the very top. Silas was also smiling, watching Emery's face light up at his accomplishment. 

"Look, Silas! I did it!" Emery yelled from the top, looking as if he conquered a mountain. The boy even dared to swing his legs as he sat on the slim bar.

 Silas wished Emery was his brother, then he could always teach him how to be brave in times he was scared. 

"See!" Silas huffed, putting his hands on his hips like a scolding mother, "I told you it wasn't scary!"

"Yeah..." Emery giggled, then his giggle died as he looked down, "How do I get down?"

"Here!" Silas rushed over and held his hands up to the more little boy, "I catch you!"

"Are you sure?" Emery asked, now wary.

"I promise!" Silas smiled bigger and brighter than the Sun, "Just jump!"

After a small hesitation, the boy on the jungle gym slipped from the bar and let himself fall in his cousin's wide-open arms. Emery's eyes had opened wider from his fear, but he slowly smiled as he realized that his older cousin had caught him.

Silas, still holding the boy, looked at Emery's face and innocently decided that, if they were not brothers, he would marry Emery when they got older. That way, they could be with each other all of the time.

"Time to go home now, baby," Auntie Nat called, "Mommy's got to go to work." She worked too much, Silas knew. He could tell by her messy bun and her tired eyes, but she was a good mommy still, even if she would rather sleep.

"Come on, kid," his own mother called, "We should leave too. It's starting to get late, and we need to be home in time for supper. Kayla is making the food today, and you know she likes to start early."

Kayla was one of their paid chefs. She was a decent chef, but all of her food was fancy. Emery had once said that his mommy cooks his food herself, and Silas had always wondered what his own mother's food would taste like. But she would never cook. Silas heard that Emery ate hot dogs and pizza and Chinese takeout- things he has always smelled while passing by shops- but all he got was booger-like oysters and stupidly healthy salads with stupid healthy sauces like balsamic-whatevers. 

He just wanted to try some chicken nuggets or ranch dressing or Oreos. 

He wrinkled up his face at the thought of oysters again, before watching Emery slide into his car, waving him goodbye.

He waved back until the car drove out of sight. Then he turned to his mother.

"Mom, I'm gonna marry Emery one day," he declared, waiting for her to laugh like she did during that phase where he only wanted to marry her.

Instead, her facade went from surprised to sort-of stern.

"Silly, you can't marry your cousin," she huffed, "It's wrong."